this dish is so easy to make and the left overs make another great dish. One batch can feed a crowd or will make 4 meals for 1-2 people. The only cooking is pasta in boiling water. The heat of the pasta will melt the cheese and bring all of the flavors together.

No Cook Pasta

prep time 10 min

cooking time 15 min

ingredients

2- 4 tomatoes depending on size

2-3 cloves of fresh garlic grated

chopped fresh parsley to taste

sea salt/pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

fresh mozzarella

1 lb whole wheat pasta

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta per the instructions on the package. In a large bowl tear the tomatoes apart with your hands. grate the garlic into the tomatoes, add the parsley salt pepper and olive oil. stir and let it marinate. When pasta is finished cooking drain. tear the mozzarella with your hands into bite size pieces. add hot pasta to bowl. Toss to blend and let the heat of the pasta infuse the flavor and melt the cheese. eat right away!!

SUNDAY

Brunch  ham and cheese omelet toast w/ jam, american fries, orange juice

Dinner easy cook pasta. salad greens w/ vinaigrette, fresh fruit

MONDAY

Breakfast Cereal, orange juice

Lunch PB&J sandwiches, carrot sticks

Dinner california hamburgers,corn on the cob

TUESDAY

Breakfast cereal, orange juice

Lunch ham sandwich, fresh fruit

Dinner Pasta chicken salad, fruit

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast cereal, orange juice

Lunch tuna sandwich, carrots

Dinner chicken wrap with lettuce and tomato, fresh fruit

THURSDAY

Breakfast egg sandwich, orange juice

Lunch   pasta chicken salad

Dinner taco salad with ground beef, fresh fruit

FRIDAY

Breakfast cereal, orange juice

Lunch egg salad sandwich

Dinner chicken quesadillas, fresh fruit (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY

Brunch breakfast hash, toast w/ jam, orange juice

Dinner broiled ham sandwiches, salad greens, fresh fruit

SHOPPING LIST

roast chicken,ground beef, small pkg sliced ham, can of tuna, eggs, cereal, frozen broccoli, tomatoes,onion,fresh mozzarella (I find one and a discount chain for $2.60) pkg of shredded cheese cheddar jack (buy the one on sale) peanut butter wraps, bread,orange juice,fresh fruit

Easy to make and versatile depending on how you season this basic recipe. I use curry and a dab of mustard to make it interesting. Just using mayo and salt and pepper is good enough.

Egg Salad

prep time–5-10 min

cooking time 15-20 min

Ingredients

4-6 eggs

 1-2 TBS mayonnaise

sea salt to taste

white pepper to taste

curry powder use lightly depending on heat

chopped parsley

cook eggs to hard boiled. I put the eggs in cold water and bring to a boil. I then take off the heat and cover. Let sit for 15 min. rinse afterwards in cold water.peel and chop into a bowl. add mayo etc and blend.

*note you may use celery,pickle , green onion, capers etc. to enhance the flavor.

This recipe is so easy and delicious. The butter melted into the cabbage and carrots adds an elegant flavor with the caramelizing of the cabbage. When I serve it for the first time to friends some turn up their noses and say “just a little for me I am not hungry.” Those are the friends who usually ask for seconds when they taste this dish.

Pork Chops with Cabbage and Carrots

prep time 5-10 min 

cooking time 30-40 min

Ingredients

2-4 pork chops

1/2 head green cabbage cored and sliced 1/4-3/8″ like you would for coleslaw

1/2 pkg baby peeled carrots

1/4 stick butter

salt/pepper

Instructions

1. salt and pepper both sides of the pork chop. (I prefer sea salt) heat skillet that has a lid and add olive oil.  brown pork chops on both sides.

2. add sliced cabbage  to pan. add peeled baby carrots. salt and pepper cabbage. add 1/2 of the butter to top of cabbage. cover and simmer on med low heat for 10 min.

3. remove cover and stir cabbage and carrots. At this point you can put the pork chops on top of the cabbage and cover to cook for another 10-15 min.

4. uncover and place chops on a platter. stir in rest of butter to coat cabbage and carrots. Salt and pepper to taste. cabbage should be soft and have some carmel color and carrots should be tender. place along side of chops on platter and serve.

*note you can use many seasonings in this dish. garlic thyme sage rosemary caraway seeds etc. to enhance the flavor. I happen to like the simplicity of the dish with just salt pepper and butter. so elegant.

The first week is hardest to get on paper because it assumes you have nothing in your pantry to start with. As the weeks go on certain items will already be on hand. I know there are a lot of sandwiches on this menu.(I told you I like them in the summer so you don’t have to do much cooking that heats up the kitchen) I even buy the chicken already roasted. I find some great deals on big plump chickens for $5. One chicken can cover a number of meals. Get the fresh fruit, tomatoes, potatoes, corn if possible at a local farmers market. They are a great buy right now.

SUNDAY

Brunch  eggs,bacon,toast and jam, American fries,orange juice

Dinner roasted chicken leg and thigh, corn on the cob, salad greens w/dressing, carrots

MONDAY

Breakfast Cereal, orange juice

Lunch egg salad sandwich,carrots, chips if you have them

Dinner pork chops sauteed with cabbage and carrots

TUESDAY

Breakfast cereal, orange juice

Lunch BLT’s

Dinner Chicken salad on mixed greens, corn on the cob

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast cereal, orange juice

Lunch egg salad sandwich

Dinner chicken sandwich topped with coleslaw

THURSDAY

Breakfast egg sandwich, orange juice

Lunch chicken salad sandwich

Dinner BLT salad or meatless salad with hard boiled eggs

FRIDAY

Breakfast cereal, orange juice

Lunch egg salad sandwich

Dinner chicken leg and thigh tacos

SATURDAY

Brunch breakfast hash toast w/ jam, orange juice

Dinner Pork Chop, coleslaw, corn on the cob, fresh fruit

SHOPPING LIST

Roast Chicken, pork chops, bacon,eggs, cereal, ears of corn, tomatoes,cabbage,carrots,potatoes, bread, orange juice,fresh fruit

Soon it will be time to close the windows and turn on the oven.So many great meals can be prepared in the oven. However I rarely use an oven in the summer. I like to use the grill or make sandwiches. At the end of summer so many foods fill our gardens and farmers markets. If you grow your own food it is the greatest money saver. Even if you do not have time or space to maintain a big garden you can plant some big pots with foods that are easy to grow. For $0.49 cents  I have grown the most wonderful salad mix since early spring. The packet of seeds cost $1.50 I have used only a third of the packet. Shared a third and now that the hot August heat is leaving I plan to plant a new crop that will take me to the first frost.

Simply prepare the soil, plant the seed as shown on packet and water daily. In two or three weeks you can start cutting the tender leaves. I find using kitchen shears makes it easy. You just cut back towards the bottom of the stem and it will grow back.  I have used this mix for  salads, greens on a sandwich and for garnishing.

If you have a well stocked pantry (more on that later) you can make your own salad dressings. Quick easy cheap and fresh. So much better than bottled dressings. Especially on these tender greens.

For years I have been trying to live on twenty five bucks a week for my food. When I first started doing it, I did it for the challenge. Today in our economy it is a necessity for survival.

Junk food offers zero nutrition but it is cheap. The goal of this site is to instruct those of you who want to learn and share knowledge of eating a healthy diet. Enjoying good food without having to sacrifice quality of life. I enjoy using coupons but I am not good at spending the time to collect them. Also I find they limit my choices. So I am trying to show you how to do this without coupons.

As I post menus for the week and offer some cooking classes on quick, easy inexpensive meals, I welcome your comments and suggestions. I will have guests and friends who love to share their budget saving recipes with me come and share them with you. From time to time I will offer cooking schools to teach you in a live setting. I will have a weeks menu 52 weeks of the year. Enjoy.