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Frugal Living

Abs Workout At Home – No Equipment Needed Ab Exercises!

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Don’t we all just dream of having a flat stomach?  I know I do!  Mine could definitely use some help here or there, but there is always the issue with all of the work and self-control that it takes to achieve that.  Getting a flat stomach takes three main components:  abs workouts, healthy eating, and cardio.  Whew!  I am a little tired already, just thinking of it!  However, one awesome thing is that you can do a TOTAL abs workout at home without needing any equipment.

featured image abs workouts you can do at home with woman doing cross crunches

Being able to do a abs workout at home with absolutely no equipment means that although getting that flat stomach we all dream of may be a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be a lot of money!

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Leg workouts for Free – 7 Leg Exercises without weights

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Several years ago when I let my gym membership lapse (for the first time since I was 16!), I felt a twinge of panic. Let’s get real for a moment, the gym had been my ENTIRE life since I was a teenager.  I needed to still get inn my workouts!  So, I have come up with some leg workouts without weights to keep my legs in shape.

Leg Workouts for Free feature image of woman doing wall sits

As I got older, this “adulting” thing started getting in the way.  I needed to make real money and also pay real bills.  I needed to start living more frugally.

Realistically, paying $100’s of dollars a year to the gym just was not in my budget at that point any longer.  If you are in a similar boat – whether you used to have a gym membership and need to cut costs or you never have been to a gym, but still want to get in shape – never fear!

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Arm Exercises Without Weights You Can Do For Free

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Some girls love to workout their abs, some girls love to workout their legs – THIS GIRL loves to workout her arms! So, I have found the best arm exercises without weights that I can do at home.

arm exercises without weights feature image of woman doing chair dips

I will openly admit that triceps are my favorite muscle.  It might be a little weird, but that’s me!  I am not really sure why, maybe it’s the cool horseshoe shape they make.  Maybe I just don’t want wiggly chicken wings under my arms.

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How To Make Pumpkin Bread

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Got some extra pumpkin hanging around? You should learn how to make pumpkin bread.

closeup of finished pumpkin bread loaf in pan

Maybe you’re like us and always buy waaay too much food around the holidays. Then you do a pantry challenge and during your pantry inventory you find a can or twelve of pumpkin. Kinda like when we had extra bananas for banana bread and zucchini noodles for our zucchini bread.

Pumpkin bread is super easy to make and is one of our favorite recipes when we’re craving something a little carby.

How to make pumpkin bread from scratch

You will likely already have everything you need, but here is a supply list:

What you will need

large mixing bowl

electric hand mixer

spatula

bread pan

canola spray (or any flavorless cooking spray)

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 stick butter

1 can pumpkin pie filling (puree 15 oz)

2 cup sugar

3 cups flour

3 eggs

how to make pumpkin bread ingredients displayed

Directions

First things first, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Now combine all of your small portion spices and dry ingredients. That includes your baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Put them all in a small dish and set them to the side.

Melt your butter in the microwave or on the stove top. It only takes a minute or 2 in the microwave so we usually go that route.

In a large mixing bowl, combine your butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Use your hand mixer on the lowest setting and blend everything together. You will want to go easy so you don’t whip your eggs too much. Just whip enough to get everything good and mixed together.

mixing pumpkin into sugar/butter mix

Now you will add in your can of pumpkin. You can also use fresh pumpkin as long as you have 15 ounces pureed. Using your mixer, mix this into the butter/sugar mix.

After mixing in the pumpkin, add your spices into your flour. Pour them all into your pumpkin batter and hand mix. You can use a spatula during this part.

mixing flour into the pumpkin mix

Hand mixing is preferable here for 2 reasons. The first is it will keep you from over whipping the eggs in the mixture. The second is you don’t want to turn a spinning machine loose in a pile of powder. Trust me on the second point.

Pull out your loaf pan and spray it with your choice in cooking spray. Now, pour your batter into the loaf pan. It should flow freely but you may need to use your spatula to get everything into the pan.

Put the pan into the already preheated oven and set your time for an hour and 10 minutes. You will want to check on this periodically to make sure it is not burning.

pumpkin bread baking in oven

When you think it is getting close, stick a butter knife or toothpick into the center of your bread. If it comes out with batter still on it, add a few more minutes. Repeat until the knife/toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once your bread is cool you can place it in your bread slicer and use a bread knife to cut thick slices.

pumpkin bread sliced on plate

Common Questions

Is pumpkin bread healthy?

In moderation it is not too terribly bad for you. Obviously, everyone’s body and nutrition requirements are a bit different. You can decrease the amount of sugar in the recipe and make a bit healthier as well.

Why is my pumpkin bread dry?

Most often, dryness is due to being overcooked. If your bread is coming out dry, decrease your cooking time and check regularly with a toothpick or knife to make sure your bread is not cooking too quickly.

Can I freeze pumpkin bread?

You can. Just allow it to cool before cutting. Then put the slices into a large freezer safe bag, seal, and place in freezer. You can put it in the fridge overnight to thaw.

pinterest image with pumpkin bread loaf in pan with text reading, "How to make the best pumpkin bread. it's super easy too."

For more frugal living tips

featured image abs workouts you can do at home with woman doing cross crunches
Leg Workouts for Free feature image of woman doing wall sits
arm exercises without weights feature image of woman doing chair dips
closeup of finished pumpkin bread loaf in pan
close up slice of zucchini bread with bite taken out
close up of cooked hash brown casserole

How To Make Zucchini Bread

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Looking for something new and different to do with your zucchini? Learn how to make zucchini bread.

close up slice of zucchini bread with bite taken out

This recipe is the best if you have a sweet tooth as it is similar to our banana bread and pumpkin bread recipes.. You can also add this to your arsenal of other great zucchini recipes, like zucchini lasagna and zucchini nachos.

This easy recipe will also work with your frozen zucchini or we’ve made it with store bought (even zucchini noodles we found on sale). If you haven’t already, you can also try growing zucchini on your own.

How to make zucchini bread

What you will need

large mixing bowl

electric hand mixer

spatula

bread pan

canola spray (or any flavorless cooking spray)

Ingredients

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 stick butter

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

3 eggs

how to make zucchini bread ingredients

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

The first thing we like to do when gathering our ingredients is to combine anything we can right away. So put all of your baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a small dish. Set this to the side.

Next, you will want to melt a stick of butter. You can melt it on your stove top or in the microwave. Usually about 1.5 – 2 minutes in the microwave will do it.

Take out your large mixing bowl and combine your sugar, vanilla, melted butter, and eggs. Using your hand mixer on the lowest setting, mix everything together. Be careful not to whip the eggs too fluffy. You just want everything mixed together.

Once it is mixed thoroughly, add in your spices and mix. Now add in your flour and, using a spatula, gently fold everything together.

mixture of sugar, butter, vanilla, and spices

After you have a nice thick dough, drop in your shredded zucchini. Still using your spatula, mix thoroughly until you have a nicely mixed dough with no visible white flour spots.

Pull out your bread pan and spray the bottom and sides with Canola oil. Again using your spatula, gently spread your dough from the mixing bowl into the bread pan. Depending on thickness, you may need to spread the dough into the pan to completely fill it.

dough in bread pan

Alternatively, you can also add your dough to a muffin pan and make zucchini bread muffins instead. You may just need to adjust the cook time a bit.

Place the pan into your already preheated oven and set your timer for 60 minutes. Check periodically to make sure the top is not burning. It is normal for some bits of zucchini to become charred on the surface of the bread.

baked loaf of zucchini bread

Your bread is finished cooking when you can insert a butter knife or toothpick into the center of the loaf and pull it out clean. If there is still dough on the knife, allow to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes depending on the amount left on knife.

Once cooked, leave in pan and allow to cool. Once cool, you can use a bread knife and bread slicer to cut into thick slices.

zucchini bread in bread slicer

Common questions

Can you freeze zucchini bread?

You can. After it has cooled and you have cut it, just place it in a freezer safe gallon bag, seal, and stick in the freezer. It should stay fresh for 2-3 months.

How long is zucchini bread good for in the refrigerator?

If you want to keep it long term, it is best to freeze. But if you plan on eating it pretty quickly, you can keep zucchini bread in the fridge for about a week before it starts to degrade in quality.

Should I peel zucchini or take the seeds out when making bread?

You can peel if you like but we have not found it necessary. Since you are shredding the zucchini you ed up removing the seeds anyway.

double panel pinterest image. top image: closeup of zucchini bread in pan. bottom image: sliced loaf on plate. middle text box reading, "The best zucchini bread. Easy to follow recipe"

For more frugal living tips

featured image abs workouts you can do at home with woman doing cross crunches
Leg Workouts for Free feature image of woman doing wall sits
arm exercises without weights feature image of woman doing chair dips
closeup of finished pumpkin bread loaf in pan
close up slice of zucchini bread with bite taken out
close up of cooked hash brown casserole

Hash Brown Casserole

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Who doesn’t love a good hearty breakfast? If you do, you will love this easy hash brown casserole.

close up of cooked hash brown casserole

This is the ultimate make ahead breakfast casserole with hash browns. Waking up with a delicious breakfast like this makes mornings so much easier to deal with.

A hot, tasty, and hearty breakfast is as simple as reheating and way cheaper than grabbing drive-thru.

How To Make Hash Brown Casserole

Similar to our other make ahead freezer meals, like lasagna, this hash brown casserole is completely customizable. Here is our list of recommended ingredients. But you can add more veggies, meat, or whatever you like for your breakfasts!

Ingredients

1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter (salter or unsalted up to your preference)

1 cup of shredded cheese (we like to use a Mexican blend)

1 cup of sour cream

1 bag frozen hash browns

salt and pepper (to taste)

Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns?

Absolutely! Frozen hash browns are just easier because they are washed, cut, portioned, and ready to go. But if you prefer to prepare the potatoes yourself, feel free to do so.

Directions

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Next you will melt your butter. You can do this on your stove top or break the stick into a few pieces and put in the microwave. We find it will melt completely in about 90 seconds to 2 minutes.

Pull out a large mixing bowl and pour your melted butter into it. Next, add in 1 cup of sour cream. You can use a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything from the bowl.

Add in a few grinds of salt and pepper. Add as much as you like depending on your taste. You can also put in any extra ingredients you may like. Diced peppers, ham, bacon, etc. are all great choices to give a little something extra.

Using your electric mixer, mix everything together. Make sure everything is well blended but don’t over whip the sour cream. We usually use the lowest setting to make sure everything is not overly mixed.

Now you will want to get out your 8×8 pan and Canola spray. Spray the inside of your pan to coat the bottom and sides. If you want to make a larger serving (like a 9×13 pan) just double the ingredients.

partially layered hash brown casserole

Open your bag of frozen has browns and sprinkle a layer across the bottom of the pan. Now add a layer of cheese. Make this as thick as you want. We LOVE cheese in our house so we always end up using too much (as if “too much” is even a thing with cheese).

After your cheese is layered you will take about half of your butter/sour cream mix and layer it over the cheese. You can spread it with a spatula. Just be careful not to squish it down into the cheese or potato layer. You want to have clear layers.

Repeat the layers of potato, cheese, and the rest of the butter/sour cream mixture. Finally, add one more layer of hash browns and cover the top of the sour cream mix completely. Now add one more layer of cheese across the top.

precooked casserole

Your oven should be preheated by this point. Just place your casserole in the center rack and set your timer for an hour. Check periodically to ensure the cheese is not burning on the top. Cook until the entire casserole is heated throughout.

cooked casserole cut into quarters

Common Questions

How do you freeze hash brown casserole?

This recipe makes a great candidate for a freezer meal. All you need to do is cover it with a lid or plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer before cooking.

How do you reheat hash brown casserole?

It’s just as easy as freezing it. Pull it from the freezer and stick it in the fridge over night.

Should I thaw frozen hash browns before cooking?

You don’t have to. You can put your casserole straight into the oven. If it is frozen, the cooking time may be a bit longer, but there’s no need to thaw beforehand.

pinterest image of hash brown casserole on a plate with text reading, "How to make hash brown casserole. easy recipe. make ahead meal"

For more frugal living tips

featured image abs workouts you can do at home with woman doing cross crunches
Leg Workouts for Free feature image of woman doing wall sits
arm exercises without weights feature image of woman doing chair dips
closeup of finished pumpkin bread loaf in pan
close up slice of zucchini bread with bite taken out
close up of cooked hash brown casserole
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