Welcome to my website! My name is Judy and I am truly hoping you will find this website helpful and fun.
Here's The Plan
Recently, I caught a comment by a guest chef on a morning show about a Canadian woman, Leanne Brown, who produced a cookbook titled "Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day" as part of her Food Studies degree from NYU. Her book is designed for people in the U.S.A. who use food stamps (SNAP). The SNAP budget is $4 per person per day for food which, I thought, was unbelievably tight. It made me wonder if the recipes could be made using Canadian ingredients at Canadian prices and still be that remarkably economical. I have Leanne's permission to use her book as a basis for a cooking class and this website will be my format for now. So we, you and I, are going to cook our way through her book together. If you would like to buy a hard copy of her book or download the free PDF, check out www.leannebrown.com. It's a good book with lots of valuable information and recipes with photos.
Recently, I caught a comment by a guest chef on a morning show about a Canadian woman, Leanne Brown, who produced a cookbook titled "Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day" as part of her Food Studies degree from NYU. Her book is designed for people in the U.S.A. who use food stamps (SNAP). The SNAP budget is $4 per person per day for food which, I thought, was unbelievably tight. It made me wonder if the recipes could be made using Canadian ingredients at Canadian prices and still be that remarkably economical. I have Leanne's permission to use her book as a basis for a cooking class and this website will be my format for now. So we, you and I, are going to cook our way through her book together. If you would like to buy a hard copy of her book or download the free PDF, check out www.leannebrown.com. It's a good book with lots of valuable information and recipes with photos.
In New York, where Leanne did her research, neighbourhoods have lots of small to medium grocers. However, I live in Windsor, Ontario where things are more spread out and transportation costs can significantly impact a household budget. So, I am going to shop primarily at the Real Canadian Foodstore on Dougall Avenue for four reasons: it's on a bus route, they put practical things on sale, they price match, and I collect points through their Points Plus program which enables me to get free groceries from time to time. (If you join the Points Plus program you must be disciplined to buy only what you need and not be tempted by the bonus points items.). If you are a regular shopper at Freshco, Food Basics or Metro, no problem. I will be price matching with them and Freshco price matches, too. I will also buy ingredients from the Bulk Barn because their prices can mean significant savings (wait until we talk about spices!) and periodically, they have great coupons. In the summer, if you can get to the farmer's market that's a bonus!
I am going to have to make some assumptions about the kinds of kitchen equipment other families have available to them. I'm going to assume that everyone has a slow cooker because if you are working and/or have a hectic schedule with your children it is the most wonderful appliance. It doesn't need to be programmable, etc. I used one of those timers you plug into the wall so that my cooker would come on at 10 am after I had gone to work and shut off at 6 pm because we generally eat about 6:30. I'm also going to assume that you have a blender - either a stand up blender or an immersion blender. Either one works just fine. And a skillet that can go on the stove top and into the oven - cast iron is perfect but anything that won't melt in the oven will do. Other than that, I will try not to use anything major.
I am going to have to make some assumptions about the kinds of kitchen equipment other families have available to them. I'm going to assume that everyone has a slow cooker because if you are working and/or have a hectic schedule with your children it is the most wonderful appliance. It doesn't need to be programmable, etc. I used one of those timers you plug into the wall so that my cooker would come on at 10 am after I had gone to work and shut off at 6 pm because we generally eat about 6:30. I'm also going to assume that you have a blender - either a stand up blender or an immersion blender. Either one works just fine. And a skillet that can go on the stove top and into the oven - cast iron is perfect but anything that won't melt in the oven will do. Other than that, I will try not to use anything major.
As you explore this website, you will see a blog page. Please say "hi!" and let me know what you think. I'm completely new to having a website so I'm open to suggestions! (Big breath) So, here we go...
Please click on The Index
July 8, 2015: I just began my first Facebook page. I know, I know... I'm a little late to the game but better late than never. It's called "Cooking For Cents". Ask to be a friend and you will receive a notification whenever a new recipe or food discussion is posted. It should save you having to check back for new recipes. Just remember that when you make your grocery list, there may be recipes from earlier in the year that use the ingredients that are on sale in the current week. Thanks!
Please click on The Index
July 8, 2015: I just began my first Facebook page. I know, I know... I'm a little late to the game but better late than never. It's called "Cooking For Cents". Ask to be a friend and you will receive a notification whenever a new recipe or food discussion is posted. It should save you having to check back for new recipes. Just remember that when you make your grocery list, there may be recipes from earlier in the year that use the ingredients that are on sale in the current week. Thanks!
Project Summary - July 9, 2017
This has been quite a project! I certainly didn't expect to be posting recipes two years after I heard about Leanne Brown's book (see above) and wondered if it is possible in Canada to live on a $4 per person, per day food budget. The answer is YES! BUT, it's almost a full-time job in itself. It takes planning, research and preparation to feed a family at the best of times. When you throw in a really tight budget, it becomes a challenge that can easily overwhelm the family cook.
Keeping in mind that out of that same budget must come laundry detergent, toilet paper, kleenex, food wrap, cleaning products, and personal care products, $112 a week can only spread so far ($4 x 4 people x 7 days). If you allocate $95 to $100 for food and $10 to $12 for everything else, you must spread out those non-food purchases to one or two items a week. I've learned a lot working on just the food portion of this and I have the utmost respect for those who do the best they can to make sure their kids don't go to bed hungry. The Food Banks in Windsor are doing their best in an impossible situation as more and more people just can't make ends meet or don't know how. This has been a learning experience for sure. Here are some of the things I've learned:
The problem with a lot of the websites & blogs that support frugal eating is that they are American. Prices and ingredients are different and seasons are different when determining which in-season produce to buy. That said, here are a few that are worth reading:
www.theintentionalmom.com/frugal-tips-feeding-family
www.dontwastethecrumbs.com (ingredient substitutions)
www.savingandsimplicity.com/75-super-frugal-living-tips-cut-household-expenses
www.mrsjanuary.com (ideas for seasonal buying of all kinds of things based on availability, marketing and store clearances)
There are some people I really would like to thank for their assistance with this project. First, Leanne Brown who authored Good and Cheap, who has such a generous spirit she not only gave 'permission' for me to cook my way through her cookbook but publicized my fledgling site on her Facebook page. My husband, Ken, who was patient with being my guinea pig for the new recipes, not all of which contained ingredients he likes. My friend and neighbour, Rosa, who could be trusted to give me her honest opinion when I couldn't decide what adjustments some recipes needed. Bernadette, at The Bulk Barn at Tecumseh and Huron Line was always willing to answer my questions about spice blends vs mixing things myself, different flours, etc. Joe and Carla who are butchers at the Superstore on Dougall, shared their wealth of experience with me, steering me towards cuts of meat that were good value, teaching me a LOT about chicken and taking the time to discuss the best cooking methods for various cuts. The Windsor Professional Firefighters Association helped me pay for flyers when I was just getting started and since this was never a money making venture, that was very much appreciated! Beatrice Fantoni of the Windsor Star and Rob Heydari from CBC interviewed me about the website and the resultant boost in site views was astounding! I also appreciate the people who have followed the site through Facebook. Sometimes when I wondered if all the work was worth it, your 'views' and 'likes' encouraged me. Thank you to everyone!
One last word: With thr rising cost of living (like energy costs) taking an ever-increasing bite out of our household bugets, I'm not kidding when I say it's time to go "old school". How many times have you heard older people talk about the wonderful meals their mother or grandmother prepared? That generation didn't have pre-packaged stuff and they didn't eat out! So now it's your turn. Roast a whole chicken with potatoes and a vegetable, pick the carcass clean, make stock and turn some of that into homemade soup. There's nothing better, certainly nothing easier and you will be making GOOD memories for your kids. Teach your kids to cook. PLEASE!
This has been quite a project! I certainly didn't expect to be posting recipes two years after I heard about Leanne Brown's book (see above) and wondered if it is possible in Canada to live on a $4 per person, per day food budget. The answer is YES! BUT, it's almost a full-time job in itself. It takes planning, research and preparation to feed a family at the best of times. When you throw in a really tight budget, it becomes a challenge that can easily overwhelm the family cook.
Keeping in mind that out of that same budget must come laundry detergent, toilet paper, kleenex, food wrap, cleaning products, and personal care products, $112 a week can only spread so far ($4 x 4 people x 7 days). If you allocate $95 to $100 for food and $10 to $12 for everything else, you must spread out those non-food purchases to one or two items a week. I've learned a lot working on just the food portion of this and I have the utmost respect for those who do the best they can to make sure their kids don't go to bed hungry. The Food Banks in Windsor are doing their best in an impossible situation as more and more people just can't make ends meet or don't know how. This has been a learning experience for sure. Here are some of the things I've learned:
- Don't use paper towels unless they're going directly on food (soaking up excess grease, for example). Instead, use old cloths and cheap facecloths for wiping up - you're going to be doing laundry anyway!
- Limit your use of food wrap products by using food-safe containers, re-use jars, milk bags, etc.
- Don't buy cleaning products like bathroom sprays. Use hot soap and water with a little bleach.
- I haven't tried this yet but check out www.onourweightohealth.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/never-buy-dryer-sheets-again/ I don't see why it wouldn't work.
- Dollar stores can be a good source for non-food items and even for some food (jam for example) but read the labels.
- ALWAYS go through the ads and plan to buy (and cook) only what's on sale. Choose your recipes using those ingredients and fit them into your menu for the week. Double check each recipe to make sure you have everything you need or can substitute.
- Build your pantry slowly - one or two items at a time - maybe Dijon mustard this week, Worcestershire Sauce the next...
- Buy your spices at The Bulk Barn and only buy a couple of tablespoons of what you need. Store the rest in a small, clearly labelled jar (baby food jars work perfectly).
- Don't be afraid to spend more for a food item that will give you multiple meals. For example, you might spend $18-20 for a bone-in ham but it will give you 2 or 3 meals served in slices for dinner (maybe with pineapple, rice and a veggie). Then, cut what's left into cubes and freeze it on a cookie sheet before you put it into a container so that you can thaw out only what you need for the next recipe. Then, pick every scrap of meat off the bone and make thick and hearty Ham & Bean Soup with dried beans, carrots and onions (page 8). I know it's scary to invest such a large percentage of your budget into one item but you have to look at the return - at least 4-5 meals and maybe a lunch or two. That's less than a $1 per person per meal for the meat portion.
- If you want to brush up on your cooking skills or if you just didn't acquire any along along the way, call Vibushan Karunanithi at The Salvation Army Soup Kitchen for cooking lessons or talk to Laurie Musson at the Downtown Mission Food Bank.
The problem with a lot of the websites & blogs that support frugal eating is that they are American. Prices and ingredients are different and seasons are different when determining which in-season produce to buy. That said, here are a few that are worth reading:
www.theintentionalmom.com/frugal-tips-feeding-family
www.dontwastethecrumbs.com (ingredient substitutions)
www.savingandsimplicity.com/75-super-frugal-living-tips-cut-household-expenses
www.mrsjanuary.com (ideas for seasonal buying of all kinds of things based on availability, marketing and store clearances)
There are some people I really would like to thank for their assistance with this project. First, Leanne Brown who authored Good and Cheap, who has such a generous spirit she not only gave 'permission' for me to cook my way through her cookbook but publicized my fledgling site on her Facebook page. My husband, Ken, who was patient with being my guinea pig for the new recipes, not all of which contained ingredients he likes. My friend and neighbour, Rosa, who could be trusted to give me her honest opinion when I couldn't decide what adjustments some recipes needed. Bernadette, at The Bulk Barn at Tecumseh and Huron Line was always willing to answer my questions about spice blends vs mixing things myself, different flours, etc. Joe and Carla who are butchers at the Superstore on Dougall, shared their wealth of experience with me, steering me towards cuts of meat that were good value, teaching me a LOT about chicken and taking the time to discuss the best cooking methods for various cuts. The Windsor Professional Firefighters Association helped me pay for flyers when I was just getting started and since this was never a money making venture, that was very much appreciated! Beatrice Fantoni of the Windsor Star and Rob Heydari from CBC interviewed me about the website and the resultant boost in site views was astounding! I also appreciate the people who have followed the site through Facebook. Sometimes when I wondered if all the work was worth it, your 'views' and 'likes' encouraged me. Thank you to everyone!
One last word: With thr rising cost of living (like energy costs) taking an ever-increasing bite out of our household bugets, I'm not kidding when I say it's time to go "old school". How many times have you heard older people talk about the wonderful meals their mother or grandmother prepared? That generation didn't have pre-packaged stuff and they didn't eat out! So now it's your turn. Roast a whole chicken with potatoes and a vegetable, pick the carcass clean, make stock and turn some of that into homemade soup. There's nothing better, certainly nothing easier and you will be making GOOD memories for your kids. Teach your kids to cook. PLEASE!
