Sometimes it’s the simple stuff that tastes the best. Elaborate feasts have their place, just not on a daily basis. Egg Salad is one of the cheapest and yummiest meals out there! Here’s how I make it:

Put 9 eggs in a pot of cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. When it boils, turn off the heat, and remove pot from burner. Let the pot sit, covered, for approximately 15 minutes. (I say approximate because it depends on the size of the eggs.)

Drain the pot, refill with cold water and ice and leave in the sink. Let it sit for a good 10-15 minutes in the ice bath. This will make the eggs easier to peel.

Once peeled, put into a bowl and chill for a bit in the fridge. I find that when mashed hot, the eggs seem off. When fully cooled, get to work with a hand masher. They are finely-mashed and chunky-mashed fans among us; do whatever you prefer.

To the mashed eggs, add salt/pepper and mayo to taste. Again, this is so individual. I like a small amount of mayo, Hungry Bear (my guy) likes everything extra-sloppy. Spread the egg mixture on a loaf of french bread, cover with lettuce. Tomatoes are good, too, in the summer. Cut into 4-equal sized pieces, you’ll have 4 decent subs, cut in half will yield 2 big subs.

This makes a great lunch!

Do you like to make and eat Egg Salad Sandwiches?

Most people are on a limited budget for groceries. If you only have a few dollars to spend, what’s a better deal, a bag of potato chips or a bag of whole potatoes? Most of us know that health-wise, the chips are worse. What many don’t realize is that they cost more as well.

In my area, a bag of chips goes on sale for $2.99 a bag; so does a ten pound bag of whole potatoes. Think about how many side dishes you can make out of ten pounds. Many, right? Now think of how long the chips will last? At my house, the entire bags will be gone in one sitting.

I’m not saying you should never buy chips; quite the contrary, we all enjoy our treats. What I’m saying is by looking at food in a different way, we can compare the true cost and true value.

Which convenience foods do you buy? Are they worth the cost?

I regularly post about the good deals I buy (often free, or for pennies with coupons). Today I was asked how I make regular meals out of the items featured.

The simple answer is I don’t. Seriously, you can’t make dinner every night with a few random items. What I do is buy different items every week and incorporate them into my stockpile. Because I’ve been at it for years, I’ve built up a huge amount of needed items. Having extra means I don’t have to buy anything at full price.

Think about what’s in your kitchen right now—cabinets, fridge, freezer. Most of us have tons of stuff hanging around. Start going through it all and separating it into the makings of different meals. Grab a notebook and write it down. This is key. Don’t try to keep it in your head. You’ll forget! For the super organized, download a free meal planner. (I’ve never used one; others I know swear by them. Try different methods.)

What should be on the meal plan? It depends on what you like to eat. If you need some basic ideas, here is a very loose plan to start with:

-Simple Breakfast Ideas-

Cold cereal and milk

Oatmeal

Toast and Eggs

Fruit

Bagels or Muffins (make the night before or make a big batch on the weekend and freeze to use throughout the week)

-Simple lunch Ideas-

Peanut butter and jelly, fruit

Tuna fish with pickles and celery, carrot sticks

Grilled cheese and soup

Turkey , sliced cucumbers and sprouts on whole wheat

Mixed salad greens topped with veggies, fresh bread

-Simple Dinner Ideas-

Roast beef with potatoes and carrots,  salad, rolls

Spaghetti, broccoli/carrots, rolls

Homemade pizza

Breakfast for dinner – Waffles or pancakes or french toast with eggs, and fruit salad

Burritos, rice, corn

Baked chicken, sweet potatoes, broccoli

For those who are short on time and/or inspiration, a meal delivery service can be awesome! My favorite features meals that are healthy and organic.

What’s on your Meal Plan?

Have you ever tried out a new recipe and followed the instructions exactly, only to have it flop? This has happened to me before and it’s extremely frustrating! Not only have you wasted the time, but also money.

Recipes can fail for two reasons you may not have taken into account:

1.  The temperature of the food

2.  The temperature of the oven

Obviously, room-temp food cooks quicker than anything taken directly from the fridge. Cooking times are approximate (as I mention when posting my own recipes to this site).

As for the oven, many of them are off by a huge margin. You can pick up a cheap oven thermometer to check for any discrepancies.

Happy Cooking, Ladies!

Have you had a recipe fail lately? If so, do you know why?