Frugal Cooking Hacks to Stretch Your Food Budget
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ย. 2023
- When it comes to how much you spend on food each month, grocery shopping is only a PART of the equation. If your entire game plan for reducing your overall grocery costs ONLY involves changing the way you shop then you’re missing out on some important (and simple) ways you can spend less every month on food. And these hacks DON’T involve wheeling a cart through the grocery store aisles.
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i like larrys hair in this video, it is a flattering hairstyle.
I’m stretching my food budget by making all of our baked goods. Wraps, muffins, cookies, school snacks, buns and bread. Saves a bundle.
It appears saving money on grocery bill is a lot easier for people who are not suffering from chronic illness. If you have chronic illness and you are reading this message, maybe ask your friends, family and church for help preparing meals ahead of time. I know for me if I did a bunch of vegetable chopping, stirring and standing over the stove and washing dishes I would be broken.🫤 You got to take a different strategy.
I found instant pot pressure cooker can be really helpful.
That’s my next goal, and I’m excited to do it 😊😊
@@sandraoxford883 - it's a learning curve but lots of fun.
@@princessbabibear4794 good point
@@princessbabibear4794just an idea...in my city in 🇨🇦 there are bakeries that actually give away their breads etc that don't sell by the end of the day. Maybe, you can find one that does that or at least, sells them cheap to prevent them going to the landfill.♥️
The best things in life are free, a child's hug, morning air, movies on TH-cam. The coffee isn't free here, but great conversation is.
I watch loss leaders and clearance for meats. I could never find much at our local supermarket for clearance meats, then a couple of months ago, I went into the same chain store in a different town (we were in that town for homeschool co-op and it was convenient to stop). WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Lots of meat, including cheap cuts, 33-50% off, and not icky either! Lesson learned -- just because it's the same chain, doesn't mean the stores mark down items the same. I toss the clearance meat in my freezer for those weeks that there aren't good sales.
I batch cook every two weeks. I make the main dishes then add whatever I have on hand. I get 10-12 meals and put them in containers for my son and I. We both live alone and he appreciates my cooking. Plus since my beloved died and he did all the cooking, I don't know how to cook for one!
I'm celiac (GF) and I have started making as much as I can from scratch.
So is my daughter. She's 21 now, but we have been cooking gluten free for 16 years for her.
@@christines2787 Thank you for agreeing it's the way to go!
When a recipe calls for a pound of ground meat, I only use 12 ounces and freeze the other 4. After 3 meals, it is like getting one free. Also make sure to use up every part of food you can eat! I am doing a small series to show how I do it.
Taco meat is fine with 1 1/2# hamb and 2 cans pintos, drained plus I add 2 cans petite diced tomatoes and herbs. This can be frozen.
Terrific video..one of the best
This is one reason I grow sweet potato. The leaves are edible and they grow in the heat of the summer while most greens die back.
I try to use all the edible parts too. When practical. I was curious this summer and when I harvested my sunflower, I took the pith from the stalks, dried it and turned it into flour. The flour was just fine. Good in baked goods.
Never again though. Harvested 60 sunflower, which yielded pounds of pith, which dried into almost nothing, and I got 2 cups of flour and a scar from a knife slip.
My chili con carne is nearly meatless. Four ounces of ground beef can stand in for a whole pound. My husband has never noticed. 😉
@@cynthia57169 - have you tried TVP? It stands in for ground beef when I make chili, meat sauce or tacos. Not always, but I try to eat meat no more than once a week
Food it the one place I try not to cut my budget. I grew up eatting frugal meals and it felt like I was a second class person. I feel you can use less of a better product and get a higher quality meal. Than what you get going for a less quality product. I work hard, my husband a hard physical job . I would rather give him a 6 oz steak instead of an 8 oz steak before I give him a ground beef burger. We have a used car, shop thrift stores, do not smoke, turn down our heat and AC .
Going meat free on alternate nights has really lowered our grocery bill & I'm sure it's improving our health too! 🥰Blessings from South Australia💕🐨
Great idea for meat eaters. I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years. Some are horrified at the idea of going meat free for an odd meal but I wish they would just give it a try. They might be pleasantly surprised.
Since I have become handicapped, I have my groceries delivered. It has saved on our grocery, I don't just throw things in my basket.
We are stretching our food budget by taking out of the fridge anything that can be thrown in a pot for soup. Saturday's "fridge soup". It gets rid of vegetables that are starting to show their age. Thanks fo the video, and good luck to us all 😃🍲
Yep, I've been doing that for years.
100% agree that home-dried herbs are better. Even the dregs of my dried 2022 basil tasted better than the store-bought when I last made lasagna!
I love all these videos. The last time I made meatloaf I had very little meat. I opened a can of chickpeas, mashed them, and added them to the meat. My kids dont like chickpeas so I didn't tell them. We had no leftovers. Lol
I would've never thought of that! Great idea!
Gotta try this
We eat every day a three course meal. Sounds fancy but is in fact cheaper than putting all the food on one plate. As a starter we eat a small salad or a simple soup made from dried vegetable scraps with a slice of baguette, maybe a sliced tomato with olive oil and garlic, half an egg per person, hard boiled with a hint of selfmade mayonaise and lambs lettuce. Simple and inexpensive things. After your starter you're not so hungry anymore and enjoy your main course a little bit more and you need less of the expensive stuff. No day without a dessert but this can be the fruit bowl on the table with extra plates an fruit knives. Share a banana and an apple with you loved one put a homemade bisquit aside and enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee. Put granny's table cloth on the table, use nice glasses for your plain water and the beautiful plates your mother gave you ten years ago. With this meals you can spend an hour or more at the table, have a nice conversation, save a lot of money. Starter and dessert costs you only cents.
Just beautiful! The soup starter is so elegant!
Why is it cheaper to eat the sides separate than putting them on the plate with the entree?
People eating slowly are eating less. If you eat a cheap starter you need less of your expensive main course because your first hunger is just gone. And why is a soup, a small starter or an apple a side dish?
And thats's why the average French isn't as fat as the average US citizen.
All on one overloaded plate seems to me a little bit babarian.
Your meals sound so inviting. I am widowed and live alone, but I need to try harder at making my meals more attractive. Thanks so much. Diane
@@jimmiepatrum Hi Diane, my maman lives alone too but cooks for herself in the same way. More simple during the week, but never without starter and dessert, more fancy at the weekend.
She's 85 and is still working four days a week on a voluntary basis. She cares for older people being younger than herself 😂.
Sometimes, we use $3.99 (on sale) steak and put it in as a roast with potatoes and carrots. Tastes the same.
When potatoes were on sale, I blanched and cut them up and froze them after flashfreezing. When we want them, we put a little olive oil on them with spices and airfry them. So good.
Great idea!! Crazy that I never knew this.
And so much healthier too! Great idea.
I think you need to do a “ make it cheaper” series with popular recipes either by making things or showing substitutions at the grocery store. I would love to actually “see” these tips.
For Thanksgiving I am making a pecan pie using oatmeal vs pecans.
I also make all of our own baked goods, including dry cereal.
Yes, 'make it cheaper' series is a great idea.
@@christines2787that’s sad 🙁
Yes that would be a great series.
@@christines2787
Great option!
I "created" variations of a basic banana bread recipe the last Thanksgiving before my Exodus.
It was just such a somber holiday. Things just had to change.
After three days of leftover everything, I started pairing down and ridding the scraps but there was like a cup of sweet potatoes, a cup of apple chunks (not enough for another pie but too much to add to the ones already made), a lone slightly freckled banana, a few pineapple rings that didn't make it to the ham, and a medium orphaned pumpkin (the moldy gourds were put out to compost weeks before).
Well, I accessed my trusty 23 yr old dog-eared Betty Crocker cookbook & opened it to the banana bread recipe.
But instead of just bananas, I cut & steamed out the pumpkin. (I baked the seeds to munch on 😊)
Then I diced the apple chunks into smaller pieces & sauteed in a little butter & mashed half the banana in & added half of the leftover sweet potatoes/yams. That was one filling
Then I pureed the pumpkin & mixed the other half of the banana & the rest of the yams . That was another batter.
Then I made lemon zest and orange zest from the leftover ones that were hiding from me when I needed them for the punch 😂.
I followed the banana bread recipe but I didn't have to use as much sugar because the apples and yams were already sugared. I use gluten free flour for my sister in law's but white lily self rising for all others. Whatever leftover filling I froze (it's rich so just a cup is enough or they will fall)
I have the little loaf pans from $$tree that I line w wax paper and I'm able to make 8-10 mini loaves and give as gifts. They rise so pretty, too! Then I brush them w butter.
Everybody gets their own instead of hunks sliced off one big one. My bonus dad eats his w sherbet, mom has half w coffee in the morning, half w whipped cream at night, bff/hubs eats his in nibbles on the way to work.
And my office trio of coworkers say it's the perfect size because it makes them savor it 😊
It's been so therapeutic for me to sift the flour, fold in the eggs & vanilla, cinnamon, make the zest, etc because I reflect on how useless and lonely I was feeling...like the leftovers nobody wanted (or the island of misfit toys🥴) and how everything still had a purpose and could contribute!
It's been 12 yrs and I can't help but smile as I whip up my yamapple or banumpkin breads to thank those who supported me during the darkest of times.
~Thanks for letting me share
A great way to save is shopping online for either delivery or curbside pickup. Curbside is usually free with a $35 order. It saves time and impulse shopping. Beats dragging tired whining children around.
Yes and you can see the digital coupons apply and the total. I agree.
Hitting local foodbanks & Churches for free turkey's & hams, letting my nephew do the cooking, I waited in line. Got a tasty apple pie at Burleson foodbank, I also got a molded loaf of bread, will watch closer next time. I love bumping into some other old fart that enjoys passing the time with smiles & conversation while I'm shopping or at foodbanks, Covid was such a bummer, no one talked or listened.
I grocery shop online. I order what I need and I log out. My weekly grocery bill ranges from $35 to $47. This is not for everyone but it works for me.
I love to make chicken and rice curry soup. 1Chicken breast shredded ,broth, 1 grated carrot, hand full of chopped broccoli, rice, herbs, salt, and curry powder, so good in cold and flu season to put a warm spot in you're belly. 😋
Try making it with Thai red curry paste.
@@americafirst9144 I love making thai yellow curry paste. But the paste is expensive from Trader Joe's so I try to make it my own: tumeric powder, can of coconut cream (which you can buy from walmart), paprika, and curry powder.
I base my meals on what is on sale...i also keep a well stocked pantry...
I accidentally dehydrated fresh rosemary in a paper bag in my fridge - came out wonderful! your fridge naturally dehydrates things. Also you can wash,mince and put on tray in freezer - then gather into a ziplock bag in freezer.
I agree with you that home-dried herbs retain more color and flavor than store-bought. I have another tip to share: I have never liked dried parsley. It always tastes 'dusty' to me. So, I mince it, pack it in ice cubes and cover it with chicken broth. Then, when I want to garnish with fresh parsley, I pop out a cube and mix it in (to stews and soup) or set aside to thaw and sprinkle.
In the oven 200 degrees with the door a little open for a few hours can do this if you don't have a dehydrator
@@mandy3486 True!
When we repackage bulk buys to freeze we put a recipe size portion in an inexpensive flip top sandwich bag and then put the sandwich bags into freezer bags. Portion size bags are easy to pull out.
Grocery prices have gone nuts. Where we live coupons aren't really a thing anymore. When I make something like Hamburger Helper I only use half a pound of beef and add frozen corn to fill it out. I think it tastes better that way too. We don't have a dehydrator, but when we grow our own catnip we dry it in the microwave and our cats go crazy for it. We've also planted a number of fruit trees on our property and it wonderful to have fresh fruits that aren't costing us. We've actually made our own vanilla extract this year for ourselves and to give as holiday gifts. When I make pumpkin bread I also make chili that night because the pumpkin bread only takes about half a can of pumpkin so to not waste the rest I add it to the chili. It adds vitamins and doesn't affect the flavor.
When I buy hamburger helper I look to see what kind of pasta they are using buy a separate package of that. Use 2x the pasta and liquids the box says and the seasoning package is enough to flavor it. It made a big difference as my son became a teenager with a larger appetite. Hope this helps. If the pasta is different I would just measure it and save for later and use 2x the amount but a pasta that I had in large enough quantity. 😊
Make double recipe pumpkin bread n freeze it.
I also freeze ice cubes of it for pumpkin lattes
My personal goal in feeding our family is to have an empty frig. by shopping day. I do keep a few emergency meals in the panty just in case I don't get to the store. I find that we waste less because the frig isn't packed with food that didn't get eaten. Plus I don't have that nasty frig cleanout day!
Thinking about doing a salad of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers diced, pitted olives, red onions, mixed with Italian dressing. Thanksgiving dinner.
I am a great one for adding stuff to my grocery basket.....well maybe not great. I have finally decided to make my list and have the store pick it out for me and I pick it up at the door. My second tip is when the store says it doesn't have something I just do without and use something else I have. For me the temptation of going in the store was just too great. Thanks for all your help Larry and Hope.
I have always used lentils for soup. Indian spiced soups and regular American style lentil soup. I was making burritos the other night and realized that I didn't have any beans to go in them. I cooked some lentils with some Mexican spices and they were delicious in the burritos.
Lentils are incredible. They cook up so quickly when comparing them to other dried beans
Do you blend them first or just add seasoning to cooked lentils
@@larryray6492 - lentils cook in about 20 min, so I season as I cook them.
Mom liked both Hominy & Barley as fillers to soup, she said they adopted the flavor of the soup.
❤ you two! How are you feeling Larry? You are both an inspiration to me, you have gentle, kind spirits. Thank you for all your hard work on these videos!
Egg fried rice is becoming a family favourite here..a few veggies thrown in if we have left overs. Extra rice bagged in fridge for adding to soup after any meat with bone meals.
Yup, me too. Food preservation and scratch cooking has become a necessary hobby
Great channel! Helping so many! Taking away the stigma of penny pinching. It's the smart way to roll!❤
Well said
Yup Me Too! 👋🏽 To stretch a meal I made a lentil and ham hock soup. I used 1 ham hock but I put so many veggies in it that it turned out to be more of a stew instead of soup lol. Very delicious too 😋.
I love Larry's hair swept to the side..and I appeciate all your tips!!
I have started using a lot of lentils. I cook them ahead of time and keep them in small baggies on the freezer door. Anytime, I'm using ground meat I add a baggie and half the meat. Kroger had all different types of noodles on sale last week for .89 for 16 ounces. Husband went a little nuts and went to all of the different Kroger's in our area (he didn't want to clear the shelves). We now have enough noodles to use for stretching those meals for a long time. This week Kroger has their spaghetti sauce on sale for 1.78, he will be back at it again. He has me spot checking for stuffing mix and turkey's at the lowest price. It will be my job to come up with a menu plan that won't get boring.
Lentils have become a budget saver here and I still get lots of healthy protein
Thank you for not clearing the shelves. It is my pet peeve and greedy and un-neighborly IMO.
Fall and winter season are great for pots and soups. 👍👍
Hi, Hope and Larry!!! Have you guys ever made a frugal vegan cookbook? I really appreciate your guys’ amazing advice!!!!! Thank you so much for helping me on my frugal journey!
Great idea about a cookbook
Love the idea of fillers, too! Our go to ones are: pasta, lentils, quinoa and rice. Can put a bed of any of them under some lean chicken and veggies etc. and have a well-balanced meal .
Quinoa is delicious but unfortunately it’s very expensive here
Roasted chicken is a great meal ,I always make chicken and corn soup out of the bones, with left over chicken I make chicken pies ,casserole , use it in pasta or rice dishes , it is amazing how versatile it is and how far you can stretch it .
Yes thats great! I use roast chicken $12 in australia 🇦🇺 it makes many meals! Eg day 1 chicken and vegis freeze some and use for chicken curry and rice (with vegis) also a favorite in australia is apricot chicken 1 can of apricot nectre stock powder to taste mushrooms peas corn and red capsicum serve with rice 🧡 chickken noodle soup/ chicken sandwiches chicken with a tin of italian tomatoes and mushrooms with pasta or rice ! Best wishes from oz 🇦🇺
Roasted Chicken is the best. We can make 2 dinners and 2 -3 lunches for 3 people. 2nd night we usually make pho soup or chicken chili. Sometimes, I try to stretch it to 3rd day. So yum!
I just dehydrated parsley I grew in my front yard. The flavor/aroma is incredible compared to store bought.
You guys are amazing, you mentioned most of the things I have used forever (on the planet 60 yrs), got my cooking skills from my mum and grandmum. The whole chicken is one of the most economical foods for a meat eater on the planet.. Laughed when you expressed about, don't look at a chicken just as a chicken, I also see many chicken dishes and broth at the end of it. Im Irish so I stretch the chicken broth with barley and red lentils. for two people one chicken of 1500g gives me meals for a week. The meat loaf I also agreed, my mum stretched it with oats, I introduced rice as I always have leftover rice and I freeze it in small bags. I am a luxury frugality, so when I see feta cheese on offer I freeze it and add it in the middle of my meat loaf and add parsley, another meal that stretches so far I have to freeze the end as I am tired of meat loaf.
Oh yes...me, too!!
Would LOVE to hear how you make your own vegan "meats." The last time I tried was in the "70's." It took a very long time... and I don't remember how at this time.
Speaking of adding more heartiness to a soup, a bit of barley will do that, too.
I love barley, it's a magical ingredient.
My mum would make beetroot soup and serve it with a huge dollop of mashed potatoes. And tomato soup with a cup full of rice in the bowl. Still my favourite soups that I make now and very filling.
Also for cheap Sunday brunch I make a big batch of pancakes using a teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of plain flour instead of eggs. They fluff up just fine.
I will try your ideas!! Sounds wonderful!!❤️
@@user-qo7zp4pq6x Be sure to make the mashed potatoes or rice separate from the soup. Place them in the bowl of soup on serving. Bon appetit 😘
Beetroot and carrot soup with diced onions, all three fryed in a bit of oil, then add water. With a dollop of creme frauche and freshly ground pepper just before serving - you just reminded me how I loved this when I first made it years ago!
@@bmedve3427 lovely.
Tips for ground meats: for ground chicken to make hamburgers, use vegetables or fruits as your fillers. For example mix some canned spinach ( after you’ve drained the water off) into your ground meat then make your Pattie’s and cook, you can use almost any vegetable cut up green beans, chopped up green peppers, chopped up carrots. You get a serving of vegetable along with your meat. If you want a tropical flavor use canned fruits cubed or chopped instead. For example chop up and add mangoes in your ground chicken, or cubed pineapple. Very tasty burgers. Another tip try a vegetable you don’t usually use. I’m going to try your butternut squash recipe. Also try yellow turnip, rutabaga, it’s very tasty. You cook it after chopping it into chunks, then mash it with some butter and milk, just like mashed potatoes, spice with ample pepper. Tasty. Hard to cut up but microwave a bit will soften it up for cutting it up to cook. Also tasty when added in chunks to soups.
Check out the company s website s for recipes. Example company sites Hillshire farms sausage. Betty Crocker, Pillsbury . Bisquick.
I roast or stew all my starchy/root vegs
No waste of nutrients into the cooking water u throw out
This video was one of the best I have viewed that provided realistic, and novel ways to decrease your food budget! Thank you both for your hard work and dedication to this channel. You are greatly appreciated!
I have seven hungry kids at home. I need all the tips! 😅
I'm going on 6 kids and I also need the tips😅
ME TOO! I stood in the grocery store parking lot wondering how my one bag of basics cost so much. I’m just finishing the last container of vegetable stock I made last fall and winter, just in time to start again. In the spring and summer our veggie scraps go to the compost bin. Emmy on Frugal Money Saver showed making corn broth/stock from corn cobs. I tried that and it was fabulous in corn and potato chowder.
You could make stock with the scraps and then add them to the compost pile. That works great for me.
@@christines2787yes, cook the scraps first! No food in compost till it’s squeezed out of every last nutrient for our bellies!
As American Thanksgiving is coming up… all those chicken tips are just as good but better with a Turkey! Also, you can often get a “utility grade” whole fresh Turkey from your meat department/butcher if you ask. They are discounted because the skin might be torn or it may be missing a wing and “not perfect” aesthetically.
We all need an "emotional support eater" don't we? LOL My dog Pete fills that roll for everything but foods he's not allowed to have (grapes, onions, avocado, chocolate - the usual suspects). When my son was little (and I was still eating what I had grown up with) I'd buy 1 lb of ground beef, cut the package in three pieces, and freeze two of them. We had good, filling meals and nobody ever told me either of us looked unhealthy. Nowadays, in my whole plant vegan years, I make all kinds of meat substitutes into otherwise traditional recipes. Blessings to you both, Ware Family, and btw, I love the people I've met here who've been sending me good wishes after my knee debacle. Life is good.
Ironically, I am cooking up ground beef & mixing w/ cooked Lentils & putting in freezer bags as I watch this! My friend & I bought a case of beef from Sam's & split it. I will have plenty of cooked ground beef & meatloaf made up in my freezer for a while.😊 Thanks for all the tips!
My family is also plant-based. We take advantage of the fabulous pre-Thanksgiving, sales and stock up on things like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, squash, celery, etc. This is the best time of year to get the best prices on these things, and I simply just add them in everywhere!
Hi Hope and Larry, love your channel and these types of videos, thank you! For those with young kids, I take detailed notes on those healthy items I can make from scratch for my almost 5 year old likes and batch buy and batch cook those. They include: carrot pancakes, beet pancakes, low sugar banana walnut muffins, steel cut oats, quinoa with raisins and cinnamon and the latest that my whole family likes: tuna, tomato and cooked macaroni and cheese - put into a glass dish in that order (bottom to top) and bake at about 400 degrees until crispy on the outside. Latter is delicious and contains fruit, healthy fish (for healthy fats, protein, etc), carbs and flavor in the pasta etc. I make a big batch and then freeze single serving portions. I do use the highest quality tuna (tested multiple times for quality and for mercury) + organic tomatoes, just as personal preference, but one does not of course have to do that if they want to save some $$$. My tip is to find what your family likes/you know they will eat and stick to that. You then don't go crazy on spending on risky foods they may not actually like once they try them.
There’s no fat in tuna
SMASH are fatty, small fishes (small fish have much less pollutants in them). Fatty fish have the actual O-3s in them.
S almon
M ackerel
A nchovy
S ardines
H erring
Rainbow trout is another good one
Fun fact: sardines are baby herring!
Canned tuna is generally cheap, but it’s not giving that great fish stuff. It’s just a very lean protein -from a bigger fish too (higher up on food chain so more apt to have pollutants)
I stick to cheap grains
Wheat
Oats
Grits
Rice
Buckwheat
I have barley & rye but just for flavor differences
The exotic grains aren’t worth the price.
I add shredded cabbage, carrots,zucchini, potatoes, onions to bulk up dishes, based upon which ones are in season, and or the cheapest currently. To meatloaf I add a quart of my canned tomato sauce and either rice or oatmeal or stale breads that I made into bread crumbs, or stale crackers that I crushed. Nothing wasted and it can make meats go twice as far.
You guys are amazing. No Oder channel like yours. Am from India, so lv nd admire you both.totally noteworthy channel. You al shld be rewarded for the best utube channel nd the best people . Love you
Oh my god, here in the Netherlands the prices went up at 50%. Grocery, gas for the car and home are for a lot of people here a problem.
So glad I found you channel so I can not only help myself but also try to make a program with tips to help more people.
Thank you for your amazing tips and your knowledge it wil help in my future to save money and having fun doing it.
Greetings from The Netherlands
Enjoy your saving tips. This is one I use every Sunday. I attend a church which is known locally as the "coffee church." Their goal is to get their members to socialize, so they offer coffee after the service. If you bring an insulated cup you can take coffee with you. I save because I don't buy a cup of coffee on Sunday at $3 a cup.
I am doing a November Grocery Challenge of $100 groceries. However, I have gone over only because I have been picking up prepping items when I find them. So, next time I do this, I will have another envelope for buying prep items.
The first week of December I told my fb frugal group there will be a week of meatess meals challenges. Yesterday when I took a friend to the grocery store to show her how I save in groceries, I found that Tofu on clearance for $2.00 so I brought it home and froze it until the challenge. I took it as a sign I am on the right track to saving money
I had to adjust my budget-I had non food items in my grocery budget...wow, I now have a separate budget for misc items...my food budget is down by 30% just this week. I always use less meat in meals...I make veggie soups and no meat chili, it's great!
I'm stretching our budget by batch cooking our proteins once a week so like last week it was ground chicken which then became chicken and gravy with mashed potatoes, then chicken tetrazini, and I batch cook muffins for taking for work every two weeks, and we make enough food to freeze leftovers for future meals
Its midnight in 🇮🇪 ireland here. I look forward to watching in the AM
Went to Branson Missouri early July, so green, makes me want to see Ireland.
Winco, cabbage went from .47 to.57 a pound but I got a free head across the street at the foodbank for free the size bigger than two bowling balls, I mean huge. I could make cole slaw for the whole Texas Rangers winning baseball team out of it. After that, I need a cup of coffee, I bought some liquid dark chocolate for $5.00, from money I've saved to put in my coffee. Seems like a lot of us frugals love our beans.
I keep cabbage in the house all the time. I do make slaw but also, bacon, onion and cabbage sauteed in a skillet is yummy and you only need 2 slices of bacon. I also throw it in soups. By itself with butter, salt and pepper can stretch any meal.
If you are anything like me and have a hard time digesting beans, I suggest eating Lower FODMAP /lower LECTIN beans cooked in a pressure cooker. As long as I dump out the water and rinse the beans after cooking -then use them in dishes. Don't seem to have nearly the side effects When I'm mindful to soak the beans and follow this cooking method. Instant pot pressure cooker is a really great tool. The stainless steel lining is the best. Also note that fennel tea helps with bubble guts as I call it lol. It's quite astonishing how well fennel cures gas and bloating.
I saved a lot of money as well using the instapot pressure cooker for bone broth and it's much quicker than cooking it on the stove. I love Pacific bone broth but it gets expensive.
Hey, I really enjoy your channel. I have a question... You mentioned that you eat plant base food. Could you do a video about it, please? Thank you ❤️
I thicken with instant potatoes sometimes..Add onion powder is a chesp flavor changer..adding minced garlic and celery changes the flavor and deletes the need for statins in many people
Shop minced garlic. At Walmart I only paid $5.99 for 32 oz compared to the other "regular" grocery stores @ $10.99 ! and those stores wouldn't price match.
I thicken with oatmeal.
Also i keep a gallon freezer bag in my freezer for veggie scraps and another for meat scraps. Now i raw feed my dogs, so i use the meat scraps to help stretch the dog food budget, but the veggie scraps, when i get a gallon bag, i make veggie stock. Sometimes i mix it with chicken stock, sometimes i can it as is, and THEN i compost the scraps after that. Then i know ive used every ounce of nutrients from those scraps that many people toss out. (Like carrot ends, celery tops, onion wrappers, broccoli stems, etc)
We’ve made our own homemade vanilla for 30 years now. I buy grade B vanilla beans on eBay they can be used several times. So I get 750 mL bottles of vanilla for what someone else would pay for 6 ounces.
I just subscribed, I love this kind of stuff. You two do a great job! Thank you
Yay! We're happy to have you with us!
Hi Hope and Larry, I subscribed ❤ clicked Like and I have been with you for awhile now. Love your honesty and being truthful. I always buy the cheaper cut but for special occasions I buy the good ones to celebrate with the family. I am not afraid to put more water for any soup or use the stem of the veggies for any meals. When my husband asks me the name of the meal, I usually say MCM which is Mira's creation meal. lol
Broccoli stems are tasty cut up into a salad.
Thank You for being Plant Based delicious and nutritious!!! 💜🏡🙏
Second tip. I have a neighbor who works for a farmer who sells at local markets. He picks up in the field the vegetables rejected by the farmer due to blemishes. He SHARES Veggies WITH ME. I EITHER FREEZE THEM OR CAN THEM. Cost to me, zero.
Awesome
Would love Larry to do some videos on his own. He has a great perspective.
I to am WFPB for a yr. now! Changed my health and bloodwork so so much for the better!❤
Most nuts can also be frozen we grabbed a couple of large bags of walnuts several years ago and separated them into smaller bags and tossed them in the freezer. We pull them out when we want to add them to something.
You both have such great way of suggesting ways to save on meals without being judgmental to those of us who still eat meat. It makes subbing meat for grains, lentils, etc appealing. Your suggestions & advice are so appreciated!
Thanks for your kind words.
What you said about the steching of soup reminded me of an old German saying: "Fünf war´n geladen, doch Zehn sind gekommen? Giess Wasser zur Suppe, HEISS ALLE WILLKOMMEN!" (Five were invited, but ten came to call? Add water to your soup and WELCOME THEM ALL!") 🧑🍳
With chicken,you have the original meal
Soup
Enchiladas
Tacos.
Chili
Nachos
Chicken salad
Chicken and rice casserole
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken cacciatore
Thank you guys.
Thank you for all your amazing advice. Love your videos ❤
Me too. Blessings to you both!
You guys are great. Looking forward to part 2.
Thank you .lots of good tips
The corn and pineapple rice looks yummy, I ll be trying that.. I scored reduced stirfry veg packs, reduced mushrooms , reduced pumpkin and reduced salad and coleslaw shreds. Then I found vegan mayo from $6 to $2.30, total came to $10 , I made honey and soy stir fry, mushroom curry, and pumpkin soup, then side of salads and coleslaw
Me too. Thank you for the information and hints.
Thanks glad I found u both. X merry Christmas all
When I cut up the meat smaller in such meals like stir fry I feel like there is more meat.
I do that too.
Thank you!
Great ideas. Thank you both.
Great video, as usual! Thanks for always sharing helpful content ❤🌱🌱
As always, a fantastic video
Yes agree about the herbs
great reminders Hope and Larry
I put all my veggie scraps in my small crock pot overnight, then drain it the next day. I package it 2 cups to a freezer bag, and use it to cook my rice and quinoa. Yellow and red onion peels give it a rich color.
Another great video Hope and Larry. Definitely gives me food for thought. Also, I would just like to add that this can go so many ways other than food. I saw on either your you tube channel or another to cut your sponge in half if you use one which I do. The list goes on and on…
I saw this tip, too. Great idea
THANK YOU
Great share, guys. Quinoa is one of my favorites. 😋
Yep, 30 dollars more. was more but I brought slit peas and lentils 15.00 worth on sale .99 cents. Filled my jars back up. I am plant based too. Also brought extra coffee on sale. Loving your channel.
Thank you❤
Me too! Debi in Vicksburg, MS. 🥰🥰