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cheap eats

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Hey Guys! I hope you are all doing well as we cruise into the holiday season! Since getting my own place, I’ve loved having friends over to visit and share a meal. Especially during the holidays! That said, when you’re having a bunch of people over, with dinner, snacks, drinks etc, it can get expensive to host friends! Lots of people recommend potlucks for this type of concern, but if you’re wanting to truly “host” your friends, I have some recommendations. I apologize that I don’t have many pictures with this post- just as dinner was about to hit the table, I found a leak in my garage. The evening got a bit more interesting after that, and adulting kind of took precedence over taking pictures. You’ll be able to see more of the process and about my leak in my upcoming holiday VLOGs. Still, had I not…

Hi guys! I know you are not surprised that since it’s now officially FALL, I am back on the comfort food train! As if my butt needs any more comfort food, but that’s a whole other issue lol. It got very chilly and rainy (?! this is not normal for where I live) last week and after being soaked to the skin twice in one day, I knew what I needed- a warm, hearty risotto and having just finished making corn stock, I figured corn and bacon risotto would be a perfect match for the kind of day I was having. Corn and bacon risotto isn’t exactly a “traditional” risotto, it’s kind of something I just figured would be good a year or so ago, and so I made it! Cooking is all about the fun anyhow, right? Corn and Bacon Risotto $8.82 for four or $2.21 per serving 1/2…

Hey Guys! I’m back with a healthy freezer-friendly meal today! This one is actually pretty simple, just a mushroom saute with kale and pancetta over a bed of mixed wild rice! The addition of loads of fresh thyme and a serious deglazing with white wine helps pack a flavorful punch. I have to admit I took a lazy kid shortcut and used pre-cubed pancetta (from my mom’s freezer, thanks @Alberta_Allie!) and pre-washed/sliced mushrooms. Sometimes, when I’m trying really hard to stock up a bunch of meals in a short amount of time, the pre-prepped ingredients really help! Mushroom and Kale Harvest Bowl $2.30 per serving, serves 8 for $18.43 1 Red Onion, chopped- ~1.20 1 package of cremini mushrooms- $3.98 1 package of white mushrooms- $3.98 1/2 package of cubed pancetta (~75 grams)- $3 10 large stems of kale (priced for frozen)- $3 3 Sprigs of Thyme – $0.39 1…

Hey guys! With my love of bacon, we all know I’m no vegan. With that being said, I’m a total “pantry” cook, eating a lot of canned/tinned tomato products, frozen veggies, and beans to keep costs down and food healthy. Sometimes that results in vegan meals. One day in early June, my friend Kirsten was coming over and I realized the meal I made was completely vegan, so she could eat with me! This Spanish inspired white bean stew used literally no fresh vegetables except garlic and onions- that was it! Everything else came from a tin or the freezer and it was amazing. If you wanted to add meat, I’d recommend poaching chicken thighs in the stew or slices of cured chorizo sausage. White Bean Stew with Saffron Rice Serves 6 for $10.87 or $1.81 per serving For the stew: One white onion – $1.61 2 tins cannellini bean – $1.76…

Hey Guys! This is a fun and fresh recipe for a summer gathering that is something a little different than grilling. The bright acidity of lemon and freshness of parsley make the shrimp extra delicious, and the fresh veggies in the risotto keeps it from being too rich. Even better, this recipe uses just a little butter and no cheese, so the creaminess is from the starch cooking out of the rice, not added fats. This is a meal my mum whipped up for our family, and I thought I’d share it with you! At around $3.75 per serving, it’s not a crazy affordable meal, but it was delicious and can be made more affordable if you use your veggie scraps to make your own stock in advance (brings the total cost down to $11.54 or $2.89 a serving). Lemon Shrimp with Risotto Milanese $15.48 for four, or $3.75 per serving For…

Hey Guys! I’m back with a fun and easy meal idea! This was a total salvage use-up, with wrinkly tomatoes I stole from my mum  that were headed to the garbage and some fennel she had laying around! With some other bits and bobs it became a perfect bit of sauce for penne. I love fennel, it has this flavor profile that reminds me of the spice blend in mild Italian sausage, just without the meat! The natural sweetness comes out as you cook it down. This dish is naturally vegetarian, and vegan if you omit or swap out the parmesan cheese, so this is a perfect dish for when you don’t know all of the food preferences of a guest. Tomato- Fennel Penne $5.32 for 4 or $1.33 per serving (but really… 59 cents a serving if those tomatoes were going in the trash) ~15 wrinkled tomatoes (salvaged from…

Well, I made it around a month. Not my best but… there were 3$ pints of strawberries that I just couldn’t deny myself. I also really wanted fresh dairy. So after thirty days of not buying groceries, I bought a few things. This no-buy isn’t firmly over, I’m still trying to work out of the meals and proteins I have frozen and my shelf stable items, but I’m running out of things like eggs and in my house… that just won’t do. March was a pretty easy month to not be buying groceries. I had a hospitality suite at work for three days and lots of invites out to my family’s place. I also did a cooking class that sent me home with three+ days’ worth of food. I think as I go forward my “no buy” will just be modified- if I need eggs or a fresh item,…

I hate the morning. Those that have lived with me, travelled with me, worked with me or even just tried to talk to me in the morning know this fact very well. I’m just not my most friendly in the morning, and my extreme morning productivity is really only born out of the internal rage I feel about needing to be out of bed before I feel ready to be. For this reason, I try to have my breakfasts ready before I go to bed. Sometimes that means having a guacamole pack, bread and a hard-boiled egg or two ready to throw in my bag on my way to the office, and sometimes it means pulling a pre-made meal out of the freezer like my freezer egg wraps! Nothing makes morning rage worse than hanger. These easy italiano breakfast bowls are freezer-friendly and perfect for busy mornings. Italiano Breakfast Bowls…

This post is probably well overdue. If you’ve been following me for a while then you probably remember that I did a 35 day no-buy stint from May-July last year and truth be told, I am on a food no-buy right now as well. Yep. It’s been seven days since I last bought food, and no signs of buying anything soon. I actually had started about five days before that, but there was a wiiiiicked sale on sirloin beef that I just couldn’t pass up. I bought them using Airmiles, but I believe in transparency. I bought the beef (and potatoes!). I’m planning on not buying any food for at least another month and here’s why: a. Life is expensive b. I owe tax money (damnit) c. It’s a great way to make sure you’re investigating what’s lurking in your freezer and cupboards and not wasting through expiration or freezer burn (food…