One thing I have done for several young people moving into their own place to to give them an assortment of basic spices to get them going and encourage them to save money and 'cook at home'. Stocking even a bare minimum can get expensive when first setting out. Spices can be found at very reasonable prices if you look beyond the name brands. Aldi is very reasonable and even the Dollar Tree has a pretty good variety. Once you have the jar people should consider refilling them with the little cello packs from the Mexican section. At Christmas I needed a very small amount of a certain spice and I hit the bulk bins at WinCo. It cost me .08 from the bulk bin vs $4.49 for a new little jar of McCormick in the spice aisle. I have actually told people in the grocery store who are looking for at the spices this hack. Most of the time they have the old jar and the cello refills are so much cheaper.
Cole slaw and other slaw mixes are often on sale since it is fairly perishable item, cabbage and carrots are ofen very good buys too so I find that making Okonomiyaki, Japanese veggie pancakes, is a low cost meal option, especially if eggs sre not sky high or if you have eggs from your own laying hens. You can also add small amounts of leftover meat, beef, pork, poultry, fish or shrimp to them, cubes of sweet potatoes, cubes of tofu etc. To them. Topped with the traditional mayo or a chili sauce or korean style bbq sauce and I think they are a delicious economical option for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
I watch a lot of TH-cam channels like your’s and your recipes are my favorite. Everything you make is the kind of foods I really enjoy. Fantastic content!
I gotta make those cupcakes. I remember we used to use a can of black beans, liquid too, with a TJ’s boxed mix (chocolate something) and it turned out yummy. We used white beans for the blondie mix.
yes! to sweet potatoes with chili seasoning. they are also great dipped in aoli sauce. I do mayo, with a little lemon juice and garlic powder. so yummy! sometimes i never make it to dinner after this as an appitizer
Thank you so much!! ☺️ I’m so glad to hear that! I’m definitely working hard to stick to whole foods whenever possible. I don’t use whole foods 100% of the time, but I’m getting better at it ☺️
I forget about using barley. I used to use it all the time. I’m definitely going to pick up a bag. The Spanish barley will definitely be in the menu in the next few days. 😊
I hope you love it! Definitely spice it up a bit, if you like spice. I didn’t add much since my kids were going to be eating it but I think it needed a bit of spice 😄
Great recipes! Ps: I just ordered your meal planner!! 😊 I am so excited 🎉 I know is not much but purchasing the planner is my way of saying thank you for all the wonderful recipes you share with us ❤
Barley is my favorite grain!! Love the video.i e the recipes and ideas. You're always so inspirational and creative!! Hello cute doggie that peeked in!! So cute!! 🥰
Knoor in beef and chicken in the big tub like you have, is a must have for my pantry, but I also make and can up a big pot of chicken bone broth as well. The knoor granulated broth is multi purpose food for me on many things. I like to keep my pantry stocked with basics at all times. So when we buy sale items I can make meals around the sales for the week. That's how we do it. We don't spend a whole lot on groceries IMO and our meals are cheap and carry over to other days as well.
I really appreciate that there wasn't any meat in these recipes. The chicken broth could be replaced with vegetable broth. I am plant based, so these were great.
They are also a lot cheaper if you buy them from Amazon I buy all my sessionings from Amazon example I got rainbow peppercorns 16oz $4.00, Herds de provence 1.9oz $2.00, Ispice asain 7.14oz $5.00 it's worth checking out and a lot of the time you don't have to pay shipping but I have found spices that you can't get at a grocery store or Sam's club.
@LauraLegge I'm trying to save money on my groceries. I'm the only vegetarian in my family. I like that you meals can be meal preped and I can take them to work. I think its so genius that you made your own" kind bars". I love everything about this meal plan I'm definitely doing this next week.
@@alykatbuttercup836 yay! I can’t wait to hear what you think! ☺️ I think you could have lots of fun with the kind bars using any nuts and seeds you love
Yes! I noticed that too! I prefer AlDI now since the dollar tree changed to $1.25 😅 I’m going to compare the sizes of the .99 ALDI spices and the $1.25 Dollar Tree spices to see which is cheaper. I’m interested to see the difference!
@@LauraLegge I think Dollar Tree gives you more, and more selection. I always get the 2oz. tin of black pepper @ Dollar Tree. They have seasoning mixes you can use in bean burgers too!
I noticed that you salted your black beans before you cooked them. Did it make them tough? I've read that salt should be added towards the end of the cooking time but I always forget. Great video! Thank you!
They’ve turned out perfect every time when I salt them at the start but I also soak them for a long time (overnight and a lot of times more than 12 hours), so I think that helps them cook more evenly too. When I don’t soak them and use the instant pot, I find that some of them are harder than I’d like.
I have considered trying agave as a sweetener the same way i would use maple syrup or honey but i am hesitant to buy it, it not work and then it just sitting in my cabinet. Have you ever used agave?
Aldi has amazing prices i know they are going up like everywhere is but their prices are still killer when their are sales especially! Ty for the video.
I’d be interested in your thoughts on [CA company] purple sweet potatoes and how to recipe them. Because the taste isn’t great (like walnuts), the skin is diabolical (I.e., disintegrating paper), the texture is mealy and crumbly, and cooking in a microwave enhances all the unpleasant attributes. But the deep color and all its nutritional benefits! I force myself to use them, but I’m NOT good in the kitchen. I usually simmer into a soup with a butt load of onion and cream. I’m tired of that.😢
I didn't always bag my veggies until years ago when I found a really disgusting diarrhea diaper in a cart. Even washing all my veggies at home hasn't got me past that moment.
Oh my gosh!!! I will never NOT bag my produce after your story. Gross!!!! I never would have thought of that. Thank you for sharing even though it was disgusting 🤢 😅 I'm glad you survived....I probably would have gagged.
many of our grocery stores 🇨🇦 have reusable cloth / net produce bags - as a solo shopper - wish they’d they sell the smallest ones on their own - that said - love not using plastic in the produce dept now - in place of a walker I shop with a four wheeled large buggy so all my reusable bags are with me all the time 🇨🇦🙏
Produce does not ripen on the counter once it is picked it stops what you are talking about is actually the process of it decomposing. I learned that in planet science. It's a very common misconception.
I found a scientific journal that discussed the breaker stage of tomatoes and that’s where I learned that tomatoes ripen on the counter 😄 I’m not sure about other fruits and veggies though.
It depends on the produce. For example they pick a number of things early (tomatoes and bananas for example) and use ethylene gas before they get to the grocery store to encourage ripening. Pineapples on the other hand do not ripen further after being picked.
A hint when buying bags of produce.... weigh them! A 3 lb bag can vary as much as 1/2 lb, may as well check and get the heavier one at the same price.
Yes!! That’s an amazing tip! Thank you so much for mentioning that!
@@LauraLegge I'm glad to be able to give back when I've learned so much here!
@@sherrylewis9327 I’m so glad to hear that ☺️
One thing I have done for several young people moving into their own place to to give them an assortment of basic spices to get them going and encourage them to save money and 'cook at home'. Stocking even a bare minimum can get expensive when first setting out.
Spices can be found at very reasonable prices if you look beyond the name brands. Aldi is very reasonable and even the Dollar Tree has a pretty good variety. Once you have the jar people should consider refilling them with the little cello packs from the Mexican section. At Christmas I needed a very small amount of a certain spice and I hit the bulk bins at WinCo. It cost me .08 from the bulk bin vs $4.49 for a new little jar of McCormick in the spice aisle.
I have actually told people in the grocery store who are looking for at the spices this hack. Most of the time they have the old jar and the cello refills are so much cheaper.
Yes!! Those are excellent tips! I especially love the bulk bin suggestion! So great for when you just need a little of something too!
Cole slaw and other slaw mixes are often on sale since it is fairly perishable item, cabbage and carrots are ofen very good buys too so I find that making Okonomiyaki, Japanese veggie pancakes, is a low cost meal option, especially if eggs sre not sky high or if you have eggs from your own laying hens. You can also add small amounts of leftover meat, beef, pork, poultry, fish or shrimp to them, cubes of sweet potatoes, cubes of tofu etc. To them. Topped with the traditional mayo or a chili sauce or korean style bbq sauce and I think they are a delicious economical option for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Oooh yum! Great suggestions! Thank you so much for sharing! I’ll have to try those!
Here to support one of my favorite frugal meal queens 👸
Oh my goodness, thank you so much! 😄 I appreciate you!
Loved everything! Thank you so very much for cooking clean!
Thank you so much! ☺️
Absolutely 😊
For people who are diabetic and or low carb can you do budget shopping and recipes please
Yes! I’ll start working on a plan for that 😄 Thank you for the suggestion!
I watch a lot of TH-cam channels like your’s and your recipes are my favorite. Everything you make is the kind of foods I really enjoy. Fantastic content!
@@MsV3 yay! Thank you so much! I truly appreciate you saying that ☺️
I gotta make those cupcakes. I remember we used to use a can of black beans, liquid too, with a TJ’s boxed mix (chocolate something) and it turned out yummy. We used white beans for the blondie mix.
Oooh great idea!! I’ll have to try that! Sounds so easy too!
I love how you incorporated so much produce! Great job 😊
Also, I think it’s impressive how you always reply to comments. I know you get a lot of them!
Thank you so much! I appreciate you saying that! ☺️
Thank you so much! I appreciate you saying that! ☺️
yes! to sweet potatoes with chili seasoning. they are also great dipped in aoli sauce. I do mayo, with a little lemon juice and garlic powder. so yummy! sometimes i never make it to dinner after this as an appitizer
Yum!! I’ve gotta try that! Thank you for the suggestion!
Your doggo stole the show ❤
Thank you! He’s my sweetie! 🐶
These are such terrific ideas- and I love barley, so having new ideas for that grain is wonderful! Thank you for this wonderful content!
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate that ☺️ and you’re welcome! I hope you love the recipes!
Love the sweet potato skins I'll be trying that soon! Thanks for all the great recipes.
Yay! I hope you love them!! ☺️
Thank you. The videos are informative and inspiring for me. I love that you use regular foods. Whole Foods.
Thank you so much!! ☺️ I’m so glad to hear that! I’m definitely working hard to stick to whole foods whenever possible. I don’t use whole foods 100% of the time, but I’m getting better at it ☺️
I forget about using barley. I used to use it all the time. I’m definitely going to pick up a bag. The Spanish barley will definitely be in the menu in the next few days. 😊
I hope you love it! Definitely spice it up a bit, if you like spice. I didn’t add much since my kids were going to be eating it but I think it needed a bit of spice 😄
I've never actually seen yellow bananas at an Aldi. They are always green at all the ones around here. Lol
Oh my 😅
Same.
Thank you for the video. I enjoy the ideas and how you shop. We've tried the lazy lasagna and black bean enchiladas so far both family favorites 😊
You’re welcome! I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how they turned out for you! ☺️
Great recipes! Ps: I just ordered your meal planner!! 😊 I am so excited 🎉 I know is not much but purchasing the planner is my way of saying thank you for all the wonderful recipes you share with us ❤
Yay!! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it! 😃
Just got it!! 🎉 love it! It has just what I need. The extra stuff stress me 😅
@@blessed1113 yay!! I’m so glad! I hope it helps! ☺️
Barley is my favorite grain!! Love the video.i e the recipes and ideas. You're always so inspirational and creative!! Hello cute doggie that peeked in!! So cute!! 🥰
Thank you so much!! That’s so nice of you to say! I appreciate that ☺️ and my dog would be happy to say hi too! 🐶
These look delicious, certainly not bland! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! ☺️ I appreciate that!
These all look amazing!!!
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate that ☺️ I hope you love them as much as we did!
If anyone has grocery outlet close they 5 pounds carrots 3.99 5 pounds apples 3.99 8 pounds oranges 4.99
Thank you for sharing that tip! ☺️
Welcome have a great day
Knoor in beef and chicken in the big tub like you have, is a must have for my pantry, but I also make and can up a big pot of chicken bone broth as well. The knoor granulated broth is multi purpose food for me on many things. I like to keep my pantry stocked with basics at all times. So when we buy sale items I can make meals around the sales for the week. That's how we do it. We don't spend a whole lot on groceries IMO and our meals are cheap and carry over to other days as well.
I love that! It’s definitely a staple in my pantry
Yes, thank you.
All your spices and oil can be had for 6.25 or less if one can shop around
That’s true! Thank you for sharing that ☺️
I really appreciate that there wasn't any meat in these recipes. The chicken broth could be replaced with vegetable broth. I am plant based, so these were great.
@@michelledee9304 yay! I’m so glad to hear that! ☺️ I can’t wait to hear what you think if you try any of the recipes!
These were all great recipes 😋 Very creative. I cant wait to try them. 😊❤
Thank you so much!! I hope you love them ☺️
I was given a jar of maple syrup recently and I have nuts and raisins on hand. I’m going to make the bars tomorrow!
Yay! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
The soup looks delicious!
Thank you so much!! ☺️ I was really happy with how it turned out
They are also a lot cheaper if you buy them from Amazon I buy all my sessionings from Amazon example I got rainbow peppercorns 16oz $4.00, Herds de provence 1.9oz $2.00, Ispice asain 7.14oz $5.00 it's worth checking out and a lot of the time you don't have to pay shipping but I have found spices that you can't get at a grocery store or Sam's club.
Excellent tip! I actually get my sea salt from Amazon because it’s less expensive 😄 Thank you for mentioning that!
Wow....these are great...Will definitely make the sloppy janes..maybe on top of the sweet potato fries??..great job!
Oooh yum!! That would be SO good!! I really hope you try the fries! I can’t wait to hear what you think 😄
I love these ideas because im vegetarian.
I’m so glad to hear that you love them! ☺️
@LauraLegge I'm trying to save money on my groceries. I'm the only vegetarian in my family. I like that you meals can be meal preped and I can take them to work. I think its so genius that you made your own" kind bars". I love everything about this meal plan I'm definitely doing this next week.
@@alykatbuttercup836 yay! I can’t wait to hear what you think! ☺️ I think you could have lots of fun with the kind bars using any nuts and seeds you love
Dollar Tree is awesome for spices! $1.25 for most common spices.
Yes! I noticed that too! I prefer AlDI now since the dollar tree changed to $1.25 😅 I’m going to compare the sizes of the .99 ALDI spices and the $1.25 Dollar Tree spices to see which is cheaper. I’m interested to see the difference!
@@LauraLegge I think Dollar Tree gives you more, and more selection. I always get the 2oz. tin of black pepper @ Dollar Tree. They have seasoning mixes you can use in bean burgers too!
@@Beckysgetsittogether I was curious about that! I definitely think they have some amazing deals there!
What kind of chili powder do you use? cayenne pepper or chili powder as you would use for making chili?
Chili powder as I would for making chili 😄
Love your videos! I have celiac and can't have barley. Any ideas what I can use in recipes in place of it. Thks🐱
Are you able to have rice, quinoa, or potatoes? I think those would be delicious substitutions, depending on the recipe 😄
Yay! Love your videos. Hit the like button and now to watch😍
Yay!! Thank you so much! I’m so glad to hear that ☺️ I hope you love the recipes!
I noticed that you salted your black beans before you cooked them. Did it make them tough? I've read that salt should be added towards the end of the cooking time but I always forget. Great video! Thank you!
They’ve turned out perfect every time when I salt them at the start but I also soak them for a long time (overnight and a lot of times more than 12 hours), so I think that helps them cook more evenly too. When I don’t soak them and use the instant pot, I find that some of them are harder than I’d like.
I enjoy & appreciate you videos so much! Thanks for another awesome video!! :)
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to hear that! ☺️
@@LauraLegge You are welcome! Hope you have a great weekend!!
@@SB-re7lo thank you so much! I hope you have a great weekend too!
@@LauraLegge Thanks!
Love Sweet potatoes with cinnamon or black beans. Yum.
Yes!! Me too! So dang good 😋
I have considered trying agave as a sweetener the same way i would use maple syrup or honey but i am hesitant to buy it, it not work and then it just sitting in my cabinet.
Have you ever used agave?
Yes! I really like agave and it’s great in oatmeal! It’s sweeter in my opinion, so I use less at a time
Yummy !
Thank you! ☺️
I don't have barley but i have a bag a farro. Do you think that would work in the soup?
Yes! Just check the cook time for the farro and adjust as needed ☺️
Love this video thank you
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that! ☺️
Good recipe with the trail mix + maple syrup tho I definitely would chop up the mix so it would go twice as far & better on everyones teeth😉🍁🇨🇦
Sounds perfect!!
Aldi has amazing prices i know they are going up like everywhere is but their prices are still killer when their are sales especially! Ty for the video.
Yes!! I agree! I’m so glad to have one nearby. Our Walmart has similar prices but I just LOVE the food at ALDI. So many amazing choices!
I’d be interested in your thoughts on [CA company] purple sweet potatoes and how to recipe them. Because the taste isn’t great (like walnuts), the skin is diabolical (I.e., disintegrating paper), the texture is mealy and crumbly, and cooking in a microwave enhances all the unpleasant attributes.
But the deep color and all its nutritional benefits! I force myself to use them, but I’m NOT good in the kitchen. I usually simmer into a soup with a butt load of onion and cream. I’m tired of that.😢
Oh interesting! Ok! I’ll look for some at the store and experiment! Thank you for the suggestion 😃
where did you get you meal prep notebook? thank you!
I designed it and it’s available on Amazon! ☺️ a.co/d/084DswW
@@LauraLegge thank you!
@@przeszkadzajacapola you’re welcome ☺️
I could not eat these foods especially all week and definitely not on the regular but a nice video anyway. Thanks for sharing.
I completely understand! I use lots of different ingredients each time I make these so hopefully you’ll find some inspiration from other videos ☺️
I dont like the sweetness of sweet potatoes so i add onion, garlic and chilli powder
Yum! That sounds amazing!
I like that you don’t use any fancy equipment, just pots and pans
Thank you! I try to keep it simple most the time 😄
You even take maple sirup from the back????
Yes 😅 it’s just less likely to have been touched or have fallen on the floor. I also find the stickiest ones are in the front for some reason haha
I do this to. I get stressed if I get the last meat lol I think we are paranoid lol@@LauraLegge
@@LauraLegge think of it as not messing with the display. Taking from the back leaves the front undisturbed.
@@crystaldon4995 haha I think you’re right 😅
@@bakingnanaskitchen4799 that’s how I look at it too! I feel like it’s less work for the employees, in a way 😄
LOVE the sloppy Janes idea!
Thank you so much!! ☺️
Always bag your veggies. Those shopping carts are filthy.
Or save the plastic because you’re going to wash them before eating them…
I didn't always bag my veggies until years ago when I found a really disgusting diarrhea diaper in a cart. Even washing all my veggies at home hasn't got me past that moment.
Oh my gosh!!! I will never NOT bag my produce after your story. Gross!!!! I never would have thought of that. Thank you for sharing even though it was disgusting 🤢 😅 I'm glad you survived....I probably would have gagged.
Oh no!! 😥 I’m going to have to start remembering my reusable bags now 😬
many of our grocery stores 🇨🇦 have reusable cloth / net produce bags - as a solo shopper - wish they’d they sell the smallest ones on their own - that said - love not using plastic in the produce dept now - in place of a walker I shop with a four wheeled large buggy so all my reusable bags are with me all the time 🇨🇦🙏
❤ ur recipes. Tk u . New sub
Thank you so much! Welcome to me channel ☺️
Great ideas but with me and sweet potatoes I still only see them I guess as a dessert I just can't Phantom eating them savory
Thank you! I totally know what you mean! If you want to start with one savory dish, definitely try the fries! They’re SO good!
@@LauraLegge 😊
I’d like to see some meat or chicken in the meal plan.
Ok! I’ll work on that for you! ☺️ I have a few other meal plans on my channel that use meat too
I can’t believe you diddnt give your dog a carrott? 🐶💗
Haha I promise I did ☺️
❤
😄
this is how much i'm alloted on EBT while living off 915 a month
Are you a vegan?
No, I just like to eat less meat when I can
Produce does not ripen on the counter once it is picked it stops what you are talking about is actually the process of it decomposing. I learned that in planet science. It's a very common misconception.
I found a scientific journal that discussed the breaker stage of tomatoes and that’s where I learned that tomatoes ripen on the counter 😄 I’m not sure about other fruits and veggies though.
It depends on the produce. For example they pick a number of things early (tomatoes and bananas for example) and use ethylene gas before they get to the grocery store to encourage ripening. Pineapples on the other hand do not ripen further after being picked.