Stretching the Grocery Dollar -- with beans!

Many years ago I heard that one of the best ways to stretch the grocery budget was by incorporating more legumes into the family's diet.  "BLECH," was my reaction to this particular tip.  "DOUBLE BLECH" was my husband's reaction.

But after hearing it enough times, and coming to the startling revelation that a bag of dried beans was so cheap that it was often used as a preschool craft item, and yet was full of protein, fiber, and other great nutrients, I decided I was going to have to find some ways to start using them more.

Searching for "Bean" recipes can get a little overwhelming, though, so it took some time to finally land on some good dishes that I, my husband, AND my kids would actually eat.  Now good ol' beans have become a pretty regular staple at our house.

Here are some general ways that we save money (and even enjoy our food!) with legumes:

Garbanzo beans are great in soups.  Well, really just about any bean is good in soups, but my husband insists that garbanzo beans hold up better by the second day if we have leftovers.  When I'm making just about any broth-based soup, I'll throw in a can of beans toward the end.

Black beans can be snuck into just about any Mexican dish or salad.  A quick Sunday dinner (on a night I really don't like to cook!) can be a quick chopped salad with vegetables, black beans, cheese, and any other Mexican toppings you have on hand (tortilla chips, corn, salsa, etc).

White beans can be cooked, pureed and then slipped into a dish with white sauce, like homemade macaroni and cheese.  No one ever knows they're even there!

Add lentils to ground beef when making things like sloppy joes.  Lentils cook quite quickly, so I can throw a half cup of dried lentils into a pot with some water while I'm browning the meat in a skillet, and by the time the meat is ready to serve, the lentils are pretty much done.  (Make sure you cook them long enough that they get soft.  My husband hated the times that he got crunchy lentils in his sloppy joes!)

Chili, of course, is a great dish to work into the regular rotation.  Adding a couple extra cans of beans will likely be undetected.


And here are some tried-and-tasty recipes that are on the "regular dinner rotation" at our house:

Black Beans and Coconut Rice
Barbecue Chicken Salad (with black beans)
Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker  Chicken Taco Soup
Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
Red Lentil Curry

Something I'm Glad I Did: Meals on Wheels

When my children were young and we were home a lot, I often found myself wishing I could find:

1.) reasons to get out of the house
2.) opportunities to help others
3.) opportunities for my kids to help others

Most volunteering opportunities I could find were only for adults, or older kids, but then I discovered Meals on Wheels.  This was something we could all do together!

When Strider and Rayna were about 3 and 5, we started volunteering a couple times a month.  We had the same delivery route each time, so we got to visit with the same 7 or 8 people each time.  A few of the people were a little gruff or unresponsive, but several of them loved to chat, and, especially, to see young children.

When Colsen came along and I was trying to manage getting 3 kids in and out of car seats (in a little station wagon), we gave up the route, but the kids still talked about it for years afterwards.

Now we're doing it again -- this time to houses right in or around our neighborhood.  The blessings have been huge.  My kids know all of the people quite well now, and get such joy packing up their meals to give to them.  Sometimes they make little crafts or cards for the elderly folks.  I love seeing the recipients open the door and beam when they see the kids.

One woman on our route in particular has made such an impression on me.  She has given to us over and over and, I hope, has influenced me in ways that will affect me for years.  I want to be like her when I get old.  So that has been an unexpected bonus.

If you have time in the late mornings to volunteer even once or twice a month, I think your kids -- and you -- will really find it worthwhile!