Five Easy Meals

I'm making a point this month to
A) use up the things in the pantry that are accumulating,
B) use up leftovers and not waste.   Keep a better eye on the crisper.  
C) try new recipes - broaden our horizons.  

I have a lot of cookbooks and I just found two from the dollar tree that are very interesting.   One is southern comfort foods and the other is western foods- a lot of ethnic foods.

1) tonight we had hot dogs ( the 2nd half of the package I got at QFC for three dollars.  Buns 1/2 from Winco  .68. And a suddenly salad from the pantry (.75) with grape tomatoes .50.   Total 3.09.  

2) I get a box of organic tomato and roasted red pepper soup from Costco.  ( 10.99/6) we usually ad basil, milk or cream, and blue cheese.    I plan to add the milk and basil, but skip the blue cheese.   I found a recipe for pepperoni and cheese breadsticks in the Bisquick CB.   I get pepperoni form.50 at the dollar tree .   1.83 , .50, .50 equals 2.83.

3) we have a pork tenderloin from when I got them for 2/5 at Winco,    I will add mashed sweet potatoes (1.00) and some veggies from the freezer.  .65.  Total 4.15

4) chicken pot pie.    1/2 chicken breast 1.20,  cream of mushroom soup .40, mixed veggies .65.   Bisquick   Total 2.25

5) chicken nachos : adapted from Betty Crocker on line CB.  1/2 chicken breast, black beans, mixed peppers chopped, black olives sliced, drained chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, cheese over tortilla chips.   Total,cost 4.99 less leftovers 3.99. ( see cookbook for recipe) .

Five meals all of which are less than five dollars.    Not including staple items, but still well under the five dollar amount and kid friendly.  


I've read a lot of articles , books, and booklets on eating in a low budget.   I am convinced that instead of sacrificing taste, nutrition, or omitting a food group, it makes more sense to eat regular meals and concentrate on cooking from scratch, making some mixes of your own, and buying your food at rbp's.  

You don't need to steal sugar packets from fast food, take the family through Costco on sample day , or forge for food.    Just buy the best quality inexpensive cuts of meat and be diligent about finding food at rbp's and keep a small stock so you can eat until that product goes on sale again.  

Thanks for stopping by

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Jane