(Also available in Kindle format)
I don't know about you, but I can never have enough cookbooks. I have a whole closet full of cookbooks, that I have read cover to cover like books, and have sticky notes all throughout the pages to mark recipes I have tried with my family and they liked (or didn't like), and ones I want to try. With the holidays fast approaching, I find myself visiting my cookbook closet to pull a selection of cookbooks to browse through and find new side dishes and meals to serve up around the holidays. I have family who comes to stay and visit, so I am always looking to change things up and try out new recipes with everyone.
With the holidays comes added expenses due to shopping for gifts for everyone on your shopping list, as well as buying the meal and all the fixings to cook up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But, leading up to these major holidays, why not save money when it comes to cooking up hearty meals for your family. How can you do that you ask? Simple...pick up the $10 Dinners - Delicious Dinners for a Family of Four that Don't Break the Bank" cookbook by Julie Grimes. Even if you have more or less family members than the four the title states, you can still enjoy this cookbook, which will save your family $$$ each week at the market. I polled friends recently and asked how much they spent each month at the market on groceries. Many came back and said they spent around $800-$900 a month for a family of 4-5. I wasn't surprised that this high number as I have spent that much in the past on groceries for my family. My oldest daughter has always been a picky eater, and I have found myself making a separate meal for her if I don't think she will like we are having. This leads me to buy additional items at the market just for her, and that adds up. So, to save money and cut down on the times I have to run an open kitchen cooking up different meals for everyone, I have found myself pulling recipes from cookbooks like this one, that I know my picky eater will eat, and that will not break the bank on grocery shopping. And, another plus is that meals are easy to make and cook up in no time, so I have more time to spend with my family, and not be stuck in the kitchen cooking and then feeding everyone around 7PM.
This cookbooks is broken down in the following sections:
- Secrets of a Supermarket Tightwad
- Pizza and Pasta
- Poultry
- Meats
- Fish and Shellfish
- Meatless Mains
- Sandwiches, Soups and Stews
- Salads
- Pantry Basics
- Bonus (Entertaining Menus)
I really enjoyed reading the first chapter and got some great tips on how to save even more at the market, like shopping in season when it comes to fresh produce to smartly stocking your pantry and even butcher secrets. I will not share these secrets with you -- you will just have to buy the book to learn how you, too, can be a supermarket tightwad. :-)
As far as the recipes go, there are so many great recipes to choose from, and they all come with full-color pictures of the dish, which gets your mouth watering even more. I found myself adding a sticky note to most of the book, as the dishes looked delicious, and I couldn't wait to try them. This is another cookbook I have had for a couple months and have found myself reaching for it weekly when sitting down to plan our weekly meals. We are big chicken and pasta eaters, so I have found myself cooking up many of these recipes time and again. Personal favorites from these two sections include Sticky Chicken Drumsticks (total cost $8.15 to serve 4), Southwest Chicken and Quinoa bowls (only $6.92 for 4 servings), Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs ($9.94 for 4 servings), Corkscrew Pasta with Pistachio Pesto (Only $10 to feed a family of 4), and Spaghetti and Meatballs (Total cost $8.37 for 4 servings). My mouth is watering just thinking about these recipes. And, what I just mentioned above is our menu for this week, for 5 out of the 7 days. And, if you were to add it all up, you would get $43.38. You would spend this alone if you went out to dinner with a family of 4 one night. It also cost me less than less as I bought in bulk chicken and pasta, and had many of the ingredients in my pantry, or leftover from the week before. So, in actuality it only cost me about $35 for 5 nights of meals. Try saying that about your weeknight meal cost.
The best thing, besides the amazing savings I am seeing my cooking up recipes from this cookbook, is that the meals are delicious. Even my picky eater is enjoying them, and trying new dishes as they look so good. If you want to save when it comes to dinners for your family, as you gear up for the crazy holiday season, why not check out "$10 Dinners: Delicious Meals for a Family of 4 that Don't Break the Bank"by Julie Grimes. You will find yourself loving each and every recipe you try, just like my family has been doing. :-)
About this cookbook:
"Being on a budget isn't always fun, but $10 Dinners shows you it doesn't have to bore your taste buds.
This book shares how a family of four can eat extraordinary meals for $10 or less without sacrificing flavor or variety. Recipes are simple and written with the busy weeknight cook in mind. In chapter one, Secrets of a Supermarket Tightwad, Julie Grimes shares the budget secrets that make it all happen, including how to stock your pantry, how eating seasonally can save major bucks on the grocery bill, how budget-smart splurges can take an average dish to the next level, and how and where to find the best deals. Readers will find more than 100 dishes, such as Sautéed Chicken with Sage Browned Butter, Korean-Style Beef Tacos, Summer Veggie Pizza, Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs, Penne Rigate with Spicy Sausage and Zucchini, and Braised Pork with Slow-Cooked Collards, Grits, and Tomato Gravy. Julie Grimes covers all the bases, from seafood, poultry, and meatless main dishes to pizza, pastas, soups, sandwiches and sides. She also shares how to entertain on a budget. Throw a fantastic dinner party for $25 or host Thanksgiving for under $50—never let a limited budget keep you from entertaining in style. "
Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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