I live on $600 a month. I cook everything from scratch and have plenty to eat. I was raised poor as a church mouse and learned very young how to live well on very little. Parents were depression folk and they could stretch food unbelievably. Thanks mom and dad.

What I love about this as a social worker is that you gave people resources and no shame ❤

I'm from Brazil and rice and beans is a staple in almost every home, so here are some tips we use daily: You can cook large batches of rice and beans and freeze them up to 3 months To make the rice more tasty, fry garlic and onions before putting the rice in the pot, also use the proportions 1 cup of rice 2 cups of water and it will cooks better Hope it helps!

As someone who grew up in Asia, a big tip I learned is to sauté green veggies - usually spinach, water cress, or long beans (chopped or diced) - with some ground meat. You can season with soy sauce, salt, or fish sauce, or you can get fancy and add whatever you like. Paired with some rice, you get a good balanced meal.

Coming from someone who's worked in the Human Services field, it's refreshing to hear you talk about assistance with no shame. It's been years, but when I was a case worker, I'd have people come in and almost expect me to scold(or judge) them for not having enough food to feed their family. Imagine someone coming in for a job interview, but instead of telling you why they deserve the job, they give you a resume' of life events that put them on the path of needing food assistance. I'd just explain to them that they don't need to convince me that things have been tough. To put them at ease, I'd even mention my mother needing temporary assistance when I was a child. The last thing I wanted to do was make them feel like they were a failure or that they needed to beg and grovel. I randomnly clicked on this video and I'm glad that I did.

A tip for using canned tomato paste - if you aren't going to use a whole can, freeze tablespoon sized lumps on a tray lined with foil or parchment paper and once they are hard you can transfer them to a freezer bag. Then just grab and go when you need some for a recipe!

If you buy the cans of tomato paste you can freeze them in 1 tablespoon dollops on a sheet pan and then put in a ziplock bag. Then you can add it to you recipe instead of having to open a whole can the next time.

Totally agree about oatmeal. Peanut butter and eggs. Homemade bread. Beans, lentils and rice. Chicken hind quarters or thighs, ground beef. A bag of carrots, a cabbage, canned tomatoes. Super stars in my rock bottom budget.

I LOVE HOW PPL LIKE U MAKE THESE VIDEOS TO HELP PPL LIKE ME! IM 55 DISABLED. LOW INCOME BUT GREW UP IN A CHILDREN'S HOME AS A TEEN SO I REALLY DONT KNOW HOW TO COOK😫

Talking about cheap meals with beans, I had a good friend in college that was vegetarian and we were poor college kids so she made meals with beans all the time. My favorite meal was rice, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, taco seasoning, and then topped with lettuce, cheese, and sour cream

I moved out on my own at 18 with no budgeting or cooking skills and hardly any money, but I learned how to get by. I lost a ton of weight the first year. Content like this would have been great back then. This video is probably helping some young folks.

Hi. I'm Dominican and I can give you an easy recipe for your Dominican beans. So you did great cleaning and soaking the beans overnight. That's the first step. The ingredients are: 1 lbs of beans soaked over night. 1 TBS of canola oil. 1 cubanela pepper (they're the light green ones that are long. I think Americans sometimes call them banana peppers) and they are cheaper than bell peppers. I cut these in 2 lengthwise. 2 garlic cloves mashed with a little salt (to make it a paste). 2 heaping TBS of tomato paste. A small handful of cilantro, fresh. 1/2 TBS oregano. My grandma toasts it for better flavor but I don't 😅 2 chicken bullion cubes (usually the Maggie brand). This has all the spices you used/all the ones you need. 1 tsp of sour orange but vinegar is good, too. To cook: In a dutch oven or similar pot, put in the oil and saute the tomato paste and garlic for about 2 mins. The tomato paste turns like a brick color. Add the beans with the (clean) water you soaked them in, the bullion cubes (I crumble them into the pot), the cilantro, the pepper and the oregano and then I cover and let simmer until the beans are tender (about 40-60 mins in a regular pot but 30 mins in a pressure cooker). Once tender, I put in the sour orange or vinegar and let it simmer 5 more mins. That's it! It's easy when you get the hang of it. That's the basic version but if you have it, I also add peeled and cubed butternut squash and half an onion as well as some bacon or other pork products (pork chops, pork ribs, ham) those are just flavor add ons. Not mandatory but it does taste better. 😅

You can mix the oatmeal with some of the mashed beans with some onion and seasonings, shape into patties or balls and bake. It’s a quick way to make burgers full of protein. 😊

Oatmeal isn’t just for breakfast. Throw a handful in stew, mix with cooked rice, herbs bullion, onions and butter for a side. Save your citrus fruit peelings, apple/pear cores and boil with cinnamon. Makes either a hot tea or cook your oats in it for added flavor.

Well I just learned how to make bread after clicking on a random video. Thank you ma'am for making simple, affordable advice that me and my mom can use to save money on food. One of the best videos I've been happy to stumble upon.

11:34 I’m a single mom with a toddler so I’m cooking a lot of small meals. I always buy the big bags of rice and beans and cook them in my instant pot. I chills them in the fridge over night after cooking. Then I portion all my rice and beans into single portion servings and freeze them. It saves me so much money to invest a little time cooking my rice and bean ahead of time and then freezing them but I will have literally weeks worth of food in my freezer ready to eat. I also do this process with chickpeas, homemade refried beans, grilled chicken, and cooked ground beef.

If you first sauté the onion and the garlic in some oil and then also add the spices to allow them to release their full substance before you add everything else to make the soup instead of adding them raw, you will be amazed at how much better it turns out 😊 Your bread seems so simple to make and it always looks amazing…but I just can’t get it right😅

As a Brazilian (our national staple dish is feijoada, which is made with black beans) here's a few tips: 1. If you can nab a discount jalapeno or chili pepper that is going into the trash, you absolutely want that. A small slice each time you cook your beans will suffice, so a whole pepper will last you very long here. 1. After your beans are done cooking in the pressure cooker, mash a garlic clove, put it in, then cook the beans for another 5 minutes out of the pressure, mixing always with a spoon. 2. Release the starch inside the beans to into the broth, so it'll become creamy! Press a few grains against the inner wall of the pan for an even better result, and keep mixing! 3. Don't be afraid to use less water! I myself always make sure the water level is no higher than two cm above the beans after I lift the pan lid for the first time. The result is a much richer broth, and garlic and pepper really enhances the flavour. I cook various types of beans almost everyday to my family, and it's always delicious!

Oats are so versatile! I love to make bean burgers. One cooked sweet potato, cooked beans, oats and herbs/spices. Blend in a food processor if you have one or mix by hand until you have a paste ish consistency, cook on your stove, bake or air fry! This can make many meals and they're filling, healthy and so good❤

Now that I live with my spouse in our apartment (I’m 23) - I’ve learned to cook so many basics and super cheap fast meals because I realized it’s fun and also once you do it once or twice you realize how much $ is wasted when you don’t - tonight dinner was about a dollar and it was a creamy pasta with spinach in it - I bake muffins for breakfast often and makes me so shook I used to buy 4 for 5 bucks at the store when I can make so many for depending on what it is less than a buck for 6-12 :) I know everyone can’t cook or doesn’t have time for it but honestly a lot of time it’s way less time consuming than we think - good luck all with your endeavors and do what you can you got it!

As an ICU nurse, I really appreciate this video! While I'm from Canada and we have different supports, I love that you provide non-judgemental help and resources for people experiencing food insecurity. Great recipes BTW!

It always makes me so happy when you mention sources for help if people are really stretched for cash. There is such a stigma associated with getting public assistance, but for some people it can really be life saving and help you get through some tough times. I love your videos and appreciate all your time and money savers you share!

The fact that the food stamps office where you live gives people a basket of food is so beautiful to me. I remember struggling so bad when I was in my early 20’s. It was either gas to get to work or food and the gas always won. I appreciate your videos now but I would’ve really appreciated these videos back then. ❤

My mother always made hot yeast rolls to eat with pinto beans. I know lots of people pair cornbread with beans, but you will be surprised at how good homemade rolls go with beans. We ate beans and rolls as the complete meal.

You are helping the low income famz in the hood for real. Thank you for sharing your quick meals with spices , onions, and bell peppers. You are showing us the tips and tricks for those who want to learn on a tight budget..

I'm disabled, and want to say how much I loved this! I'll be recommending your channel to ppl in my community- ppl like me who need healthy, budget friendly meals, that aren't too labor intensive. There are a lot of us (of all ages and genders) out there who have very little mobility or ability to stand up for prepping & cooking meals on the stove. A lot of us have to do all cold preparations, or quick-prep microwave only (from pantry/fridge to microwave no-prep meals). If you're looking for a new budget challenge, maybe this is one you can consider 😊

I feel pretty good about only spending $50 a week for groceries. I’m single and diabetic so….no pasta, no bread, no rice or potatoes. No sugar. Lots of protein and veggies. Love your videos!! Thank you!

There is such a stigma associated with food banks and public assistance. ☹️So let me share this idea that might help someone overcome their pride. At a lot of food banks if you volunteer they send food home with the volunteers. It could be a very good way of giving a little bit of time and effort in exchange for the food a person needs to feed themselves and their family. My retired dad doesn't need the help, but he volunteers every Friday at his local food bank. He brings home so much food that he literally gives it away to his neighbors. Heck, I've been the recipient of some of it a few times.

I have stumbled across you as I have been both trying to learn to cook and trying to learn to do it cost effectively. I literally teared up when you were talking about resources because as someone struggling, to feel so guided and not judged was something I did not expect. Thank YOU for doing this.

Hello, just made your no knead bread. I divided dough in half and put calamara olives in a layer n poured the rest of dough on top. OMG it is delicious. I will definitely make again with another variation. This is WAY better than store bought. To others who follow this channel, if you haven't tried this homemade bread, you should!

Just a tip, wax paper is not meant for the oven. Christine said it was an option for the bread tins, but it shouldn't be. 😊

For the Dominican rice and beans recipe, instead of regular oregano, Mexican oregano will make a huge difference in flavor. Plus, it's only $1 for a package, and the package will last a long time.

I’m Brazilian, and here in Brazil most of the population eats beans and rice almost every day, is a very filling and taste really good if you season well, it’s like a Staple and we only change the complement, example, we eat rice, beans, meat or chicken, and salad, you can also eat with fries, mashed potatoes, in short, we always change the complement. It’s good,filling and cheap

Hello Christine, THANK YOU FOR THE BREAD RECIPE!! I’ve failed so many times in my breadmaking journey year after year and each time I’d give up a little while on I’d come back and have another go. I made x2 loaves in a round cake tin (with another cake tin on top exactly how you did it) so it came out round. But did not affect flavour and it was wonderful, I LOVE ciabatta bread it is my absolute fave bread and this is how my x2 loaves came out. This will be my go-to NO FAIL simple budget friendly no knead no mess all in one perfect bread recipe now!! Thank you!!!

A tip for cilantro. I put a whole bunch in the food processor, stems and all, then freeze by tablespoons in a tray (I use the clear plastic tops of the Costco eggs because it has small dents). When frozen I transfer the cilantro cubes to a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer.

Plz do more of this. The days of processed food are over. It’s healthier n cheaper to make our food by scratch.

It made me very happy to hear you talk about the resources available to people who need food. Recommendation from a Latino home cook: If you're going to simmer something for a long time, you may want to add the spices at the end after the heat has been turned off. Spices are aromatic flavor components, which means you "taste" them due to their smell. The aromatic chemicals that produce this smell do so by evaporating (aromatizing) out of the spice -- this means that with high heat, the process speeds up, and you'll smell a lot of the spice while it's cooking but taste very little of it by the time it's ready to be eaten because the heat will cause most of it to aromatize out of the food. Some culinary traditions, like British-Indian (and Indian-American) cuisine take advantage of this by toasting some of those extremely intense spices before adding them to a recipe, pulling back the flavor amount from "too much" to "just right".

When I was a child, my mother would cook up white rice for breakfast. We would sprinkle cinnamon on top and add milk. Still love it!

My mom used to take cooked pinto beans with a bunch of the liquid, purée them til they made a thick broth, then add cooked pasta to make bean soup…served it with salad and grilled cheese sandwiches, still one of my favorite meals.

I love to make homemade rice a roni and it’s easy. One cup of long grain white rice, one quarter cup orzo pasta, two and a quarter cups water, 2 or 3 teaspoons of powdered boullion, 3 tablespoons of margarine. You need a large skillet with a lid or a large saucepan with a lid. Put the margarine, rice and orzo and sauté and stir until the pasta turns the color you like. Then add the powdered boullion and the water and stir. Cover with the lid, turn down to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and check and stir. If all the liquid is absorbed you are done. If not cover and let sit for a few more minutes. You can fancy it up with mushrooms, cut up veggies or cut up leftover meat pieces. To me nothing beats two fried eggs with a scoop of homemade rice a roni on the side and it’s filling too.

There's no shame in keeping your family fed! WIC and SNAP kept my baby fed when I was out of work due to medical issues and now I have a good job and things are so much better ❤

I definitely encourage people to go to food pantries if they need it. I used to volunteer at a church food pantry when I was a drop out trying to homeschool myself and living on social security at the time. They would let me take a box of food, toothpaste, and TP home. ❤

I’m fortunate enough now to not worry about buying food but I remember the days of literally tracking grocery cost to the penny to maximize what to purchase on a teeny tiney budget. This is wonderfully useful for many people.

I've got to say -- I moved to Louisiana four years ago (southern, no less!) and I'm so in awe of how well-raised and competent the women are. Even my high school students are better, more confident and competent cooks than I. I'm absolutely LOVING your videos. First saw you chatting with Clutterbug, so I need to give her a hat tip, I think. God bless you!

I love how you don't do this to be trendy and you truly teach without judgement ❤

When we were going through our leanest times financially, I would make beans in the crockpot for the week. We had one pot we'd gotten as a wedding present and a friend was getting rid of their other pot. So I would cook beans in one pot and steel cut oats in the other. This would last for the week and was so yummy, cheap, and easy.

I think oatmeal can be versatile. You can have a bowl of regular oatmeal, oatmeal bake, oatmeal bars, oat muffins, granola,etc. Once someone has the basics in their arsenal, then they can make anything versatile. Also if someone is on a $1 budget, they really rrreeeaalllyyy should be utilizing their local pantry. Great food for free can be a great big blessing. I really appreciate you sharing this video. It'll make people more comfy with their budgeting ❤

Excellent tips. Making homemade bread is a skill everyone should try. It’s not hard and is so rewarding. A great benefit of oatmeal is that it fills you up and keeps you feeling full for quite awhile. Same with beans. As a child, I clearly remember having to eat at least two big bowls of cheerios or corn flakes to feel satisfied as opposed to one small bowl of oatmeal. And after eating cereal, I was hungry again quickly. Your videos are very helpful. Thank you for sharing.

I LOVED this video. 2 things. I made the Jiffy with banana bread. It was great. However, I added like a teaspoon of milk cause it was too dry. I also added some dried blueberries and then crushed walnuts to the top. So of somebody has those to use up it turned out great. 2nd I thought that maybe the beans and rice didn't turn out the same as your husband had in the Dominican Republic is because I'm guessing they used Mexican oregano, not Italian oregano. There is a difference in flavor. You will find it in a bag down the Mexican food aisle.

Great video. Thanks for the tips. You can spend $5 at Dollar tree and eat for at least 3-4 days. At $1.25 you'll only be able to afford 4 items. Item #1 Canned or bag beans (bag will probably give you more for your buck) Item #2 Rice. You can add a protein to that, so Item #3 eggs, which would probably be the best bet (you can use them for breakfast too) or the canned vienna sausages. Item #4 Bread or Flour. You can eat eggs and toast or beans and toast for breakfast. Then make the rice and beans or bean soup. Plain rice soup is also good. All u need is bouillon and if you have any left over veggies you can drop those in. Egg drop soup is another option.

I buy a large bag of pancake mix , and almond extract, cinnamon, and flaxseed, sometimes freeze dried strawberries and mini chocolate chips! I have small kids so I use a tbs size and get about 30 pancakes from a 2cup batch! Freeze them and ready for breakfast in a minute! Also make waffles and and shredded cheese and bacon for an all in one breakfast with fruit or yogurt on the side ! Can make your own sausage on a stick ,McGriddle, bacon in pancake strips!!

I have this one suggestion, make sure that you get a gallon of water in your preps because you need water to cook these will foods. Another option is to cook the chicken first and use the juices with some water to have chicken flavored rice, or beans. Also learn to have options for cooking that do not require electricity in case of a power outage.

Ethnic food stores are a great resource for cheap groceries. The local Indian store has an amazing variety of beans and grains very cheaply. I just learned how to make parathas with just flour and left over dahl. If you don't have a working oven, flat breads are easy and fast.

I get my yeast in bulk from Costco and split it to one jar in the freezer and one in the fridge! Lasted me MONTHS and I bake all my bread, bagels and pizza dough. Game changer ^_^

I've used just plain corn meal as a cereal. Cooks like Malt-O-Meal hot cereal. And I've also been using a lot of beans and rice lately. Makes for good chili. I have an Instant Pot for cooking beans. Very easy and they come out tender without pre-soaking. Plain rice also makes a good cereal, alone or with bananas or raisins.

Thank you Christine for always reminding me that just because I make more money than I did 20 years ago saving money is always good

Can you do something like this for groceries on a budget that dont require cooking to gelp support the homeless population stretch their dollars without going hungry? I have worked with at-risk populations for over a decade and i love seeing people put together stuff like your video that really inspire people to be fiscally responsible but also health conscious. Love love love this!

Can't wait to try make the Dominican beans & rice! @13:43 I have some tips to share for the ingredients - you can buy frozen chopped pepper & onion mix in Walmart ($2.58 for a decent size 20oz bag here in WA state but still WAY cheaper than buying fresh peppers here). For tomato paste, I buy the cheap cans and spoon the leftovers into a ziploc bag, squash it flat and freeze it. Then you have your own DIY tube in the freezer. I break off what I need next time I need it. I can confirm your bread recipe is idiot proof! 😋I've made it a few times it is DELICIOUS, I need to make it again! Thank you for your tip from that video about storing leftover yeast in the freezer. Christine you are awesome! We are blessed that we have a bigger food budget at the moment but the prices are getting out of control even in my Walmart and other cheaper stores so I'm trying to reign it in. I love your videos for inspiration and learning new cooking skills. Thank you! 🥰 PS chicken thighs are way yummier!!

What I love about this is that in may, in central California, the price of an 18 pack of large eggs was $9. It has gone back down to normal price now of around $3.50 for the Walmart brand.

Soooo glad I bumped into this yesterday. I was gifted a couple bags of pinto beans. I made them up in the instant pot with diced onion, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and a dash of cayenne powder. Now, for the record, I'm not a fan of pinto beans. After 30 minutes high pressure and 15 natural release - OMG!! I was eating it right out of the pot! Using a bunch tonight to make the chicken tortilla soup. Yay! I was so trying to find ways to make more economical meals. This is so for the win! Thank you, thank you!! Tomorrow I'm attempting the bread :)

Because of your videos, I applied for WIC and use it creatively. A jar of baby meat, an egg, and baby cereal with a little bit of cumin and taco seasoning makes a solid savory pancake or waffle. My three year old steals them from the baby.

Thank you again for another current frugal meal video! Also thank you for advocating, as always, for people to take advantage of their local free food resources. ❤

Yeah-fruits are outrageously priced right now. Having a strawberry and raspberry patch, apple trees and even a hickory nut tree is a real blessing for us. My garden too.

For the Dominican rice and beans, also works for stews, chilis, soups, you can make a sofrito and freeze it. It has cilantro, culantro, cubanelle peppers, sweet peppers, yellow onion, and garlic blended with a bit of water. Sometimes people add annatto, vinegar, jar of pimentos, oregano and tomato sauce, although I prefer to add those separately for versatility. Super easy to make and freezes for a looong time. They're flavor bombs. When I make curry I use both curry paste and sofrito.The idea is to sautee in a bit of oil before dumping all the other ingredients so it develops more flavor.

This bread recipe has become my go to! I can’t stand store bought bread and this has been a lifesaver!

Processed foods will always be more expensive than whole foods. I love the oatmeal and beans - so easy and filling and healthy. Love your videos, keep 'em coming :)

I'd like to also add you can save on yeast by starting your own sourdough starter. They're pretty simple to keep up and you have to make bread with it every week, anyway, and it's much cheaper - great if you want your bread to have some depth, too!

Glad to see you mention the expensive store's clearance items. I get all my meat at the big name stores marked down 50%! I've found amazing things like gluten free or organic items this way, too.

Maybe my comment will get lost in the middle of more than a thousand, but being from Brazil I'm here to suggest something we always do at home. It's called 'Galinhada'. It's rice cooked with chicken. So good and feeds a big family so easily! 😍

I've been making about half our monthly bread by hand. It's worth it! If you dont have loaf pans you can make good size rolls for sandwiches. I get about 8 giant rolls per loaf.❤

I think we need a video on all the meals we can make with beans as the main ingredient. 😄

a tip is to buy unbleached flour. With unbleached flour you can make sour dough starter and skip out on buying yeast and just make some loaves of sourdough bread Edit: On a budget rice is your best friend, so many different recipes based on what else you have and the kind of rice. Rice Pilaf, Tteok-bokki, Fried Rice, Risotto, Onigiri, Yakionigiri, Doria, etc. The versatility and fillingness cant be beat. Learning to cook really helps budget, without making yourself eat boring bland food

I am so glad you talked about people getting assistance! Some don’t know or can be embarrassed. But it’s there fir a reason, so thank you!!

Great style! To the point, very good grocery tips, great recipe ideas, resource tips and a sense of humor. Grateful for your dedication to common sense. Everyone, no matter their budget could learn from your videos.

You don't waste time in your videos, which I like. I'll bet your husband loves your meals.

You can totally eat on a budget especially if you buy monthly instead of weekly. Those pinto beans are on sale for $6.88 for 8 lbs right now instead of $8.98. That's 2 lbs per week. Same with rice. The larger the package the less per pound it is. 18 count eggs are now $2.33. Buy 2 and that allows you 9 eggs per week.

Just love your highlighting of WIC and foodbank for those who need them. So important that people connect to resources! I too embrace the frugal ethos; it's what helps us prepare for a comfortable future and too few people know how to manage a budget. I would say that for those who can afford to add more flavor and goodies, they should. Food is life; we spend, as a nation, too much on cheap crap and objects. The one place we should splurge (again, only if we can afford to) is on good food. When I watch you, I wish we could bring back required Home Ec. in classes. People need to know how to cook rice and beans from scratch, how to bake bread, and how to make food both more nutritious and cheaply, and you showcase how easy it is. Thanks for all you do.

I always meal prep. It helps me so much. I'm going to be off for 2 weeks due to having surgery on my hand. I plan to have a easy meal for the week of surgery. All I have to do is get fresh produce and the rest I have in my pantry and freezer. Thank you for ideas for meals. When I found tomato paste in the tube I was in heaven. My mom even loved it

I just made your bread recipe and it was the best bread I’ve had since growing up in NJ!! My husband said to never buy bread again! So easy too!! Thanks a million!

Thank you for encouraging people to seek food assistance.

I live in CT where electricity cost have been skyrocketing. When I factor in the cost of the gas and/or electric, the cost of home cooked meals is probably double. Using a pressure cooker and an air fryer instead of a cook top or oven will probably save even more.

I've been making red lentil tortillas for breakfast with avocado and eggs. I do it to kick up my potassium intake. For the red lentil tortillas all you do is soak the lentils in a 2 to 1 ratio with water, 1 part red lentils/2 parts water, let soak about 2 hours or overnight, then put in food processor or blender and blend till smooth, then cook like a crepe on a hot cast iron pan.

The pinto beans you can also just cook them with a couple of garlc cloves and after they are cook make tex-mex ( texas - mexican ) chalupas which it's fried corn tortillas if you can find them and smash the punto beans like almost refried add to the fried tortillas with some lettuce,tomato and onions or if you just want cheese on them 😊

It would be interesting to see a proper breakdown of the cost per portion for each of the meals that you made - with all of the ingredients in it e.g. the frozen peppers, spices and condiments.

Great ideas! I can't bring myself to buy tomato paste in tubes because it costs about 5 times what a can costs, so after I use tomato paste from a can, I freeze what is left in 1 tablespoon dollops for future recipes. Also, you can cover your dough with a damp towel instead of saran wrap, which probably only saves a few pennies, but it's still something. Just make sure the towel doesn't dry out. I love the 2-pan trick for the bread. I have a dutch oven, but sometimes it's nice to have a loaf shape instead of a round.

You can cut yeast down further a few ways. 1. Use less yeast but extend the rise time. 2. Hold back an ounce or two of dough to add to the next batch. Only add a little more yeast. 3. Sourdough starter.

The bitter orange is called 'naranja agria'. I always take some beans out of the pot and mash them then put them back in the pot. Stir it around. You get a richer soup or stew! 🤩

That bread is good for a beginner, but I totally recommend for anyone who has made it a couple of times and is wanting to make some bread with a proper texture, to look into basic knead recipe with 2 rises. It's slightly more work but the texture makes a much more even crumb and it's super satisfying to eat fresh bread that you made yourself. Another trick for nice bread is to make a bread with oats (yes, the breakfast ones) added and milk powder. Laurainthekitchen has a Honey Oat Bread recipe that is a great alternative with a few extra ingredients that can make it super yum. Oats and milk powder can be cheap (depending where you are) and the honey can be substituted for sugar or any kind of golden/maple syrup, whatever is cheapest for you.

Thank you for this! As someone who is trying to put on more muscle and avoid all the trash foods but also keep the bills low, this was perfect for me!

I love the love you're spreading. How kind and caring, and so helpful.

You can put the beans with its broth in a soup bowl and add as topping a little bit of chopped tomato, cilantro, onion, & (jalapeño- optional), this gives it great flavor. 😋

I use flash food app to get affordable meat, veggies and fruit. My local supermarket, Meijer are a part of this program. For 5$ veggie box, I received tomatoes, spring mix lettuce, cucumber, onion and several jalapenos. I froze the jalapenos for future chili and poppers. The tomatoes were used for salads and sandwiches, and diced those that looked like they needed to be used quickly and froze them for the future. The box is well worth the 5$

Love this, thank you! FYI: My Mom always added a tbl of sugar to her beans. It's not enough to really make them sweet, but makes them taste great.

You saying “limes look super sketch” & then using them anyways had me sold that you are a genuine person. I’m subscribing & liking as much as possible. Your ability to be real in a world that feels like a dream(nightmare sometimes)is refreshing. You remind me of old school Sam the Cooking guy when he used to give awesome tidbits & advice while he was putting a dish together.

Wow, these are some awesome recipes but what really shocked me was your first soup. My mom would make pretty much the exact same recipe except I don't think she ever grilled her chicken just pan fried it, and sometimes she'd use bacon ends, and she'd usually serve it with tostadas. Just really took me back. Great vid!👍

Could you please do an extreme budget video for a gluten-free diet?

Pintos are amazing, I believe that we're spoiled to eat meat. I can remember some of the best meals when I was young was pintos,fried potatoes and cornbread. A chunk of onion with that yummy! I never knew until years later why my Mom and Dad sat with us but didn't eat until we were done, my Mom said they wanted to make sure we ate what we wanted before they ate. You can also make a cake with Pintos it's an old recipe but an amazing dessert, again I guess depending on your budget . Thanks for sharing! ❤

I love how encouraging you are for those who really really need this. I've been on both sides as i know you have and love the reminder of getting help doesn't have to be scary or overwhelming

Canada’s food prices are absolutely insane right now. I don’t expect them to go down anytime soon, especially what with my province having recently raised the minimum wage. You best bet that businesses are simply going to roll that payroll raise straight over onto the customer. I manage the produce department at a small town grocery store and it’s terrifying how quickly the basics are increasing. I agree that some skill and time need to be traded for $ and I count myself fortunate to have those skills. Love your videos and all the info! Stay safe and keep filming! 💓

I just made this bread and it's FANTASTIC. I brushed the top with EVOO before baking. Delicious.