I was pondering this today as I utilized one of my tricks when we had company.

When I make tacos I cook up one lb of meat and then add 1 cup of brown rice after the burger is ground and before I add the seasoning. Our family is to big for one lb of meat anymore and this gives us enough extra to fill everyone's bellies and have enough to make dh a burrito or two for work as well (I just roll the leftover refried beans, taco meat, cheese, and salsa in a tortilla). IMO the rice does not change the taste or texture of the meat. It is much cheaper than adding more meat at $4 a lb for organic beef from costco (I think I pay less than a buck a lb for the organic brown rice) and it is healthier than consuming the extra meat.

So, what are some of your stretch the food or food dollar type tricks?

we use shredded potatoes in our tacos.. like you do the rice, but it's potato.

I even add rice to my refried beans in homemade burritos! Mix it up and then assemble them!

cheap eats is my favorite subject...

beans and rice... fills 'em up and costs very little. I get my sandwich bread form the bread store 5/$2 and freeze. My fresh bread is for dinner or snacks, made into rolls and ready for preserves.

I don't buy chips or prepacked snacks (like Lil Debbie) and I limit the amount of fruit I buy from the grocery store. Fresh strawberries in January aren't fresh...they're well traveled!

the only think i can think of that we use to stretch things is brown rice and lentils. i add lentils to our 1lb of meat to make it stretch for tacos or burrittos. i prefer chili without rice, but i serve it over rice to make it go lots further.

I buy two whole roaster chickens from Costco... then I have meals all week with them. First night: roast chicken and mashed potatoes, third night: chicken and taragon penne, 5th night: chicken noodle soup ala the crock pot (which we had tonight)... I even put the left overs on salad. It is a great way to make a meal last forever with just a few other things (mostly pasta and veggies).

I make a huge batch of crock pot pintos (I used to do this on the stove, but now I have a crock pot and I do it just like my mom did in there), and have that pretty much the same way. First night: Burritos with all the trimmings, third night: add them to not add so much cheese to enchilladas, fifth night: use the last of them to make mixed bean soup with canned beans (or chili).

Huge batch of brown rice... fried rice, rice and pintos, add to burritos, put under my lemon tahini romaine salad, make snack for kids by frying with a little butter and Braggs (I am trying to cut back on microwave use, but I have used it for doing this many times before)...

i prefer chili without rice, but i serve it over rice to make it go lots further.

I serve chili over brown rice also... but what my dh REALLY loves (kids too) is chili over small shell pasta. It still makes it go a lot farther and they really do like it better. I have started to save my brown rice for something like black bean soup (which is really similar to chili in texture.... just indian instead of mexican seasonings).

Val

Fresh strawberries in January aren't fresh...they're well traveled!

So true, some lady laughed at me the other day because Cyan said "Look mom! Green beans! I love green beans!" And I replied with "Honey, those are so far out of season your body wouldn't know what to do with them."

Val, would you mind sharing your chicken & tarragon penne recipe please? :)

Ohh, good ideas!

For some reason, I never thought to add rice to our taco meat. I will have to try that. DH has been telling me I need to cook 2 lbs. of meat for tacos...I've been upping it from a pound to a pound and a half--now I'll go back to a pound and rice!

I put a pot of pintos in my crockpot just now! Val, do you just cook them in the crockpot, or do you add anything to them? I usually "refry" them in a pan. Do you do it all in the crockpot?

last night we had chicken drumsticks and with the leftover "stuff" left in the pan and the 1 remaining drumstick I decided to boil it all down to make a chicken broth. Today for lunch dh and I will be having chicken soup.

I don't know if I stretch anything. Hm. Let me think.

We do save a lot by not drinking things at meals except water or iced green/white/herbal tea. I make a pitcher with 5-6 bags, which is stretching it ;) But, I refuse to water down orange juice - my ex-step-dad always did that and <gag> I HATED it.

Stretch eggs by making a "scramble" with lots of veggies (versus cooking one or two eggs per kid). I can feed my whole family with 4-5 eggs that way. :)

Stretch one or two apples left by slicing thinly and adding to a pancake batter or muffins (because otherwise there would be a fight over who got to eat the last apple)

I put a pot of pintos in my crockpot just now! Val, do you just cook them in the crockpot, or do you add anything to them? I usually "refry" them in a pan. Do you do it all in the crockpot?

I put them in the crock pot over night to soak, then I switch out the water in the morning and put them on low until dinner time. Then I add Lawreys Season Salt and a bit of pepper. That is it for us... the kids like it when I 're fry' them... but I like them just plain in a bowl with a bit of chedder. Yum! My mom used to put a little bit of dried corn (not the popcorn kind, dried corn kind) but I can't find it ANYWHERE... I ask my co-op first, and then Fred Meyers and Safeway. No one has it!

Val, would you mind sharing your chicken & tarragon penne recipe please?

I make a rue (2 Tbs butter melted in your pan with two Tbs flour added in) and then add in 2 cups of chicken broth and the left over chicken off the bone from the roast chickens. Then I add a 1/2 cup of parmesean, one twig of terragon (all the leaves stripped of the twig and chopped slightly, lots of pepper, and salt to taste. That is it... really. And it is SO good! I have thought that it would be really good to add peas. Yum... but never have cuz dh doesn't like them. Then I toss it with penne... if the sauce is thick, I add a bit of milk.

It is so good guys!

Sarah has a great solution to left over juices for the bottom of the crock pot... she dumps in CousCous and a few veggies... it is brilliant! I bought some couscous last week and am going to try this with any meat leftovers.

Val

Sarah has a great solution to left over juices for the bottom of the crock pot... she dumps in CousCous and a few veggies... it is brilliant! I bought some couscous last week and am going to try this with any meat leftovers.

Val

This sounds awesome! DS would so love this (as would I :D). Thanks for sharing that.

[QUOTE=BlueRoseMama;2789686 My mom used to put a little bit of dried corn (not the popcorn kind, dried corn kind) but I can't find it ANYWHERE... I ask my co-op first, and then Fred Meyers and Safeway. No one has it!

Val[/QUOTE]

Like this???
Amazon.com: Just Tomatoes Just Corn, 8-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 3): Grocery (http://www.amazon.com/Just-Tomatoes-Corn-8-Ounce-Tubs/dp/B000PELXOS/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1199302017&sr=8-1)Amazon.com: Just Tomatoes Just Corn, 8-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 3): Grocery (http://www.amazon.com/Just-Tomatoes-Corn-8-Ounce-Tubs/dp/B000PELXOS/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1199302017&sr=8-1)

nope... not freeze dried.. just dry. like some one cut it off the cobb and let it sit in the sun. nak...

nope... not freeze dried.. just dry. like some one cut it off the cobb and let it sit in the sun. nak...

Do you mean like the kind of corn you would grind for cornmeal?

I can get it from my co-op--whole yellow organic corn 5 # .65 lb. (3.25).

Or am I still not getting it? Not grain, but dried sweet corn?

I get FRESH strawberries in Jan here, it's the start of our season! It's the ones in June that are well traveled for us!

We use rice in our taco's as well.
I also make rice or noodles when we do chili then we have chili left for chili dogs the next night. Dh is meat eater like no other tho and it is hard to stretch the meat with fillers because he complains he wants meat not fillers.

I use tvp to stretch anything I use ground beef for. Tacos, chili, spaghetti, asian lettuce wraps etc. I just add a handful or two after the meat is browned but before I season the heck out of it. Even my anti-soy dh loves it.

Let's see, $3 glass carafe for ice water at meals, that has helped our juice habit alot! I know I do more because I pat myself on the back everytime I think of them, but nothing is coming to me at the moment! :)

Our strategies are pretty basic: cook from scratch, eat local, eat in season, eat plenty of bean and rice meals. Use meat as a "garnish" rather than the main ingredient. Drink water. Buy in bulk. We do like Val mentions w/the chickens...use the same ingredient over and over again in different ways. We do the same with beans and rice - make a huge pot of pinto beans. Day one the pintos are served over fresh brown rice w/ hot sauce and a dollop of sour cream. The next day we'll have tacos, adding some ground beef and lettuce to the pintos and serving in corn taco shells. The next, make quinoa and have burritos with the last of the beans.

We do the same thing with whole chickens and roasts as well.

Chicke:

First meal is roast chicken with potatoes and veggies
Second meal is chicken pot pie or chicken enchaladas
Third meal is chicken noodle soup

Roast:

First meal is roast of course
Second meal is usually stroganoff
Third meal is beef veggie soup

We do like Val mentions w/the chickens...use the same ingredient over and over again in different ways. We do the same with beans and rice - make a huge pot of pinto beans. Day one the pintos are served over fresh brown rice w/ hot sauce and a dollop of sour cream. The next day we'll have tacos, adding some ground beef and lettuce to the pintos and serving in corn taco shells. The next, make quinoa and have burritos with the last of the beans.

we do too. it makes meal planning and shopping much easier as well as being good for the budget.