End of Month Food Stretch

 Good morning all.  I hope you are all well.  I got up to 39*F this morning!  According to my thermometer it is now 44*.  YES!  We had a little rain overnight - and this morning the sunrise was just so pretty full of color.  Looks like high 50's today.  99% of the snow it gone - things are getting muddy - but that is OK.

Got trash bins out for pick-up this morning, first time I have bothered in 3 weeks.

Birds, cat, and squirrels are fed.  The Jays were out there yelling at me, and as soon as I turned my back, they were nabbing peanuts!

Today let's talk a minute about stretching that food and the food budget at the end of the month.  Here we are in the final stretch of Feb.  Many do not get paid for a bit.  Some may be having to stretch food not only here at the end of the month, but also for a while at the first of the month.

There are so many ways to stretch things and to eat well, on a little bit.  Again, my word this year is - creativity.  Just try some different things and different ways.

Truthfully the biggest budget stretcher is soup!  Use those odd and ends that are in the frig and add some things from the canned goods to frozen items.  A huge pot of soup can feed many meals.  You don't have to have a "recipe".  Just do it - you really can't go wrong.  You can even stretch it by adding lentils (if you have) or pasta or rice.  Serve with some bread or biscuits or crackers and you have a very filling meal.

You can use whatever you have on hand.  Also think about soup and a sandwich - tomato and grilled cheese, whatever soup you have leftover and a sandwich of any kind.

You can make stir fry meals with items left over and serve over rice.  It can be just veggies or veggies and little bits of meat.  That is a great way to stretch meat.  One piece of something (pork chop, chicken leg, 1 or 2 sausage patties) can chopped up and added to the stir fry.

Also fried rice is a great way to stretch items.  Add veggies/meat to rice and throw in an egg and fry it all up - season and serve with any side or bread.

Think about making biscuits (scones), so super easy and basic.  Have biscuits and gravy - a very filling meal.  You can also have your gravy with toast.  Make breakfast sandwiches with egg, cheese, sausage, chicken, beef, summer sausage, ham, whatever you have.  They make a quick breakfast or a nice lunch or dinner with maybe a side of veggies or a salad.

Make a filling yet cheap meal of pancakes or waffles.  Super easy to make and usually we all have the ingredients in the pantry.  

Tortillas can be added to a meal.  You can make a very tasty tortilla pizza, there are quesadillas as well.  Place whatever you have for filling on one tortilla top with a second and either use a quesadilla maker or a pan.  Heat on one side and then flip and press down a little and heat until golden on the second side.  You could experiment with a waffle iron or George Foreman grill if you have as well.

They also make great wraps for leftovers or for breakfast items, or burritos.

Potatoes are a great extender!  You can make loaded baked potatoes using leftovers of veggies, cream of soups, taco meat, sloppy Joe, chili, etc.  I love a baked potato dinner once in a while.  

Potatoes are relatively cheap and can be made in dozens of ways.  Fries, baked, mashed, au gratin, scalloped, fried, hash browns, etc.  You can even fry some up and top with goodies as a type of nachos.

Pasta is super cheap and can be had in so many ways.  Have odds and ends of fresh veggies around?  Chop and add to cooked pasta, add a little dressing (whatever you like or have) and you have a great pasta salad.  Add pasta to soups.

Make mac and cheese - then add some cut up hot dogs or smoked sausage for a fun main course.  Serve with veggies on the side.

Make mac and cheese and add a drained can of tuna for a fancier version of tuna noodle casserole.  Throw in some veggies (peas, broccoli, cauliflower, whatever) and you have a complete meal.

Spaghetti is super easy and cheap.  You can add any kind of meat (leftover) that you have - just chop it up finely to stretch.  You can add veggies as well - serve with spaghetti and some bread (toast and make garlic bread) or a salad.

I have made salsa mac several times.  Cook pasta and add a bit of salsa, served with a side of meat and a veggie.

A $1 loaf of Italian bread (a regular at WM or on clearance elsewhere) can make super pizza.  Actually, it is my favorite way to make pizza.  Cut in half length ways and add whatever toppings you may have - bake until browned.  Cut into serving size pieces - serve with salad.

A little pie crust or pizza crust, rolled out can be turned into hand pies or even pot pies. 

A can of tuna - can become tuna salad for sandwiches (I like to add a hard-boiled egg cut up as well).  Can be added to pasta or noodles or rice for a casserole.  Add an egg and some bread/cracker crumbs for stability to a small can of drained tuna and make patties and fry.  You can usually get 3-4 smaller patties - serve with your meal as the meat.

Have an apple or two in the crisper?  Peel and slice with a bit of butter and a little cinnamon/sugar and have fried apples.  Good with pork or as a dessert.  Any fruit can be cooked down for a side or as a topping for pancakes or cake or pudding or ice cream.  No need to waste anything. 

Clean out those items from the back of the pantry that have gotten pushed back, clean out that freezer - all those odds and ends, clean out the frig - and you will be amazed at all the neat things you can make.

I know funds get short at various times of the month and pantries get emptier.  DO NOT GIVE UP!

There are so many options for good eating.

So make those pantries and freezers work for YOU!  Use it up - don't let it waste.  Stretch it all.

You got this.

Have fun stretching that food budget!!!!!

Have a beautiful day.