Chase - The $5 dinner mom breakfast and lunch cookbook: over 200 quick, delicious, and nourishing meals that are easy on the budget and a snap to prepare

I am so grateful for your hard work and enthusiasm for this book. And to my editor, Michael Flamini, for talking sense into my ear when I needed it and for being committed to the ideal of helping others eat well without spending more. Finally, to my supportive and loving husband Steve. I could not have accomplished so much without your support and passion for my work. I appreciate all the feedback and your honest critiques of my recipe creations. And to my three adorable little men, for being the taste-testers for all the other little people out there.

Thanks for trying all sorts of foods and for letting me know, in a not so subtle way, whether or not you approve or disapprove of the meal. I love each of you boys dearly. CONTENTS ONE. Breakfast CerealsOatmeals, Granolas,
Rice Puddings, and More TWO. Egg DishesFrittatas, Breakfast Casseroles,
French Toast Bakes, and More THREE. Breakfast BreadsWaffles, Pancakes,
Muffins, and More PART III.

SnacksTasty Between-Meal Treats that
Fill You Up and Keep You on Your Budget INTRODUCTION Is it really possible to feed a family of four for just $5 for the entire dinner meal? What about the costs of breakfast and lunch too? Can I make an entire family breakfast for less than $2 or even a dollar? And lunch for $3 to 4, is that really feasible? Could I pull off a $10 per day food budget, even after tossing snacks into the mix? In the summer of 2008 and in the midst of the $4 per gallon gasoline crisis, I set out to spend less of my husbands hard-earned money and keep our family out of debt. Being a stay at home mom, I was limited in what I could do to contribute to the family income. It didnt take me long to figure out that I could contribute by spending less of our income at the grocery store. I needed a challenge. I needed a goal. I needed some accountability.

My goal came to me in a lightbulb moment while doing the dishes one hot August evening in 2008. I would make dinner meals for my young family of four for just $5. Total. For the entire meal. Shortly after beginning my quest to make $5 Dinners every night, I found that I could make breakfasts for as little as a buck, and lunches for $3 to 4 for the entire family. And were not talking mac n cheese with hot dogs for lunch every day either.

Were talking wholesome, hearty meals and snacks; meals that will give your family the energy and the fuel they need to not only get going in the morning, but to keep going all day long. As I started this great adventure of spending less money at the grocery store, I really thought Id only be able to come up with a months worth of meals. But I was wrong and have found so much joy in feeding my family creative meals, without spending a fortune. Lets revisit the strategies for shopping, couponing, and meal planning from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook, and how they can bring down the costs for all the meals in each day. Strategic Grocery Shopping Avoiding Temptations and Spending Pits in the Grocery Store. Do not succumb to the marketing strategies of the stores and the manufacturers to get you to buy their products at top dollar.

We are after rock-bottom prices! Using the Store Circulars To Make Your Grocery List. Look at the store circulars before you go into the store and make your grocery list based on all the products listed on sale. Ditching the Plastic and Use Only Cold, Hard Cash at the Checkout. Cash, cash, cash is key to staying within your budget. After all, you cant show up at the checkout with $84 worth of products and $80 in cash. $4 worth has to go back on the shelves.

Landing on that Magic Grocery Store Budget Number. Track your grocery spending and come up with that magical dollar amount that works for your family. The number should be a challenge to reach each week, but still a reasonable amount to get the products and ingredients you need each week. Strategic Couponing Stockpiling. By making it a habit to use coupons only when the product is on sale, youll be able to build a nice stockpile of foods for your pantry and freezer while spending as little money as possible. The goal of paying the rock-bottom price for products by matching a coupon with a sale price can even score you a free lunch.

Whoever said there was no such thing as a FREE LUNCH. We all know the expression well. Theres no such thing as a free lunch. Well, there might there just might be such a thing as a free lunchor at least a nearly free lunch. With some clever combinations from free ingredients, you might just be able to come up with a free lunch. Here is a quick example of a nearly free lunch based on ingredients that I regularly get for free by combining sale prices with coupons.

Products purchased for free, with sale price and coupon included: 6 ounce cans of tuna, an 8-ounce container of cottage cheese, a name-brand sandwich bread loaf, small container of mayonnaise, and canned fruit in juicelunch Tuna Salad Sandwiches with a side of cottage cheese and canned fruit. With the power of coupons, combined with sale prices, it is possible to have a free lunch! Never-pay-more-than- prices for Fresh Meats and Produce. In the Frugal Fact notes following each recipe, Ill share with you some examples of my never-pay-more-than prices for common ingredients used in breakfast, lunches, and snacks. Coupon Organization. Keeping those coupons organized is essential to maximizing your savings and spending as little as possible on your favorite products each week. Remember, coupons are free money.

Strategic Meal Planning Benefits. Having a meal plan each week will keep you out of the drive-through line and out of debt, too. Phases of Meal Planning. Meal planning happens in three phases, from beginner to professional, depending on how long you have been meal planning and whether or not you plan on a weekly or monthly basis, and whether you plan your meals and then shop, or shop from the stores circular and then plan your meals around what you have on hand. Batch Cooking. An essential to being prepared when it comes to breakfasts and lunches is the concept of batch cooking.

Its not a day you set aside to prepare all the food for the month, but its the concept that you make extra of whatever is on the stove or in the oven. And that while you have the oven on, you might as well make some muffins or an egg casserole for the following days breakfast or to stash in the freezer for when you need a quick on-the-go breakfast or snack. There will be more discussion on batch cooking in upcoming chapters. Leftovers. Having a plan for those dinner leftovers is essential, especially since many times lunch is when leftovers are eaten. With just one ingredient mix-in and some reheating, leftovers can easily be repurposed and enjoyed a second time.