Cheap, Fast AND Good?

Meal Monday

There is the old saying about "cheap, fast, and good": pick two, because you will not get all three. Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross, the Desperation Dinners duo, say that you actually can get all three when it comes to meals. At least, that is the premise of their book, Cheap. Fast. Good!

The authors of a syndicated column and two books about quick and easy cooking wondered what would happen if they tried to shift their focus to include saving money as well as time. They say that they "went in looking for pennies, but what we found were dollars."

In addition to providing recipes, the book provides helpful shopping and menu planning tips. For example, they explain that the way you get groceries at the cheapest cost is to systematically chart prices.

This chart does not have to be complicated. In one column, you list the regular price of items you buy, and in the second column you list sale prices. This way you will eventually get a handle on what the rock bottom price for certain items is and be prepared to pounce when something is offered at a really cheap price.

Instead of encouraging making and freezing individual meals, the authors encourage making and freezing certain components that can be used in several recipes. If, for example, you brown a large two pound batch of ground beef, you will have the foundation for at least two meals, such as chili or beef and rice.

The authors’ website has a copy of the Flexible Mexican Filling, which is called for in the recipes for enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, and nachos. The website has other recipes from the book, such as the Thai-Style Peanut Sauce, which used in recipes for soup, stew, and pasta.

But, my favorite cheap and easy recipe on their web-site (well, based on the name alone) is Anybody’s Bail-out Beans.

By Laura Holland

Comments

[Travel Insurance]

Anything is better than buying fast food!