Eating Well on a Budget

[Artichoke Lover]

This thread makes me wish I was home to cook more often. I’m only home for perhaps one meal a day on workdays and it’s usually dinner which tends to be the lightest one of the day for me.

Tomorrow is an off day though so I’ll probably start tomorrow off with a giant plate of scrambled eggs and some fruit.

 

[Dahlia]

Talking about rice, one brand that is quite popular here in Germany is from California. Collecting and trying rices from different places is one of my odd habits.
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One of my favorites is Jasmine rice from Thailand. Trader Joe's sells a really good one!

 

[Phaedra]

We bought some chocolate for my FIL - he is always happy to see all kinds of chocolate. However, the funny fact is - its price is equal to oranges (1.5kg) + Brussels sprouts (1kg).

1kg Brussels sprouts - we can use them for a few days, and the hens will also get their fair share.

Tomorrow's brunch will include baked potatoes, Brussels sprouts (slightly fry with salted butter and then steam with diluted lemon juice), pan-fried chicken thighs (marinated with ginger, cooking wine, soy sauce, and salt), fresh orange, and a scallion omelet tomorrow.

 

[Phaedra]

I like cooking before moving to Germany, but I cook almost every day after that. Not only because it's much more cost-effective and because the home food is far more delicious and comforting.

So, I also enjoy the time of food preparation.

The preparation will make cooking much easier.

From the day I moved to Germany, I prepared lunch box(es) for DH during the week. It's a routine and also a promise. He is okay with the food I prepared - as long as there is no seafood or raw tomatoes.

DH is the type of German that eats very few vegetables and claims that ketchup and french fries are vegetables. He can live with a very limited variety of (cold) food - bread, cheese, salami, and sauces. So, lunch can be the most "colorful" meal for him.

They are far behind those "Japanese legendary lunchboxes," - but I am confident that his lunches are always "fresh, balanced, and on a budget."

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

@Phaedra Geiermann your pics are beautiful and I wish the food would jump out of the screen and land on my table .

 

[ducks4you]

From the day I moved to Germany, I prepared lunch box(es) for DH during the week. It's a routine and also a promise. He is okay with the food I prepared - as long as there is no seafood or raw tomatoes.

DH is the type of German that eats very few vegetables and claims that ketchup and french fries are vegetables. He can live with a very limited variety of (cold) food - bread, cheese, salami, and sauces. So, lunch can be the most "colorful" meal for him.

View attachment 53451
They are far behind those "Japanese legendary lunchboxes," - but I am confident that his lunches are always "fresh, balanced, and on a budget."
View attachment 53452

DD's are big anime fans and often talk about those "lunch boxes."
YOURS look yummy!

 

[ducks4you]

We had a "Thanksgiving test turkey" on Sunday, and got 2 meals out of it, plus some leftovers that will be sandwich sized baggies to freeze for future lunches, although not the lovely lunch boxes above.
Wasn't quite sure what to use the turkey broth for, but DD's want TWO stuffing cassaroles, one for breakfast Thanksgiving morning, and another to go with the meal.
I fry up sausage with onions and finely diced fresh sage and celery (or celery seed), make bread, then crotons, mix it together with broth, then bake for maybe 30 minutes. In the past I have started this after I got juice from the turkey.
For THIS brotrh I started my crockpot immediately after I cut open the defrosted turkey (defrosted on the porch in water in a big cooler,) and then dumped the liquid in the crockpot with the neck and innards. I always take out the liver to make my gravy, but I added the bones after I stripped the carcass on Sunday, cooked them overnight and made a lovely broth, 4 quarts worth plus enough for a 1/2 pint. I added water to that 1/2 pint to make it a pint and pre labelled it "dog broth."
After craining I put the bones and other stuff bacl into the crock pot and I will be canning that for more "dog broth."
Recycling, at it's best. Here is yesterday's turkey broth and Monday's "Chicken Soup." I plan to make chicken soup for DH and me this weekend. I found a recipe that uses spaghetti for the noodles and I have a big package of frozen leg quarters. I can defrost them, strip the bones and repackage the individual quarters for later use.
Thanking DH for picking up that extra 7 cu ft freezer! We have a total of 28 cu ft of freezer space.

 

[ducks4you]

I fogot--all turkey bones were in there, too, and are now being cooked for a 3rd time, along with some pork bones I found in the freezer.
Right now I am canning 3 quarts and 1 pint of "turkey stock," a little bit leaner, but still good for future cooking.

 

[Phaedra]

Thanksgiving dinner - we also enjoyed turkey (but in a Taiwanese-style popcorn chicken way), crispy garlic bread, and different kinds of salad.

 

[Alasgun]

Ice cream is surprisingly affordable, if you make it yourself. I cant brag about anything else yet as i’ve not eaten yet; however i did crank out a gallon and a half to take over to our Daughters in a bit.