What did your parents do for Budget Friendly Meals?

[CasperImproved]

Claire and others -

Thanks for sharing your stories. I don't have many of my own as frankly, Dad was out of my life very early, and Mom to make ends meet, waitressed 16 hour days. I do remember plenty of times being woke up when she'd get home after 11pm, and since I hadn't gone to bed, sharing a piece of leftover pizza or something from her workplace with me.

That's why I started cooking when I was eight. If I wanted something other than PB& J's, I'd have to make it myself. I'd look in the fridge, see what was there, than scan through the Betty Crocker (everybody had one) cook book for whatever simple casserole, or sandwich, burger or other things to make.You can assume the only balanced meal I had was at school (back when we had real cafeterias that made the daily bread, and cooked home style meals every day).

Even if things were tough, I had a lot of happy memories. As little amount of time I could spend with her, I was moms baby, and knew it. I also never went hungry. sometimes had things I didn't like (like Carnation instant milk). But I never want hungry.

Anyway, wanted to say thanks for the stories in this thread.

Bob

 

[chefkathleen]

I love them too. Even though it shows we weren't all spoiled kids and that we had some rough times. We never really knew it. Our parents made sure we ate and were secure in our lives. Kids today can have their X-Boxes, cell phones, MP3s and $50.00 a week allowances to eat whatever whenever but I wouldn't trade that for anything.

 

[Dina]

Pretty much add rice and beans to everything.

 

[Claire]

I know I'm suffering from diarhea of the keyboard, but can't resist one more. When I was young we never lived anywhere where there was pizza -- no delivery, no pizza parlors, not even frozen ones. When my parents "discovered" pizza (on a trip somewhere), Mom found Chef-Boy-Ar-Di and Appian way in the box. It was a huge treat, and a fun meal as a family project to make. The boxed pizzas came with a can of sauce and a package of dry parmesan (the only kind of parmesan that existed in our lives). To dress it up we'd put on sliced hot dogs and strips of American cheese. When Dad made Master Sergeant (and there was one more of us then), we could afford cans of mushrooms and hard salami or pepperoni. We felt like we were rich with these additions.

Yes, everyone is right. Since everyone we knew lived the same way we did, we didn't feel poor, and mom was (is) a great cook. My best girlfriends moms were all French war brides; many of my mother's friends were German or Japanese war brides, so there was a lot of variety and mom learned to cook from all of them, and the meals when I went on sleepovers or we visited could be unusual (coq au vin, rabbit, suki yaki). they were always inexpensive-to-make meals, but with the ethnic twist.

 

[chefkathleen]

That is waaay cool. Learning to cook things from the other war brides. What a great experience.

 

[JuanGuady]

This sounds gross but it is amazing. We would have all of the ingredients for taco salad but there would be a little change. We would have a bag of Doritos Nacho Cheese and we would put all of the ingredients in out individual bag and eat it out of the bag.. It was amazing for camping. We called it "taco in a bag" pretty good if you ask me

 

[chefkathleen]

Good idea! No clean up either.

 

[Arky]

Not my parents, but me as a parent during lean times - beans, rice, inexpensive vegetables, spices (you know, the ones with the rusty lids hiding at the back of the cabinet), and some creativity.

 

[Hondo]

Rice was the great budget stretcher in our home. We bought it in 25-pound bags. Of course my mom was Japanese, which meant we ate rice with everything. Meatloaf and rice. Fried chicken and rice. Vegetable soup and rice. And one of my favorite meals: pepperoni with rice and ketchup (still one of my guilty pleasures – my wife quit rolling her eyes at this meal about twenty years ago, though she has never shared it). To this day I want rice with my Thanksgiving turkey.

 

[chefkathleen]

pepperoni, rice and ketchup? LOL I'm with your wife. Although I would taste it.

 

[Hondo]

Well, my sister shudders at this, too. I think The Lovely Wife tried it once, lo those many years ago. Now it's one of those meals I eat when I'm on my own...

 

[Arky]

Rice was the great budget stretcher in our home. We bought it in 25-pound bags. Of course my mom was Japanese, which meant we ate rice with everything. Meatloaf and rice. Fried chicken and rice. Vegetable soup and rice. And one of my favorite meals: pepperoni with rice and ketchup (still one of my guilty pleasures – my wife quit rolling her eyes at this meal about twenty years ago, though she has never shared it). To this day I want rice with my Thanksgiving turkey.

I shopped a corner mom and pop market where, instead of mountains of soda, there were pallets of 25 lb. and 50 lb. sacks of rice at the very front of the store, and soy sauce and fish sauce was sold in the 1 liter and 2 liter tin with a pour spout. The produce section was pretty much of a mystery with about half containing things I'd never seen before, but then star apples were sold $5 per grocery sack full, while here and now they sell for $1 a piece in Wal-Mart. - Those were fun days!

 

[Claire]

Hondo, I got a laugh out of your post, many childhood memories. My father hates rice (or so he claims; I introduced him to sushi a decade or so ago and he absolutely loves it. Go Figure). But, in the military, half my mother's friends were Japanese. Then I spent ten years on-and-off living in Hawaii. Cal-rose is a staple in our house, and every family I knew had a big rice cooker full of it every day. So ... rice, rice, rice.

 

[Redraven]

I was fortunate enough to have a father who knew how to garden and raise our own meat. I Was never aware of how broke my parents actually were until i was much older!. The one time i remember was on thanksgiving my mother and father said we didnt have money for a turkey and asked me what i wanted instead. With no hesitance i asked for spaghetti!.It was the best thanksgiving ever! Mother made alot of soups and stews,and of course spaghetti and dad raised chickens,pigs,cows and went hunting and fishing alot( i grew up in montana).
This is not practical for everyone today, but i have found that you can raise some of your own veggies, even in apartment dwelling. I have yellow and zucchini squash growing in cleaned out kitty litter buckets,( the plastic ones you buy kitty litter in) tomatos and cucmbers all growing up trellis. I have spinach and herbs growing in my window sill and am planning on trying to grow a tomato plant indoors this winter.
The one thing i remember from my parents is you wasted nothing. If you couldnt use it all, can it, freeze it or eat it for lunch or have a leftover smorgi for dinner one night, but nothing goes to waste.

 

[MystieDawn]

I remember potted meat, spam, and vienna sausages. Can't bring myself to eat that stuff now.

 

[macro01]

my mom always cook meals with rice.. rice makes us full easily

 

[chefkathleen]

I remember potted meat, spam, and vienna sausages. Can't bring myself to eat that stuff now.

My ex used to like fried spam sandwiches. I never could get past the fact that to me anyway, it smelled like a can of dog food. No offense to anyone that likes it.

 

[bourbon]

Growing up Italian we had macaroni a lot. Of course I didn't know it then, I just loved it. But Mom did what she could to stretch the budget.

 

[chiffonade]

So much of authentic Italian food is peasant food anyway, it didn't seem out of the ordinary to have polenta and soups at home. My mother could cook a chicken more ways than Frank Purdue. We had lentil soup with cut up Hebrew National hot dogs (they were hot dogs but they were REAL). To this day, I like to add a smokier sausage to my lentil soup.

Lots and lots and lots of macaroni. Every which way you can imagine. We had Macaroni with Chick Peas ("pasta cheech"), Macaroni with Squash, and of course, every Sunday, Macaroni and various (inexpensive) meats cooked in rich tomato gravy. I guess it was this style of cooking that made me fall in love with the cheaper cuts of meat for long simmering. Still my comfort food today.

 

[Chile Chef]

Pancakes, waffles, and that type of stuff at night when we were low on cash.

Some times we had goulash, Tuna noodle casserole, shepherds pie, or burger king on the dollar menu!