5 Days of Frugal Eating ~ Supper

Keeping the family fed on a very small budget can be done. You must think creatively and positively. It will take more work. Time must be allotted to bake and cook. It's not convenient; but, it's possible, necessary, and satisfying.

Homemade bread, biscuits, cornbread or other homemade bread will round out the meal and fill tummies.  Add a salad or vegetables as possible.  Once again, this is not intended as a nutritionally balanced way of cooking but as a survival, get by until payday, or get through this time of unemployment kind of eating.

In order to keep food costs as low as possible in difficult times, you must think of meat as flavoring or as a side dish. These are some of our favorites. 

Chicken and Dumplings  using backs and necks or a whole chicken.  If you use the whole chicken, save the majority of the meat for another meal.

Ham and Beans and Cornbread

Lentils and Rice Casserole

Burritos with Homemade Refried Beans and tortillas.  You can find tortilla recipes online and even on YouTube.

Potato Soup

Hamburger Gravy over Biscuits using a pound or less of hamburger—

Spicy Bean Soup

*Cowboy Beans

1 lb of pinto beans

1 chopped onion

2-4 chopped garlic cloves

1-2 T chili powder

2 t oregano

2 t cumin

1/2 t cayenne pepper

Add salt to taste after the beans are tender.  Salting during earlier stages of cooking could result in tough beans.

Pick out any dirt, stones, or uglies and rinse beans in cold water.  Put them in a bowl with enough water to cover them with about 2-3 inches extra. Soak the beans overnight.  You can make them without soaking; but, I think they cook better if soaked first. 

Crockpot instructions:

Rinse the beans after soaking.  Place all ingredients in the Crockpot.  Add water to fill the pot or at least 2-3 inches above the ingredients.  Cook on low all day or high 4-6 hours until beans are tender.  If they are not tender an hour before you want to eat, transfer to a pot on the stove to finish.

Stove instructions:  Same as Crock Pot instructions, just bring to a boil on the stove and then simmer about 2 hours until beans are soft.

If you can eat these around a campfire or by a fireplace, it's all the better. ~smile~

Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage!

Laura







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Related Posts:

• 5 Days of Frugal Eating
• 5 Days of Frugal Eating ~ Baking
• 5 Days of Frugal Eating ~ Lunches
• 5 Days of Frugal Eating Suppers
• 5 Days of Frugal Eating ~ Desserts

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