Need help cooking on a broken foot.

[PoorMusician]

About 12 weeks ago I was in a car wreck that broke my foot. Surgery went really well and my doc has released me to a normal schedule with a "if it hurts, don't do it" philosophy. Unfortunatly, I can't drive and my hubby is working constantly so we can replace my car, but there is a grocery store in walking distance. So my predicament is this:

 

I need to feed my dh and I for less than $30 a week using groceries that I can fit in a normal backpack, without spending a whole lot of time on my feet in the kitchen. I've already exhausted my cookbooks and want to eat something besides canned pasta sauce or bagged salad. But I really have to limit my on-my-feet-in-the-kitchen time so I can have energy for other things too. I knew this was the place for recipes on a budget and I thought you might be the place for budget concious broken foot cooking!

 

Thanks so much!!!

[mommato3boys]

I just posted some easy recipes on the topic "new mom needs mom's help"

 

You might try cooking in shifts. Like cooking a big pack of ground beef and splitting it up between zip lock bags. That way when it comes time for dinner you can have tacos or burritos and the meat can just be heated in the mircowave. Chicken can be done the same way.

 

http://www.mrssurvival.com/forums/ubbthrea...true#Post141135

 

Also here is another good thread that deals with light summer recipes

 

http://www.mrssurvival.com/forums/ubbthr...true#Post140167

[halfpint]

I would suggest crock pot meals, as you can fix them and leave them.

 

Here is one we like that freezes well (you could freeze the extra and then use for meals later)

 

Chicken - oriental style

6 chicken breast halves

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

 

mix soy sauce, honey and sesame seeds

place chicken in crock pot adding about a tablespoon of the sauce over each piece of chicken, then add the rest of the sauce.

Cook on low 4-6 hours or until meat juices run clear.

 

If you don't mind the oriental flavor in other dishes, you could use the extra chicken later for other dishes (such as chicken and rice) or whole for another meal.

 

many types of beans can be cooked in the crock pot, with a little meat from a previous meal to add flavor in addition to your spices. We particularly like red beans and rice:

 

1 med onion chopped

1 small bell pepper chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, minced (I use dried in winter, about 2 tbsp)

1 lb red beans that have been soaked overnight and drained - sometimes I precook about an hour and drain again so they will be really soft)

3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin (use more or less according to taste)

1/4 tsp black pepper

 

Cook in crock pot on high for 6-8 hours

Cook rice in rice cooker about 45 min to 1 hour before serving, serve beans over rice. Good with cornbread.

 

Dawn

 

[goatherder]

If you really want to economize, try beans or lentils and rice. Beans can be put in the crockpot, soaked overnight then cooked all day. Lentils cook pretty quickly. I make a big pot of brown rice and freeze the extra. You can make a tasty and quick meal with leftover beans and rice by adding some canned corn and salsa. Serve with tortillas and a salad. Leftover lentils can be mashed with some seasonings such as onion powder and garlic powder and made up like meatloaf (bread crumbs, egg) packed into a loaf pan and baked until firm (about 30 minutes). It tastes good and can be sliced for sandwiches if you have leftovers.

 

Quick pasta dishes can be made if you have rotini and some vegetables such as canned tomatoes and frozen mixed veggies (any kind). Just cook the pasta and combine it with some onion, the canned tomatoes (don't drain) and the veggies plus whatever seasonings please you. Cook until the liquid evaporates over medium heat.

 

With these strategies, I can feed a family of four on $30 a week.

[HSmom]

Quote:

But I really have to limit my on-my-feet-in-the-kitchen time so I can have energy for other things too.

Boy, do I know how that feels!

If you have a barstool, pull it up to your kitchen table and do all your vegetable prep work there. You can also perch on a barstool (or even a kitchen chair) between times of stirring the pot. Another option for prep work is to put a kitchen chair in front of the counter and kneel on it (add a pillow - trust me).

Take your same ingredients and make simpler meals. For instance, instead of breaded fried chicken breast strips, seasoned rice, and a vegetable, boil the chicken, cut it up and make a chicken-rice-vegetable casserole. The whole meal might take just as long to prepare, but you can do it ahead of time, at your own pace.

Plan ahead with 'leftovers'. For example, today, I needed macaroni to add to existing soup. I made twice as much as I needed. Tomorrow I'll use the 'leftover' macaroni to make mac-n-cheese. So while you're making the rice mentioned in the above example, make double so you have some to go with another meal.

Regarding getting your groceries home: frozen vegetables are lighter weight than canned, usually more economical, and usually healthier. Fresh vegetables require more prep than frozen or canned.

Some of my quick, cheap meals:

Baked potato (oven or microwave) with some or all of the following: butter, sour cream, sliced green onion tops, chives, shredded cheese, chili (canned or homemade), etc.

Nachoes - cook up a big batch of taco meat and freeze in small portions - it takes the same amount of time to cook a big batch as it does a small one. At mealtime, place tortilla chips on a plate, cover with cheese, sprinkle with meat, sliced green onion tops, canned sliced olives, etc. Microwave. Garnish with salsa and/or sour cream.

Burritos - take the above taco meat and refried beans and place on a tortilla with appropriate accompaniments. Microwave. Serve with canned, frozen or fresh corn.

Sandwiches with store brand frozen fries

Bread, cheese or hard boiled egg, fruit

[westbrook]

CHICKEN DING!!!!!

 

throw chicken in a glass dish... place in microwave.. set timer.. when the dinger goes off... its dinner

 

wella! Chicken Ding!

[westbrook]

need the recipe for beef ding?

[Amishway Homesteaders]

set the timer to long for chicken ding

and when it burns you have beef ding.

[quiltys41]

Get a desk chair with wheels and put the knee of your broken foot in it and let the foot hang over the edge...now wheel your way from the sink, stove, table or whatever with your good foot. The crock pot is your friend! So is a roasting pan in the oven. Beef or pork roasts are good for that. Have someone gather everything you will need to cook with if you have to go to another room to get the stuff like in a pantry or basement. Save yourself as many steps as possible. And good luck!

 

Q

[Pigzzilla]

Just be careful with a pot of water when in a wheeled chair.

Several years ago my left foot was in a non weight bearing cast up to my knee. I was getting around pretty good with an old secretary chair- 5 wheels on the base so it was fairly stable. I was gonna cook a pot of spagetti for dinner. Well, I filled the pot with hot water and was turning around with it to put on the stove, when I rolled over the cats tail!! I poured most of that pot of hot water down my leg and into the cast!!! Cat went running, I said a few non-repeatable words and about that time Hubby came in from work. So it was off to the ER to get a new cast.

 

Take care.

 

People tell me I should write a book about the stupid things I've done.

[MommyofSeven]

You can do up a big batch of sloppy joe (recipe follows) so that will help vary the meals.

 

Put a pot of beans in the cp overnight, then reheat in mic. You can eat these as is (especially if you have a ham bone in freezer) or add them to the burritos or nachos as they are cheaper than refried beans in the can-lighter to carry, too LOL. Just use LOTS of water. I quick soak mine first.

 

If you can carry this much, buy a big bag of chicken leg quarters. Put half in a stock pot with carrots and celery if you have it, if not, that's OK, add salt, pepper, and good chicken spices, and let it simmer for awhile. Put half in a marinade of italian dressing, then cook in the oven or cp. When the chicken is done, put it in a bowl, grab another bowl and a plate, and SIT down to debone it. Well, save some of the italian for one meal with added garlic potatoes or au gratin.

 

The italian chicken, freeze until you can get or make alfredo sauce, then throw it in there. Will go very well with the easy to make pasta but give you a break from spaghetti sauce.

 

With the chicken and stock you can make a ton of stuff. Some of the chicken can be saved for chicken and rice, or a variety of chicken casseroles. You can also make chicken noodle soup, chicken potato soup, and chicken and dumplings. With just the two of you, that stock should go quite aways, and it freezes well. Just letit sit in fridge overnight so you can get the fat off.

 

Also if you can, buy the 5 lb chub of hamburger, and then cook it all at once, leaving out 1 lb for meatloaf, which can be thrown in the oven. Once it's cooked, you've saved yourself that bit of time the next time, so you can do something else (or have DH cook it). Easy to add to beef casseroles that can go in the cp.

 

There is a cp cooking group on yahoo with lots of recipes as well. LMK if you can't find it and I'll give you the link. Pork chops or pork roast when on sale cook wonderfully in the cp. So does beef brisket, and it goes on sale usually during the summer. If it's too big for the backpack, ask the meat market person if they will cut it in four pieces for you (use your broken foot for pity leverage, LOL). Each of those four pieces should give you enough for at least 2 meals, and you should be able to find it on sale near 4th of July for $.99/lb or so.

 

Do oatmeal once every few weeks for dinner. Also pancakes. Scrambled eggs. French toast. Pancakes and french toast you can also make a larger batch when you're having a good energy day and freeze them.

 

Ask a friend or more than one if they will fix you some freezer meals, and you'll return the favor when you're better. If you have six friends and they each fix two, that's 12 meals where all you have to do is thaw and put in the oven. If they can't do that, ask if you can borrow a cp if you don't have one and breakmaker also, home made bread will really stretch those meals.

 

Make the homemade bisquick recipe so you can make cheeseburger pie and chicken pot pie for cheap. LMK if you need it posted. I think it costs like $.89 for me to make a double batch of the recipe, which would cost almost $10 at the store.

 

You can also make many pantry items like dressings and treat mixes cheaply to help stretch your money. Nothing makes spaghetti taste better when you've had it for the fourth time in two weeks than a fresh salad with dressing-if you'r enot buying the dressing maybe you can afford the salad stuff. Also brownies afterward makes anything better LOL.

 

You can also cook a big batch of spaghetti sauce in the cp so you're not worrying about it scorching or having to stir it all the time. Usually a few hours on low does it. That way you have real sauce instead of the canned crap. I also just did a big batch of chili in the cp today from the beans I cooked overnight last night. Maybe buy two or so extra cans of tomatoes per week until you have all you need before you make it.

 

Mo7

 

 

[HSmom]

Mo7, those are some great ideas!!

[PoorMusician]

Ya'll gave me several weeeks worth of great ideas!! Not only did my groceries weigh less, but they ended up being cheaper and my husband says he hasn't eaten this well in a long time. Go figure.

 

Mommyof7 - I bought the carrots and celery this week (frozen, cause it took up less space) and will buy the chicken next week. How long do I simmer the chicken in the stock pot? Do I throw away the carrots and celery when I'm done? And If I make chicken and rice soup with the stock... could I just throw it in the freezer rice and all?

 

I was about to just start living off my preps, but I really wanted to save them cause they're so new.... and quite pretty the way they're stacked in the cabinet...

 

Thanks again.

 

<--- well, I would if I could...