Barbecue On A Budget

 Happiness is a barbecue yet it can get expensive? What to do ? You can cut corners and still have a tasty spread. It's just knowing how to budget and create flavorful dishes.

A barbecue and garden produce go hand in hand. You can easily take those early ripened beefsteaks and use those to top burgers. They also are great for all sorts of salad too.One of my favorites, panzanella requires just sliced tomatoes - any kind, fresh basil chiffonaded and olive oil. Garlic from the garden can flavor the salad and any salad for that matter.If you;re luckily enough to have corn in your garden take advantage of it. Grilled corn is a great side but it can also be used in corn salads for a different take on barbecue dishes. Add onions tomatoes and cucumber for a tasty colorful dish. A simple vinaigrette is perfect here so it can let all the different flavors shine.Shiny, purple eggplant are gracing garden patches right now and it's time to enjoy their creamy textured and earthy flavor. These are a great meat sub for any barbecue and they can be barbecued in a variety of ways.Brush slices with an herbal oil and grill both sides for a few minutes. A homemade bruschetta is also a great topping for eggplant along with Parmesan cheese too.

Of course there are great stores like Lidl that can help you with a budget barbecue. Try their onion burgers which taste like the burgers your mom and Gran made. These have bits of sweet onion in them. Lidl' also has pure beef and turkey patties too , ranging anywhere from $11.99 to $7.99 Walmart also has a good price on the meat patties being a dollar more than Lidl (although I think Lidl has the more flavorful patties)Bubba 's Burgers which can be bought almost everywhere are also a  good deal. Acme me has a twelve pack of the turkey kind for $9.99 . Keep in mind you can also sub in veggie and bean burgers too.Are homemade bean burgers just as moist and tasty as the store bought ones? Yes and much cheaper too. It's a mix of black beans (which are usually sixty cents a can), bread crumbs and a egg. These last are for binding. You can add chopped onions as you would with regular burgers. Spices such as ground ancho peppers and chipotle also give some zing and zest. 

You can have a good barbecue on a budget.It's just takes planning and ingenuity. Try it for some delicious flavors at low cost.

Party On A Budget

 In another couple of weeks it will be party season. Theres only one problem with it this year - sky high costs. How do you celebrate when pinching pennies?It will take a lot of planning.

Many home chefs do live to have some kind of holiday get together. It could be a tree trimming party or a cookie exhcnage .it could just be cocktails  and fancy nibbles with friends Yet all these cost money and this year some products and incrediets are almost fifty to seventy per cent higher in price. What to do?Budget. Look at cheaper alternatives and ways to stretchh those party dollars. One good idea is having a pot luck holiday party. Have friends bring over their favorite dishes instead of you making all of them. ask people to cook or bake dishes that can feed a crowd. Lasagna is one and it cna be made cheaply if using in store brands along with going vegan. Sub in veggies for ground beef or look to sales and Beyond Meat for an alternative. The same goes for mac and cheese. You can splurge on the cheese a little while saving on the pasta.As far as cakes and cookies, ask guests to look for whatever is on sale and use those to create party desserts.There should be some kind of drinking. Limit it to alcoholic and non alcoholic punches which can be diluted with plenty of seltzer and juice.

Another idea is to shop for bargains. You'll have to rely on  Target,Wal-Mart Acme , Stop & Shop  Shop Rite and Aldi for this. Wal-Mart is usually much cheaper than the  other groceries.  You could easily get chicken breasts and shrimp to turn into fancy kebobs. They also have great cookie trays and cheesecake platters. Aldi is another store with plenty of bargains. Buy their summer sausage along with a panino deli tray wich is three kinds of cold cuts  like salami wrapped around small mozzarella sticks. Think Acme, Stop & Shop and Shop Rite if you want to buy shrimp trays for a decent price along with their wide range of affordable desserts. Target has always had excellent pricings (plus five percent off if you hav etheir Red Card) on their appetizers and hors d'ouevres.  You may have to store hop to get the best bargains but it will be worth it to have a table full of good food. Check out Wine Warehouse along with any discount liquor stores in your area. There's sure to be some good bulk pricing not only on wine but on the less expensive champagnes too. Another idea is limit your menu. Don't have shrimp and sushi . Have one or the other. Have veggies and dip but don;t pair it with a large charcuterie board. One or the other will get neglected. have a sampler board with just a few meats cheeses and crackers. Cut down on desserts too. One trifle and three or four different kinds of cookies should be the perfect ending.

You can party on a budget. It just takes thoughtful planning and smart shopping. This ensures a gathering thats still festive and fun.