I live on $600 a month. I cook everything from scratch and have plenty to eat. I was raised poor as a church mouse and learned very young how to live well on very little. Parents were depression folk and they could stretch food unbelievably. Thanks mom and dad.
Container garden is cool, we used to do some tomatoes peppers zucchini, I even planted potato in bottom of tomato plant[just keep adding soil or straw on top so potatoes dont c the light because they will turn green and then wont be good to eat.] you can grow on patio or apartment porch in pots. Leaf lettuce and green or yellow beans in long pots.
I find Christine's channel to be realistic, kind, and encouraging. I once mentioned going to a food bank in the comment section of a post on the LIVING ON A DIME channel. That comment infuriated her. In a later video she blew up at me. I can see part of her point as they are selling a cookbook . However, many people are struggling and the food from a food bank can help save them. I really laughed just a few years later when she finally admitted they too had to go to a foodbank a few times in their early marriage.
All great ideas! Thank you. I also wanted to pass along dialing 211 is also a great resource for help with finding food pantry locations and much more. I'm pretty sure it's run by United Way volunteers. That's why I'm thinking the 211 number is universal. I could be wrong on that. 🤔
I'm from Brazil and rice and beans is a staple in almost every home, so here are some tips we use daily: You can cook large batches of rice and beans and freeze them up to 3 months To make the rice more tasty, fry garlic and onions before putting the rice in the pot, also use the proportions 1 cup of rice 2 cups of water and it will cooks better Hope it helps!
As someone who grew up in Asia, a big tip I learned is to sauté green veggies - usually spinach, water cress, or long beans (chopped or diced) - with some ground meat. You can season with soy sauce, salt, or fish sauce, or you can get fancy and add whatever you like. Paired with some rice, you get a good balanced meal.
Coming from someone who's worked in the Human Services field, it's refreshing to hear you talk about assistance with no shame. It's been years, but when I was a case worker, I'd have people come in and almost expect me to scold(or judge) them for not having enough food to feed their family. Imagine someone coming in for a job interview, but instead of telling you why they deserve the job, they give you a resume' of life events that put them on the path of needing food assistance. I'd just explain to them that they don't need to convince me that things have been tough. To put them at ease, I'd even mention my mother needing temporary assistance when I was a child. The last thing I wanted to do was make them feel like they were a failure or that they needed to beg and grovel. I randomnly clicked on this video and I'm glad that I did.
A tip for using canned tomato paste - if you aren't going to use a whole can, freeze tablespoon sized lumps on a tray lined with foil or parchment paper and once they are hard you can transfer them to a freezer bag. Then just grab and go when you need some for a recipe!
If you buy the cans of tomato paste you can freeze them in 1 tablespoon dollops on a sheet pan and then put in a ziplock bag. Then you can add it to you recipe instead of having to open a whole can the next time.
Good idea! I do something similar but less organised - I spoon the leftovers into a ziploc bag, squash it flat and freeze. Then next time I need it I eyeball how much I need and break off a chunk. Works great!
Totally agree about oatmeal. Peanut butter and eggs. Homemade bread. Beans, lentils and rice. Chicken hind quarters or thighs, ground beef. A bag of carrots, a cabbage, canned tomatoes. Super stars in my rock bottom budget.
I also find couscous and rice are good for stretching food. Easy to make some fried rice with what ever is in the fridge and it can also double as dessert with rice pudding. Same with couscous, stir in any vegetables you have in the fridge. And ramyun, I always have ramyun in the cupboard and also throw in what ever vegetables I have in the fridge or growing on the balcony. I only use half the seasoning packet and use the other half to season meat in a stir fry or something else.
I LOVE HOW PPL LIKE U MAKE THESE VIDEOS TO HELP PPL LIKE ME! IM 55 DISABLED. LOW INCOME BUT GREW UP IN A CHILDREN'S HOME AS A TEEN SO I REALLY DONT KNOW HOW TO COOK😫
Talking about cheap meals with beans, I had a good friend in college that was vegetarian and we were poor college kids so she made meals with beans all the time. My favorite meal was rice, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, taco seasoning, and then topped with lettuce, cheese, and sour cream
I moved out on my own at 18 with no budgeting or cooking skills and hardly any money, but I learned how to get by. I lost a ton of weight the first year. Content like this would have been great back then. This video is probably helping some young folks.
When I moved out of home with a friend we couldn't cook. We would buy family sized chicken and vegetable pies and have half each. We thought we were so clever because we got meat and veg and all we had to do was heat the pie up in the oven.
I was thinking about this while watching, i wish i had this channel when i moved out of my parents, would have saved a ton of money and ate wayyyy healthier lol
Hi. I'm Dominican and I can give you an easy recipe for your Dominican beans. So you did great cleaning and soaking the beans overnight. That's the first step. The ingredients are: 1 lbs of beans soaked over night. 1 TBS of canola oil. 1 cubanela pepper (they're the light green ones that are long. I think Americans sometimes call them banana peppers) and they are cheaper than bell peppers. I cut these in 2 lengthwise. 2 garlic cloves mashed with a little salt (to make it a paste). 2 heaping TBS of tomato paste. A small handful of cilantro, fresh. 1/2 TBS oregano. My grandma toasts it for better flavor but I don't 😅 2 chicken bullion cubes (usually the Maggie brand). This has all the spices you used/all the ones you need. 1 tsp of sour orange but vinegar is good, too. To cook: In a dutch oven or similar pot, put in the oil and saute the tomato paste and garlic for about 2 mins. The tomato paste turns like a brick color. Add the beans with the (clean) water you soaked them in, the bullion cubes (I crumble them into the pot), the cilantro, the pepper and the oregano and then I cover and let simmer until the beans are tender (about 40-60 mins in a regular pot but 30 mins in a pressure cooker). Once tender, I put in the sour orange or vinegar and let it simmer 5 more mins. That's it! It's easy when you get the hang of it. That's the basic version but if you have it, I also add peeled and cubed butternut squash and half an onion as well as some bacon or other pork products (pork chops, pork ribs, ham) those are just flavor add ons. Not mandatory but it does taste better. 😅
There is such a stigma associated with food banks and public assistance. ☹️So let me share this idea that might help someone overcome their pride. At a lot of food banks if you volunteer they send food home with the volunteers. It could be a very good way of giving a little bit of time and effort in exchange for the food a person needs to feed themselves and their family. My retired dad doesn't need the help, but he volunteers every Friday at his local food bank. He brings home so much food that he literally gives it away to his neighbors. Heck, I've been the recipient of some of it a few times.
I have a elderly friend who really needs to go to a food bank because she's living on about 1100 a month and her rent is about $800 a month. But she's also very disabled because of bad knees and a bad back and she can't stand in line. I've asked her to call and find out if they could help her but she won't do it. It's really sad that some of these food banks can't make it a little bit easier for the older generation to navigate and to make arrangements
@@Savannah-ed4rvNot to sound unkind, but if your friend won't call them, how will she know what they can and can not do to accommodate her ? Maybe you could call for her?
Oatmeal isn’t just for breakfast. Throw a handful in stew, mix with cooked rice, herbs bullion, onions and butter for a side. Save your citrus fruit peelings, apple/pear cores and boil with cinnamon. Makes either a hot tea or cook your oats in it for added flavor.
You can also grind oats (if you have a spice grinder or blender or a mortar and pestle) into a sort of flour that can thicken and stretch a soup. It can be pricier than actual flour so you need to price it up, but I've found it to be cheaper at times
Oats are so versatile! I love to make bean burgers. One cooked sweet potato, cooked beans, oats and herbs/spices. Blend in a food processor if you have one or mix by hand until you have a paste ish consistency, cook on your stove, bake or air fry! This can make many meals and they're filling, healthy and so good❤
@@nonya.bizness actually no, I don't cook oats first but I suppose you could? I just use them as a binding agent and kind of to "dry" out the mixture to make it into a patty. I use any beans, lentils, pinto, black, whatever. You can use onion, garlic, bbq sauce, Worcestershire sauce, etc in the mix to taste as well.
11:34 I’m a single mom with a toddler so I’m cooking a lot of small meals. I always buy the big bags of rice and beans and cook them in my instant pot. I chills them in the fridge over night after cooking. Then I portion all my rice and beans into single portion servings and freeze them. It saves me so much money to invest a little time cooking my rice and bean ahead of time and then freezing them but I will have literally weeks worth of food in my freezer ready to eat. I also do this process with chickpeas, homemade refried beans, grilled chicken, and cooked ground beef.
Hello. I also do the same thing with rice, beans and ground beef (well ours is venison). There are so many things you can cook ahead and freeze. I always make big batches of pasta, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, cooked cabage and quinoa divide it up and freeze it. It is so convenient to have on hand for my husband and I to eat.
These are great ideas, do you mind sharing, does the rice freeze well? do you put it in containers or ziploc bags? or maybe I read that incorrectly and you cook and freeze the rice and beans together.
@@Charlotte-bc7vj I don't know how she does it, but I use containers. Only reason being is because you can use them over and over again. Freezer bags would work just as well.
@@Charlotte-bc7vj hello, the rice freeze very well. I used freezer bags but I’m sure containers or mason jars would work just fine if you have the space. I cook my rice and beans separately as they have different cooking times in my instant pot. How this helps.
As a Brazilian (our national staple dish is feijoada, which is made with black beans) here's a few tips: 1. If you can nab a discount jalapeno or chili pepper that is going into the trash, you absolutely want that. A small slice each time you cook your beans will suffice, so a whole pepper will last you very long here. 1. After your beans are done cooking in the pressure cooker, mash a garlic clove, put it in, then cook the beans for another 5 minutes out of the pressure, mixing always with a spoon. 2. Release the starch inside the beans to into the broth, so it'll become creamy! Press a few grains against the inner wall of the pan for an even better result, and keep mixing! 3. Don't be afraid to use less water! I myself always make sure the water level is no higher than two cm above the beans after I lift the pan lid for the first time. The result is a much richer broth, and garlic and pepper really enhances the flavour. I cook various types of beans almost everyday to my family, and it's always delicious!
I also use the broth for a light soup. I make corn cakes from yellow maseca that uses ONLY maseca and warm water. You can fry fry them in a nonstick skillet but I like to add butter and gently cook. You can also roll small maseca ballls to toss in the broth and maybe some onion, pepper and cilantro for extra flavor. Boil a few minutes to cook maseca dumpling balls. If I’m rich I toss in a slice if velveeta.
Your food sound amazing. Have you considered doing videos for UA-cam? I'm sure people in Brazil might not find it interesting if they eat them all the time but other countries definitely would.
My husband is Brazilian and we love Feijoada! Even when we put the sausages and meat in there and it inexpensive for how much it makes and an inexpensive option for entertaining (and sharing culture too)
The fact that the food stamps office where you live gives people a basket of food is so beautiful to me. I remember struggling so bad when I was in my early 20’s. It was either gas to get to work or food and the gas always won. I appreciate your videos now but I would’ve really appreciated these videos back then. ❤
I can remember standing at the checkout and spending the last coins I had in the world with my wife beside me and not knowing where our next dollar was coming from. Our local charity gave use bread and a small cheque for food and we managed until things turned around for us.
Well I just learned how to make bread after clicking on a random video. Thank you ma'am for making simple, affordable advice that me and my mom can use to save money on food. One of the best videos I've been happy to stumble upon.
I am not a baker but I made this bread after seeing an earlier video of Christines and it came out great. I had to buy everything including the pans as I didn't have it so that gives you some idea of my skill level.
I've got to say -- I moved to Louisiana four years ago (southern, no less!) and I'm so in awe of how well-raised and competent the women are. Even my high school students are better, more confident and competent cooks than I. I'm absolutely LOVING your videos. First saw you chatting with Clutterbug, so I need to give her a hat tip, I think. God bless you!
As an ICU nurse, I really appreciate this video! While I'm from Canada and we have different supports, I love that you provide non-judgemental help and resources for people experiencing food insecurity. Great recipes BTW!
@@MrCamel-mb3nd Nope. Carbohydrates are necessary for the functioning of the body, and by the way, include fruits and vegetables. The only people who need to limit them, are those with medical reasons. There's a difference between nutrition science, and the diet industry.
You can gets lots of good carbs from vegetables. Fruits are pure sugar, berries have less. Don't need glysophate soaked oats, wheat and corn for carbs.
You can mix the oatmeal with some of the mashed beans with some onion and seasonings, shape into patties or balls and bake. It’s a quick way to make burgers full of protein. 😊
It always makes me so happy when you mention sources for help if people are really stretched for cash. There is such a stigma associated with getting public assistance, but for some people it can really be life saving and help you get through some tough times. I love your videos and appreciate all your time and money savers you share!
I went thru a divorce and had a really difficult time financially. I had a local group drop me off boxes of food and I qualified for food stamps. Both were such a blessing. I eventually got a great job and now I'm paying it forward donating to food pantries.❤
@@lindasewell1810 I’m glad your on your feet 👏🏼👏🏼 🙏 I’ve been there it’s not fun & it’s easy to give up! It’s ok to ask for help we all need help in some way to get thru life!
True, but most people who need assistance can’t get it. In fact the system doesn’t go by income that’s a common misconception. Fact! The more you know.🤣
You are helping the low income famz in the hood for real. Thank you for sharing your quick meals with spices , onions, and bell peppers. You are showing us the tips and tricks for those who want to learn on a tight budget..
My mother always made hot yeast rolls to eat with pinto beans. I know lots of people pair cornbread with beans, but you will be surprised at how good homemade rolls go with beans. We ate beans and rolls as the complete meal.
If you first sauté the onion and the garlic in some oil and then also add the spices to allow them to release their full substance before you add everything else to make the soup instead of adding them raw, you will be amazed at how much better it turns out 😊 Your bread seems so simple to make and it always looks amazing…but I just can’t get it right😅
I'm disabled, and want to say how much I loved this! I'll be recommending your channel to ppl in my community- ppl like me who need healthy, budget friendly meals, that aren't too labor intensive. There are a lot of us (of all ages and genders) out there who have very little mobility or ability to stand up for prepping & cooking meals on the stove. A lot of us have to do all cold preparations, or quick-prep microwave only (from pantry/fridge to microwave no-prep meals). If you're looking for a new budget challenge, maybe this is one you can consider 😊
If you have a freezer and a willing friend to hekp, you can prep crockpot meals for a whole month (or beyond) .You can always sit to chop items, if need be. If you're physically unable to chop stuff up, delegate that task to the friend. If this also isn't a feasible option, perhaps because you can't afford to buy the meat you'd like all at once, you can still prep for a week of meals. If you live alone, one or two crockpot meals can last the whole week. You'd spend less time in the kitchen, as the cooking is all passive (usually no more than an occasional stir is necessary), so once the prep is done, which can be extremely minimal, you just dump it in and turn it on!
Btw, as an example, crockpot chilli can be as simple as a couple jars of pasta sauce, yes, really....it has a lot of the same flavor profile as the base, a pack of ground beef/chicken/turkey, a can or two of beans(black, kidney, baked beans, pork and beans, whatever you have on hand, or some previously cooked dry beans, like in this video), you Could add peppers and onions if you have them, and just season with salt, pepper, and chilli powder to taste. Let it cook all day in the crockpot, stirring occasionally. If you're able to brown the meat first, you can, but it's not necessary. That can be a week of food for one person. It freezes well, so you can do that if your prefer to have half this week, half another,etc.
Usually, my abilities let me do things like these beans in a crock pot or instant pot and freeze. Not much chopping, not much standing time, and they freeze well.
Now that I live with my spouse in our apartment (I’m 23) - I’ve learned to cook so many basics and super cheap fast meals because I realized it’s fun and also once you do it once or twice you realize how much $ is wasted when you don’t - tonight dinner was about a dollar and it was a creamy pasta with spinach in it - I bake muffins for breakfast often and makes me so shook I used to buy 4 for 5 bucks at the store when I can make so many for depending on what it is less than a buck for 6-12 :) I know everyone can’t cook or doesn’t have time for it but honestly a lot of time it’s way less time consuming than we think - good luck all with your endeavors and do what you can you got it!
Hello, just made your no knead bread. I divided dough in half and put calamara olives in a layer n poured the rest of dough on top. OMG it is delicious. I will definitely make again with another variation. This is WAY better than store bought. To others who follow this channel, if you haven't tried this homemade bread, you should!
There's no shame in keeping your family fed! WIC and SNAP kept my baby fed when I was out of work due to medical issues and now I have a good job and things are so much better ❤
I feel pretty good about only spending $50 a week for groceries. I’m single and diabetic so….no pasta, no bread, no rice or potatoes. No sugar. Lots of protein and veggies. Love your videos!! Thank you!
Hi, I just wanted to ask why you don't have the things you mentioned because of being diabetic? My daughter has had diabetes since from a young age so I am very familiar with it, but she needs to have carbs to keep her sugars stabilised and just for general energy etc, but just swaps out the not so good carbs for better choice ones, and lower GI ones to help to not spike her blood sugar levels. Do things like baby potatoes instead of regular larger ones, basmati or brown rice over white rice, grain/wholegrain bread instead of white bread, lower GI pasta or wholemeal pasta instead of white, those sorts of things are fine to include in your diet and even encouraged from what we've been taught, so check on this as you may be missing out without needing to be?
Thanks for replying, am glad you got to read what I said and hope that it helps. It's good that you're improving from what you've been doing already, just didn't want to see you go without if it's not entirely necessary, so hope you can get some answers. Thanks 🙂
I’m Brazilian, and here in Brazil most of the population eats beans and rice almost every day, is a very filling and taste really good if you season well, it’s like a Staple and we only change the complement, example, we eat rice, beans, meat or chicken, and salad, you can also eat with fries, mashed potatoes, in short, we always change the complement. It’s good,filling and cheap
I have stumbled across you as I have been both trying to learn to cook and trying to learn to do it cost effectively. I literally teared up when you were talking about resources because as someone struggling, to feel so guided and not judged was something I did not expect. Thank YOU for doing this.
I love to make homemade rice a roni and it’s easy. One cup of long grain white rice, one quarter cup orzo pasta, two and a quarter cups water, 2 or 3 teaspoons of powdered boullion, 3 tablespoons of margarine. You need a large skillet with a lid or a large saucepan with a lid. Put the margarine, rice and orzo and sauté and stir until the pasta turns the color you like. Then add the powdered boullion and the water and stir. Cover with the lid, turn down to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and check and stir. If all the liquid is absorbed you are done. If not cover and let sit for a few more minutes. You can fancy it up with mushrooms, cut up veggies or cut up leftover meat pieces. To me nothing beats two fried eggs with a scoop of homemade rice a roni on the side and it’s filling too.
It made me very happy to hear you talk about the resources available to people who need food. Recommendation from a Latino home cook: If you're going to simmer something for a long time, you may want to add the spices at the end after the heat has been turned off. Spices are aromatic flavor components, which means you "taste" them due to their smell. The aromatic chemicals that produce this smell do so by evaporating (aromatizing) out of the spice -- this means that with high heat, the process speeds up, and you'll smell a lot of the spice while it's cooking but taste very little of it by the time it's ready to be eaten because the heat will cause most of it to aromatize out of the food. Some culinary traditions, like British-Indian (and Indian-American) cuisine take advantage of this by toasting some of those extremely intense spices before adding them to a recipe, pulling back the flavor amount from "too much" to "just right".
I definitely encourage people to go to food pantries if they need it. I used to volunteer at a church food pantry when I was a drop out trying to homeschool myself and living on social security at the time. They would let me take a box of food, toothpaste, and TP home. ❤
For the Dominican rice and beans recipe, instead of regular oregano, Mexican oregano will make a huge difference in flavor. Plus, it's only $1 for a package, and the package will last a long time.
@@marymarvin8901Although, you do have to be careful with too many additives in some of them. Read labels, especially if you have any kind of food allergy. But you are right!
My mom used to take cooked pinto beans with a bunch of the liquid, purée them til they made a thick broth, then add cooked pasta to make bean soup…served it with salad and grilled cheese sandwiches, still one of my favorite meals.
Hello Christine, THANK YOU FOR THE BREAD RECIPE!! I’ve failed so many times in my breadmaking journey year after year and each time I’d give up a little while on I’d come back and have another go. I made x2 loaves in a round cake tin (with another cake tin on top exactly how you did it) so it came out round. But did not affect flavour and it was wonderful, I LOVE ciabatta bread it is my absolute fave bread and this is how my x2 loaves came out. This will be my go-to NO FAIL simple budget friendly no knead no mess all in one perfect bread recipe now!! Thank you!!!
We used to have rice pudding as a dessert but it would be great for breakfast! it's an old fashioned recipe, baked rice, milk and spices. Sometimes raisins added which I didn't love but it's very comforting.
I’m fortunate enough now to not worry about buying food but I remember the days of literally tracking grocery cost to the penny to maximize what to purchase on a teeny tiney budget. This is wonderfully useful for many people.
I get my yeast in bulk from Costco and split it to one jar in the freezer and one in the fridge! Lasted me MONTHS and I bake all my bread, bagels and pizza dough. Game changer ^_^
When we were going through our leanest times financially, I would make beans in the crockpot for the week. We had one pot we'd gotten as a wedding present and a friend was getting rid of their other pot. So I would cook beans in one pot and steel cut oats in the other. This would last for the week and was so yummy, cheap, and easy.
I remember the bean days. Cooked (until I looked like them) soy beans for crucial amino acids. The Mennonite Cookbook had good advice on getting the right balance of amino acids. I wonder if local libraries still have copies…
I think oatmeal can be versatile. You can have a bowl of regular oatmeal, oatmeal bake, oatmeal bars, oat muffins, granola,etc. Once someone has the basics in their arsenal, then they can make anything versatile. Also if someone is on a $1 budget, they really rrreeeaalllyyy should be utilizing their local pantry. Great food for free can be a great big blessing. I really appreciate you sharing this video. It'll make people more comfy with their budgeting ❤
Ethnic food stores are a great resource for cheap groceries. The local Indian store has an amazing variety of beans and grains very cheaply. I just learned how to make parathas with just flour and left over dahl. If you don't have a working oven, flat breads are easy and fast.
A tip for cilantro. I put a whole bunch in the food processor, stems and all, then freeze by tablespoons in a tray (I use the clear plastic tops of the Costco eggs because it has small dents). When frozen I transfer the cilantro cubes to a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer.
As a senior I get Farmer's Market Coupons ($25) from Senior Services once a year. I buy herbs, bring them home and rinse them off. I let them drain then hang them upside down. They dry that way and make a beautiful line of different spices. I use those for my recipes. Nice cheap hobby to enjoy and have conversations about. Just break off a little as you need it.
Great video. Thanks for the tips. You can spend $5 at Dollar tree and eat for at least 3-4 days. At $1.25 you'll only be able to afford 4 items. Item #1 Canned or bag beans (bag will probably give you more for your buck) Item #2 Rice. You can add a protein to that, so Item #3 eggs, which would probably be the best bet (you can use them for breakfast too) or the canned vienna sausages. Item #4 Bread or Flour. You can eat eggs and toast or beans and toast for breakfast. Then make the rice and beans or bean soup. Plain rice soup is also good. All u need is bouillon and if you have any left over veggies you can drop those in. Egg drop soup is another option.
I buy a large bag of pancake mix , and almond extract, cinnamon, and flaxseed, sometimes freeze dried strawberries and mini chocolate chips! I have small kids so I use a tbs size and get about 30 pancakes from a 2cup batch! Freeze them and ready for breakfast in a minute! Also make waffles and and shredded cheese and bacon for an all in one breakfast with fruit or yogurt on the side ! Can make your own sausage on a stick ,McGriddle, bacon in pancake strips!!
Excellent tips. Making homemade bread is a skill everyone should try. It’s not hard and is so rewarding. A great benefit of oatmeal is that it fills you up and keeps you feeling full for quite awhile. Same with beans. As a child, I clearly remember having to eat at least two big bowls of cheerios or corn flakes to feel satisfied as opposed to one small bowl of oatmeal. And after eating cereal, I was hungry again quickly. Your videos are very helpful. Thank you for sharing.
I grind my own wheat, make my own bread. Get dehydrated veggies and sometimes blend a cup to add to casseroles, beans and brown rice, chicken and mac salad as seasoning.
Soooo glad I bumped into this yesterday. I was gifted a couple bags of pinto beans. I made them up in the instant pot with diced onion, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and a dash of cayenne powder. Now, for the record, I'm not a fan of pinto beans. After 30 minutes high pressure and 15 natural release - OMG!! I was eating it right out of the pot! Using a bunch tonight to make the chicken tortilla soup. Yay! I was so trying to find ways to make more economical meals. This is so for the win! Thank you, thank you!! Tomorrow I'm attempting the bread :)
I have this one suggestion, make sure that you get a gallon of water in your preps because you need water to cook these will foods. Another option is to cook the chicken first and use the juices with some water to have chicken flavored rice, or beans. Also learn to have options for cooking that do not require electricity in case of a power outage.
Yeah-fruits are outrageously priced right now. Having a strawberry and raspberry patch, apple trees and even a hickory nut tree is a real blessing for us. My garden too.
I make with different beans. Bean burgers. My gang loves them. It's cheaper than regular burgers but very good. You can grill or fry . I have also done a fourth of pound beef in the mixture and that's enough to give a great beef flavor but it's mainly beans. Makes about 6 burgers.
Maybe my comment will get lost in the middle of more than a thousand, but being from Brazil I'm here to suggest something we always do at home. It's called 'Galinhada'. It's rice cooked with chicken. So good and feeds a big family so easily! 😍
I LOVED this video. 2 things. I made the Jiffy with banana bread. It was great. However, I added like a teaspoon of milk cause it was too dry. I also added some dried blueberries and then crushed walnuts to the top. So of somebody has those to use up it turned out great. 2nd I thought that maybe the beans and rice didn't turn out the same as your husband had in the Dominican Republic is because I'm guessing they used Mexican oregano, not Italian oregano. There is a difference in flavor. You will find it in a bag down the Mexican food aisle.
Happy to meet you today in Big Deal. Thanks for all your tips and tricks! I'm a widow on a fixed income, with my 17 year old granddaughter living with me. I was unsure whether to speak to you or not. But I did want you to know I enjoy what you bring to your channel. You were so sweet. Thank you! Roberta
Can't wait to try make the Dominican beans & rice! @13:43 I have some tips to share for the ingredients - you can buy frozen chopped pepper & onion mix in Walmart ($2.58 for a decent size 20oz bag here in WA state but still WAY cheaper than buying fresh peppers here). For tomato paste, I buy the cheap cans and spoon the leftovers into a ziploc bag, squash it flat and freeze it. Then you have your own DIY tube in the freezer. I break off what I need next time I need it. I can confirm your bread recipe is idiot proof! 😋I've made it a few times it is DELICIOUS, I need to make it again! Thank you for your tip from that video about storing leftover yeast in the freezer. Christine you are awesome! We are blessed that we have a bigger food budget at the moment but the prices are getting out of control even in my Walmart and other cheaper stores so I'm trying to reign it in. I love your videos for inspiration and learning new cooking skills. Thank you! 🥰 PS chicken thighs are way yummier!!
Because of your videos, I applied for WIC and use it creatively. A jar of baby meat, an egg, and baby cereal with a little bit of cumin and taco seasoning makes a solid savory pancake or waffle. My three year old steals them from the baby.
@@peggyt1243 you'd think it would be cheaper for WIC to cover the ingredients rather than the jars right?!?! unfortunately you don't get given the choice :(
I absolutely love you...however...when you say "I'm eye balling it, half a teaspoon" it's more like a half a cup.😂ha ha your food looks amazing. You are truly a gem 💎 in my book. Keep your videos coming. I learn so much every time i watch your videos.
Can you do something like this for groceries on a budget that dont require cooking to gelp support the homeless population stretch their dollars without going hungry? I have worked with at-risk populations for over a decade and i love seeing people put together stuff like your video that really inspire people to be fiscally responsible but also health conscious. Love love love this!
Just love your highlighting of WIC and foodbank for those who need them. So important that people connect to resources! I too embrace the frugal ethos; it's what helps us prepare for a comfortable future and too few people know how to manage a budget. I would say that for those who can afford to add more flavor and goodies, they should. Food is life; we spend, as a nation, too much on cheap crap and objects. The one place we should splurge (again, only if we can afford to) is on good food. When I watch you, I wish we could bring back required Home Ec. in classes. People need to know how to cook rice and beans from scratch, how to bake bread, and how to make food both more nutritious and cheaply, and you showcase how easy it is. Thanks for all you do.
a tip is to buy unbleached flour. With unbleached flour you can make sour dough starter and skip out on buying yeast and just make some loaves of sourdough bread Edit: On a budget rice is your best friend, so many different recipes based on what else you have and the kind of rice. Rice Pilaf, Tteok-bokki, Fried Rice, Risotto, Onigiri, Yakionigiri, Doria, etc. The versatility and fillingness cant be beat. Learning to cook really helps budget, without making yourself eat boring bland food
I've used just plain corn meal as a cereal. Cooks like Malt-O-Meal hot cereal. And I've also been using a lot of beans and rice lately. Makes for good chili. I have an Instant Pot for cooking beans. Very easy and they come out tender without pre-soaking. Plain rice also makes a good cereal, alone or with bananas or raisins.
Thank you again for another current frugal meal video! Also thank you for advocating, as always, for people to take advantage of their local free food resources. ❤
I always meal prep. It helps me so much. I'm going to be off for 2 weeks due to having surgery on my hand. I plan to have a easy meal for the week of surgery. All I have to do is get fresh produce and the rest I have in my pantry and freezer. Thank you for ideas for meals. When I found tomato paste in the tube I was in heaven. My mom even loved it
You saying “limes look super sketch” & then using them anyways had me sold that you are a genuine person. I’m subscribing & liking as much as possible. Your ability to be real in a world that feels like a dream(nightmare sometimes)is refreshing. You remind me of old school Sam the Cooking guy when he used to give awesome tidbits & advice while he was putting a dish together.
For the Dominican rice and beans, also works for stews, chilis, soups, you can make a sofrito and freeze it. It has cilantro, culantro, cubanelle peppers, sweet peppers, yellow onion, and garlic blended with a bit of water. Sometimes people add annatto, vinegar, jar of pimentos, oregano and tomato sauce, although I prefer to add those separately for versatility. Super easy to make and freezes for a looong time. They're flavor bombs. When I make curry I use both curry paste and sofrito.The idea is to sautee in a bit of oil before dumping all the other ingredients so it develops more flavor.
Glad to see you mention the expensive store's clearance items. I get all my meat at the big name stores marked down 50%! I've found amazing things like gluten free or organic items this way, too.
You can totally eat on a budget especially if you buy monthly instead of weekly. Those pinto beans are on sale for $6.88 for 8 lbs right now instead of $8.98. That's 2 lbs per week. Same with rice. The larger the package the less per pound it is. 18 count eggs are now $2.33. Buy 2 and that allows you 9 eggs per week.
Processed foods will always be more expensive than whole foods. I love the oatmeal and beans - so easy and filling and healthy. Love your videos, keep 'em coming :)
I've been making about half our monthly bread by hand. It's worth it! If you dont have loaf pans you can make good size rolls for sandwiches. I get about 8 giant rolls per loaf.❤
The pinto beans you can also just cook them with a couple of garlc cloves and after they are cook make tex-mex ( texas - mexican ) chalupas which it's fried corn tortillas if you can find them and smash the punto beans like almost refried add to the fried tortillas with some lettuce,tomato and onions or if you just want cheese on them 😊
I'd like to also add you can save on yeast by starting your own sourdough starter. They're pretty simple to keep up and you have to make bread with it every week, anyway, and it's much cheaper - great if you want your bread to have some depth, too!
You can cut yeast down further a few ways. 1. Use less yeast but extend the rise time. 2. Hold back an ounce or two of dough to add to the next batch. Only add a little more yeast. 3. Sourdough starter.
I have a handful of variations on your recipes: 1. Do a variation of the Elvis Breakfast, which was white bread with peanut butter, banana, and bacon. Mix your corn muffin mix and banana as usual. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter, and sprinkle in a Dollar Tree container of bacon bits (artificial are ok, but my Dollar Tree carries the real bacon bits as well). If you don't want the bacon bits, leave them out. Put the mix into muffin tins and bake as normal. 2. For a variation on your bread (to be served with any "chicken" dish), add some low sodium chicken seasoning and some dried poultry herbs to the bread dough when mixing. They will blow the flavor level through the roof. 3. Another bread variation: take 1 can of diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic; drain the juice (but save it for something else). Spread the tomatoes in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven (with onion, celery, and garlic added) until golden browned and most of the moisture evaporated. Dice the tomatoes really fine and add them to the bread mix. Any other veggies you like would also work, as you are making Veggie Bread. Alternatively, add 1 packet of dried Concord Foods Mild Salsa Mix with tomatoes (if the can of tomatoes is too much solids). 4. Next bread variation: This is one of my personal favorites. All you need to add to your bread dough is one packet of your favorite dried seasoning mix. My favorites are: Concord Foods Mild Salsa Mix (as listed above), Concord Foods Roasted Potato Seasoning Mix, Great Value Garlic & Parmesan Coating & Seasoning Mix, or for a sweeter bread use Great Value Cinnamon Sugar. .....4a. Another insane version is to add 1/4 package of Great Value Roasted Garlic Complete Potatoes. You will need more liquid, but now you have Garlic Potato Bread. The 4-pack of these is $3.12 at Walmart, and you only need 1/4 package per loaf of bread, so it only adds cents about 20 cents per loaf extra, but getting a more filling bread. You can also split the potato mix into 2-4 portions per package, as the potato will s 5. Next bread variation: add shredded chedder cheese and bacon bits for a delicious bread that goes well with an egg for breakfast. 6. A can of chunk chicken added to the beans will increase the flavor level. A 5 oz can shows 96 cents, however a 4-pack is $3.52 (88 cents per can). Ok, that's 6 variations, which is normal if you have polydactyly. Otherwise, just say it was "one extra for good measure".
I just made your bread recipe and it was the best bread I’ve had since growing up in NJ!! My husband said to never buy bread again! So easy too!! Thanks a million!
Pintos are amazing, I believe that we're spoiled to eat meat. I can remember some of the best meals when I was young was pintos,fried potatoes and cornbread. A chunk of onion with that yummy! I never knew until years later why my Mom and Dad sat with us but didn't eat until we were done, my Mom said they wanted to make sure we ate what we wanted before they ate. You can also make a cake with Pintos it's an old recipe but an amazing dessert, again I guess depending on your budget . Thanks for sharing! ❤
@@TheresaGraf We vegetarians do just fine with beans. Meat brings its own health issues that costs billions for conditions that in many cases could have been avoided by consuming less flesh.
The bitter orange is called 'naranja agria'. I always take some beans out of the pot and mash them then put them back in the pot. Stir it around. You get a richer soup or stew! 🤩
I've been making red lentil tortillas for breakfast with avocado and eggs. I do it to kick up my potassium intake. For the red lentil tortillas all you do is soak the lentils in a 2 to 1 ratio with water, 1 part red lentils/2 parts water, let soak about 2 hours or overnight, then put in food processor or blender and blend till smooth, then cook like a crepe on a hot cast iron pan.
My 15 year old daughter was just asking for me a healthy receipe when using red lentils, this sounds delicious. She loves eggs and avacados, she will love this. She is always using her blender. THanks for sharing this.
I use flash food app to get affordable meat, veggies and fruit. My local supermarket, Meijer are a part of this program. For 5$ veggie box, I received tomatoes, spring mix lettuce, cucumber, onion and several jalapenos. I froze the jalapenos for future chili and poppers. The tomatoes were used for salads and sandwiches, and diced those that looked like they needed to be used quickly and froze them for the future. The box is well worth the 5$
I use it too! Recently scored a ton of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage for 1/2 off. Another great way to use all the vegetables they offer is for soup. (Of course that is not a big summer thing).
@midwest mom volunteer depending on the veg ( peppers, onions, fresh corn, carrot, celery etc) I chop up in small dice and add salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice ( zest too if you like) for a cold crunchy salad in summer. It’s delicious.
I live in CT where electricity cost have been skyrocketing. When I factor in the cost of the gas and/or electric, the cost of home cooked meals is probably double. Using a pressure cooker and an air fryer instead of a cook top or oven will probably save even more.
Very good, as always. Food prices are just ridiculous, same here in the UK, and I don't know why. Corporate greed is part of it. Yes, anyone who needs help, use the resources available to you
What I love about this is that in may, in central California, the price of an 18 pack of large eggs was $9. It has gone back down to normal price now of around $3.50 for the Walmart brand.
Wow. East coast here. Early this year Walmart large eggs were $4.90 for 12. I wouldn't buy them. By the Summer they went back down to .92 and now they're about .95. Avian flu did crazy things to the birds and us!
Wal-Mart is not a safe place to buy perishable food. They are not a supermarket and the employees are not properly trained to keep the refrigerators clean . I found more than once rotten food in their refrigerator and more than 12 gallons of milk from Altadena that were over 2 weeks pass the due date. I called the manager and they did not care. I also called the corporation and they did nothing about it. I called Altadena and told them about the milk.
I love how encouraging you are for those who really really need this. I've been on both sides as i know you have and love the reminder of getting help doesn't have to be scary or overwhelming
❤ I really appreciate your dedication to helping us find not only cheap easy recipes, but you help us learn how to cook better. Videos like this are not a novelty. They’re a lifesaver!
That bread is good for a beginner, but I totally recommend for anyone who has made it a couple of times and is wanting to make some bread with a proper texture, to look into basic knead recipe with 2 rises. It's slightly more work but the texture makes a much more even crumb and it's super satisfying to eat fresh bread that you made yourself. Another trick for nice bread is to make a bread with oats (yes, the breakfast ones) added and milk powder. Laurainthekitchen has a Honey Oat Bread recipe that is a great alternative with a few extra ingredients that can make it super yum. Oats and milk powder can be cheap (depending where you are) and the honey can be substituted for sugar or any kind of golden/maple syrup, whatever is cheapest for you.
I agree with what you've said that letting the bread rise/proof again definitely makes a difference, I actually left a message above querying this as the way we saw Christine make it in this video isn't the same as what she's done before, so it made me wonder if either she forgot this step on purpose or simply forgot? Usually she will put it on the counter top and toss it in a bit of flour and then leaves it to sit there for half an hour while she preheats the oven and heats up whatever she's going to bake it in, so this is her usual way. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you for featuring practical recipes with ingredients that real people actually buy and eat!!!!! Too many social media influencers share recipes for weird food combinations and ingredients that nobody buys in real life.
I live on $600 a month. I cook everything from scratch and have plenty to eat. I was raised poor as a church mouse and learned very young how to live well on very little. Parents were depression folk and they could stretch food unbelievably. Thanks mom and dad.
Do you have any food tips to share? Thanks!
@@Jennifer-1724 I do all of my cooking from scratch. I have a garden and pressure can what I don't eat. I dehydrate some as well.
You are amazing!
Garden yes and if you can't garden due to space look into container gardening
Container garden is cool, we used to do some tomatoes peppers zucchini, I even planted potato in bottom of tomato plant[just keep adding soil or straw on top so potatoes dont c the light because they will turn green and then wont be good to eat.] you can grow on patio or apartment porch in pots. Leaf lettuce and green or yellow beans in long pots.
What I love about this as a social worker is that you gave people resources and no shame ❤
That's why I love watching her. Oh and she is amazing!
I find Christine's channel to be realistic, kind, and encouraging.
I once mentioned going to a food bank in the comment section of a post on the LIVING ON A DIME channel. That comment infuriated her. In a later video she blew up at me. I can see part of her point as they are selling a cookbook . However, many people are struggling and the food from a food bank can help save them.
I really laughed just a few years later when she finally admitted they too had to go to a foodbank a few times in their early marriage.
I've told tax clients about different resources to help them out because I've been in their shoes before.
I'm not a social worker but I have been in the position of needing those resources at various points in my life. I came to say exactly this.
All great ideas! Thank you.
I also wanted to pass along dialing 211 is also a great resource for help with finding food pantry locations and much more. I'm pretty sure it's run by United Way volunteers. That's why I'm thinking the 211 number is universal. I could be wrong on that. 🤔
I'm from Brazil and rice and beans is a staple in almost every home, so here are some tips we use daily:
You can cook large batches of rice and beans and freeze them up to 3 months
To make the rice more tasty, fry garlic and onions before putting the rice in the pot, also use the proportions 1 cup of rice 2 cups of water and it will cooks better
Hope it helps!
Thank you, Ana. I will do the garlic and onions method. Those two items can make ANY dish tastier.
@@user-bo1rj2xu2s Tell me if you like it later, because it really makes almost everything taste better!
Thank you! Y
That was sweet!
Great tips, thanks! :)
@@chriskennedy6961 You welcome, I really like to help!
As someone who grew up in Asia, a big tip I learned is to sauté green veggies - usually spinach, water cress, or long beans (chopped or diced) - with some ground meat. You can season with soy sauce, salt, or fish sauce, or you can get fancy and add whatever you like. Paired with some rice, you get a good balanced meal.
I do this on pasta, too, since I sometimes have a problem with rice raising my blood sugar kind of high.
Had that tonight! Added one Anaheim chile and took it up a notch! Not hot, just flavorful!
Rice is suboptimal and I wont touch it unless in post apocalypse scenarios.
mmmm I had a Taiwanese version of long beans with ground meat like this :) Thanks for the reminder
@@hhjhj393I love rice, but everyone has their likes and dislikes
Coming from someone who's worked in the Human Services field, it's refreshing to hear you talk about assistance with no shame. It's been years, but when I was a case worker, I'd have people come in and almost expect me to scold(or judge) them for not having enough food to feed their family. Imagine someone coming in for a job interview, but instead of telling you why they deserve the job, they give you a resume' of life events that put them on the path of needing food assistance.
I'd just explain to them that they don't need to convince me that things have been tough. To put them at ease, I'd even mention my mother needing temporary assistance when I was a child. The last thing I wanted to do was make them feel like they were a failure or that they needed to beg and grovel. I randomnly clicked on this video and I'm glad that I did.
You are so kind. Be blessed
Considering how inflation has literally doubled food prices, there should be more understanding.
U are so sweet❤
And 99% of people on assistance are scammers...that's a fact
@@itsjameskmartin But do you understand what caused the inflation?
A tip for using canned tomato paste - if you aren't going to use a whole can, freeze tablespoon sized lumps on a tray lined with foil or parchment paper and once they are hard you can transfer them to a freezer bag. Then just grab and go when you need some for a recipe!
That's a cool idea! Oil your spoon with Olive Oil and they should plop right out!
Smart!
Great idea!
Thank you
Brilliant
If you buy the cans of tomato paste you can freeze them in 1 tablespoon dollops on a sheet pan and then put in a ziplock bag. Then you can add it to you recipe instead of having to open a whole can the next time.
Good idea! I do something similar but less organised - I spoon the leftovers into a ziploc bag, squash it flat and freeze. Then next time I need it I eyeball how much I need and break off a chunk. Works great!
@@Charlotte-bc7vj I use a tablespoon measuring spoon. It works great. Freeze for an hour snd then they will be frozen enough to pull apart.
Yep!!! I love this hack!
Chicken stock, tomato sauce,tomato paste, etc can be frozen in ice cube trays for easy single use. And they sell ice cube trays with snap on lids.
Oh wow, thanks never thought of that!
Totally agree about oatmeal. Peanut butter and eggs. Homemade bread. Beans, lentils and rice. Chicken hind quarters or thighs, ground beef. A bag of carrots, a cabbage, canned tomatoes. Super stars in my rock bottom budget.
You just gave me my next grocery list. Thanks ❤
@@KarinaRodriguez-wh5mn 😂😂😂
Oatmeal is great and so nutrient dense!
I also find couscous and rice are good for stretching food. Easy to make some fried rice with what ever is in the fridge and it can also double as dessert with rice pudding. Same with couscous, stir in any vegetables you have in the fridge. And ramyun, I always have ramyun in the cupboard and also throw in what ever vegetables I have in the fridge or growing on the balcony. I only use half the seasoning packet and use the other half to season meat in a stir fry or something else.
@@susiex6669 I agree about rice. Recently I’ve been using it for bowls of all flavors with lots of veggies (frozen are cheap) and very little meat.
I LOVE HOW PPL LIKE U MAKE THESE VIDEOS TO HELP PPL LIKE ME! IM 55 DISABLED. LOW INCOME BUT GREW UP IN A CHILDREN'S HOME AS A TEEN SO I REALLY DONT KNOW HOW TO COOK😫
The library has cookbooks with recipes that have 3 or four ingredients. It helps to borrow cookbooks with pictures too. 😊
Talking about cheap meals with beans, I had a good friend in college that was vegetarian and we were poor college kids so she made meals with beans all the time. My favorite meal was rice, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, taco seasoning, and then topped with lettuce, cheese, and sour cream
I moved out on my own at 18 with no budgeting or cooking skills and hardly any money, but I learned how to get by. I lost a ton of weight the first year. Content like this would have been great back then. This video is probably helping some young folks.
Definitely gonna help me eat a bit healthier
When I moved out of home with a friend we couldn't cook. We would buy family sized chicken and vegetable pies and have half each. We thought we were so clever because we got meat and veg and all we had to do was heat the pie up in the oven.
I was thinking about this while watching, i wish i had this channel when i moved out of my parents, would have saved a ton of money and ate wayyyy healthier lol
@@knappieboy😅
Hi. I'm Dominican and I can give you an easy recipe for your Dominican beans. So you did great cleaning and soaking the beans overnight. That's the first step. The ingredients are:
1 lbs of beans soaked over night.
1 TBS of canola oil.
1 cubanela pepper (they're the light green ones that are long. I think Americans sometimes call them banana peppers) and they are cheaper than bell peppers. I cut these in 2 lengthwise.
2 garlic cloves mashed with a little salt (to make it a paste).
2 heaping TBS of tomato paste.
A small handful of cilantro, fresh.
1/2 TBS oregano. My grandma toasts it for better flavor but I don't 😅
2 chicken bullion cubes (usually the Maggie brand). This has all the spices you used/all the ones you need.
1 tsp of sour orange but vinegar is good, too.
To cook:
In a dutch oven or similar pot, put in the oil and saute the tomato paste and garlic for about 2 mins. The tomato paste turns like a brick color.
Add the beans with the (clean) water you soaked them in, the bullion cubes (I crumble them into the pot), the cilantro, the pepper and the oregano and then I cover and let simmer until the beans are tender (about 40-60 mins in a regular pot but 30 mins in a pressure cooker).
Once tender, I put in the sour orange or vinegar and let it simmer 5 more mins. That's it! It's easy when you get the hang of it.
That's the basic version but if you have it, I also add peeled and cubed butternut squash and half an onion as well as some bacon or other pork products (pork chops, pork ribs, ham) those are just flavor add ons. Not mandatory but it does taste better. 😅
Nah PRican beans taste better🤪
I will try this thank you!!
Sounds yummy, thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing 🙏😊
Yeah, I never understood how she doesn't understand that there are English speaking Latin content creators making food content on UA-cam
There is such a stigma associated with food banks and public assistance. ☹️So let me share this idea that might help someone overcome their pride. At a lot of food banks if you volunteer they send food home with the volunteers. It could be a very good way of giving a little bit of time and effort in exchange for the food a person needs to feed themselves and their family. My retired dad doesn't need the help, but he volunteers every Friday at his local food bank. He brings home so much food that he literally gives it away to his neighbors. Heck, I've been the recipient of some of it a few times.
Great idea. 👍
Frugal Fit Mom, I shared this to myself in my Facebook Private Messenger.
I have a elderly friend who really needs to go to a food bank because she's living on about 1100 a month and her rent is about $800 a month. But she's also very disabled because of bad knees and a bad back and she can't stand in line. I've asked her to call and find out if they could help her but she won't do it. It's really sad that some of these food banks can't make it a little bit easier for the older generation to navigate and to make arrangements
@@Savannah-ed4rvNot to sound unkind, but if your friend won't call them, how will she know what they can and can not do to accommodate her ? Maybe you could call for her?
Also you can , can up some of that food .
Oatmeal isn’t just for breakfast. Throw a handful in stew, mix with cooked rice, herbs bullion, onions and butter for a side. Save your citrus fruit peelings, apple/pear cores and boil with cinnamon. Makes either a hot tea or cook your oats in it for added flavor.
Also, add oatmeal to your meatloaf instead bread or cracker crumbs.
You can also grind oats (if you have a spice grinder or blender or a mortar and pestle) into a sort of flour that can thicken and stretch a soup. It can be pricier than actual flour so you need to price it up, but I've found it to be cheaper at times
Oats are so versatile! I love to make bean burgers. One cooked sweet potato, cooked beans, oats and herbs/spices. Blend in a food processor if you have one or mix by hand until you have a paste ish consistency, cook on your stove, bake or air fry! This can make many meals and they're filling, healthy and so good❤
Thank you for this recipe. I have been looking for a simple “whole” foods version of this for a long time. 🦋
@@nonya.bizness actually no, I don't cook oats first but I suppose you could? I just use them as a binding agent and kind of to "dry" out the mixture to make it into a patty. I use any beans, lentils, pinto, black, whatever. You can use onion, garlic, bbq sauce, Worcestershire sauce, etc in the mix to taste as well.
11:34 I’m a single mom with a toddler so I’m cooking a lot of small meals. I always buy the big bags of rice and beans and cook them in my instant pot. I chills them in the fridge over night after cooking. Then I portion all my rice and beans into single portion servings and freeze them. It saves me so much money to invest a little time cooking my rice and bean ahead of time and then freezing them but I will have literally weeks worth of food in my freezer ready to eat. I also do this process with chickpeas, homemade refried beans, grilled chicken, and cooked ground beef.
Hello. I also do the same thing with rice, beans and ground beef (well ours is venison). There are so many things you can cook ahead and freeze. I always make big batches of pasta, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, cooked cabage and quinoa divide it up and freeze it. It is so convenient to have on hand for my husband and I to eat.
These are great ideas, do you mind sharing, does the rice freeze well? do you put it in containers or ziploc bags? or maybe I read that incorrectly and you cook and freeze the rice and beans together.
@@Charlotte-bc7vj I don't know how she does it, but I use containers. Only reason being is because you can use them over and over again. Freezer bags would work just as well.
@@robinallgold360 sounds good! I’ll have to try it 😊
@@Charlotte-bc7vj hello, the rice freeze very well. I used freezer bags but I’m sure containers or mason jars would work just fine if you have the space. I cook my rice and beans separately as they have different cooking times in my instant pot. How this helps.
As a Brazilian (our national staple dish is feijoada, which is made with black beans) here's a few tips: 1. If you can nab a discount jalapeno or chili pepper that is going into the trash, you absolutely want that. A small slice each time you cook your beans will suffice, so a whole pepper will last you very long here. 1. After your beans are done cooking in the pressure cooker, mash a garlic clove, put it in, then cook the beans for another 5 minutes out of the pressure, mixing always with a spoon. 2. Release the starch inside the beans to into the broth, so it'll become creamy! Press a few grains against the inner wall of the pan for an even better result, and keep mixing! 3. Don't be afraid to use less water! I myself always make sure the water level is no higher than two cm above the beans after I lift the pan lid for the first time. The result is a much richer broth, and garlic and pepper really enhances the flavour. I cook various types of beans almost everyday to my family, and it's always delicious!
I also use the broth for a light soup. I make corn cakes from yellow maseca that uses ONLY maseca and warm water. You can fry fry them in a nonstick skillet but I like to add butter and gently cook. You can also roll small maseca ballls to toss in the broth and maybe some onion, pepper and cilantro for extra flavor. Boil a few minutes to cook maseca dumpling balls. If I’m rich I toss in a slice if velveeta.
Your food sound amazing. Have you considered doing videos for UA-cam? I'm sure people in Brazil might not find it interesting if they eat them all the time but other countries definitely would.
Brazilian beans and feijoada are glorious!! Your rice is as well.
My husband is Brazilian and we love Feijoada! Even when we put the sausages and meat in there and it inexpensive for how much it makes and an inexpensive option for entertaining (and sharing culture too)
Great advice! Thx!
The fact that the food stamps office where you live gives people a basket of food is so beautiful to me. I remember struggling so bad when I was in my early 20’s. It was either gas to get to work or food and the gas always won. I appreciate your videos now but I would’ve really appreciated these videos back then. ❤
I can remember standing at the checkout and spending the last coins I had in the world with my wife beside me and not knowing where our next dollar was coming from. Our local charity gave use bread and a small cheque for food and we managed until things turned around for us.
Jeez, the car dependency
@@deedumeday518 Yup, in my state too.
If making bread don't place on marble, coldness is not good, put in middle of stove, cover, and will rise.
Stovetop
Well I just learned how to make bread after clicking on a random video. Thank you ma'am for making simple, affordable advice that me and my mom can use to save money on food.
One of the best videos I've been happy to stumble upon.
I am not a baker but I made this bread after seeing an earlier video of Christines and it came out great. I had to buy everything including the pans as I didn't have it so that gives you some idea of my skill level.
I've got to say -- I moved to Louisiana four years ago (southern, no less!) and I'm so in awe of how well-raised and competent the women are. Even my high school students are better, more confident and competent cooks than I. I'm absolutely LOVING your videos. First saw you chatting with Clutterbug, so I need to give her a hat tip, I think. God bless you!
As an ICU nurse, I really appreciate this video! While I'm from Canada and we have different supports, I love that you provide non-judgemental help and resources for people experiencing food insecurity. Great recipes BTW!
Canadian here too, thanks for your server to the community, especially over the past 3 years.
nurse recommend eat carbs? OMG stay away
@@MrCamel-mb3nd Nope. Carbohydrates are necessary for the functioning of the body, and by the way, include fruits and vegetables. The only people who need to limit them, are those with medical reasons. There's a difference between nutrition science, and the diet industry.
@@celticlass8573 GOLD.
You can gets lots of good carbs from vegetables. Fruits are pure sugar, berries have less. Don't need glysophate soaked oats, wheat and corn for carbs.
You can mix the oatmeal with some of the mashed beans with some onion and seasonings, shape into patties or balls and bake. It’s a quick way to make burgers full of protein. 😊
🤯😮
That's a GREAT idea! Thanks!
I second that! That is a great idea! I absolutely love the ideas on this channel! ❤
Interesting. Will have to try that. How long do you bake them and at what temp?
Great idea!
It always makes me so happy when you mention sources for help if people are really stretched for cash. There is such a stigma associated with getting public assistance, but for some people it can really be life saving and help you get through some tough times. I love your videos and appreciate all your time and money savers you share!
I totally agree ❤
I went thru a divorce and had a really difficult time financially. I had a local group drop me off boxes of food and I qualified for food stamps. Both were such a blessing. I eventually got a great job and now I'm paying it forward donating to food pantries.❤
@@lindasewell1810 I’m glad your on your feet 👏🏼👏🏼 🙏 I’ve been there it’s not fun & it’s easy to give up! It’s ok to ask for help we all need help in some way to get thru life!
True, but most people who need assistance can’t get it. In fact the system doesn’t go by income that’s a common misconception. Fact! The more you know.🤣
I agree! It is so nice that she addresses that sometimes you just need some help.
You are helping the low income famz in the hood for real. Thank you for sharing your quick meals with spices , onions, and bell peppers. You are showing us the tips and tricks for those who want to learn on a tight budget..
My mother always made hot yeast rolls to eat with pinto beans. I know lots of people pair cornbread with beans, but you will be surprised at how good homemade rolls go with beans. We ate beans and rolls as the complete meal.
We ate crackers with our beans too
If you first sauté the onion and the garlic in some oil and then also add the spices to allow them to release their full substance before you add everything else to make the soup instead of adding them raw, you will be amazed at how much better it turns out 😊
Your bread seems so simple to make and it always looks amazing…but I just can’t get it right😅
I was going to comment this. Toasting the spices in fat is a game changer.
It’s always so weird to see cooks on UA-cam not sautéing their veggies or blooming their spices.
Not sauteing onions is a kitchen crime lol
Exactly what I thought as I watched it.
Try making the bread in a Dutch oven
I'm disabled, and want to say how much I loved this! I'll be recommending your channel to ppl in my community- ppl like me who need healthy, budget friendly meals, that aren't too labor intensive.
There are a lot of us (of all ages and genders) out there who have very little mobility or ability to stand up for prepping & cooking meals on the stove. A lot of us have to do all cold preparations, or quick-prep microwave only (from pantry/fridge to microwave no-prep meals).
If you're looking for a new budget challenge, maybe this is one you can consider 😊
Me too ❤
If you have a freezer and a willing friend to hekp, you can prep crockpot meals for a whole month (or beyond) .You can always sit to chop items, if need be. If you're physically unable to chop stuff up, delegate that task to the friend.
If this also isn't a feasible option, perhaps because you can't afford to buy the meat you'd like all at once, you can still prep for a week of meals. If you live alone, one or two crockpot meals can last the whole week. You'd spend less time in the kitchen, as the cooking is all passive (usually no more than an occasional stir is necessary), so once the prep is done, which can be extremely minimal, you just dump it in and turn it on!
Btw, as an example, crockpot chilli can be as simple as a couple jars of pasta sauce, yes, really....it has a lot of the same flavor profile as the base, a pack of ground beef/chicken/turkey, a can or two of beans(black, kidney, baked beans, pork and beans, whatever you have on hand, or some previously cooked dry beans, like in this video), you Could add peppers and onions if you have them, and just season with salt, pepper, and chilli powder to taste. Let it cook all day in the crockpot, stirring occasionally. If you're able to brown the meat first, you can, but it's not necessary. That can be a week of food for one person. It freezes well, so you can do that if your prefer to have half this week, half another,etc.
Usually, my abilities let me do things like these beans in a crock pot or instant pot and freeze. Not much chopping, not much standing time, and they freeze well.
this is the first time i've seen a bread recipe that wasn't like .. "oh your gonna wannna kneed this for half an hour" . i think i can do this.
Just a tip, wax paper is not meant for the oven. Christine said it was an option for the bread tins, but it shouldn't be. 😊
She probably meant parchment paper.
Now that I live with my spouse in our apartment (I’m 23) - I’ve learned to cook so many basics and super cheap fast meals because I realized it’s fun and also once you do it once or twice you realize how much $ is wasted when you don’t - tonight dinner was about a dollar and it was a creamy pasta with spinach in it - I bake muffins for breakfast often and makes me so shook I used to
buy 4 for 5 bucks at the store when I can make so many for depending on what it is less than a buck for 6-12 :) I know everyone can’t cook or doesn’t have time for it but honestly a lot of time it’s way less time consuming than we think - good luck all with your endeavors and do what you can you got it!
Hello, just made your no knead bread. I divided dough in half and put calamara olives in a layer n poured the rest of dough on top. OMG it is delicious. I will definitely make again with another variation. This is WAY better than store bought. To others who follow this channel, if you haven't tried this homemade bread, you should!
Love Calamata Olives.
I haven't had those in a long time.
Yes they Do Dress Up a Loaf of Bread Exquisitely.
Thank you for a Delicious Memor.y
There's no shame in keeping your family fed! WIC and SNAP kept my baby fed when I was out of work due to medical issues and now I have a good job and things are so much better ❤
So glad, stay strong! 💪
I feel pretty good about only spending $50 a week for groceries. I’m single and diabetic so….no pasta, no bread, no rice or potatoes. No sugar. Lots of protein and veggies. Love your videos!! Thank you!
That’s fantastic! Frozen veggies are a big staple for keeping my budget down.
I am diabetic and I eat red potatoes, Einkorn or Kamut pasta (or homemade pasta with Einkorn flour) and small serving of brown rice.
Hi, I just wanted to ask why you don't have the things you mentioned because of being diabetic?
My daughter has had diabetes since from a young age so I am very familiar with it, but she needs to have carbs to keep her sugars stabilised and just for general energy etc, but just swaps out the not so good carbs for better choice ones, and lower GI ones to help to not spike her blood sugar levels.
Do things like baby potatoes instead of regular larger ones, basmati or brown rice over white rice, grain/wholegrain bread instead of white bread, lower GI pasta or wholemeal pasta instead of white, those sorts of things are fine to include in your diet and even encouraged from what we've been taught, so check on this as you may be missing out without needing to be?
@@alwayslearning9272 I will check into this. Eating the way I do has lowered my A1C from 9 to 6.2 in about 4 months.
Thanks for replying, am glad you got to read what I said and hope that it helps.
It's good that you're improving from what you've been doing already, just didn't want to see you go without if it's not entirely necessary, so hope you can get some answers. Thanks 🙂
I’m Brazilian, and here in Brazil most of the population eats beans and rice almost every day, is a very filling and taste really good if you season well, it’s like a Staple and we only change the complement, example, we eat rice, beans, meat or chicken, and salad, you can also eat with fries, mashed potatoes, in short, we always change the complement. It’s good,filling and cheap
Nothing good about stuffing your body with more carbs than protein.
I have stumbled across you as I have been both trying to learn to cook and trying to learn to do it cost effectively. I literally teared up when you were talking about resources because as someone struggling, to feel so guided and not judged was something I did not expect. Thank YOU for doing this.
Marinda -- I teared up too! I wish you the best as you become a great cook!! ❤❤❤
I love to make homemade rice a roni and it’s easy.
One cup of long grain white rice, one quarter cup orzo pasta, two and a quarter cups water, 2 or 3 teaspoons of powdered boullion, 3 tablespoons of margarine. You need a large skillet with a lid or a large saucepan with a lid. Put the margarine, rice and orzo and sauté and stir until the pasta turns the color you like. Then add the powdered boullion and the water and stir. Cover with the lid, turn down to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and check and stir. If all the liquid is absorbed you are done. If not cover and let sit for a few more minutes.
You can fancy it up with mushrooms, cut up veggies or cut up leftover meat pieces.
To me nothing beats two fried eggs with a scoop of homemade rice a roni on the side and it’s filling too.
It made me very happy to hear you talk about the resources available to people who need food.
Recommendation from a Latino home cook: If you're going to simmer something for a long time, you may want to add the spices at the end after the heat has been turned off. Spices are aromatic flavor components, which means you "taste" them due to their smell. The aromatic chemicals that produce this smell do so by evaporating (aromatizing) out of the spice -- this means that with high heat, the process speeds up, and you'll smell a lot of the spice while it's cooking but taste very little of it by the time it's ready to be eaten because the heat will cause most of it to aromatize out of the food. Some culinary traditions, like British-Indian (and Indian-American) cuisine take advantage of this by toasting some of those extremely intense spices before adding them to a recipe, pulling back the flavor amount from "too much" to "just right".
Thank you, my thinking exactly!
I definitely encourage people to go to food pantries if they need it. I used to volunteer at a church food pantry when I was a drop out trying to homeschool myself and living on social security at the time. They would let me take a box of food, toothpaste, and TP home. ❤
Yes. We want to help. Don't be embarrassed.
For the Dominican rice and beans recipe, instead of regular oregano, Mexican oregano will make a huge difference in flavor. Plus, it's only $1 for a package, and the package will last a long time.
Yeah, i like it a lot more in my beans.
I shop in the" international aisle" usually prices are less than major brands and better quality.
@@marymarvin8901Although, you do have to be careful with too many additives in some of them. Read labels, especially if you have any kind of food allergy. But you are right!
My mom used to take cooked pinto beans with a bunch of the liquid, purée them til they made a thick broth, then add cooked pasta to make bean soup…served it with salad and grilled cheese sandwiches, still one of my favorite meals.
Hello Christine, THANK YOU FOR THE BREAD RECIPE!! I’ve failed so many times in my breadmaking journey year after year and each time I’d give up a little while on I’d come back and have another go.
I made x2 loaves in a round cake tin (with another cake tin on top exactly how you did it) so it came out round. But did not affect flavour and it was wonderful, I LOVE ciabatta bread it is my absolute fave bread and this is how my x2 loaves came out.
This will be my go-to NO FAIL simple budget friendly no knead no mess all in one perfect bread recipe now!!
Thank you!!!
When I was a child, my mother would cook up white rice for breakfast. We would sprinkle cinnamon on top and add milk.
Still love it!
WE PUT SUGAR AND CINNAMON
We used to have rice pudding as a dessert but it would be great for breakfast! it's an old fashioned recipe, baked rice, milk and spices. Sometimes raisins added which I didn't love but it's very comforting.
My dad made it as a dessert with brown sugar, cinnamon, and milk warmed in the microwave. Comforting.
@@mrsj5890
As I understand, cooked rice with cinnamon and milk is from the French culture. Served as dessert.
We do this ❤
I’m fortunate enough now to not worry about buying food but I remember the days of literally tracking grocery cost to the penny to maximize what to purchase on a teeny tiney budget. This is wonderfully useful for many people.
Plz do more of this. The days of processed food are over. It’s healthier n cheaper to make our food by scratch.
It was always cheaper to cook real food... it's the processed food that made our bills crazy...
I love how you don't do this to be trendy and you truly teach without judgement ❤
I get my yeast in bulk from Costco and split it to one jar in the freezer and one in the fridge! Lasted me MONTHS and I bake all my bread, bagels and pizza dough. Game changer ^_^
When we were going through our leanest times financially, I would make beans in the crockpot for the week. We had one pot we'd gotten as a wedding present and a friend was getting rid of their other pot. So I would cook beans in one pot and steel cut oats in the other. This would last for the week and was so yummy, cheap, and easy.
Good thing no one lit a match in your house. 😂
These are both meals my SO makes.
I remember the bean days. Cooked (until I looked like them) soy beans for crucial amino acids. The Mennonite Cookbook had good advice on getting the right balance of amino acids. I wonder if local libraries still have copies…
90% of grocery store items are toxic…..keeping your doctor and pharma in business
I think oatmeal can be versatile. You can have a bowl of regular oatmeal, oatmeal bake, oatmeal bars, oat muffins, granola,etc. Once someone has the basics in their arsenal, then they can make anything versatile.
Also if someone is on a $1 budget, they really rrreeeaalllyyy should be utilizing their local pantry. Great food for free can be a great big blessing. I really appreciate you sharing this video. It'll make people more comfy with their budgeting ❤
Ethnic food stores are a great resource for cheap groceries. The local Indian store has an amazing variety of beans and grains very cheaply.
I just learned how to make parathas with just flour and left over dahl. If you don't have a working oven, flat breads are easy and fast.
A tip for cilantro. I put a whole bunch in the food processor, stems and all, then freeze by tablespoons in a tray (I use the clear plastic tops of the Costco eggs because it has small dents). When frozen I transfer the cilantro cubes to a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer.
As a senior I get Farmer's Market Coupons ($25) from Senior Services once a year. I buy herbs, bring them home and rinse them off. I let them drain then hang them upside down. They dry that way and make a beautiful line of different spices. I use those for my recipes. Nice cheap hobby to enjoy and have conversations about. Just break off a little as you need it.
Great video. Thanks for the tips. You can spend $5 at Dollar tree and eat for at least 3-4 days. At $1.25 you'll only be able to afford 4 items. Item #1 Canned or bag beans (bag will probably give you more for your buck) Item #2 Rice. You can add a protein to that, so Item #3 eggs, which would probably be the best bet (you can use them for breakfast too) or the canned vienna sausages. Item #4 Bread or Flour. You can eat eggs and toast or beans and toast for breakfast. Then make the rice and beans or bean soup. Plain rice soup is also good. All u need is bouillon and if you have any left over veggies you can drop those in. Egg drop soup is another option.
I buy a large bag of pancake mix , and almond extract, cinnamon, and flaxseed, sometimes freeze dried strawberries and mini chocolate chips! I have small kids so I use a tbs size and get about 30 pancakes from a 2cup batch! Freeze them and ready for breakfast in a minute! Also make waffles and and shredded cheese and bacon for an all in one breakfast with fruit or yogurt on the side ! Can make your own sausage on a stick ,McGriddle, bacon in pancake strips!!
Thank you Christine for always reminding me that just because I make more money than I did 20 years ago saving money is always good
Excellent tips. Making homemade bread is a skill everyone should try. It’s not hard and is so rewarding. A great benefit of oatmeal is that it fills you up and keeps you feeling full for quite awhile. Same with beans. As a child, I clearly remember having to eat at least two big bowls of cheerios or corn flakes to feel satisfied as opposed to one small bowl of oatmeal. And after eating cereal, I was hungry again quickly. Your videos are very helpful. Thank you for sharing.
Yes, calorie density matters! So true.
Also, good fiber helps move things along to promote a healthy body.
I grind my own wheat, make my own bread. Get dehydrated veggies and sometimes blend a cup to add to casseroles, beans and brown rice, chicken and mac salad as seasoning.
Soooo glad I bumped into this yesterday. I was gifted a couple bags of pinto beans. I made them up in the instant pot with diced onion, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and a dash of cayenne powder. Now, for the record, I'm not a fan of pinto beans. After 30 minutes high pressure and 15 natural release - OMG!! I was eating it right out of the pot! Using a bunch tonight to make the chicken tortilla soup. Yay! I was so trying to find ways to make more economical meals. This is so for the win! Thank you, thank you!! Tomorrow I'm attempting the bread :)
I have this one suggestion, make sure that you get a gallon of water in your preps because you need water to cook these will foods. Another option is to cook the chicken first and use the juices with some water to have chicken flavored rice, or beans. Also learn to have options for cooking that do not require electricity in case of a power outage.
Yeah-fruits are outrageously priced right now. Having a strawberry and raspberry patch, apple trees and even a hickory nut tree is a real blessing for us. My garden too.
I think we need a video on all the meals we can make with beans as the main ingredient. 😄
Yes and not just soup 😊
Season beans with taco seasoning, mash them up slightly, put in tortilla, with cheese, any topping u like. Bean tacos!
I make with different beans. Bean burgers. My gang loves them. It's cheaper than regular burgers but very good. You can grill or fry . I have also done a fourth of pound beef in the mixture and that's enough to give a great beef flavor but it's mainly beans. Makes about 6 burgers.
We do a black bean taco sometimes. Saute onion, garlic, add in salsa and then two cans of drains black beans. Viola, taco filling.
Meals With Maria recently did a long video on this very topic. Maria does such a good job on her videos and the content in them. I highly recommend.
Maybe my comment will get lost in the middle of more than a thousand, but being from Brazil I'm here to suggest something we always do at home. It's called 'Galinhada'. It's rice cooked with chicken. So good and feeds a big family so easily! 😍
I LOVED this video. 2 things. I made the Jiffy with banana bread. It was great. However, I added like a teaspoon of milk cause it was too dry. I also added some dried blueberries and then crushed walnuts to the top. So of somebody has those to use up it turned out great.
2nd I thought that maybe the beans and rice didn't turn out the same as your husband had in the Dominican Republic is because I'm guessing they used Mexican oregano, not Italian oregano. There is a difference in flavor. You will find it in a bag down the Mexican food aisle.
Thanks for the comment on the banana bread I’m going to try this with my kids
add a teaspoon or tablespoon, depending upon amount, of mayo to cake recipes....great moisture.
Happy to meet you today in Big Deal. Thanks for all your tips and tricks! I'm a widow on a fixed income, with my 17 year old granddaughter living with me. I was unsure whether to speak to you or not. But I did want you to know I enjoy what you bring to your channel. You were so sweet. Thank you! Roberta
Can't wait to try make the Dominican beans & rice! @13:43 I have some tips to share for the ingredients - you can buy frozen chopped pepper & onion mix in Walmart ($2.58 for a decent size 20oz bag here in WA state but still WAY cheaper than buying fresh peppers here). For tomato paste, I buy the cheap cans and spoon the leftovers into a ziploc bag, squash it flat and freeze it. Then you have your own DIY tube in the freezer. I break off what I need next time I need it. I can confirm your bread recipe is idiot proof! 😋I've made it a few times it is DELICIOUS, I need to make it again! Thank you for your tip from that video about storing leftover yeast in the freezer.
Christine you are awesome! We are blessed that we have a bigger food budget at the moment but the prices are getting out of control even in my Walmart and other cheaper stores so I'm trying to reign it in. I love your videos for inspiration and learning new cooking skills. Thank you! 🥰 PS chicken thighs are way yummier!!
Great comment. You are very kind to share. Also I agree.
I agree on the bread...kind of reminds me of an English muffin texture which I love.
trying the beans and rice are my first choice too and that bread is next too :) it's looks easy, we'll see
Because of your videos, I applied for WIC and use it creatively. A jar of baby meat, an egg, and baby cereal with a little bit of cumin and taco seasoning makes a solid savory pancake or waffle. My three year old steals them from the baby.
Google "baby food carrot cake"! It's delicious!
"A jar of baby meat"
I'm sorry, a jar of what???
@@autumnramble 🤣🤣🤣 I can’t stop laughing. That sounds really bad. I guess it should be meat baby food 🤷♀
Baby food is ridiculously expensive. I never bought it. I made my own baby food using fresh ingredients.
@@peggyt1243 you'd think it would be cheaper for WIC to cover the ingredients rather than the jars right?!?! unfortunately you don't get given the choice :(
I absolutely love you...however...when you say "I'm eye balling it, half a teaspoon" it's more like a half a cup.😂ha ha your food looks amazing. You are truly a gem 💎 in my book. Keep your videos coming. I learn so much every time i watch your videos.
Thank you for encouraging people to seek food assistance.
Can you do something like this for groceries on a budget that dont require cooking to gelp support the homeless population stretch their dollars without going hungry? I have worked with at-risk populations for over a decade and i love seeing people put together stuff like your video that really inspire people to be fiscally responsible but also health conscious. Love love love this!
If no cooking is available you can hydrate grains slowly in a water bottle or just eat them dry. There’s crappy pre cooked meats available too.
Just love your highlighting of WIC and foodbank for those who need them. So important that people connect to resources! I too embrace the frugal ethos; it's what helps us prepare for a comfortable future and too few people know how to manage a budget. I would say that for those who can afford to add more flavor and goodies, they should. Food is life; we spend, as a nation, too much on cheap crap and objects. The one place we should splurge (again, only if we can afford to) is on good food. When I watch you, I wish we could bring back required Home Ec. in classes. People need to know how to cook rice and beans from scratch, how to bake bread, and how to make food both more nutritious and cheaply, and you showcase how easy it is. Thanks for all you do.
a tip is to buy unbleached flour. With unbleached flour you can make sour dough starter and skip out on buying yeast and just make some loaves of sourdough bread
Edit: On a budget rice is your best friend, so many different recipes based on what else you have and the kind of rice. Rice Pilaf, Tteok-bokki, Fried Rice, Risotto, Onigiri, Yakionigiri, Doria, etc. The versatility and fillingness cant be beat. Learning to cook really helps budget, without making yourself eat boring bland food
You can also make sourdough with bleached flour. I’ve made tons of loaves with the cheapest flour I could find.
This bread recipe has become my go to! I can’t stand store bought bread and this has been a lifesaver!
I've used just plain corn meal as a cereal. Cooks like Malt-O-Meal hot cereal. And I've also been using a lot of beans and rice lately. Makes for good chili. I have an Instant Pot for cooking beans. Very easy and they come out tender without pre-soaking. Plain rice also makes a good cereal, alone or with bananas or raisins.
I am so glad you talked about people getting assistance! Some don’t know or can be embarrassed. But it’s there fir a reason, so thank you!!
Thank you again for another current frugal meal video! Also thank you for advocating, as always, for people to take advantage of their local free food resources. ❤
I always meal prep. It helps me so much. I'm going to be off for 2 weeks due to having surgery on my hand. I plan to have a easy meal for the week of surgery. All I have to do is get fresh produce and the rest I have in my pantry and freezer. Thank you for ideas for meals. When I found tomato paste in the tube I was in heaven. My mom even loved it
You saying “limes look super sketch” & then using them anyways had me sold that you are a genuine person. I’m subscribing & liking as much as possible. Your ability to be real in a world that feels like a dream(nightmare sometimes)is refreshing. You remind me of old school Sam the Cooking guy when he used to give awesome tidbits & advice while he was putting a dish together.
For the Dominican rice and beans, also works for stews, chilis, soups, you can make a sofrito and freeze it. It has cilantro, culantro, cubanelle peppers, sweet peppers, yellow onion, and garlic blended with a bit of water. Sometimes people add annatto, vinegar, jar of pimentos, oregano and tomato sauce, although I prefer to add those separately for versatility. Super easy to make and freezes for a looong time. They're flavor bombs. When I make curry I use both curry paste and sofrito.The idea is to sautee in a bit of oil before dumping all the other ingredients so it develops more flavor.
Glad to see you mention the expensive store's clearance items. I get all my meat at the big name stores marked down 50%! I've found amazing things like gluten free or organic items this way, too.
You can totally eat on a budget especially if you buy monthly instead of weekly. Those pinto beans are on sale for $6.88 for 8 lbs right now instead of $8.98. That's 2 lbs per week. Same with rice. The larger the package the less per pound it is. 18 count eggs are now $2.33. Buy 2 and that allows you 9 eggs per week.
Processed foods will always be more expensive than whole foods. I love the oatmeal and beans - so easy and filling and healthy. Love your videos, keep 'em coming :)
Limes and red vinegar are valuable and very affordable seasoning as well.
I've been making about half our monthly bread by hand. It's worth it! If you dont have loaf pans you can make good size rolls for sandwiches. I get about 8 giant rolls per loaf.❤
The pinto beans you can also just cook them with a couple of garlc cloves and after they are cook make tex-mex ( texas - mexican ) chalupas which it's fried corn tortillas if you can find them and smash the punto beans like almost refried add to the fried tortillas with some lettuce,tomato and onions or if you just want cheese on them 😊
I'd like to also add you can save on yeast by starting your own sourdough starter. They're pretty simple to keep up and you have to make bread with it every week, anyway, and it's much cheaper - great if you want your bread to have some depth, too!
Good to know
Healthier bread too, doesn’t have those weird additives and far less of the glutan and fructans
You can cut yeast down further a few ways.
1. Use less yeast but extend the rise time.
2. Hold back an ounce or two of dough to add to the next batch. Only add a little more yeast.
3. Sourdough starter.
I have a handful of variations on your recipes:
1. Do a variation of the Elvis Breakfast, which was white bread with peanut butter, banana, and bacon. Mix your corn muffin mix and banana as usual. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter, and sprinkle in a Dollar Tree container of bacon bits (artificial are ok, but my Dollar Tree carries the real bacon bits as well). If you don't want the bacon bits, leave them out. Put the mix into muffin tins and bake as normal.
2. For a variation on your bread (to be served with any "chicken" dish), add some low sodium chicken seasoning and some dried poultry herbs to the bread dough when mixing. They will blow the flavor level through the roof.
3. Another bread variation: take 1 can of diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic; drain the juice (but save it for something else). Spread the tomatoes in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven (with onion, celery, and garlic added) until golden browned and most of the moisture evaporated. Dice the tomatoes really fine and add them to the bread mix. Any other veggies you like would also work, as you are making Veggie Bread. Alternatively, add 1 packet of dried Concord Foods Mild Salsa Mix with tomatoes (if the can of tomatoes is too much solids).
4. Next bread variation: This is one of my personal favorites. All you need to add to your bread dough is one packet of your favorite dried seasoning mix. My favorites are: Concord Foods Mild Salsa Mix (as listed above), Concord Foods Roasted Potato Seasoning Mix, Great Value Garlic & Parmesan Coating & Seasoning Mix, or for a sweeter bread use Great Value Cinnamon Sugar.
.....4a. Another insane version is to add 1/4 package of Great Value Roasted Garlic Complete Potatoes. You will need more liquid, but now you have Garlic Potato Bread. The 4-pack of these is $3.12 at Walmart, and you only need 1/4 package per loaf of bread, so it only adds cents about 20 cents per loaf extra, but getting a more filling bread. You can also split the potato mix into 2-4 portions per package, as the potato will s
5. Next bread variation: add shredded chedder cheese and bacon bits for a delicious bread that goes well with an egg for breakfast.
6. A can of chunk chicken added to the beans will increase the flavor level. A 5 oz can shows 96 cents, however a 4-pack is $3.52 (88 cents per can).
Ok, that's 6 variations, which is normal if you have polydactyly. Otherwise, just say it was "one extra for good measure".
I just made your bread recipe and it was the best bread I’ve had since growing up in NJ!! My husband said to never buy bread again! So easy too!! Thanks a million!
Pintos are amazing, I believe that we're spoiled to eat meat. I can remember some of the best meals when I was young was pintos,fried potatoes and cornbread. A chunk of onion with that yummy! I never knew until years later why my Mom and Dad sat with us but didn't eat until we were done, my Mom said they wanted to make sure we ate what we wanted before they ate. You can also make a cake with Pintos it's an old recipe but an amazing dessert, again I guess depending on your budget . Thanks for sharing! ❤
Your parents were so kind and loving. ❤
Meat is better and you can find cheap cuts. Beans are for starvation level. Learn to cook those low cost meats and avoid the starch and legumes.
@@TheresaGraf We vegetarians do just fine with beans. Meat brings its own health issues that costs billions for conditions that in many cases could have been avoided by consuming less flesh.
A friend who grew up with little said they had beans and dumplings! It’s good! Use self rising flour and make dumplings when beans are done.
@@TheresaGraf Beans are much better for your health. The longest living people eat more beans, less meat.
The bitter orange is called 'naranja agria'. I always take some beans out of the pot and mash them then put them back in the pot. Stir it around. You get a richer soup or stew! 🤩
I've been making red lentil tortillas for breakfast with avocado and eggs. I do it to kick up my potassium intake. For the red lentil tortillas all you do is soak the lentils in a 2 to 1 ratio with water, 1 part red lentils/2 parts water, let soak about 2 hours or overnight, then put in food processor or blender and blend till smooth, then cook like a crepe on a hot cast iron pan.
My 15 year old daughter was just asking for me a healthy receipe when using red lentils, this sounds delicious. She loves eggs and avacados, she will love this. She is always using her blender. THanks for sharing this.
@@hanab9460 can you tell us how those turned out? That sounds great.
I love the love you're spreading. How kind and caring, and so helpful.
I made the beans and rice tonight for dinner, and it was so good! My entire family enjoyed it! Will be making it again.
I use flash food app to get affordable meat, veggies and fruit. My local supermarket, Meijer are a part of this program. For 5$ veggie box, I received tomatoes, spring mix lettuce, cucumber, onion and several jalapenos. I froze the jalapenos for future chili and poppers. The tomatoes were used for salads and sandwiches, and diced those that looked like they needed to be used quickly and froze them for the future. The box is well worth the 5$
❤ thank you for the information!
I agree Flash Food has changed my life produce wise. My son gets great deals with meat and dairy.
I use it too! Recently scored a ton of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage for 1/2 off. Another great way to use all the vegetables they offer is for soup. (Of course that is not a big summer thing).
@midwest mom volunteer depending on the veg ( peppers, onions, fresh corn, carrot, celery etc) I chop up in small dice and add salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice ( zest too if you like) for a cold crunchy salad in summer. It’s delicious.
Yes!! Flashfood has been fantastic for me!
I live in CT where electricity cost have been skyrocketing. When I factor in the cost of the gas and/or electric, the cost of home cooked meals is probably double. Using a pressure cooker and an air fryer instead of a cook top or oven will probably save even more.
Very good, as always. Food prices are just ridiculous, same here in the UK, and I don't know why. Corporate greed is part of it. Yes, anyone who needs help, use the resources available to you
What I love about this is that in may, in central California, the price of an 18 pack of large eggs was $9. It has gone back down to normal price now of around $3.50 for the Walmart brand.
Wow. East coast here. Early this year Walmart large eggs were $4.90 for 12. I wouldn't buy them. By the Summer they went back down to .92 and now they're about .95. Avian flu did crazy things to the birds and us!
I pay 1.09 in Michigan for eggs.
Wal-Mart is not a safe place to buy perishable food. They are not a supermarket and the employees are not properly trained to keep the refrigerators clean . I found more than once rotten food in their refrigerator and more than 12 gallons of milk from Altadena that were over 2 weeks pass the due date. I called the manager and they did not care. I also called the corporation and they did nothing about it. I called Altadena and told them about the milk.
$3.20/dozen for Target store brand on S. Ohio. The price went up 2 dollars in a couple months.
I forgot about the flu though, that explains it.
I just made this bread and it's FANTASTIC. I brushed the top with EVOO before baking. Delicious.
I love how encouraging you are for those who really really need this. I've been on both sides as i know you have and love the reminder of getting help doesn't have to be scary or overwhelming
❤ I really appreciate your dedication to helping us find not only cheap easy recipes, but you help us learn how to cook better. Videos like this are not a novelty. They’re a lifesaver!
That bread is good for a beginner, but I totally recommend for anyone who has made it a couple of times and is wanting to make some bread with a proper texture, to look into basic knead recipe with 2 rises. It's slightly more work but the texture makes a much more even crumb and it's super satisfying to eat fresh bread that you made yourself. Another trick for nice bread is to make a bread with oats (yes, the breakfast ones) added and milk powder. Laurainthekitchen has a Honey Oat Bread recipe that is a great alternative with a few extra ingredients that can make it super yum. Oats and milk powder can be cheap (depending where you are) and the honey can be substituted for sugar or any kind of golden/maple syrup, whatever is cheapest for you.
I agree with what you've said that letting the bread rise/proof again definitely makes a difference, I actually left a message above querying this as the way we saw Christine make it in this video isn't the same as what she's done before, so it made me wonder if either she forgot this step on purpose or simply forgot?
Usually she will put it on the counter top and toss it in a bit of flour and then leaves it to sit there for half an hour while she preheats the oven and heats up whatever she's going to bake it in, so this is her usual way. 🤷🏻♀️
She let it sit for 12 hours.
I was taught to wrap homemade or bakery bought bread in a clean slightly, damp teatowel to keep it fresh and soft, and sore it in a cool place.
Thank you for featuring practical recipes with ingredients that real people actually buy and eat!!!!! Too many social media influencers share recipes for weird food combinations and ingredients that nobody buys in real life.