How come it’s so hard to find a cook book that’s both cheap and healthy recipes? Most of them call for a can of this and a can of that and some packaged what-ever-else. The best one I’ve found is Crazy Plates and they usually don’t use packaged things so I’ve ordered their next one called Eat Shrink and Be Merry. I photocopied the recipes I wanted from Leanne….photocopying makes me sooooooooo glad. *sigh*.
I’m trying to build a repertoire of good recipes to use that are really cheap and totally from scratch. I know the from scratch thing sounds daunting but I’ve actually been cooking from scratch for 2 years now. Of course I buy pasta and canned tomatoes and ketchup and stuff but nothing else. So I don’t do recipes that call for can of mushroom soup or something. I’m pretty frightened of msg and it’s usually in all of that stuff. They don’t have to label it all the time, they are allowed to put it under “spices”. Anyway, just my personal thingie that’s really important to me. The only thing I cheat with is a package of mushroom gravy in my shepherds pie 🙂 And Wendy’s….and Burger King….:)
So I’m having trouble building my personal binder of recipes because I have to filter through all the junk food. I really want to pre plan meals so we can cut down on the food bill, it really really really helps. I also want to plan for more veggies and make things where I can hide more veggies from Silas because it’s like pulling teeth to get him to eat veggies.
I love cooking with lentils and beans. Quinoa is really fun to use too and it’s chalked full of protein. I try to not use a lot of meat because I don’t think we need so much of it and because it’s fatty and expensive. I’m going to give you the most amazing recipe for Lentil soup for you people who are scared of lentils. It’s easy, my husband actually made it while I was in counseling one day. It’s a Greek soup called Fakes and it’s tasty tasty good. Try it…I dare ya! And don’t omit the vinegar at the end, it’s important…ooo and have a grain with it like whole wheat bread or rice or else you wont absorb the protein :).
One day I might put together my own cook book of healthy, cheap food. I really love creating recipes and playing with flavors. I’m just out of inspiration these days…aka I no longer get the Food Network.
Want to share some of your cheap and healthy meal ideas with me? I like any kind of food so bring it on baby! Just no nuts 🙂
Ikey is walking even more today. Every time I try and video him something goes wrong so I only have tiny clips of it. Poop.
Silas is less angry but still slightly violent. I wish it were sunny so he could play with his sand and water table outside 🙁 He just made me switch over the laundry and put a new load in though. He is good for something…now to get him to fold…..
As for me, I’m tired and I’m also going through a major Queen phase, this is after my massive Beatles phase. I haven’t been too familiar with either of them (except the massive hits) so I’m learning about some great musicians a little late in the game. Better now than never though :). I’m loving Queen and I’m saying a lot of “This is a Queen song??”. The same thing I did with the Beatles. Silas and Ikey LOVE we will rock you. Silas is working on the rhythm to go with it and is doing really well with it. He can stay on beat, it’s just the coordination. He has no idea the important things he’s learning when we do that together…I love it.
K Leah, stop talking.
Rick is off to Flight Safety in Houston this week, so I took the opportunity to clean out his closet. Please don’t tell. Anyway, I laughed when I read about your Queen phase. I found a Queen cassette tape and went to find a player so I could be back in the 80s while I clean. You and I are telepathetic, I think.
I will try your soup recipe. Thanks.
A friend of mine recently put brussell sprouts in a smoothie for her son and he gulped it up! We buy organic vegetable/fruit juice (no sugar added) to put in smoothies, with some frozen fruit and yesterday I added pureed broccoli…and Ephram loved it. The flavor of frozen blueberries is quite strong and can cover a multitude of veggies! Its a fun summer treat instead of slurpees.
Don’t forget about the Apricot Lentil soup on allrecipes!
No don’t quit talking! We love you talking! 🙂 Silly. I searched for Crazy Plates like you said, now I’ve been looking for a cheap copy on ebay. Must. Save. Money.
RMB – try Amazon.com too!
Jennie – I thought about that soup too but fakes is actually better 🙂
Linda- “I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride my biiike I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride it where I liiiiiiiike”
jenivere- ooo good idea, I didn’t even think about smoothies, Silas isn’t the biggest fan of them but perhaps I should put my juicer to work soon.
Thanks for replying people!! Makes my day 🙂
Comments make my day too. I was just trying to get more of my clickers to reveal themselves, but lots wouldn’t. I LOVE comments from you guys! (HINT HINT HINT WINK WINK) Woah, that was nice and subtle huh 🙂 hehe
I could read Crazy Plates and Eat, Shrink and Be Merry like story books…they’re hilarious. Good recipes too!
I like savingdinner.com. I usually change up alot of what they do to make it vegetarian and fresh is yummy. I’m going to try your lentil soup. I spoke with a dietitian today to make sure I was getting enough proteins and stuff and she suggested lentils and beans beans beans, so good day for a lentil recipe! Also, I think you should be a dietitian so I can ask you stupid questions about grains! Not that I don’t normally just look it up on my own.
All those good recipes are great but don’t forget breakfast is most important. I believe you are using goodies like oat meal, etc. but don’t forget variety by using your “made in Canada” Rodgers 9 Grain which I always buy when we visit you. We can’t get it down here south of the border. I mix various combinations of oat meal with the 9 Grain and also include a spoon full or two of flax seed or a portion of stone cut oats. Chopped walnuts and a hand full of raisins good also. Very different texture results. And my old standby method of cooking is to use a double boiler. Once the water is boiling, no need for further monitoring, stirring, etc. and no burned “stuff” in the bottom of the pan.
I eat a good breakfast but hot cereal makes me gag :). I feed it to my younguns though, without the nuts…obviously. That 9 grain stuff makes me gag too ha ha. I always wondered why they don’t put ground flax in it, whole fax seeds aren’t that helpful I don’t think.
Tip: head over to Ten Thousand Villages and buy the “World Community Cookbooks” set of three. It includes “Extending the Table,” “Simply in Season,” and “More With Less.” My aunt gave them to me and I ADORE them.
You will LOVE these cookbooks. It’s all about cooking from scratch, being conscious of where our ingredients are coming from, and avoiding wastefulness. The only drawback is that there are no pictures, which really isn’t a big deal at all.
AND! Even as a self-proclaimed heathen, I turn into a teary mess when I read the very spiritual stories.
Perhaps you’ve already heard of these…
Thanks Debbie, I’ll for sure get those, sound like they’re right up my alley.