Recipes-on-a-Budget
Posted
Tue, 01/24/12
The Recipes-on-a-Budget Cookbook was released by Food Fare today.
The cookbook features more than 150 recipes for inexpensive meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, side dishes, beverages and snacks.
I wrote the following introduction for the book:
The current economic climate has forced many households to trim their food budgets. Families either do without, or find ways to stretch ingredients in multiple dishes with inexpensive fillers. Ironically, as many also go without health insurance, they are forced to purchase "cheap" foods that are often unhealthy in order to feed their families.
Perhaps the worst of the lot includes boxed macaroni and cheese (since when is cheese orange in color?), frozen burritos, hamburger helper (loaded with sodium even before meat is added), soup concentrates (check the label for sodium content!), hot dogs, fried chicken…the list goes on, but I'm sure you get the drift.
It doesn't have to be that way. With a little pre-planning, such as coupon-clipping and opting to buy generic brands, healthy food can be prepared to go a long way without exceeding the weekly budget. I know what it's like to live on ramen noodles for weeks and months on end because of dire financial straits, which in part inspired me to assemble the Recipes-on-a-Budget Cookbook. I'm quite familiar with the dread and semi-panic of digging for change just to buy a few packages of ramen and frozen vegetables in order to feed myself for the week. Thankfully, those days are over but I will never forget them.
Eggs have suffered a bad reputation over the years, but they are actually full of protein and fairly inexpensive. Frozen vegetables, pastas and beans are also economical, especially when generic brands are substituted. The notion that generic brands equal inferior quality is a misnomer. More often than not, the same product being presented in brand-name packaging is the same in generic foods. Some people have psychological fixations that preclude buying generic for fear of being labeled. However, if it comes to feeding your family or going without, the choice is obvious.
That being said, not all dishes contained in the Recipes-on-a-Budget Cookbook are health-strict, but they are nutritious for the most part and affordable.
Some of Food Fare's new budget-conscious recipes include Beef Chuck Strip Steaks, Brown Sugar Tea, Cheese Pennies, Chicken-Tater Bowls, Chocolate Custard Cups, Fish Stick Casserole, Fluffy Omelet Pie, Ham & Sprout Toss, Meatball Pot Pies, Mushrooms & Cream, Orange Pancakes, Poultry Potpourri, Smudge Muffins, Turkey-Moo Lasagna, Yogurt Cake and many more.
Recipes-on-a-Budget is available in both Kindle and Nook-Book editions.
Click here for ordering options, screenshots and a complete recipe list.
Enjoy!
Tags: Cookbooks
Send
Comment >
