Meat can be one of the most expensive parts of the meal. I aim for 2-3 meatless meals a week. Last night, I made a lentil loaf for 1.75. This recipe was a bit different. I didn't use breadcrumbs.
1 cup diced carrots, celery, and onion
2 cups mushrooms
1 cooked cup of quinoa
1 cup of cooked lentils
3 tablespoons of flax egg
1 tablespoon pasta seasoning
2 ounces of nutritional yeast
8 ounces of tomato sauce
Toss everything in a food processor. Pat into loaf pan and cover with tomato sauce Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
I served this with hand-mashed potatoes, salad, pears, and frozen mixed vegetables.
Meal planning is very much like an Asian eatery. You select some of the more expensive items from column A and others from columns B and C to round out your meals. I cook daily 3 meals with 2-3 vegetables and fruits served with the main dish. I use cooked and raw vegetables and fruits from my freezer, pantry, root cellar, gardens, and supermarket seasonal selections. Learning to use root vegetables, and leafy vegetables in interesting ways will provide many interesting, inexpensive side dishes.
If you have a family that likes leftovers, these can make lovely lunches. I often add a fresh vegetable or fruit with leftovers. I might make a mug cake to serve with or an oat milk pudding.
Inflation is affecting every aspect of our lives. Products are shrinking and being made with shoddy materials. My local hardware store is stocked with a ton of products from China that fail.
Let's discuss Esty for a bit. I have noticed there has been a great deal of factory-made things. Esty was meant to be for a handmade space and vintage items. You will also find illegal ebooks, music, and software from other countries. Etsy encourages you to report these shops. These bad actors ruin the space making it difficult for others to earn a living using Etsy.
It would be lovely to live free degrees from the makers of our products. Buying locally when you can, and buying sustainable things will save money and the environment. I try to purchase locally-made products and goods, and use things that may end up in a landfill.
Amazon is used less and less in our household. I tend to make large purchases of products we cannot purchase here. Ebooks are only purchased under 5 dollars and on a gift card. Ebooks are used to supplement our homeschool program.
My adult daughter lamented about the difficulty of giving her children all the things and experiences I gave her. Times were different when I was raising her. I was very frugal with coupons, and thrift stores were well-stocked. L. L. Bean had a return center where you could pick things up at great prices. L.L. Bean also made better products. My daughter still uses her L.L. Bean backpack.
No comments:
Post a Comment