Post
by Limewater » Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:44 pm
I would be curious to know what inspired this bet.
I don't have photos of any food readily available, but I can make a few suggestions.
Buying food short-term is almost always more expensive than buying long-term. By that I mean that if you had to go for six months or something then your average weekly grocery bill would be a lot lower than it would be for just two weeks of cooking because you can't really stock up on stuff.
But here are some food suggestions:
Oatmeal: Get plain old-fashioned oats, which are really cheap. You can cook it in the microwave for a few minutes and add spices and raisins and stuff yourself to have a good, cheap breakfast. It's a lot cheaper than the pre-packaged instant oats. Alternatively, I like to get a bowl, toss in about half a cup of dry old-fashioned oatmeal (it's a lot better than the instant stuff), and then add just a tiny bit of water. Just add enough water to make it a little damp. Heat it in the microwave for about 33 seconds, then sprinkle very lightly with sugar. It's dirt cheap, and I think it's pretty good.
Omlettes: Just mix a couple of eggs and a spattering of milk in a bowl and pour into a small non-stick pan on low heat. Keep an eye on things, and possibly add some cheese on top. When the edges get bubbly and slightly firm, flip it and cook a little longer. Eggs are cheap, so this makes a really cheap dinner entree.
Tuna cheesy pasta/ Tuna and macaroni and cheese: At Wal-Mart or something, you can actually buy something called "Tuna Cheesy Pasta," which is really cheap and just requires some water, butter or margarine, and a can or tuna. Or, you can just get a box of macaroni and cheese and mix according to the directions and add a drained can of tuna at the end right before you eat it. They go together surprisingly well.
Hamburger Helper: This stuff is pretty darn cheap, and if you can get ground beef on sale it goes pretty far. My favorite is just called "beef pasta" or something.
Frozen vegetables: They are a lot tastier and more convenient than canned vegetables. Most can now be prepared in the microwave. The frozen corn I've been getting lately has been really good. Don't get it on frozen on the cobb, though.
Salmon patties: Get a cheap 14oz can of store-brand salmon, a small can of either corn with peppers or just corn, some whole-wheat saltines, two eggs, and a small onion.
You know how saltine crackers come in those separate sleeves? Crush about half of one of those sleeves. In a bowl, mix the entire can of salmon (don't drain it), the crackers, the drained can of corn, half of the onion (finely chopped), and the eggs. Make sure it's all mashed together.
In a frying pan, add a little oil and heat it up on medium heat. Get a little bit of the mush you mixed up and from it into a little bit of a patty. Don't make it too big or too thick. Plop it into the frying pan and let it cook for a few minutes. It's really something you have to get a feel for, but after something like three minutes, flip it over and cook for another three minutes or until golden brown. I can usually do three patties at a time, and I wind up making about six or eight from the batch, so you'll have leftovers. They re-heat alright.
Corned beef hash: Cut up two or three potatoes (depending on size) into pieces around the size of tater tots. Add just a little oil to a frying pan and cook the potatoes over medium heat, turning occasionally until they are brown. Then lower the heat and add a can of corned beef, sort of chipping it out of the can as you go, stirring it into the potatoes. Allow it to stay in just a little while to warm it before turning the heat off completely. I love this stuff.
Baked chicken: You can usually buy chicken leg quarters really cheaply. Buy a pack. They're cheaper the more you buy, but since you're only worrying about two weeks, don't buy too many. Also, get either some Italian dressing or some barbecue sauce. Just pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F (you do the math, Canadian). If you want to use Italian dressing, go ahead and rub some on the chicken. You're at your own risk rubbing barbecue sauce on it, becuase I don't remember how well that works. Let it cook for 40 minutes. Then pull it out, pour a little more dressing or some barbecue sauce over it, and stick it in for about 20 more minutes. Then pull it out and make sure it's fully cooked. Don't forget to turn the oven off.
Fun way to cook chicken or fish: Crush a bunch of corn flakes. Buy or cut fillets of fish or chicken. Get a little bit of egg white and either dip the strips or brush the strips with the egg white before rolling or shaking them in the crushed corn flakes. You can then cook these in a frying pan without oil. It's pretty healthy, and it gives you a lot of the satisfaction of actually frying the stuff. You can get flash-frozen fish fillets pretty cheap if you don't mind tilapia.
Smoothies: Mix half of a banana, a few tablespoons of frozen strawberries, three tablespoons of vanilla yogurt, a couple of ice cubes, and a little fruit juice in your blender. Blend. If you're already buying fruit juice anyway then this can be a good, healthy, and inexpensive luxury, though it may be getting a little cold for it.
Also, there is a lot of really simple stuff that's really cheap. Spaghetti and marinara sauce can be made for about $1.75 and feed you for several meals. Beans are crazy cheap, but I don't know how to make anything from them except beans and rice. But that is a very good, very cheap meal.
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