Guest post from Kelly of KellyWiggains.com
How do you make frugal meals if you can’t use beans?
When I first started menu planning, shopping sales at the grocery store, and learning about the grocery game, every single site, every blog post, every sample menu plan featured beans — and for good reason. Beans are incredibly healthy, incredibly cheap, and incredibly versatile.
One problem: My husband hates beans. He says eating beans is like eating “little packages of dirt.”
I’ve tried every variety, texture, and flavor combination in the bean repertoire, and I’ve yet to change his mind. So I’ve finally figured out ways I can still have a frugal budget and avoid serving beans to my husband.
1. Beans at Lunch
My husband may not like beans, but my boys and I love them (unfortunately, my daughter stands firm in the anti-bean club). I often make bean-and-cheese burritos, nachos, or beans and rice for lunch. I love making a huge batch of refried beans in the crockpot (using this recipe) and portioning the beans into freezer bags.
2. Add Beans Last
Anytime I make something requiring beans, I figure out a way to include the beans as an option. Mexican Stack-Up, Taco Salad, Chili, Build Your Own Burritos/Fajitas/Chalupas — these are all cheap and tasty meals, and I can make my kids’ plates heavy on the beans and my husband’s heavy on everything else.
3. Double the Rice
The second half of the beans-and-rice budget doesn’t have to play second fiddle. My husband loves rice, and I find ways to use rice as much as I can.
4. Blended Black Beans
I’ve added pureed black beans to our favorite brown bag burritos. My husband noticed the flavor, but he didn’t mind it as much as usual. If you have a bean-hater in your family, see if you can sneak some blended ones into your burrito filling.
I would also encourage you to find other frugal meals that make your family happy. My husband happily eats the following:
1. Roasted Chicken
I can get a whole chicken on sale for under a dollar a pound. My family loves roasted chicken as well as chicken salad, quesadillas, chicken and rice, and chicken tacos from the leftovers.
2. Breakfast for Dinner
One of our standbys — we usually make pancakes or waffles with a side of scrambled eggs and sometimes sausage or bacon when it’s on sale.
3. Hard-Boiled Eggs
Though my husband gets funny looks in the teachers’ lounge, one of his standard lunches includes 2 hard-boiled eggs, a hunk of cheddar cheese, an apple or pear, and some saltine crackers. Eggs are a super simple and healthy protein alternative for the bean-hater.
4. BBQ Chicken Sandwiches on Homemade Rolls
I buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for about 99 cents a pound on sale. I can make these into boneless skinless chicken breasts using this method, or I can remove the skin from one breast and cook it in a crockpot with BBQ sauce. I shred the meat with two forks. I make up some of these 40 Minute Dinner Rolls, and we have a tasty and frugal meal using only one big chicken breast for my family of 5.
5. Chicken-Fried Rice
For this classic skillet meal, I use leftover rice, leftover chicken, a bag of frozen veggies, an egg and some soy sauce. My husband loves it!
Do you have a bean-hater in your family? If so, how do you still eat on a beans-and-rice budget?
Kelly blogs about everything from Literature to Living. An English teacher by trade, Kelly left the classroom a few years ago, but she still tries to convince those around her to read and write. She loves to connect her reading to the real world around her. Her blog is a place for book lovers and book skeptics alike, offering concise book recommendations, tips for reluctant readers, along with stories and observations about her life. Kelly writes at kellywiggains.com.
Related Stories
DaySpring has extended this coupon code for my readers through the end of this weekend!
Through November 10, 2012, use coupon code BlocksMSM to get this set of Wooden Inspirational Blocks for just $8.99.
Create inspiring words for daily reminders of God’s goodness and grace in your life with this charming, wooden block set. Layered with various Scriptures, hymns, and letters, these blocks bring warm touches of inspiration with sweet hints of the past.
Five of the wooden blocks have five letters with the sixth side having a Scripture or hymn. One wooden block has three letters with one side having a patchwork design and two sides having punctuation marks.
There is no limit of how many sets of blocks you can order at this price.
Shipping is free with any $50+ order. So you can either order multiple blocks, or purchase some items from the DaySpring sale and clearance section to save you shipping costs.
(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)
Related Stories
This offer was so popular yesterday that they extended it through this weekend for you all!
Here’s a great gift idea for your favorite gardener or organic food enthusiast! You can get a one year subscription to Organic Gardening magazine for only $4.50 per year when you use coupon code MONEYSAVING at checkout. You can order up to four years at this price.
About Organic Gardening magazine: Since 1942, Organic Gardening has been delivering well-researched, practical and timely information and useful products and services. As the essential resource for any gardener, it provides current and authoritative information, with a focus on making the process of gardening fun and easy.
This offer expires Sunday night (11/10/13) at 11:59 PM EST.
Are you looking for other magazine titles? You can use coupon code MONEYSAVING to save 20% off of most titles at DiscountMags!
(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)
Related Stories
If you’re looking for a new skincare regimen, you’ll want to enter this giveaway!
I’d never heard of Rodan + Fields before and, truthfully, I was hesitant to try it out since I’ve stuck with Mary Kay for years due to sensitive skin. {If I ever try something new, it usually breaks out my skin.}
But Torre, an independent consultant with Rodan + Fields, convinced me to take the Skincare quiz and try out the Rodan + Fields Skincare regimen. And to my surprise — and excitement! — the products didn’t break my skin out! That was definitely a major score!
That said, I couldn’t tell much of a difference between them and the Mary Kay products I have used and loved for years. But I’m going to keep using the Rodan + Fields products for another month or two to see if it makes a difference over time. If you notice my skin is looking extra vibrant and glowing, you’ll know why. 
Interested in learning more about becoming a Rodan + Fields consultant? You can find more details here.
Torre is generously giving away a Redefine skincare regimen to one reader this weekend. This skincare regimen will include a daily cleansing mask, pore minimizing toner, triple defense treatment, and overnight restorative cream.
Enter to win this Redefine skincare regimen package by clicking on the link below and typing in your name and email address. This giveaway ends Sunday, November 10, at 11:59 pm, CST. One winner will be chosen and posted on Monday.
Related Stories
to download a free application that enables you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
No comments:
Post a Comment