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Budget Meal-BREAKFAST PITA POCKETS
Although this is a breakfast recipe, you can eat it for lunch, even for dinner by pairing it with something like an apple or even a fruit salad depending on your budget. No matter what time of the day you eat this, it’s tasty. And yes, eggs aren’t as cheap as they once were but they’re still a good source of protein for the price. What you’ll need- 1 pita bread, cut in half. You can serve this cold or warm it slightly in the oven or even toast it lightly 2 eggs, beaten salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup peeled and diced potatoes Oil of your choice Optional-salsa,…
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Pantry Challenge-Make a Meal
How did you get on with the first challenge of taking stock of items you have on hand in your pantry, fridge, freezer? This week’s challenge focuses on using what you have. If you had to put together a meal only using things you have on hand, what would you make? Maybe you’ve got some canned chicken, some rice, a can of soup, a bag of frozen vegetables etc. Do some brainstorming and see what you come up with. Feel free to share what you made by leaving a comment. Sharing with others can also help people get ideas on what to stock and how to put together a quick…
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Budget Meals-SALSA CHICKEN & RICE
Here’s an easy meal that’s perfect to make when chicken is on sale. What you’ll need- 2 cups cooked white rice, kept warm 1 tablespoon oil 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips 1 medium onion, chopped 1 small red bell pepper, sliced 1 jar (16 oz.) Salsa 1/2 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese Sour cream (optional) Chopped fresh cilantro (optional) Over medium high heat and in a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the chicken, onion and bell pepper and cook stirring occasionally for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the salsa and bring to a boil then remove it…
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Pantry Challenge-Using What You Have
I’ve always thought of food as a great investment. Having food on hand not only helps on days when you haven’t got time to cook but essential in times of emergencies like when the power goes out or even when you lose your job. Let’s use February as a way to take a pantry challenge. Maybe you have one item on the shelf or maybe you have cans stacked to the rafters. Let’s build a pantry, organize it, and yes, use it as a financial investment too. For this first step of the challenge, make a list of what you have on hand right now. For example, three cans of…
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CHEESE & CORN QUESADILLAS
When money is really tight here’s a recipe that uses ingredients you might have sitting in your fridge and pantry… What you’ll need- 4 (10-in.) flour tortillas 1 can (15-oz.) corn, drained 1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or cheese of your choice 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two baking sheets with vegetable cooking spray. Place the tortillas on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each tortilla with corn, cheese and tomatoes. Bake the tortillas for five minutes or until cheese begins to melt and tortilla is still pliable. Fold the tortilla in half, turn it over and bake for about another five minutes. You can…
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Speedy Chicken Curry
Here’s a recipe to try when chicken’s on sale. If you want to reduce the cost of making this dish even more, try using chicken thighs. Lots of supermarkets have deals on skinless and boneless chicken thighs. Sometimes it makes for a tastier dish for less and I always use them for curries and pot pies. Here’s what you’ll need- 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons curry powder 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 boneless chicken breast halves, cut in bite-size pieces 14.5 ounce can chicken broth or if you have homemade on hand, you’ll need about 1-3/4 cups 1 1/2 cups orange juice 1 1/4 cups long…
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Budget Supper-GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF
Here’s another budget friendly recipe that uses items that you might have in your pantry. As with all recipes use what you have and what you can afford. Look for ground beef when it’s on sale and also specials on thing like mushroom soup. You can even use canned mushrooms. Lastly, if you don’t have beef broth, water works just as well. You can eat it as is or serve it with rice, noodles or even mashed potatoes. What you’ll need- 1 lb. ground beef 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1/4 cup water or beef broth 1/2 cup sour cream…
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Budget Meals-Oatmeal
As requested, I’m going to be be posting more budget meal recipes, and as they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, let’s start with a favorite that won’t break the budget and that’s oatmeal. What you’ll need… 2¼ cups water Pinch of salt 1 cup old fashioned oats ½ tsp cinnamon ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries ¼ cup chopped walnuts or almonds Milk and sweetener of your choice In a small saucepan, combine the water and salt in a small and heat on medium high. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to low and at the oats. Stir and cook until all the…
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Holiday Wishes
Another year is almost over. I hope it’s been a good one for you. Budget Smart Girl and its sister site, My Worthy Penny, has been gaining lots more views in the last few months so I’m guessing budgets and saving money are on people’s minds again. I hope to make both sites a priority focus in 2026. Is there anything in particular you’d like to see or learn about? I thought I’d get rid of the What’s On Sale monthly feature as the same things are actually on sale every year so it seems like I’m repeating myself. Would you prefer to see bargain buys…specific things that are on…
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December Good Buys
It’s the last month of the year and let’s see what’s a good buy for December… In the produce department look for good deals on Meyer lemons Kiwi Oranges Tangerines Beets Winter Squash Brussels sprouts Carrots Sweet potatoes Cranberries Pears Always check out deals on items that people need to make cookies and other holiday goodies such as flour, sugar, chocolate chips, cream cheese etc. Also, if you like candles, you can find some great deals this time of the year and after the holidays look for discounts on all things Christmas, wrapping paper, cards, gift bags, gift cards. Buy now and save money next holiday. Also, as we head…