From Cube Steak To Mac and Cheese

[rsmith6621]

Well the cost of grocery's have forced my wife and I to rethink our $$$$ spent on food.

Next week we will be going to a two meats a week for dinner and the rest non meat meals. We have gone in the past two months from spiral sliced ham,turkey breast and chuck steak to mac and cheese and soups for dinner...we have gone through a large tub of peanut butter for lunches and are eating bulk cereals and pancakes for breakfast....desserts are now a luxury..

The pinched gets more sting everyday.

[dkf]

1. I used to cringe at spending $10 for a fruit bowl at Costco

but that is CHEAP compared to what is at the grocery stores.

Its ridiculous out there.

[NightWatcher]

2. eggs, Spam, knock-off Spam, rice, beans, frybread, cheap coffee...

Many of my meals cooked now feel like I am camping out. I have become a lot better at finding the cheap food, local food, and stretching that same food.

I feel ya

[Fireweed247]

3. weird

we had mac and cheese and chowder last night. As a vegetarian, what you describe is how we have been eating for years except that the prices of peanut butter are through the roof. But the desserts must remain, I make those myself...

[tridim]

5. I've been on a Costco brisket kick lately

It's not cheap initially, but I can get weeks of meals out of one big ol' brisket. Cook it long enough and the fat issue literally melts away.

Eggs are still cheap too. I eat lots of soft boiled eggs.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Alton Brown just had a couple cube-steak recipes on "Good Eats" last night that I plan to try--

you might check those out, if you ever have the "luxury" of cube steaks again, LOL! I know what you mean, our food expense with two teenage boys is killing us, even with Air Force commissary prices helping us out. They literally will go through a box of cereal in a day--two or three huge bowls apiece, and they're both small for their ages--if they were big moosey kids, I'd have to be shopping every damn day. I have no idea how people with more than two or three kids can afford to feed a family decently right now on an average salary.

[tridim]

8. Cube steak is pretty expensive now

But braised cube steak cooked in the oven is really delicious.

Same with the formerly cheap flank steak. It used to be a throw away cut, now it's almost the same price as sirloin.

[TwilightGardener]

10. I haven't bought cube steak in a while, so I haven't looked. But flank steak prices

are ridiculous--I haven't bought flank steak since it went up in price, because you can usually find some good deals on "family packs" of sirloin--why not go for the more tender cut, if the price is the same anymore? As far as beef goes, I pretty much only buy sirloin (for steaks), round (for very-thin-slicing, so tenderness isn't as much an issue--fajitas, sandwiches, etc.) and chuck for burgers, roasts and stews.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Yeah, I noticed that too.

Ironically, it does go well with a white cheddar mac and cheese.

[Kali]

16. OMG

My bunch have all been out of the house for the last couple of weeks - I can NOT believe how much food there is in this house! Or how few dirty dishes! Took me a week to eat one meal I made at the usual amount for my house of 5 total!

[TwilightGardener]

18. Yep--when my husband has to travel for work, and my sons miss dinner

for whatever reason, I will cook myself economical/simple things like just a baked potato, or a can of soup, or a BLT, or a pot of rice. If it were just me, cooking for myself all the time, my grocery bill would be next to nothing. I just don't eat that much, compared to the chowhounds I'm forced to feed. :-)

[Sheltiemama]

72. I cook something to take to work five days a week.

I take a sandwich for lunch and eat the same hot meal I've prepared for supper all five days (I work 4:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., so I'm here for two meals). I can't believe how much money some of my co-workers spend getting food out almost every single day.

[TommyO]

41. The Country Style Steak from that episode is one of my favorites

I was thinking of making it again soon. I used to make it just for myself, now I'm cooking for three, so it will be a bit pricier.

[cali]

6. There are lots of other options.

There are many ways to stretch your food budget and still eat well, but it does take time and effort, no doubt about that.

[Jennicut]

7. I eat ramen noodles that cost less then $2.00 for an 8 pack

Of course, its probably loaded with sodium. Gotta sacrifice to get the family budget for groceries at $180.00 a week.

[Zywiec]

13. You spend $720 a month for groceries and still need to eat ramen noodles?

You must be feeding quite of few mouths.

:toast:

[Jennicut]

49. A 3 and 4 year old and a husband and we live in CT, some of the highest prices in the country.

A gallon of milk is $4.00 or over. Bread is $3.00. Cereal...lucky if I get it at $3.50. The prices have gone through the roof here and I imagine elsewhere. $180.00 does not go far here. I eat ramen noodles for lunches. Saves me a few bucks.

[hfojvt]

77. I cannot believe bread is $3

you must not be buying the cheapo white bread.

Also, are you shopping at Wal-mart, or some expensive grocery store? Even at the grocery store, I can often find cereal on sale at Wal-mart prices. I usually buy whatever cereal is on sale. But there is a more expensive store in town where everything is usually 50 cents higher even than other grocery stores.

Ramen noodles are awful with sodium, and I believe, saturated fat (I don't have any at home at the moment). You would be better off health and price-wise just making rice and mixing in some sphagetti sauce.

[sarcasmo]

52. I couldn't get my wife into those, I love them.

[create.peace]

54. worse than that - monosodium glutamate, and fried

we eat really well, 3 adults, organic veggies, whole grain, great cheeses, free range eggs, nuts, olive oil, etc, for 500-600 per month. should i start a class?>?>?

[jobycom]

9. As a vegetarian, let me warn you

You are making some weight-gaining and cholesterol-enhancing decisions there. Mac and cheese is full of fats and carbs, and unless it's pure peanut butter, that's got sugar, partially hydrogenated oils, and the natural fats of the peanuts (which won't raise cholesterol, but in large volume still cause weight gain). They aren't bad choices, but eaten all the time, they can creep up on you.

Might I suggest more beans in place of meats? Especially dried beans. They are filling, nutritious, not gassy if you cook them right, have plenty of protein, have a variety of flavors and even more ways to prepare them, and are much cheaper than PB or M&C. They are also easy to prepare in a crockpot or even on the stove, where you can leave them cooking for a couple of hours. They keep seven days in the pot, too, and taste better reheated, so you can cook them, store them, and reheat them without dirtying or washing containers. Serve with brown rice, you got a good thing.

[Ignis]

23. As a vegan, I second this warning.

It's quite easy to tip the scales when moving to a vegetarian diet, as most Americans aren't well-versed in non-meat sources of protein. So we tend to skip the steak and add a second helping of cheesy mashed potatoes. :) You're saving a cow, but you're not doing your waistline any favors by eating an excess of fat and carbs.

As Jobycom mentioned, beans are a great way to keep your protein up while adding loads of fiber and minerals to your diet. Going meatless even a few days a week is excellent, but make sure your protein/carb/fat ratio stays healthy.

:hi:

[we can do it]

29. I Love the Natural Peanut Butter Which Contains Peanuts & Salt That's It

[Motown_Johnny]

30. small technical point (and a link to vegetarian FAQ site)

Dried beans (aka legumes) do not contain a complete protein. Humans need 8 specific amino acids to produce a complete protein. No single vegetable, fruit, grain (whatever) contain all 8 of these amino acids.

They are, however, missing one of the more common acids and contain the less common ones. This simply makes it easy to mutually supplement the amino acids with almost any other food. Rice is most common but wheat/flour or corn (tortillas) work also.


Yes I know it is a small technical point but people reading this should know.


here is that link http://www.karenskitchen.com/a/veg_faqs.htm

[jobycom]

31. Nah, that's a good point. It's one you don't have to worry about too much

since people usually combine grains and beans and a vegetable, and that almost always gets you what you need. And you don't have to do it all in one meal. But certainly if you plan to become vegetarian, it's something you need to be aware of.

BTW, your link is a little off. Nutritionists usually now claim there are nine essential amino acids (essential means your body can't produce them and has to get them from an outside source). There's some debate about the ninth.

On the other hand, your link is describing The Zone diet, and the advice is on how to stay in their zone on protein, so it's overly cautious. For general nutritional needs, you don't have to worry so much--you'll get all the protein you need in a basic veggie diet. They are talking about a specialized high-protein/low carb diet.

The OP didn't seem to be interested in being a vegetarian, though, so I was just giving basic food advice. He'll get more than enough protein eating meat two or three times a week. Way more, probably--a lot of studies suggest we get too much protein, which is part of the cause of kidney failure.

And one more point--there are some plant-based foods with complete proteins. Soy beans (tofu, soymilk, edamame, etc) and Quinoa are the two usually mentioned, but other strange ones pop up from time to time.

[Motown_Johnny]

32. I could have picked a better link, it was near the top of google search

and had legumes near the top, so I went with it. I kinda kept the point to dried beans since that was in the post I was linking too, soy is a whole different topic.


and NINE AMINO ACIDS!?!?!?!?!?


Since when?


Oh god, now I need to go google some more.


thanks for the heads up, always good to learn something new

[jobycom]

48. Here's a boring link

http://www.newhope.com/nutritionsciencenews/NSN_backs/Jan_01/protein_s4.cfm?path=ex

You can buy dried soy beans. Not the best for a bean and rice dish, but I've used them to make flours for biscuits or other things. Used to make baby food out of it, too--pop some into a coffee grinder and dust 'em.

[Fireweed247]

34. beans and rice are very versatile

I make all kinds of things with them, burritos, tostadas, tacos, enchiladas, tamales, mexican pizza, chili etc.
Also I add tofu and soymilk to everything- make my own with a soymilk maker.

Mac and cheese doesn't have to be bad though. I make my own with lots of soymilk, hemp oil, braggs amino acids, nutritional yeast and garlic.

[jobycom]

38. That's the secret. Keeps away boredom. Read beans and rice one night

enchiladas the next, and a good stir-fry the third is a good plan for a large pot. Although I can eat red beans and rice three nights in a row with no problemo.

I add soymilk, too. What do you do with the tofu? Do you add it at the end so it doesn't fall apart, or do you freeze it, or something more clever I don't know about?

[Fireweed247]

42. Baked tofu- that's my new favorite

Once you bake it, you can marinate it and use it in/on anything. I just made tofu with italian spices in it (like they had at the Trader Joes in Cali when I lived there) and then baked it and marinated it in Braggs aminos...it was really tasty on a pizza, in a sandwich, my own hot pockets and I can't remember what else.

Also, the best way to use that boxed tofu, melt some chocolate chips, blend it up with the tofu and some honey in a food processor, put it in a pie crust and chill. This chocolate pie really could be considered dinner :rofl:

[Ignis]

73. Does marinating in Braggs work well?

I mostly use it as a just-before-eating condiment, but I use it often in that way. :)

[Fireweed247]

74. ya, definately!

I love that stuff!

[Ilsa]

39. I'm with jobycom on this, I am mostly a vegetarian, but since I am the only

one in my family that is, sometimes I end up eating a little bit of chicken breast, but not every day. You may feel your gut going back and forth with trying to cleanse itself, having gas from the beans, etc, although less meat is a good thing for you that is also good for the environment. You might try checking out some recipes in the Vegetarian Forum to see how to get your protein, have a balanced diet, and not be hungry.

Good luck. I hope things turn around for you both (well, all of us) really soon.

[nilram]

59. so how do you 'cook them right' -- so beans aren't gassy?

I've heard several ideas, but I'm very interested in yours, since you're a practicing vegetarian...

[jobycom]

64. Has more to do with me growing up near New Orleans.

Beans cause gas because a complex starch doesn't fully break down in the stomach, so it continues breaking down in the intestines, which aren't built for that, and it causes gas, from mild to major, depending on the person.

So what you do is speed up the breakdown of this starch and slow down the digestion of the rest of the bean. First, you soak the dried bean overnight and then discard the soaking water. A lot or recipes recommend cooking in it, but that's bad. And I don't know why, but it is. :) You can also put the dry beans in the water, heat the water to boiling, and then take off the heat and soak them overnight. That helps a little more, but it's not as necessary as throwing out the bean water.

Drain the water, let the beans sit for about fifteen minutes. Then cover them with water--not cold water--and start the recipe. Add salt at the very end, not while they are cooking. Salt toughens the bean, and you don't want it tougher before it's cooked.

Add whatever ingredients you are using, bring to a boil, and--this is very important--add some type of fat. Saturated fat like butter or (for meat eaters) lard is best. Many traditional non-vegetarian recipes also add some type of greasy meat--sausage, salt pork, pickled pork, ham bones, stuff like that. You can also add Crisco, margerine, or even just canola oil, but the fat is important. Just two or three tablespoons for a pound of dried beans is enough. It slows down the digestion of the bean, so it stays in your stomach longer, so there is less of the starch to digest in the intestine. So I've been told. Whether that's right or not, it works.

Then simmer the beans until they are soft. I've always eaten and made red beans and rice that are almost mushy, and the liquid turns to a sort of gravy more than a broth. Some people don't like them that mushy, but you should at least by able to blow on the cooked bean and have the skin come off. That's when they are ready. Also, the longer the bean sits, the less gassy it is, so the leftovers should be less gassy than the first-cooked.

All of that--soaking, throwing out soaking water, adding fat, simmering until soft--keeps the beans from being gassy. Usually. For some people, it's still not enough, I've heard, but it's as much as you can do, aside from Beano or some such product. And some people don't have the problem for some reason, so you don't necessarily have to do all of those steps. Experiment.

One more thing--people who aren't used to beans or fiber can get gassy just from the fiber of the beans and rice, especially if you use brown rice. That's just something your body has to acclimate to. Eat small quantities until you get used to them. Not to be too disgusting, but you can tell if the gas is caused by the fiber, because it will be accompanied by a need to pass something more substantial than smelly air. If you get my, um, drift.

[nilram]

66. soaking, throwing out soaking water, adding fat, simmering until soft

Thanks! Last two I hadn't heard about.

Beano I tried once... I thought I was going to explode from the extra gas it caused. Amazing! I was better off without it. I haven't heard of anyone else who had that happen.

[jobycom]

68. I haven't heard of that, either.

Hope it doesn't point to a different problem. I have an in-law who just can't eat beans. No matter how they are cooked, he feels like a balloon after eating them. Some people just aren't made for certain foods. :shrug:

[Kali]

70. You tend to get used to it.

Not kidding - if you eat them regularly your system adjusts. I haven't ever played around with soaking or precooking - I just sort, rinse ad an onion, some garlic, and whatever flavor (ham bone, bacon, bacon fat) I have and simmer slow for 5 or 6 hours. Keep covered and when you add water make sure it is boiling or it will toughen the beans. Salt to taste at the end.

(of course I live in the sticks so gas isn't a big deal anyway:hide: )

[JerseygirlCT]

62. I like lentils

Lentil soup will fill you up easily. Too full, maybe! Just a nice bowl of that, with a bit of bread... yum!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Are you in a place where you can have a garden?

If you are, then get together with neighbors and plan what everyone needs. That way you get fresh veggies and a variety, too. If you aren't in a place where you can garden, try sprouting seeds and eating them. Adds a lot of good vital nutrients to your diet, and is easy to do and doesn't cost that much.

[Mojorabbit]

12. I have been using my pressure cooker

a lot. Even the most tough meats come out tender in it.

[Sal Minella]

24. Pressure-cooker beans work as sandwich spread, or soup base, or rolled up

in tortilla (with cheese melted on top in microwave) -- I cook pressure-cooker full of mixed beans and freeze in small containers. Great in summer when it's too hot to cook. Cook with garlic to take out the "wind."

Hot beans spooned over split corn bread squares = food for the gods.

[Kali]

14. eat "ethnically" - use meat for flavor, not "portion"

a slice or two of bacon will flavor a large pot of beans (hell I sometimes just use a bit of saved fat)
bones flavor soups and stews, one chicken breast or thigh will do a batch of fried rice - add some egg, onion and a few chopped leftover veggies and you have a good lunch. Corn tortillas are more nutritious than flour - a little bit of cheese and baked make good crispy "quesadillas" to go with beens. Add chopped onion and salsa and you have one of my favorite meals.

If you have room plant a few vegetables - you can grow a tomato in a bucket - add a fresh homegrown tomato to that bean dinner and you will not miss the hunk of meat much.:9

[tridim]

17. Yes, fried rice is a killer economy dish!

As a single guy I make enough each time to last me about 4 or 5 days. I always top my fried rice with roasted sliced almonds, which thankfully are still very cheap at Costco.

[bullwinkle428]

26. I've done the same thing for years! I just have multiple

"Glad-ware"-type containers to place several portions of the rice into, and just put them all into the freezer until the day before I need them...

[NewtonsAve]

71. Feh Jao (spelling?) for the win.

I'm down to next to nothing, but three strips of bacon, a can of beans and some rice made enough food for me and my fiancee for about five days. Sure, it's monotonous, and it's not the tastiest (Despite my fiance's wonderful ability for seasoning almost anything), but it's effectively a $3 meal for almost a full week, and we're both HEARTY eaters (Read; one and a half to two pounds of food per, per meal.)

Bacon as a flavourizer (:P), or any meat for that matter, is astoundingly cheap, simple, and cost-effective.

[pnutbutr]

19. shop smart and it's easy v.dinnerideas

pasta is incredibly cheap. $1 per box and then a couple cans of whole or crushed tomato's for your own sauce. Add a bit of basil, oregano, garlic etc... Maybe add some ground beef, sausage or chicken if you want meat in it.

They sell bags of frozen chicken breasts that are fairly cheap and can be a weeks worth or more of meals.

Chicken and rice with a bit of cream of mushroom soup.
cut chicken into cubes to fry up some nuggets
tacos, burritos, enchiladas are all easy. Some onion, green pepper, bit of meat, cheese and whatever else you want on it and tortillas or taco shells.


california sushi rolls are cheap and easy. Some seaweed paper, rice and cucumber. Little soy sauce and wasabi paste if you like it.

Look for sales on meat. I won't buy meat unless it's on sale and some type of meat is always on sale. Use coupons. Premade pizza, I know Safeway sells their cheese on sale for $3. Add basil, garlic and some toppings yourself and it's as good as delivery.

There are tons of ways to eat well without spending a lot of money. You just have to get a bit creative and do all the preparation. Preprepared items are what cost you the most at the store.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

20. Some more ideas

Do you have a salvage store, wholesaler outlet, or even a wholesaler near you? You can often find bargains through them, especially if you go in with friends and family on bulk purchases.

Are you aware of wild foods you can harvest and eat? Of course, you must know where you are harvesting from to avoid pesticides, but right now in my neck of the woods you can pick dandelion greens. Pretty soon lamb's quarter will be up, and both can be used in salads. In some areas of the country, you can find wild asparagus, wild strawberries, and, later on in the season other berries. And don't forget to collect nuts in the fall.

[SoCalDem]

21. We buy very little meat.. but it's not because of the economy

Since we are back to just the two of us, I don't cook as much as when we had three boys to feed.

Many times, our dinner is quite "unique".

Last Monday, we had an avocado, sliced tomatoes, a couple of cheese sticks & a chicken breast left over and sliced paper thin...with some carrot sticks & dip..

There are many real bargains if you still want meat..

Actually "cube steaks" are quite pricey, and the store versions are often sinewy and not all that tasty..

I look for sales on London Broils & have the butcher cut me three or four of them at 2-3" thick.. I go home and cube some of them (for stew/soup/beef&noodles)... I filet one of them into 1/2" thick "steaks", to tenderize & make chicken-fried steaks or to cut into strips (coat with flour, brown them & make gravy & serve with rice).. and one I cut into thirds & use them for swiss steak or pressure cook as roast beef..

Around here, they go on sale at $1.89lb or even less.. and there;s no fat...no waste..

When chicken breasts are 99cents a pound, I buy some & freeze them.. save the bones for soup..

[dixiegrrrrl]

50. London broil at 1.89 or less???

I could cry.
Here, even on sale it will be 2.99 #.
Ground chuck, cheapest price is 1.99 #.
Decent loaf bread is 2.69 to 2.85.
Pork and chicken is pretty reasonable, on sale.
I buy nothing that is not on sale.

One of the problems for rural folks is lack of choice and competition. Our grocery stores know it is a 2 hour drive to any city, so they factor that into the price for meat, milk, etc.

On the other hand, we can grow our own veggies, or buy local, more cheaply, in season.

[SoCalDem]

51. When we were "rural" we bought a hind-quarter at a time

they even threw in the BEST homemade sausage & some chickens & bacon.. We loved it because we vould specify the lean to fat ratio on the ground, and the thickness of the steaks:)

[Delphinus]

22. I

just spent a week eating cheese toasties. Next it will be tunafish sandwiches, but that will probably only last three days. Then I'll make some soup.

I'm going as cheaply as I possibly can.

[Contrary1]

25. Freeze everything you can....

When cottage cheese starts to go a bit sour, I rinse it off in a colander, and toss it in a freezer bag. I use it instead of ricotta in Italian recipes.

If I have a spoonful of leftover peas, beans, corn, whatever...I freeze it too. I end up having enough for a soup or casserole. Same goes for bits of cooked beef.

I buy milk and butter when it's on sale, and freeze it too. A pain in the butt to thaw out, but worth the savings.

[Liberal Gramma]

69. Did you know

that cottage cheese keeps longer if stored upside down in its carton? I have no idea why that works, but it does.

[Lisa0825]

27. I just started focusing on vegetarian meals a couple weeks ago.

It has been much easier than I expected. There are some great recipes on www.recipezaar.com and the nutrition labels are calculated for you there too. I second the suggestion of adding a lot of beans to your diet.

Also, if you will be eating a higher proportion of carbs, focus on making whole grain choices. They are healthier.

[Ilsa]

40. Could I suggest looking at the Vegetarian Forum here on DU? There is

a thread with loads of excellent recipes and "how-to's".

[Lisa0825]

43. Yes, I have looked there too.

I just like RecipeZaar because I can easily track my calories and all from those recipes. I did look in that forum for ideas though. :)

[Fireweed247]

45. yes, whole grains!

Whole grains have tons of vitamins. Many people think fruits and vegetables have all the vitamins, but whole grains are where you get higher amounts of iron,b vitamins... and doesn't leave you searching for more. It was a big mistake when they started making everything white and processed.

[Motown_Johnny]

28. If you can put in a vegetable garden you may want to consider it, not that much work

and more than pays for itself.

Tomatoes are costly in the store but fairly easy to grow and a good place to start.

Raspberries, Blackberries and Strawberries are good too if you can devote some time almost every day to pick them. If you let them get over ripe then they attract insects, you need to get out there roughly every other day.

Even if you struggle with it the first year you will do better the next year, and better still the year after that.

Sorry to hear you are struggling and good luck to you and yours.


^Edit to add^


DOH, post #11 already suggested that, sorry. Got caught up in the vegetarian posts right above it and missed that one. My Bad

[tridim]

33. Be careful with strawberries

If you don't pay attention to them they will take over your entire garden from underneath the soil. Strawberry roots are absolutely amazing.

[knitter4democracy]

56. They did that to my kids' garden.

They didn't mind, and now I just have to cut them back when they try to take over the world. They're as bad as mint, I swear.

[create.peace]

57. so you can sell the crowns, or give to friends

nowhere i have lived has this been a problem, in fact i am just not seeing the problem at all....blackberries that is another thing!

[sweetpotato]

35. Wow - memories of watching All in the Family

During the recession of the 1970s.

Edith bought horse meat at the butcher shop because it was cheap. Couldn't tell Archie.

Meathead and Gloria thought it was a good idea.

Anyone selling "alternative" meats this time?

[Fireweed247]

36. K&R

because I love helpful discussions like this

[BronxBoy]

37. If you are lucky enough to have a farmers market near you...

talk to the farmers. Find out if they sell at multiple market or just one. For example, most of the growers at the market I manage are not full-time and have other jobs. Typically they may do only one market a week. But veggies don't wait until market day to ripen and you may find a vendor who would jump at the chance to sell you some stuff earlier in the week rather than have to process it.

You definitely get a better selection and better quality by getting to market early. Fresh eggs sell out at our market in about 30 minutes. But there are some advantages to being the last one to show up. Most vendors do NOT want to lug veggies back from market and will definitely be willing to give you a deal. Now it probably won't be the top quality stuff that flies off the tables at 8AM. The tomatoes may have some bruises or there may be a slight wilt to the spinach. But you can take the stuff home, wash cut it up and freeze or can it for future use.

Everything we don't sell we use in some fashion for our own use. You can do the same.

[onethatcares]

44. silly me, I thought the post said.

from Tube steak to Mac and Cheese:rofl:

[emmadoggy]

76. OMG!

:spank: :spank: :spank: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Carni]

46. Look for Asian markets (if you have any around)

We are fortunate to have one about 70 miles from us (round trip) the produce is cheap and fresh. I just paid .98 cents for a pound of strawberries grown in the US. .98 cents a pouind for grapes---and the list goes on and on. The one I go to has thinly sliced beef, pork (like for stirfry they sell to a lot of restaurants)and it is WAYYYYYY cheaper. They also have fresh fish.

Middle eastern markets can also be very inexpensive in comparison (if you have those)

In the summer we grow all that we can or try to find reasonable farmers markets
(haven't actuallu found any here yet) but otherwise we go to the place I referenced about once every two weeks and we have more produce than we know what to do with.

[Dr Fate]

61. The Asian & Mexican markets are the way to go. Agreed. n/t

n/t

[Carni]

65. They really are

And Woah! What was up with my speling (typo issues) in the OP? lol

[blogslut]

47. Mix beans with pasta

Very close to a complete protein. Like a nice pasta with garbanzo beans. Both are cheap. Coat them with an inexpensive bottled Italian salad dressing and salt & pepper to taste.

[sarcasmo]

53. Tina's Bean and Cheese Burritos 59cents add a piece of cheese. Great lunch.

[Fly by night]

55. Here I'm eating the last of the sweet potatoes and the first of the over-wintered spinach.

In the last few weeks, I've planted red and green cabbage, broccoli (whose greens taste better than most), cauliflower, three colors of onions scattered all over the Garden, red and white potatoes and -- today -- romaine and buttercrunch head lettuces and mesclen and another leaf green mixture. Tomorrow, I plant beets, turnips, sugar snap snow peas and three sizes of red radishes (whose greens aren't half-bad either.)

I have to go to the store for coffee, milk and dog food. I choose to buy other stuff there too (like the apples whose cinnamoned and raw sugared baked perfection I'm enjoying now.) But I am entering the period each year (from April to November) where I can feed myself most days with a real mix of flavors, textures and colors; from my well-loved and willing Garden. This spring marks my 40th with Her, having first set foot on this land when I was nineteen, soon to be part of a collective that bought this 150 acres for $85/acre. (God(dess), I'm old.)

A country boy will survive. Particularly wrapped round with the bountiful favors of Mother Earth.

[knitter4democracy]

58. Do you have a local butcher for the small farms?

Aldi? Hunting? Our local butcher's prices are some of the best in the area, and the quality's the best. We got a whole deer from a herd culling at a research station for just the price of the processing, and that's lasting longer now that STBX is gone and it's just me and the two kids. Aldi has good meat prices, as does our Horrocks (I wish that were everywhere--they're like a farm market but way, way, way better with very low prices). If I need something, I get it when it's on-sale and put it in the freezer. Horrocks will have pork tenderloins (pkg of two for three bucks), beef tenderloins (entire loin for $20 or so that I then cut down), and chicken on sale twice a month.

[Dr Fate]

60. Dried beans, rice, corn bread, chicken thighs.

All cheap, all tasty, all good for you.

[ddeclue]

63. Umm yepp.. no tv dinners, either..

I'm doing the austerity diet too...

:(

[upi402]

67. fruits and veggies are still pretty cheap

and the medical savings from that diet will give ya a holiday in the sun.

[Name removed]

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