it's amazing

..... how much money you can save from cooking! Normally, we get takeout every day, but last Christmas (yes, 2001) my parents gave us a barbeque, and hubby finally hooked it up a few days before New Year's Eve! We barbequed hamburgers & hot dogs together, and it was so much fun! Not only was it fun, but we saved $10.00 for a meal! So, tonight we barbequed, again ...... Now, I just need to learn to cook simple meals ...... Not only does it save $$$$, but it's healthier.

Hey, welcome to the cooking club, Tigger!

I guess I just figured out your New Year's resolution.

Think of what you can buy with all that saved money!

Now I hate to cook, but . . . I used to grill lamb chops with just some garlic and they were wonderful. My father-in-law grills the salmon he catches, with the skin on to keep it in tact. My dad used to grill well into the winter months, so it ain't just for summer. But if you want to do fish or veggies, be sure to get one of those basket thingies so the bits don't fall between the grid. Cleaning the grill is icky!

Well, my husband and I live on a pretty strict budget. Since I stay at home, we only have his income. We are homeowners and have 2 kids, 2 cats, 3 cars.......you see what I mean. Anyway, what I am getting to is that cooking is a wonderful way to save some $$.

I cook 3 meals a day ,EVERYDAY!! We only go out to eat maybe once month or so....I can't imagine how much it would cost to eat out all the time.
My food bill is large, but there is always leftovers and the pantry and fridge are always full. And if the budget is really really tight, I buy stuff to make things like minestrone ( I can make a whole stock pot of minestrone that will last like for 3 days or I can freeze it ) for only about $5.00!!! Imagine how much 3 days of suppers would cost a restaurant for 4 people! YIKES!!
Not to mention, cooking becomes addictive! I watch the foodtv network and try lots of new stuff. Its great to make new stuff, and when your kids say "yummy, mom" that is soooo gratifying!!

Give it a try Tigger, I bet soon enough you'll be a pro cook!! Enjoy!!

It's called "Make Your Own Groceries" and let me tell you, it is fantastic! Everything from making pet foods, baby foods, health and beauty aids to freezer to oven meals. It saves money, but you have to have at least a day to make the meals in the book ahead of time, but once that is done- life is so much easier. Author is Daphne Mataxis Hartwig, she has 3 of these, I have volume one and two, soon to get three.

Cooking can be lots of fun. I LOVE to cook and bake. One of the magazines I have found very helpful this last year is quick cooking. Because I am somewhat limited on time during the weeknights, they have some awsome easy and cheap recipes. It gets sent out every 3 months, but there's recipes from cover to cover. You should check it out...www.quickcooking.com
Then of course you can buy something for the cats with all the money you save

I also try to cook for my family for each meal. However, we do go out on Sunday for lunch after church. It does get expensive for four people, and my kids are getting a bit big to be sharing their kids meal. My husband and I used to eat out a lot and get carry out before we had kids, but then it got too difficult. So now we eat in, as much as I LOVE to eat at restaraunts. My husband eats A LOT, so I ususally spend almost $500 a month on food, but that's still cheaper than eating out.

Tigger, I too have discovered the joys of cooking!

The SO and I eat far too many meals out (that or delivery) but we are getting better. I got a huge set of T-fal which is this really incredible cookware. It makes cooking so much easier when you've got the good stuff. The internet is a wonderful place to find recipes. We eat out probably 2 or 3 times a week.

I was the primary person who cooks around here until a couple months ago when I instated a new rule around. The SO is responsible for dinner on mondays, thursdays & saturdays. I have the other nights. He orders out at least one of his nights. In fact thursday we had take out from the pizza/sub place. On the weekends I like to actually take my time and try out recipes. I also will make pancakes for breakfast (cheap & easy!) or omelets and maybe some hashbrowns.

I don't know if you have a crock pot, but they are wonderful! you can put a roast, some carrots & potatos in, let it slow cook for 10 hours & voila! You have a hearty homecooked meal where there hardest part was putting it all in the crock pot. I also make chili in mine.

Invest in Wish Bone Italian dressing. You can marinate just about anything in it.

I like to cook, but I get frustrated with my hubby when all he says after dinner is, "it was ok ". No "yummy" no "Delicious" no "great", just "ok". If that's as much as he cares, why not just make baloney sandwiches? Actually, I know he really likes my cooking, but I just wish he'd be more vocal about it. How would he feel if he spent hours washing and waxing the car, and all I said was "it looks ok"? Ugh.

My new addiction is homemade waffles. Mom gave us a wafflemaker for Christmas and I looooove it. If you have fresh waffles you will never go back to frozen toaster waffles. Apparently you can make cornbread in the wafflemaker, too. I haven't tried yet, but intend too the next time we have chili.

AP... I just love T-fal! (although I don't have a set yet, I really want one! Maybe next Christmas! )

Tigger..the more you cook, the more you will love it! And AP's suggestion of a crockpot is a great one! I use mine alot!! I not only do roasts in it, but I throw in some boneless pork or beef ribs, and cook on low all day, then all I have to do is take them out, dump the grease out, put them back in with some BBQ sauce (sometimes I shred them with a fork, for sandwiches) and cook for just a little while longer, till the BBQ sauce is hot.

I have a crockpot that I got for my 21st birthday, that I've never ever used .....

use that crockpot!!! There isn't any easier way to make dinner. You can find a ton of recipes online. Just do a search for crock pot recipes.

Hey, and if you happen to find a really good website for the recipes, maybe you could post the link here, too! I could use some new crockpot recipes!

One of my favorite crockpot meals to to put chicken with a jar of salsa in the crockpot and cook all day, then take the chicken out and put uncooked rice in the salsa and cook for about 20 minutes. Then you have chicken and something similar to spanish rice. It's delicious.

Missy.

I hate cooking. Fortunately I married a man who not only loves to cook, but is an excellent cook to boot. I maybe cook once every 3-4 months. He cooks & I do the clean-up. He works out doors for a living, so cooking to him is recreation. I am, however, the baker in the family - I love to bake. We get take out once every 1-2 weeks. It is a nice change.

AP:

Hop to it on those crock pot recipes. If you can come up with some decent ones, I will buy a crockpot.

That would eliminate a lot of "what do I eat" hassle, especially when I get home after 8 p.m. on the nights I have class.

Although, they have to be easy to start. I can't be getting up much earlier than I already am.

I had a lot of time on my hands when I wasn't working. I found these sites for crockpots and added them to my favorites.

http://www.tastycrockpotrecipes.net/articles.html

http://southernfood.about.com/library/crock/blcpidx.htm

http://www.cookingcache.com/crockpot.html

http://www.crockerykitchen.com/

http://www.quickneasyrecipes.com/crockpot/crockpot.html

those sights were great Sandie!! thanks

Thanks ,Sandie, for the links :chicken: ! I added them to my favorites....now all I need is a crockpot