I remember a stretch of time when I was unemployed and living on $48.50 a week. Really! That was my unemployment check. Needless to say, I had to be very careful with every penny. I wish we would have had SHARE back then. That’s when I really learned how to plan meals to stay on my meager budget.
For the past couple of months I have been putting this skill to the test by seeing how many dishes I can make from the BIG Value Package. I review the list to see what will go together well, or what kinds of dishes would need just a few additional ingredients. Once I know what the produce assortment is, I add some side dishes. We always have fruit salad in our refrigerator, cut up and ready to go. This month we have the All-Purpose Baking Mix, which can be used so many ways! Also, Chef Tony sent us a fabulous recipe for hearty Chicken Club Sandwiches. For the February BIG Value Package I came up with enough dishes to make 6 meals for 4 people plus a nice breakfast dish:
1. Baked Chicken Thighs with
Cheddar Potatoes
2. Meatballs in Buttered Noodles with Steamed Broccoli
3. Chicken Club Sandwiches with Carrot Sticks
4. Cheese Ravioli in Meat Sauce with Oven Fried Potatoes
5. Rib-B-Q Sandwiches with Mandarin Orange Gelatin Salad
6. Sloppy Joes on Biscuits with Fruit Salad
7. Apple Pancakes
I would love to hear from you about how you use this month’s BIG Value Package (or any of the items from the monthly order form) to stretch your budget. Share your ideas on our Facebook page or email us at info@sharewi.org!