My Favorite Cheap Eats

One gets tired of beans and greens after awhile.  There are actually a lot of tastier ways to stretch a $30/week Food Stamp budget, and I'd like to share some of my favorites.  This is just a sampling of ideas.

Note:  If you buy these at your local Mennonite store (doesn't everyone have one of these?) you will get a huge lot of bang for your SNAP buck:

• Mushrooms - fresh mushrooms, primarily white but sometime portobello or shiitake, are available at amazingly cheap prices if you hit your Mennonite store on the right day.  I wash, slice, and freeze these in saved bread bags.  Then they are available to be sautéed up with your onions and peppers for omelets, vegie (or other) burgers, stroganoff, sandwiches....
• Cashews - raw, unsalted cashews are very versatile.  They add character to chili and stir fries, and are great for snacking. 
• Sliced almonds - I have found  sliced almonds to cost less than the same weight of whole, raw, unsalted almonds.  And they save you so much work!  Toss them into your green salads, morning cereal, yogurt & fruit (of course, use plain, organic yogurt and your own canned fruit), and homemade banana bread and granola
• Raisins and sweetened dried cranberries - these are my personal favorites in the dried fruit line.   You can get the large restaurant bags of bran, cornflakes or a generic version of Grape Nuts (in our Wegmans they call it "Wheat Crunch."  Someone in marketing lacked imagination)  and dress them up with a combination of dried fruit and nuts and have a much more flavorful and healthy breakfast. 
• 5 lb. bag of quality pancake mix - ah...the joy of Sunday mornings with a big stack of homemade pancakes and the real article syrup (see below).  I always make more than required for the meal and then use the leftovers for snack roll-ups for later with jam, peanut butter, bananas, etc. 
• 5 lb. bag of quality shortcake mix - this is another Mennonite grocery special.  Just spread a layer of home-canned fruit and a little sweetener and spice in a baking pan, blend some  shortcake mix with water/milk and a little melted butter, spread it over the top and bake and, voila, you have fruit cobbler. 
• Bread from your local discount outlet - the really good, whole grain, no high-fructose corn syrup varieties are frequently on "Manager's Special" for $1.00/loaf.  If you say you want their discard lots for chicken feed, you can get it for even less.  Just tell them you won't eat it yourself.  Save the bags for food storage.  After you re-use and wash them a couple of times, recycle.
• Fresh ginger root - grate this generously into your stir fry.  The aroma and taste are heavenly.
• Red curry paste - when you want a real kick to your vegetable dish - a teaspoonful goes a long way.
• Club pack tilapia or other low-priced fish - wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap and freeze (in a used bread bag).  Eating fish every third day, I stretch $15 worth of fish for two weeks, and even shared with company!
• 1/2 gallon of genuine maple syrup - dole it out sparingly and you'll feel rich.

More anon.