cooking from the stockpile and bringing your lunch to work

Here is today's recipe- Cupboard chili.


1 1lb ground beef
spray release (PAM)
2 onions chopped
1 shallot chopped (optional)
1 small tin tomato sauce
1 can tomatoes
1 can pinto beas
1 can kidney beans
1 packet taco seasoning (It tastes exactly the same as chili seasoning and it's cheaper!)

Saute onions and shallots in spray release until onions are clear, about 15-20 minutes.  Add meat, brown and break apart. add the remaining ingredients.  Simmer on low for 45 minutes to an hour, giving time for the flavours to mingle.


Serves 6

The total cost for our meal was approx $1.00/person.


We'll each eat a bowl of it, then I'll scoop a portion for T's lunch, and the rest I will use for Chili Mac later in the week.  So for $6.00, we each get dinner, T get's lunch later in the week and we will get another dinner.


I try to cook at least 1 extra meal on Sunday, so later in the week when we are tired or busy, we won't run to fast food.

This week, I baked 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts and chopped them into bite sized pieces.  I can make Chicken enchiladas, or tacos, or chicken salad later in the week in a lot less time.

I also took a dozen medium eggs, separated them, discarded the yolks, scrambled the whites with salsa and cooked them.  Once they were done, I put them in three tupperware containers and topped them with a couple of little pieces of cheese leftover from the opening night cast party on Friday.  This week, T will microwave the eggs to heat them and put it in a tortilla- POOF- instant breakfast Burrito.

Forthose of you who do not have microwaves at work, but still want to bring your lunch, I recommend this.  T has one similar that I load up with salad each day.  I pack separately a hard boiled egg, hummus, cottage cheese, a pouch/envelope of tuna or salmon, whatever we have in the house and he has lunch.  Besides his salad with protein of the day, he also gets two pieces of fruit, a bottle of home made iced tea  (we have an iced tea maker), and a 100 calorie snakc pack for dessert.  His lunch costs about $4/day to make, I bring something along the same lines.  We try not to eat out unless we have a coupon.