Stretch It Out

Has anybody else noticed that even though the price of fuel has dropped since the climb last summer, the prices on food have remained high? Whoever does the shopping and cooking in your house has to be a miracle worker to make the same amount of money stretch to meet every one's needs. In my family, we have found that we just had to increase our budget to meet household needs. Not an easy thing to do with a limited income.

Here are some tips on how to keep that "green" working for you through the week so that we waste none and want none.

1. Have no real entree planned for a night? No meat in site and the fridge seems bare. How about vegetable soup? I bet you have onions, celery, and carrots, a good place to start for a great soup. Even if you don't have those veggies, any veggies will do. Throw some rice or pasta in it and it's delicious and nutritious.

2. Left over meatloaf or hamburgers? How about chili? Crumble up your meat and put together your favorite chili fixin's. Make sure to add the cumin and your family won't know what hit them.

3. No bread? When your out at the store always pick up a package of tortilla wraps. No bread, no problem. Use a wrap and fill it full of veggies, peanut butter and jelly, cold cuts, whatever.

4. Eggs. The miracle food. Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner, make a frittata with eggs, cheese, veggies, or herbs and you have a hit.

Of course, many of us, already know some of these tips, but new ones are always appreciated.