FRUGAL LIVING: Make copycat recipes  Copycat recipes aren't the
exact secret recipes from stores and restaurants, but they taste
close enough to the "real deal" that they are sometimes called
"kitchen clones". The recipes often use common ingredients and
are simple to make. I have an entire forum dedicated to copycat
recipes at  The first two tips are copycat recipes shared by
readers.  ? Lipton soup packet clone:  ? 2 7-ounce packages of
Skinner Fideo Mediano noodles (or similar)  ? 1 jar Wyler's
chicken bouillon (or similar)  ? dry parsley  ? black pepper  ?
Pour the noodles into a big bowl. Write "3 cups water, boil 5
minutes" on the outside of 10 sandwich-size zip-close bags (or
just store the bags in a box or basket and make a single tag for
it).  ? Measure out the following into each bag:  ? 3/4 cup
noodles  ? 1 tablespoon bouillon  ? 1/2 teaspoon parsley  ? a
sprinkle of pepper (don't overdo it)  ? To make soup: Bring 3
cups of water to a boil. Pour in mixture and boil 5 minutes.
Makes one large single