NEWS FROM DAC NW
DAC NW has presented a cooking class for cooking on a budget many times. Healthy meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, for under $35 a week.
I’m old enough to remember the last bout of inflation in the 1970’s. And my parents grew up in the great depression, so I was raised to know how to get through tough times. We learned to buy less and buy smarter. I have carried those lessons with me.
When I first married and we didn’t have much money, I learned to look through the grocery ads each week and pick out the “loss leaders” from each local store. I would build my weeks menu around those items. It saved a lot of money!
I taught my kids how to grocery shop. First you walk through the produce section and see what is on sale for close to $1 a pound, more or less. This helps you shop what’s in season and can save a lot of money over the year. Typical inexpensive fresh veggies include: cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, squash, and bananas. Also, stocking up on pastas, beans, rice and tuna are inexpensive meal stretchers to have on hand.
Always watch the “Unit Price” or price per pound. This can save you from deceiving packaging. And eggs, milk, legumes and fish are cheaper forms of protein. (psst! And it’s better for you!)
Shopping ahead can save you time. If bread is on sale, buy enough for a month. Wrap each loaf in a plastic grocery bag (over its original wrapper) and freeze.
Another place to save money is eliminate waste. Never know what to do with bits left over from a meal? Consider soup, that’s what they did during the depression. All your bits and dabs? Save them in a ziplock bag in the freezer, adding as you go. When it’s full, put it in a pot, cover with water, and simmer for a great soup. You can even save onion ends and skins, carrot and potato peels, the ends off of asparagus or broccoli, even cabbage cores. Simmer covered with water and add some salt and pepper. Strain when it’s done and you have a great vegetable broth. You can also save the water you cook vegetables or pasta in as a broth starter.
Drinking soda is both expensive and bad for your health. Even diet soda is more dangerous than regular soda. They contain chemical ingredients and artificial sweetener and can promote insulin resistance and weight gain – and fat deposits on your liver! Instead try mixing equal parts juice to carbonated water. Gradually increase this to ⅔ fizz to ⅓ juice.
If you’re interested in a cooking class, contact your local CIL for accessible options.
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505 North Main Street
Moscow ID 83843
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Lewiston ID 83501
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