What memories does Thanksgiving evoke in your mind and heart? Is there a special year that stands out to you? My very favorite memory was the year before my husband and I were married. That was the year I had the joy of hosting Dale and our parents in my humble home.
I was a school teacher living in a 14′ x70′ trailer. The kitchen was so small that if I needed to open the refrigerator while there were people at the table, someone would have to stand and scoot their chair in! Because of the size of that space, I decided to take the table into the living room and make it the “dining room” for the day. This was long before the days of Pinterest, of course, so Good Housekeeping Magazine was the source for my simple decorations, part of which included gingerbread place cards. The guest’s names were written in icing and set at their place at the table.
I have several embarrassing moments in my cooking career, but one that stands out vividly happened last summer when old friends came by for dinner. Grilled chicken breasts seemed like a good idea, so my kind husband fired up the grill and did the job of cooking the meat. I’ll never forget seeing that platter come to the table – it was as dry as the hot
We are so blessed to have so many great resources for wonderful, yummy recipes to fix, but there is a problem. Most recipes make enough to feed a whole family. Therefore, if you’re a single person, empty-nesters or a young couple without children, you can end up with enough leftovers of that one dish to make you never want to eat that food. ever. again!
I thought it would be good to give those needing smaller portions some ideas today to help cook great meals without having leftovers for a week. Ready?
We have been on vacation this past week and we ate breakfast and lunch in our condo, then enjoyed eating our main meal out each day. I love trying new food options – things I don’t normally make at home. New food and flavor combinations stretch my taste buds and my culinary skills, so I’m always looking out for something a little different on the menu.
Because we were on the coast, we had seafood every day! We also had some other fare that was just delicious! I”ll share a few of the new flavor combinations I loved.
We’ve all seen that grocery prices are climbing. Is it possible to stay within a budget, but also cook delicious and filling meals at home? Yes! Here are my top five suggestions for doing just that!
Vegetable Pot Pie
Banana bread made from over-ripe bananas costs pennies and can be sliced and frozen to accompany oatmeal or eggs for breakfast.
Take note of what’s on sale at the grocery store each week. Going to Southern Savers or Money Saving Mom sites can make it so easy! Also be sure to visit the marked down areas in each section of the store – produce, bread and meats. Then…
Make a weekly menu from the items on sale. A menu will keep you from running to the store last minute and buying whatever it takes to make supper. You’ll also be buying when the items are lower.
Stock up if you can. When items are on sale, buy more than one, if possible. When butter is on sale, I buy two or three and freeze the extras until I need them.
Bake your own bread, baked goods and snacks. This French Bread is so easy and makes two large loaves. I buy my bread flour in bulk at Sam’s Club and this recipe costs very little to mix together. After calculating the flour and the yeast (also bought in bulk at Sam’s), it costs me about 35 cents per loaf! This bread is so good toasted, so aside from a great side for breakfast or spaghetti supper, the possibilities are endless – grilled cheese, French toast, or BLT’s to name a few. These Muffins and this sweet bread can be made so cheaply by buying bananas that are over-ripe. They are cheaper than ripe ones and they freeze beautifully. When berries are on sale, freeze them for berry muffins. Make up a batch of cookies that don’t call for extra items like nuts or chocolate chips (did I just say that?!). Reserve those for special times. Make simple recipes like Snickerdoodles or Sugar Cookies. Rather than buying microwave popcorn, make this easy recipe – it’s much cheaper (and so much better!). These Granola Bars are also a Yummy snack!
5. Have meatless suppers once or twice a week. You can have breakfast for supper and serve eggs, pancakes or waffles and fruit. Go with beans as the protein and have Cracker Barrel’s Pinto Beans and cornbread. Refried Beans in a tortilla with fresh tomatoes, lettuce and cheese is another good option. Broccoli or Baked Potato Soups are both hearty and filling. Vegetable Pot Pie is another yummy, filling option!
Just typing up this post made me really want to cook and bake! Each of these recipes are truly cost-effective – especially when you follow the five steps I shared. I hope this will help you to eat well AND stay in your budget!
RefreshHer 