Party in the Refrigerator

I came clean with some girlfriends last night and confessed that there would be no ice cream for me—it wasn’t in the budget. So as one of them ordered, she looked back and said, “Are you sure you don’t want anything, Budget Girl?”

I’d like to go by that from now on. Perhaps even wear a cape.

And that conversation quickly snowballed into a sort of Sex in the City Without Money. Buying a closetful of shoes on $100 or less. Why does it cost $8.93 for a 1/2 sandwhich, fruit, drink, and cookie at the lunchtime eatery? What to do after the parents have stopped footing some of the bills.

And, finally, to the grocery store debate.

It’s hard to cook every night; not to give in to the temptation of warm tortillas and queso from the Tex-Mex joint up the street, or call up the pizza delivery gal from across the way.

But put it into perspective: if you eat out, for dinner, twice a week at a chain-like eatery, you are probably spending close to $11 or $12 for a meal, drink, and tip. That’s over $1100 a year just on eating out for dinner. (Add another $6 or $7 for every time you grab lunch across the street instead of brown-bagging it.)

I’m a big supporter of cooking at home and taking leftovers for lunch. Sometimes, believe me, this means I take a hot dog and my own "mustard packet" to work and feel kinda lame. But try some of these on for size.

TACOS
There are so many variations that it's hard to get bored with this easy concoction. Plus, it can be healthy.
Try:
Lean beef or ground turkey tacos on crispy shells or chips with homemade salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.
Grilled chicken in flour tortillas with sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado (if it's in season).
Grilled or broiled shrimp on corn tortillas with homemade avocado-tomatillo salsa (blend 1 avocado, 2 tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, and some sour cream and voila!), shredded cabbage, and tomatoes.
You can use leftovers to make taco salad, quesadillas, or even more tacos; toss in a can of black beans and you can have variations on the theme for days.

CHICKEN POT PIE
Grill about 3/4 lb of chicken; add a bag of frozen veggies to the pan to cook (I like carrots, potatoes, corn, and peas). Pour the mixture into a pie dish and season with salt and pepper. Pour a can of Cream of Celery or Cream of Mushroom on top, and top off with a failsafe homemade pie crust (recipe below). Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. This is even better reheated, because it gives the veggies a chance to mingle overnight and the flavor really pops out.

SPAGHETTI
I like mine sans meat, and with lots of hearty veggies. You can buy super-healthy pasta now, that's not too expensive when you think about how many servings you'll get out of one package. Season (well) and brown a pound of ground turkey, and then add to the dish your favorite pasta sauce. If you want to add veggies (think zucchini, carrots, peppers, onion, and squash), be sure to saute them in the pan before adding the sauce. Cook the pasta, and mix it all together. Save serving-sized portions in plastic containers for lunch all week!

PASTA SALAD
This is great because it tastes better after a day or two in the fridge, and if you toss in a couple of pieces of grilled chicken, it can be an entire meal. It is also served cold, which is great for the days when you want to avoid the line at the office microwave.
Make about 1 pound of multicolor fettucine or bowtie pasta (or whatever suits your fancy). Finely chop and combine in a bowl: red or green bell pepper, tomato, jalepeno, cilantro, red onion, and garlic. If avocados are in season, add those! Squeeze the juice of 2 limes and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix with the pasta and refrigerate.

FAILSAFE PIE CRUST: can be used for sweet or savory pies, and you can always have this stuff on hand.
Makes 2 crusts (top and bottom)
Approx. 1 3/4 C Flour
1 C shortening (I buy Crisco in sticks and use one stick, but you can also buy the tub)
Pinch of salt
1/3 C milk
1 tbls apple cider vinegar (in a pinch, white vinegar works too)

Cut together flour and shortening with two knives or a potato masher. You want the shortening to be in pea-sized bits, and for it to have a soft, fluffy consistency. This will keep your crust flaky.

Mix milk and vinegar, and pour into flour mixture. Gently fold in with a fork. Add more milk as needed to wet all the dough. Roll out to about 1/8", using plenty of flour to keep it from sticking. To transfer the crust to your pie dish, place the rolling pin at one end, and gently roll the crust over the pin. Move it over the dish, and unroll.

For a glazed top, baste with one egg. If you don't have a basting brush, fold a paper towel like a fan and use one end to dip in the egg and paint it on. Cut slits in the top. You can use the extra dough to make designs on the top.


Ok, there's your novel for the day. I've vowed to get up at 5:30 a.m. to write every day (no, I didn't make it today; it was more like 6), so thanks for tuning in!

Budget Girl, signing off.