No Money? Random Ingredients In Your Kitchen? Meals To Make Out Of Nothing When Money Is Tight

[@mrsve13]

We were so poor my Mom would just mix flour and water and make us paper thin patty cakes. Our syrup was just sugar water. Sometimes she would sugar up her coffee and use that. Oh, man them were the days. But, I wouldn't take anything for my raising. It made me the Lady I am now.

[@rheaceebelle8130]

Same here. Plus my momma had really bad migraines and would shut down for three days or more. We got commodities.. my brother's and I got pretty creative sometimes (hot dog pizza on white bread). My dad worked construction and paychecks were sometimes far between. Still wouldn't change my history for anything.

[@trudydavis6168]

Makes you appreciate things so much more. Lean times are the best teachers. ❤❤❤

[@theresarogerssimpson1280]

Amen

[@wabilicious]

I can relate too..... my sister and I would share half a beef/chicken stockcube in a mug of hot water each and dunk a half slice of bread in it... we loved it 😊 we were happy ❤

[@fadingdandelion4792]

I love that kind of syrup my fav.

[@pippathomas5019]

I'd amaze my friends in my mid 20's because when it was toward the end of our pay cycle, they had no food. And i would go in, fix something fabulous out of the nothing they had! And then point out what they had available for lunches for work or whatever they wanted! It was like a game for me, a puzzle I could actually complete without a hammer! 🤗🌈☀

[@Debra-w1v]

When my daughter was living at home, after I got home for work that girl would have dinner on the table, she would come up with something delicious. She made sure there was a meat, starch, vegi. She was so awesome. I miss having my kids at home. They are both grown and have given me in total 6 grandkids.

[@sandraking9650]

Those were Hard days but special times. Hold those memories deep inside your heart. No one can trample on them.

[@Debra-w1v]

@@sandraking9650 Yes ma'am, that is for sure. She was only 12. She wanted to help, incrediable what that girl could do.

[@electromollyful]

Your the best❤😊

[@SHELLEYPAULL-iy1du]

My daughter just turned 24, and that girl still eats like a picky toddler! It’s not for my lack of trying... she ate almost anything til she was about 5, not sure what changed in her brain 😂

[@cherylmull3448]

My mother was the youngest of eight siblings that lived through the depression. She lost her mother at 4 years old; her father at 16. They survived on a pot of beans, potatoes and cornbread. Once in a while a neighbor would bake a pie or cake for them and they were so thankful for that treat. So what did my mother still love to eat? That very same meal with a fresh onion. Sometimes the simple foods are the special ones.

[@sandraking9650]

Me too! Good wholesome meals

[@godspeedonly5165]

We was so broke my mom would make thin pancakes if we didn’t have bread and we used that until she got paid or her foodstamps came in.

[@TammyB-x2h]

One of my favorite meals is smothered potatoes and onions

[@shawnacombs5171]

When I was broke as a joke I came up with the best end-of-the-month meal. I would save every bit of my veggie leftovers (a tablespoon of this, 1/4 cup of that etc). Toss it in a baggie, put it in my freezer scrap bowl. At the end of the month i would pull that bowl out, throw all the contents into a pot, add a can of tomato paste (20 cents back then), water, some seasonings i had on hand. Simmer it to make the best veggie soup that i could eat on for a couple days 😋

[@marycolburn5867]

We kept a butter bowl in the freezer that our left over veggies went in until it was turned into a soup

[@aerona85n8]

Oh yes! Still have a scrap bowl in the freezer! Makes the best soups!

[@TammyB-x2h]

I still do this including bits of leftover beef that can’t be used at the time. When the container is full, it’s time for soup.

[@Cthomas5678]

I don’t ever remember my mom buying buns for anything we always used loaf bread for everything!!

[@Debra-w1v]

Thats how I was raised as well. No buns always sandwhich bread and it was always good.

[@FindingMyLight]

same and my mom would cut the bread into a circle for us kids to make us feel like we were having hamburger buns and nothing went to waste, she would take the pieces of bread she cut and dry them to make bread crumbs

[@stephaniecook7603]

Us, too! ❤

[@juannette2011]

Us too 🤣🤣🤣

[@tinamarienelson8469]

Yes! Our sliced white bread identified as every kind of bread!! lol

[@ann40069]

I worked as a cashier at a grocery store for 30 plus years. I've seen some very impressive frugal momma shopping with food stamps. One of My Customers should of taught classes on how to buy groceries when on food stamps.

[@SouthernFrugalMomma]

That is awesome!

[@TammyB-x2h]

You should do a video about it

[@krishenderson5499]

My mom is Greek and the first time she made spaghetti, my Dad was expecting a meat sauce. Nope - you take butter, brown it - add garlic and parm cheese and then pour that on noodles! I love this - and it's super cheap too!!

[@ElizabethBattle]

I love pasta with browned butter sauce! If you have some basil in the garden, that's good on it too.

[@SouthernFrugalMomma]

Oh that sounds so good!

[@laurac.9322]

Oh that sounds good

[@villavillain]

mmmmmm!

[@LynneMadison0731]

I always love the comment section on your videos! 😊❤ All these people that tell nostalgic stories of their past. Trading recipes and adivice. This is truly a wholesome comment section. Especially in todays world. 💯💛

[@afterthought72]

I'm the concocter of the family... My daughter will call and say this is what I got, now tell me what can make

[@Beepinsqueekin]

I got a good tuna pasta dish! Cook pasta til almost tender and drain. Take a can of cream of celery soup, half can of milk and half cans worth of mayo and 2 cans of tuna, mashed up before adding to pasta. Some finely Diced onion or onion powder if you like, and top with any cheese you have. Bake til bubbly. 😊 DELISH i raised 14 kids so we doubled or tripled this recipe.

[@sickandtiredofbeingsickand]

Reserved bacon grease makes an awesome butter substitute for grilled cheese!

[@debraparks6124]

Do any of you remember the big block of welfare cheese. That stuff made awesome grilled cheese!

[@goode2shuz177]

Yes! That was the best cheese ever!

[@mizzwycked7931]

The BEST!!!

[@CarolLee-z3k]

I loved that cheese!!! It was like a mix of American and cheddar cheeses.

[@SouthernFrugalMomma]

My dad called it gov’ment cheese!

[@debraparks6124]

Yep that was it lol!

[@joysomers601]

There were 6 of us kids at home in the summertime. Food could get tight. We had blackberry bushes at the edge of our property with a vacant wooded lot beside it. Our Mom would tell us to pick blackberries as one of our chores. Her & my Dad would come home from work & she'd make pie crust. It seemed out of nothing and made a blackberry cobbler for after dinner. She would take 2 cans of Jack Mackerel (salmon), which was too expensive and made fish cakes. (Same concept as salmon patties). We had a garden. So sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Sweet tea. She fed all 8 of us with this meal for about $3 back in the early 70s. She was definitely one who could put together a meal out of nothing.

[@kbombach]

Pre-Food Stamp days, when I grew up, my mother knew how to stretch everything. She had an old manual meat grinder. She would buy a piece of bologna and grind it up with celery, pickles, and salad dressing. She would put in any leftovers we had, too. We would eat it on sandwich bread from the day-old bread store. We also ate a lot of potatoes, which I still love. For a treat, she bought ice milk, which they don't seem to sell anymore. The first time I had ice cream I didn't like it. I liked ice milk. She never applied for commodities because she didn't know what she would do with a bag of flour or a bag of sugar. She had to work full-time to support us and didn't have time to bake. We got one pair of plastic shoes a year for school and one pair of flip-flops for the summer. By the end of the school year, my toes would have broken through the tip of the shoes. We wore our school dresses two days in a row to save on washing and ironing. Then she remarried when I was 13, and suddenly, we had lots of good food and a house to live in, and we changed schools. In the new school, the girls had different colored shoes to wear with different colored dresses. I was so astounded by this that when my new English teacher told me to write an essay about the new school I wrote it all about the shoes. She was not pleased. My new stepfather took me and my sisters out individually to buy school dresses. I refused to go but was finally ordered to go. He took me to what I thought were rich people's stores (they weren't) and I picked the cheapest dresses in my size. I never saw him pay money; he must have used a credit card (I didn't know what it was). He bought me five dresses (!) which I hung in the closet and refused to wear. I knew the police were going to come and take him away for not paying for the dresses and I wanted to be able to show them that the dresses were still wrapped in plastic and were never used so they wouldn't arrest him. Several months later, after the police never showed up, I started wearing the dresses. I like your cooking. It's good food. It brings back memories.

[@m0r0ns20]

I STILL crave ice milk! I don't think I've seen any since 1977. ☹️ Lol!

[@RogueWave2030]

I'm glad things got better for your family eventually. Shame on that teacher for not appreciating your sweet essay.

[@Ataxamazing]

I loved reading this. You would be a great story teller. I think hearing about times in the past are so interesting.

[@cathysaunders5002]

@kbombach I am happy things got better for you and your family. ❤️ Sounds like parents were loving and caring even in the hardest situation of poverty and lack.

[@CarolinaOats]

I loooved your story!!! Wow never heard of ice milk. I’m sorry your teacher was mean..that was a cute story & im glad you realized everything was ok & got to wear your cute dresses. ❤️

[@janabuchheit3389]

Looks great! My oldest son came up with blowup rollups. He would put a little cheese in the middle of a hot dog, microwave until it blew up, and quickly pull it out and wrap a piece of bread around it. I had a great aunt watch him do it, and she wanted one. The next time I saw her, she said she had gained 20 lbs on those blowup rollups. She was a depression era kid and thought it was genius. He also made popcorn sandwiches. We too had little left before our stamps would come in. It wasn't because we blew them on expensive things, I would even use coupons, it's because feeding a family of 5 was a challenge. Keep them coming, Brooke. Thanks!

[@DeniseCurry-qm5fc]

Did the same thing

[@margeonyrscuk6274]

When my kids were little I would take hot dogs, tomatoes soup, cheddar cheese soup and elbow Mac. Cut hot dogs into pennies. Cook elbows. Mix tomatoes soup and cheddar soup and hot digs up. Add cooked elbows. Bake in oven 350° fir half hour. Kids love it.

[@AB-un4io]

I’m going to make that! Thanks!!

[@LoLoLifeinFlorida]

I'm pretty good at making something out of nothing myself. My grandfather used to tell me that I was the only person he knew that if you look in the cabinet you think there's no food but I'll come up with something amazing LOL❤ there are a few Staples I always keep on hand rice potatoes pancake mix as long as I have rice and potatoes I always can make something in there I can always come up with something pancake mix you can eat pancakes or waffles you can eat anything you want amp potato flakes. I know on my grocery budget those are the things I'm going to get no matter what because when it seems like I have nothing I can always throw something together with that

[@realong2506]

We where never poor growing up like you where but my parents grew up during the great depression and knew how to stretch a dollar. My dad could fix anything, build anything and worked two jobs my whole life. My mother worked full time, sewed, baked from cratch and cooked from scratch every meal we ate. I wore my sisters hand me downs and we only got new shoes for school. In the summer we went barefoot unless we were going to the store. I still use it up and wear it out, cook from scratch and even though me and my husband didn't have much money when our two girls where home I made sure they always had plenty to eat and clothes on their backs even if that ment grage saling for school clothes or sewing them myself.

[@coolbeans-plantbased707]

Sounds like a beautiful life!! Truly! ❤

[@nikkicanfield1976]

I just found your channel and I LOVE it! You and your cheerful attitude make my day. My Mom was so good at making something out of nothing. One time she made toast and cut it up into little squares. On some she put jelly, some were peanut butter, butter and brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon, etc. I thought it was a real treat, but it was about all she had left. I still have her at 84 and she is still amazing in the kitchen. I learned so much from her in those lean years. Keep up the good work. You are helping so many people, I'm sure.😊

[@sandraking9650]

You are so blessed to have your Mom...& she you. Blessings 🙌

[@Sweetrottenapple]

Hey Bestie! You really don't need to make an apology for not posting! We are so happy for every videos even if it takes time to upload. I rewatch your older videos and I enjoy the heck out of them again and again because I can't memorize everything and you have so many tips and tricks and recipes. I love these series and I like to hear about your stories from your past ☺Happy birthday for Dusty!!

[@CheesyJanes]

I love rewatching them too!

[@SouthernFrugalMomma]

Thank you so much!!

[@AB-un4io]

I grew up with food stamps. The actual books of colorful stamps that looked a lot like “foreign” money but…everyone knew. I’m so old that when I was a little girl…if you received food stamps? There were little “coupons” for the coinage amount that you were “owed” or to use. I clearly remember when it changed and if you had change of .99 or less coming then you actually received coins. That was a big thing. Having endured the embarrassment that occurs in youth-even though most everyone around was in the same way-I learned to meal plan and shop right down down to the last penny because I helped my mother with the shopping, etc. It’s been very helpful in my adult life. We’ve worked hard and my husband and I? Don’t have to “scrimp” but I’m a frugal person. Not cheap. There’s a big difference. I do not regret having to “endure” my mother using food stamps when I was young. It made me what I am today. Humility is a good thing but I’m not junk! Hey! I recognize these recipes. 🙂 I remember seldom having cheese,too! What the heck??? I splurge now on cheese. It’s my cr*ck!! There are studies!! You’re looking great Brooke. 🙂 Try LOCAL honey as a longer term potential help with seasonal allergies. Many don’t realize that the honey must be local to have the desired but not instant effect. You take care!!! Until the next. All the love. ❤️ PS…Loaf bread can be your hotdog bun!!😂😂 Oh, Brooke!! Please put that on something! I’d love a throw pillow with that saying on it. I laughed!! Thank you!!

[@kricketcooper5024]

I just went to the store yesterday and bought 3 blocks of cheese because I just can’t stand not having cheese in the fridge. I think it’s because of the empty fridge of my childhood. Everything can be better if you have cheese.

[@angelav9838]

Lol I remember those. I also remember asking my neighbor for a bologna and mustard sandwich. Ahh, life's ups and downs. 😊

[@shelzp7272]

One thing I remind new cooks is don’t ever make an excuse for your food, just serve it and don’t talk it down. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@skismosis]

my Mom would make dinner and we never , ever was Dissapointed with whatever she put on the table, we just ate it and moved on with our life LOL

[@sandraking9650]

Children were more respectful back then!

[@RogueWave2030]

That's good advice. I think women apologize too much.

[@TammyB-x2h]

Because their parents expected it. Kids today would be too if it were expected.

[@annseabolt6645]

When my husband and I were poor newlyweds we would buy cheap canned spaghetti (5 for $1) and buy cheap bulk bologna. We would cube up the bologna and put it in the spaghetti. The bologna was cheaper than hotdogs.

[@marymcdonald3778]

We didn't know we were poor 'til we grew up! We (9 of us) we just thought our mom was so creative. Her homemade pizza drew kids from all around us. The yard was full of kids - we loved it. You're making wonderful memories for your family to tap into when times are rough. The kid's comments were different than the adults. Makes for great conversations as your family grows 😋😄😂🤣🥰❤ Brooke, you're the best mamma and wife any family could imagine having. 🙋‍♀️Thanks for sharing yourself with us✌🙆‍♀️

[@DelgadaAlcove]

In 2008, we were $20 over the limit for qualifying for food stamps. I had $3.00 and we needed dinner and my 3 year old daughter just grew out of her church shoes. I went to a second hand store and found the sweetest shoes that had gunk on them for $1.50. i cleaned off the gunk. That was such a special time. I found 2# of chicken drum sticks on sale for $1.10. There's actually not a lot of meat on there. I made the rest from my cupboards. I fried up saltine patties and canned veggies. I didnt have the depth as we see in these videos. These are the most helpful meal ideas that I have seen. I love it and my family is delighted! Thank you and happy cooking! :)

[@bobbydibbern6110]

plant the onion tips to have more green onions

[@Jaded57]

I remember eating mayonnaise sandwiches for dinner.. Brooke you are so real and honest I can’t tell you how truly refreshing you are… I love your ideas and you !!! Blessings Bestie ♥️🙏♥️🙏

[@mariepettis5275]

Please tell us you are going to write a cookbook! 🥰 You are not only entertaining, you include your family in almost everything you do and lastly, you are the most honest and creative cook EVER! You come up with the most ingenious combinations of foods, preparation, presentations and uses for the leftovers! I binge watch you in the evening and try to write down your recipes and comments on that particular recipe. Keep going, and I’ll keep watching!

[@joyceb9502]

❤I just adore you- you are so friendly so affirming encouraging and helpful - big hugs much love joyce❤

[@rachelkylie3287]

I started my emergency food pantry today, all because of you! I'm a single person in a 1 bedroom apartment, so I don't have a lot of funds OR room for extra food. I bought a plastic tote and spent $5 on shelf stable items like you recommended that I'm going to keep in my front closet. I'm so excited to watch it grow! You are such a light, Brooke! ✨️💞

[@TammyB-x2h]

Use the space under your bed. Do you have space at the top of your cabinets? You can store totes there.

[@elizabethdevine5193]

@@rachelkylie3287 Do you have space under your sofa? You could place your extra items there. I use the space between the wall and my sofa for storing pop twelve packs that don't fit on my narrow refrigerator shelves. I also live in an apartment so I understand the struggle of finding places for storage. Also in my closet, I have a shoe rack but the shelves aren't just shoes they are anything extra that I have including folded throw blankets, or sweaters.

[@MariaRivera-i4d]

I love your channel you keep it real. There so many people struggling because of the economy so hard for this people.But in your channel you teach people to use what they have to make a meal thanks again

[@Sh5rrrttttttrrrrrrrrrrms-vs3nl]

Stumbled upon this lady and I LOVE HER. She is awesome🌼

[@sarahconnor64]

Brooke, I LOVE your happy dance!! 💃 I love your channel for so many reasons! Today its because you make me feel like I'm not alone in growing up poor, getting creative with what we had, and actually enjoying the food we made!

[@ullarice4692]

This is how I have to feed a 10-13 person family, on a 3 person budget. The only way we have been able to survive, since I was medically forced to retire. I was a server in a little family restaurant.

[@annaknight5111]

💜

[@Judith-gp7ik]

I absolutely love your channel. At my house it’s me and my husband, both retired. Prices are so ridiculous. We do get free eggs from our nextdoor neighbors, so I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful for you because you always have such great ideas for cheap but delicious meals. Ignore the haters, they are the ones losing out.

[@ninacanadian]

I like how positive you are - whatever we have, “that’s perfect”. Thanks for the ideas and creative problem solving

[@tami2870]

I’m hooked- I usually have 10-15 min in the morning to sit in my car in the parking lot before I go in, and I always choose to watch you. You start my day with a positive attitude ❤

[@BudgetYourWayWithAarynLynn]

In my house, we make something called midnight pasta. All it is is spaghetti noodles cooked, and drained and put aside while in a pan. I add olive oil, garlic, and parsley. I heat that through and let the garlic get fragrant and to the point that it’s ready. Then we throw in the cooked pasta coated in the olive oil, garlic, and parsley, and then topped with grated Parmesan cheese! Very low cost meal and allows us to skip the pasta sauce which is insanely becoming expensive at over $1.62 per jar at Walmart for the great value that used to be $.99! I also grab a one dollar French bread loaf at Walmart slice it into 12 Texas like toast thickness Add butter and garlic to the top. Put it in the oven at 350° for 10 minutes. Pull it out. Add just a little mozzarella cheese to the top put it back in for approximately a minute to a minute and a half and then we have 12 garlic cheesy Texas toast for less than you can purchase in the frozen food section at Walmart because the great value Texas toast with cheese for an eight count is $2.55 in my area! I make 12 slices for a dollar plus whatever the butter garlic mixture is and the mozzarella it still comes in under budget! 8:34

[@flawedfabulous]

I still do this😂 sometimes I just don't have time to get to the store and I can not let someone else pick my groceries. I grew up with little left for food sometimes and we came up with some things I still crave today. Fed is best💚

[@alanbirkner1958]

I got the message "don't waste", from my Depression era parents. Any little bit of ketchup or mustard in the jar had to be rinsed out with vinegar and added to the baked beans. We never had store bought cake or ate in restaurants. We never had pop. Tina, Al's wife

[@kaelynnmartin6521]

I love that you’re using the wrinkly and drier veggies. Some folks act like they’re too good to eat such

[@beckyshell4649]

No matter what the money situation it is good to learn how to make do with and be satisfied with what you have. You have to remember that recipes started out as just things that people had that they put together ,they turned out good so they kept repeating it.

[@kathyfranco9372]

Your videos are always so good and interesting.. I have been thinking of something a lot lately. I just decided to go ahead and tell you... I absolutely 💯 think you should look into being on the food network show "Chopped." I really think you'd have a chance to win!!!!!

[@tinakjetland3141]

🤣 You must shop at Wal-Mart cause we have the same taste in night dresses. I have the rainbow stripe one and the purple one in this video. 🤣🥰Love your videos🥰

[@VioletWithey]

Brooke, that's a good idea with a hotdog. I like to butterfly the hotdog first. Then it is easier when it lays flat.

[@CheapsKate77]

When I got food stamps we ate sooooo good! We could eat organic food and seafood! Now I don’t qualify and my leftover money after bills is $48/month for 2 of us. I’m diabetic now and have congestive heart failure so I’m not supposed to be eating simple carbs or oils, but we eat a lot of rice and beans, eggs, pasta, and peanut butter toast. I really need to change it and eat way more protein and veggies though so I can get my weight, blood pressure, and glucose down. 😢

[@anitamullins9949]

I love these! I just love your personality and all you do for us!

[@amberpuckett65]

The cafeteria at my school served a baked variation of the hotdog and cheese on bread. I really liked it and tried to get my mom to fix it at home. My mom acted horrified that hotdogs were ate with cheese...lol

[@PatriciaCook-p1j]

Same! In the Midwest they were called Weiner Winks… no idea where that name came from!

[@GramRosanne]

Our school made them, too, called them "Toastie Dogs," I loved them.

[@MichelleMC6067]

It's always a joy to watch your videos 🎉 I grew up in East Nashville, Tn, and I remember many times scraping up food to make a meal a little bit of this and that One I remember most of all is Just eating cooked spaghetti noodles with butter and salt & pepper on it. I still cook the spaghetti noodles ,butter today, yummy 😋

[@sandraking9650]

Ad garlic 😋

[@ksewald91]

Da a young bride, I went to a church ladies conference. One of the speakers taught classes to food stamp recipients on how to meal plan and budget the amount of money allowed Sell out crowd! I had never handled a budget so I got lots of useful information.

[@channah64]

Thanks Brooke! We're on a super squeezy budget this month and these videos encourage me to use what's left in the cupboards - your videos have helped us save:)

[@AGee2217]

My stepdad would make something called mash dogs. He would take a piece of tinfoil and put a hot dog in the center. He would pile mashed potatoes on top and then place Velveeta on top of that. He would fold the tin foil up around it into a pocket and place it into the oven until the hotdog was cooked through and the cheese was melted. They were actually pretty good.

[@mizzwycked7931]

Yum, that sounds delicious!!!

[@m0r0ns20]

My grandmother called hotdogs "tube steak" and bologna "round steak". She made the best cheap meals, like creamed macaroni and tube steak and we would be in heaven 😍 Still can't replicate her creamed macaroni and it's been 50 years!

[@bookerk4388]

Any kind of pasta with butter and seasonings. Sprinkled with parmesan if we were lucky. It's funny that we look back fondly from so many years ago. Don't forget the fried bologna sandwiches. 😀

[@janpetsch620]

Girl I love you❣️❣️You are so positive. My folks sometimes struggled but I have realized we were not poor. Daddy had a decent job mom was a stay at home mom and they moved inti a brand new house when I was a baby. However, mom could stretch a meal.

[@valerief1231]

It’s like memory lane, especially the hotdog grilled cheese, we had to feed ourselves a lot when my mom got sick (and stayed sick) even she liked our creations some times lol

[@EmilyGOODEN0UGH]

Buttered garlic noodles are a classic! For grilled cheese hotdogs, if you toast both sides of the bread then add the cheese, and slice the hotdog almost in half lengthwise, you get even more of the toasty grilled flavor. Yum. Struggle meals - french bread with italian salad dressing spread thin. Or cold pasta with italian dressing and any leftover veg you can find.

[@ginger_angel777]

I'm from California. I absolutely love your accent. I find it so darling. Part of why I binge watch to be honest 😊

[@districtofcrystal]

Also, don't forget to utilize any dressings or sauces you might have in the frig or pantry. One time I had leftover plain hummus. That was my base for my pasta sauce - add a little pasta water to thin it out some and add any dry seasonings of your choice. I've also used italian dressing or vinaigrettes as seasonings too.

[@TammyB-x2h]

I marinate chicken or pork in generic Italian dressing before I grill it. So good!

[@teresareed5964]

We lived on cornbread and beans every day and she would try to do something different every day with that meal. We were on food stamps too but back then we didn’t get hardly enough to live on. There was no food banks when I was little and my real dad didn’t even care about us. Just mom and my sisters. She made everything home made to stretch our food.

[@TheYellowrose21]

Nothing better to Me than pinto beans and cornbread and tomato from the garden in the summer.

[@janpetsch620]

You are so real and so positive ❣️ You inspire me❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@courtneya.1849]

Once when I was a little girl, I made a pot of rice. BUT I put a bay leaf in it, and I thought I was the most spectacular Michelin-starred chef of all time haha. The rice did not turn out well 😂

[@mariaretired9711]

I’m sure we all have had lean days you are so sweet to share your childhood memories with us the food looked delicious

[@jodimartin3757]

Thank you God Bless You and your family keep the videos coming

[@abigailgtzflores]

Omg!! My struggle meal was hot dog wieners roasted on the stove to get it a little char and if we didn’t have that many we would cut them in half and heat up the tortillas on the stove top add mayonnaise and rolled the weiner as a taco because we always had corn tortillas.

[@kellyoconnell2169]

You are helping so many people with these extreme budget meals. I was fortunate to grow up in a middle class home. Not rich by any means, but always had plenty of food. In my first marriage I had a lot of hard times and was so glad I had great cooking skills from my mom. Pasta, potatoes & eggs were a constant staple. Thank goodness the potatoes & eggs were cheap 16 years ago or I don't know what I would have done. Thank you Brooke. You are a joy to watch!! xo

[@Bxbyfacenicolee]

Whenever me and my mom were struggling we would make butter noodles!! It was always sooo good it still is

[@DeniseCurry-qm5fc]

Me too

[@leecopeland2061]

Buttered noodles are yum!

[@dannysgirl1549]

My mom would make meatless meals and add scrambled eggs to the noodles for protein. I still love buttered noodles with scrambled eggs. It fed a lot of kids. There were fourteen in our family. 🙂

[@PepperplacewithShawna]

I love butter noodles!

[@TammyB-x2h]

How do you make these? Is it just butter on noodles?

[@steph3437]

My fav sammy is and forever iceberg lettuce, cheese slice & mayo🥰who remembers butter/sugar sams?😅 creativity works! ❤you!

[@MARTHAMCN]

I love lettuce, mayo and cheese. It's really good with a touch of mustard too!

[@janisbillyluttrell9573]

YES! Butter and sugar sandwiches AND peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches! Yummmmm…😋😋😋

[@jalisamustin7849]

I really like these videos. I am a professional at "end of the month" meals. My friends used to joke, that I could take sour cream, beef jerky, and oranges (anything random) and make a masterpiece.

[@bethwillis3690]

I've done the pasta with veggies and used Italian salad dressing.

[@Cthomas5678]

Me too and if I didn’t have Italian dressing I use a little oil and vinegar and I’ve even threw in a boiled egg or radishes ❤

[@illflyaway38]

That sounds great! I'm going to try that.

[@tinacollinsworth9507]

Love you idea, you remind me of my mama and the younger me (45 years ago). But you have so much awesome personality that just love your videos!! Keep them coming please. Your damily is beautiful too and you always include them. I think you are awesome!!!❤❤❤😊😊😊😊

[@marywells2041]

Brooke, I notice you don’t put salt in your pasta water. Try to add it , it will really add flavour to your pasta. Italians say the water should taste like salty ocean water!! I love your videos!!!

[@Carol-g5v]

I grew up poor too - mold broken off day old bread bought at the bakery. We knew there was no money as children but didn't know any better. Always something to eat.

[@missyford1397]

That grilled cheese and hotdog had a crunch and I bet it tasted better than a corn dog. Yummers

[@kristinpilbeam-hunter8952]

Girl, you made pasta primavera and didn’t even know it! Freaking awesome!!

[@hello-vs4me]

Mac and chesse tuna and peas

[@ZenobiaDecrespin]

I've always been proud at making something out of nothing. I missed you glad you got family time Happy birthday 🎂 Dusty love yall ❤❤❤❤❤

[@angel196989]

I can totally relate to the being poor and on food stamps. We were on them after my dad had 2 heart attacks before he was 30. I got pretty good at making random food but my favorite thing to make was a peanut butter sandwich with grated Parmesan cheese and sometimes barbecue chips if we had any. It was 2 slices of bread and peanut butter so that was filling. I guess I was a weird child for liking that but I also would eat cold hot dogs because I had this thing about hot food when I was younger LOL but I love grilled cheese and tomato soup (face palm)

[@natureshealing6534]

Wonderful memories, Angel!

[@SamBroadway]

You are so relatable... I am enjoying your channel as I was raised in a trailer park and learned how to create tasty stuff when I was young as do you... excellent

[@TerriW1203]

I grew up on food stamps too but my mom could scratch up a dish with this and that because she could cook real good. I call it refrigerator casserole. My mom was known for her food. She taught me that garlic and onion is the base of every good dish! Thanks!

[@tracyaf6084]

I love it. We used to have hotdogs using regular bread and my mom would put a toothpick in it to hold it together and we called it fancy hotdogs. I didn’t realize we just couldn’t afford to buy separate hotdog bun 😂

[@brooklynnrose]

I used to do this as a kid but i just popped the hotdog in the microwave then put the slice of cheese on the bread and when the hotdog was done put it on the cheese and bread n held it around it a min to melt then add ketchup ant ate so yummm

[@saraklotz7155]

Ideas just like these got us through the leanest of times. As always, thanks again for sharing ❤️

[@reginastephens935]

It reminds of when we would wrap a hot dog with cheese and a canned biscuit and bake in the oven. My mom made that a lot when I was little.

[@annseabolt6645]

I used to make weiner wraps with cheap biscuits and top them with chili, cheese and onion. I’ll have to do that soon, haven’t made them in a while.

[@lindabeard488]

I like this series. Do it when you can. Love 💕 and Hugs. 💙💙💙

[@Betrsafthensory]

Great ideas. We use to use bread for everything. We were so broke once I at a can of peas with a butter knife my mom said. I'd line them up on the knofe and eat them. 🤣 My mom would buy me a big bag of doritos when her stamps came in and I knew to make those puppies stretch. We ate everything, hardly nothing went to waste. I was a child in the 70's so even back then times were tough. Thanks for the yummy ideas. ❤

[@katherinehorton664]

Good ole spaghetti or any noodle with ketchup and a splash of pasta water and a sprinkle of parm. Im 71 and have eaten it all my life and still love it. Carried me through some hard times

[@KrystyneY]

When I was first on my own, got paid every two weeks. By week two I was in the market with $10 for the week. I bought bologna, bread, cookies, and diet coke. That was lunch and dinner for the week!

[@karenmcdonough3614]

That hotdog looked amazing. So much better than an old bun. Chef’s kiss!

[@nikkilacroix910]

My name is Nikki and my sisters name is Brooke! lol thank you for the video! That grilled cheese hotdog looks great!

[@MaurenEckersley]

Love your accent I love my mistake most when you said loaf bread I heard love bread and I’m thinking love bread. That sounds cute.

[@MsRene98]

My parents were kids in the depression so they taught me to be frugal. Dad's favorite dinner was macaroni and tomatoes and onions. My parents had plenty of money but he still wanted that every week.

[@billyannecrews6651]

Sardines and angel pasta with lemon juice and garlic is so good!

[@mamat4471]

Minus the sardine my kid now 35 still requests with lemon pepper n the butter and splash of lemon juice, yummy

[@billyannecrews6651]

@@mamat4471 sounds good. Honestly pasta with oil or butter with onion or garlic and or lemon juice alone is good

[@helenrichards3581]

Same with tuna, parsley, garlic, butter, and lemon zest if you have it plus juice. 😊

[@trishthedish2790]

Brooke I love how you do things like this

[@margueritekinchen6558]

My parents make the pasta and vegetables all the time.

[@sharonmertel6076]

My husband used to fry leftover cold pasta and add whatever he wanted…cottage or either cheese,butter and herbs,leftover or whatever veggies, and that was a meal.just throw little extra pasta in the pot and presto

[@rashellegallegos4335]

You are a genius 😊 I love watching your videos! You inspire me ❤

[@KatyInNH]

I always keep a bottle of Real Lemon- great to enhance flavor at the end of a dish like the pasta dish. Just shake on top at the table. Love your videos!

[@SHELLEYPAULL-iy1du]

I loved the “Government Cheese” my Gramma always had. My siblings begged to take some home! It was the best.