Posts filed under 'food & recipes'
I like to throw a party as much as the next girl, but living on a teeny tiny budget doesn’t exactly make that easy. With my student loans in repayment and my husband applying for med school, we’ve got to be pretty creative to have anyone over (much less feed them). That’s why Waffle Night, our semi-weekly Sunday night soiree, is so perfect.
The 10 Dollar Party
Waffles may be the perfect party food-everyone seems to like them, and they feed a lot of people for not a lot of money. Basically you buy a ½ gallon carton of buttermilk, a bag of flour, and some vegetable oil, and you’re good to go. The other ingredients you’ll probably have on hand if you cook at all. Best of all, we’ve fed up to 20 people with just waffles-that’s 50 cents per person!
Making it Affordable
The waffles themselves may be reasonable, but the accessories and toppings can rack up your bill-so do what we do, and get your guests to bring stuff. Here are a few things you may need to assign/borrow:
- Waffle iron
- Syrups (our favorites are maple, chocolate, and strawberry)
- Toppings (jam, candy, honey, peanut butter, sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc.)
- Paper cups, plates, and napkins + plastic utensils (if you don’t want to do dishes)
- Drinks (milk, orange/apple/grape juice, water, etc.)
The Waffle Recipe
So, our actual buttermilk waffle recipe is one of those top-secret family deals, but this waffle recipe looks pretty darn good. You can also mix it up and try having:
If you want to spend a little more, you could have everyone over for custom omelets or personal pizzas.
Do you have any cheap party ideas to share with the class? 
photo: Waffles 4 by woodsy
October 13th, 2008
By now you’ve probably had more than your fair share of slushy chicken fettuccini alfredo from the cafeteria-what would you give to have a Double-Double® or those awesome-looking chicken enchiladas you saw on Food Network? Would you maybe consider… cooking for yourself?
If you’ve got a craving for some real home-cooked (or restaurant style) food at home, you’ll love these websites:
TopSecretRecipes.com
Every once in a while my sweetie and I get these amazing fried zucchini starters at a local restaurant. We’ve tried to make them at home, but somehow they never come out quite right. That’s why Top Recipe Secrets is a blast-this guy spends serious time figuring out how to get the exact almost-perfect taste of restaurant recipes. Not all of them are free, but some of the awesome freebie recipes include:
FoodNetwork.com
Here’s my ridiculous confession: I watch Food Network while I work out. I can’t help it-I just love to see what amazing things these chefs show me in 30 minutes! One of the best parts about watching Food Network is that you don’t have to sit there and copy down recipes-you can find recipes from most of the shows right on their website. Here are a few that caught my eye today:
CookingLight.com
I’m a picky eater, so eating healthy isn’t always an easy thing for me. But we stumbled across this magazine called “Cooking Light” at the grocery store a couple months ago and started flipping through it-amazingly they have healthy meals that look delicious!
They also have a great series called “Cooking Class” that teaches you cooking basics. Here are a couple of my faves of their “classes” & recipes:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks
I stumbled across this blog through a lot of clicking around on other blogs one day. This woman writes a super funny city-girl-on-a-ranch regular blog, but her cooking blog is pretty mouthwatering, too! Not healthy, usually, but they sure look yummy:
photo: Pizza by rrss
October 6th, 2008
No matter how much you love Ramen noodles, I’m willing to bet that you don’t want to eat them every day of your life-or even every day for the next few years.
But food is expensive (and so is college!) so lots of students end up living on Ramen, cold pizza, and chips they found in the common room-not the healthiest diet. Here are some alternatives to the noodles-and-oatmeal diet…
Food Stamps
Did you know that you might be eligible for the U.S. government’s Food Stamp Program? I read an article about students using food banks in USA Today-apparently it’s becoming a trend. If you qualify, you could get funds from the state to help you pay your food bills. Money is distributed on a card that works kind of like an ATM, and is accepted by most grocery stores.
See eligibility requirements here, or use their pre-screening eligibility tool. Then find out how to apply in your state-if you have questions, you can call your state’s Toll Free Food Stamp Information Hotline.
“Big Box” or 99¢ Shopping
One popular way to save on food at UCSD was to take a group to our local Costco, a bulk-buying store (like Sam’s Club, Smart & Final, etc.). They sell everything from bulk bags of frozen chicken breasts to 18-count boxes of eggs, as well as fresh fruits and veggies, juices, and even huge boxes of oatmeal.
To keep costs down, simply go with a group who wants to split a majority of foods. Split the cost accordingly and then divvy up your shares of food. For frozen items, get a zipper locking plastic bag and split up the big bag and throw the little ones in the freezer (label them if you’re sharing with a roomie).
As to the 99¢ shopping, did you know that lots of dollar stores sell food? You might think that’s kind of shady, but just be sure to check expiration dates. One of my friends finds name brand chocolate soy milk there, often for only $1 each. (Plus the 99¢ Chef can teach you how to make yummy dishes with this stuff!)
Free Samples
This isn’t a reliable shopping method, but it can be pretty fun. Search the websites of products you use a lot-from foods to shampoos-for free samples offers.
Try About.com’s Freebies page for a regularly updated list of free samples.
A couple sites I know of that usually offer no-cost goodies are Wal*Mart’s freebie page, and Dove’s free samples page.
Couponing & Rewards Clubs
The other day I saw a girl at the grocery store with a huge pile of coupons. I’ve been trying to use them more lately, but I know I could actually save a lot more if I’d put a little time into it. If you’re a beginner at coupons, like me, you can start by finding them:
- In the Sunday newspaper
- In circulars (ads) that come in your mailbox
- On the websites of products (not just foods) you use a lot (lots of them have rewards clubs, too!)
- At coupon websites like RetailMeNot.com
If you’re a little more intense about coupons, you can really save big. I’ve been fascinated by all the coupon moms that seem to be coming out of the woodworks lately-publicized in newspapers, TV news, and blogs. These ladies really know how to work the system, sometimes using rewards clubs and coupons together to get lots of free stuff. Want to know how it works? Check out the guides and coupon tips at these blogs:
Remember to only use coupons for things you actually need!
Bonus…
I love this article, 15 Great Grocery Shopping Tips, from Get Rich Slowly. It covers all the basics of how to save on food-it’s definitely worth a look!
photo: Vegetables by MFinderup
October 2nd, 2008
The cafeteria has something lacking in the dessert department, so every once in a while it’s fun to try a warm dessert on your own. (I’ve even baked up cookies in my toaster oven-just FYI, the baking time is different, so watch those things closely!)
Here are a couple of fun and easy dessert recipes you can whip up in a toaster oven.
Smores
These may possibly be my favorite part of summer, so I’m pretty happy that there’s no fire pit required to make them!
Ingredients:
Graham crackers
Chocolate bars
Marshmallows
Directions:
Preheat toaster oven to 350° F. On your toaster oven pan or a piece of aluminum foil, place two graham crackers. Put your chocolate squares on one, and a marshmallow on the other. (You should be able to fit 2-3 of these in your toaster. Toast until marshmallow gets golden brown (make sure it doesn’t catch on fire!) Smush the two parts together and eat!
(You can also do this in the microwave-on high for 10-15 seconds-but be careful because marshmallows tend to explode!)
Variations:
- Try with different styles of chocolate like toffee/caramel filled, mint flavored, almond, etc.
- Spread crackers with peanut butter for a PB cup style Smore
- Add sliced fruit after toasting (strawberries, peaches, or other sweet summer fruits)
Baked Apples
These toasty warm apples remind me of homemade applesauce-but better. (Adapted from this recipe and this one.)
Ingredients:
4 apples (I prefer green ones for the tart flavor)
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp Butter
¼ cup chopped almonds/pecans (if desired)
Boiling water/apple cider/apple juice
Directions:
Preheat toaster oven to 350° F. Wash apples, and remove almost all of the core-leave about1/2 inch of apple at the bottom (to keep the good stuff in!) Dig all remaining seeds out. Place apples in your toaster oven pan (you may have to do only 2 at a time depending on how big your toaster is).
Mix sugar, cinnamon, and nuts in a small bowl, and spoon into the holes in the apples. Top with a small dollop of butter.
Pour water/cider/juice over apples so it fills the lower part of the pan (careful of sloshing, especially when you take it out!) and cover with aluminum foil (unless your toaster oven directions prohibit aluminum foil). Bake for about 30 mins (apples should be tender but not mushy). Let cool & eat! (These are yummy with vanilla ice cream!)
Remember you can always subscribe to keep up on recipe updates (and lots of other great college tips, too!)
Also, thanks to everyone voting in the poll! You have until next week to cast your vote if you haven’t yet!
photo: Smores3 by jimrubio
July 24th, 2008
My food options were few my freshman year-mostly because (a) I was broke and (b) I didn’t have a car. That meant breakfast, lunch, and dinner were either the cafeteria or something microwavable I could buy on campus (so, macaroni or soup in a cup).
Once my roommates and I got into a place with a (teeny) kitchen, cooking became much more possible-plus I knew some people with cars who were into cooking cheaply, too. So grab your Costco card or head on over to your local 99 cent store and get ready to cook up some good meals that won’t cost you much.
Fresh Recipes for Less
Looking for new, cheap recipes? Check out these great foodie blogs for ideas that can have you eating well for a few bucks (or less!):
- The 99 Cent Chef: Looking for something a little high-class? Check out the 99 Cent Chef’s blog-he cooks with ingredients mostly found at his local dollar store, and whips up some really yummy looking food! Plus he includes photos & videos to help you navigate your way through the kitchen.
- Cheap, Healthy, Good: Packed with recipes, links, and cost-reducing-cooking-up-a-storm recipes, Cheap, Healthy, Good is a great resource for new “chefs”-plus it will make your mom happy that you’re finally eating something that doesn’t involve cheese powder.
- Cheap Eats: I’ve pointed you to this blog before-and for good reason. With sassy and humorous writing plus a good handle on finding sales and cheap-cooking secrets, Cheap Eats is just a fun read. : )
Cheap Soup & Bread/Sandwich Combos
Bonus! I love the soup & bread/sandwich combo because it’s usually pretty filling (and that means cheap!). Here are some ideas for easy meals you can put together pretty inexpensively:
- Tomato soup (canned stuff is cheap & pretty good) & grilled cheese
- Chicken soup (canned is fine) & dinner rolls (again, pretty cheap at the grocery store)
- Broccoli cheddar soup & pop-overs (these cost only about 20 cents each!)
- Clam chowder & biscuits
Soup is a great, cheap filler. In fact, you can use it in a lot of other recipes, too. For example, last night I made an enchilada casserole with tomato soup (want the recipe? It’s yummy!), and I love using cream of celery or cream of mushroom baked over rice and chicken–it’s filling, cheap, and easy to make.
So next time you’re in the grocery store, head over to the soup aisle and see what strikes your fancy. Most of them are pretty inexpensive (especially condensed soups) and lots of them have fun recipes on the back.
photo: Yummy Soup by squidonius
May 20th, 2008
Usually I just eat cereal & milk for breakfast, but on the weekend-or sometimes even for dinner-it’s fun to cook a bigger breakfast. Here are some fast, easy, and-most importantly-INEXPENSIVE breakfasts you can eat any time of day:
French Toast
Cost: less than $1 (for 4 slices)
Ingredients:
4 slices of wheat bread
1 large egg
2T milk
syrup
Note: You can use a George Foreman grill (or equivalent) by simply propping it up so the grilling surface is horizontal. This works great if you’re in the dorms or just in a rush!
Directions: Heat grill or stove top to about 350 degrees F. Whisk egg and milk together in a shallow bowl until they are well blended. If you like extra-eggy French toast, use 2 eggs instead of 1. Dip both sides of each slice of bread in your egg mixture and let the excess drip off. Place bread in heated frying pan/on a Foreman-style grill and cook until golden brown. If you are cooking in a pan, be sure to flip the bread so both sides cook evenly (if you’re using the grill, you can just lower the top!). For a little extra flavor, try sprinkling a little cinnamon on one side before grilling.
Yummy Egg Sandwich
Cost: less than $1
Ingredients:
1-2 eggs
salt
pepper
2 slices wheat bread or 1 English muffin
Butter or margarine
your choice of toppings
Directions: Heat stove top to about 350 degrees. Crack your egg(s) into a frying pan, and break the yolk; add a sprinkling of salt and pepper. “Fry” the eggs by cooking them like a pancake-let them cook until the edges get a little stiff, then flip-just be sure they cook all the way through. (You could also scramble the eggs if you prefer that texture. See how here.). Toast your bread (or English muffin) and butter it. Stack your eggs and toppings between your bread slices, or just eat your egg sandwich without any garnish.
Topping ideas:
bacon
tomato
salsa
grilled zucchini (its surprisingly good!)
sausage
WiseBread has four more yummy-but-cheap breakfast ideas here, and I’ll be sharing more in the future, so make sure to subscribe so you can keep up. I’d love to hear your own recipes or breakfast faves, too, so please leave a comment!
photo: Coffee delight by Zela
May 2nd, 2008
Previous Posts
Loading ...
