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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 4:32:49 PM   
LanceHughes


Posts: 4737
Joined: 2/12/2004
Status: offline 		I think the real problem with OP's budget is she (and he) don't cook.  Every suggestion above is "Buy ingredients cheaply and cook properly with a bit of a flare."  Not too hard to learn, but you have to actually learn to do it.  Experimenting won't kill you.  Try some of the easy things mentioned above - especially slow-cooking .... do you even have a crock-pot, OP?  Chicken soup is probably the easiest.  Put chicken and water (to cover) in pot.  Cook covered on High until it basically is falling off the bone.  Pull chicken pieces out, remove bones, chicken pieces back into pot.  Add one of those ramen packets you were going to throw away - they are WAY salty for those little cups, but one of them in a crock pot seems about right.  Otherwise , maybe a teaspoon of salt,same for black pepper, and some of those green herb thingies that you have and don't know what to do with. Basil, thyme, oregano, etc. just two choices, please LOL!  Not too much - sneak up on it - by which I mean write down what you did this time and change it up/down to your taste.  3-4 potatoes cubed up - about 1/2 inch on side - leave skins on, discard any pieces that look "bad"   Carrots scrapped and 1/2 inch slices.  Celery cleaned under running water and (all together now....) 1/2 inch slices.  Some diced onion.  Trim top & bottom under running water - absorbs onion juice which is what makes you cry... peel it under same running water.  Might have to cut vertical through outside layer to get skin off.

Onion slices parrellel to cutting off top and bottom.  Rinse in running water to keep away tears.  Stack up two or three slices at a time on cutting board - or a plate - and cut pie slices out from center.  Most chefs have a fancy way to dice an onion, but this works for beginners - and is three times safer!...

Onion into crock pot. DON"T rinse the dice - get 'em in pot soonest and you'll be fine. Order of veggies doesn't matter.  1/2 package of frozen peas is optional - or a full can if you have it - and whole "pea" thing is totally optional.

Can of diced tomatoes is a nice addition - or fresh cut-up- slices and then chopped smaller. Tomato "skin on" is fine.

Cover the crock and set on 4 hours or 8 hours depending on when you want to eat.

Some bread on the side.  optional Green salad and you're "good to go." Serves 6-to-8.

When you refigerate over nite - fat will form on top - scrape off gently - in big pieces usually.  Leave small amount (for flavor) and scrap the rest in trash - NOT down sink drain.  Now it's REALLY healthy.  OR cook chicken and de-bone.  Return to broth, and refrigerate.  Skim fat and continue next day as above with diced/sliced veggies.

< Message edited by LanceHughes -- 10/24/2009 5:01:35 PM >

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 4:34:31 PM   
WyldHrt


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Status: offline 		See the other thread, Lance. She has one, and has access to another. 

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 4:47:32 PM   
Level


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quote:

ORIGINAL: WyldHrt

quote:

Don't be hatin' on my culinary skills, woman!

Culinary skills?



Well yeah, those Cheetos didn't climb on the bread by themselves, now did they?

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Fake the heat and scratch the itch
Skinned up knees and salty lips
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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 4:49:21 PM   
WyldHrt


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Status: offline 		Depends on how long they were in the cupboard, Level.... 

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 5:21:35 PM   
impishlilhellcat


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Status: offline 		Chicken noodle soup the leftovers freeze well

Potato soup the leftovers freeze well and you can make a big pot

Chilli same as above

Cheese lasagna It's cheap to make buy a head of lettuce for and you have a couple of salads also. Make your own dressing it's cheaper with some oil and vinegar. Take a some bread slices slap on a lil can't believe it's not butter and garlic powder and you now have garlic bread throw some shredded cheese on for pizaz

Homemade mac and cheese with whole wheat pasta


Stir fry's go a long way, throw a bunch of random stuff into a pan and put it over brown rice.

Meat loaf (when ground beef is on sale) it's a hodge podge just make sure you throw in an egg or two.


I love eggs and I ate a lot in college when I was broke... so

Omlets you can throw anything into an omlet
Scrambled eggs
Boiled eggs
Egg salad sandwiches
Fritatas
Quiches


Scalloped potatoes... use some ham or bacon or whatever kind of meat is on sale

Roast when they go on sale.. Throw them in a crockpot with carrots, onions, potatoes... You can make gravy out of the juice. You can make sandwiches out of the left over roast.


Anytime you have chicken and you have leftovers turn that into chicken salad, throw some celery, onions, tomatoes, and low fat mayo together.

Bread and eggs are cheap make french toast... Whisk some eggs, cinnamon, and a touch of milk together soak your bread and cook.





< Message edited by impishlilhellcat -- 10/24/2009 5:26:16 PM >

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 5:22:46 PM   
impishlilhellcat


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< Message edited by impishlilhellcat -- 10/24/2009 5:23:06 PM >

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 5:30:35 PM   
impishlilhellcat


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Status: offline 		Stuffed peppers are really cheap and easy to make. The most expensive thing is the peppers and you can cut that down if you forgo the red and yellow bell peppers and stick with green.

Get some ground turkey breast if it's on sale if not lean ground beef will work. Brown it with some garlic and basil, mushrooms if you can, and onions then add some spaghetti sauce. Stuff that into the peppers throw some mozzerella cheese on top and broil for about 5 minutes.

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 5:31:59 PM   
Level


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quote:

ORIGINAL: WyldHrt

Depends on how long they were in the cupboard, Level.... 


Hmmmmmmm.................

_____________________________

Fake the heat and scratch the itch
Skinned up knees and salty lips
Let go it's harder holding on
One more trip and I'll be gone

~~ Stone Temple Pilots

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 5:34:52 PM   
impishlilhellcat


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quote:

ORIGINAL: LanceHughes

Spices and hebs are so very, very expensive nowadays, but here's a secret: walgreens carries big bottles of the basics for $1 a bottle.  Lasts a long time.  More exoctic spices/herbs?  I get mine at estate sales - most are priced 25 cents to 50 cents.... yes, somebody else opened them and used them partially... but think about it - what do YOU do with your spices?  As soon as you measure them out, you close 'em tightly and don't touch them till next time.  I don't have a problem with partial spices but your milage might vary.  LOL!



You can grow a lot of herbs too they generally come back year after year without much maintenance except for cilantro. I keep a garden of two different kinds of basil, lemon balm, chives, cilantro, parsley, and fennel and let me tell you fresh is so much better and cheaper than buying them in the store. Before the summer ends I cut a bunch and freeze them.

You can make a ton of sauces for pasta from them too.

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 5:46:21 PM   
LaTigresse


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Status: offline 		I agree with checking an ethnic market for herbs and spices, but growing them is AWESOME. They are easy to grow and taste so much better! Can even grow them in pots indoors.

Another thing to consider for anyone that has Amish or Mennonite in their area..........check out their grocery store. Seriously. Cooking and baking supplies way cheaper. Sometimes great deals on produce also.........Just watch out for the homemade pies, breads, and cinnamon rolls.

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 5:59:32 PM   
LanceHughes


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Status: offline 		I got some "hydroponic" water cress from food bank the other day - well, they weren't hydroponic.  They had a clump of soil around the roots, masked by label - no problem.  I cut off the leaves, and used in a recipe calling for frozen spinach.  Way too bitter so I asked spiceguy2009 on here how to "fix" 'em.  Some sweeter spices like sweet basil and nutmeg did the trick.  Then plopped the soil and roots into an old margarine/yougurt container I had around.  Filled to soil level with water and 4 days later - I have a start on some more water cress!  Who knew?

And let me tell you - I use four different food banks - some are off schedule with me - but when I can get to them, they are okay - some are restricted to seniors, some are low income, etc.  Some have more fresh stuff than others - one is cans/non-perishable only.  But my clue for these ALL is that I sometimes say - "What items are nobody else taking?"  They are GLAD to get rid of the weird ones and often give me more than "allowed" - spinach lasage noodles - portabella mushrooms - mix for 24 pumpkin muffins - no limit on fresh beets - I took ten pounds - would've taken more, but couldn't carry them. LOL!  Boiled 'em and traded some for a gallon of  homemade spaghetti sauce with plenty of ground beef in it - added that to lasagne noodles and away we go!  Again, you MUST cook to do anything cheaply.  The freezer is your friend - "dead" meat section at local Kroger's  is "sell by today's date" at 30 % off.  Little steaks at $4 are then $2.80  Freeze that day.  Thaw a week later, cut in strips and stir fry in a little olive oil - my splurge item last week since it was on sale and I was out - with some bell peppers and onions from the garden. Serve on brown rice and two meals (easy) for what? $3.50 - or $1.75 each.

Some food banks have salad dressings (another item that most pass by) - make nice marinades for those steaks.

How much meat? I always remember "Quarter pounder with cheese"  Those little steaks are usualy 3/4 pounds and so "qualify." LOL



< Message edited by LanceHughes -- 10/24/2009 6:10:06 PM >

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"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer, but wish we didn't." Erica Jong

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 6:19:47 PM   
WyldHrt


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Joined: 6/5/2008
Status: offline 		Hmmm... we might just have to resurrect the crockpottery thread, Lance 

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 6:25:00 PM   
ThatDamnedPanda


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quote:

ORIGINAL: LaTigresse

I agree with checking an ethnic market for herbs and spices, but growing them is AWESOME. They are easy to grow and taste so much better! Can even grow them in pots indoors.

Another thing to consider for anyone that has Amish or Mennonite in their area..........check out their grocery store. Seriously. Cooking and baking supplies way cheaper. Sometimes great deals on produce also.........Just watch out for the homemade pies, breads, and cinnamon rolls.


Oh, that's right - you've got swarms of 'em down there, don't you? Where I grew up in central Wisconsin, we were surrounded by Amish. Those people know cooking, and if you befriend them, they'll share plenty of recipes and other ideas with you. And because they have such large families and a very frugal culture, you can save a lot of money cooking the Amish way. Damn, you have the brilliantest ideas, you know that?


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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 6:55:41 PM   
kiwisub12


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Status: offline 		One of the meals i cook on a fairly regualar basis that is EXTREMELY frugal is (drumroll) chicken 'n dumplings!!!! It is way yummy, and will feed me and my Sir for two evening meals, and lunch for me at work for a week.

\Another one that i have come to appreciate is pinto beans and ham and cornbread. I get a hambone from Honeybaked ham store, usually for about $5.00, and cut off half of the ham because otherwise the ham overpowers the beans. A pound of pinto beans costs about a buck, and jiffy cornbread packets cost under a buck as well.

I make one pound of pinto beans and ham, and freeze enough for another meal, and what is left feeds Sir and i for at least two meals with seconds. I make double quanities of cornnbread because Sir likes to eat cornbread with milk after i have gone to bed. Lots of fiber, lots of protein - and tastes good too. You can't beat it with a stick! All it takes is some forethought - to soak the beans the day before. And remember to buy some beano - or the covers on the bed fly off!

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 7:00:37 PM   
slaveluci


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From: Little Rock, AR
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quote:

ORIGINAL: kiwisub12


\Another one that i have come to appreciate is pinto beans and ham and cornbread. I get a hambone from Honeybaked ham store, usually for about $5.00, and cut off half of the ham because otherwise the ham overpowers the beans. A pound of pinto beans costs about a buck, and jiffy cornbread packets cost under a buck as well.

I make one pound of pinto beans and ham, and freeze enough for another meal, and what is left feeds Sir and i for at least two meals with seconds. I make double quanities of cornnbread because Sir likes to eat cornbread with milk after i have gone to bed. Lots of fiber, lots of protein - and tastes good too. You can't beat it with a stick! All it takes is some forethought - to soak the beans the day before. And remember to buy some beano - or the covers on the bed fly off!


I make 2 lbs. of pinto beans in the crockpot with some bacon to season. Master makes a double portion of cornbread and mmmm mmmm, meals for a couple of days. And I agree about the Beano except we usually forget it. We just ask each others' forgiveness in advance for anything we may do in our sleep...and if it happens while we're still awake, we just blame the cat

When I was with my ex-husband and money was extremely tight as it usually was, I'd often go buy a 10 lb. bag of potatoes, a 5 lb. bag of flour and some cheap cooking oil. Fried potatoes and biscuits made with just flour and water can get you by for days when necessary................luci

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 7:56:30 PM   
LanceHughes


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quote:

ORIGINAL: WyldHrt

Hmmm... we might just have to resurrect the crockpottery thread, Lance 


Like I just did? LOL!

Except the crockpot thread is under "Random stupidity" where this is under "off topic."  But, not too far away since both those are under "Casual banter"

< Message edited by LanceHughes -- 10/24/2009 8:04:57 PM >

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 7:59:10 PM   
WyldHrt


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Status: offline 		I saw that.... *smooch!* I love that thread! 
*goes off to drain the fat from the 3lb pork loin roast simmering in the crock pot and add the BBQ sauce*


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"MotherFUCKER!" is NOT a safeword!!"- Steel
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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 8:02:44 PM   
DomMeinCT


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Status: offline 		My local pizza place sells large pieces of dough (what they'd use to make a large pie) for $1.50.  I buy two, and can cut them up and toss 6 thin-crust, pies out of that $3.00 of dough, add cheese (bought on sale, of course), and topped with whatever is left in the fridge (mushrooms, spinach, roasted garlic, even chicken).  6 pizzas for less than $15 (less than the cost to buy one large at a pizzeria around here).

< Message edited by DomMeinCT -- 10/24/2009 8:03:39 PM >

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 8:20:28 PM   
LanceHughes


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Status: offline 		As to herbs and spices: we could get the freshest, best for low cost from one of our own.  SpiceGuy2009 is his user name here on CM.  His web-site is www.frombeginningtoendfoods.com he's helped a few on here with recipes tailor-made for various and assorted restrictions.  Give him a list of what you've got in pantry/fridge/freezer and he'll make you a recipe - just like on those cooking shows with "mystery" baskets.

I made the PearPudding dessert under recipes - OMG..... no, let me type that out to avoid confusion: Oh, my GOD!!!

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"Train 'em the right way - my way." Lance Hughes
"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer, but wish we didn't." Erica Jong

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RE: What's the yummiest meal you've made on a severe bu... - 10/24/2009 9:03:11 PM   
Toppingfrmbottom


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Status: offline 		I used to microwave the whole zuchiini and just eat it warm from the microwave lol.  It's good, and of course you can steam it in a pan, and if you really like it you can eat it raw.\


quote:

ORIGINAL: LanceHughes

Shredded zuchhini (sp?) - 1 lb. fits perfectly in a small zip-loc bag. AND makes a nice, neat stack in freezer.  Added to spagettihi (sp?) sauce A) streches it and B) makes it more healthy and C) is undetectable for the kids or the Daddy who is a meat-n-potato man.  One time I added it,  ate it, and said "I should've added some."  Didn't think I did till I saw empty zip-loc.

I NEVER refuse neighbors' zuch when they all have LOTS to offer (no garden here.)

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