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According to Rachael Ray, going veggie just one night a week can save you over $1000 a year, and Lent is the perfect time to add some meat free meals to your menu!

If you’re giving up meat for Lent or just on Fridays, The Budget Diet will feature a vegetarian recipe each Friday for the next 6 weeks, and don’t worry, nothing weird like tofu and spouts!

Ready to get started? Tempt your taste buds with these frugalicious and fast meat free recipes for Lent…
 
 
Black Bean Tart
Black Bean Tart – colorful & delicious!

Cheese and Corn Quesadilla
Cheese and Corn Quesadilla Recipe – you won’t even miss the meat!

Fettucine Alfredo
Fettucine Alfredo – if you’ve never made Fettucine Alfredo, you’ll be surprised how easy it is!

Spinach Quiche
Spinach Quiche – great for dinner or brunch!

Make Your Own Burrito Bar
Make Your Own Burrito Bar – a fun & festive dinner idea!

Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice
Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice – just leave out the sausage and toss in some Morningstar Farms veggie sausage patties, crumbled!

Southwest Salad
Southwest Salad – beans for protein, cheese for dairy and lots of veggies!

Lazy Day Lasagna
Lazy Day Lasagna – super fast!

Pizza Fun 101
Pizza Fun 101 – think beyond the veggie lovers pizza, think white pizza, Mexican pizza or Mediterranean pizza!

Black Bean Soup
Black Bean Soup – just 3 ingredients!

Frozen Fake Meat
If you trust a girl that’s not eaten meat for over 30 years, then try my favorite meat substitutes found in your grocer’s freezer!

• Best Veggie Burger: Morningstar Farms Original Grillers – you can grill ‘em, microwave ‘em or crumble ‘em like ground beef to use in your favorite recipe. I often make chili with these, and no one knows the difference!
• Best Veggie Chicken: Morningstar Farms Buffalo Chicken Wings – great for a quick lunch! 1 minute in the microwave, and they’re done!
• My Favorite: Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burger – delicious crumbled in the Southwest Salad or use it to make a Southwest Wrap!

 
Don’t Forget Eggs

 
What are your favorite meat free meals? Please leave a comment with a link to your favorite vegetarian recipes.
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Image courtesy of: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Some people give up chocolate, others give up TV…yes, ’tis the season of Lent! It’s a time of self denial and sacrifice; it’s a time to reflect on what Jesus did for you.

Think of Lent as a “spring cleaning” for your life! You could give up a bad habit like smoking or do without a luxury like eating out or that daily cup of Starbuck’s.

If you need a little inspiration, The Budget Diet girl has come up with 10 things to give up for Lent that will bring you back to the simple life and save you a little money too!

• Go vegetarian for Lent! The Budget Diet will feature a vegetarian recipe each Friday during Lent to help you out!
• Give up fast food and try The Budget Diet’s recipes to make your own fast food! Why don’t you use the money you save to donate to a local food bank?
• Take 6 weeks off from facebook – suggest this one to your teens!
• Bye bye Starbucks! You really can make it yourself, and you’ll love my quick and easy copycat recipe for Starbuck’s Skinny Iced Latte.
• Eat in, not out for lunch! Check out 5 Ways to Ditch the Drive Thru!
• Declare an electronic free hour each day…no TV, computer, cell phone…just time with family!
• Get serious about recycling! Take care of God’s Earth!
• Walk or ride your bike instead of driving at least once a week. Could you walk or ride bikes with your children to school – you’ll get a little exercise & save a lot of gas!
• How about an alcohol free Lent?
• 6 weeks without TV? Spend free time playing games and reading together as a family!

What are you giving up for Lent? Please leave a comment to share!

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Image courtesy of: bela_kiefer / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, a.k.a Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday. It always falls on the day before Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent.

So, why do we eat pancakes on Fat Tuesday?

Lent is a 40 day period of self-denial, and during Lent many Christians abstain from eating meat on Fridays. In the early church, many abstained from eating all animal products during Lent including lard, egg and dairy.

Hmmm…lard, eggs and dairy…just the ingredients you need to make pancakes! Families would have pancake feasts on Fat Tuesday trying to use up all their lard, eggs and dairy before Lent began.

Now you know how the tradition of eating pancakes on Fat Tuesday began!

In the spirit of Fat Tuesday, why don’t you have a pancake feast tonight? Try my homemade pancake and syrup recipe – it’s a frugalicious and fast dinner!

“Mamma always said, life is like a box of chocolates!” It’s a classic line from the movie Forrest Gump, and it’s the inspiration for a homemade Valentine’s gift!

Step #1:
Quick…go eat all the chocolates in a heart shaped box, so you can make this great gift to give your kids or your husband for Valentine’s Day! A little box will do, but if you’re feeling ambitious…go for the big box of chocolates!

Step #2:
Simply fill the empty compartments with small snacks, little notes or little trinkets! Here’s a complete “how-to” tutorial from my friend at Roots & Wings Co! She filled her heart shaped candy box with all kinds of healthy red snacks for her children like Baby Bel Cheese, red grapes, cherries, baby tomatoes and strawberries! Of course, you can make it personal and fill those compartments with just about anything for a child or a grown-up…

• Those cute little heart candy’s with the sayings on them.
• m&m’s.
• A piece of jewelry.
• Heart stickers.
• A love note!
• Tickets to an event.
• A heart shaped eraser.
• A tiny picture!
• A key chain.
• A tiny seashell
• A magnet
• Lip Balm
• A heart shaped charm
• Walk around your house…I’m sure you’ll find some tiny treasures!

Let your imagination fill up that empty box of chocolates!

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Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net