38 Cheap, Healthy Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Cheap Healthy Good will resume posting on Monday. Happy Thanksgiving!Every year, I suspend my healthy diet for one heralded November day. No, not Election Day, during which I’m usually too queasy to eat – but that most glorious of bird-based holidays, Thanksgiving.Then, 24 hours later, I enter an equally magical shame spiral, since I’ve just consumed enough calories to keep me alive for eight years without ever having to eat again.This year, I’m going to desperately try to avoid all that, hopefully by using at least 25 of the following 38 inexpensive, frugal leftover recipes. (Well … okay, 24.) I found them via a thorough, highly scientific search-and-paste process, not unlike previous Beef, Party Food, and Salad Dressing searches. In this case, here’s what determined a dish’s appearance on...

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Posted in: Cooking,Frugality,Links

Tuesday Megalinks

Lots of hypothetical questions today, along with a few extra Thanksgiving posts and a staggering four articles from Wise Bread. Really, it’s all a warmup to tomorrow’s piece, "Cheap Healthy Leftovers." But in the meantime…Advertising Age: NIH - Banning Fast Food Ads Will Make Kids Less FatThe National Institutes of Health is claiming that a “ban on fast-food advertising to children would cut the national obesity rate by as much as 18%.” EIGHTEEN PERCENT. Yeah, I think this needs to happen. But will cereal/candy/junk food companies comply?Being Frugal: Reusing Storage BagsI try to re-use these whenever possible (for vacations, makeup, etc.), unless the bag’s been holding meat. Because no one wants botchulism on their travel shampoo.Casual Kitchen:...

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Posted in: Links

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar, Parmesan, Pine Nuts, and Apologies to Mr. Zimmerman

(It’s two Brussels sprouts recipes for the price of one today, everybody! Over at Serious Eats, I write about Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts from 101 Cookbooks, and here, it’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts from Kalyn’s Kitchen. The recipe is pasted below this stunning new song, crafted just in time for Thursday's high holiday.)It’s Time For Some Thanksgiving(to the tune of “The Times, They Are A-Changin’” by Bob Dylan)Come gather 'round familyFriends, countrymenAnd submit to the turkeyThick with tryptophanAnd accept it that soonYou'll be asleep in the den.Hurry, they’ll be nothin’Worth savin'So you better start eatin’Like a pig in a pen‘Cause it’s time for some Thanksgiving.Come cousins and unclesDig in, don’t...

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Posted in: Sides,Vegetarian

Light Buttermilk Pancakes: The CHG Endgame

That’s it, folks. It's over. We found it. We’ve discovered the cheapest, leanest, most easily-prepared meal in the history of this blog – even moreso than Popovers, Light Banana Bread, and Leigh’s Chai Masala from yesterday. Seriously. It’s official. We can pack it in.Oh, but I jest. We’re not really leaving (because I’d have no excuse to post random George Clooney pictures anymore), but I’m not sure where to go after Cooking Light’s Buttermilk Pancakes. In order, they are:the fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever had. If society allowed, I would make a mattress out of them, and munch quietly on layer after delicious layer while The Boyfriend slept.at 10 cents per pancake, I believe the cheapest food on CHG to date. simple enough for even my sister...

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Posted in: 15 Minutes or Less,Breakfast,Vegetarian

Veggie Might: Masala Chai of Gratitude

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a regular Thursday feature about all things Vegetarian.(Part three of three in a series of healthyish dessertish things for the impending holiday madness.)"Part three?" you may be asking, "What more can I do for these lactose-intolerant, gluten-free vegans?" How about welcoming them into your home with a big steaming cuppa to thank them for A) being your awesome friends, 2) forcing you try new things, baking-wise, and M) just being the supafreaks they are.With Thanksgiving around the bend, I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude. Sometimes it’s hard when I feel I’m constantly reminded of what’s missing from my life. The news reminds me daily, if not minutely, that the economy is on a barge to...

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Posted in: Drinks,Vegan,Vegetarian,Veggie Might

The Only Thanksgiving Post You’ll Ever Need: 100+ Links for Turkey Day

Thanksgiving is upon us, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve read approximately 40,000,000 blog posts and magazine articles dealing with next Thusrday's dinner. And that’s just today.Yeah, Turkey Day can overwhelming, and with so many experts on the subject, sometimes it’s difficult to find information on any single aspect the holiday. And that’s where CHG comes in. What follows are more than 100 links, organized by the following subjects:Appetizers Turkey Sides Stuffing Pies & Desserts Drinks General Menu Planning Affordable Thanksgivings Healthy Thanksgivings Vegetarian Thanksgivings Seating & Tablesetting Troubleshooting Leftovers CHG RecipesWith the exception of the CHG section, each link contains several recipes and/or tips about preparing for the day. Sources include All Recipes,...

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Posted in: Buying Food,Cooking,Frugality,Links,Organization

City Kitchen Chronicles: Of Risk and Celebration

City Kitchen Chronicles is a bi-weekly column about living frugally in Manhattan. It's penned by the lovely Jaime.Last winter I was at the very beginning of my quest to get my finances seriously under control. This mostly manifested as me constantly feeling broke.One of the worst ways that constant sense of brokenness (different from actual plain cash-strappedness in that it’s all you can think about) infected my life and psyche was in spending time with friends. It was around this time that I started turning down invitations to restaurants, hanging out at bars with a water in my hand, meeting my friends at the theatre before a play rather than for dinner beforehand. Sure, I was saving money, but I was also miserable.It was my first year living...

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Posted in: City Kitchen Chronicles,Frugality

Tuesday Megalinks

Sweet readers! Be sure to come back here tomorrow for CHG’s Ultimate Thanksgiving Resource post. It’ll be everything you ever need to know about Turkey Day (plus lots of terrible stuffing jokes), all in one convenient place. But first…Almost Frugal: Losing Weight - Pure Vanity or Money Saver?Guest poster Nicole is a victim of weight creep: she’s gained a few pounds over a few years, without it ever presenting a gigantic problem. Now, her clothes are way tight, and she’s changing some old habits. While her musings hit some old themes (the relationship between fat and finance, etc.), I highlighted this post because it addresses the slow build of extra poundage: it’s insidious, and needs just as much attention as Biggest Loser-style gains.Biblical...

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Posted in: Links

The SATs of Cranberry Zinger Muffins

For the following quiz, use a No. 2 pencil and a soft eraser. Do not use a pen or mechanical pencil. An essay written in pen will not scan and receives a score of zero. Cell phone use is prohibited.SECTION 1Sentence CompletionBoy, I’ve been on a _____ kick lately. They’re ____ to make and the cost is ____.A) baby … fun … a bottle of wine and a Barry White CDB) muffin … simple … nominalC) pants … sew easy (har har) … $19D) magic mushroom … trippy … I’m not sure because the walls are meltingIf you’re looking to serve a ___ of something for ____ breakfast, you could do worse than ____.A) billion … your mom’s … many bowls of riceB) gram … Boxing Day … hard drugsC) butt … Butt Day … buttsD) basket … Thanksgiving … Cranberry Zinger Muffins from Cooking...

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Posted in: Breads,Breakfast,Desserts and Snacks,Vegetarian

Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili: A Play in Two Acts

When: Fall, 1986Where: A small suburban kitchen in Long Island, New York.Who: Kris, a precocious, bespectacled eight-year-old who is already four feet taller than every single one of her peers. L, a Barbie-loving, bespectacled seven-year-old who is already much, much better at sports than her sister Kris. E, a somewhat adorable five-year-old who is already becoming the terror of his sisters and the neighborhood bullfrogs alike. Pa, a bearded, loving 37-year-old who’s already running out of culinary options, having been left to feed his children while his wife is stuck at work. The kids are scattered all over the house. Pa calls them to dinner.PA: Kids! Dinner!KRIS: Coming!L: Coming!E: *mmph*PA: E, please get He-Man out of your mouth and come...

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Posted in: Chili,Mains,Vegan,Vegetarian