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Farm Kitchen:  Your go to frugal "hot and lots of it" dinners?  |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 11 2011 : 11:57:24 AM
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I think we're all trying to get the most bang for our buck out of our grocery bills these days.
This thread is all about how you put together a big filling dinner on the cheap, and (hopefully) having leftovers for lunch the day after.
We all need an alternative to spaghetti! Feel free to toss in unusual substitutions you use to up nutrition and/or slash costs.
Example: If I'm having to ration my eggs, I suspend milled flax seed in water for baked goods (1 tablespoon ground flax to 3 tablespoons of water). A large box of ground flax seed at my local store costs approximately the same as a dozen eggs. Not only do I infuse the health benefits into my breads and cakes, I also add a tablespoon or two to my back yard duck's corn mash. When they give me eggs those eggs will be enriched with added Omega 3s as a result.)
Now then, dinners, all of mine have to feed 5 adults and 3 kids:
Asian Stir-Fry
I start with 3 frozen boneless chicken breasts, or pound of packaged of stir fry or stew meat in a dutch oven, wok, or stew pot. Season and saute in a little oil.
When meat is done, I add about 5-6 cups of mixed veggies. I like Birds Eye's asian veggie medly, it also comes with pouches of teriyaki sauce to finish this recipe.
For filler I have made this with boiled brown rice, boiled white rice, and cooked quinoa (whatever is cheap and available, quinoa is the favorite, but rice and noodles are always cheaper.) You can also turn it into "lo mein" by boiling 3-4 packages of dry ramen noodles at approx 20 cents each (non-sale price)The ramen route gives it a nice diverse flavor since I reserve the seasoning packets to the last step.
When your starch and your meat/veggies are complete, warm a griddle or wok with a little more oil, saute' both together, add some quality teriyaki sauce to your taste (Either the birds eye pouches, or a bottled sauce like kikkoman Takumi collection with the sesame seeds added, or Soy Vey. Cheap teriyaki sauces lack complex flavors to make the dish good. The bottles are expensive but go so much farther.) also add in ramen season packets if that is what you used.
This is the single most reliable recipe to get my kids to eat lots of veggies.
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2011 : 01:54:58 AM
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Chili-LOTS of beans, and canned veggies. We use 2 lbs of meat, but that's because I am trying to feed around 20 people. Most are kids thankfully! lol Only 4 adults, a few teens, and several children. Corn bread on the side is EXTRA cheap and helps with the "filling" issue.
Stroganoff, again about 2 lbs of beef, lots of noodles, Aldi's cream of mushroom soup, and seasonings, and the cheapest sour cream I can afford.
Weds I'm trying a lentil soup. I added it up should cost me less then 10 dollars (a LOT less) and should feed like I said about 20 people so probably 5 or less for 10 or less people. I'm going to splurge and add some chicken breast, and cous cous on the bottom. BTW, if any one can qualify for WIC, that would pay for the veggies in this (onions, and carrots), the lentils and split peas in it too!
Beans-either butter, or pintos, or your choice, my personal favorite is navy-for this. Ham hock, and collard greens. Very filling meal, again for less then a dollar you can add some corn bread, to really round it out and fill em' up!
We do a lot of soups as well....again beans or pasta being a big ingredient, lots of veggies, and some protein.
Oh and when we make tacos/burritos, we always add a chopped potato or two to the meat, sometimes peas too. And we always have beans with it too. This cuts out the amount of the most expensive part of the meal, the meat.
With both tacos and chili I have used TVP as well, and it's super cheap and can be stored a long time before using. I always get the TVP crumbles though we don't like the "strips". If nothing else and you still have some folks who won't eat straight TVP do a half and half, my mom did that a lot when I was growing up, half TVP and half ground beef. It makes the meal more frugal and HEALTHIER at the same time!
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
Edited by - MagnoliaWhisper on Sep 12 2011 01:58:56 AM |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2011 : 04:45:59 AM
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I use alot of TVP and we use beef boullion cubes in the water when we have guests outside of my family, we were raised on it. The cubes always fool the outsiders! I have even had people ask what kind of beef I use as mine is so much less grissley than theirs! LOL!
We also maintain several empty ice cream tubs in our freezers. One for the last little bit of veges from each meal, one for chicken and turkey broth, one for beef and venision broth, and one for meat scraps. When they get full, we have soup! I save the poultry broth for homemade noodles about 3 times a year. The soup can be made with tomato juice or broth, with or without meat, and is usaully served about once a month around here. I always add several cups of rice and noodles to the soup and it comes out more stew-like, thick, filling, and a family favorite!
The broth is saved from every roast, baked chicken, whatever, and I always season my meats, so the broth has tons of taste and is already seasoned for the soup! Free food from the freezer! YEA!
You can also get tons of oats for cooking, baking, and oatmeal, if you're openminded. Cleaned oats from the feed store are the same oats bought at the store, only they haven't been sent for USDA testing yet. The oats companys simply seperate out the amount they wish to send for feed before they do the final oat dust and unsmashed grain removal to be able to have USDA test for quality. I sometimes find a few handfuls of unsmashed grain and I get a good bit of oat dust(good for thickening of sauces by the way) in mine, but I have uses for them. I feed the unsmashed grain to the ducks, who love it, and when I take the oats out to store, I bounce it in a strainer over a large bowl to save the oat dust. It makes a nice soup and gravy thickener!
Also, watch you local small grocery stores closely. I have several that will put any cases of unsold veges and fruit that have only set in their cooler until it's sale date out beside their dumpsters. It is good, sound, clean food that hasn't been in the dumpster and they simply don't have the heart to toss, but don't have the right legally to sale or give away. I have gotten many cases of corn on the cob, oranges, green beans, and apples that way! Free for canning and freezing!
Just a few of the strange ways our family has gotten by in hard times and are still doing today due to the economy.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2011 : 07:59:13 AM
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Good ideas!
This other idea we do, cost a lot more upfront, but is cheaper in the end. My dad buys a half a cow at a time. It cost him approx 800 dollars for a half a cow. That comes with a LOT of ground beef, several (many!) roast, several briskets, ribs, etc etc. All together when added up and then divided it comes out to less then 2 dollars a lbs. I wanna say it's like 1.75 a lbs, but I can't remember exactly what we added it up to be. And ribs, and such you could not get less then that, and even ground beef isn't usually less then that. Plus we know this Amish man does not add bleach, amonia etc to the meat, like the big chains do. Being organic and free range, etc, a lot less meat seems to go further-doesn't shrink as much, AND seems to fill you up faster with less.
We live with my parents so kind of reap the benefits of that little deal. However, when we move out we will probably just try to do that once a year with our income tax money. It will save us all year long to do it the one time once a year. We live in beef country (kansas beef) and so we do eat a lot of beef around here, just part of the culture. So we try to find the cheapest way to keep it in our meals. lol However, like was said TVP can really stretch those meals too for the people who just love beef, but can't always afford it. And like I said even if you just do half and half you're still saving some money and almost no one knows!
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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homsteddinmom
True Blue Farmgirl
441 Posts
Brandee
bullard
tx
USA
441 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 08:03:04 AM
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Where does everyone get there TVP? I have seen it here but its over $2 a lb. I can get marked down hamburger for less than that..lol. I do want to know so i can look for it too!
Magnolia~ have you thought about raising your own? I am going to be taking 2 smaller bulls to the slaugther house, between teh 2 will have about 700lbs of meat. We raised them from 3 days old, we have about 800 dollars in them and will get them butchered for about $250. so will have $1050 in them but know what they have been fed. From my experience when buying from someone else, most of the time they are slaughtering a sick cow. Yeah sounds nasty but it saves them from just killing it and leaving it. I used to live in kansas so know all to well how it works..lol. My family used to work at a feed lot to were alot of the beef comes from, they are not treated well at all.
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
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Nanniekim
True Blue Farmgirl
206 Posts
Kim
Arizona
206 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 09:29:55 AM
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Cornbread or whole wheat bread or rolls are inexpensive to make and they are also filling. My family will eat about any soup or stew if there is home-made bread with it.
I add bulgur wheat anytime I am using ground beef. You can also add bulgur wheat to tuna or chicken salad to make it go farther. Also adding whole grains to any meal helps fill you up and is usually inexpensive. (or at least it use to be inexpensive!)
Kim |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 11:44:37 AM
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I get my TVP from a health food store that sells it bulk. I only buy the dry variety, not the froze ready to use stuff. A pound of the dry will be about 4 pounds after soaking, so it's a pretty good deal at $1.95 a pound here.
I know you can order a whole case of it on the internet for about half that price and the shipping is cheap cause the stuff has very little weight when dry. I simply can't get the money together just yet for a whole case. I'm thinking next month or so we will be out of our financial hole and be able to swing it then.
I was told by a friend that there is a local apple orchard that will give 'deer apples' to anyone who wants them for free. They said that most of the apples are very sound and good for storage, but some are buggy and bruised. He gets a whole truck bed full and picks through them for free root cellar filler to get him through the winter. They are the apples that fall on the ground between pickings and there is basically nothing wrong with them. I'm calling the orchard tomorrow and picking up some apples for my crew! You might check with your local orchards and see what they do with theirs!
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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walkinwalkoutcattle
True Blue Farmgirl
1675 Posts
Megan
Paint Lick
KY
USA
1675 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 2:31:18 PM
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What's TVP?
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 4:29:21 PM
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Textured Vegetable Protien. It comes in many flavors; beef, chicken, taco seasoned, bacon,and sausage, are the flavors we have.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 5:15:02 PM
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Mind you, there are only two of us in my house, but I do like to make large batches or pans/pots of food and freeze what we don't eat. I buy chicken legs and thighs when I can find them on sale and then make a gigantic chicken, veggies, gravy and mashed potato shepherds pie, good way to use that kind of meat and it freezes well. I have a huge cast iron pot and I love to make a giant batch of lentil chili or Indian spiced pea soup (dhal). Corn bread and black bean soup is filling and tasty. My hubby is diabetic so a little bit of carbs goes a long way. And by the way, honey cornbread and vanilla ice cream is yummy together!
Home made baked mac and cheese is good and a kid pleaser. I love to do veggie and cheese layers like you would make lasagna, just about any thinly sliced veggie works, with a nice tomato sauce and cheese. Hearty french onion soup with a big loaf of bread, both tacos and burritos are filling and easy to make. If you have a big crock pot or three you can make a endless slow cooked meals with fairly inexpensive cuts of meat. the trick is to cook them slowly with the right herbs and spices. I also have a couple of paella pans and can make a huge amount of paella or any sort of pilaf and that stretches forever! I buy canned goods on sale that are versatile...diced tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, peas, green beans, black beans, kidney beans etc. I buy large containers of diced garlic and basil paste. Buy big blocks of cheese to cook with. Pancakes and bacon or ham for dinner is fun and filling! Home made mash potatoes with beef or chicken and gravy is wonderful on a cold night too! We are trying to eat at least half of our dinners with out meat to save money.
If you can raise your own chickens, you'll have plenty of eggs and meat with out having to have a lot of room for larger grazing animals!
And I second what Angela said about the oats, I do the same with other grains and legumes. You can get huge bags of peas, beans, lentils etc...you just have to keep the dry and vermin free and sift them for tiny stones and other junk and wash them before using. =)
This is a great thread! Looking forward to everyone's ideas!
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 5:42:21 PM
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He doesn't get them from a feed lot, he gets them from a friend down the road. Who is a Amish farmer. He only raises a few cows a year. Less then 10. They are treated pretty well, each has it's own house (kind of like a dog house, but big enough for a cow), and he feeds them well-mainly free range all summer. I doubt that his are sick at all. He buys about 10 calves each spring and raises them to be slaughtered. He does the butchering and every thing for us. He only orders though in the spring the amount people order from him. I think dad orders one a year, and we get half each time we go. But, it's not his full time business. It's a little side money for him. He does construction as his full time business. That's why it's not a lot of cows he raises.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 5:46:43 PM
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oh on the TVP we also buy in bulk. I buy plain, I season the liquid that I hydrate it with to "flavor" it. Using broth helps a lot, and a lot of seasonings.
Also remember per a lb will not be exactly the same. TVP is dry and will need to be reconstuted, there for in the end you will end up with more then you began with, with meat, it usually loses liquid and fat and shrinks and you have less at the end then when you started, so you have to kind of take that into consideration as well.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2011 : 2:34:07 PM
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yeah, we also make chili a minimum of once a week with 1 lb of hamburger and 1 lb of black beans. I wonder if I could sneak TVP in... I can think of a store in my area that probably has it. I get day old bread a lot (or make my own if I've got flour.) That 75 cent loaf of french bread sure rounds out any meal.
I also like to buy half hams whenever possible. It's an amazing meal the first night you serve it... then a good one the next, and the next... and by the time you to it to have too little meat for another meal it forms great stock for potato, split pea, or lentil soup.
I picked up a ham this week marked down to 12$... not bad at all.
Next year I'm planning on raising a dozen turkeys and processing them. One for every month of the year. With any luck I'll snag that pair of geese I wanted and their offspring will provide for mine :)
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
Edited by - Dusky Beauty on Sep 14 2011 2:35:17 PM |
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Farm Kitchen: Your go to frugal "hot and lots of it" dinners? |
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Your go to frugal "hot and lots of it" dinners?
