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Premeditated Leftovers™

Prep-Ahead Meals, Cooking Tips, and Frugal Living


Do You Have a Star Wars’ Fan on your Christmas List?

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My husband hums the Imperial March whenever he is trying to round the kids up for bed. It’s not exactly effective, especially since they wave their hand and say “these are not the children you are looking for”. Star Wars quotes have been a part of our household since before my kids even understood the connection toRead More

Gallery of Favorites – The Pumpkin Edition

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April of The 21st Century Housewife and I would like to welcome you to our weekend blog hop: Gallery of Favorites!   This week we are featuring three delicious Pumpkin Recipes: Pumpkin Cheesecake from The Wholesome Life, Spicy Pumpkin and Red Chile Soupfrom MJ’s Kitchen, and Pumpkin Biscuits and Pumpkin Compound Butter from Winelady Cooks.Read More

Make Your Own Spice Mixes

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You can save money by making your own spices mixes. Many like poultry seasoning mix and pumpkin pie spice can be made from herbs and spices that you already have in your pantry. Making your own spices mixes is frugal, but it also allows you to tailor them to suit your family’s taste. You mightRead More

Hearth and Soul Hop – The Thanksgiving Edition

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Welcome to another Hearth and Soul Hop, the food carnival for and about food that not only nourishes our bodies, but our souls!  You can find me sharing links to entries on my Pinterest Boards. My highlights from visiting last week’s contributors to the Hearth and Soul Hop:   Pumpkin Red Chile Soup Succotash CranberryRead More

Hearth and Soul Hop – The Hearty Dinners Edition

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Welcome to another Hearth and Soul Hop, the food carnival for and about food that not only nourishes our bodies, but our souls!  You can find me sharing links to entries on my Pinterest Boards. My highlights from visiting last week’s contributors to the Hearth and Soul Hop: Spicy Moroccan Chili Roasted Butternut Squash andRead More

How to Make Herbs de Provence

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Sometimes when I am making a stew or a dish, I have trouble deciding which spices I want to use. That is when I turn to Herbs de Provence. It is a unique combination of herbs and creates a lovely base flavor. Herbs de Provence is mild in flavor, but the inclusion of rosemary andRead More

Turkey and Rice Soup

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I use leftover turkey in many recipes, but my absolute favorite, must-make-every-single-year leftover turkey recipe is Turkey and Rice Soup. This soup is so frugal to make with Thanksgiving leftovers, but that is not why I make it. I make this soup because it is the embodiment of comfort food. We often get our firstRead More

Stuffed Acorn Squash

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Stuffed acorn squash is a wonderful way to camouflage leftovers. It is such an elegant dish that nobody would suspect that you are repurposing leftover chicken and rice. However, it is so delicious that it would be worth the effort to make, even if you didn’t have leftovers and had to start from scratch. IRead More

Get organized with the Christmas Grand Plan

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I just downloaded Christmas Grand Plan for FREE on to my Kindle. The Christmas Grand Plan is a complete printable Christmas Planner that will help you be on top of all the little things that make the holidays so special from Thanksgiving all the way through the New Year! Here’s what you will find inside: MasterRead More

Rice Lasagna

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This Rice Lasagna recipe is inspired by a dish a friend made for my family. She knew that most of us could not eat gluten, so she made lasagna and replaced the noodle layers with layers of rice. It was delicious! The next time I had leftover rice and leftover spaghetti sauce, I knew IRead More

Lemon Pepper Brussels Sprouts

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Last month my friend Glenna shared her recipe for Brussels Sprouts with me. Her recipe was so good that I just had to pass it on. This is a quick and easy recipe for Brussels sprout that is delicious in its simplicity. Brussels Sprouts are in season and have been on sale recently. You can find themRead More

Plan a Wedding on a Budget

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I am so glad that my husband and I did not spend a ton of money on our wedding. We had a tastefully simple wedding and reception and started our marriage off with a nest egg rather than bills. Do you know someone who is getting married? Help them save money on their wedding withRead More

Vanilla Whipped Cream

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This holiday season when you make home pies and puddings why don’t you top them with homemade whipped cream. It is easy to make and comes together fast. I put my whipped cream in a frosting decorator press to dispense it because it looks fancy. 🙂 Desserts I will be topping with Vanilla Whipped Cream:Read More

Fit Exercise into Your Busy Schedule with FitOrbit

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It is hard for me to carve time out of my busy schedule to go to the gym.  FitOrbit offers a convenient and affordable way for busy moms (and dads) to achieve their personal fitness goals.   FitOrbit provides: Unlimited access to a real personal trainer who is available to you around the clock. Customized,Read More

Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.