Quiver0f10 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Can you share what a week of eating like this would actually look like? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 breakfast: oatmeal or grits lunch/dinner: black beans with salsa on tortillas spanish rice baked potatoes with cheese and veggies (or no cheese if really tight) Ramen with frozen veggies (hey, sometimes you have to do what you have to do!) Homemade soup or chili etc. Most things are a variation on this theme - if you don't have much food then you want to make sure what you eat is starchy and/or high-fiber so it has more staying power. Simple is the way to go - start with a base of one or two things and then add in whatever fresh produce is available that you can afford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) Sunday: Oatmeal for breakfast lunch? what's that? Ham, a big one, with veggies for dinner Monday: Oatmeal for breakfast, or cream of wheat Left-overs for lunch Ham and pea soup (ham cubed, pea soup from a bag o' beans) Air freshener for bath room? Check! Tuesday: Oatmeal yet again left overs X bean soup with more ham! More t.p., check! Wednesday Oatmeal left overs go crazy and have black-eyed-peas (from a bag) more ham softer t.p.? Check! Thursday Oatmeal left overs dirty rice (hamburger mixed in rice) Smelly candles for bath room? Check! Friday Oatmeal left overs red beans and rice (more bag products) hot sauce, mix it up :p desire to never see ham again? Check! Thursday Oatmeal left overs Chicken and rice (as it sounds, not prepackaged... one chicken down and rice) full bellies? Check! Friday Oatmeal left overs black beans and rice lines for the potty? Check! Saturday Oatmeal left overs Hey look, it's a roast with potatoes, carrots and green beans! Grateful? Check! Sunday Oatmeal left overs Beef stew ;) Humble? Check! Edited December 22, 2009 by lionfamily1999 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Our rice and beans weeks are like this: Ham and beans in crockpot with a side of cornbread Burritos made with pinto beans done in crockpot and spanish rice Fried rice - day old white rice, frozen or leftover veggies, an egg or two, and soysauce (my kids love this dinner, DH wishes it had meat in it) Chicken and noodles - whole chicken in crockpot and then boil noodles in extra broth Those are our extra cheap dinners. They're all good though and my family doesn't feel deprived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Breakfasts are anything I can make with what I have on hand. Most of the time that is flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, eggs, milk. Which means it is time for me to get off my lazy rear and make pancakes, waffles, muffins from scratch. Lunches are generally left over dinner from the night before for dh. What ever dd and I can find. Since she and I are much later getting up in the morning and aren't morning people our breakfast usually comes after 10 in the morning. So she and I don't require a lot of lunch. For us it is more like a snack. Dinners tend to be chicken meals. If money isn't too tight I'll buy a small ham. The chicken gets stretched very thin. I'll make three meals out of a chicken breast - chicken soup, chicken and rice, chicken and pasta with a garlic white sauce. That leaves the rest of the chicken for something else. Now your family is much bigger than mine so take that into consideration too. If I have that ham I don't even bother to serve a ham dinner. The ham gets cut down to chunks for fried rice, ham and beans, real baked beans, ham casserole (ham, potatoes, corn, white sauce, cheese), ham omelets. I put just enough meat in these dinners that dh doesn't feel deprived. Often times I'll do without since I'm not much of a meat eater. Snacks are left overs from breakfast, carrot sticks, saltines and peanut butter, sugar cookies if I'm feeling ambitious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 We frequently use the Hillbilly Housewife recipes. Black bean soup with plenty of corn lasts a few days, A few slices of bacon make a much richer tasting soup. Pinto bean burritos - I buy pinto beans in bulk and can them Tuna casserole Chicken and noodles, rice or dumplings PB&J for lunches as well as leftovers We have chickens so we always have eggs. If I can find a beef roast cheap I'll cook it, then make soup with the leftovers and I always add barley to make it heartier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) Don't know if this will help but I've been doing a lot of searching around for healthy, budget concious ways to feed my family. On my desk right now are the following cookbooks: Feeding the Whole Family - Cynthia Lair Simple Vegetarian Pleasures - Jeanne Lemlin Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home - Moosewood collective and the New Enchanted Broccoli Forest - love this one for the drawings and the recipes are really yummy so far. - Mollie Katzen One the lunch menu for today is this fried rice recipe: 1 1/2 c brown rice 2 tbsp light olive oil 16 oz bag frzn mixed vegs (we only have carrots so carrots it is, I may have some frozen peas in the bottom of freezer?) 4-5 scallions (only have two left, reg onion instead) fresh pepper to taste (my addition is four scrambled eggs) Bring 4 cups water to simmer in med saucepan. Stir in rice, cover, till water absbd. (Will skip this and use rice maker, love that thing!) when rice nearly done, heat oil in stir fry pan. Add veggies and stir fry over med heat 5 min (may have to do carrots much longer in my case). Stir in rice (works much better if cold rice is used) and season to tast with soy sauce and pepper. Go another 2 mins and serve. Stuff like that for us. I am building a big store of grains, beans and rice slowly. DH is going to build a nice wall unit to hold mason jars and grains and beans and rice stuff but to look pretty in the main eating area. Food is a major issue with me. Hope this helps. Love to chat anytime about meal plans if you're up for it. We've been flirting with Eat to Live, Less is More and Whole Foods eating for a while. Still don't have a plan though! UGH. I did a post a while ago about making the most of our grocery budget or something like that. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93398&highlight=extending+meals People were awesome in their replies about how to extend what we had on hand. That's a big help in saving money. Use allrecipes and type in ingredients you want to use. Up pops a bunch o recipes. I tell my kids were in a budget mode and no complaining about the food or they! get to cook it, lol. Edited December 22, 2009 by momee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Forgot to say this about the beans. I've found no big difference in soaking them o'night. Even after reading all the bean posts over the years here. Boil em, slow bubbles about 1 hour. Drain that water. Fill with water again, slow cook all day with olive oil and diced garlic. Peruvian beans are a bit more expensive but really smooth in burritos!!!! Have a good Spanish rice recipe if you want that too. Those, some cheese and wraps fill us up a couple of days. The beans get old quick so grains and rice stuff helps :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Hey Michelle, what do you do with those potatoes? I have a crockpot! and potatoes :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Egg dishes are inexpensive, high in protein, and filling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LND1218 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 For us, it's eating beans (mostly black) and rice (brown) together in various forms with various things: We have never done an entire week of just beans and rice. I will add pasta nights. And since dh hunts we always have meat in the freezer. But we do rice and beans often - burritos (tortillas with beans and rice - maybe some cheese, sour cream etc) rice bowls (beans - black, red or other and rice in bowl with something - salsa, sour cream, cheese, chicken, seasonings - pretty much whatever you have on hand. The combinations are unlimited.) We love to add cilantro and lime to the rice for something different. Or cumin. We could days of rice bowls by mixing up the beans and stuff... We also do chili with beans - black, pinto, kidney, etc, rice and corn. Soups - black bean or rice soups. We also like to add some onions and use chicken broth instead of water when it's cooking. (Or just add bullion to the water.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Breakfast will consist of oatmeal, grits, pancakes, eggs. Lunch: Leftovers from the previous nights dinner. Dinners: Pinto beans, collard greens, mashed potatoes and cornbread Pasta w/ sauce and bread Roast w/ carrots and potatoes and bread Potato soup with cornbread Mac and cheese w/ leftover meat from freezer and veggies Egg sandwiches or omelets w/ toast Soup made from leftovers in freezer and refrig I always keep a stocked pantry with the basic ingredients for bread, soups and tons of dried beans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Thanks for the ideas -- we love beans and rice and really ought to be eating more of them. As for noodles, try Barilla Plus -- they may be a little bit more expensive than the cheapest noodles, but they've got incredible amounts of fiber and protein and are much less expensive than meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Lots of noodles, beans, rice of various kinds, nachos, oatmeal for breakfast, potatoes, and stew with cheap stew meat and corn bread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 We're about due for one of those weeks so thanks for posting. This is just an idea of how we do it; actual recipes may vary;). Monday: beans, rice, cabbage -- enough of everything to make plenty of left-overs Tuesday: baked potatoes with broccoli, tomatoes, cheese. Wednesday: polenta topped with cheese and a toss of beans, olive oil, tomatoes and fresh basil -- and may I just say that having a kitchen herb garden in the windows is a huge money saver!!!!! -- with either left-over broccoli or cabbage or a salad. Thursday: homemade cheee pizza and salad Friday: veggie, bean, and cheese bowl. Which is a bowl full of veggies, beans, and cheese (yep) tossed with butter, salt, and pepper. usually w/ bread. Saturday: I admit that this sound somewhat less than appealing but we like it: cold coleslaw in a bowl, make a well, fill with hot beans. serve with tortilla chips and maybe some salsa on the side. As you can see, I like to have them every-other-day instead of everyday in the week. If I have time later I'll post a lentil week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Sunday:Oatmeal for breakfast lunch? what's that? Ham, a big one, with veggies for dinner Monday: Oatmeal for breakfast, or cream of wheat Left-overs for lunch Ham and pea soup (ham cubed, pea soup from a bag o' beans) Air freshener for bath room? Check! Tuesday: Oatmeal yet again left overs X bean soup with more ham! More t.p., check! Wednesday Oatmeal left overs go crazy and have black-eyed-peas (from a bag) more ham softer t.p.? Check! Thursday Oatmeal left overs dirty rice (hamburger mixed in rice) Smelly candles for bath room? Check! Friday Oatmeal left overs red beans and rice (more bag products) hot sauce, mix it up :p desire to never see ham again? Check! Thursday Oatmeal left overs Chicken and rice (as it sounds, not prepackaged... one chicken down and rice) full bellies? Check! Friday Oatmeal left overs black beans and rice lines for the potty? Check! Saturday Oatmeal left overs Hey look, it's a roast with potatoes, carrots and green beans! Grateful? Check! Sunday Oatmeal left overs Beef stew ;) Humble? Check! Sense of humor? Check! (It sure helps!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 Thanks everyone for the replies! Another question-when you make home made pizza, about how much cheese do you top it with? We have been eating a lot of cheese and I don't know what "normal" is. Added: we use large round pizza pans. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I use about 4 ounces a pizza, or half an 8oz. brick. It's acceptable. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) what a great thread! on weeks like this, we eat a lot of soup. potato soup made out of last night's mashed potatoes is a favourite (i use chicken broth to make it not so thick). if you have left over baked potato toppings, then you can add those and call it "baked potato soup". homemade bread, always. flylady has a way to make a small chicken last three days, and we do a variation on that. we do breakfast for dinner one night a week, in our jammies. and i also try to move the main meal to lunch, so that people aren't as hungry for as long before they go to sleep. it works (and i lose weight, too : ) you asked about cheese: whatever a serving size of a particular cheese is, that's what we use. so if pizza is for 4, 4 servings maximum of cheese go on the pizza. i've found sprinkling the sauce with parmesan before adding veggies reduces the amount of more expensive cheese that needs to go on the top. ETA: i also serve them fruit about 30 minutes before the main meal. it helps fill them up, and they feel full (and are!) with less of the main meal. and they eat their fruit that way gleefully, too ; ) hoping lots more people respond, ann Edited December 22, 2009 by elfgivas@yahoo.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Thanks everyone for the replies! Another question-when you make home made pizza, about how much cheese do you top it with? We have been eating a lot of cheese and I don't know what "normal" is. Added: we use large round pizza pans. Thanks! Hmm, I don't know . . . we make individual size pizza (mmm, but a bit on the biggish side. they're larger than a personal pan pizza but with thinner crust). My daughter uses a large handful -- her hand. My husband uses a modest handful and I like mine with a good helping of tomatoes and basil but with just a sprinkling of cheese. I'd say enough to cover but leave a naked crust around and not so thick that it's thicker than the crust. My daughter would disagree, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 and speaking of cheese and crusts I thought of a very frugal recipe that my family loves. Eggy Pie -- I made it up so I know it's spelled right! I shred several potatoes, rinse in cold water, drain and pat dry. Using a bit of olive oil, wipe all around my cast iron skillet but you could use anything -- oven-proof. Press the potatoes into the skillet a la graham cracker crust. Bake till it browns nicely -- you might have to cover the top edge with foil to keep it from getting too brown. When crust is browned, mix a bunch of eggs with cheese salt, and pepper at least (you could add in tomatoes, basil or oreg, meat, whatever), pour into crust. Place the skillet onto a cookie sheet, reduce heat and bake till done. serve w/ salad or veggie. Oh, I like it plain as above but my ppl like it with spaghetti sauce on top so it usually gets made the night after pasta night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) Thanks everyone for the replies! Another question-when you make home made pizza, about how much cheese do you top it with? We have been eating a lot of cheese and I don't know what "normal" is. Added: we use large round pizza pans. Thanks! I don't skimp on cheese, even when the budget is tight. I would probably use about 8 oz. on a large pizza. I try to shop once a month for groceries, and I'm trying to keep the monthly grocery bill down, so the last couple of weeks usually feel like we're going into "rice and beans" mode. Today we're having rice-a-roni (store brand) for lunch. Other cheap meals for us would be: rice & beans & a vegetable hamburger helper (ground beef) & a vegetable macaroni & cheese with ground beef & a vegetable meatloaf, potatoes, pasta or rice, & a vegetable homemade pizza--sauce, cheese, pepperoni & mushrooms, usually breakfast for supper--pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage ramen noodles with frozen mixed veggies (lunch for dc, I don't care for it much) nachos with beans, no meat (lunch for me) spaghetti--sometimes with meat, sometimes with mushrooms instead. sometimes with other pasta, like rotini or small shells. grilled cheese sandwiches pb & j sandwiches homemade tortillas with taco fillings (beans instead of ground beef when necessary) Although we usually have meat with our suppers, when the budget is tight it's usually ground beef instead of a more expensive meat like chicken, beef roast or ham (we never buy expensive meat). I have an extra turkey in my freezer that I bought the week of Thanksgiving, so one of these days I'll cook that and we'll have a dinner with the works and then leftover turkey to freeze. Edited December 22, 2009 by gardening momma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 what a great thread! on weeks like this, we eat a lot of soup. potato soup made out of last night's mashed potatoes is a favourite (i use chicken broth to make it not so thick). if you have left over baked potato toppings, then you can add those and call it "baked potato soup". We're not big soup fans here, so although I see it mentioned time and again as a great way to eat on a low budget, we don't do it, as dh and I (don't know about dc) just wouldn't eat it. Dh does like a good, thick stew, and sometimes I buy him some Campbell's Chunky soup for work lunches. A week or so ago I made potato chowder (much like the Pampered Chef recipe--I based mine from that). It was really good, but dh claims something in it bothered his digestive system, and he blamed the chowder all week. I did use one ingredient from the fridge that ~might~ have been past it's time (heavy cream), but it looked & smelled ok, and the chowder didn't bother the rest of us. :confused: I'd like to make it again, but I'll make sure I have all new ingredients next time. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Here is two recipes we recently tried and both were major hits here. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-and-Black-Beans/Detail.aspx http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Beans-and-Rice-2/Detail.aspx I could easily use both of these in a week without any complaints because they are so different in flavors. I would have a spaghetti night. I use 1 pound meat with two jars sauce and 1 pound pasta. If money was tight, I would use ground turkey instead of hamburger. When money is really tight, I buy the large can of tomatoes at Sam's for about 3 dollars (since this is much chepaer than jarred sauce), add some oinions, garlic, and basil and make sauce. I will add either 1 pound of meat and 1 cup of red lentils or if there is no money for meat I will use 2 cups of red lentils. This is served with 2 pounds of pasta in our house, which would make two suppers for us. I also have a couple of big freezers so when stuff goes on sale, I stock up. I bought 5 turkeys at thanksgiving for 39 cents a pound. This will take us into next spring. Ham is on sale for 88 cents a pound so I will probably buy 3 and that will last to next winter (we don't eat a lot of ham). My family deosn't like plain pinto beans but will eat them with meat. So I will cook 2 pounds of pinto beans and then add in a couple of cups of shredded turkey. Then we make tacos/quesadillas. Sometimes I will buy tortillas but I can also make them if I'm tight on money. Then I would probably use some turkey and frozen veggies and add a white sauce and serve over rice. Or I would mix turkey and beans, corn, onions, peppers, tomatoes (for a mexican flair) and serve in tortillas, over rice, or over baked potatoes. With the exception of the above black beans recipes, I haven't found many recipes that my family likes that are completely free of meat. So I use just a little bit of meat and then add either beans or lentils for extra protein and bulk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Sense of humor? Check! (It sure helps!) No kidding :) Hey kids, what do you want for dinner? (knowing it's all we've got) Gee Mom, how about ham and beans? I guess so (with a heavy sigh), if you insist. Thanks everyone for the replies! Another question-when you make home made pizza, about how much cheese do you top it with? We have been eating a lot of cheese and I don't know what "normal" is. Added: we use large round pizza pans. Thanks! Half of a regular sized bag, but more if we have it :lol: We're all cheese lovers too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 This isn't a meal plan but rather a beans & rice resource to stretch a grocery budget. If you aren't familiar with Angel Food, it's worth looking into to stretch your grocery $$. http://www.angelfoodministries.com/ The food is good quality and if you are willing to be creative and flexible in what you eat, you can eat for at least a week on the food provided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 No kidding :) Hey kids, what do you want for dinner? (knowing it's all we've got) Gee Mom, how about ham and beans? I guess so (with a heavy sigh), if you insist. Half of a regular sized bag, but more if we have it :lol: We're all cheese lovers too. I think that's my problem! We buy cheese in 5# bags from SAMS :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 Thanks again everyone. Lots of wonderful ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2cntrykids Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Thanks everyone for the replies! Another question-when you make home made pizza, about how much cheese do you top it with? We have been eating a lot of cheese and I don't know what "normal" is. Added: we use large round pizza pans. Thanks! I've added up the cost for "us" to make a homemade pizza and it's actually cheaper to just buy a couple of Tombstones:tongue_smilie:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 and speaking of cheese and crusts I thought of a very frugal recipe that my family loves. Eggy Pie -- I made it up so I know it's spelled right! I shred several potatoes, rinse in cold water, drain and pat dry. Using a bit of olive oil, wipe all around my cast iron skillet but you could use anything -- oven-proof. Press the potatoes into the skillet a la graham cracker crust. Bake till it browns nicely -- you might have to cover the top edge with foil to keep it from getting too brown. When crust is browned, mix a bunch of eggs with cheese salt, and pepper at least (you could add in tomatoes, basil or oreg, meat, whatever), pour into crust. Place the skillet onto a cookie sheet, reduce heat and bake till done. serve w/ salad or veggie. Oh, I like it plain as above but my ppl like it with spaghetti sauce on top so it usually gets made the night after pasta night. What a fun recipe! Thanks very much!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaMere Academy Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 When we're really broke these are the things we eat grilled cheese or peanut butter sandwiches tortillas with cheese and refriend beans small amount of chicken with rice and beans, can be put in a tortilla also. spaghetti, no meat baked potatoes macaroni and cheese with small amount of meat. We all have a very hard time eating a meal without meat, so I just make a small amount and give everyone a bigger helping of the starch and veggie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I've added up the cost for "us" to make a homemade pizza and it's actually cheaper to just buy a couple of Tombstones:tongue_smilie:. I have found this too, especially if I buy them when they are BOGO. Even better with a coupon. Works with Red Barron too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I am now feeding our family of 5 on $100 a week. Before I was spending $200- $250 a week. Rice, beans and potatoes are the staples of our diet with meat thrown in when I can get it *cheap*! Breakfast is typically some form of eggs, whole wheat toast (I make our own bread) and fresh fruit. I may vary this a bit and make french toast one day (still just eggs and bread) or peanut butter toast with fruit if we need a break from eggs. Very occasionally cheerios if I get them on sale for less than $1 a box. I used to worry about the cholesterol in eggs but dh had high cholesterol and went on a diet with our dr. He was told to eat 2 eggs every morning to kick start his metabolism. When we asked about the cholesterol we were assured that having eggs in the am and in this form would not raise his numbers. By the end of the 14 weeks eating over a dozen eggs per week dh's cholesterol numbers were waaaaaay down. I was amazed! For dinner it may go something like this: Monday: Chicken and Dumplings when I can get a whole chicken for 88 cents per pound. This is our favorite recipes (both for taste and ease of prep) and I've tried several. Tuesday: Black bean tacos. I find that black beans are the hardest to cook and get tender but if I use 1/4 tsp baking soda in the soaking water and another 1/4 tsp in the cooking water then they are super tender. For the tacos I use brown rice, seasoned beans (cumin, garlic, onion) , salsa ( I make this homemade as well - so much cheaper) and a drop of mj cheese if I get it waaaay on sale. Wednesday: Red Beans and Rice . Again I linked our favorite recipe. Thursday: Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed potatoes - heavy on the broccoli and light on the cheese Friday: Soup - We alternate between Lentil Soup, baked potato soup and occasionally chicken noodle or chicken tortilla. Saturday: Possibly a chuck roast cooked in the crock pot or a pork shoulder (pulled pork sandwiches). Sunday: Breakfast for dinner. Our favorite is pumpkin oat pancakes from the WTM recipe collection. Sometimes we may do a crustless quiche with pan-fried potatoes. Lunches have not become just leftovers from dinners rather than preparing something different or peanut butter sandwiches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 When we're really broke these are the things we eat grilled cheese or peanut butter sandwiches tortillas with cheese and refriend beans small amount of chicken with rice and beans, can be put in a tortilla also. spaghetti, no meat baked potatoes macaroni and cheese with small amount of meat. We all have a very hard time eating a meal without meat, so I just make a small amount and give everyone a bigger helping of the starch and veggie. I have recently discovered the joys of frozen meat balls. Bought on special they last for ages, the ones we get have a resealable bag, and in a pinch they fix that meatless spaghetti right up :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 This isn't a meal plan but rather a beans & rice resource to stretch a grocery budget. If you aren't familiar with Angel Food, it's worth looking into to stretch your grocery $$. http://www.angelfoodministries.com/ The food is good quality and if you are willing to be creative and flexible in what you eat, you can eat for at least a week on the food provided. Not Quiver's family!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted December 23, 2009 Author Share Posted December 23, 2009 :lol: Not Quiver's family!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 :lol: I just looked at the ages of your children... wow... those are a lot of hollow legs to fill! The beans in a bag are usually pretty good, they come with spice packets (most anyway) and can be used without meat. I dump the rice, when I use it, right into the pot with the beans to cook. Oh, and most of them taste better once they've been frozen and thawed :lol: The dcs are okay with the beans the day they're made, but when I pull the left-overs out and pop them in the crockpot, they're in heaven :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monk17 Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Can you share what a week of eating like this would actually look like? Thanks! I nearly ran out of money once in college and was on crutches so a part time job was out of the question and needed to resort to really cheap living. So I bought black beans (dry) and cheap white rice. A roommate and I ate that three meals a day for 7 weeks. If you add a touch of meat I'm told you get all the essential amino acids that you need to survive. (also keeps the vegetarian roommates out of your food) I'd check the amino acid requirements if you try to follow this diet, I'm not a nutritionist. I used a crock pot and would cook them dry. I'm fixing them for Christmas Eve dinner and will add onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, touch of tomato. Sauté the onion and bell pepper first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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