Skip to main content

Meat"less" Monday

One of the ways we save money during the week is to have a couple of meals that are meat"less" and by that I mean way less meat. We are not vegetarians and on those meat"less" days we DO have eggs, cheese, butter and milk. 

Tonight for dinner, we will be having Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Vegetables.  (click on link to be taken to recipe)






We try to eat seasonally and locally and because the temperatures on the Central Coast of California are still cool,  we have access to both butternut squash and Brussels sprouts at our local Farmer's Markets. As gardeners, we also grow both of these items and they can both be readily found at most grocery stores. 

And let me tell you, if you have never had polenta before.... WHY NOT!!?? You are going to love the rich cheesy, corny taste and how it mixes perfectly with the sweet butternut squash and the smokey Brussels Sprouts. You have GOT to try this dish out. So the cost breakdown for the end of February in our area is...


  • 2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese  ($3.99 for 5 oz.)            .80
  • 3 oz. Fontina Cheese ($4.99 for 8 oz)                   1.87
  • 1 Tbsp Butter   (3.99 lb.)                                         .25
  • 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar                                        .25
  • 1 Cup (5 oz) Polenta                                             1.65
  • 3/4 lb. Butternut Squash ($1.78 Squash)                .85
  • 1/2 lb.  Brussels Sprouts  ($2.99 lb. )                      .75
  • 3 Tbsp   Olive Oil                                                    .25
  • Parsley (free, I grow this)                                        .00
  • Salt and Pepper                                                        .00
  • TOTAL                                                                   6.67 or $1.67 per serving
That is $3.34 for a meal for 2, for a meal that's healthy, tasty and frugal! I cannot wait for dinner!

If you are scared to make polenta and are lucky enough to have a Trader Joes grocery store near you, you can pick up ALL the items there. Their polenta is in the frozen section and is mixed with other veggies and you could add in the two types of cheese. This route would be simple and quick but cost a bit more for the ready made supplies. I know they have the squash already cut up and peeled, the brussels sprouts halved and cleaned and the frozen polenta ready to go with just a bit of microwaving.

Try shaving money off your budget by eating on the "peasant" side a couple of nights a week and put the money you saved towards retirement, fun or debt!

 Happy Meat"less" Monday!! 

 Much Love
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coffee T. Rice House

Isn't this a beautiful Victorian Style home? You can't see all of it because of the shrubbery and trailer park at the base of the house. It made me curious about the history of the house so I looked it up. Here is what I found. This is the historical information I found written  HERE . Coffee T. Rice House Oceano, California History and Description: Coffee T. Rice was a wealthy financier, with enterprises throughout the State, who migrated from Ohio to San Francisco. When a railroad was surveyed through this area he envisioned an industrial center here and acquired various properties close to the right of way. He introduced celery production to the area. Rice started construction on his home in 1885 using the same craftsmen that were working on the Pitkin House. The house originally had 20 rooms and was painted yellow. Surrounded by well-kept grounds with various trees and a sundial, the house was approached by an oval driveway and a stone-pillared entryway. The grounds also in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Norwegian Pancakes (Norska Pannekaken)

Every culture has its pancake and this is the Norwegian version, a very light, crepe-like pancake that goes with just about anything. These "pancakes" are light and eggy and go with both sweet and savory fillings. When my chickens start up laying eggs in the Spring, we LOVE to make these pancakes, freezing the excess for another day. Yes, they freeze and thaw perfectly! Most people have the simple ingredients on their shelves and in their refrigerators SO LET'S GO! Original Recipe Can Be Found on the Outside Oslo Website   Here . Norska Pannekaken 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon Scandinavian vanilla sugar* 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan Mix all ingredients except butter in a medium-sized bowl using a whisk or fork until the batter is smooth and you have no lumps. Stir in butter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the batter rest. Meanwhile, warm a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grave's Disease

The Picture - Half Empty or Half Full? Many of you who know me know I've been fighting a battle with Graves' Disease for about a year and a half. It was diagnosed in February of 2007. I was so very sick back then I actually thought I was going to die! One of the main symptoms was a rapid heartbeat and mine was probably 110 beats a minute. I was put on Methimazole, about 40 mg. per day to knock down the worst of the symptoms. That has gradually been reduced until now my dose is 5 mg. a day. Then I got some really bad news this week, my numbers are beginning to rise again. My Dr. called on Wednesday and told me he wanted to do the radioactive iodine treatment. I just don't feel ready for that at all. He gave me until the 7th of November, my next appointment, to "see the numbers change". He says to take the medicine every other day and in two weeks go off it all together. Yeah, the numbers will change and it won't be for the better I'm sure. So, I went on the...
6 comments
Read more