good ‘ole spaghetti

Spaghetti with Sausage
Good ‘ole spaghetti is cheap meal ideas/recipes and this one has a twist

1 pkg. spaghetti noodles ($0.50)

1 jar spaghetti sauce – any flavor ($1.00)

1 lb sausage roll not link – mild flavor (Farmland is only $0.97 at wal-mart)

1 loaf french bread ($0.97 at wal-mart)

1 bag salad ($1.00 at most store)

Cook noodles according to directions on package then drain. Fully cook sausage and drain excess grease while noodles are cooking. Add spaghetti sauce to sausage and extra seasoning to your taste. Add noodles to plate and top with sauce mix. Add a slice of buttered french bread and a serving of salad. Feeds 4-5.

September 29th, 2008 | Tags: , , , | Category: Dinner Recipes, freezer meals recipes | One comment

Easy Freezer Lunch Ideas – Prepare Make Ahead Meals

Leftovers for lunch!! Now I can’t think of any other lunch idea cheaper than leftovers. If we have leftovers from dinner the night before, they magically turn into a lunch menu the next day. 

I will even prepare make ahead freezer meals in a larger than needed quantity and store in those plastic Ziploc containers for quick, easy and of course cheap meals.

Here are some ideas for make ahead meals that would make a great lunch.

 

Family Meals From The Freezer:

(yep kids, leftovers)

  • Spaghetti
  • Chicken pasta
  • Tuna fish casserole
  • Homemade mac-n-cheese
  • Pasta salad

Those are just a few example of what you can make. These are easy meals and still taste great when reheated. I serve with some carrot/celery sticks with ranch and a can of fruit from the pantry and lunch is done.

And of course my menu still has a place for PBJ sandwiches, top ramen and mac-n-cheese as these are the foods my children prefer to eat but buying food items for convenience is just becoming to expensive. My suggestion: try to balance the two, get a few of the quick and easy meals the kids love to eat but give more effort and attention to basic homemade meals. (I’m starting to think like my mom!!)

How about breakfast, check this out: Cheap Family Meal Ideas For Breakfast

And Let’s not forget dinner, here ya go: Creating “Big Family” Meals On A Budget

If you have any cheap and easy lunch ideas I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

September 26th, 2008 | Tags: , , , , , | Category: Cooking Tricks & Tips, freezer meals recipes | One comment

Family Meals That Cost Less

Breakfast was becoming one of the most expensive meals in our house. With the price of milk and cereal these days, I had to get creative and come up with some family meals for breakfast that cost less but yet still simple and appealing to my kids. Here are a few breakfast tips from a mom who needs simple morning meals that fit in a frugal family budget.

 

Cheap Family Meals Ideas For Breakfast

  • Instant oatmeal, pears and a glass of milk
  • 2 slices of toast, a can of mandarin oranges and a glass of milk
  • Leftover waffles from dinner, I toast these in the toaster, banana and a glass of milk
  • Pancakes (I buy muffin mixes that you add water to and make pancake batter with them) fruit and milk
  • Muffins (if time permits), peaches and milk
  • French toast leftovers (see dinner menu) I toast in the toaster, strawberries and glass of milk

And for those days when nothing is going right, I still break out the bowl and spoon and pour a good ‘ole bowl of cereal with milk.
If you have any cheap and easy breakfast ideas I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

Need some easy lunch ideas? Check This Out: Easy Freezer Lunch ideas

September 26th, 2008 | Tags: , , | Category: Cooking Tricks & Tips, Kids Recipes Made easy | 5 comments
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