Budget Cuisine

 There is a phenomena right now . Maybe though, it;s not so much of a phenomena. More and more people are now shopping at the cheapest places available for not only kitchen ware but food as well. It's even has a name - sort of = Dollar Tree or Dollar General Cuisine. Thanks to food insecurity in this country many are relying on these places along with food pantries to survive.

Dollar Tree and Dollar General do have really good kitchen ware. I 've bought quilted pot holders at the first and they are as nice as any that you;d byuy at Macy's or Kohls for far more. Both have excellent utrnils and gadgets along with containers for storing  food. The food offered is pretty varied and interesting too. My Dollar General has fresh fruit and vegetables which can come in handy when making everything from sautes to ratatouille. I can even make something as fancy as gazpacho or tomatoes Provencale using all ingredients from Dollar General and probably for under ten dollars too. What I recommend buying from Dollar General is any products from their inhouse brand Clover  Valley. Their products like their ranch salad dressing is very creamy and a much better price then what you;d find at Acme or Stop &Shop. Their Clover Valley chocolate syrup , tastes better than Hershey;s and can be used in a number of desserts and drinks (think a frosty , frothy egg cream). Dollar Tree has an excellent array of cookies, snack cakes, snacks and candy. The Mrs Freshley's brand of Swiss rolls are much better than Rake's yodels They're moister and have a lot more creamy filling. They're a great snack for only five quarters.

There are also the Dollar Tree and Dollar General chefs. Check out Tik Tok Chef Moe. He is an inspiration . He shows shoppers what to buy an what to use. There are flavor profiles to create the tastiest meals.Many meals are under ten dollars which is perfect for those on a budget. There is also Doilar Tree Dinners  which provides in store shopping guidance - like Chef Moe - and ow to cook these meals. She makes a five dollar Cajun rice dinner with sausage and Cajun rice, She can also stretch twenty bucks to cover four meals !!!!. This is important for those who are receiving help Many Dollar Tree chefs are single moms and dads who have to feed three to four kids. This is hard but they miraculously manage to create  a full diner,  Sauces go a long way as does pasta which can be served hot or even cold as a salad. Rice is helpful too because it can be cooked and then refried into tasty cakes squares. Canned tuna or chicken can be mixed with egg , bread crumbs and various dried herbs to for m croquettes. Soups are great too because they can double as sauces too or have sausage or veggies added to them to stretch .

We're living in a time of food insecurity. People and especially kids have to eat. This is why it's important to visit lifesavers like Dollar Tree and Dommar General

Dollar General Haul

 It;s getting tougher and tougher to food shop on  a budget. Thankfully there are stores like Dollar Genral and Dollat Tree to help out with feeding the family.These stores actually have pretty good choices and at a good price too,

I had my Dollar General haul today.. Tehy;re a bit more expensive than Dollar Tree but they have really good choices and fun ones at that. Dinner was Lily's Toaster Grill,s I bought them in plain and garlic flavored.Theyr'e from Lily.

Pop them in the microwave for three minutes and they;re just as good as homemade. I really liked these and they;re perfect with a couple  of pickle slices or cherry tomatoes.

Another Dollar General  must have is their mac an d cheese bowls. These are from in house brands Clover Valley (which also makes excellent croutons and salad dressing) It;a a cheap dinner at $2.95 as opposed to grocery store brands that can cost as high as eight dollars.!

The store also has fresh veggies, fruits and baked goods. Their French rolls, croissant like rolls filled with chocolate or vanilla buttercream are the perfect dessert. It;s like someone stuffed a cupcake inside a croissant.

These make for yummy desserts and are perfect chilled.

Times are tough. Shop at your local DOllar General to combat the rising high prices. There;s' some good food choices out there that can stretch your dollars.

Vegan Sausage- A Nice Saturday Meal

 It seems vegan hot dogs reign right now thanks to barbecue season.Yet vegan sausages are also perfect - for any kind of meal. They're great on a Saturday  - where there's limited prep.

I just made Field Rest fennel garlic Italian style ones. There's a  fieriness to them that's reminiscent of chorizo,It's a nice change up from hot dogs.

Sausages should be grilled or griddled and I did just that. I used an ample amount of Melt plant butter. which gave thema crispy skin usually associated with meat sausages.,

This was a quick cook, taking at the most five minutes to get the sausages crispy and hot.

I had mine on CLover Valley hot dog bun from Dollar General, however next time I may make a quick paella with them using saffron rice and various veggies. A side salad works here. You need something simple and mild tasting to counterbalance  the sausages's spiciness.

These sausages work pefectly for a simple Saturday supper. Try them on a bun or a bed of spicy rice. They are just the right meal for an easy meal.