Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Feasting on a Budget

Who says feasting can not be done on a budget? As you all know I love to cook and you have probably guessed that if I blow our budget anywhere it is at the grocery store. Well, the budget has been tight. We have one starting with braces this week and were told he will more than likely need them twice. Ouch!! That, with a couple of other things, has required that I cut our grocery bill and other things as much as possible. Last week there just was not any room left to buy extras for our feast. I started going through the pantry to see what I had that was a favorite or something different than I would do during the week. Because I load up on frequently used nonperishable when they go on sale, I had everything but the broccoli for a broccoli and cheese casserole. The Amish guy down the street had fresh broccoli for a very good price, he also had just about the last of his sweet corn. I had the ingredients on hand to make a honey dijon marinade which I grilled on chicken(that I had stocked up on when it went on sale). The grocery store had day old pumpkin and cream cheese whoopie pies for a good price. In the end we had a very affordable yet special meal. I do not want my children or you to get the impression that I play some kind of game to see how cheap our Sabbath feast can be. Honestly, most of the time I make that menu first and with what budget is left I plan the other meals. It just so happens that now is a time when there is not a lot for anything. I think there is a difference between being wise and being cheap. Let's not use the excuse of finances to not feast. At the same time realize it is okay to work within a budget.