One Week Down! How Much Food Do I Have Left? | $100 Grocery Budget to Last a Month!

[@jillgott6567]

When I find bags of coleslaw on clearance I freeze the leftovers for stirfry or to add to soups. You can always delete, hide, ignore the negative comments. You arent required to be abused just because you are on youtube. I find your videos to be fun, informative and helpful

[@mariafentis]

Agreed, some people need a life if they are that hard up to comment. For a bag of cole slaw, add ground meat , veggies you have and make a deconstructed egg roll, filling , fast and tasty, I add ground ginger, terriaki , or soy sauce ... Very easy and forgiving on content!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

People warning me that green potatoes could make someone ill, I don't consider that to be negative. it's simply information sharing, and it's important to distinguish the difference between intentions :)

[@tomr3422]

The marked down cabbage/coleslaw is great- I throw a hand full in with potatoes and onions, put a egg on top, or scramble it in after they are cooked - almost every morning, a table spoon of blended up rotel or the store brand tomatos and peppers on the top almost every morning -

[@scook5599]

​@@tomr3422Sounds good!

[@composthog4332]

​@@DollarTreeDinnersAgree ! And I just want to add that if you can store them very very dark that the green shouldn't happen. And I was always taught there are vitamins in the skins. In some countries, like sweden, they are stored very very dark even at the store. They respect their potatoes 😅

[@eviemartin1756]

When I have leftover potatoes and I have corn tortillas, being latina, there's a dish called taco de papas. (Potato tacos) crisp the tortillas in a little oil, not much needed. Fill with the potatoes and top with fixings like a meat taco. No lettuce, cabbage works great. Very inexpensive. These tacos can also be mae with mashed beans.....same fixings.

[@Yesica1993]

YUM!

[@beckywhinery4652]

❤

[@heatherj3030]

I love potato tacos, yum! Great suggestion!❤

[@eviemartin1756]

@heatherj3030 I used to buy them because in my area they're so inexpensive, BUT they're so easy to make. When I buy cilantro, so many times it would go to waste. But now I chop most of it and freeze in ice trays and have ready for cooking, and the rest I've been dehydrating which I do with lots of my herbs and veggies 😋

[@ilovemusic1974]

I make these all the time you can also do the same with some cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken my husband loves them

[@lonniekellyhawkins6493]

Enjoying this series! I'm a disabled widow, no children in the home, residing in my RV full time & living on SS alone. Groceries are insane & this gives me hope. I'm going to try this next month! 😊 Thank you!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

What kinds of cooking appliances do you have available in the RV?

[@juliehowman3912]

Depending on what cooking methods you have access to, budget eating can be harder than it should. For those of us who are disabled, cooking itself can be a chore. I cannot stand for any length of time but fortunately I now have a perch stool that lives in my kitchen. I was blessed to have social services adapt my kitchen so it was safe for me. That meant no stove as I was at too much risk of falling over whilst using it. I live on a tight budget and do all of my cooking in an instapot, my slow cooker, my mini grill, my microwave and my electric pot. Of all those I would recommend the electric pot, they use very little power, offer instant heat, cool quickly, can be used for any type of pot cooking and it takes up the same amount of space as a pot, the steamer that came with it doubles as a collindar too.

[@crescentmoon374]

@@DollarTreeDinners and THIS ⬆is why you are such an amazing caring individual !! we all know full well you will be trying to come up with meals using exactly the kind of appliances available to her !!! wish you were my neighbor 💕

[@wandamontgomery6030]

Can you get meals on wheels delivery?

[@andreyheather]

Can't wait to hear how you do on your plan, Lonniekellyhawkins!

[@ChristinaVVM]

I think you should count the applesauce and brownie mix. It’s real life, they made a mistake and then made it right. Someone who actually only has the $100 would use them and thank the stars that the store error worked in their favor. You’re not cheating. At least give yourself back the money they over charged you into your budget.

[@veggielovinaccountant]

Girl, I say eat the ketchup! In reality, most of us have a bottle of ketchup in the fridge and if not, you can get one at dollar tree I think? 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@heatherangel9700]

I know several people who have a drawer where they stash unused condiment packets from restaurants too, and use those on demand. So like you said, I feel like pretty much everyone has ketchup around one way or another.

[@evilvampireduck]

Or people can stop at a gas station and pick up some condiment packets. My am/pm has a whole little hotdog bar with various packets to put on ur hot dogs.

[@maryangel4974]

​@@evilvampireduck The only problem with this idea is that they come with a purchase of something. You can't usually buy them, and taking them if you don't buy a hotdog or something would be stealing.

[@MsTwiththeTea1980]

@@heatherangel9700agreed

[@bunnylacy2097]

@@maryangel4974it’s really not stealing to take a couple packets of ketchup. If it was as why would they have the packets out in the open where you can get them whenever you want? Same as napkins. You really think it’s stealing to take a couple napkins and 2-4 ketchup packets? You can also pick up a cheap piece of candy for less than a dollar at many places , so there… you made a purchase. You don’t have to buy a hotdog or something similar to use the packets. Theyre free.

[@b3thamphetamine]

I highly recommend picking up a head of celery. They tend to be cheap, and in my area they go on sale frequently. However, the main reason I try to always pick some up is that it freezes beautifully and adds loads of flavor because of it's naturally high levels of glutamic acid. I like to dice or slice up most of the head of celery, and freeze them flat on a baking sheet so they don't stick together in a giant clump in the bag. I also chop up the leaves, too and use them just like I would parsley, but the flavor will be a little stronger. TL;DR: One head of celery, portioned into quarters, chopped and frozen, could last this entire month and add loads of flavor for very little cost.

[@bernadettechute7998]

Great idea!

[@lizpecina6355]

Celery soup is divine also

[@hannahbanana732]

And can't you regrow it from the root end?

[@lizpecina6355]

@@hannahbanana732 didnt know that, will try

[@asmradventureasmr]

​@hannahbanana732 YES you can, we do that with several produce items like: romaine lettuce, green onions, beets, sweet potatoes, carrot 🥕, cabbage, pineapple top, etc.

[@stone.durfey5862]

When my joints are painful. Slapping the chopper like that hurts too. So, tip for others, I bought a small electric chopper for about 10 dollars. And it works like a dream. A small food processor would be great as well and you get a much finer chop. Hope this was helpful. I also keep a small Italian dressing on hand as a sub. for sandwiches in place of sub oil. Also, in summer my mom often used her electric frying pan to cook, sometimes putting it outside on a small table to keep the extra heat out of the house. My husband used to often talk about making me a summer kitchen, if only we lived where we had our own yard. It would be open on 2 sides, on the closed side electric for an oven and plumbing for a sink. I never got it, but it sounded lovely.

[@nopereally1966]

Ty for the suggestion on a electric chopper! I have RA and yes both can hurt. Ty ! ❤

[@evilvampireduck]

When the arthritis in my hand is bad, instead of smacking it with my arm, I use my arm and put my weight on it

[@sonyafox3271]

Well, if you have a Emersion Blender it has an electric chopper attachment that comes with it! Also, if you have a blender, it does have a chopper and grater mode! 42:21 I lived in a house with a summer kitchen attached, we would walk through either the back door and there was the summer kitchen before entering the kitchen! But, mostly my summer kitchen was a huge pantry! I mean we had central air in that house so, it was all just fine and, whether it was winter or summer, I love cooking so, back in those days when,I had a bigger kitchen, I spent the majority of my time in the kitchen! 42:21

[@angelaschaefer5883]

I didn’t know there was electric chopper. Thanks for sharing.

[@woxli3010]

I also got one of those big rotary graters that will slice for you. In a lot of instances thin slices or a rough grate is easy to do and works in a pinch

[@melodychristian974]

My mama ALWAYS chopped the cabbage finely and added it to the meat/rice mixture! It helped bulk it up for the 8 mouths she had to feed! She also diluted the tomato sauce with water!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Great tip! Cabbage-ception

[@sallyapplegate4591]

If you find tomato juice on sale it works great for cabbage rolls.

[@keichandee]

I always add more than one cabbage layer

[@coleenburgess6689]

My depression era grandma would save her cuttings and bones to make a broth base then chop up every bit of leftover meat, veggies and potato from the dinners she made all week even if it was a tablespoon or two of this and that and make what she called "garbage soup". This was the Friday night tradition for years and it was my favorite nite of the week!!

[@nicole757]

your grandmother was the original “girl dinner” cook :) - i bet she has some good recipes

[@tomr3422]

Same my grand morther used the scraps for a stock, then anything left over from the week went in on friday night- it was always an adventure and as a small kid, I would get a spoon full and say "hmmm chicken, we had that monday" trying to figure out what each spoon full was and when it was left over from.

[@Cthomas5678]

That’s awesome ❤us women are amazing!! My daughter always said my mom can make a million meals from one chicken ❤

[@cynthiatalbot6737]

My grandma did the same, she called it icebox soup. I still make it occasionally. It's kind of fun and nostalgic even if I don't "need" to. I hate wasting food.

[@cherilollis6082]

My mom called it freezer stew because anything in the freezer went in the stew

[@FairyRosee_]

I hope it's ok to suggest some ideas for your leftovers: Oats: cookies, oatmilk, adding to ground meat to bulk it out (I also add it to my bread before baking when the dough is too wet), granola, cold cereal/muesli Tortillas - cinnamon fried tortilla chips, quesadillas Cabbage - colcannon (potatoes and cabbage), sautéed cabbage

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Thanks for the ideas!

[@AmyRogers-j4c]

Colcannon is great, and the tradition is put whatever you have in it along with tatties and cabbage. Ham, meat, fowl, turnips, and cream if you have it. I like to use up grated bread heels, tossed with melted butter, and use it as a topping. Don't forget the pinch of grated nutmeg. I wish you had been around when I was raising 3 kids on no money...!

[@mariaayon4997]

Just an idea, Dollar tree has dried cilantro in their spice section. I use it all the time when I don’t have fresh cilantro . I really like your apron it’s pretty. 😊

[@angelcoalson9117]

I love cilantro and it can sometimes be expensive so I love this idea just to have in my spices as a just in case. I didn't know they carried dry cilantro but Thank You for the tip.

[@susanjane4784]

If you can find freeze-dried cilantro it's even better. Freeze drying keeps more nutrition and flavor -- I've found I need to use less.

[@FairyRosee_]

yes i'm using it right now but I don't think it has any flavor. I usually like their spices

[@mcclungsonwhite7377]

You can also find it dried for a super good price in the Mexican/international aisle in the grocery store! Like .99 cents at my expensive store

[@sonyafox3271]

If you have a dehydrator, you can dry your own herbs and put them in in a jar! 42:21

[@alexishampton3943]

I have a condiment packet basket. A lot of folks keep them! Definitely not cheating.

[@verucasalt4535]

Yes! I keep mine in a small container in my fridge door and use them in all kinds of recipes.

[@MamaKari5857]

I just put 56 packets into my ketchup bottle that accumulated since January

[@samsbadateverything]

I call it Packet-tory. It's where packets go while they await their fate.

[@verucasalt4535]

@@samsbadateverything omg that's so cute lol!

[@debraboot1000]

I worked at Bonanza and this is what we learned. You can take the cheapest cut of meat. Take it home, seperate it and put meat tendrizer on it, then freeze it. As it thaws, the meat tenderizer activates and you can do whatever you want to it and it will be tender!

[@scottholmes7069]

For the left over cabbage. Cabbage and Noodles -- brown some bacon then toss in cut up cabbage dash of vinegar and some Hungarian Papprika. Finally toss in cooked egg noodles

[@loriloristuff]

Haluski! Yes!!!!❤

[@eathomelive]

I LOVE Haluski. It's a favorite of mine for sure.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Haluski is a great idea!

[@FurBabyGrandma]

It translates well to a vegetarian diet as well. I just omit the bacon Thanks for sharing this delicious dish with everyone.

[@lorna865]

I've made it. Still have the recipe bookmarked. It's delicious.

[@mrhalfstep]

If you ain't snatchin' condiment packs of every variety, every chance you get, then you don'r need these videos. Of course it's not cheating! Folks that I run with have whole drawers that are dedicated to condiments, salt and pepper packs, red pepper flakes, dippin' sauces and single serve salad dressings. Not to mention plastic utensils. You're just crazy if you don't!

[@The3Storms]

Bless the pizza places that include parmesan packets! And Asian fast food with all the little sauces.

[@Answer4242]

Thing is...those condiment packets come from fast food restaurants. Not everyone goes to those, or often enough to build up a stash. It's cheaper to make meals at home, condiments included. 😋

[@ariellel6123]

I wish I wasn’t allergic to most of them. Love salt packets though they come in handy! Ohh and relish (when I can find it!)

[@wryterzblock]

If a place gives me extra things I'll happily use them. But I'm not trying to fill my purse with things I'm not using while I'm at a place. Ethics still has a role in frugality.

[@mrhalfstep]

@@wryterzblock I figure that if they can dump perfectly good food in the trash after a given time period because they produced more in advance than they could sell, rather than give it to a homeless guy sitting on the curb outside their restaurant, they can endure the lose of a few packets of mustard to an already overcharged customer. I sleep fine at night.

[@thishungering1]

Sauteed cabbage as a vegetable side dish! Chop it into bite sized pieces and saute it with some butter or oil, salt, pepper and your garlic herb seasoning.

[@beckywhinery4652]

My favorite way to eat cabbage.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

I remember my mom making what she called a boiled dinner, it was usually ham and cabbage, and i'm sure some other stuff. as a kid I wasn't a fan of cabbage particularly but my tastes have changed so drastically as an adult. I'm sure I would love it today

[@juliehowman3912]

@@DollarTreeDinners another take is bubble and squeak. You literally can add anything to it as originally it was made with left over cabbage, potato and if wealthy enough meat from the Sunday roast. If making it as a stand alone side, par boil and sauté your potatoes, boil your cabbage as you normally would, with a teaspoon of sugar and a dash of salt. Just before the cabbage is cooked, strain it and add it to the sauté potatoes to finish cooking.

[@katherinerichardson1767]

Yes, this is yummy way to use cabbage.

[@abaigealduda2756]

@@juliehowman3912 It's nice for breakfast, too. Make patties with the bubble & squeak & fry them in a pan until golden. Top with an egg.

[@MadamKsTarot]

HELLO, Second time viewer. I have been a cook for 48 years. I have tons of help for your Budget. 1st the cost if one loaf of bread =5 frozen bread loafs. You can make bread, cinnamon rolls, rolls, hamburger buns, hot dog buns. I use one loaf for hamburger n hotdog buns n freeze them. I wrap them in a paper towel so they don't get freezer burnt. Buy a bigger bag of rice. There are so many things to make from savory to sweet. Buy a new spice every month, you will build up a great variety. Herb box in your kitchen window. Seeds are cheap. Growing one tomato plant can give you up to twenty pounds of tomatoes; than you can freeze your excess. Same with a green, chili or banana pepper plant. Again seeds are cheap and these will grow in a pot. Farmers markets have fruit and veggies that aren't full of chemicals and there cheaper. I could go on all day. But I have always made big meals and freeze left overs. Your scrap bag is good for making broth, which u can make gravy with dumplings, noodles or even rice. You can make fry bread, biscuits, dumplings, noodles, pie crust out of the flour. (Buy a bigger bag of flour some things are essentials and make a meal in themselves if need be.) Flour is even a thickener for your scrap broth. I eat tortillas with ,grated cheese warmed up. Or with cinnamon sugar or jelly or peanut butter. Stuff em n bake em, breakfast. On n on. Thanks hope I added at least one idea. Dollar general has cheap veggies n canned soup. Campbell's select is .99¢ bean with ham, chicken noodle or beef barley. Bean with ham over home baked bread with touch of sugar, chicken noodle thicken it, put in baking dish top with chuncks of bread dough or biscuits n beef with barley is good over noodles.

[@tinaryan3877]

I love all these ideas and a lot of it my grandma taught me yrs ago! Definitely need more spices!! Different spices help so much

[@juliamarple3785]

Frozen bread loaf? I'm gonna check that out.

[@abbattoirnoises]

This series has been so amazing. Thank you for doing this. We use our scrap bag for stock and make a huge batch. One gallon ziploc ends up making about 5 quarts of stock. We use the stock for everything! Keep one in the fridge for immediate use and the rest go in the freezer and get thawed as needed. Keeping that freezer stocked is key! Our recipe: -Scrap bag (veggie scraps, bones, and fresh herb stems) -salt and pepper (we do course salt and whole peppercorns) -bay leaves -any dried herbs we have around the house Big stock pot, fill with water, bring to a boil and then put on low for several hours. I know it’s hot and having the stove on for hours sucks during the summer, but it is so worth it to have months worth of stock! I know your video doesn’t have certain items (ie bay leaves and fresh herbs) but I think your garlic and herb seasoning with salt and pepper would make for a really yummy stock combined with the veggies and bones. Good luck and can’t wait to see what you do next!! ❤

[@shannontanski9056]

My Babci (polish grandmother) made something called lazy mans perogies with the leftover cabbage after making cabbage rolls. You slice up the cabbage into strips with some sliced onions and cook them in a skillet with lots of butter, salt and pepper. Then you mix in cooked egg noodles...IT IS MY FAVORITE THING!! Also goes great with some grilled kielbasa (Polish smoked sausage) on the side. Hope you enjoy!!

[@veronicavatter6436]

We always called that haluski. Its super popular in polish areas. They even sell it at football game concession stands for HS football where i live

[@ameliacancel8278]

What I use as a substitute for sour cream is greek yogurt. it’s really easy to make into a sauce with lime or seasonings, and then you can eat the yogurt the rest of the week

[@Eggs_N_Bread_Lady]

I do this as well! Great way to add protein to a meal. After it was suggested, I started adding it to my scrambled eggs and omelets. Gives a good flavor and extra protein

[@kayleighjohnson3612]

It’s way healthier too because of the protein! Great tip!

[@kat-napzzz]

You’re so right about cheap vs easy. I’m disabled with a tremor so I buy a lot that is pre-chopped. I find Target has the best deals for that where I am. I also use a crinkle cutter that’s just a pushing motion and sometimes a small food processor that is easy to clean. I’ve also bought gloves that keep you from cutting yourself. Of course, I also have people that can often help with the cutting. But I might try that chopper! Thankfully, A lot of your dinner ideas are versatile enough that I can make it accessible for me. But you are so kind to even be thoughtful about it! Ps. I use yogurt as a way to make a small bit of creamy sauce. And I’ve used a jalapeño and lime with cabbage to make a slaw for slow cooked beef tacos.

[@Michelle-ud4we]

My grandmother used frozen peas in her cabbage rolls in place of the second pound of meat. They add protein and fiber and they’re pretty cheap. The carrots are a great addition

[@FurBabyGrandma]

Do you think cooked lentils would work as well? My husband doesn’t like peas but I really like the idea of extending the meat with another high protein and fiber item. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[@rebeccarankin9455]

​@@FurBabyGrandma Used lentils mixed in with beef taco filling to make it stretch and it was awesome. I have done this with quinoa also.

[@ChristinaJ-5189]

​@@FurBabyGrandma I used lentils instead of meat for cabbage rolls. The brown or green remain intact while red melt down. I precook mine. Also add grated carrots, chopped celery & diced peppers. My mom(Polish immigrant) was a purist- 1lb beef mince, 1lb pork mince, diced onion, rice & eggs seasoned with S&P. That's it. We would dilute tomato soup for sauce. Also cabbage leaves would go on the bottom & top. 😊

[@conniedeshazo3031]

Yum. Love peas

[@adventurouspeach]

​I add red lentils to every meal with minced beef i cook ​@@FurBabyGrandma (like bolognese chilli or lasgne) My partner doesnt eat nearly enough fiber as he doesnt love brown carbs beans or fruit He has only noticed recently becuse i left the pavket out

[@jazziered142]

I microwave my potatoes the night before, whole, then I throw them in the refrigerator. In the morning I grate them cold, the peels come right off as I grate, and then I fry them, so good.

[@deniseduckworth9089]

How long do you microwave them? Until they are soft like a baked potato?

[@blurred-antics]

I hope it's okay that mention some ideas 🧡 regarding food waste: - save the starchy water from rinsing your rice. it can be added to soups or (cooked) sauces for an easy thickening agent. - same goes for the liquid from draining canned beans. if the beans are seasoned, you'd want to use them in a flavor appropriate dish (obviously). This can also be used to make vegan meringue (its not just from chickpeas! you can use any canned bean liquid) - banana peels can be saved + (the outsides) washed + used for banana syrup if sugar is in the budget and you want an alternative to the strawberry jam. great for any sort of bready breakfast (baked oats, French toast, pancakes, etc) - same goes for any citrus peels - ^ both of those can also go into the freezer to be made at any time meal/side/snack ideas: - colcannon. mashed potatoes w cabbage. it usually has bacon too, or bacon fat. but if that's not an option it's perfectly good with just the potato/cabbage mix - vegetarian chili. beans (canned + seasoned, or dry) and tomatoes, either romas if on sale or canned, are both usually fairly cheap, a bell peppers and/or onion if possible + either a packet seasoning mix or just the basic chili powder (if I remember correctly, food lion has their own brand and it's about $2 or less (I'm also in the south lol)). can also add the the garlic seasoning mix you bought at the beginning for more flavor. I think that could pair well. can be eaten over some rice to make it more filling and/or stretch to a couple meals. top with shredded cheese + use a tortilla or two, cut into strips, and either fried or baked until crispy if you like the added crunch of Fritos but can't swing the extra price for them. - quesadillas, self explanatory. if you prefer a dip, but can't budget for an additional, individual product, you could make a couple eggs and dip in the runny yolks. this could also work as a breakfast dish if that's your vibe - stir fry w rice or ramen, that cabbage in the freezer, an egg or two if available, and any extra veg that can be spared (carrots, onion, etc). if you use ramen, cook the noodles with the seasoning packet added to the cooking water, and for only about a minute and a half so they're still fairly firm. rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside. this way they don't become overcooked when you add them to the egg + veg later. cook down the broth until it's hopefully a bit thicker bc of the starches from the noodles (alternatively, you can make a rue + add the broth to it in place of milk to make a loose gravy), could add some pb to make more of a peanut sauce if you like that sort of thing, then use that in place of soy sauce/other seasoning to coat everything. - potato tacos. basically just replace the meat in tacos with chopped, diced potatoes that have been cooked + seasoned. any toppings you want. could also dice some of the cabbage and add it to the cooking potatoes. - along the same lines as the citrus syrup noted above, candied citrus peels can make for a fun sweet snack - casserole with rice or chopped potato + any veg to spare (another use for the cabbage) + meat if available. cook everything down onto the stove until nearly done, then combine with some of that alfredo sauce (maybe 1/3 of the jar? Really depends on how much you make) it basically works in place of a cream of whatever soup. Then into the oven at 350° for 20-30 mins, let cool another 5-10 before serving. potential to top with cheese. - twice baked potatoes stuffed with the pork + bean soup. basically make like you would a typical baked potato, then cut in half, scoop out the insides, mix it w some of the soup + seasoning of choice, then mound it back over the potato half, and twice bake. I have done this with homemade pork + bean soup and it was way better than it had any right to be lmao

[@blurred-antics]

I really enjoy all the different budget series you've done on this channel. I agree that I think this is your best one yet!

[@cobysmith3179]

A simple cheap sauce for your burrito bowls is a copy cat Taco Bell mild sauce. I always have this stuff in my pantry. 3 cups water 1 6oz can tomato paste 3 Tbsp vinegar 4 tsp chili powder 1 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp salt 2 tsp corn starch Mix and boil 5 minutes. Lasts a long time in the fridge and makes a lot!

[@TexasBlueBonnet61]

I make that, too, minus the corn starch. I don't mind it being a little thin. For extra spice, I add a little chipotle in adobo puree.

[@HeavenWithouttheE]

How long can you use it?? I love the Taco Bell :)). Thank you. Vinegar probably helps with/stability??

[@bernadettechute7998]

@@HeavenWithouttheE put it in ANYTHING you add hot sauce to

[@cobysmith3179]

@@HeavenWithouttheE couple of months

[@Leopardivy]

Dollar Tree has a delicious taco sauce

[@cherylmclaverty2182]

Also please don’t pay attention to negative comments please

[@irenez7439]

Unless it's just plain mean, it might be just constructive criticism. We need to learn the difference.

[@ameliastelmach148]

Because they will always be there.

[@angelcoalson9117]

Exactly haters are always gonna hate, look at it on the bright side, the algorithm doesn't know if their comments are good or bad just that your getting comments so their still helping your channel regardless... ❤

[@nicole757]

she’s so sweet - i’m a new viewer and i can’t imagine someone leaving mean comments. some people have no home training :( like she’s literally giving cooking ideas/tips to people who may be financially struggling, is concientious of maybe having an elderly/disabled audience that need special tools, and is helping people to learn to budget and buy smart - why would anyone have anything negative to say?

[@countycalling]

@@irenez7439there are ways to be constructive without being mean, people need to do better at communicating

[@wildshadowstar]

A good thing about spreading the money out over the month instead of spending most of it at the beginning, aside from buying fresh items, is that you can catch deals throughout the month, especially if there’s a holiday coming up where some things will go on sale. Like with the 4th of July coming up, grilling items like hot dogs and burgers and other stuff go on sale. In November and December turkey and ham go on sale. And then there’s seasonal produce on sale. And if one can swing it in a budget, stick up and stash in the freezer or pantry. Like around thanksgiving or Christmas get the cans of cream of whatever soups or spices. I’ve always wanted to make cabbage rolls but between alone in my house and having had bariatric surgery I don’t eat much. I know I can freeze them but not sure if I’d get bored of them before going bad.

[@kenyonbissett3512]

You could always 1/2 the recipe. Instead of 11 get 5-6. Can’t see why they wouldn’t last 4 weeks after eating one the same night.

[@louellacharlton4425]

Or you could make it like a stoup. Layer it cabbage,rice meat onion in a small pot on stove top. Use tomato or V8 juice as it thickens as it cooks. You can make as many layers as you want. Does away with the whole rolling up the cabbage and all you go through before getting the cabbage ready. Also cooks in about a third the time.

[@ksacosta69]

The left over creamy salsa may be good drizzled over yours eggs and potato breakfast skillet instead of ketchup and then maybe sprinkle with a few chopped tomatoes and cheese. Or use it as a sauce on any burgers, sandwiches or wraps and lastly, maybe you could make a quick coleslaw dressing with it to serve with the bbq pork loin. I saw someone make twice baked potatoes stuffed with shredded pork, green onions and cheese. i used to make a casserole with canned green beans on bottom, then a layer of sliced potatotoes, a layer of sliced onion and pork chops on top with a little stock added over the whole thing. Of course, season to taste. Its kin of like comfort food. And, you're doing an excellent job and helping many people as well!

[@terrichicosky5676]

You can make cabbage soup with the leftover cabbage. I use hamburger in it, but it is farmer type food and flexible to what you have on hand. Excellent with mashed potato, rice or just bread.

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Great idea! Especially with the scrap bag, I could make broth and add cabbage and veggies and basically have a free meal

[@emeraldcity789]

​@@DollarTreeDinners Ham steak is pretty inexpensive and some of it chopped would be a nice addition to a cabbage soup.

[@abaigealduda2756]

That sounds nice! If celery does make it on the grocery list, it would be really nice in a cabbage soup! Maybe some carrot shreds/slices, too!

[@cherryreddkatt]

Beans , whatever leftover veggies you have , the cabbage , is a very tasty soup. My mom used to call it stone soup 😊

[@mandabean.2405]

I feel like stuffed cabbage are so much work! If you buy a bigger cabbage and only use half for unstuffed then you can use the rest for other dishes 🤷‍♀️ You can slice them into steaks and brush on oil, salt, pepper, garlic. Coleslaw. Sautéed with sausage or bacon and onions. Use leaves in place of taco shells/lettuce as a bowl. Cabbage soup. Cabbage fritters. Cabbage salad. That's why I wouldn't freeze it to stay crunchy.

[@JewelBlueIbanez]

Cabbage rolls are best either in the slowcooker or instapot. If you add half a can of water, they cook faster. We make up a huge batch and freeze them in meal sized vacuum bags. Thaw overnight and throw in the slow cooker on the way to work.

[@Sellons]

Rouge packets of sauces are bonus extra fun! Everyone keeps them on hand!! Except if I get ketchup ones there are never any leftover

[@rayrayravenclaw4385]

I agree anytime we eat out ibtry to get all the sauce packets we can. Or meeting someone at a fast food or coffee place I grab any packets. I love meeting my one friend at Starbucks they have nice raw sugar in packets.

[@GittanKitten]

Love this series! Quick note on affordable cilantro. I have found dried cilantro leaves at the dollar tree in the spice section. I use it in rice right after cooking and salsas when I don’t have the fresh thing on hand.

[@TexasBlueBonnet61]

When I have leftover cabbage or cabbage that has frozen (my fridge freezes things that get pushed to the back), I usually make some kind of soup. Creamy cabbage & hot dog soup is a favorite. Chopped cabbage, onion, celery, cooked in some chicken broth (water with bouillon powder) until tender, add sliced hot dogs (or smoked sausage, if you find it on sale) and cream of chicken soup. One of my favorite lunches or light supper is tuna-tomato-cracker salad. Tuna and diced tomatoes (fresh or well drained, canned tomatoes) mixed with mayo and crumbled crackers. Sometimes I add diced red onion if I have it. Tomato-cracker salad is an old fashioned Southern recipe, learned from my grand-dad, I just add tuna to it to make it a light meal. Tuna isn't as economical these days as it used to be, but I buy the bigger cans, and save a few pennies. I mix the tuna and tomatoes, and store in fridge, then add mayo and crackers to individual portions.

[@charitynordstrom5734]

I use Hunt's garlic herb spaghetti sauce for my cabbage rolls instead of tomato sauce or soup

[@Caitlin1928]

Do you use all of the spaghetti sauce with that big can?

[@charitynordstrom5734]

​@Caitlin1928 yes. I mix some of it in the filling as well

[@stars1941]

Perhaps not in this series, but could you try a week of vegetarian meals and explore alternate ways of protein?

[@DollarTreeDinners]

I am including a lot of vegetarian options in this series, coincidentally. I've only been having meat with dinner but everything else I've been cooking has been meatless :)

[@bernadettechute7998]

Looking for healthy options - such as beans and lentils, maybe tofu?

[@DiHickman]

yes! Would love a vegan week like this!

[@ericaobrien1563]

​@@DiHickman Fitgreenmind makes some great stuff.

[@amyhoover214]

*****Use that cabbage for CABBAGE AND NOODLES!!! Super easy, super affordable! Chop it up and Sautee it in some butter/oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder. Add in cooked egg noodles! If you have the budget, start by frying polish kielbasa then add your cabbage iand fry in the same pan. Adds a ton of flavor! It's a staple here in South Western Pennsylvania!

[@veronicavatter6436]

Totally pipular here. They have it at HS concession stands for games!

[@raelenelabby6407]

Maybe make some coleslaw with your leftover cabbage, as a side dish just some hot dogs or something? An inexpensive summer meal for your budget.

[@bern84]

The frozen and thawed cabbage might be a bit floppy for a decent slaw… a slimy coleslaw won’t be great. I was thinking it would be better in a cooked dish eg. added to fried rice perhaps

[@maggie2936-q1m]

Next time you might want to freeze half the cabbage or the number of leaves you’ll need. A frozen cabbage can only be used in cooked dishes.

[@maggie2936-q1m]

I have never heard of cabbage dishes - even with uncooked rice - needing more than an hours time in the oven at 350. Way too much time. It will be overcooked or burned.

[@mrsbluesky8415]

Yes ! Cole slaw in the summer would be refreshing and light. I vote for that !

[@jimmiepatrum]

@@maggie2936-q1m I thought the same thing, but I wonder if removing the cabbage leaves before freezing would actually make them pliable enough? Diane

[@Ay-B]

For the burrito bowl, what about a Taco / Southwest vinaigrette? Oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), mustard (optional) and taco seasoning (or mix of seasonings from pantry - cumin, oregano, chili powder, onion powder, pepper flakes)? Tip #1 for beans: You can soak all your beans (one or two pounds) at once. Drain and dry with a paper towel, then put in a ziplock and pop in the freezer. When you want beans, you have pre-soaked beans that cook in about 20 minutes. Super easy and convenient! Tip #2 for cabbage: Cabbage freezes really well. Cut it up, put it in a ziplock, and put it in the freezer. It is great for stir fry and soups. Cuts down on food waste.

[@marcellacruser951]

A cheap sauce for burrito bowls is home made mayo ( super easy to make!) mixed with encilada sauce or taco seasoning. Mayo can also be used in place of butter for toasting sandwiches and makes a great side when spread on cooked, sliced potatoes, broiled and gussied up with any fresh or dried herbs, even chopped celery leaves, parm. A way to stretch your tomato and chili based sauces... cut by two thirds with veggie scrap broth, thicken with a flour slurry and adjust your salt and seasonings. It still provides plenty of flavor but can stretch to a second meal. Thow it in the freezer to save for the next recipe.

[@ambermray]

I have a great burrito bowl sauce recipe! Actually two versions: blend a can of chipotle peppers with one of two options: mayo for creamy, and Italian dressing for tangy. The adobe/chipotle peppers and Italian dressing blend is a Chipotle (the restaurant) dressing knockoff and my kiddos love it! It makes a large amount for under $3!

[@KaronWoods-vv7gu]

Can I just use the sauce because my family doesn't like spicy

[@ambermray]

@@KaronWoods-vv7gu we just put it on our individual bowls, salads, or tacos because we like different amounts. The mayo version is great for fish tacos, and I love the Italian dressing one for salad.

[@diviamichelle6031]

Another way of expediting cooking of potatoes is yo dice then microwave for a couple minutes till soft then saute for color and flavor in butter & oil or whatever fat you have.

[@amyshort5625]

My go-to lunch: 1 cup rice, 1/2 cup beans, a packet of tuna or chicken, like the starkist brand. It has a solid amount of protein, it’s filling for a mid day meal, and the different flavor options make it easy to switch it up day to day. It’s also relatively affordable week to week.

[@vallerym.254]

My mom made golumpki( cabbage rolls) all my life. She'd use either beef or pork, she would scramble meat with onion. Then she would mix it with rice. Roll into the cooked cabbage leaves. No eggs were used. Place in pan cover with sauce and bake. It took about 1hour. ( because meat was cooked). Yours looked terrific. I use cabbage to make cabbage steaks. You could also cut it up and sauté with potatoes , onions and make a hash. Delicious for any meal

[@EmilyGOODEN0UGH]

Use for cabbage - brown a chopped onion, chop one of those dollar tree smoked sausages, give the sausage a little brown, throw in chopped cabbage, a bit of water, salt and pepper, put a lid on and cook the cabbage down. Stir and serve. Another cabbage tip - core the thawed cabbage with a knife and peel the leaves from the thick end. Grating carrots - leave the end ON, it gives you a bigger handle to protect those fingers. I grate pointy end first for the same reason.

[@Elle-eh6gx]

when making rolled cabbage, if your able too, mix the condensed tomato soup with gravy or broth. the flavor payoff is so worth it and you get more of a sauce. Going further you can also add sour cream. I mix broth, gravy, soup (can also use tomato juice!) , and sour cream with plenty of pepper. One of my all time favorite meals. great by itself or over egg noodles/with potatoes.

[@ChristinaJ-5189]

You can make lazy cabbage rolls in a crock pot or skillet. Cabbage is chopped, no rolling. Easy & cool for summer.😊

[@juliepatterson1235]

Diced it up in the shreds, put a little bit of butter in the pan frying pan and make fried cabbage is best with bacon grease

[@danasandlin2435]

that freeze and thaw for cabbage leaves is a brilliant idea...dts/usa

[@danasandlin2435]

just cut the triangle out and that is good enough...dts/usa

[@danasandlin2435]

leftover cabbage: make Japanese okonomiyaki: cabbage/egg pancake--delicious: recipes online...dts/usa

[@danasandlin2435]

scraps--that is for soup base...best use...dts/usa

[@DollarTreeDinners]

It really is! I don't know if I'd make cabbage rolls if I had to boil a big pot of water. this worked just as well and so easy

[@angelcoalson9117]

Did freezing and thawing the cabbage affect the texture or taste once cooked?? Just curious 🤔

[@connieblack5276]

I asked the meat manager when they put out the marked down meat and early is not always the best time. He said that his store puts out the marked down meat at 10 AM so I would ask the meat department. Great job, I would consider soup with the cabbage rice carrots string beans a potatoes and the stock bag and make some crusty bread to go with it. Perhaps some noodles and part of your meat to go into it. Love this series.

[@susanjane4784]

Two recipes for freezer veggie scraps. One is making stock -- simmer away and strain out the veg and bones -- homemade is _so_ much better! The other way I use veg scraps is to make slow cooker dried beans -- I call it glop since I cook everything down to near mush and use the results like refried beans -- this is much healthier than canned! I love the dried 15 bean mixes which are much better nutrition due to lentils and split peas.

[@themadwomanskitchen9732]

41:05 I just used my scrap bag yesterday to make stock to make soup. I added a ramen packet (I don't use a full packet when I make ramen and save the rest for later so I usually have a lot of extra packets) salt, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce to flavor it. While the vegetables were simmering, I cooked rice in a cooker and chopped the vegetables, in this case onions and cabbage. I checked the stock for flavor before straining off the vegetable scraps, put the stock back in the pot and added the chopped vegetables, rice and cooked white beans I had in the freezer. So I used two items in my freezer "bank," my veggie scraps and beans.

[@irenez7439]

My mom always shredded the rest of the cabbage and put it under and over the rolls. My recipe also calls for sourkraut

[@re0294]

I really appreciate that you’re skipping the Walmart options for this, I personally do not have a Walmart within an hour drive in either direction, so it’s really frustrating when people always tell me to “just shop at Walmart”.

[@leahbrigeman9252]

Walmart is the most expensive grocery store option around me lol. I shop at Aldi and harps and only go to target or Walmart if I need a specialty item. Target brand is often cheaper and better than Walmart store brand

[@YeshuaKingMessiah]

We drove 45min to get to WMs. Either way was that far. Worth every mile to live far out.

[@heatherj3030]

Potatoes turn green from sunlight exposure. It's not an unripe potato, and the little bit of green on yours is only mildly toxic. It mostly just makes the potato slightly bitter. I peel mine, but I didn't use too.

[@nonefyer372]

With having lots of severe mental health issue, unfortunately mostly I don't have the energy to do cooking and live off of mostly boxed and frozen meals. I'm in Therapy and getting treatment and getting better, so I'm looking forward to being able to use your recipes and ideas soon. You are so appreciated for showing millions of people a kind and inclusive way of nourishing themselves, we are so lucky to have content creators like you. Thank you for everything you do! 💜

[@jonesm8177]

A friend just introduced me to a “creamy vinaigrette” that I think is amazing. Just mayo, some lemon or lime juice (fresh or packaged), salt and pepper. Easy to make up 1 serving, and to make it as sour as you like. Can also be thinned with a tiny bit of water. I can’t have onion or garlic, so there aren’t a lot of commercial dressings I can have, and one serving of an emulsified vinaigrette is otherwise pretty challenging to make.

[@The3Storms]

Thanks for this! I’m sure we’ll fry this in future.

[@ariellel6123]

Ohh I could make something similar but adding in the onion and garlic with vegan mayo! (I have food allergies too) Thank you so much for the idea!

[@KJDogluv]

The green is fine, it’s potatoes that have been exposed to air, it’s chlorophyll, and can sometimes mean potatoes develop solanine which is toxic, if they’ve been stored improperly or damaged. Usually peeling the green off is good enough!

[@mwahl1686]

*exposed to light (not air)

[@jimmiepatrum]

I completely agree. Diane

[@lauriesheppard3394]

@@jimmiepatrumthank you for the info.

[@lauriesheppard3394]

Do you have bulk food bins in your area? They can be life savers when you just need a “bit” of something- and cheaper! Popcorn!

[@karenfrankland7763]

I use a cooked cabbage, peel the leaves off. Make a mix of 2lbs ground meat, 2 cups of dry rice, 1 can of diced tomatoes with the juice, one egg, salt, pepper and ginger, minced onion and garlic. Make the rolls. Place two cans of sauerkraut with the juice in bottom of heavy pan, place cabbage rolls on top and then put 4 to 5 pieces of bacon over the top. Cook on low/simmer for about 5 hours. Super delicious.

[@irenez7439]

When i make stuffed cabbage, I make a bit more rice and have rice pudding for dinner.

[@chicka_6297]

Food chopper would be great for dehydrator food prep

[@theresaaltongregg4569]

I think your doing a great job. You can substitutes parsley for cilantro. Salsa goes great with eggs and potatoes . Cut the bbq pork up into a few boneless chops and a roast then do pulled pork on a bun or any kind of bread. Get pasta make mac and cheese, make pasta salad and make your Alfredo. Any leftover bbq pork you can use for a asian stir fry, with cabbage, carrots,onion and rice.

[@theresaaltongregg4569]

I think you are a wonderful cook . Thank you for sharing this important information on how to live on $100. Sadly, money is getting so tight. Thank goodness we all able to help once another. Have a blessed day 🙏.

[@bonniethiessen5506]

The meals looked so good ❤ Growing up, my grandmother made tortillas, using cold, leftover mashed potatoes and flour. My version of Spanish rice is simply equal measures of tomato soup to water and instant rice. Cook that. Add cooked hamburger or ground sausage and season to taste. I put that onto the homemade tortillas. I am glad that you don't cut out the "oopsies" I feel better knowing I'm not the only one. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@gailruuhela5627]

The tortillas made with mashed potatoes are called lefse among Scandinavians. I make it at Christmas.

[@bonniethiessen5506]

@@gailruuhela5627 My grandfather was Norwegian. Thank you for sharing your information 😊

[@eringrant8221]

For the cabbage: you can add shredded cabbage to literally anything-soups, stews, sauces, stirfrys, tacos, salads. It is so versatile. I make (what my kids have dubbed) garbage soup (or sauce). Basically, just chop up any veggie, saute until soft, and add your stock and any other sauces you need to use. Ive put salad dressings, salsas, cheese sauces, bbq sauce, hot sauce, brown sugar, lemon lime juice.... ANYTHING that needs to be used up goes in the pot. You can top with cheese, or sour cream, or dip bread in it. Very filling, and its always different. It makes a lot! Then I freeze the leftovers for lunches. If you do buy celery, try cutting the root end off and stick it in a bowl of water in a sunny place. It will regrow and you can get more celery off it. Same with green onions. Really enjoying this series!

[@p.mckenzie2921]

My grandma used tomato juice our v 8 .for the cabbage rolls never soup. Because my grandma said juice helps at the end make like more broth and she always took the leftover cabbage and chopped it up and put it inside. She had five kids a dog and a husband to feed so she used all her scraps and if you do it in the crockpot on high, it only takes a hour and a half, I really like all the recipes that you’ve been doing. Thanks for sharing and have a good week.🥰

[@joycescott-vp1xm]

You can use a lime , sour cream , water to make a lime crema , grate lime for lime zest , squeeze lime and lime zest , lime juice to sour cream mix use water to thin out if you want to

[@bettysz4219]

As for cabbage rolls, you can do it differently. Instead of baking / roasting them you could put them in a pot with some hot water, but not too much. Then you just cook them under a lid, which should last about max 1 hour. This is so much quicker, because cabbage cooks faster in water. Be careful as not to let the water boil away. And usually we put some cabbage leaves at the bottom of the pot, thus if anything burns, it's the bottom leaves. As for another dish from cabbage, you can make "bigos" or a version of it. Cabbage goes very well with some fried pork scratchings, all cooked together and seasoned with some basic spices. You just need to cut the cabbage into smaller pieces, possibly some stripes or squares, whichever you prefer. Then fry it a bit and then saute together with the scratchings. You can also add a touch of tomato sauce. This dish goes well with some egg pasta, possibly also square-shaped, but a decent replacement would be farfalle. You mix the cabbage and cooked pasta and fry them a bit together. This dish is called "łazanki" and it has so much flavour, is simple and cheap. Also, I notice that Americans in general do not make soups so much. Soups are such a great way of using any leftovers, you can cook anything in some chicken and/or vegetable broth - your scrap bag is perfect for making it. When you have the broth, then you can add any veggies, plus some starchy products such as potatoes or rice or groats, plus various seasoning and you have a really filling dish that you can use as a starter for dinner or just stand-alone dish for supper, or even as a breakfast option. If you have any leftover meat, you can also add it to the soup. You can look for recipes from any European country or Asian for that matter. Soups are not just ramen:) I believe Europeans are very creative in terms of using whatever they have and turning them into interesting soup recipies, but when you get the hang of it you can create your own versions. You can also use lentils, beans and other legumes as the starchy basis. Also mushrooms are perfect for soups:) Btw - I wonder where you saw the recipe for cabbage rolls, or as well call them "gołąbki"? That is a traditional Polish dish, less the carrots inside:)

[@motivatedmindful1976]

I come from a community that makes cabbage rolls for holidays. 1 pound meat to 2 cups rice is great. Leftover cabbage is great for bubble and squeak!

[@cooperpabis4642]

I just don’t have patience most time of the time, the time for cabbage rolls rolled properly, so we make what we call exploded cabbage rolls. We shred the cabbage & add it in with the other ingredients & cook. We have cooked it in pot on stove and have also cooked t it in the slow cooker.

[@The3Storms]

Exploded sounds so much more fun than deconstructed!

[@lisamr40]

When I make my stuffed cabbages, I precook the meat, then I add the onion or whatever else you want to put in the filling, including the rice. I also boil the cabbage leaves while working on the filling. So, by the time it's ready for the oven, it just has to heat through and finish cooking the cabbage part. I have a friend who precook the filling also, but instead of putting them in the oven, she stacks them in a giant pot and uses the leftover leaves to separate each layer of rolls and steams them. Also, I've been cooking for 30 ish years and I have never heard of the green potato thing. Lol. The tortillas are gorgeous. I've been trying to make them, and i just can't get them to work for me. I will try this recipe. Thanks for sharing all your great ideas.❤❤

[@lakesq2056]

enjoying this series and definitely agree best one yet! wanted to share a few thoughts: first, citrus zest is your flavor friend! even without a zester, if you wash, dry, and use a veg peeler to remove zest in strips before juicing, a couple of the strips can be chopped fine and added instead of all or part of juice. the rest of the strips can be frozen til needed leaving you at least half a lime (if in this case you juiced the other half) as well as a ton for lime flavor from the zest for future use. second, the cabbage shaved from the leaves can be added, along with the chopped up core and some leaves, to help extend and flavor the stuffing just like you're adding onion. But, love your idea re egg roll bowl for the rest. 3 hr bake time presumes raw rice used ... not pre cooked rice! your instinct was correct ... ditto re addl water in beginning! finally, although like you I don't mind eating the same thing over several days, I think stashing 2 or 4 slices of bread (in addition to the heels) in the freezer to use for pbj or other 'emergency' meal is a useful strategy even if you don't mind multi days of grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. look forward to weeks 2, 3, and 4!!

[@SpoonMe]

Your cabbage rolls look beautiful. You did what that recipe said. And it looked great when you took it out the oven. I would be honored if you would try my family’s recipe that goes back to my Slovak Gypsy ancestors passed down from my Baba as. She learned it from my Zedo’s mother. You can freeze the naked rolls (unsauced) in ziplock bags to enjoy later. Some of my best memories are all the ladies in the kitchen, my aunts, my grandmother, my mom, me, and my cousins, rolling cabbage for the holidays. If you’re making a lot, then you can also use a big roaster pan. For family dinner, start with a deep non-reactive soup pot (stainless steel or ceramic coated cast iron). Never cook her baked tomatoes, and aluminum. If you can avoid it and don’t cover with aluminum foil it’s reactive. For your cabbage leaves you can go the freezer method again, or boil the head(s) in a deep pot of boiling water. X score the bottom core before cooking to make it easier to remove leaves later. Just pull the head out with a spider strainer and set it on a dish towel that you have sitting there waiting pull off as much leaves as you can put in a bowl and keep going When you’re ready to shave the heel off that part, you don’t have to set it down just take a peeling knife and hold the Leaf in your hand with the thick part up, which would be the back of and then just peel off like a potato skin. Any cabbage you have left over that you’re not using the leaves to roll you would cut up in like inch by 2 inch pieces and it’s gonna be what we call the loose cabbage and then you’re gonna wanna reserve a couple of the bad leaves that you didn’t use to roll to cover the top of all the rolls in the pot when you said it to cook. The loose cabbage goes on the bottom as a barrier. You can put some onion in there if you want to, but mostly it’s to protect the rolls from touching any scorching. Sweat but don’t brown 2 large white or yellow diced onion in two tablespoons of fat (vegetable oil, lard, or bacon grease). Add two teaspoons of table salt. Some of these go in the meat so need a smaller dice. Once the onions are nice and translucent and 2 to 4 cloves of fresh real garlic it really doesn’t make a difference from powdered. If you’re grating the garlic on a rasp, then you only need two cloves. For a super fine dice, I would say four cloves. When all that is done, sauté and just cook through set it to the side to cooler put half of it in a deep bowl to cool. Leave the other half to mix with your loose cabbage. In the large mixing bowl add to your cooled onion garlic mix 1.5 pounds of 80/20 ground chuck. This matters because it stays moist and has the best flavor. Always go with more meat than less so get that 1.5 or better in the bowl don’t go less than 1.5 is what I’m saying. That you’re going to add one cup of uncooked and this is important. It has to be uncooked rice just regular old rice. Nothing fancy. Now put a strainer over the pot that has the loose cabbage in it in stain two large cans of stewed tomatoes Please make sure they’re stewed it matters to the taste. Put a small dish on it so that it really pushes down. Take a cup of those strain stew tomatoes from the strainer chop them up fine and add them to the meat mixture. Now at 2 teaspoons more of table salt and if you have fresh garlic clove, still great to cloves into this to layer up the flavor. Make sure to hand mix this using your fingers kind of to go through it and make sure everything‘s well incorporated and distributed, but don’t over it. You don’t wanna make your inside tough. This is really important. Don’t ever put eggs inside of your stuff cabbage it will make them hard and it’s not necessary and that’s for that. You want to be tender and you’re gonna have enough liquid in the pot to cook that rice so don’t worry about that. Take the tomatoes that are in the strainer and just crush them with your hands and then go ahead and tip that into the pot so it’s in there That you’re gonna add one Pacific brand tomato soup if you have the tomato and roasted pepper it’s OK. You could use that too but the one that’s just the tomato soup got a lot more flavor and those cans of stew tomatoes that you had filled those cans with water and dump those into and then mix that really good so you have a nice sauce, you’re gonna be putting your roles into. No, can roll your cabbage like you did before, but you don’t wanna put so much in because that rice is gonna grow so you wanna leave some room for that and you can’t put the same amount in every leaf because I really is different size so you just pinch off with your hand what you think needs to go in there you’ll get a good field, but those rolls you made to look perfect so look to that is your guide. Instead of folding up like a burrito, though roll it up and then with your finger tuck those loose ends inside the cabbage you can do it simultaneously or one side at a time. And then you’ll see their beautiful little tuck that goes in there and that’s what holds it together. If you get done just lay them in the pot. If you have some loose cabbage, you can put a little bit in between each layers and you wanna make sure you have a good 2 inches at the top of the pot only put your cabbage rolls up to 2 inch mark same with your liquid. If you need to scoop some out and set it to the side you can, put all your in there take those extra leaves like I said and put those over the top single layer just so all the rules are covered also make sure that the liquid comes up to the top of the top layer so all the rules are submerged in liquid On top of the stove, put it on medium let it come up to a simmer put it on low put your nonreactive lid on it and then just let it simmer. Like put it over there and forget about it for at least an hour to start check your liquid if you need it , just add a little bit of water time if you want you can use beef broth instead and cook pot for a good two hours because those on the bottom gonna get done faster than the ones on top if you’re cooking it in a roaster in the oven you’re gonna do all the kind of things And you’re gonna let that roast low like 325 for two hours halfway through to see if you need to add any liquid and then let it rest when it’s done turn off the stove so to let it rest for a good 20 minutes with the meat absorb the juices and everything gets a chance to tighten up a little I hope you’ll try this and that you enjoy it ❤

[@SpoonMe]

Sorry for typos or mess ups. My age and early dementia make it hard to order things properly. All the best.

[@SaerBear5]

Suggestion for the cabbage - some good ol' Polish Noodles & Cabbage. You can add some sliced sausage to make it a hearty meal, or it's a very hearty side/base for something else. Ingredients: 2 c egg noodles, 1 small head cabbage diced, 1 onion diced, 1/2-1 stick margarine depending on preference, salt & pepper, 1/4 c water. Directions: 1. Melt margarine in large skillet. 2. Sautee onions and cabbage until onions are transparent. 3. Add salt & pepper to taste, plus the water. 4. Cover to steam the cabbage until al dente (20-30 mins) 5. Cook egg noodles per package directions as the cabbage steams and then stir in once cabbage is "done". Topping this with some cheap as heck sausage is incredibly delicious, satisfying, and filling! It's what we ate growing up, both when money was tight AND when it wasn't (because it's just that good)!

[@nancysturm9162]

the length of time on the cabbage rolls probably has something to do with the raw meat in the filling. It is possible to brown the meat and then mix with the other filling ingredients and then bake. Great idea on freezing/thawing the cabbage. I have never been able to peel away leaves of cabbage so cleanly!

[@JustineZingg]

Here's our go to quick and cheap recipe Ham and cheese sliders! Mix a little worseshtershire sauce, butter and garlic powder in a bowl, set aside Cut a bag of dinner rolls in half and put ham and Swiss cheese inside Brush on the warmed butter mixture Put in oven or toaster oven on a baking sheet until cheese melts!

[@Drsslmyr]

Parsley can be used as a substitute for Cilantro, in a pinch. I try to budget for spice when I grocery shop, and usually there's a buy one get one, or b2g2 deal which lets me either stock up, or get a variety. My spice cabinet is full now, but it really made a difference for me when I was living paycheck to paycheck and wanted to stick to my budget, but wanted something different.

[@heathersmeather]

I like colcannon. It’s just mashed potatoes with cooked cabbage mixed in with bacon or ham, lots of butter.

[@philaphobic]

To avoid the potatoes turning green, store potatoes in the dark.

[@Mortify]

My mom and I make Goluptsi (cabbage rolls) by boiling the cabbage and pulling the leaves off as we go. We usually make tiny ones with the center pieces and eat the very small parts while cooking. The meat is always raw and rice is hot water soaked for a while. We also take onion and carrot, saute in a pan with seasoning and tomato paste (or ketchup), then add to the meat rice mix, then put that into the cabbage, and roll it up. In a big pot, pour in broth or consume (your choice) and tomato sauce, put in the cabbage rolls nice and tight, then add more tomato paste (or ketchup) to the top, the liquid should be just slightly under the very top roll. Then cover and cook on low for 1 hour. Thats it! :)

[@ashleymills794]

I think some vegetable soup would be a great use of your scrap bag, leftover cabbage, tomato, potato and onion. You could probably make a large pot without purchasing any additional ingredients. Or you could add a protein source for a small investment (smoked sausage, beans, etc). Great series!!

[@Shelley-j2y]

I went to Aldi's early this morning and bought 2.5 lbs of 80% gr. beef for $4.74, 3 packs of skinless chk. thighs for about $9:00 and some boneless pork ribs for $3.73. In addition I bought 5#'s of jasmine rice, 3 green peppers, 5 jalepenos, and 3.22 lbs of bananas. My bill total was $28.36. It pays to get up early on Thursday which is usually the markdown day. Meijer's does the same. I'm in Michigan.

[@26Bluegb]

I have to say the no-name strawberry jam from Dollar Tree is a sleeper. it's cheaper than Walmart brand and I think I like it better. You are helping so many people!!!

[@The3Storms]

You’re the second person I’ve seen say that. 👀now I want to try it.

[@tommylucatiel7911]

You can just go to a gas station to get any condiments or packets lol. You can get lots of free shit asking at the deli counter or like, coffee shops as well.

[@Answer4242]

What if you don't buy food at the gas station? If I got gas & went into the store just to scoop up packets I would feel like I was shoplifting.

[@Scatial]

Another idea for the softened cabbage: Altho I usually like slightly crunchy cabbage, it tastes so good when I slow cook it with a whole corned beef every year at St. Pat's, even though it's very soft. Could you buy a small tin of corned beef and stew them together?

[@nancyobrien3422]

You can put those cabbage rolls in your Instant Pot and it won’t heat up the house.

[@veronicavatter6436]

Not to mention take way less time!

[@christinefurtado9341]

Cabbage and bean soup Cabbage and kielbasa noodles Cabbage chorizo and rice bowl

[@eathomelive]

I bake mine for an hour, and they are perfect. I may be a weirdo, but I LOVE the big veins of the cabbage roll. It gives it some crunch. Cabbage rolls are a favorite of mine. I mix the sauce with a few tablespoons of sour cream, and it is so good. Sometimes, I put chopped apples on top too. I never add egg, and they turn out great. Martha Stwarts late mother is Polish and I use her recipe. I do bake mine instread of doing them on the stove top.

[@katherinerichardson1767]

Great idea about adding sour cream to the sauce.

[@AGee2217]

One of my favorite ways to use cabbage is in cabbage sausage soup. Just those two ingredients and broth of some kind…SO GOOD! And cheap! I would suggest learning how to make Texas style enchilada sauce. It’s made with a rue and chili powder or even taco season. It’s so good and also really cheap. It would make a great sauce for the burrito bowls. I think it’s also called chili gravy.

[@TexasBlueBonnet61]

Texas Chili Gravy is good stuff! Make a little batch, add some cooked ground meat, and put it over rice, top with some cheese...mmm-hmm! DH calls it "That enchilada rice stuff."

[@NicoleRoyerHilton]

One of my favorite inexpensive sauce hacks for burrito bowls is to get a small container of greek yogurt (normal under a dollar) and a packet of taco seasoning OR leftover packets from Taco Bell. I add enough seasoning or sauce to the yogurt to flavor it, then I thin it out with water. Makes a really nice crema sauce!

[@loriloristuff]

Cabbage rolls are never wrong IMO; sometimes they are extea crunchy or extra soggy, but never wrong. I don't boil my cabbage, or freeze it then thaw. I usually just nuke it in a plastic Ziplok bag for a few minutes. Fresh cilantro and limes in our area is pretty cheap. I buy it when it's dirt cheap (33 cents a bunch, and NOT at Walmart). I dry a few bunches for winter or short weeks. Hardez is a FANTASTIC brand that's consistent and tasty. So far, I've found you can't go wrong with Herdez. And I love the creamy poblano sauce. I think you're doing excellently! The squirrel fund of food is a great idea.

[@janetvaughn5686]

I keep a scrap bag of veggie cast off in the freezer too! One cheap-easy meal is chicken & dumplings. I make homemade dumplings with plain flour , salt, pepper and (key ingredient) the stock from the veggie-chicken broth. If chicken is included in making the stock, and has skin, the fat from the broth is enough that you don't need any extra butter or shortening for the dumplings. Mine are old fashioned rolled out/cut in strips kind, like Cracker Barrel. Also, since you have already made tortillas, you can use them as your dumplings to save time. Just cut and drop in the boiling broth. New subscriber, love your channel so far!

[@wandamontgomery6030]

Will the tortillas plump up like dumplings?

[@janetvaughn5686]

@wandamontgomery6030 not much, but neither do my regular homemade. I prefer it like that though!

[@YeshuaKingMessiah]

Noodles are not dumplings My NC gma called them Chicken Pastry, idk y other southerners can’t do this Dumplings are soft flavorful balls cooked on top of soup or stew and served with soup or stew ladled over. The texture is a very moist cake like. Exquisite.

[@tinashort9098]

Yayyyy!!! I’m so glad you posted today!! I’m on the way to hot GA to see my grandson graduate the first leg of basic training and now I have something great to watch!! My daughter is driving so I’m free to watch all the goodness!!!!❤❤❤

[@BrowneyedGirlmjd]

Safe Travels!!! Enjoy the family time. I'm Canadian but my dad fought in World War II. Thank you to your family for your service. ♥

[@ayronsmama05]

Congratulations to ur graduate. Prayers sent for safe travels and many Blessings!

[@DollarTreeDinners]

Congratulations on the graduation, bet you are a proud grandmama!

[@monicajohnston8364]

One inexpensive way to make your burrito bowl rice more flavorful is to make a Mexican-style rice using a can of Rotel in place of some of the water. My recipe has you saute a little minced onion, add a pinch of cumin, garlic, and chili powder if you have it, dump in the rice and a can of Rotel mixed with enough water to equal what you'd use to make plain rice, and cook as you normally would. You can budget for the Rotel by eliminating your fresh tomatoes. You get much more flavor this way.

[@YeshuaKingMessiah]

Rotel is just tomatoes with jalapeños No need to choose canned over fresh

[@GiftWrapped]

Suggestion Cabbage: I use it in stir fry. I never bake my cabbage rolls for 3 hours that's silly.25 - 30 minutes tops😊 in my oven my oven is hotter and hotter on the right side than the left. Other tip: use a carrot peeler to make strips then create a a little mound, chop, perfect for egg rolls, cabbage rolls. Thank you for the tortillas demonstration ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@mrsbluesky8415]

I’ve always baked mine at 350F for 45 minutes tops. In the summer I think I’d prefer the slow cooker.

[@abaigealduda2756]

My mother used to brown the meat first. The meat & rice don't compress as much, though, if you like that texture. She used to cook them in a pot on the stove with the tomato soup.

[@rebeccarankin9455]

I use so many onions that i keep a separate scrap bag with only onion scraps and make an amazing French onion soup. It's really simple, if you can make stock you already know how. You can use water or beef broth to boil the scraps. I like to sautee onion, either sliced or diced, and a clove of minced garlic in a tiny bit of fat and then pour the onion broth in and simmer until onions are soft. Season however you like. I like a dash of Worcestershire sauce in mine

[@donnablake3907]

I like the squirreling food in the freezer idea. I typically use my leftovers for lunches but this is a great idea and will look to incorporate it into my meal planning in the future! 😉👍🏽

[@corisullivan9870]

When i make cabbage rolls i use a large can of diced or stewed tomatoes, strain them and add the tomato pieces to the meat mixture, then use the juice over the top. Also i add diced onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic or any combo of aromatics i have.

[@patricialaichour9589]

You can make a couple of Mexican soups..Albondigas is one using your veggies or a Caldo de res (Beef cabbage soup) using beef steak or minced meat..

[@mooroo1828]

When you just need a little bit of sour cream, a single serve plain Greek yogurt works great. One brand or another is usually on sale (at least in my area) and store brand is usually under a dollar even when not on sale.

[@FairyRosee_]

The preseasoned black beans is really smart!! Beans and rice is so satisfying, having some cheese and tomatoes on top is bonus points!!!

[@CarolynBittick]

For your leftover cabbage....cut cabbage into bite size pieces, and saute with some veg oil or butter with some onions, garlic. Then add a small amount of water with it, and cover and cook until desired taste. Also known as fried cabbage. Adding some bacon bits would also add some good flavor.