By Beth Rank
I am very blessed to have my choice of 4 different grocery stores within about a 1-2 mile radius of my home. This is very convenient for me because I can check the ads for sales and I do not waste a lot of gas going from store to store. I am able to take advantage of getting good deals. I realize that many do not have this luxury though, and must make do with whatever store is in their area.
I try to keep my pantry stocked with canned tomatoes and have found that Aldi's has the best deal on these. If you have an Aldi's near you, take advantage of their cheaper, yet good canned goods. I cannot stress how important it is to keep basic things stocked in your cupboards like canned and dried beans, veggies including tomatoes, canned soups, pasta and rice. Not only are they handy to use, they could be a lifesaver in an emergency.
This week, chicken is on sale, so I will be buying a couple of family packages and freezing some. I will probably make a casserole and put the rest in the freezer. Ground beef is on sale, so is block cheese, fresh tomatoes, and lettuce. Sounds like the old boy and I will be having tacos. Did you know you can make your own tortillas, refried beans and taco seasoning? I will post recipes below. My point is, I am planning my meals for the week around what things are on sale. Huge savings this way!
I would like to encourage people to share these articles with their children and young people so they can begin to learn how to stretch their money and show them how to take the time to prepare healthy food. I see so many living off from fast food! Such a waste of good health and money! Bring your children into the kitchen and teach them some basic, healthy recipes. Many have no idea how to cook an egg, let alone a casserole!
Homemade Taco Seasoning:
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons dried minced onion (or add chopped onions when browning ground beef)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Additional Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup water
Directions:
Combine the first nine ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 1 year. Yield: 4 batches (about 1 cup total).
To prepare seasoned beef: In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add 1/4 cup taco seasoning mix and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Easy Flour Tortillas:
(Makes 8)
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into eight portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.
In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm. Yield: 8 tortillas.
Refried Beans Recipe
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of dry pinto beans (about 1 lb or 450gm)
3 quarts of water
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
2 Tbsp (or more to taste) olive oil
1/4 cup water
Salt to taste
Cheddar cheese (optional)
Directions:
1 Rinse the beans in water and remove any small stones, pieces of dirt, or bad beans.
2 Cook the beans in water.
Regular method Put beans into a pot and cover beans with at least 3 inches of water - about 3 quarts for 2 1/2 cups of dry beans. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer, covered, for about 2 1/2 hours. The cooking time will vary depending on the batch of beans you have. The beans are done when they are soft and the skin is just beginning to break open.
Strain the beans from the cooking water.
3 Add the onions and oil to a wide, sturdy (not with a flimsy stick-free lining) frying pan on medium high heat. Cook onions until translucent. (Note the onions are optional, you can skip them if you want.) Add the strained beans and about a 1/4 cup of water to the pan. Using a potato masher, mash the beans in the pan, while you are cooking them, until they are a rough purée. Add more water if necessary to keep the fried beans from getting too dried out. Add salt to taste. Add a few slices of cheddar cheese, or some (1/2 cup) grated cheddar cheese if you want. When beans are heated through (and optional cheese melted) the beans are ready to serve.
Note that many recipes call for soaking the beans overnight and discarding the soaking liquid. The person who's recipe this is doesn't. They discard the cooking liquid and just add some water back into the frying pan when they are frying the beans.
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