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Foodie on a Budget

You are here: Home / Blog / Foodie on a Budget

A guest post by Kate Daneluk of Making Music Praying Twice

Like many families, the economic times have taken their toll on our grocery budget.  Of course, our taste buds didn’t get the memo and continue to crave the variety of quality ingredients we’ve become accustomed to.  So how do we keep up our “foodie” status, on a recession budget?

  1. The Club Store.  If you avoid hyped up prepared foods, gadgets, and toys, a club store can be the go-to place to buy quality ingredients in bulk.  At our favorite club store, a large bag of yeast lasts us a year and costs the same as 3 small packages at the grocery store.  Capers, olive oil, and spices are a fraction of the cost pound per pound and foodies can work through the bulk sizes on these items.  Add to this higher quality produce, meats and seafood for the same cost as our grocery store, and you can see why our family of 7 makes a weekly trek to the club store.
  2. Braise it!  No more filet mignon?  That’s OK.  It takes more skill and affords more opportunity for flavor if you braise cheaper cuts of meat.  It is time to explore stew recipes from all over the world which turn cheap meat and root veggies into haute cuisine.  Fall is the perfect time to enjoy these slow cooking dishes.
  3. Chop and Drop.  Stir fries, fried rice, and soups can stretch 2 servings of meat into 6.  Chop and drop meats into dishes filled with healthy and affordable veggies, beans, stock and some simple carbs like noodles and rice.
  4. Green Thumb.  Gardeners enjoy the freshest, tastiest produce at a fraction of the financial investment.  Also, gardening can be a deeply spiritual exercise.  The biggest bang for your foodie buck?  A kitchen herb garden lets you go nuts with a bounty of delicious herbs that would normally be too pricey.  If you live in northern climates, start with some indoor herbs until next spring.  Use larger pots and spend a little extra for the larger plants to grow enough for regular use.  
  5. Angel Food.  If times are especially hard, look for help from organizations like Angel Food Ministries, who provide affordable food as amazing wholesale prices.  There are no forms or qualifications to benefit from the services of this non-denominational Christian non-profit.

The mother of four young children, Kate Daneluk is the co-developer and creative director of Making Music Praying Twice.  Kate provides engaging workshops on faith-inclusive early childhood music and movement for parents, homeschoolers, teachers, and schools.

***Image courtesy of Todd Huffman on Flickr.com.***

About Jeff Young

Jeff Young, perhaps better known as The Catholic Foodie, is an author, blogger, radio host and podcaster. He is the founder and producer of The Catholic Foodie blog and podcast where he provides "Catholic culinary inspiration to help you grow in faith around the table." Jeff hosts a daily radio show – The Catholic Foodie Show – on BreadboxMedia.com, and he co-hosts the Around the Table Food Show on Catholic Community Radio 690AM (New Orleans) and 1380AM (Baton Rouge). Jeff is a monthly contributor to CatholicMom.com and a contributing author of Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary, published by Ave Maria Press. Jeff is also a contributing author of The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections by Ave Maria Press. Jeff Young is a proud member of the elite Catholic Speakers Organization, CMG Booking. Jeff has spoken on topics ranging from "growing in faith around the table" to "using social media in the New Evangelization." Jeff's first book, Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine, published by Liguori Publications is now available. With 78 recipes and stories of faith and family (including his travels to the Holy Land), the book is sure to inspire you to get into the kitchen and to gather your family around the table. The book is available on Amazon.com, Liguori.org, and wherever good Catholic books are sold.

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About The Catholic Foodie

Jeff Young, perhaps better known as The Catholic Foodie, is an author, blogger, radio host and podcaster. He is the founder and producer of The Catholic Foodie blog and podcast where he provides "Catholic culinary inspiration to help you grow in faith around the table." Jeff hosts a daily radio show – The Catholic Foodie Show – on BreadboxMedia.com, and he co-hosts the Around the Table Food Show on Catholic Community Radio 690AM (New Orleans) and 1380AM (Baton Rouge). Jeff is a monthly contributor to CatholicMom.com and a contributing author of Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary, published by Ave Maria Press. Jeff is also a contributing author of The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections by Ave Maria Press. Jeff Young is a proud member of the elite Catholic Speakers Organization, CMG Booking. Jeff has spoken on topics ranging from "growing in faith around the table" to "using social media in the New Evangelization." Jeff's first book, Around the Table with The Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine, published by Liguori Publications is now available. With 78 recipes and stories of faith and family (including his travels to the Holy Land), the book is sure to inspire you to get into the kitchen and to gather your family around the table. The book is available on Amazon.com, Liguori.org, and wherever good Catholic books are sold. Read More…

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