I wish everyone struggling with food cost could find your channel. These meals are beautiful, cheap, & a diverse flavor profile. Healthy & affordable. Win-win!
Agreed, I know some people who the welfare office are really being difficult with people on snap and really finding any reason to stop the help the people are getting. So food banks are their options left with their generic and almost to expiration date things. Hard bread, etc.
I love that you don't just stick to one or two flavor profiles and call it good. I also appreciate that you choose various ingredients (within the budget) without always sticking to the same thing. Thank you!
I like this challenge because I think it’s more realistic for average people because most of us aren’t just coming straight from the store with nothing in our cupboards and some of the challenges are almost that stark. Most of us have some dry spices and oil and flour. This is one of the healthiest looking challenges I’ve ever seen you do . I’m sure you normally do healthy ones. This one just looks so tasty and healthy.
I am surprised at all the things you created with that teenie tiny budget/ amount I of food, but I shouldn’t really because you do this for yourself daily! I just I could look at the food you chose and actually SEE what you are imagining for a 3 day meal plan! The closest I get is writing down your list of groceries, and hoping I can sort of copycat the recipes. There is not one thing you have created that I would not eat. Thanks for helping me save money by simple, healthy, tasty & clean meals ! Going to ALDIs on Sunday is a regular thing for me so thank you for being here, I really appreciate you.
I think YOU can do this too! It just takes some practice. The longer you think about your ingredients, the more things pop in your mind that you can use with them. I'm glad you were following me when I was vocalizing the planning. I'm glad my videos are helpful. It's so nice to be appreciated 💜
I’ve made refried lentils & cheese burritos/quesadillas. I love it since it gives you a lot of protein & with hot sauce it’s great. It’s a budget meal I recommend. You could definitely made more meals with leftovers . I just love your channel .
I love your meat free videos because I’m vegan and especially when it’s an extreme budget because so many people say they can’t go vegan because it’s too expensive😒and I think lentils and beans are one of the cheapest things you can buy, especially if you buy them dried. I also liked that for breakfast you ate cucumbers with hummus with the strawberries because it’s not a “typical” breakfast meal but it was healthy. I love that you are always thinking of the nutrition factor😋 Thx for another great video
I do meat free meals, and while lentils and beans ARE cheap, if you're disabled or time-poor and can't make things from scratch, or simply like more variety, vegan absolutely CAN be expensive!
great way to reuse left over pickle juice: to pickle cucumbers...also, I think I would take the leftover lentils and make lentil patties and then eat them on the naan like a hamburger with raw spinach leaves for lettuce and cucumber slices (could also use some avocado sauce)...dts/usa
I love that you don't restrict your use of basic pantry staples like flour, seasonings, oil, etc. I highly doubt many of us watching your videos don't make sure to stock up on at least those basic items in times when we have a little extra cash.
You have given me some inspiration. Groceries in Ontario are quite a bit more expensive, but I can still do this for about $10 if I price match or go to a dollar store. Enjoyed watching this very much. You make it seem so easy to do prep work even on a tight schedule .
I’m in Manitoba. Grocery prices are out of control in Canada. Does the store you go to price match only the flyers or can you pull the store up on an app and have a price matched based on the cost in the store? I’ve only seen cashiers be able to price match off the flyers. 🇨🇦
I stopped in to our local Indian grocery store. The selection of dried beans was phenomenal and the prices were great!! They had all kinds of flour as well- some I never heard of. Their bulk spices were priced really well too.
@@ArdentMichelle it was my first time snd it was fascinating. Everything was in Indian and English whereas when I go to an Asian market, most of it is in an Asian language and I don’t know what stuff is
Wow! A budget challenge is one thing. But as a full time worker and mother. Having to shop, and cook, all in the same day. WELL!! Kudos to you, sister. X
Lol. I enjoyed the bit of humor about your Aldi's quarter. 👛 I forget that there people who don't really carry cash since I am from the generation that does.😂
That was one of your best videos. It’s already impressive how you create dishes and plate your food. But then you make it look easy and *affordable.* You make gourmet cooking seem accessible and attractive to non-foodies w a limited budget. I cook differently bc of watching your videos. I buy ingredients and try new things all the time now. Vs recipes. Thanks for making these videos!!
I always love your budget videos so much! I count myself very fortunate not to be food insecure, but it’s comforting to know that I have options should that ever change. Most of all, your creativity always inspires me and I find myself craving whatever you make! I really hope you put out a cookbook one day!
I am SO excited and impressed by the samosas! I am literally going to make them right now! Your channel was just recommended to me yesterday for the first time.... What a blessing! Thank you so much!❤❤
@@ArdentMichelle Thank you! We made the samosas! My elementary age child asked if they could become a weekly dish💕 I am adding them to our regular menu! I am always looking for budget meals that don't feel like budget meals and the samosas are definitely one of them ... I never would have thought of it on my own. Blessings to you 💕
Hello! Those samosas look great. Those are on my "must make" list. I was wondering if you ever made wilted lettuce salad. I don't know if that is regional fare or if it is just not popular anymore. I know it to be spinach and dandelion greens on a plate, and then a boiling hot dressing is poured on top. Croutons and strawberries are then added. I remember eating that as a kid. We used cider vinegar that complimented the strawberries. So glad you could make this video. Have a lovely week.
Bravo! I am always impressed. Healthy, varied, and super budget friendly. No need to spend more than necessary to make interesting, non complicated meals. I love love love lentils. One bag makes up a lot, and the possibilities are endless. Really an excellent option for those looking to stretch their budget, stretch their meals (either to add bilk/volume, or to reduce ground beef use for those that include it). I'm going to make probably all of this. I usually have everything you showed. You did things I wouldnt have considered. I never put strawberries on sandwiches, but it makes sense for texture and taste balance. I've used thin sliced apples with major success, so now I have to try strawberries. I'm super keen on the lentil hummus. I liked seeing what you had left over. Lentil patties for sure for me. Just add seasonings and enough flour to hold it together. No need for any other binder. Bake or fry. I dont even always make a "burger". Sometimes I just heat one up and eat it from hand. Or plate it with some spinach, etc. Everything looked really good. Again, bravo!
Thank you Michele!! I love your budget friendly & HEALTHY meals. I can’t eat hotdogs & boxed Mac & cheese! This is proof positive that a healthy budget & diet are not mutually exclusive!!!❤
As an Indian i am so happy that you made samosas. It's surely my fav. However it is so interesting you ate it as a meal 😍. My mom would always shout at me incase i ate samosas at my meal times and skipped my meals 😂😂😂also I love how you've used Strawberries in ways i'd never think of. I feel like they will taste great with spinach like you've used here ❤ love your channel always. Your voice is so comforting 😊🤗
Absolutely stunning!! Love the ingredients you chose, so healthy and love what you made with them. Inspirational!! I was a bit sceptical that you would have enough to make all those meals but what a fantastic job you have done!! Thanks for doing these challenges, it gives me so much joy 🥰💞
I like this challenge because I think it’s more realistic for average people because most of us aren’t just coming straight from the store with nothing in our cupboards and some of the challenges are almost that stark. Most of us have some dry spices and oil and flour.
Very cool! I’m going to try those empanadas and that simple strawberry sauce! Never thought of it. I move next weekend and I am inspired to simplify my eating and be more intentional!!!!!
True. 👍 I made a pot of rice the other night and I was thinking just how good a simple pot of rice is along with some soy sauce and sesame oil...and there are so many different ways to prepare it.
The staples of life. These dried goods last so long, are pretty cheap, and are very important for budget and survival. You should always have stock of these on hand. ❤️
The spice mix for your samosas looks incredible. I have have fennel seeds hidden somewhere in my cabinet. Did try to make garam marsala once because i didnt want to spend 8 dollars😅 but i think i should have just purchased the bottle. Thanks for all your tips & tricks.
yeah I wouldn't spend that for a spice. Can you drop by an ethnic market for the garam masala? So much cheaper there. I've found that I do really love that spice.
Awesome as always! I see a lot of frugal eating content with deep-fried foods. Cooking oil is so darn expensive these days that I can't justify using that much oil (only to discard it after) in any of my menu plans. I'm curious about why most food content creators don't remark on the high price of frying oil and almost never account for it in a menu plan. I realize that it is a pantry staple but goodness.....the price of it!!! Thanks for the ideas!
Hello 😁 Regarding the cost of oil - that's why I mentioned that you can use the air fryer or bake them instead. The one I did in the air fryer wasn't as light and airy as the one in the air fryer, but it was still good. I have to ask, why would you discard the oil afterwards? I put it in a jar next to my stove for future use. I can't afford to be throwing out oil. 😂 As for why content creators don't count for the cost of oil or flour or any other staple for that matter, is because those are considered pantry staples so the majority of our viewers already have those. If someone doesn't have it, they can simply add it to the budget or omit using it. I purposely incorporate flour into these extreme budget menus to show how valuable it is in extreme budget cooking. Glad you like my videos!
Very impressive!! Your clever use of ingredients would be great even if I wasn't on a budget. Everything looked appealing and fresh. Thank you for the great ideas! ❤
I was really impressed by the seasonings you combined to season the lentils. Gonna go check out my spice cabinet now. I haven't been terribly enthusiastic about lentils in the past, but, light bulb moment, I haven't been seasoning them much.
Good morning Michelle, I got ideas from this video, l love when that happens. I have been using strawberries a lot recently in salads and desserts along with blueberries. They are cheaper in the stores so I buy often. Yeah, I like to make pita and tortilla chips but only enough to eat in one sitting because they lose their crispness fast after that. Not that this has anything to do with todays video but I make a lot of pizzas and calzone type things so I made a major purchase this week. I bought an outdoor table top pizza oven, it was on sale at Costco, today I am making pizza. I made calzones recently and have filling left for one pizza and left over chicken for another. I'm pretty excited about it. I will be making a lot of budget meals to pay for that. Anyway that's for sharing today. Have a super week and look forward to next Sunday. A fan forever Charlotte
Hi Charlotte 😁 Oh my gosh.....you got a pizza oven? That is so AWESOME! I wish I could come over and have you make me a pizza in it. 🍕 I love that. How fun! and also perfect for entertaining! What a great conversation starter! Thanks for chiming in on the pita chips. I wonder if they stay crispier longer if you fry them 🤔
We're having pepperoni pizza, in the regular oven, to use up half a big can of diced tomatoes and scratch dough rolled thin to get 2 jelly roll size. $1.50 each. KWYM. Yesterday, I broke up a few old corn tortillas I'd fried to top egg drop soup made from some homemade chicken stock that needed to be used from the freezer. 10 cents per cup.
@@sharonhall2277 I just did a google search and the only thing I found was a scam about free food boxes. I did see a someone said there were items in their delivery order that they didn’t order but they were not charged.
Good job. I want to try to make the samosas but with more potatoes and with the tamarind chutney I always gave in my fridge but even if I don’t have it I have tamarind paste that I can mix with any jelly packet to make a yummy chutney for the samosas.
I was watching your colcannon video as well: there you used the filling in a tortilla and fried it; it seems to me that you could also use your samosa filling from this video in a tortilla (instead of the empanada dough) and fry it in a pan...I think the lentil filling would be good that way as well...dts/usa
I probably should have discussed this in more detail. They're similar to empanadas but usually are served with a dip and have different seasonings from empanadas.
Good to see you Michelle. Rain today so watching your video like sunshine. Hummus is a favorite. I love lentils. Have you tried black beans. I like the idea of strawberries on a sandwich. I actually kept track of the expense of making my favorite white bean kale Turkey curry soup. $8.29 for 6 generous servings. I used mostly Nature Promise Brand ingredients and not all were on sale. I know you could cut the cost drastically. 🎉 I might sound extravagant but I do manage to stay close to and sometimes under my SNAP allowance. 💟 have a wonderful week.
@@ArdentMichelle glad to share though I just do some of this and that with spices and my mood 😆 Turkey chili. 🌶️ 1 pound lean ground turkey 1 can cannelloni beans. Low or no sodium Onion 🧅 about 3/4 cup Frozen corn Frozen peas Baby carrots ( I used one serving size each) Kale 🥬 I used 6 large leaves. Curry powder, dry thyme and oregano, Mrs Dash table blend, Badia garlic parsley mix. Kosher salt. Spice it up at serving with your favorite hot sauce. Cholula is mine. A few drops of Apple Cider Vinegar or a squeeze of lemon. Olive oil. Grated cheese or Feta is optional Sauté the onion. Cook Turkey breaking into a large crumble. Add the can of beans and I rinse all the goodness into the pot with 3 cans full of water. Bring to a boil then add frozen veg and carrots. Reduce to a simmer. Add Kale and cook till tender. Sometimes I add left over cooked pasta or rice. I put them in the bowl on the side because I didn’t like mush. Black Bean hummus. Can of low or no sodium black beans. Drain. Keep the liquid. I like to add Badia curry powder. Garlic powder. I will add salt to taste at the end. If it’s too thick add some bean liquid. I skip the oil and lemon 🍋. I don’t care for tahini. Too bitter and expensive Thank you for asking.
@@ArdentMichelle thank you, there is also a salad called fattoush salad. Which has verdulaga in it . Or as we know it it's called purslane. It's very healthy very inexpensive, the Lebanese version of it is the best. 🌺 The best thing about it is it can actually go with a lentil pilaf. If you look at this salad it's so refreshing it has cucumbers mint verdulaga and toasted pita bread lemon Aleppo pepper oil, tomatoes 🍅
I made a lentil ragu recently that I really enjoyed with carrots, onions, lentils, and a can of crushed tomatoes along with garlic and some italiany dried spices. It was supposed to be for pasta but I ended up letting the tomatoes cook down some and ended up skipping the pasta completely.
I love these challenges!!! I made big pot of gumbo today, and a loaf of homemade bread. Not a budget meal at all but something I’ve wanted to try my hand at!! I’m waiting for my daughter and grand daughter to come over so we can dig in!! I found the prettiest little strawberries at Food Lion today. They were only $2. I’ve never seen this particular kind there. They look like berries from the local farm that sells them but they’re from California! I’m about to cut them up and see how they are!!As always…..so good to see you!!! Lovely video!!!!❤
A flat bread would be way to make some kind of wraps too. Someone shared an easy recipe I'm gonna try instead of buying tortilla s all the time . I've never tried lentils but want to try them I saw a taco version one time but I love beans .
That’s a stunning menu for any budget!
Thank you 💜
I wish everyone struggling with food cost could find your channel. These meals are beautiful, cheap, & a diverse flavor profile. Healthy & affordable. Win-win!
Thank you 💜
Might be her best one yet!
Agreed, I know some people who the welfare office are really being difficult with people on snap and really finding any reason to stop the help the people are getting. So food banks are their options left with their generic and almost to expiration date things. Hard bread, etc.
I shared with my daughter and son.
Then share, share, share!!! 😁
I love that you don't just stick to one or two flavor profiles and call it good. I also appreciate that you choose various ingredients (within the budget) without always sticking to the same thing. Thank you!
This is probably one of favorite videos and it’s easy enough for someone that doesn’t know about cooking that much like me. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! 😁
I love these series of challenges too. It's a lot of work for her so I feel guilty but I know many people agree
You amaze me with your creativity
Thanks so much 💜
I like this challenge because I think it’s more realistic for average people because most of us aren’t just coming straight from the store with nothing in our cupboards and some of the challenges are almost that stark. Most of us have some dry spices and oil and flour.
This is one of the healthiest looking challenges I’ve ever seen you do . I’m sure you normally do healthy ones. This one just looks so tasty and healthy.
I am surprised at all the things you created with that teenie tiny budget/ amount I of food, but I shouldn’t really because you do this for yourself daily! I just I could look at the food you chose and actually SEE what you are imagining for a 3 day meal plan!
The closest I get is writing down your list of groceries, and hoping I can sort of copycat the recipes. There is not one thing you have created that I would not eat. Thanks for helping me save money by simple, healthy, tasty & clean meals !
Going to ALDIs on Sunday is a regular thing for me so thank you for being here, I really appreciate you.
I think YOU can do this too! It just takes some practice. The longer you think about your ingredients, the more things pop in your mind that you can use with them. I'm glad you were following me when I was vocalizing the planning. I'm glad my videos are helpful. It's so nice to be appreciated 💜
I always enjoy your vegetarian budget meals ❤
Glad you like them! 💜
Amazing food in a tight budget!!! You are so creative. Thank you.
Thanks so much! 😊
I’ve made refried lentils & cheese burritos/quesadillas. I love it since it gives you a lot of protein & with hot sauce it’s great. It’s a budget meal I recommend. You could definitely made more meals with leftovers . I just love your channel .
I would enjoy those also. So glad you like my channel! 💜 Thanks for letting me know!
I love your meat free videos because I’m vegan and especially when it’s an extreme budget because so many people say they can’t go vegan because it’s too expensive😒and I think lentils and beans are one of the cheapest things you can buy, especially if you buy them dried. I also liked that for breakfast you ate cucumbers with hummus with the strawberries because it’s not a “typical” breakfast meal but it was healthy. I love that you are always thinking of the nutrition factor😋
Thx for another great video
I agree about the beans. This is how I prefer to eat anyway. 😁Thanks for letting me know you like this video!
❤❤❤❤❤
I do meat free meals, and while lentils and beans ARE cheap, if you're disabled or time-poor and can't make things from scratch, or simply like more variety, vegan absolutely CAN be expensive!
Amazing as always!! That meal of samosas and spinach salad would cost $15 at least if you got it from a restaurant where I live!
Thank you 😁 and same here on the cost of the spinach salad.
Your dishes are ALWAYS visually appealing!
I learn so much from your channel.
Wow!! Love your plating skills and how you put your recipes together. You are a pro!!!
great way to reuse left over pickle juice: to pickle cucumbers...also, I think I would take the leftover lentils and make lentil patties and then eat them on the naan like a hamburger with raw spinach leaves for lettuce and cucumber slices (could also use some avocado sauce)...dts/usa
great use for the leftovers!
I love that you don't restrict your use of basic pantry staples like flour, seasonings, oil, etc. I highly doubt many of us watching your videos don't make sure to stock up on at least those basic items in times when we have a little extra cash.
yeah I think most people do have pantry staples which is why I use them.
Everything looked great and you had a lot of leftovers. Pleasure watching as always.
Glad you liked it! 😁 Thanks for letting me know!
You have given me some inspiration. Groceries in Ontario are quite a bit more expensive, but I can still do this for about $10 if I price match or go to a dollar store. Enjoyed watching this very much. You make it seem so easy to do prep work even on a tight schedule .
I’m in Manitoba. Grocery prices are out of control in Canada. Does the store you go to price match only the flyers or can you pull the store up on an app and have a price matched based on the cost in the store? I’ve only seen cashiers be able to price match off the flyers. 🇨🇦
I'm so glad I gave you some ideas! 😁 Thanks for letting me know!
@@BrowneyedGirlmjd
We can price match 10 local stores using a printed flyer or an app called Flipp
@@BrowneyedGirlmjda cashier can price match from an app as long as it’s the exact match grams ounces etc
@@gp2570 THANK YOU!!!!❤️🇨🇦
Wow! I am truly impressed! This was a lovely menu!
Thank you 😁
Love Love Love this video - I would certainly make/eat any of these dishes - great job!
Thanks so much! 😊
Love so much how fresh this set of food looks. Yay for fresh produce, and showing that they can be super economical
I love colorful meals. 😁
I stopped in to our local Indian grocery store. The selection of dried beans was phenomenal and the prices were great!! They had all kinds of flour as well- some I never heard of. Their bulk spices were priced really well too.
oh how fun! I need to see if I can find an Indian store around here. I've never been to one.
@@ArdentMichelle it was my first time snd it was fascinating. Everything was in Indian and English whereas when I go to an Asian market, most of it is in an Asian language and I don’t know what stuff is
@@mysticmom616 yeah that would make it hard to shop.
Great video! I’m learning how to make my own sauces from you! Thanks from Oklahoma ♥️♥️♥️
Yay! 😁 yeah...they are so easy to do and taste so much better.
I love that you were excited to shop too early. I've done it often. Love your recipes!
Wow! A budget challenge is one thing. But as a full time worker and mother. Having to shop, and cook, all in the same day. WELL!! Kudos to you, sister. X
Lol. I enjoyed the bit of humor about your Aldi's quarter. 👛
I forget that there people who don't really carry cash since I am from the generation that does.😂
true 👍 and I especially don't carry coins...except for the Aldi quarter of course! 😂
@@ArdentMichelle I always have at least 1 quarter in the console of my car.
That was one of your best videos. It’s already impressive how you create dishes and plate your food. But then you make it look easy and *affordable.* You make gourmet cooking seem accessible and attractive to non-foodies w a limited budget. I cook differently bc of watching your videos. I buy ingredients and try new things all the time now. Vs recipes. Thanks for making these videos!!
I'm so glad to have inspired you in the kitchen. Thanks for letting me know! 💜
Very creative and inspiring!
Thanks for sharing! Love and blessings from Johanne, Norway 🇳🇴
You are so welcome! 😁
Your recipes are always 👍! I could listen to your voice all day. Very relaxing
Thank you so much 🙂
What she said. 😀 I always look forward to your videos. I know you are very busy but please never stop making these!!😘
You work miracles in the kitchen. Your recipes always inspire me.
Thank you so much 😊
You may also like something I enjoy: whole grain toast with peanut butter and sliced strawberries. It’s like a deconstructed pbj. So good!
I always love your budget videos so much! I count myself very fortunate not to be food insecure, but it’s comforting to know that I have options should that ever change.
Most of all, your creativity always inspires me and I find myself craving whatever you make! I really hope you put out a cookbook one day!
Thank you 💜
Love this. Way to go❤
Thank you 😁
You have an amazing brain, Michelle! I want to make everything on here 🤤. Thanks so much for sharing.
I'm so glad we like the same kind of food! 😁
I am SO excited and impressed by the samosas! I am literally going to make them right now! Your channel was just recommended to me yesterday for the first time.... What a blessing! Thank you so much!❤❤
Welcome to my channel!! 😁 I'm so glad you are here 💜
@@ArdentMichelle Thank you! We made the samosas! My elementary age child asked if they could become a weekly dish💕 I am adding them to our regular menu! I am always looking for budget meals that don't feel like budget meals and the samosas are definitely one of them ... I never would have thought of it on my own. Blessings to you 💕
thanks for sharing your creativity with us
Hello! Those samosas look great. Those are on my "must make" list. I was wondering if you ever made wilted lettuce salad. I don't know if that is regional fare or if it is just not popular anymore. I know it to be spinach and dandelion greens on a plate, and then a boiling hot dressing is poured on top. Croutons and strawberries are then added. I remember eating that as a kid. We used cider vinegar that complimented the strawberries.
So glad you could make this video. Have a lovely week.
Thanks Sara 😁 that sounds good. I've never tried it before. I'll have to add this to my bucket list.
I'm 70. Used to make wilted lettuce salads. Haven't heard of them in years.
Bravo! I am always impressed. Healthy, varied, and super budget friendly. No need to spend more than necessary to make interesting, non complicated meals.
I love love love lentils. One bag makes up a lot, and the possibilities are endless. Really an excellent option for those looking to stretch their budget, stretch their meals (either to add bilk/volume, or to reduce ground beef use for those that include it).
I'm going to make probably all of this. I usually have everything you showed. You did things I wouldnt have considered. I never put strawberries on sandwiches, but it makes sense for texture and taste balance. I've used thin sliced apples with major success, so now I have to try strawberries. I'm super keen on the lentil hummus.
I liked seeing what you had left over. Lentil patties for sure for me. Just add seasonings and enough flour to hold it together. No need for any other binder. Bake or fry. I dont even always make a "burger". Sometimes I just heat one up and eat it from hand. Or plate it with some spinach, etc.
Everything looked really good. Again, bravo!
love your ideas for the leftovers! 😁 glad you liked this video!
Always feel so inspired when I watch these! Thank you.
The colors on this one were so pretty.
Thank you 💜
Thank you Michele!! I love your budget friendly & HEALTHY meals. I can’t eat hotdogs & boxed Mac & cheese! This is proof positive that a healthy budget & diet are not mutually exclusive!!!❤
glad you like this one! 😁
As an Indian i am so happy that you made samosas. It's surely my fav. However it is so interesting you ate it as a meal 😍. My mom would always shout at me incase i ate samosas at my meal times and skipped my meals 😂😂😂also I love how you've used Strawberries in ways i'd never think of. I feel like they will taste great with spinach like you've used here ❤ love your channel always. Your voice is so comforting 😊🤗
well you know never know what I'm gonna make a meal out of on my channel! 😂 But seriously...those were so good! Glad you're enjoying my channel! 💜
Wow! You always amaze me with your meals. Good job!
Yay! Thank you!
Wow this was great. Ty❤
welcome! 😁
@@ArdentMichelle ❤️ ty
Absolutely stunning!! Love the ingredients you chose, so healthy and love what you made with them. Inspirational!! I was a bit sceptical that you would have enough to make all those meals but what a fantastic job you have done!! Thanks for doing these challenges, it gives me so much joy 🥰💞
Thanks so much 💜
Great frugal recipes! Love your food presentation, it looks so appealing and appetizing. Thank you. ❤
Another great video, Michelle! I appreciate you and all the work you do for these videos. Thank you!
Thank you 💜
Love your videos & showing us your thought process! How is the new job going?
so far I'm liking it, especially with the one workday off every other week. 😁 Thanks for asking.
I like this challenge because I think it’s more realistic for average people because most of us aren’t just coming straight from the store with nothing in our cupboards and some of the challenges are almost that stark. Most of us have some dry spices and oil and flour.
Very cool! I’m going to try those empanadas and that simple strawberry sauce! Never thought of it. I move next weekend and I am inspired to simplify my eating and be more intentional!!!!!
good luck with the move Penny 😁 I hope it gives smooth for you. Glad you like this video!
@@ArdentMichelle right about now I would like to take my Kitties and leave all my stuff behind. I have too much stuff!😅
understood! I will probably be thinking the same thing the next time I move! 😂
Brilliant video! I'll be making lentil hummus and homemade Naan bread in the future. Your experimentation with the challenges is a real eye-opener.
Thanks so much 💜
Beyond Amazing...I will be trying most of the meals
September 2024. I always have lentils, split peas, and dry beans on hand. Rice, pasta, and spices means we always have food to eat. Tina, Al's wife
True. 👍 I made a pot of rice the other night and I was thinking just how good a simple pot of rice is along with some soy sauce and sesame oil...and there are so many different ways to prepare it.
The staples of life. These dried goods last so long, are pretty cheap, and are very important for budget and survival. You should always have stock of these on hand. ❤️
Amazing!!! Great looking meals!
The spice mix for your samosas looks incredible. I have have fennel seeds hidden somewhere in my cabinet. Did try to make garam marsala once because i didnt want to spend 8 dollars😅 but i think i should have just purchased the bottle. Thanks for all your tips & tricks.
yeah I wouldn't spend that for a spice. Can you drop by an ethnic market for the garam masala? So much cheaper there. I've found that I do really love that spice.
Awesome as always! I see a lot of frugal eating content with deep-fried foods. Cooking oil is so darn expensive these days that I can't justify using that much oil (only to discard it after) in any of my menu plans. I'm curious about why most food content creators don't remark on the high price of frying oil and almost never account for it in a menu plan. I realize that it is a pantry staple but goodness.....the price of it!!! Thanks for the ideas!
Hello 😁 Regarding the cost of oil - that's why I mentioned that you can use the air fryer or bake them instead. The one I did in the air fryer wasn't as light and airy as the one in the air fryer, but it was still good. I have to ask, why would you discard the oil afterwards? I put it in a jar next to my stove for future use. I can't afford to be throwing out oil. 😂 As for why content creators don't count for the cost of oil or flour or any other staple for that matter, is because those are considered pantry staples so the majority of our viewers already have those. If someone doesn't have it, they can simply add it to the budget or omit using it. I purposely incorporate flour into these extreme budget menus to show how valuable it is in extreme budget cooking. Glad you like my videos!
Wow what you did with $6 is just amazing!!
thank you 😁
Very impressive!! Your clever use of ingredients would be great even if I wasn't on a budget. Everything looked appealing and fresh. Thank you for the great ideas! ❤
Glad you liked it! 💜
I was surprised at how basically one ingredient made such a varied contribution. The flour was the game changer!
It always is! It brings everything together!
Wow, you’re clever!
This is amazing!
This menu is awesome. Thank you so much. 🤗💐 Enjoy your week.
Thanks Lisa 😁
Hope you have a great week too! and thanks for supporting me! 💜
I was really impressed by the seasonings you combined to season the lentils. Gonna go check out my spice cabinet now. I haven't been terribly enthusiastic about lentils in the past, but, light bulb moment, I haven't been seasoning them much.
I don't usually season mine much either, which was I think why these were so fantastic 😂
Good morning Michelle, I got ideas from this video, l love when that happens. I have been using strawberries a lot recently in salads and desserts along with blueberries. They are cheaper in the stores so I buy often. Yeah, I like to make pita and tortilla chips but only enough to eat in one sitting because they lose their crispness fast after that. Not that this has anything to do with todays video but I make a lot of pizzas and calzone type things so I made a major purchase this week. I bought an outdoor table top pizza oven, it was on sale at Costco, today I am making pizza. I made calzones recently and have filling left for one pizza and left over chicken for another. I'm pretty excited about it. I will be making a lot of budget meals to pay for that. Anyway that's for sharing today. Have a super week and look forward to next Sunday. A fan forever Charlotte
Hi Charlotte 😁
Oh my gosh.....you got a pizza oven? That is so AWESOME! I wish I could come over and have you make me a pizza in it. 🍕
I love that. How fun! and also perfect for entertaining! What a great conversation starter! Thanks for chiming in on the pita chips. I wonder if they stay crispier longer if you fry them 🤔
@@ArdentMichelle omgosh, we are eating our first pizza 🍕 it's really great, I love it already. If you lived here I would absolutely have you over.
We're having pepperoni pizza, in the regular oven, to use up half a big can of diced tomatoes and scratch dough rolled thin to get 2 jelly roll size. $1.50 each.
KWYM. Yesterday, I broke up a few old corn tortillas I'd fried to top egg drop soup made from some homemade chicken stock that needed to be used from the freezer. 10 cents per cup.
Oh my gosh , you are amazing !! Such great healthy , meal for $6 !!
Thank you 😁
You are so creative and talented!!! You make things I would never dream of coming up with and it all look so yummy!
Thank you so much!
Yum yum ! Amazing for $6!! ❤ 🎉 😊
Well done !
Awesome
Also you can get free food at Aldis as well
How so?
How do you get free food at ALDI I have friends that shop there and free food would definitely help them.
Well, I see so far there's no response on this one. I just have to comment in case there's a response tomorrow.
@@sharonhall2277 I just did a google search and the only thing I found was a scam about free food boxes. I did see a someone said there were items in their delivery order that they didn’t order but they were not charged.
@@VictoriaFerland-gu7rb Dumpster
diving theres videos on UA-cam aldis
Happy for you!💕
Thank you!!
Good job. I want to try to make the samosas but with more potatoes and with the tamarind chutney I always gave in my fridge but even if I don’t have it I have tamarind paste that I can mix with any jelly packet to make a yummy chutney for the samosas.
These are great to make up and then freeze!
I really enjoy your videos . It is extremely hot here so I can relate to wanting to eat cold foods.
For samosas, make the "cone" first, fill, then seal.
Great work. Healthy, vibrant, and cheap food. Very impressive 👍
thank you 😁
Thank you Michelle that was great and the presentation was 5* well done even if you don't cook it was a pleasure to watch you create .xxx
thanks so much 💜
❤❤❤❤❤ thank you 👍🏾
My pleasure. 😁Thanks for watching!
Wow so creative and impressive in terms of the menu.
Thank you 😁
Thank you for the video
welcome 😁
I was watching your colcannon video as well: there you used the filling in a tortilla and fried it; it seems to me that you could also use your samosa filling from this video in a tortilla (instead of the empanada dough) and fry it in a pan...I think the lentil filling would be good that way as well...dts/usa
Very useful information for everyone 😊
Thank you 👍
Most welcome 😊
Peanut samosas are also good (using raw, red skin peanuts, potato, onion and peas).
Good job! You asked what one might do differently. Soaking and sprouting rhe lentils for next week is a thought
So creative. I have to learn about samosas. I’ve never heard of them.
I probably should have discussed this in more detail. They're similar to empanadas but usually are served with a dip and have different seasonings from empanadas.
Indian food. Normally spiced potatoes and other vegetables in a dough and fried, popular street food as they're cheap and filling.
You are so creative.
thank you! 😁
Have you tried sprouting a few of your lentils? They’re wonderful in a salad, and insanely nutritious!
not yet....
Once again, you did an amazing job on this challenge !!! Very well done !!!🥰🍋🍒🍑💐💗✝ And you had left overs !!
Thank you so much 🤗
You are a genius!
You got a great deal on the strawberries.
Biscuits would have been delicious with the strawberries! 😊
true👍
Good to see you Michelle. Rain today so watching your video like sunshine. Hummus is a favorite. I love lentils. Have you tried black beans. I like the idea of strawberries on a sandwich. I actually kept track of the expense of making my favorite white bean kale Turkey curry soup. $8.29 for 6 generous servings. I used mostly Nature Promise Brand ingredients and not all were on sale. I know you could cut the cost drastically. 🎉 I might sound extravagant but I do manage to stay close to and sometimes under my SNAP allowance. 💟 have a wonderful week.
Hi Victoria 😁 That sounds delicious! Care to share the recipe?
@@ArdentMichelle glad to share though I just do some of this and that with spices and my mood 😆
Turkey chili. 🌶️
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 can cannelloni beans. Low or no sodium
Onion 🧅 about 3/4 cup
Frozen corn
Frozen peas
Baby carrots
( I used one serving size each)
Kale 🥬 I used 6 large leaves.
Curry powder, dry thyme and oregano, Mrs Dash table blend, Badia garlic parsley mix. Kosher salt. Spice it up at serving with your favorite hot sauce. Cholula is mine. A few drops of Apple Cider Vinegar or a squeeze of lemon.
Olive oil.
Grated cheese or Feta is optional
Sauté the onion.
Cook Turkey breaking into a large crumble. Add the can of beans and I rinse all the goodness into the pot with 3 cans full of water.
Bring to a boil then add frozen veg and carrots. Reduce to a simmer. Add Kale and cook till tender.
Sometimes I add left over cooked pasta or rice. I put them in the bowl on the side because I didn’t like mush.
Black Bean hummus.
Can of low or no sodium black beans. Drain. Keep the liquid. I like to add Badia curry powder. Garlic powder. I will add salt to taste at the end. If it’s too thick add some bean liquid. I skip the oil and lemon 🍋. I don’t care for tahini. Too bitter and expensive
Thank you for asking.
Those choices were perfect for my diabetes! I'll try them! Thanks😂
Welcome 😁
Lentil Pilaf is good for lunch with pita bread and peppers.😊
sounds delicious!
@@ArdentMichelle thank you, there is also a salad called fattoush salad. Which has verdulaga in it . Or as we know it it's called purslane. It's very healthy very inexpensive, the Lebanese version of it is the best. 🌺 The best thing about it is it can actually go with a lentil pilaf. If you look at this salad it's so refreshing it has cucumbers mint verdulaga and toasted pita bread lemon Aleppo pepper oil, tomatoes 🍅
Great video! And you go to the same Aldi I go to!
Howdy Neighbor 🙋♀️
That is really extreme!! I’m inspired😊
I made a lentil ragu recently that I really enjoyed with carrots, onions, lentils, and a can of crushed tomatoes along with garlic and some italiany dried spices. It was supposed to be for pasta but I ended up letting the tomatoes cook down some and ended up skipping the pasta completely.
That sounds very good. Maybe I'll make something similar with my leftover lentils. You're inspiring me! 😁
Everything looked absolutely delicious and I cannot get over how beautiful those samosas looked and I bet they were amazing great big hugs 🖤
Thank you 💜
This is a good one.
I love these challenges!!! I made big pot of gumbo today, and a loaf of homemade bread. Not a budget meal at all but something I’ve wanted to try my hand at!! I’m waiting for my daughter and grand daughter to come over so we can dig in!! I found the prettiest little strawberries at Food Lion today. They were only $2. I’ve never seen this particular kind there. They look like berries from the local farm that sells them but they’re from California! I’m about to cut them up and see how they are!!As always…..so good to see you!!! Lovely video!!!!❤
Oh that's going to be a nice meal. There's nothing like sharing a meal with family 💜
A flat bread would be way to make some kind of wraps too. Someone shared an easy recipe I'm gonna try instead of buying tortilla s all the time . I've never tried lentils but want to try them I saw a taco version one time but I love beans .
true 👍
How much backing powder did you use in the Naan?
I posted the recipe in the description area of this video, but I used 1/4 tsp to 1/2 cup flour.
@@ArdentMichelle oops. I didn’t check. Thanks again
I have that Trader Joe's bag too!❤
Aren't they the best?!?! I just love mine. They are so durable!
@@ArdentMichelle yes!