Listen to me Michelle. Let us worry about how long we are willing to sit and watch your videos. We don't care if it's 2 hours of our day, you just do what u do best. Oh and thank you we appreciate you
Michelle, I agree with Clara… let your videos be as long as you want! I could listen to you for hours with your soft soothing voice! I have been preparing for a cross country move for the last month and a half. As I near the final hours of preparation I listen to your calming voice and find myself at peace!
@@rebeccaroberts1148 awe...thank you 🥰 I appreciate that. Oh gosh, that DOES sound stressful. 😳 My heart goes out to you. I'm so glad you find my videos peaceful. I'll be thinking of you and wishing you safe travels. 🙏
@@alisatjaden3906 😂 I knew there would be at least a few of my viewers that would discover this. They say you should only keep baking soda for 30 days after opening it. I've NEVER done that! 😂
People around here spend $5 on a cup of take-out coffee!!! 😃Well done, Michell!!!! Always astounded by your vision in putting ingredients together . . you are like a version of the "Stone Soup" story. . ha ha ha!! Decades ago in high school, a friend used to make lots of banana bread. One time over at her house for snacks, she placed tuna salad on the bread. Me and my other friends thought it was a prank until we had a taste --- delicious!
Hi Jean 😁 thanks so much. It's definitely surprising what combinations taste great together. 😂 You just never know until ya try. Glad you enjoyed this one.
I can't believe you make all this with $5 , actually a few pennies left over, but I saw it with my own eyes, so you ARE a miracle worker. I love this channel. With the leftovers from all your ingredients your last meal was pretty good sized. After one of your latest videos I ordered that sushi mold from Temu, I think it should be here in the next few days, I can hardly wait to use it. I'm so glad the company sent you an air fryer to use, you will use it often. Thanks for another inspiring video, you are the best. Your loyal subscribe, Charlotte
Hi Charlotte 😁 Yes, you are definitely one of my loyal subscribers 💜 Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked this challenge and also that you are enjoying the products from TEMU. I love their prices! Have a great rest of your week.
There is no comparison between your budget meals and any other you tuber. Hands down you are making the most creative meals with real whole food ingredients. I absolutely love watching these videos. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Oh my goodness! I cannot believe what you did with $5. It all looks amazing. In all honesty, Id probably still be a little hungry, but the menu is well balanced, simple, and nutritious. It would definitely get someone through an exceptionally tight week. If I could dig up a couple more bucks from under the sofa cushions (LOL), it would probably make a big difference. Thanks so much for taking the time to put this together. Btw, I dont care how long you make your videos!
Thank you so much 😁 this is definitely less than I normally eat but I was so busy this week, that it didn't bother me, otherwise I would have eaten all of the zucchini bread. Also, I was saving it more than I needed to.
one other thought: I use a lot of teas (and no sodas) to save money--I mix tea bags (no sugar) and fruit juice and vitamin powders with ice--drink on these for at least 1/2 the day and it boosts immunity and is very cheap (even if I use 3 or 4 tea bags in combination)--healthy...dts/usa
I love Von’s & shop sales but Winco is so much cheaper so I shop at Winco. I have been trying new recipes for 47 years as it makes cooking more interesting. When I was a single mother in 1979 I would make my son sing in the bathtub so I could hear him while I was cooking dinner since I worked.
I know the extreme grocery budget challenge doesn't include foraging, but in my area this time of year is great for dandelion leaves for salads-have to be careful it is not sprayed-I take it from my own yard as I know it is not, (tastes like arugula), wild leeks from the forest, crab apple jelly made from local crab apples found on many trees and soon to be wild raspberries growing along our city walking trail etc. Also condo or not, if you get some inexpensive green onion from the grocery store and use only tops, submerge the bottom in water and you will have green onions growing for months in a cup in a window. I make great salad dressing from chive flowers in some regular vinegar etc.
Thank you so much for these videos. It means the world to those with limited choices. I can buy ingredients and send them video for the ideas and recipes. Rice, beans always come in pantry boxes from donation centers. That can help save a few dollars too. Dollar tree has spices for 1.25 that will last long time.
Hi Lisa 😁 Thank you so much for the financial support 💜 I appreciate you! 🤗 Walmart has some of these spices for $1.18 for the Great Value brand, and then sometimes you can go without a spice. For example, the paprika in the deviled egg was optional. I'm so glad you like this video. These extreme challenges are my favorite to make.
I have a bottle of ground coriander and one of ground cayenne pepper, both of which I bought at a Dollar Tree at a minimum seven years ago.👀 Every time I need one of those spices, I grab the old bottle and do a sniff check. They're both still going strong all these years later, so in they go! 😂 I have a full cabinet of fresher and more expensive spices, and I grow them as well, but these are staying in rotation til they go bad...which is probably never, lol.
Oh-with the leftover egg, and egg contaminated flour-I would have made fritters-shred up a little zucchini, onion, and potato-add seasoning and some leavener and fry in a little oil!
Beans and rice and eggs go a long way to keep you full on a low budget. I'm so glad that egg prices have come back down. Remember, use a food pantry if needed.
Wow you knocked this challenge out of the park! I can't believe all you created for under $5.00. Two weeks ago I wanted avocado to go with my breakfast. Aldi's wanted .95 for each one. One of my other local markets wanted 2 for $3.00. I will have to wait till the price comes down. I wish Winco was near me. I'm sure I could get a lot of bargains just like you do. Thank you for your video's. I am sure you are helping alot of people including myself.
Hi Dawn 😁 I'm so glad you like this one. I had a lot of fun doing it. I do understand that some people don't have access to a store like Winco where you can buy in smaller portion sizes. Walmart has good prices on the basics, you would just have some ingredients left over for the next week. Thanks for letting me know you like this video 🥰
I don’t have a Winco by me either, but I wish I did. One thing I did find about an hour away was a grocery outlet. Sadly the coffee I like from Starbucks is $5.69. That’s why I make coffee now!
Michelle, after watching you for so long, I have to say *you are a saint* although you might not realize this because you're humble, giving, and absolutely sincere. You're a damn gift to all of us. Your videos are literally the one thing keeping me keeping' on. If you know what I mean. I made your "iffy looking bag of cabbage" and potato soup tonight. It smelled bad at first, but then ... I TASTED IT... and then panicked when I realized I didn't have any fire roasted tomatoes! But then I got into my *Michelle* mindset. I had marinara in the fridge. You bet I used it. ANYWAYS, you are the absolute best, most sincere UA-camr out there. Your videos have kept me going! Best wishes to you, sincerely!
awe...thanks so much 💜 I appreciate this and I'm so glad you have adopted a new mindset of just going with the flow so to speak and utilizing what you have. Rich rewards can be discovered that way...and it's so freeing. I fell in love with that cabbage soup so much that I've been making some kind of version of it for the past few weeks. I didn't say it on the video...but my cabbage was actually to the stinky point when I used it 😂 My youngest son is a huge fan of the cabbage soup too. This morning I made a version with russet potatoes, white cabbage, 2 garlic cloves, some minced ginger and some carrots with a little olive oil on top. No tomatoes this time, and it was so good! I have these little mini sandwich rolls (bread) that I've been dipping in the soup and eating along with it. I'll probably be eating it as much as possible while it's still cool here in California. I'm so glad you enjoyed it too! Thanks for the this comment 😁 It's made my day!
One thing I learned from your recipe is that cabbage just stinks to begin with because of the family it's from (broccoli smells similar). You taught me a new hack that has upgraded my mindset (and I am almost 40!) I can't wait to see what you do next. Even if you repeat recipes, you are still sending positive messages to so many people who are eager to watch and listen. It's for the frugal, the mindful, the creatives. It's a tribe! Your style is kind and inviting. Please never change @@ArdentMichelle
Michelle - I soooooo appreciate your channel. Your creativity here astounds me. You make things possible when it seems it wouldn't be. And you make it fun. Thanks again Michelle!
Amazing AM! For that biscuit - if you can resist twisting the cutter at the end - just use it straight down and back up - it should rise way better. I love biscuits in the air fryer, it makes the outside have that lightly crisp texture, yum!
awe dang.......I keep forgetting to not do that. Hopefully I will remember for next time. Thanks for this tip. 😁 Yeah, I thought overall it was much crispier. Excited to experiment more with my air fryer. What temp are you using and how long for your biscuits in the air fryer?
Funny!! I think I did mine at about 360 or 380, now I’m not sure. Still experimenting myself. Not using it right now in this oppressive heat (Texas near the Gulf)
We don't have stores that sell groceries like yours do and I could never come close to your prices, but one thing is certain and that is that I love your creativity and knowledge of food and cooking. It's truly amazing.
You are so amazing in what you come up with for only $5! This does not look like budget food at all...and you make it so pretty. Even though you totally had me at gravy + breaded and fried. ;-) I also have to add that I love the way you research and teach us about foods of other cultures. We obviously love our Hispanic food influences here in Texas, but Oriental and Indian foods are fairly new territory to me. Heck, I didn't even know what congee was before you showed us. LOL Thanks for everything you do!
I love your videos! I hear a lot of people say “you have to pay for variety” and I love seeing how creative you are with a small number of ingredients and low budget!
It's so calming watching you. I generally put on a couple videos as encouragement when I'm meal prepping. I love your videos regardless of the time (I just love feeling like I'm cooking with someone and getting inspired to experiment). 💕
Congratulations on your new air fryer. I think that you are going to love it. Any recipe can be converted for air fryer use. The rule of thumb is to reduce the baking temperature by 25% and the cooking time in half. 😋
Pat I thought I saw a comment from you recommending a channel but now I can't find it. Did you delete it? I think you said Fabulously Frugal is that right? I have her channel earmarked. You may have told me about her before. Looks like her entire channel is for air fryer cooking. That will be a huge resource for me. 😁
Yes Flour you can make morning muffins or scones, adding raisins, berries, or nuts. Flour you can thicken sauces. Make different homemade pastas, bread, cakes, cookies.
Aww, I remember Shakey's Pizza! Ours closed when I was a teenager, but I remember watching through the glass while they made pizzas. This was before video games came out! LOL! Enjoyed your video...I just ordered an air fryer off of ebay, so I'll be trying out those Mojo Potatoes! 😀
This was SO amazing! I would happily eat any of the creative and varied dishes that you created. Your imagination is truly boundless! I have an air fryer but frankly I’m a little scared of it…maybe it’s time to act like an adult and pull it out of the cabinet. I’m pretty sure that once I try your fried onions I’ll be using them on almost everything. Thank you so much for this video, it’s just what I needed to get out of my rut. We went camping and to bike week in New Hampshire and I was eaten alive by noseums, so I haven’t wanted to cook or do anything but slather up with hydrocortisone cream!❤️
Hi Susan 😁 Thank you so much 💜 I appreciate your support. I'm so grateful for you!!! Ok so I was reading this and getting excited with the camping and bike week .....until I saw the noseeums. I miss camping. 😞 Anything in nature, and you can count me in! I do hate mosquitos and any other biting insects though. I watch another creator that just went to Colorado and it was such beautiful scenery she showed us, but then she said, "you would not believe the size of the mosquitos here" 😂 Bike Week sounds fun. Were you on a motorcycle or a Harley, or were you merely spectating?
@@ArdentMichelle Hi Michelle! I guess really we were ‘glamping’, hardly roughing it with our toy hauler and harleys in the back. I guess it was the 100th anniversary of Laconia bike week. We won’t be able to go to Sturgis this year because we are having a pool installed, so our travel wings will be clipped this year. It was nice, saw lots of great bikes and really nice people. Much quieter than Sturgis!❤️
@@susans9491 oh yeah....I'm DEFINITELY going to vicariously live through you. This all sounds very exciting to me. I rarely get out of my house anymore 😂
@@ArdentMichelle careful of becoming too house bound! I know creating your amazing videos and building your channel has to be exhausting and very time consuming. Still, you should pack a picnic and take your puppy dog on a little day trip! A couple of years ago we were in Santa Cruz and we found a great dog beach. Maybe you’re near a dog park or similar? If your pooch is anything like our little monsters, everything is an exciting adventure!❤️
@@susans9491 You're right. 👍 I do need to get out more for a little shinrin-yoku . 🌲 Nothing like nature for the soul. I get out every day to run in the beautiful nature near my home, but I've done little more lately. Meesha and I used to do frequent picnics 😂 I'll have to plan something for us 😁 Thanks for the reminder.
That is great budgeting and shopping. I don't have to stay on a strict budget but I still love seeing what can be done and what is available and your creativity :) I will definitely try some of these.
This was a fun watch! One word about parchment paper and air fryers: avoid using. In those type of air fryers, the heating element is really close to...well, everything (food and basket) and the paper could catch fire. You're also defeating the purpose of the air fryer, since the air gets forced down and back up through the notches at the bottom and is what makes things cook faster
I have been making your cobbler in the air fryer. So much faster than traditional baking. I recently added a half cup cocoa to the batter because I had a taste for chocolate. It was yummy
I can see that I need to experiment more with my air fryer! You crack me up with my cobbler recipe. You took it camping, and now you're making it in the air fryer 😂
Can you provide a link please to the video for the cobbler mentioned here please? I don't know the history of this recipe and must have missed the video that it first came from but you've got me very intrigued now. 🤔😊
This was an amazing result of an extreme budget challenge! I liked that you used a potato for a challenge like this. In my area, potatoes are one of the best budget foods out there. Have you thought about using grits in a budget challenge? They can be made more on the sweet side for breakfast, and more savory for a lunch or dinner (like shrimp and grits). Speaking of shrimp, I've noticed that the price has gone down since a few years ago. Just a few pieces of shrimp can really elevate a simple meal and still be a low budget dish. I have also used imitation crab meat added to an inexpensive homemade alfredo dish or a salad. Thank you for your videos and I'm going to try a couple of these recipes this week!
Hi Melissa 😁 Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my challenge video. Yes, grits are on my list. I passed by shrimp the other day and was thinking that they were very inexpensive. I'm sure if I ate them, I would have already used them. I'll look into doing this though in a future video. I've also considered using fish more. Thanks for sharing the tip on the imitation crab meat. 😁
I like how you show that a few cents here & there really makes a difference in your budget. I am not talking just about groceries. I read today on Facebook that making your lunch from home can save you enough for a cruise! (Or any other vacation within a year!)
I saw a japanese cooking video of daily living where a mom mixed the raw egg into the cold rice before frying it up. the egg soaked into the rice and made it so much better.
I bet you could have used a flour tortilla wrap for the egg salad and made it like a wrap sandwich if you didn’t want to put it on the zucchini bread. You also could potentially toss the oatmeal in a food processor to make oat flour to use instead of wheat flour. It would work great in the zucchini bread or the pancake.
I love your videos and i look forward to watching them each week. When they run long I consider that a bonus! I watch alot of budget videos, but your channel is my absolute favorite!
Great video Michelle! I’m so glad you got the air fryer! I airfry everything now, but I bet you’re so creative. You will find even more uses. Oh, and I would love the arepA recipe! I have made pupusa’s in the past, my son-in-law is half Salvadorean, but yours looks so much better
You are brilliant. Thank you for sharing. I'm from NY and we no longer have food bins due to crime 😢😢 Sad people hurt others for no reason. Will be giving these recipes a try. Have a blessed day 🥰
Best cheap food video i’ve seen, and i watch a lot of them! You are so good at this Michelle! Even when you use a really small budget, you still manage to make food that is interesting and tasty. Thank you for sharing your gift with us!
This was so incredibly well done! If you laid out the weeks worth of meals and asked someone how much it all cost I highly doubt anyone would guess that it all cost only $5!! 🤯 Thanks so much for being as inspiring and creative as you are, I really wanted to make the zucchini bread but didn't have any zucchini, however I did have a few broccoli cores that I'd been keeping in my crisper drawer to use up, so I just grated them instead and it worked out great! 🥦 + 🥒! 🤔😯 Also, the majority seems to disagree with me but I prefer if videos aren't too long, just because I prefer to watch all the way through and just enjoy the flow of that but if they're long I either don't bother or have to watch it in stages bit by bit, so for me if a video like this is 30 minutes or under that's much better! I also don't have unlimited data for viewing so have to think about that as well, so that factors in too. Really enjoyed this one though and will be sure to try out several of the things you made. It's Winter here right now so the congee would be very welcome at the moment, haven't made that for a while. Thanks 😊
Hello 😁 That's the thing with that bread recipe, you can put almost anything in it and it turns out good. Thanks for the feedback on the length of videos!
Hi Barbara 😁 Thank you so much for the financial support. 🥰 I'm grateful! I'm so glad you liked my video. Hope you love the arepas as much as I do. 👩🍳
Smart budgeting! I love seeing how far you can stretch the budget in these videos. I’d love to see one of these budget videos that are super low carb - no bread, rice, flour, pasta, etc. Limited starches, like potatoes or sweet potatoes, very little fruit, very few beans/legumes. I was recently diagnosed with steroid induced diabetes - meaning that as long as I have to take steroids to treat my autoimmune disease, I will have diabetes, as it’s the drug itself that triggers my high blood sugar. I do have to follow the same diet as someone with regular type 2 diabetes, though, & I have to eat gluten free, so it’s a huge challenge. Add to it that my husband needs to eat higher protein for his health issues, & I only have the stamina to cook one meal for the family (me, hubby, adult daughter), so it’s a real challenge to meet all of our needs. I have to eat 3 meals & 2 snacks per day, to stabilize my blood sugar swings. Each meal has to be less than 30 g of carbs, & each snack needs to be 15 g of carbs. It’s crazy how quickly those carbs add up just from vegetables & veggie-fruits (like tomatoes & avocado). Even onion powder has carbs! 🤯 I’ve got breakfast mostly handled with eggs of some sort every morning. Lunches & dinners are more of a struggle, as eating a salad every meal with protein on top gets old. And we are meat eaters, hubby especially, so lunch & dinner must contain plenty of pure meat. (He won’t eat things like chicken or tuna salad, salmon, even ground beef is something he only consumes every few weeks.) Snacks tend to be Skyr or nuts/nut bar, as pre-portioned items help me verify the carb count easily. But our grocery budget has skyrocketed with the new restrictions, as I have always balanced out our more expensive items with rice, gluten free pasta, or potatoes, & those are very restricted now. No more casseroles or spaghetti nights when the grocery money is running low. If I eat rice or pasta with a low carb meal, it’s usually as a garnish - less than 1/4 cup equals half or more of my allowed carbs per meal. I know it’s unrealistic to feed us for $15/week with our special needs. But I’d love to see how low it could go! It seems like every budget meal plan I’ve come across relies on carbs to fill us up, & that’s not an option with my health situation. Maybe it just can’t be done.
Hello 😁 It's definitely more difficult to eat on a budget when you are doing low carb. I've done a couple low carb videos and I try to give tips in videos where I can. I don't do low carb extreme budget videos because I don't seem to have enough interest in them unfortunately 😞 Have you tried the low carb noodles? I LOVE those!
@@ArdentMichelle I have tried them, not a big fan myself. My sister gave me some - I guess she wasn’t a fan, either. 😂 I find it’s easier to just not eat substitutes than to spend more on things that don’t really cut it, you know? A big part of my weekly budget is gluten free bread for our daughter, & for me to enjoy an occasional slice with breakfast or an open faced sandwich. Thanks for responding! I’ll keep trying to make it work. Have a great week! 🌻
@@thepatchworkcottage There are many varieties of the noodles and some are better than others. The last one I tried was the Miracle Noodles. Many of my low carb viewers love those also, but you have to cook them properly. I thought they tasted very similar to spaghetti noodles - so I used them with a chili garlic sauce. Did you see that video? But anyway, I do understand if you don't like them. I've made lots of other low carb recipes within my videos throughout the last couple years so you might find those helpful. Glad the prices of eggs have come down to make it easier to have more low carb options. You too, have a great rest of your week 😁
@@ArdentMichelle I have watched all of your low carb videos - thanks for sharing them! It’s inspiring, even if it doesn’t exactly meet my needs - it gives me ideas to work from. Thank you!
I’m going to make a Michelle Cookbook to keep up with all of your amazing ideas. Perhaps you will put one together one day but until then…. You are amazing.
Hi Janice 😁 Glad you're enjoying my recipes. I do plan to make one in the future. I'm also planning on doing another channel that I just release the recipes on, so that my viewers can quickly locate recipes they want.
Check how many grams of protein are in the flour--thats probably the difference and higher protein flour can make for a better rise and crumb for Bread. Bread flour is usually 12-14%.
Hi Michelle, I am so impressed with your ability to budget and come up with such delicious recipes. I was out of baking powder and was low on money. Dollar Tree had baking powder and I was very grateful. I want to try some of your recipe ideas. I always save my extra condiment packs and reuse them too. Thanks for new ideas. ❤
Hi Jeanne 😁 Glad you like my challenge video. 💜 I didn't realize Dollar Tree has baking powder. That's awesome, and a great deal! I felt like I could have done more with the condiment packets (sweet and sour sauce) but I really just wanted to use the ones that I thought people might have. Plus, everyone usually has some hot sauce in their cabinet. My sons waste a lot of money on take-out so there is always a supply of those in the house. 😂
Hi Stacy 😁 I just found an arepas de cocoa recipe that calls for cinnamon and brown sugar too. I'm definitely going to revisit this, because I'm also wondering how it would be with some whipped cream and berries inside 😋 The texture was just divine.
I love savoury oatmeal. It’s somewhere between a congee and a risotto for me. I amp up the nutrition with things like wilted spinach, sun-dried tomato, mushrooms, diced bacon, etc. (basically whatever I have to use up in the fridge) and it’s so tasty!
I so enjoy your channel. I’m so glad I found it. Although you are right that your meals aren’t totally complete meals that you could eat like that everyday and stay in optimal health but I think that your recipes is so much healthier than most average people in the US eats. And you expose those fortunate to watch to world cuisine. I want to make most of these recipes you come up with but slightly modified for my dietary needs. I have told people for years that either the right recipes you can eat good on the cheap. The problem is most recipes are not practical and use things that most people have in their cupboards or can easily get inexpensively. Also you don’t waste anything. Making your own bread is huge. Knowing how to eat off leftover is huge too cuz so often people throw away so much food. It appalls me. I also never toss my extra packets I get at fast food places. It works so much better cuz I deeply dislike ketchup so a few packets is all I ever need. I love Taco Bell’s mild sauce as well as del tacos medium sauce and McDonald’s salsa. I only ever order their deluxe breakfast but sub hotcakes for egg. It’s only $6.59 for sausage patty, two strips of bacon, English muffin and hash brown and for me two scrambled eggs. With that I make two open faced breakfast sandwiches and I save the butter pats they include for my baking needs. I make my biscuits in my dash mini pie maker and they come out perfectly in ten minutes for one single biscuit. Living alone I only need one biscuit and it makes the best biscuits ever. Also makes the best fried egg in 1.5-2 minutes depending on how runny or hard you like your eggs
@ recipe is sort of an eyeball of a recipe but I’d say it’s more or less a half cup of self rising flour, a tsp or so of butter, buttermilk enough to make it into a shaggy dough. I have a dash pie maker so that will make roughly one or two biscuits. 10 minutes and done Don’t over fill. If you have an air fryer just plop the dough on a baking sheet and bake at around 350 for ten minutes. But the dash pie maker makes them perfectly. If you have a dash griddle, you need to put a pancake sized amount on the griddle and make flatter biscuits. In that case this will make 3-4 flat biscuits. I got the pie maker at goodwill. It was likely a target floor model cuz it was without the box or any of the things that accompany it like the pie dough cutter. But I figured it out. $5. I use that pie maker more than almost any of my other dash appliances. The griddle is second. Or possibly my Dezin hotpot
I loved this video. For me, onions make it much easier to make delicious meals on a budget. They are an integral part of my pantry. I make onion gravy with beef bouillon powder and eat it over rice all the time, but I don't ever take the time to just fry a few onions to go with meals. I'll be trying that now. Thanks for the idea! Also, corn meal is very frugal and makes great quick breads and fritters and coating for fried veggies so I find it just as important as wheat flour in my pantry. 🧅💜🧅
Hi Kristy 😀 Glad you like this video! What I discovered is that I can make a larger batch of the onions and then throw them in the toaster oven for a couple minutes to get them crispy again for individual meals - but you have to be careful or they will easily burn. I agree about the cornmeal. 👍 I use it in my own pantry. I plan to start showcasing foods made with cornmeal more. Plus I'm dying to try the Colombian arepas because those were so good!
Fantastic video this week! I watch YT either at work while I'm doing computer work or on TV at home while getting stuff done so longer videos are awesome!
Now you have an air fryer, try making egg rolls! So easy and cheap and I freeze them and re-airfry for a second meal. Thanks for your videos. So inspiring!
Yes! 😁That's a great idea 👍 My son's already been experimenting with all kinds of meals too. This is definitely going to be fun! Glad you are enjoying my content. 🥰
To be honest when I saw you were going to do $5 and I saw the amount of food you got I thought what the heck how is this going to stretch there's absolutely no way and GIRL did you prove me wrong!! ❤️ I'm actually going to try to make a couple of your meals a little bigger for me and my kids and and I'm curious at how much it would be
Ooh, these were so good! I'm going to try that apple omelet recipe. The arepas recipe reminds me of Indian Tacos. I love making them for a switch up for tacos sometimes, and we love them! Great job!
Hi Micah 😁 Glad you like this video. I put the link to the original recipe in the description area, in case you didn't see it. I had never heard of Indian Tacos. Thanks for mentioning this because they look delicious. I just added them to my bucket list. 👩🍳
HI Michelle, You are definitely one of my favourite UA-cam channels! You continue to inspire me with your receipes :) I look at your extreme shops and wonder how you are going to make meals out of what you bought, but you always do with so many flavours! I made your congee receipe on the weekend and it was so nice, I have never made this before, but now it will become a staple. Many thanks!
the apple puff is brilliant--just simply brilliant; egg salad is a staple; fried onions are a savior for many meals (you can also coat in Bisquick before frying, if you have it); gravy is the Southern staple--with biscuits of course; your mojo potatoes look fantastic (another winner: olive oil and lemon juice on potato slices, sprinkled with dill and baked); so glad you got an air fryer; zucchini sticks in the air fryer: just coat in olive oil and italian seasoning and air fry (no coating)--delicious--can also do mushrooms this way; another brilliant week--you are amazing...dts/usa
the 20 min difference in the 40-60 mins cooking time for the bread has a lot to do with air moisture! if its a stormy humid stuffy day it might take 60 mins or more, but if its a dry day out it might be closer to 40. Its not the only thing that influences the cooking time/moisture level in the bread, if youre really interested i could def reccomend the book Bread Science by Emily Buehler :)
These videos are super helpful because even though I have a larger grocery budget I get great ideas to save money and use ingredients in different ways ❤
Hi Michelle, you never cease to amaze me with your ingenuity and flair for creating so many tasty meals from what looks like almost nothing! You are a very talented cook and presenter. I am definitely going to try the Puerto Rican arepe recipe. Thank you for all of the hard work you put into these videos. As many of others have commented, a longer video is not a problem for us. 😊
It's a pleasure to watch your videos each week! I even re-watch them to be renew my inspiration. I was excited to see you share your experience with the air fryer. I am always looking for ways to cook without an appliance that requires a 220 plug and have been considering getting an air fryer. I've been sitting on the fence because of my limited kitchen space but you've convinced me that I should have one. I haven't seen the London brand advertised in Canada but I will do a search for them before I make a purchase. I am so impressed with your super extreme budget. I also just wanted to share that a friend of Indian heritage once made me a breakfast consisting of rice and an egg she boiled in the cooking rice. To that she added curry spices. She peeled the egg and chopped it into the rice. She called it something like kitchree (sp?). Sooo good. You made a similar dish reminding me. Thank you again and have a great week 😊
I'm so glad you are enjoying my content. 😁 I'm wondering what that recipe is. It sounds great! I don't think it's kitchari because that usually has either mung beans or another lentil in it. I wasn't able to find anything with kitchree. 🤔 I'll do some more research. Now I want to make the kitchari too though 😂 Thanks so much, hope you have a great week too! 😁
I have been making drop biscuits in the af. Don't know if I am doing them wrong but I can't cut mine either. Decided that they taste so good I don't have to cut them. Lol
I have watched so many extreme budget meal plans on UA-cam and this is by far the most impressive I have ever seen. The variety and creativity is amazing! So glad I found your channel and I definitely subscribed.
So amazing, Michelle! So many flavors, so many meals, so little money!
Glad you like this one. Thanks for letting me know 🥰
Listen to me Michelle. Let us worry about how long we are willing to sit and watch your videos. We don't care if it's 2 hours of our day, you just do what u do best. Oh and thank you we appreciate you
awe...wow...thank you so much 💜 This is so nice. 🤗
I agree. I watch many budget weeks that are 1 hour long and still enjoy the length.
Michelle, I agree with Clara… let your videos be as long as you want! I could listen to you for hours with your soft soothing voice! I have been preparing for a cross country move for the last month and a half. As I near the final hours of preparation I listen to your calming voice and find myself at peace!
@@rebeccaroberts1148 awe...thank you 🥰 I appreciate that. Oh gosh, that DOES sound stressful. 😳 My heart goes out to you. I'm so glad you find my videos peaceful. I'll be thinking of you and wishing you safe travels. 🙏
@@Purple0fairy0bunny Thank you 🥰
My grandmother’s response to old baking powder was “ You just use more!”. Everything you made looks really good.
Yup. Thats what I was told too.
Grandmas always know best 😁 I figured there are lots of people like me that have expired baking powder 😂 Glad you liked my meals.
@@ArdentMichelle Lol!! Just found an expired container in my cupboard!! Thank you
@@alisatjaden3906 😂 I knew there would be at least a few of my viewers that would discover this. They say you should only keep baking soda for 30 days after opening it. I've NEVER done that! 😂
@@ArdentMichelle Thank you ! 😊 Really Love your channel too ❤
Michelle-
What you can do with $5,most people cant do with $45...AMAZING
awe...thank you so much 😁 I appreciate the complement.
Hello, AM, There's an adage, "You can't get blood out of a turnip," but if anyone can, it's YOU!! So resourceful!
Hi Linda 😁 Thank you so much! 🥰 I've heard that saying before too. 😂
People around here spend $5 on a cup of take-out coffee!!! 😃Well done, Michell!!!! Always astounded by your vision in putting ingredients together . . you are like a version of the "Stone Soup" story. . ha ha ha!! Decades ago in high school, a friend used to make lots of banana bread. One time over at her house for snacks, she placed tuna salad on the bread. Me and my other friends thought it was a prank until we had a taste --- delicious!
Hi Jean 😁 thanks so much. It's definitely surprising what combinations taste great together. 😂 You just never know until ya try. Glad you enjoyed this one.
I can't believe you make all this with $5 , actually a few pennies left over, but I saw it with my own eyes, so you ARE a miracle worker. I love this channel. With the leftovers from all your ingredients your last meal was pretty good sized. After one of your latest videos I ordered that sushi mold from Temu, I think it should be here in the next few days, I can hardly wait to use it. I'm so glad the company sent you an air fryer to use, you will use it often. Thanks for another inspiring video, you are the best.
Your loyal subscribe, Charlotte
Hi Charlotte 😁 Yes, you are definitely one of my loyal subscribers 💜 Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked this challenge and also that you are enjoying the products from TEMU. I love their prices! Have a great rest of your week.
There is no comparison between your budget meals and any other you tuber. Hands down you are making the most creative meals with real whole food ingredients. I absolutely love watching these videos. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Thanks so much 😊 I appreciate the complement 💜
Thank you sooooo much for not doing a bunch of oven recipes. The new place I’m moving into doesn’t have an oven
I love watching these extreme budget challenges. Just amazing you did so well and could actually eat for so many days. Great job!
Glad you enjoyed! 😁
Oh my goodness! I cannot believe what you did with $5. It all looks amazing. In all honesty, Id probably still be a little hungry, but the menu is well balanced, simple, and nutritious. It would definitely get someone through an exceptionally tight week. If I could dig up a couple more bucks from under the sofa cushions (LOL), it would probably make a big difference. Thanks so much for taking the time to put this together. Btw, I dont care how long you make your videos!
Thank you so much 😁 this is definitely less than I normally eat but I was so busy this week, that it didn't bother me, otherwise I would have eaten all of the zucchini bread. Also, I was saving it more than I needed to.
I love that you used all of your ingredients and did not waste anything! Great video!
Thanks so much! 😊
one other thought: I use a lot of teas (and no sodas) to save money--I mix tea bags (no sugar) and fruit juice and vitamin powders with ice--drink on these for at least 1/2 the day and it boosts immunity and is very cheap (even if I use 3 or 4 tea bags in combination)--healthy...dts/usa
I truly cant believe you made $5 stretch like that. Tbh i would need more food but you did amazing truly
Thank you 😁 yeah, this wasn't the amount of food that I normally eat. $5 is definitely not enough. Glad you like this. Thanks for letting me know 🥰
I love Von’s & shop sales but Winco is so much cheaper so I shop at Winco. I have been trying new recipes for 47 years as it makes cooking more interesting. When I was a single mother in 1979 I would make my son sing in the bathtub so I could hear him while I was cooking dinner since I worked.
I know the extreme grocery budget challenge doesn't include foraging, but in my area this time of year is great for dandelion leaves for salads-have to be careful it is not sprayed-I take it from my own yard as I know it is not, (tastes like arugula), wild leeks from the forest, crab apple jelly made from local crab apples found on many trees and soon to be wild raspberries growing along our city walking trail etc. Also condo or not, if you get some inexpensive green onion from the grocery store and use only tops, submerge the bottom in water and you will have green onions growing for months in a cup in a window. I make great salad dressing from chive flowers in some regular vinegar etc.
Great tips 👍 Love these!
Great ideas. Dandelion can be dried and used in teas.
Thank you so much for these videos. It means the world to those with limited choices. I can buy ingredients and send them video for the ideas and recipes. Rice, beans always come in pantry boxes from donation centers. That can help save a few dollars too. Dollar tree has spices for 1.25 that will last long time.
Hi Lisa 😁 Thank you so much for the financial support 💜 I appreciate you! 🤗 Walmart has some of these spices for $1.18 for the Great Value brand, and then sometimes you can go without a spice. For example, the paprika in the deviled egg was optional. I'm so glad you like this video. These extreme challenges are my favorite to make.
I have a bottle of ground coriander and one of ground cayenne pepper, both of which I bought at a Dollar Tree at a minimum seven years ago.👀
Every time I need one of those spices, I grab the old bottle and do a sniff check. They're both still going strong all these years later, so in they go! 😂 I have a full cabinet of fresher and more expensive spices, and I grow them as well, but these are staying in rotation til they go bad...which is probably never, lol.
@@RachRolls I have some ground ginger that is that old also. No reason to buy more if it still works 😂
I always get great ideas from you and will be trying those recipes. Love your videos 🌞
Awe...thank you so much for the financial support 💜 I appreciate it so much!
I'm glad you are enjoying my videos.
Oh-with the leftover egg, and egg contaminated flour-I would have made fritters-shred up a little zucchini, onion, and potato-add seasoning and some leavener and fry in a little oil!
Beans and rice and eggs go a long way to keep you full on a low budget. I'm so glad that egg prices have come back down. Remember, use a food pantry if needed.
agreed 👍
Wow you knocked this challenge out of the park! I can't believe all you created for under $5.00. Two weeks ago I wanted avocado to go with my breakfast. Aldi's wanted .95 for each one. One of my other local markets wanted 2 for $3.00. I will have to wait till the price comes down. I wish Winco was near me. I'm sure I could get a lot of bargains just like you do. Thank you for your video's. I am sure you are helping alot of people including myself.
Hi Dawn 😁 I'm so glad you like this one. I had a lot of fun doing it. I do understand that some people don't have access to a store like Winco where you can buy in smaller portion sizes. Walmart has good prices on the basics, you would just have some ingredients left over for the next week. Thanks for letting me know you like this video 🥰
I don’t have a Winco by me either, but I wish I did. One thing I did find about an hour away was a grocery outlet. Sadly the coffee I like from Starbucks is $5.69. That’s why I make coffee now!
@@allyrooh3628 I haven't had much success at Grocery Outlet. 🤷♀
Michelle, after watching you for so long, I have to say *you are a saint* although you might not realize this because you're humble, giving, and absolutely sincere. You're a damn gift to all of us. Your videos are literally the one thing keeping me keeping' on. If you know what I mean. I made your "iffy looking bag of cabbage" and potato soup tonight. It smelled bad at first, but then ... I TASTED IT... and then panicked when I realized I didn't have any fire roasted tomatoes! But then I got into my *Michelle* mindset. I had marinara in the fridge. You bet I used it. ANYWAYS, you are the absolute best, most sincere UA-camr out there. Your videos have kept me going! Best wishes to you, sincerely!
awe...thanks so much 💜 I appreciate this and I'm so glad you have adopted a new mindset of just going with the flow so to speak and utilizing what you have. Rich rewards can be discovered that way...and it's so freeing. I fell in love with that cabbage soup so much that I've been making some kind of version of it for the past few weeks. I didn't say it on the video...but my cabbage was actually to the stinky point when I used it 😂
My youngest son is a huge fan of the cabbage soup too. This morning I made a version with russet potatoes, white cabbage, 2 garlic cloves, some minced ginger and some carrots with a little olive oil on top. No tomatoes this time, and it was so good! I have these little mini sandwich rolls (bread) that I've been dipping in the soup and eating along with it. I'll probably be eating it as much as possible while it's still cool here in California. I'm so glad you enjoyed it too!
Thanks for the this comment 😁 It's made my day!
One thing I learned from your recipe is that cabbage just stinks to begin with because of the family it's from (broccoli smells similar). You taught me a new hack that has upgraded my mindset (and I am almost 40!) I can't wait to see what you do next. Even if you repeat recipes, you are still sending positive messages to so many people who are eager to watch and listen. It's for the frugal, the mindful, the creatives. It's a tribe! Your style is kind and inviting. Please never change @@ArdentMichelle
Michelle - I soooooo appreciate your channel. Your creativity here astounds me. You make things possible when it seems it wouldn't be. And you make it fun. Thanks again Michelle!
Yay! I'm so glad you are enjoying my channel 😁 I appreciate the nice complement 🥰
I'm impressed. I love when people say they are spend $$ and don't go over it. These are fun to watch
Glad you like this video 😁
Amazing AM! For that biscuit - if you can resist twisting the cutter at the end - just use it straight down and back up - it should rise way better. I love biscuits in the air fryer, it makes the outside have that lightly crisp texture, yum!
awe dang.......I keep forgetting to not do that. Hopefully I will remember for next time. Thanks for this tip. 😁 Yeah, I thought overall it was much crispier. Excited to experiment more with my air fryer. What temp are you using and how long for your biscuits in the air fryer?
Funny!! I think I did mine at about 360 or 380, now I’m not sure. Still experimenting myself. Not using it right now in this oppressive heat (Texas near the Gulf)
@@gccheryl4038 Understood 👍 I hope you still have your electricity. 😳 I saw that it was very hot there.
Thank you and yes So far so good👍🏻
We don't have stores that sell groceries like yours do and I could never come close to your prices, but one thing is certain and that is that I love your creativity and knowledge of food and cooking. It's truly amazing.
awe....thanks so much 💜 I appreciate the complement and thanks for watching my videos.
You are so amazing in what you come up with for only $5!
This does not look like budget food at all...and you make it so pretty. Even though you totally had me at gravy + breaded and fried. ;-)
I also have to add that I love the way you research and teach us about foods of other cultures.
We obviously love our Hispanic food influences here in Texas, but Oriental and Indian foods are fairly new territory to me.
Heck, I didn't even know what congee was before you showed us. LOL
Thanks for everything you do!
Hi Paula 😁Thank you so much 🥰 I'm glad you enjoyed this video. I'm learning a lot while creating these videos too, so we are learning together!
You are so awesome. If I had to eat on $5 a week, I would probably keel over from starvation. You are so creative and all of these meals look great!
Thank you! 😊
I love your videos! I hear a lot of people say “you have to pay for variety” and I love seeing how creative you are with a small number of ingredients and low budget!
Hi Alexis 😁 I'm glad you have been enjoying my videos. Thanks for letting me know. 🥰
It's so calming watching you. I generally put on a couple videos as encouragement when I'm meal prepping. I love your videos regardless of the time (I just love feeling like I'm cooking with someone and getting inspired to experiment). 💕
Hello 😁 I'm glad my videos are both peaceful and inspiring to you. 🥰 I love that! Thanks for sharing this with me 💜
Congratulations on your new air fryer. I think that you are going to love it. Any recipe can be converted for air fryer use. The rule of thumb is to reduce the baking temperature by 25% and the cooking time in half. 😋
I thought of you Pat when I got this, because we had been talking about it but I didn't want to spend the money on one 😂 Thanks for the cooking tips.
Pat I thought I saw a comment from you recommending a channel but now I can't find it. Did you delete it? I think you said Fabulously Frugal is that right? I have her channel earmarked. You may have told me about her before. Looks like her entire channel is for air fryer cooking. That will be a huge resource for me. 😁
@@ArdentMichelle Am having wifi problems with my phone. Yes Fabulously Frugal.
@@patpeters6331 understood! Ok thanks for sharing!
@@patpeters6331 I also like frugal fit mom
Yes Flour you can make morning muffins or scones, adding raisins, berries, or nuts.
Flour you can thicken sauces.
Make different homemade pastas, bread, cakes, cookies.
Your ideas for morning scones sound very good 👍
I really like these challenges. You really out do your usual creativity with them.
I have the most fun doing these 😁 Glad you like them.
I swear you are the most creative, budget meal planner I've ever seen!
Thank you so much 😁
Aww, I remember Shakey's Pizza! Ours closed when I was a teenager, but I remember watching through the glass while they made pizzas. This was before video games came out! LOL! Enjoyed your video...I just ordered an air fryer off of ebay, so I'll be trying out those Mojo Potatoes! 😀
Glad you like this video! 😁 I think the mojos were made for an air fryer 😂
This was SO amazing! I would happily eat any of the creative and varied dishes that you created. Your imagination is truly boundless! I have an air fryer but frankly I’m a little scared of it…maybe it’s time to act like an adult and pull it out of the cabinet. I’m pretty sure that once I try your fried onions I’ll be using them on almost everything. Thank you so much for this video, it’s just what I needed to get out of my rut. We went camping and to bike week in New Hampshire and I was eaten alive by noseums, so I haven’t wanted to cook or do anything but slather up with hydrocortisone cream!❤️
Hi Susan 😁 Thank you so much 💜 I appreciate your support. I'm so grateful for you!!! Ok so I was reading this and getting excited with the camping and bike week .....until I saw the noseeums. I miss camping. 😞 Anything in nature, and you can count me in! I do hate mosquitos and any other biting insects though. I watch another creator that just went to Colorado and it was such beautiful scenery she showed us, but then she said, "you would not believe the size of the mosquitos here" 😂 Bike Week sounds fun. Were you on a motorcycle or a Harley, or were you merely spectating?
@@ArdentMichelle Hi Michelle! I guess really we were ‘glamping’, hardly roughing it with our toy hauler and harleys in the back. I guess it was the 100th anniversary of Laconia bike week. We won’t be able to go to Sturgis this year because we are having a pool installed, so our travel wings will be clipped this year. It was nice, saw lots of great bikes and really nice people. Much quieter than Sturgis!❤️
@@susans9491 oh yeah....I'm DEFINITELY going to vicariously live through you. This all sounds very exciting to me. I rarely get out of my house anymore 😂
@@ArdentMichelle careful of becoming too house bound! I know creating your amazing videos and building your channel has to be exhausting and very time consuming. Still, you should pack a picnic and take your puppy dog on a little day trip! A couple of years ago we were in Santa Cruz and we found a great dog beach. Maybe you’re near a dog park or similar? If your pooch is anything like our little monsters, everything is an exciting adventure!❤️
@@susans9491 You're right. 👍 I do need to get out more for a little shinrin-yoku . 🌲 Nothing like nature for the soul. I get out every day to run in the beautiful nature near my home, but I've done little more lately. Meesha and I used to do frequent picnics 😂 I'll have to plan something for us 😁 Thanks for the reminder.
That is great budgeting and shopping. I don't have to stay on a strict budget but I still love seeing what can be done and what is available and your creativity :) I will definitely try some of these.
Yay! 😁 I'm so glad you liked my challenge video!
This was a fun watch! One word about parchment paper and air fryers: avoid using. In those type of air fryers, the heating element is really close to...well, everything (food and basket) and the paper could catch fire. You're also defeating the purpose of the air fryer, since the air gets forced down and back up through the notches at the bottom and is what makes things cook faster
I'm glad you like this video. Thanks for sharing the tip about the air fryer 😁
Great work. I love your creativity. Eating on $5 makes me totally rethink our budget. We spend way too much for two people....
Hi Kristin 😁 Glad you like my latest challenge video! Doing these, has the same kind of impact on my thinking also.
I was shocked at how far you made 5 bucks stretch. Your amazing!!!
Hello 😁 I'm so glad you like my challenge video. Thanks for letting me know 🥰
I have been making your cobbler in the air fryer. So much faster than traditional baking. I recently added a half cup cocoa to the batter because I had a taste for chocolate. It was yummy
I can see that I need to experiment more with my air fryer! You crack me up with my cobbler recipe. You took it camping, and now you're making it in the air fryer 😂
@@ArdentMichelle lol. I also shared it with my family. It's my go to recipe when I want something sweet but don't want to bake. Lol
@@patpeters6331 that's why I've always liked that recipe too. It's super simple and easy to throw together!
Can you provide a link please to the video for the cobbler mentioned here please?
I don't know the history of this recipe and must have missed the video that it first came from but you've got me very intrigued now. 🤔😊
@@alwayslearning9272 here ya go!
ua-cam.com/video/TDjwmJhn1Bc/v-deo.html
Unbelievable!! Thank you for this service you are providing. Variety, creativity, and a healthy dose of gentle humanity. You are a treasure.
awe...thanks so much Randa 💜 I appreciate this complement.
This was an amazing result of an extreme budget challenge! I liked that you used a potato for a challenge like this. In my area, potatoes are one of the best budget foods out there. Have you thought about using grits in a budget challenge? They can be made more on the sweet side for breakfast, and more savory for a lunch or dinner (like shrimp and grits). Speaking of shrimp, I've noticed that the price has gone down since a few years ago. Just a few pieces of shrimp can really elevate a simple meal and still be a low budget dish. I have also used imitation crab meat added to an inexpensive homemade alfredo dish or a salad. Thank you for your videos and I'm going to try a couple of these recipes this week!
Hi Melissa 😁 Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my challenge video. Yes, grits are on my list. I passed by shrimp the other day and was thinking that they were very inexpensive. I'm sure if I ate them, I would have already used them. I'll look into doing this though in a future video. I've also considered using fish more. Thanks for sharing the tip on the imitation crab meat. 😁
If you smash the boiled egg with a fork before adding the condiments-it's so much better tasting! (I like to add a dash of curry powder to it!)
Hi Glenda 😁 Thanks for sharing this! I'm looking forward to trying curry powder in the egg salad.
I like how you show that a few cents here & there really makes a difference in your budget. I am not talking just about groceries. I read today on Facebook that making your lunch from home can save you enough for a cruise! (Or any other vacation within a year!)
thank you and yes, so true 👍
I love this challenge because you give people hope and brilliant ideas! Being on a tight budget isn't the end of the world. You rock!❤
Thank you so much. 😁 I appreciate the complement. 🥰
I lost it when you flipped around the mustard and casually said it wasn’t good anymore lmaooooo
glad to amuse you 😂
$9.24 in my area for the ingredients but still better than normal, thanks for the ideas!
You're welcome 😁 Yeah, this works especially well at Winco or a similar store where you can purchase in smaller quantities. Glad you liked my video. 😁
I saw a japanese cooking video of daily living where a mom mixed the raw egg into the cold rice before frying it up. the egg soaked into the rice and made it so much better.
I love watching Japanese cooking videos. 😁
I bet you could have used a flour tortilla wrap for the egg salad and made it like a wrap sandwich if you didn’t want to put it on the zucchini bread.
You also could potentially toss the oatmeal in a food processor to make oat flour to use instead of wheat flour. It would work great in the zucchini bread or the pancake.
Yes these are great ideas 👍 I thought about using the oat flour to make pancakes, but I just made regular oatmeal instead.
Amazing job, Michelle!! Thanks for all you do!
Hi Esther 😁 You are so generous 💜 Thank you for always supporting me! I'm very grateful 🥰 I'm so glad you like this video.
I love your videos and i look forward to watching them each week. When they run long I consider that a bonus! I watch alot of budget videos, but your channel is my absolute favorite!
Hi Naomi 😁 Thank you so much. 💜 I'm honored that you feel that way!
Have loved Taste of Home. I used to love flipping through their magazine for recipe ideas.
I love all the pictures. These days, I like to be able to see how many positive reviews there are.
On youtube, theres a two ingredient bread. Think its on hillbilly kitchen?.
Thanx Michelle. A pleasure as always. ❤️
That sounds interesting 🤔 One of my viewers just sent me a recipe for a quick white bread, but I haven't tried it yet.
and thank you 🥰
The bread is on the hillbilly kitchen channel. Xo
My son makes banana bread from my junior high recipe & brownies. To the brownies I added espresso powder & a few tablespoons whipping cream.
Those brownies sound yummy! 😋
Seriously delicious looking and amazing, great job! I didn’t know packages of mustard could go bad?
I didn't either 😞 I'm glad you like this challenge video! Thanks for letting me know!
Great video Michelle! I’m so glad you got the air fryer! I airfry everything now, but I bet you’re so creative. You will find even more uses. Oh, and I would love the arepA recipe! I have made pupusa’s in the past, my son-in-law is half Salvadorean, but yours looks so much better
Hi Wendie 😁 Thanks so much! 😊 I'll put the arepa recipe in shortly. I have to run somewhere real quick.
and those arepas were AWESOME tasting! 😋
everything looks good! Miss your little touch of shredded carrots for color but I would eat anything you made! Yummm!
I was craving fruits and vegetables by the end of the week. 😂
This one was so fabulous.Saving money is something that needs to happen in moments of life and you have to do what you have to do.
Thanks again
Hi Karen 😁 glad you like my video. Thanks for letting me know 🥰
You are brilliant. Thank you for sharing. I'm from NY and we no longer have food bins due to crime 😢😢 Sad people hurt others for no reason. Will be giving these recipes a try. Have a blessed day 🥰
Thank you so much 😁 Hope you enjoy the recipes! 👩🍳
Best cheap food video i’ve seen, and i watch a lot of them! You are so good at this Michelle! Even when you use a really small budget, you still manage to make food that is interesting and tasty. Thank you for sharing your gift with us!
Hi Heather 😁 It's my pleasure. Thank YOU for watching my video and for letting me know you like this one 🥰
Wow absolutely Wow! So blown away by what you did with $5 amazing!
Thank you so much 😁
You really are my favorite, favorite, favorite food channel. So creative! I can't get enough of your videos!
Awe.. thanks so much 😁 I appreciate that. I'm glad you are enjoying my videos!
This was so incredibly well done! If you laid out the weeks worth of meals and asked someone how much it all cost I highly doubt anyone would guess that it all cost only $5!! 🤯
Thanks so much for being as inspiring and creative as you are, I really wanted to make the zucchini bread but didn't have any zucchini, however I did have a few broccoli cores that I'd been keeping in my crisper drawer to use up, so I just grated them instead and it worked out great! 🥦 + 🥒! 🤔😯
Also, the majority seems to disagree with me but I prefer if videos aren't too long, just because I prefer to watch all the way through and just enjoy the flow of that but if they're long I either don't bother or have to watch it in stages bit by bit, so for me if a video like this is 30 minutes or under that's much better!
I also don't have unlimited data for viewing so have to think about that as well, so that factors in too.
Really enjoyed this one though and will be sure to try out several of the things you made. It's Winter here right now so the congee would be very welcome at the moment, haven't made that for a while. Thanks 😊
Hello 😁 That's the thing with that bread recipe, you can put almost anything in it and it turns out good. Thanks for the feedback on the length of videos!
Thanks! The time and thought you put into your meals is amazing. Can't wait to try the arepa!
Hi Barbara 😁 Thank you so much for the financial support. 🥰 I'm grateful! I'm so glad you liked my video. Hope you love the arepas as much as I do. 👩🍳
Love watching all your meals and enjoy your sweet voice, keep them coming ❤
Thank you so much 🤗
Love your videos!!! Perfect thing to watch this sunday morning
Glad you enjoy my videos 😁
Smart budgeting! I love seeing how far you can stretch the budget in these videos.
I’d love to see one of these budget videos that are super low carb - no bread, rice, flour, pasta, etc. Limited starches, like potatoes or sweet potatoes, very little fruit, very few beans/legumes. I was recently diagnosed with steroid induced diabetes - meaning that as long as I have to take steroids to treat my autoimmune disease, I will have diabetes, as it’s the drug itself that triggers my high blood sugar. I do have to follow the same diet as someone with regular type 2 diabetes, though, & I have to eat gluten free, so it’s a huge challenge. Add to it that my husband needs to eat higher protein for his health issues, & I only have the stamina to cook one meal for the family (me, hubby, adult daughter), so it’s a real challenge to meet all of our needs.
I have to eat 3 meals & 2 snacks per day, to stabilize my blood sugar swings. Each meal has to be less than 30 g of carbs, & each snack needs to be 15 g of carbs. It’s crazy how quickly those carbs add up just from vegetables & veggie-fruits (like tomatoes & avocado). Even onion powder has carbs! 🤯
I’ve got breakfast mostly handled with eggs of some sort every morning. Lunches & dinners are more of a struggle, as eating a salad every meal with protein on top gets old. And we are meat eaters, hubby especially, so lunch & dinner must contain plenty of pure meat. (He won’t eat things like chicken or tuna salad, salmon, even ground beef is something he only consumes every few weeks.) Snacks tend to be Skyr or nuts/nut bar, as pre-portioned items help me verify the carb count easily. But our grocery budget has skyrocketed with the new restrictions, as I have always balanced out our more expensive items with rice, gluten free pasta, or potatoes, & those are very restricted now. No more casseroles or spaghetti nights when the grocery money is running low. If I eat rice or pasta with a low carb meal, it’s usually as a garnish - less than 1/4 cup equals half or more of my allowed carbs per meal.
I know it’s unrealistic to feed us for $15/week with our special needs. But I’d love to see how low it could go! It seems like every budget meal plan I’ve come across relies on carbs to fill us up, & that’s not an option with my health situation. Maybe it just can’t be done.
Hello 😁 It's definitely more difficult to eat on a budget when you are doing low carb. I've done a couple low carb videos and I try to give tips in videos where I can. I don't do low carb extreme budget videos because I don't seem to have enough interest in them unfortunately 😞 Have you tried the low carb noodles? I LOVE those!
@@ArdentMichelle I have tried them, not a big fan myself. My sister gave me some - I guess she wasn’t a fan, either. 😂 I find it’s easier to just not eat substitutes than to spend more on things that don’t really cut it, you know? A big part of my weekly budget is gluten free bread for our daughter, & for me to enjoy an occasional slice with breakfast or an open faced sandwich.
Thanks for responding! I’ll keep trying to make it work. Have a great week! 🌻
@@thepatchworkcottage There are many varieties of the noodles and some are better than others. The last one I tried was the Miracle Noodles. Many of my low carb viewers love those also, but you have to cook them properly. I thought they tasted very similar to spaghetti noodles - so I used them with a chili garlic sauce. Did you see that video? But anyway, I do understand if you don't like them. I've made lots of other low carb recipes within my videos throughout the last couple years so you might find those helpful. Glad the prices of eggs have come down to make it easier to have more low carb options. You too, have a great rest of your week 😁
@@ArdentMichelle I have watched all of your low carb videos - thanks for sharing them! It’s inspiring, even if it doesn’t exactly meet my needs - it gives me ideas to work from. Thank you!
I’m going to make a Michelle Cookbook to keep up with all of your amazing ideas. Perhaps you will put one together one day but until then….
You are amazing.
Hi Janice 😁 Glad you're enjoying my recipes. I do plan to make one in the future. I'm also planning on doing another channel that I just release the recipes on, so that my viewers can quickly locate recipes they want.
Many thanks.
You are a budget Rock Star! We appreciate you!❤❤
Hi Donna 😁 Thank you so much 🥰
Zucchini bread was a great choice. BTW, perfect internal temp on a basic bread is 200F
Hi Dawn 😁 Hmm.... I've never tested internal temp on a bread before. Sounds like a pro tip to me. 👩🍳 Thanks for sharing this! I'll have to try it.
Check how many grams of protein are in the flour--thats probably the difference and higher protein flour can make for a better rise and crumb for Bread. Bread flour is usually 12-14%.
Thanks for the info 👍
Hi Michelle, I am so impressed with your ability to budget and come up with such delicious recipes. I was out of baking powder and was low on money. Dollar Tree had baking powder and I was very grateful. I want to try some of your recipe ideas. I always save my extra condiment packs and reuse them too. Thanks for new ideas. ❤
Hi Jeanne 😁 Glad you like my challenge video. 💜 I didn't realize Dollar Tree has baking powder. That's awesome, and a great deal! I felt like I could have done more with the condiment packets (sweet and sour sauce) but I really just wanted to use the ones that I thought people might have. Plus, everyone usually has some hot sauce in their cabinet. My sons waste a lot of money on take-out so there is always a supply of those in the house. 😂
@@ArdentMichelle ❤️😂
Some places in Puerto Rico make coconut arepas using coconut milk. Delicious for breakfast and with seafood
Hi Stacy 😁 I just found an arepas de cocoa recipe that calls for cinnamon and brown sugar too. I'm definitely going to revisit this, because I'm also wondering how it would be with some whipped cream and berries inside 😋 The texture was just divine.
The savory oatmeal reminds me of congee.
Hi Colette 😁 That's what I was thinking too.
I love savoury oatmeal. It’s somewhere between a congee and a risotto for me.
I amp up the nutrition with things like wilted spinach, sun-dried tomato, mushrooms, diced bacon, etc. (basically whatever I have to use up in the fridge) and it’s so tasty!
@@bern84 That sounds delicious!
I so enjoy your channel. I’m so glad I found it. Although you are right that your meals aren’t totally complete meals that you could eat like that everyday and stay in optimal health but I think that your recipes is so much healthier than most average people in the US eats. And you expose those fortunate to watch to world cuisine. I want to make most of these recipes you come up with but slightly modified for my dietary needs. I have told people for years that either the right recipes you can eat good on the cheap. The problem is most recipes are not practical and use things that most people have in their cupboards or can easily get inexpensively. Also you don’t waste anything. Making your own bread is huge. Knowing how to eat off leftover is huge too cuz so often people throw away so much food. It appalls me. I also never toss my extra packets I get at fast food places. It works so much better cuz I deeply dislike ketchup so a few packets is all I ever need. I love Taco Bell’s mild sauce as well as del tacos medium sauce and McDonald’s salsa. I only ever order their deluxe breakfast but sub hotcakes for egg. It’s only $6.59 for sausage patty, two strips of bacon, English muffin and hash brown and for me two scrambled eggs. With that I make two open faced breakfast sandwiches and I save the butter pats they include for my baking needs. I make my biscuits in my dash mini pie maker and they come out perfectly in ten minutes for one single biscuit. Living alone I only need one biscuit and it makes the best biscuits ever. Also makes the best fried egg in 1.5-2 minutes depending on how runny or hard you like your eggs
Love this idea of single biscuits. Can I get your recipe?
@ recipe is sort of an eyeball of a recipe but I’d say it’s more or less a half cup of self rising flour, a tsp or so of butter, buttermilk enough to make it into a shaggy dough. I have a dash pie maker so that will make roughly one or two biscuits. 10 minutes and done Don’t over fill. If you have an air fryer just plop the dough on a baking sheet and bake at around 350 for ten minutes. But the dash pie maker makes them perfectly. If you have a dash griddle, you need to put a pancake sized amount on the griddle and make flatter biscuits. In that case this will make 3-4 flat biscuits. I got the pie maker at goodwill. It was likely a target floor model cuz it was without the box or any of the things that accompany it like the pie dough cutter. But I figured it out. $5. I use that pie maker more than almost any of my other dash appliances. The griddle is second. Or possibly my Dezin hotpot
Oh my gosh… Shakey’s had the best Mojoes for sure !!!
yes!!!
I loved this video. For me, onions make it much easier to make delicious meals on a budget. They are an integral part of my pantry. I make onion gravy with beef bouillon powder and eat it over rice all the time, but I don't ever take the time to just fry a few onions to go with meals. I'll be trying that now. Thanks for the idea! Also, corn meal is very frugal and makes great quick breads and fritters and coating for fried veggies so I find it just as important as wheat flour in my pantry. 🧅💜🧅
Hi Kristy 😀 Glad you like this video! What I discovered is that I can make a larger batch of the onions and then throw them in the toaster oven for a couple minutes to get them crispy again for individual meals - but you have to be careful or they will easily burn. I agree about the cornmeal. 👍 I use it in my own pantry. I plan to start showcasing foods made with cornmeal more. Plus I'm dying to try the Colombian arepas because those were so good!
Fantastic video this week! I watch YT either at work while I'm doing computer work or on TV at home while getting stuff done so longer videos are awesome!
Thank you so much 😁 I'm glad you like this one and are ok with longer videos! I appreciate the feedback 🥰
Now you have an air fryer, try making egg rolls! So easy and cheap and I freeze them and re-airfry for a second meal.
Thanks for your videos. So inspiring!
Yes! 😁That's a great idea 👍 My son's already been experimenting with all kinds of meals too. This is definitely going to be fun! Glad you are enjoying my content. 🥰
To be honest when I saw you were going to do $5 and I saw the amount of food you got I thought what the heck how is this going to stretch there's absolutely no way and GIRL did you prove me wrong!! ❤️ I'm actually going to try to make a couple of your meals a little bigger for me and my kids and and I'm curious at how much it would be
Hello 😁 I think that every time I do these challenges. 😂 I'm so glad you like my video. Let me know how the meals turn out.
Very good. You are talented and show you can eat well on a budget.
Thanks so much 😁 Glad you like my video.
Ooh, these were so good! I'm going to try that apple omelet recipe. The arepas recipe reminds me of Indian Tacos. I love making them for a switch up for tacos sometimes, and we love them! Great job!
Hi Micah 😁 Glad you like this video. I put the link to the original recipe in the description area, in case you didn't see it. I had never heard of Indian Tacos. Thanks for mentioning this because they look delicious. I just added them to my bucket list. 👩🍳
HI Michelle, You are definitely one of my favourite UA-cam channels! You continue to inspire me with your receipes :) I look at your extreme shops and wonder how you are going to make meals out of what you bought, but you always do with so many flavours! I made your congee receipe on the weekend and it was so nice, I have never made this before, but now it will become a staple. Many thanks!
Thanks so much 💜
the apple puff is brilliant--just simply brilliant; egg salad is a staple; fried onions are a savior for many meals (you can also coat in Bisquick before frying, if you have it); gravy is the Southern staple--with biscuits of course; your mojo potatoes look fantastic (another winner: olive oil and lemon juice on potato slices, sprinkled with dill and baked); so glad you got an air fryer; zucchini sticks in the air fryer: just coat in olive oil and italian seasoning and air fry (no coating)--delicious--can also do mushrooms this way; another brilliant week--you are amazing...dts/usa
Thanks Dana 😁 I'll definitely be trying some of your tips.
the 20 min difference in the 40-60 mins cooking time for the bread has a lot to do with air moisture! if its a stormy humid stuffy day it might take 60 mins or more, but if its a dry day out it might be closer to 40.
Its not the only thing that influences the cooking time/moisture level in the bread, if youre really interested i could def reccomend the book Bread Science by Emily Buehler :)
great point 👍
All I'm going to say is Wow
Thank you 🥰 Glad you like this.
These videos are super helpful because even though I have a larger grocery budget I get great ideas to save money and use ingredients in different ways ❤
Hi Stacy 😁 Glad my videos are helpful and inspire you in the kitchen. Thanks for letting me know 🥰
Love your videos! Great inspiration for budget eating or for a fun challenge.
awe...thank you so much for the support 🥰 I'm glad you are enjoying my videos and that you like this one! 😁 I'm grateful for your donation! 💜
I need to do this and stop wasting so much food! Great video!
Hi Becky 😁 Glad you like this video!
I am hooked on your videos and your voice is so soothing. Thank you so much for these five dollar challenges
Yay! 😁 I'm so glad you are enjoying my content and that my voice is soothing to you 🥰 Thanks for letting me know!
That's was amazing! You did fantastic things with the small amount of food you had👏🏼👏🏼
Glad you like my video. Thanks for letting me know 😁
I save my condiments always ! I try to use them on no spend days.
They do help a lot
Hi Michelle, you never cease to amaze me with your ingenuity and flair for creating so many tasty meals from what looks like almost nothing! You are a very talented cook and presenter. I am definitely going to try the Puerto Rican arepe recipe. Thank you for all of the hard work you put into these videos. As many of others have commented, a longer video is not a problem for us. 😊
Thank you so much! 😁 Glad you are enjoying my content. Thanks for letting me know 🥰
Thanks!
Thank you so much for the support 💜
Play the creativity with food on hand I get Meals on Wheels and that's how I do it
Meals on Wheels is awesome! I'm so glad you have that resource!
I can't believe you only used FIVE bucks!! Wow Michelle!
Thanks 😁 I'm glad you like this one! 🥰
It's a pleasure to watch your videos each week! I even re-watch them to be renew my inspiration. I was excited to see you share your experience with the air fryer. I am always looking for ways to cook without an appliance that requires a 220 plug and have been considering getting an air fryer. I've been sitting on the fence because of my limited kitchen space but you've convinced me that I should have one. I haven't seen the London brand advertised in Canada but I will do a search for them before I make a purchase. I am so impressed with your super extreme budget. I also just wanted to share that a friend of Indian heritage once made me a breakfast consisting of rice and an egg she boiled in the cooking rice. To that she added curry spices. She peeled the egg and chopped it into the rice. She called it something like kitchree (sp?). Sooo good. You made a similar dish reminding me. Thank you again and have a great week 😊
I'm so glad you are enjoying my content. 😁 I'm wondering what that recipe is. It sounds great! I don't think it's kitchari because that usually has either mung beans or another lentil in it. I wasn't able to find anything with kitchree. 🤔 I'll do some more research. Now I want to make the kitchari too though 😂 Thanks so much, hope you have a great week too! 😁
I have been making drop biscuits in the af. Don't know if I am doing them wrong but I can't cut mine either. Decided that they taste so good I don't have to cut them. Lol
same, mine tasted perfect. 😋 biscuits are so delicious! I'm wondering if they should have been cooked at a hotter temp. I need to experiment.
I have watched so many extreme budget meal plans on UA-cam and this is by far the most impressive I have ever seen. The variety and creativity is amazing! So glad I found your channel and I definitely subscribed.
Wow, thank you! 😁 I appreciate the complement. Welcome to my channel! 🥳🎉 I'm so glad you are joining us.