$21 A Week Grocery Challenge #1 - Syrup and Icing Sugar
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- SEASON TWO of my $21 A WEEK GROCERY CHALLENGE where I make 21 meals for 21 Dollars!! I'm so excited to be starting this challenge again! I'm really interested to find out how much harder it will be with the HIGHER GROCERY PRICES compared to 2021. Finding deals was quite a bit harder this week than I remember! I hope you enjoy the BUDGET MEAL IDEAS that I came up with this week!
If you love grocery or cooking challenges please SUBSCRIBE AND JOIN ME for this EXTREME CANADIAN GROCERY CHALLENGE. Let's be FRUGAL. If you have a fixed or limited income, are living in an RV, or in a hotel or dorm room or you just love being FRUGAL AND CREATIVE then my series is for YOU! I am rolling over my left over food to the following week's grocery items so check the previous videos to see what I have in my cupboards! I'm using all my kitchen appliances to start with but will be moving out to the CAMPER SOON!
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Here's a link to my FIRST $21 A Week Grocery Challenge in 2021: • $21 A Week Grocery Cha...
Here's a link to my 2023 PANTRY CHALLENGE: • Pantry Challenge 2023
Here's a link to my FREEZER CHALLENGE SERIES: • Freezer Challenge 2022
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Here’s a link to my 2023 GROCERY HAUL series: • Grocery Hauls 2023
Here's a link to the entire Grocery Haul and Meal Ideas Playlist from 2022:
• Grocery Hauls | Meal I...
Here are some recipes I loosely tried to follow (and likely REALLY had to adapt!!) this week:
FRUIT SYRUP www.food.com/r...
POTATO SANDWICH | ALOO SANDWICH www.vegrecipes...
POTATO CORN CHOWDER www.thereciper...
TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE www.campbells....
BREAD PUDDING lilluna.com/br...
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Welcome to WEEK #1 of the $21 CHALLENGE! This week was harder than last year's $21 A Week Grocery Challenge! Prices are much higher than they used to be. I still managed to make some decent BUDGET MEALS and definitely enjoyed the challenge! I'm hoping that things get easier and easier as I try to BUILD UP MY PANTRY! I'm thinking that things might get a bit easier as produce comes into season and I can get better deals on it. What are your favourite EXTREME BUDGET MEALS? I'd love to have some more great ideas to aim for! 🙂🧡💸
I don't know if it qualities as extreme but I make soup using whatever veggies need to be used, chili with or without meat, pasta with home canned sauce, waffles, eggs (they have come down in my area to 1.88/doz USD at Aldi).
Scalloped potatoes, a pot pie using leftover meat, a stir fry using leftover meat and vegetables. These are things I make when I don't have grocery money for the week. We get paid every 2 weeks. We eat like kings and queens the first week and like paupers the next week. The second week, we try to figure out what to do with the leftovers. Thanks for your ideas. They really help people like us. You're brilliant. And you do it all with higher Canadian prices!
When ever I cook I save any ends or peels or vegetables that are looking a little old till full. I also save any bones from roasted or from COSTCO or a local grocery stores have Roasted chicken for $5.00 I buy 2 take them home and take all the meat off the chicken and either freeze the bones or make broth/stock as soon as possible in my crock pot. I love to combine all my frozen vegetable scraps with the chicken bones and make a really great broth!
Root to Stalk Vegetable Broth Homemade broth is one of those things that is SO worth it, but can feel like such an effort. We love this root to stalk broth because you can save up all your vegetable scraps in a non-reactive freezer container and make it when you have an extra hour in the kitchen. Our favorite part about this broth is that you get to use the parts of the vegetable you might normally compost, so it's like making delicious broth for free!
Root to Stalk Vegetable Broth Homemade broth
Serves: makes approximately 1 gallon broth Ingredients
⦁ 3-4 leeks, green parts and ends
⦁ 1 bunch of carrots, tops and bottoms plus 3 whole carrots (remove large parts of green)
⦁ 1 zucchini, roughly chopped
⦁ 1 bunch of celery, tops and bottoms
⦁ 1 large onion, quartered or 3 onions tops and bottoms
⦁ 1 handful parsley
⦁ 1 handful thyme
⦁ 2 cloves garlic, peeled Instructions
Directions:
⦁ Dump your vegetable roots and stalks in a large pot. Fill the pot until the water just about covers the vegetables. (The ratio here is about 4 cups water to 3 cups vegetable scraps). Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 40 minutes to an hour. ⦁ After the cooking time is up, place a colander over another large pot and strain the broth into the new pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The broth will keep in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for several months. ⦁ You can also make this broth with whole celery, carrots, onions and whatever else you have, so if you don't have a stockpile of frozen vegetable scraps, don't feel left out. ⦁ Here are some other ideas for vegetable scraps you could use depending on the season: asparagus ends, green bean ends, carrot peels, fennel stalks and bottoms, pea pods, chard and kale stalks, cucumber peels, zucchini peels and ends, dried mushrooms, herb stems such as parsley, oregano, thyme and cilantro
Cooking an entire pound of bacon and eating a single piece requires the sort of restraint I do not possess. No even close.
Now, I have yet another reason to admire you.
Haha It’s just the kind of tough work I’m doing!! 😜
I'm glad this $21 series is back!
Awesome! I'm glad to have you here watching the challenge! :D
Hahaha I love that you separated the frozen veg. I never thought to do that. What a great way to stretch a bag of mixed veg into several different meals!
It really made it feel like I had more ingredients! I didn't have enough to buy several different bags of veggies so I just powered through the chilly hands LOL
@@JessicaWanders Yes! It's a great idea! I never buy the mixed veg because there's always something that doesn't quite go. I'm probably going to do this now. haha
I separate the fresh veggies if I find a reduced container of carrots, broccoli & cauliflower.
Agreed! That was a great idea.
Thanks for the icing sugar hack. I didn’t know this! Also, this may seem silly, but , whenever I can’t get to sleep, I don’t count sheep, but plan meals like you are doing. The mental exercise calms my mind, and I soon fall asleep. You’ve given me some great ideas and imaginative uses for a limited amount of money.
I'm happy to share the hack! I was amazed by it LOL I find the meal planning and going through the grocery flyers relaxing too! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and got some ideas! It's great to have you here watching this new series
I listen to cooking videos til I drift off. I tried mentally planning my garden, but it just gave me anxiety thinking of all the stuff I need to do.😢
In 2016&17, for a total of 14 months, my grocery budget was AUD$30-40/week for 3 adults. Lunch was always vegetable soup served with 1/2 cup of rice at the bottom of the bowl. I'd cook 4 to 5 days of soup at a time. Hubby was physically unable to work so I was his full-time carer. Because of this hubby and son knew not to complain because they were at least being fed 3 times a day. Soup was whatever vegetables were leftover and would need throwing out in a few days. Dinner varied but always had pasta or potato. We had a small serve of meat twice a week. All leftovers were frozen. A real treat was homemade pizza, topped with leftover cooked meat and vegetables.
Good for you Lee! Soup is always a great way to stretch what you have and potatoes and pasta really fill out meals! It's good to have those skills and know how to stretch your dollars for exactly the reason you're talking about! You never know when life might get a bit harder
Thickening the corn chowder could be done cheaply with potato flakes. I only rarely use them for actual mashed potatoes cause I always have a ton of potatoes from the garden to use up before they become the next years seed potatoes. But I always keep the flakes on hand to thicken soups and stews!
Great tip! I'll have to try my hand at making them some time! :)
I wonder if it's possible to dehydrate your own mashed potatoes to make your own potato flakes. Maybe run them through the blender afterward? They wouldn't exactly be flakes at that point, but... maybe they'd work the same?
I keep leftover mashed potatoes to use in my corn chowder.
@@DuchessOfQuilt do you freeze them or just keep them in the fridge?
@@mustwereallydothis You absolutely can! I think that was where I actually got the idea... I follow The Purposeful Pantry here on YT and she dehydrated them. A couple years ago we invested in a freeze dryer, so I've switched to using freeze dried masked potatoes. But if you have leftovers in the fridge, those will work too! I only mentioned it to Jessica because potato flakes are so cheap... they would make a great addition to her $21 pantry. They could be used as a side dish, a thickener, breading, an ingredient in breads, or as a breakfast for potato pancakes or waffles. I'm sure there are even more uses. Oh, and a key ingredient in Sheppard's Pie! Would fresh potatoes be better? Yes, but if you find a brand of flakes that has just 1 ingredient, you can't beat it for convenience!
So glad this challenge is back! You always have such great ideas
Awesome! I'm so glad you're excited for the challenge! :D
I've separated out mixed vegetables AND mixed fruit, mixed pastas. Quite a budget saving "hack." Adding bread crumbs to your tuna cakes might have helped hold them together.
I agree! It makes it so that you have a bigger variety of ingredients! :D
Yes I was gonna say if you were rolled those tuna cakes in breadcrumbs they would be a lot more delicious
Hi Jessica! You really did great with your $21! Who knew about the icing sugar?? I learned something new! The mixed veg hack is a great idea-never thought if that! I can’t wait for week 2… 😁
Thank you NMNative
The potato and carrot paste with the bullion cube is essentially a soup base. You can add a tablespoon of tomato paste and hot water, and you have veggie soup to dip the grilled sandwiches. I make that veggie "baby food" as a super fast soup base all the time.
You're thinking on my wavelength with the soup! I can see how it would be really handy to have on hand all the time! Frozen in cubes would be great!
Great ideas here! I love how you utilized the grape juice to make the syrup. It will add flavor and variety to many meals. And keeping and using the bacon grease for fat for sautéing, as well as flavor, and using the bacon spread out over many meals, again making one ingredient serve many purposes throughout the week. I love seeing what you, and the hive-mind from the comments, come up with!
Hi Rhonda 👋🏼 I’m so glad you enjoyed the video! With limited ingredients I find that using them in a many ways can add variety to an otherwise dull menu! I’m looking forward to “hive-mind” too! So much fun! 😀
I LOVE how you cook your bacon! I like it fatty like that too, but most people down here in the US prefer it crispy, and think I'm crazy! Your creativity is truly inspiring!
Hi! Ahhh maybe there is no perfect bacon 😂 I’m so glad you’re enjoying the channel! 🧡😃
As someone who doesn't like maple syrup (I'm sorry), that French toast with the grape syrup and powdered sugar looked AMAZING! You keep inspiring me! Thanks!
Well, that would be awesome for you then! It was so yummy! :D
Have you ever tried sweetened evaporated milk as a pancake topping? It's common in Latin countries. And delicious.
I absolutely LOVE your meal challenges ❤
I'm so glad you enjoy the challenges!
Dad's favorite Meal - Bar-Be-Cue Potatoes but in the SLOW COOKER
From the Kitchen of: Alderson Family Favorite Meals
For each person scrub & slice a potato in 1/8 inch without cutting all the way through. Put a couple of tablespoons of butter on it, forcing some into the slices while holding potato all together. Salt and pepper it. Put a nice big slice of onion on top. Use heavy duty aluminum foil, and wrap with a roll and seal on top. Repeat foil wrap! Bake extras for those hungry people or to use the next day. Stack them in the SLOW COOKER using rack at the bottom!
Cooking time will depend on the size of each potato. On HIGH 2 to 3 hours on LOW 6 to 8 hours!
I usually do two potatoes for each person. Over the years different people in the family (if they are there when making them or tell you what they want have found other things they want in with their potato. Different spices, celery, mushrooms (for me they get to soft), sweet green peppers. What would you want yours and what can you think to add.
Serve with bowls of SOUR CREAM, Bacon buts, chopped chives or chopped or sliced thin green onions or your favorite toppings
Great start to your challenge. I've separated frozen mixed veggies before for a particular meal but never into separate baggies. That was very visually appealing and honestly just super clever! I loved seeing all the separate vegetables. Great job!
That potato/carrot blend with some of your cream and some pepper. Looked like it could be a delicious creamy soup! I love French toast. Super economical and very filling.
Thanks Melanie! I think the separate baggies were more inspiring lol Like I had five different ingredients suddenly! :) You'll have to see the creation with the potato/carrot mash...I feel like we're on the same page! ;)
I know I'm way too late to this party and you're way past having to deal with the potato/carrot mixture but my suggestion would have been to make gnocchi with it by mixing it with flour and some egg - then you could fry them up in butter or bacon fat with some garlic and herbs or add them to soup. Love this series!☺
That would have been a great idea! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series 👍🏼😃
You did a great job for 21$ CAD.
Very impressed.
I like baked beans on baked potato. ( canned or I make up my own) I know it’s a high carb meal but it’s full of protein, filling and delicious.
Thank you! Mmm that sounds really good! Thanks for the great idea!
Drained and rinsed corn heated through with the baked beans works quite well too. Stretches it all out a little and gives it a slightly crunchier texture. A sprinkling of chilli flakes can make it even more interesting, if you like a little heat… Or add some chopped green onions perhaps. A bit of grated cheese on the top as well…? Yum…
Love the coffee filter in the canning funnel. Brilliant idea! I would never have thought of it. Another great challenge so ready to follow along. Potato corn chowder soups yummy. You have to blend sugar with corn starch if you want to make it shelf stable for later or it was a big clump.
Thanks so much! The soup was very tasty! It's great to have you here watching for this new challenge! :D
You can make your own cream of chicken or mushroom soups.. Bananas are the cheapest fruit you can buy. Though right now some stores are selling strawberries here for $1.77 lb. In the south we eat fried chicken on a biscuit for breakfast. Plus, do not throw away or wash pan after cooking bacon or sausage in…use that pan to season next meal. I cook my bacon in a baking dish in the oven, pour grease into jar and keep in refrigerator and then cook my next protein or casserole in that dish. Also, breakfast for dinner is a money saving meal. You can also make your own syrup out of butter, sugar and water. I think a tuna melt would have been better choice, the tuna cakes better with mushroom soup as a thickened sauce with peas served on the side. Made pasta ( spaghetti) with eggs, bacon drippings to make pasta carbonara. Even add some of the peas in with it for color. You can also just add butter, S&P to add flavor to pasta. Also eat pasta with a garlic olive oil. Make Pasta Fagioli soup… made with pasta and beans. Your tuna could have been used in cream of mushroom soup, peas & some carrots over the potatoes. Could have made hash browns out of potatoes, to serve with bacon and eggs.
Great suggestions as always Nancy! I love how the ideas just flow right out of you! Fabulous 👍🏼😀🧡
One thing that helps me get by is to by some things from the long term storage aisle at Wallyworld. Like Chopped onions in the can. Canned Celery. Various canned dried potatoes. Stew vegetables in the can. I long ago bought eggs which are now unaffordable in freeze dried form. Buy the Nido whole milk in the Mexican aisle too.
Make your own cheese with dried whole milk! These are all things I buy fresh as well depending on the recipe, but it opens the recipe doors to have it on hand.
Get some smaller jars and oxygen absorbers to put the rest of the dried veggies, fruits or whatever in and place the oxygen absorbers in with them and they will stay fresh sooooo much longer.
In the bouillon aisle get the huge chicken, beef and chicken tomato jars! Then you can always make soups when broke!
Great tips! I’ve never seen a Wallyworld but I’d definitely check it out if I saw it 👍🏻😀 Sounds like some great deals!
@@JessicaWanders Wallyworld = Walmart...lol These few tips maybe about $100 to do at first, but will save you in the end. Veggies these days seem to go bad quicker and sometimes, I get too busy to use them before they go bad. I always have some veggies to rely on now. Better put some back quick, things are about to go from bad to worse around the world. Especially in Jotato's economy....
@@NothingToNoOneInParticular ohhh hahaha I've never heard it called that LOL Of course! I use a lot of my own produce and it always seems to last a LOT longer than anything I buy in the grocery stores!
The last $21 challenge you did was the best on TH-cam. I am very excited that you are doing another one.
Thanks! It’s great to have you here watching! 😀
A soft fried egg or poached egg would be good on your baked potato. The yolk would add as more sauce.
Ahh yes that would be very nice! Great idea Jen :D
Great job, Jessica! It really is very difficult to find cheap foods now with inflation. I'm super impressed you fed yourself for an entire week on $21!!! Admittedly, when you said you were going to use the free grape juice, I also thought of grape jelly.
One of my favourite budget meals is Low Mein Stir-fry using ramen, broccoli, carrots, a protein (usually half a chicken breast, but any protein could be used), the ramen spice pack and soya sauce. It's very healthy, filling, and satisfying when you are craving takeout. Another is making potato pancakes using leftover mashed potatoes & carrots, seasonings, an egg, some grated cheese (optional), and flour. You already have the basis for this one! It's a great side dish or breakfast item. You could add onion, but I absolutely detest onion, so I also consider that optional.
As for discounted produce and bakery items, I find it easier to meal plan loosely to incorporate those. For instance, I may include a "fruit" in my plan, then look for the cheapest fruit option I can find. You could have used discounted apple, bananas, pear, or a number of other options in the bread pudding. A discounted baguette for $.50 would have also worked. If no discounted items are available that you're looking for, go for plan B and get the cheapest sale or full price option! Stir-fry could incorporate whatever discount veg is available, as another example. If you can save on something, you can use the extra to buy cheap stock up items, like a can of tomato paste, ramen, or spices from bulk food store.
Thanks Rhonda! I still have three so there might end up being jelly eventually! I love the potato pancake idea, I'll keep it in mind if I have potatoes and flour! I think I'll have to give a tour of the discounted racks available here at some point. Even the discounted breads at Walmart are $2-$3 most of the time :( I do check out the racks for cheap versions of whatever it is I am looking for though. Great tips all around, thanks for sharing!
your ideas are going to really help. I thought that prices in the city, Vancouver would be higher than in the interior. Thanks for the info. a new fan.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series! Prices for many things are definitely higher in Vancouver (gas, houses…lol) but I’m pretty sure, for instance, that all the Save-On-Foods in the province use the same flyer? I moved away from the Lower Mainland 25 years ago 🙂 It’s great to have you watching!
Adding some canned salmon to the creamed peas is also yummy over potatoes or toast.
Ohh Yes! Geez I haven't had that for a long time! Thanks for the reminder :D
I just love your videos! The rest of the potato / carrot mixture, I would have made a cup of soup with it.. add water and a little more chicken bullion cube with a splash of cream 🤗🤗
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the videos 😀That soup sounds great!
The potatoes-carrot combo looks like a good side dish. Maybe turmeric, Cumin, salt & pepper for spices. Interesting & creative menu. 🫠
The potato carrot mash was very tasty just as it was! Would make a lovely side dish! I’m using salt and pepper as my “freebies.” I need some more spices though and cumin and tumeric would be great! Thanks for your thoughts 👍🏼🧡
I'm so happy to find a Canadian Frugal challenge....Reminds me of my days in my 20's while working 3 jobs and going to school @ night to be a Nurse......It was 1 bag of macaroni, 1 block of cheese, 1 jar of tomato sauce, 1 loaf of bread and occasionally a vegetable....for $5.00 (Can) every 2 weeks (1980's). Today I'm a big couponer, thrifter and canner, etc. Thank you for your video. Ottawa, Ontario
Hi Tracey! Welcome Ottawa :) I did want to try these grocery challenges that I often see from the USA. Their prices are sooo different than ours! I wanted to see if I could manage it. In 2021 it was a lot of fun building up a pantry. This year is proving just a bit more challenging with the higher prices! I think that so many people have periods in their lives where they are on a tighter budget that we could all use some creative ideas! So great to have you here watching!
I am in South Eastern Ontario and I am always glad to find Canadian content. I am really taking advantage of the scene , pc optimum points, as well as my walmart cash back and canadian tire cash back. Being retired, we have to be as careful as possible. Great ideas.
Hi Laura! Welcome Ontario :D I'm just figuring out the Scene points but I think I'm keen on using that one! I'll use everything I can! I'm so glad that you are enjoying the content!
I would take that potato, carrot and make a soup and use some bread and butter and make bread croutons, and sprinkle with little bacon. :) You are very creative with your meals. Looking forward to next week. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Sounds great! Thanks for the suggestions! I'm so glad you're here and enjoying the new series mary! :)
@Jessica Wanders You are so very welcome I love these series, you always amaze me with your ideas for your meals. And yes, with the prices now, you really do have a challenge. But you have always done an amazing job!! I know you can do it again :)
Here's the substitution ratio that I've worked out: ¼ cup of applesauce is the equivalent of one egg
So, if you need to sub for two eggs, add ½ cup of applesauce. If your recipe calls for three eggs or more, applesauce and most other substitutes become problematic. Recipes containing that much egg usually rely on the eggs to provide much of their structure
How much applesauce replaces 2 eggs? ½ cup
So, if you need to sub for two eggs, add ½ cup of applesauce. If your recipe calls for three eggs or more, applesauce and most other substitutes become problematic. Recipes containing that much egg usually rely on the eggs to provide much of their structure.
Can I substitute applesauce for eggs in a box cake mix? Fortunately, most box-cake mixes include powder leavening agents that will pick up some of the slack. Replace each egg your recipe calls for with one smashed banana or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. The pectin found in applesauce acts as a binder. Since apples are high in sugar, it's an ideal choice for quickbreads, muffins, and pancakes. Apples are not a leavener, so baked goods will be more dense and moist with every egg you replace. Beyond that, applesauce is high in sugar, so that will come through in the final product, but that's not necessarily the worst thing for certain items. How to use it: To replace one egg, use ¼ cup of applesauce.
Bananas work similar to applesauce in that they bind together dry ingredients and add moisture. The fruit's natural sweetness makes it ideal for sweeter baked goods. How to use it: To replace one egg, use ¼ cup of mashed banana.
If you're in need of a more neutral flavor, you can try another pureed fruit: mashed avocado.
3. Yogurt or buttermilk Plain yogurt or buttermilk can replace eggs in adding moisture and richness to a recipe. They work best in batter-type baking (think: brownies, cakes, drop cookies). Because yogurt and buttermilk contain acid, they can be used as a leavener with the addition of baking soda or powder. How to use it: To replace one egg, use ¼ cup of yogurt or buttermilk. Add ¼ teaspoon of baking powder if you need a little lift.
4. Carbonated water Carbonated water acts as a leavener by trapping air bubbles. It can also add moisture to a recipe and can be used in conjunction with other egg substitutes - particularly denser options like fruit purees - when replacing multiple eggs. This technique works in cupcake and cake batter, and can also work with pancakes, waffles, and quick breads. How to use it: To replace one egg, use ¼ cup of carbonated water.
5. Baking soda and vinegar The chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar releases carbon dioxide and water, which can add lift to pancakes, cake, and quickbread batters. This combination "will give you rise, but if there's already sufficient baking soda in the recipe, it might rise and fall," says Fothergill. How to use it: To replace one egg, combine one tablespoon vinegar with one teaspoon of baking soda.
6. Aquafaba is the liquid leftover after cooking chickpeas - the same liquid found in canned chickpeas. This substance can be used as a substitute for both whole eggs and egg whites.
When whipped, aquafaba is an accurate swap for meringues - just add a pinch of cream of tartar to stabilize it. Since its flavor is fairly neutral, it can be used in both sweet and savory applications.
How to use it: To replace one egg, lightly whip three tablespoons of aquafaba until foamy. For an egg white substitute, keep whipping to desired stiffness.
7. Arrowroot powder is extracted from the South American Maranta arundinacea plant. It acts as a thickening agent and can also serve as a binder. Since it doesn't have any noticeable flavor, it won't interfere with the taste of your recipe.
Arrowroot powder is high in starch, and you can use cornstarch, tapioca powder, and potato starch in the same way. These ingredients can add structure to cakes and body to custards.
How to use it: To replace one egg, add two tablespoons of arrowroot powder to three tablespoons of water.
8. Ground chia seed The tiny seeds of the chia plant are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, and can also be used as a binder for breads, cookies, and pancakes without adding any noticeable flavor. To emulate the richness of an egg, Fothergill recommends adding a pinch of vegetable oil.
How to use it: To replace one egg, combine a tablespoon of ground chia with two tablespoons of warm water and one tablespoon of vegetable oil.
9. Ground flaxseed
Similar to chia seeds, ground flax mixed with water has a gelatinous property that allows it to hold other ingredients together, like binding meatloaf or crab cakes. Flaxseed can be purchased pre-ground, or you can opt to grind it yourself by adding whole flax seeds to a coffee grinder. It does have a stronger nut-like flavor that can be an excellent addition to banana bread or oatmeal cookies.
How to use it: To replace one egg, add one tablespoon of ground flax seeds with two to three tablespoons of water and let sit for 10 minutes.
10. Silken tofu
This popular vegetarian protein source is best used as a binder and adding moisture. Silken tofu can be used as a replacement for eggs in foods that are typically dense, like brownies, cheesecake, and custard.
How to use it: To replace one egg, use a ¼ cup of silken tofu.
11. Commercial egg replacer
Pre-made egg replacers will vary in formula, but they are typically made of starch and some type of leavening agent, allowing it to mimic the binding and lifting of a real egg. Some popular brands include Bob's Red Mill and Ener-G.
Just make sure to read the ingredients list carefully to ensure you aren't sensitive to any of its components.
How to use it: Since commercial egg replacements vary, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Wow thanks so much for your suggested substitutions! Some of those are a bit pricier than eggs but great in a pinch if you have them, need eggs but don't have any! Brilliant! Thanks for sharing
@@JessicaWanders I think the apple sauce (which I keep jars of in my pantry) or the over ripe bananas are the easiest
That carrot potato mix, you could mix it with bread crumbs and egg and make potato cakes maybe
Mmm those sound great! Thanks you for the suggestion 👍🏼🙂
Awesome job especially the French toast with homemade grape 🍇 syrup! 🌸🌸
Thank you 😋 I was so happy with the syrup!
You did great. Do your stores put on reduced to clear foods? That might be a way to stretch your budget even more? The carrot / potato mash, might be a starting point for a shepherd's pie.
I loved how excited you got when making icing sugar. I'm looking forward to Week 2
They do have clearance sections but it's hard to plan meals in advance when I don't know until I get there what they're going to have available. I do check the racks though in case an amazing deal is there or if there is something I am already looking for that's on sale! I don't know why I've never tried this icing sugar hack LOL I was so happy that it was so easy! Thanks for the ideas Kathryn! :D
In the UK, when you buy produce, you put it on a scale, select the item on the touch screen, and it prints out a sticker with the price on it. That would be so amazing, don't you think?
Imagine knowing exactly how much loose produce will cost before you get to the register!
I have seen that in Atomic Shrimp’s grocery challenges! It definitely would make things so much easier! It’s always a wild card in the grocery budget for these challenges. I do the best math I can but it’s tough holding up the line to do the math 😂
If you could have cooked rest of pasta and mixed with some of carrot potato mixture…might have been tasty and used the green beans cooked with a piece of bacon, S&P to season…served with the pasta.
That would be a lovely meal! Great suggestion Nancy!
I guess I keep commenting while I’m watching the video but Jessica I was gonna say if you cook the potatoes first and then purée that then add the corn that’s going to be a prettier corn chowder… But it looks very good
Sure! So that I don't end up pureeing the corn? Might look better ;) Thanks for the tip!
I cook my bacon on a roasting tray with a drip tray at the bottom to collect all the bacon grease in the microwave it comes out very crispy. I save all the bacon grease in my bacon grease can (just bought a cute new one with a fine metal strainer and it is my kitchen accent colors of red & white with the cutest pig on the front) that bacon grease is great to fry over easy eggs and fried potatoes
I agree! Bacon grease is awesome to fry in! It saves on butter and adds a ton of flavour!
Look online for adding a starch (corn starch usually) I think it is to prevent clumpage for icing sugar. Not an issue if you just make it as you go though.
You bet! I think that in small amounts it'll be fine or if you make it as you need it :D
Really enjoyed this. Nice to see this challenge done with Canadian prices 👍.
I'm so glad you enjoy it! Go Canadian content! :D
Your leftover pureed carrot mix would be a good addition to soup or pasta bake, or add a little more cream for a pasta sauce.
Great idea! Thanks for the suggestion and all of your thoughtful sharing and feedback :D
Bacon grease is the best. I save it when cooking on the stove top (too difficult to get runny bacon grease out of my air fryer and into the jar safely.
Agreed! I can't imagine getting it out of the air fryer! LOL
Jessica the best way to make the most perfect bacon is to bake it on a cookie sheet covered with foil you get perfect flat slices and it cooks evenly and perfectly
Thanks for the tip Wendy! I've never tried that!
Icing sugar usually has cornstarch in it ❤
I figured that out ;) It worked just the same! Apparently the cornstarch is just an anti-caking agent? **shrug** It was so easy to whiz up I'll be making it that way all the time!
Good job!
I have seen that mashed potato and carrot mixture used as a cheese vegetarian substitute, used with baked potato wedges. You could top with bacon for another meal. Or you could also use the pasta and faux cheese sauce with the macaroni to make bacon mac n cheese.
I enjoy those mixed vegetables and they work great as a cottage pie layer, too.
I get a lot of inspiration from your videos.
Thanks Tina :D With the chicken bullion stock mixed in with it it did have a cheezy taste to it! I think it would be great with potato wedges, I'll have to keep that in mind! I'm so glad you're enjoying the meal ideas!
Thanks for doing these challenges. I enjoy them.
You are so welcome! Glad you like them! Great to see you here for the new series Samantha! :)
I'm so happy you're doing this again!
Yay! Great to see you watching the new challenge :D I'm pretty stoked too! We'll see how long this one goes on for :P
@@JessicaWanders lol hopefully a few weeks at least:)
Ohh at least 😉 Maybe not the 17 weeks like the last one though…but maybe…who knows 🤷♀️ 😂
Amazing idea with separating the veggies.
Thanks! It's like I instantly had more ingredients! lol
Still watching but > > > I was multi tasking on another screen and then I heard you say something about how you had seen in some other Youtibes that
Iccing Sugar is just regular sugar. I was like . . . . Wait a minute . . . . . I have so been wanting to do that for the freeking longest time. But I always totally forget about it or just don't want to go to the trouble to bring the food processor out. And i was wondering if it would work.
Well you went and did it for me. I have sooooo been wanting to find more things to do with our food processor. And you went and did it for me. Thank You. I'm so not going to buy any more powder sugar unless i must. LOL. I hate having so many extra things. So now i don't have to worry about keeping powder sugar on hand so much. Plus it just might be even cheeper heheheh I LOVE That. Going to check it out. But Thank You so very much.
yep it is cheeper ! Woot! Woot! a penny SAVED is a Penny EARNED!
I just HAD to give it a try and it totally works! After a couple of weeks it does start to cake so I can see why they add corn starch to it but it you just make enough for what you need it's sooo easy! AND yes, much cheaper too :D
@@JessicaWanders yes. Thank You so much for the response and the reminder. to only make as much as we need along the way.
I think the carrot and potato mixture would make a better soup and use toast on the side.
The sandwiches were very good (and actually a great replacement for grilled cheese) but you read my mind about the soup option too! 😉
I didn't think to strain the bacon grease with a coffee filter. Yes!!! thank you ahh I love it! No more burnt crisps in my bacon grease! 😅🙌
It works like a charm! I love my bacon grease nice and clear :) I'm happy to pass on the tip!
Jessica you can add to the potatoe/carot mixture more liquid (cream, water, butter) and make a sauce from it. It would be really good for a pasta dish. 🙏🏻
That sounds great! Thanks for the suggestion :D
I would never thought about straining the bacon.i save my cooking oil in a Mason jar & reuse it once. It.has stretched my oil budget so much
That’s a good tip! The bacon grease adds a great bacon flavour to everything it touches 🥓
I'm glad these are back! Can't wait to see you build the pantry again. Butter is so expensive - use is sparingly or even freeze a quarter for use in a later week. Also did you really use an entire pound of sugar in the syrup and icing sugar? Thought some would be in the pantry at the end.
I’m so happy to have you here watching! I think the pantry will add up a lot more slowly this time but I’m excited to see how it goes! I was thinking about freezing the half that I have left for future weeks. It’s so precious! I’ll add other fats like the bacon grease when I can. Yes, syrup was 2 cups sugar to 1 cup of the juice and just a few tablespoons (the rest) for the icing sugar. My goal was to turn those juice boxes into something useable because I don’t include drinks in my challenge. I still have three left 😂
Can’t wait! ❤️
Yay! :)
I am surprised by the grilled potato sandwich. I would have never expected to see that result. 😮
It really had a nice salty cheesy taste to it that was almost like a mock grilled cheese! I was so impressed with it :D It even looked like a grilled cheese lol
You should've saved a cup of your pasta water to add to your cream of mushroom soup it would've been creamier for your tuna casserole.
Great tip! I'm always forgetting to save my pasta water! :P
When I first moved out, no job and no idea how to cook, I literally lived off of an apple and a dish of that pasta every day! All I used was rotini, mushroom soup and a handful of frozen veg. I’ve never seen anyone else do that 😂 Bacon or tuna would have been a nice addition but when you’re broke broke, you’re broke broke 🤷♀️ PS keep eyeing the shoppers deals for eggs and butter. I’ve seen it quite a few times lately, but only on certain weekends.
I agree! It was a regular pasta meal when I was a university student and a single mom (tuna or not!) It is so cheap and fast and now I just enjoy pasta with cream of mushroom soup LOL Shopper's is doing those great weekend flash sales more and more often, or I'm just noticing them more and more. It was definitely the cheapest eggs going for two days! I'll have to keep my eyes peeled! :)
at your bulk barn do they have dry powdered milk and if so how much is it? I think I would buy as much as I could afford too. I would mix up a quart or 1/2 gallon of milk and save the rest to stock up my pantry. I use the dry milk for cooking only but it is so useful
It looks like they do carry it! I don't prefer the flavour of it but, you're right, it's great to have on hand for cooking! Instant skim milk powder $1.50/100g and whole milk, non-instant, for $3.84/100g. I think it might be comparable to using evaporated milk for price but it would keep longer! (454g = 1lb)
I don't like to eat the heal of the bread so I always dry them and food processes them to bread crumbs save them in a bag in the freezer till I need them
I dry mine and just keep them in a jar in the pantry. I’ve never had a problem and I need all the freezer space! 😜
@@JessicaWanders once they are dry and ground up to crumbs they take up little room in a small zip-lock bag
for some reason I can't stand hot tuna so hate tuna casseroles. but since yesterday I just went through my drawer that I keep packages of gravy and dip mixes and a zip-lock bags of Fast Food free items such as and I had 3 packets of ketchup, 2 packets of Jack in the Box Secret sauce, also had a couple packets of soy sauce, also since my daughter is a vegetarian and when she ran out of original or vegetarian ramen she use the ramen and just save the beef seasoning packets so have 3 of those, I also used part of a packet of Taco seasoning mix so have about 1/3 a packet so have a packet of liquid Taco sauce form a meal kit that we had to much sauce. Also have 2 packets of mustard and 5 packets of Heintz Tartar sauce 2 packets of mayonnaise that I would use the enough of the packets of Tartar sauce (I think it would only take a couple of them)use 1 packet of the mustard, can of tuna and one or two hard boiled eggs. I would use a couple slices of bread and spread with the Mayonnaise for each sandwich for 1 lunch and another day make 1 more sandwich
Sounds great AND a great way to use up those packets in the drawer! Good for you! I'm refusing to bring up another ketchup from the pantry until we use up the ketchup packets in that dang drawer LOL
@@JessicaWanders I have a challenge for you for next week - find ways or recipes to use up those ketchup packets: on top of Meatloaf
you could divide this into several mini meat loafs or divide the recipe in 1/2 or 1/4. Right now ground beef for us is the most expensive of this meats but I have 3 rolls of Mild Italian sausage packages we got for $2.00 each, so I would just buy 1/4 lb or 1/2 lb. ground beef: Jan's most remembered: Mom's Meat Loaf From the Kitchen of: Alderson Family Favorite Meals
Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 lb. pork sausage I some times use Mild Italian sausage
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups crushed soda crackers
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 med. onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp pepper
Ingredients: 1/2 cup ketchup, divided
Recipe instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except 2 Tbsp. ketchup. Shape into loaf and place in loaf pan. Spread rest of ketchup on top and bake in 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.
I am ok with canned cut green beans and canned corn but I do like frozen peas, but hate Lima beans
I love them but there were hardly any in the bag!
You can put the tuna in a glass dish in the air fryer and it will quickly get crunchy.
Interesting! I don't have an air fryer but that's good to know! :)
Right now you have released four weeks of this challenge, and I have only watched this video. Here are some feelings that have been going through me and why I have struggled to watch the rest. I think this challenge is not my "style" at all. For this week you went to so many grocery stores, getting these few things. Were all the stores really close together? Did you make a special trip to do this? I know gas is really high here again, and I try to stop at stores (except once in a while the one that is very near our house) only when I'm on some other errand trip. Maybe your stores were all in the same location. I've also been trying only to buy things on special, like you did here, and April is a month when I got to use points several times which helped me out a lot. I love seeing how you do that. So maybe I'm not understanding this challenge. Are you trying to use all the food you buy for your weekly meals or are you using your freezer/pantry storage freely too? This is a very rambling post, and I'll eventually watch all of them. I'm looking forward to your garden and pantry challenges again.
Hello aNetzband! I am still buying household groceries as well and cover that in my Grocery Haul videos, but yes, all of the grocery stores I went to are very close together. All within about 2km of each other once I’m in town. I really only go to town once a week and buy household groceries and the groceries I need for this challenge as well. Because this challenge is $21 for 21 meals for only ONE person, I can do this challenge (and often share the second of many meals with Mr. Wanders!) and continue to cook food regularly on other days. I understand that not every challenge is for everyone but I do appreciate your questions and feedback! I hope this helps clear up any questions but feel free to ask if you have any more! I’d love for you to be able to enjoy this challenge as well 🙂🧡
Watching the beginning
That's great! I talk about how I'm going to do the challenge!
Love this challenge
Yay! I'm so glad to have you watching :D
Hi from Kenora Ontario
You could make a jelly with some gelatin....add some fruit or veg...old fashioned jelly salad
Welcome Kenora! Great idea!! Gelatin can be a bit pricey but I'll keep an eye out! Thanks for the suggestion!
you probably could have done just 1/2 cup of juice and 1 cup of sugar to make your syrup. when you reheat the tuna you probably could have added in a table spoon or 2 of cream to make it creamy and less microwave dry. looks like a pretty good week. Looks like you could use some cinnamon for the french toast and bread pudding and cheese for all those potatoes! I would say next week use the cheaper bread then you possibly could had possibly found a small onion or garlic or got a small amount of a spice from the bulk bin.
It did make a lot of syrup! Now I’m trying to think about ways to use grape syrup! lol I agree, a bit of cream would have fixed it right up! Mmmm spices are definitely needed! I got the bread for free with points so that’s why I grabbed it instead of the cheaper bread I usually use for the challenge. Nice to have a whole wheat bread while I can 😜 Thanks for sharing your ideas Chelsie! 🧡
Let me guess your Canadian $ is a bit more inflated than the USD...I just discovered your channel and I like it so far I'm in Tx and we get a lot of our goodies from Dollar tree..if your part of Canada is near the us border depending on the store..it might be worth a drive lol..oh those Knorr Chicken bullions or Caldo soup cubes in Spanish..they're popular here in Texas and I get them 2 boxes for 1.30 just depends on where I go😊
We do have a Dollar Tree that I haven't checked out in our town. They actually changed the sign to $1.25 in the past year or so I believe lol Unfortunately I don't live near the border but I do know that some people who do take advantage of hopping across for the better deals! Even with the exchange rate (1CAD = .74USD today) the prices south of the border are much cheaper! It's really one of the big reasons that I wanted to try this challenge in Canada, to see if it was possible with our prices! I'm so glad you're enjoying the channel Lola :D I love the feedback!
California doz egg…… $8.00 +, ridiculous !!! …… yep..the price I see at my local Walmart
Man! Those are some pricey eggs! If we pay that much here they are free range organic brown eggs. Eggs here can really range depending on whether they are caged $3.88, free-run$6.68, brown $5.14, free-range $7.18 or organic free-run eggs $7.78, or vitamin D enriched $8.88 from Walmart (today's prices.) Lots of choices LOL Your eggs would cost me $10.94CAD!! That's crazy!
Hi I have watched your 3 videos so far of your $21 challenge and have a couple of questions. I know the prices are different in Canada and your spring comes later than us. Other people who have done food challenges have allowed them selves the free packets they have in drawers from food take outs; did you consider doing this? Here in central Calif. we have a couple of grocery stores that sale small bags of Pagasa Pasta from 4 oz. to 7 oz I buy them up to donate when they are 3 for $1.00 or $.44 cents each or buy the 16oz. bags from several stores for $1 or less but the best buy is the 24oz for $1.00 but for you the small bags of different pasta would be great.
I did consider using up packets from my packet drawer (and I did in the first $21 A Week Challenge in 2021) but because I did have a lot of points that I could use I thought that I would hold off on the packets. I managed to get BBQ sauce and mustard with points anyways. I would love 3 pasta bags for a dollar! I agree, having a selection of pastas would be awesome! I could try to do that at our Bulk Barn...just buy several different kinds in much smaller amounts! That sounds like a great idea :D
You did amazingly well for $21.
I'm sure no one would object if you priced something you have in your basement pantry (like the pasta) for a future week rather than buying new ..... if you wanted to do that.
Thanks KatV! I'm so glad you're enjoying the new series :D I will do that with onions and garlic because I have sooo much in the house right now that I wouldn't be able to stomach buying even more! :P
If you can't afford the stuff to turn that syrup into jelly a couple of tsp of corn starch will thicken it..😊..haha congratulations you just made powdered sugar and saved your self 3$..lol..your bread crumbs would have worked if you didn't have the flour and a little baking powder would've bound it better..but even a cup of pancake mix if you had it would have worked 😊
I was thinking if I just kept cooking the syrup I'd eventually end up at jelly lol I feel like powdered sugar is just a waste of money now! Geez...I never even thought about it haha Thanks for the great tips!
@@JessicaWanders no problem and wasn't trying to steal thunder or 15 mins of whatever I'm just a friendly person and a cheap butt myself and I'm always canning and pickling my own self but I'm on a fixed income and I kinda have to do this junk..but yeah cornstarch would work in a pinch with canning pectin or reg sugar..and haha bp in dry batter usually works I don't make tuna anything but it works when making chicken patties 😆 and no problem and pancake mix is a great baking mix too haha got that from my mom
It’s funny that everybody is moaning about the egg prices and I understand it but as a source of protein for $3.59 that’s probably six servings of eggs can’t beat that
I agree! Eggs are definitely one of the cheapest sources of protein going right now!
I’m so glad you have started a new grocery challenge, I always love to see what recipes you come up with. I’m definitely going to try the potato and corn chowder. My favourite part of this video was your amazement at the ‘icing sugar phenomenon’. So funny 😂😂
Hi 👋🏼 I’m so glad you’re excited for the challenge! It is always funny to me when I find something so simple that replaces things I usually buy! “How have I been paying someone to do this for me all these years?!” Amazement 😂 🤣
Some kind of cheese and ketchup/sauce might be helpful to add to your pantry soon. So much food can be uplifted by both those items.
I hear ya! Cheese would be a great addition!
Interesting to see
With the minimum wage up and the carbon tax
How you go for your buying cheap food
In BC, we've always had the carbon tax so I won't notice that affecting things more but yes, food prices are going up all over the place! So far it's been harder to have enough to buy meats! I'm having to think of other ways to get proteins! Glad to have you watching Cathy!
I was hoping you'd put a half of your bouillon cube into the tuna cakes for flavoring. I hope next week you're able to get some onion powder or something like that. Crossing my fingers because bland food sucks.
Aha that would have worked! I quite liked them fried in the bacon grease...who can complain about that! :P The boullion does add a ton of flavour...everything was that flavour this week lol
I think it would have to be a $25.00 challenge since I can't live with out cheese or either fresh onion or jar of dry chopped onion or onion powder and garlic powder & simple spices It was great you were able to use your points to discount prices Potatoes and bacon and the free bread and free butter. try to figure out how you could have done something to be able to buy Great Value Italian spice mix/ seasoning. Do you have a $.99 cent store or a Dollar tree type store? Have you done a 4 week challenge using a total of $84.00 and only buy sale item or fresh item for each week
I do have the Bulk Barn which sells spices by weight and I will take advantage of that throughout this challenge to get small amounts of spices for less than I can get them at the dollar stores. Many of the grocery stores have bulk bins that are a great resources on a tight budget. Italian spice is certainly something I’d love. I’m trying to pick at least a spice a week to grab and slowly add to my collection. I’m lucky that onions are really on sale these last couple of weeks and I’ve been taking advantage of that! Onions are a necessity for me, especially if I don’t have onion powder! I hope you’ll be happy with the choices I made in week #2 and #3 🧀🙂 It’s always the hardest in the first week!
I love all of your thoughtful feedback and it’s great to have you watching!
Corn and limas make succotash.
Ohh I've never made that before! It looks like a yummy recipe :) There weren't a ton of lima beans in the bag but there was tons of corn!
I think I would have added breadcrumbs to the tuna patties.
Good idea! Thanks for the suggestion 👍🏼
I was thinking, if you went to the deli in Walmart, could you buy like 2/3 slices of lunch meat and cheese? You could dice the ham and pan fry it quickly to get the extra flavor and add to eggs or potatoes or pasta or add to rice with an egg and make ham fried rice. As for the cheese slices, well add where ya want. Also in USA Walmart they sell their day old bakery. Here they push bakery carts to the back of the store. I can get a loaf of Italian bread for about a $1. I bet if you ask they have a day old marked down area.
Great tips! My Walmart doesn't have a deli but there is one in the Save-On-Foods that I could check out! I do check out the clearance racks for the deals but usually buy the $0.95 bead loaf from Superstore (cause it's the cheapest anyway.) I really wanted some whole wheat bread this week...something a bit healthier lol It's hard to count on the clearance racks because I can't plan ahead when I don't know what I'll find but I do grab really good deals when I see them if I can! Thanks for all the great tips!
@@JessicaWanders you are so welcome. If you get potatoes again you could slice it thin and pan fry in bacon drippings. We call that fried potatoes
I think if you would have left the potato- carrot mixture you blended in the water you cooked them in with some of the heavy cream and made carrot soup and used the bread to serve along side it. Plus, if you had mixed the whole can of soup, with the milk at first for all of your dishes would have given you more of an idea of how much pasta to cook. I think if you would have picked one item and worked your meals around that would have been better choices for the week. Like using: flour, milk, bacon and eggs. Could have had eggs, bacon and biscuits, bacon on biscuits with your jam, made pancakes and bacon to have with your syrup. Made bread to have with the bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches ( you can buy how many slices you want at the deli section), so not having to spend as much. Plus, could have made a double pie crust to make a potato and bacon pie…just bought two large potatoes if cheaper, and left off the juice, bread, mixed vegetables and bought lettuce and tomatoes instead. You can also make a tomato pie! Just examples of how you use one ingredient to form your meals around your main ingredient. If you want variety, it will cost you more. Next time I would get boxes of GV Mac & Cheese, doctor them up. You can take two boxes of that and make very large portions of chili Mac, just have Mac and cheese with salad on the side. Plus, some apps will give you free food for using their app for first time. Kentucky Fried Chicken was running a special : bucket of ( 10 pieces) chicken for $10.00. You can always use that as your protein and base things around it. Burger places give away free burgers and ask for plenty of condiments! Stock up for hard times! Just drink water with squeeze of lemon and sweetener or packets of sugar, that all come from burger places. Cost you nothing. Pasta on international isle of grocery stores has pasta cheaper in 12 oz bags… 48 cents in some stores. Can of tomato soup can be used as soup, seasoned tomato sauce for rice to stuff bell peppers or make Spanish rice or unstructured cabbage roll casserole. Spanish sausage chorizo is $1.54 and is already seasoned for dishes. You just got to think outside the box and have a game plan before shopping and look up all the sales and what you can creat with those items. You got this!
Thanks so much for the thoughtful feedback Nancy 👍🏼🧡 I always love hearing your ideas! There was some talk about whether I should include my stash of free condiments in the challenge, so I imagine you’re in the “use whatever is free”camp? I always keep extra packets of things from take out! I’ll have to check out the deli sections for cheeses. I can’t wait to hear your suggestions in the challenge 👍🏼😀
@@JessicaWanders yes use whatever you have on hand! Anyone that has things that are free or just in their panty to add to make their family a meal is going to use it to get by! If they want it to taste good and their family eat it. You are a real trooper! I could not have eaten that mixture on toast! Lol. Just because of texture alone. Though my mother use to take canned asparagus soup and put some over toasted bread for a meal. Asparagus is on sale now at places for $1.77 a pound right now. If you get two bunches( depending how large they are), you can make: cream of asparagus soup out of ends, and garnish the soup with a few tops. I boil my asparagus ( middle parts, not hard parts) with some chopped onion in water seasoned with chicken bouillon. Then I use butter to make a roux for a white sauce with adding in the seasoned broth from cooked asparagus then let cook to combine.Then I take asparagus and add to the mixture. I blend it to consistency I want and pour it back into my pot. Add a little cream or milk to give it a smoother consistency. If needs more salt I add a little sprinkle of garlic salt, black pepper and serve it topped with some of the cooked tips afloat on top. Serve with some crusty bread or in a homemade bread bowl. I bet Mr Wanders would even think it was not a low cost meal. Next you can use the asparagus in an asparagus & Shrimp stir fry, served over rice or crispy Chinese noodles. You can go to the fresh area in a store and ask for a half pound or pound or what ever you need. Also check out frozen area too…stores run sales on both! Another use of the asparagus is the Asparagus on toast. I take any soup leftover and boil my leftover asparagus tips and put on toasted bread and ladle some of the leftover soup on it… easy, tasty and using up any leftovers. You can also use it to make pasta primavera with your choice of fresh vegetables to serve over pasta! You can always make eggplant parmigiana, use a can of roasted tomatoes with a can of sauce to stretch it unless you can find a pasta sauce that is seasoned. If you have some frozen or dried and your frozen garlic use it. If you have frozen tomatoes use them to make your sauce! Even better! Here is the sauce I make for spaghetti: use bacon drippings just about 1 Tablespoon and cook one onion( diced), 2 cloves of garlic minced, sauté until tender. Add in some basil, oregano 6 oz can of tomato paste, little dry red wine( if you have it), and a Parmesan rind( never through rind away…great in sauces and soups).add in 2 funky diced carrots for sweetness ( or sugar), to control acid of tomatoes…after cooked in sauce…blend. You can also make a vodka sauce if you have Vodka on hand. My marinara sauce is 1 -28 oz can of crushed or whole tomatoes ( broken up), garlic minced, onion chopped( 1/4-1/2 cup), olive oil, red pepper flakes, teaspoon of oregano and basil. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is transparent. Add tomatoes and rest of ingredients. Simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes until mixture has thickened some. This is what I would use to make eggplant parmigiana. You might have to double recipe to make a large dish of it. Go to the butcher and tell him you only want one or two chicken breast and have him slice them into thin cutlets to make piccata or breaded chicken sandwiches ( use you condiments from fast food places to make tasty spread to go on them: honey mustard, mayonnaise with barbecue sauce, get creative!). You can even have butcher grind up two breast up to make chicken meatballs by adding S&P, grated Parmesan cheese, seasoned bread crumbs, minced onion, garlic, egg to bind everything and a couple tablespoons of milk to moisten them. I bet that leftover stuffing mix finely ground up might be tasty in the meatballs! Just not too much of it or will over power it! Only about 1/2 cup of stuffing mix and 1 cup of plain bread crumbs if you use it. Then roll in bread crumbs seasoned with little cayenne pepper, garlic salt and Parmesan. Place on cookie sheet to freeze should make up 15-30 meatballs depending on size you make them. This will hold meatballs together ( do not skip). I would use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion them out. You only have to freeze them for 15-20 minutes. Roll through bread crumbs again and place back on cookie sheet. Drizzle lightly with oil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn over and crips up other side if needed with broiler. Use these to make hoagie sandwiches with homage sauce and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese, melted. Or on pasta. Plus you can utilize making a minestrone soup. I hope these ideas help you on this journey! Often people forget all about the area with the butcher. Also, we all know about the invention of the rotisserie chicken! Endless possibilities! Plus nothing goes to waste! Not even the bones!
You are certainly getting lower prices than we are here! The cheapest asparagus I could find was $3.22 a bunch (which is still half off!) I love your idea of heading to the butcher to see if I can get smaller amounts of meat! Great idea! Overall the prices are making meal planning very restrictive but I love all your great ideas :D
Lol, you sort out the veggie like Cinderella
🧡It makes me feel like I have a bunch of different ingredients! lol
You did great in the first week!
Just about every good recipe starts with an onion. You could have added a bit of onion to a lot of your dishes….next week!
Ohh so many onions in this challenge..lol. They are always on sale at this time of the year and, you're right, they are so good for almost every meal! :)
Very interesting meal plan. What is hubby eating this week?
Yes it was! :P
Just so you know, I've ruined 2 coffee grinders trying to blend sugar up into powder. It gets caught in the blades. Even with me being vigilant and doing rice afterwards to clean it out and whole nine yards. Just would hate for you to experience that too 😢
Oh! That's good to know! Maybe I should pick up a cheap dedicated powdered sugar grinder for just that purpose! I'll have to watch it and see if that happens to me! Thanks for the heads up :)
With the juice
Yay!
😀🧡
So much sugar 😅
I know what’s important! 😂
Aldi has cheaper eggs.
Great tip :) We don't have Aldi here though unfortunately :(