When I told a friend that I had decided to go totally vegan, she remarked that it was great if I could afford it. The comment took me by surprise because while it can be expensive, it certainly doesn't have to be. Beans, brown rice, tomatoes, onions, corn tortillas, celery, carrots, oatmeal, raisins, and a multitude of other choices are quite affordable. After all, how much can a potato sandwich cost?
One can of black beans, one large can of tomatoes, a small can of chilies, a cup of corn kernels, onions and spices make four servings of a terrific soup served over baked corn tortilla chips and fresh avocado chunks. (For the recipe go to: Dr.McDougall's Website.) The cost to make this, without shopping around for great prices, was $8.44 or $2.11/serving using organic tomatoes and beans. It was tasty, filling, and seriously healthy!
Typically I would use dried beans for an added cost savings. A one-pound bag of beans costs around $1.50 and makes 3-4 cans worth of cooked beans. They're also really easy to prepare, so when I have the time I just cook up a bag and freeze them for use later.
I enjoy figuring out how to save money and time. It's a game to me. I was widowed in 2003 and so I only cook for myself. I've learned a few time & money-saving tricks:
- Cook an entire box of whole wheat pasta, then divide into single servings and freeze. You can run under hot water to thaw in a minute.
- Cook 2+ cups of dried, brown rice and divide into single servings to freeze. Thaw in the microwave.
- Before your bananas go bad, slice and lay them out on a cookie sheet. Pop it into the freezer and after they're frozen, remove them from the cookie sheet and put in a freezer bag. They're great for tossing into smoothies. You can also mash them and put them in freezer containers. Just thaw and add to your morning oatmeal.
- You know those few pieces of celery that you're just not going to eat? Chop them up and do the same thing you did with the bananas above. When you're cooking soup, toss in a handful of frozen celery to liven it up! It's easier for me to spend the money to buy fresh, organic produce when I know I've got a use for it if I don't get it eaten quickly.
- Rescue soon-to-be-wasted bread by drying the slices in the oven. Lay them out on the oven racks. Set the oven temp as low as possible. (I think mine goes to about 175 degrees.) You can leave them in there for a couple of hours. If they're not all the way dried out, just turn off the heat and let them sit in the oven until they are. Once they're totally dried out, use the blender to turn them into breadcrumbs. Store in the fridge.
- Here's an inexpensive, quick and tasty side dish: Use a small amount of vegan butter, heat in skillet, toss in breadcrumbs and brown. Throw in a cooked whole wheat pasta, salt to taste, and heat through ... YUM! (You can also add onions and/or garlic to the butter prior to the breadcrumbs. Saute until tender, then add the breadcrumbs and continue as above.) I eat either whole wheat or eight grain bread, so my breadcrumbs are healthy!
- Ice cube trays are my best friends! I have one that makes mini-cubes and I use it to freeze lime juice when limes are cheap. After squeezing room-temperature limes in to a bowl, pour in the the tray and freeze. Transfer to double plastic bags or containers when frozen. The same can be done for lime juice or even orange juice that you just don't finish before it's freshness date.
- I use standard size ice cube trays to freeze cream sauce in small portions. At the end of the day, thaw a serving of brown rice, thaw a couple of cream sauce cubes, toss together with some frozen peas, salt, and cracked pepper ... delicious!
Day two on my Vegan Journey went great. I had the energy to shovel my driveway not once, but twice, spent time on the phone catching up with a couple of friends while I watched the snow continue to fall, and did some research online.
Despite the perilous temperatures and blowing snow,
I love the journey!
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