the house behind

In order to get something from nothing — the 2026 Frugal goal, you should consider bagging things for the freezer such as:

1. Odds and ends of all breads. From these you can make delicious croutons (see recipe below), soup thickeners, breadcrumbs and more.
2. Fruit. We often buy fruit with the best of intentions, but a lot of fruit tends to go bad quickly. Don’t let that happen. Simply toss fruit that has seen better days into a freezer bag for use later in smoothies, preserves, sauces, etc.
3. Vegetable scraps. From soups to stocks, you can use up nearly every vegetable scrap simply by freezing them. I also use mine in the unflatteringly named garbage bread (recipe below).
4. Milk. I freeze milk very easily for future use in making homemade yogurt and various sauces including cheese sauce which is always the way to get my carnivore partner to eat his veggies.
5. Protein. Scraps of all manner of meat from chicken to pork and beet can all be added to casseroles, soups and pot pies.
6. Condiments. Let’s face it, everybody loves cranberry sauce in November and December but come January? Not so much. I always freeze leftover cranberry sauce for use in grilled cheese sandwiches, sauces and more. I also will freeze the dregs of bottled condiments for use in salad dressings, marinades and more.
7. Juices. You can freeze juices easily in ice cube trays and then put the cubes in a freezer bag for handy use in marinades, sauces, syrups and more. I like to boil down fruit juice into a thick syrup for use in baked goods. I use it to moisten a homemade cake, as liquid in muffins and as a glaze in fruit tarts.

Croutons

Ingredients:

Any kind of leftover bread you have on hand, cut into small cubes

Vegetable oil

Minced garlic

Good kosher salt

Method: Place a thin layer of oil (about 1/4 cup or so) into a heat-proof sauce pan. Add the garlic and toss the bread cubes well until coated with the oil and garlic. Bake in a hot oven (400-degF) for 12-15 minutes until brown and toasted.

Variations: Use up whatever herbs you have lying around. Italian seasoning is a good choice as well as dried parsely.

Croutons

Ingredients:

Any kind of leftover bread you have on hand, cut into small cubes

Vegetable oil

Minced garlic

Good kosher salt

Method: Place a thin layer of oil (about 1/4 cup or so) into a heat-proof sauce pan. Add the garlic and toss the bread cubes well until coated with the oil and garlic. Bake in a hot oven (400-degF) for 12-15 minutes until brown and toasted.

Variations: Use up whatever herbs you have lying around. Italian seasoning is a good choice as well as dried parsely.

Croutons

Ingredients:

Any kind of leftover bread you have on hand, cut into small cubes

Vegetable oil

Minced garlic

Good kosher salt

Method: Place a thin layer of oil (about 1/4 cup or so) into a heat-proof sauce pan. Add the garlic and toss the bread cubes well until coated with the oil and garlic. Bake in a hot oven (400-degF) for 12-15 minutes until brown and toasted.

Variations: Use up whatever herbs you have lying around. Italian seasoning is a good choice as well as dried parsley. While still hot, sprinkle generously with kosher salt.

Garbage Bread

Ingredients:

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups whole or 2% milk (warmed slightly, to between 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick or 2 oz.) butter, melted and cooled to at room temperature
• 6 cups (approximately) all-purpose flour (Can also use bread flour)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Leftover herbs and veggies, whatever you have on hand will work, just make sure they are finely minced/chopped

Method:

1. Add the milk, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer and whisk with a fork to blend. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes, until the yeast is activated and looks creamy.
2. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and add 4 cups of flour to the milk and yeast mixture. Turn the mixer to low (speed level 2 on a KitchenAid mixer) and beat to start to bring the dough together. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter then add enough remaining flour to bring the dough together into a soft, smooth dough. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl, but still stick slightly to the bottom. (*See note.)
3. With the mixer continuing to knead the dough, slowly sprinkle in the salt. Once the salt is incorporated, let the mixer continue to knead the dough for another 5 minutes, until the dough is elastic, smooth and soft.
4. Spray a bowl large enough to hold double the amount of dough with non-stick spray, or coat it with a bit of melted butter. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, shape it into a ball, and plop it down into the greased bowl. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with non-stick spray, or brush it with a bit of melted butter, and use it to cover the bowl.
5. Let the dough rest at room temperature until it has doubled in size. Depending on the temperature of the room, this will take between 45 min, and 1 ½ hours. (*See note below about controlling the temperature of the dough.)
6. Spray two 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pans with non-stick spray, or coat with a bit of melted butter. Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into two pieces. Lift one piece of dough and form it into a ball by using your thumbs to gently stretching the outside of the dough into a ball, pinching the dough together at the bottom. Bring the opposite sides together and pinch together at the bottom. Lay the ball of dough on your work surface, and roll it back and forth a few times to create an oblong ball. Lay the dough, seam side down, into one of the loaf pans. Repeat with the other half of dough.
7. Spray two sheets of plastic wrap with non-stick spray, or brush them with a bit of melted butter and loosely cover each loaf.
8. Allow the loaves to rise at room temperature until they double in size again, rising over the tops of the pans, 45 minutes – 1 ½ hours. Before baking, roll out the bread in a rectangle add in a mix of finely chopped herbs and veggies, whatever you have on hand is fine. Grated cheese is a good addition as well. Roll up the loaves so that you have spirals in the middle and allow to continue rising until doubled in size.
9. While the loaves rise, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. When the loaves are fully risen, bake for 35-45 minutes, until they are golden brown and an instant read thermometer plunged into the center of one of the loaves registers between 190 – 200 degrees.
10. Remove from the oven and use a dish towel to grip the top of each loaf to lift it from the pan onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
11. Once cool, the loaves can be wrapped in plastic and stored for 2-3 days at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap the bread airtight and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature, still wrapped.