Coralville Courier

Bachelor on the Cheap Challenge: $50 to eat for a week, Day 2, dinner

By Mike Thayer

Can you eat for a week on just $50?

Breaking it down by the day, that's about $7.14 per day or $2.38 per meal.

Here's dinner for day 2:  Chicken Fried Steak w/Cream Gravy & Mixed Veggies.  Chicken Fried Steak is one of my favorites meals, it's comfort food deliciousness!   The steak was prepared with just a little olive oil and the veggies were heated up using a tab of butter and I wanted a little carmelization on those.  The 'gravy' was a cheat, I opened up a can of cream of chicken soup, added a touch of milk, garlic powder and fresh ground black pepper.  The combo of the steak, gravy and veggies made for a great comfort food bite!   This meal cost me about $3.00 to prepare and that included an adult beverage with the meal.  TIP:  Do you have any cream soups in your pantry?

Meal totals for the day:  

Breakfast:  $1.75
Lunch:  $2.15
Dinner:  $3.00

Cumulative total for the Challenge:

Day 1:  $7.25
Day 2:  $6.90

Grand Total:  $14.15 so far and on budget!  Holding off on the Ramen.....  for now.... 

$50 to eat for a week, are you up for the challenge?

Bachelor on the Cheap Challenge: $50 to eat for a week, Day 2, lunch

By Mike Thayer

Can you eat for a week on just $50?

Breaking it down by the day, that's about $7.14 per day or $2.38 per meal.

Here's lunch for day 2:  Chicken nuggets & green beans.  With only a 30 minute lunch break, this meal was easy peasy quick to prepare.  Thank you microwave.  While the chicken and beans were heating up I made a quick mustard/mayo and seasoning salt 'aioli' for a chicken nugget dipping sauce. The beans were simply dressed with salt and pepper and a tab of butter.  This meal cost me only $2.15 to prepare and that included a glass of lemonade.  TIP:  Do you have any powdered drink mixes like Country Time Lemonade in your pantry?

Meal totals for the day:  

Breakfast:  $1.75
Lunch:  $2.15

Cumulative total for the Challenge:

Day 1:  $7.25
Day 2:  $3.90 (breakfast & lunch)

Grand Total:  $11.15 so far and on budget!  Holding off on the Ramen.....  for now.... 

$50 to eat for a week, are you up for the challenge?

Bachelor on the Cheap Challenge: $50 to eat for a week, Day 2, breakfast

By Mike Thayer

Can you eat for a week on just $50?

Breaking it down by the day, that's about $7.14 per day or $2.38 per meal.

Here's breakfast for day 2:  Steak & Eggs!  After blowing my budget yesterday by a whopping 11 cents, what better way to spend less than with steak and eggs right?  It's actually do-able.  This morning I enjoyed a 3.5 ounce thin cut Ribeye steak and two eggs over easy.  I kept it simple, the steak was pan fried over medium heat in olive oil, salt, pepper, two minutes on each side.  The egg got fried in a tab of butter and a little salt and pepper.  A bite of steak dipped in the oozing egg yolk, it's another dose of YUM!  This meal cost me believe it or not, only $1.75 to prepare and that included a cup of coffee!  TIP:  If you've never shopped at Dollar Tree before, you should check it out.

Cumulative total for the day:  

Breakfast:  $1.75 - I'm ahead after enjoying this meal!

Cumulative total for the Challenge:

Day 1:  $7.25
Day 2:  $1.75 (breakfast)

Grand Total:  $9 so far and back on budget!  Holding off on the Ramen.....  for now.... 

$50 to eat for a week, are you up for the challenge?

Bachelor on the Cheap Challenge: $50 to eat for a week, Day 1, dinner

By Mike Thayer

Yesterday I decided to issue a small challenge to myself and anyone else wishing to join in.

Can you eat for a week on just $50?

Breaking it down by the day, that's about $7.14 per day or $2.38 per meal.

Here's the third meal, Day 1, dinner:  A 6 ounce bbq pork riblet, hashbrowns with cheese and a side of mixed veggies.    The riblet was tender, the BBQ sauce had just a little kick, the hashbrowns were crispy on the outside but tender on the inside and the veggies were perfectly seasoned to include a kiss of butter.   This dish cost me about $2.75 to prepare and it was DELICIOUS!  TIP:  Taking advantage of grocery store sales and buying in bulk at clubs like Sam's or Costco makes a challenge like this easier.  I bought pork in bulk at $1.69 a pound and frozen veggies for a $1 a bag at a local grocery. 

Cumulative total for the day:  

Breakfast:  $2
Lunch:  $2.50
Dinner:  $2.75
Total:  $7.25 - Ooops!  That's 11 cents over budget!  I'll have to cut back on my next meal and no, that doesn't mean I'll be breaking out the Ramen...  Not yet anyway....

Bachelor on the Cheap Challenge: $50 to eat for a week, Day 1, lunch

By Mike Thayer

Yesterday I decided to issue a small challenge to myself and anyone else wishing to join in.

Can you eat for a week on just $50?

Breaking it down by the day, that's about $7.14 per day or $2.38 per meal.

Here's the second meal, Day 1, lunch:  Meatballs & marinara baby!  The crock pot is a Bachelor on the Cheap best friend!  For lunch today I thoroughly enjoyed some meatballs and marinara. This dish cost me about $2.50 to prepare and it was DELICIOUS!  I also enjoyed some more of the jalapeno bread w/cheese that I baked the day before.  Hint:  Buy a bag of flour and you can create and achieve, flour and eggs are MUST have items in the bachelor's kitchen, even if you don't cook!......  TIP:  If you've built up your pantry like I've suggested, you can make some great meals on the whim and on the Bachelor Cheap!

Cumulative total for the day:  

Breakfast:  $2
Lunch:  $2.50
Total:  $4.50

One more meal to go, can I keep it under $2.88 and still hit goal for the day?

Bachelor on the Cheap Challenge: $50 to eat for a week, Day 1, breakfast

By Mike Thayer

Yesterday I decided to issue a small challenge to myself and anyone else wishing to join in.

Can you eat for a week on just $50?

Here's the first meal, Day 1, breakfast:  A small pork chop with a thick cut slice of jalapeno bread toasted up in a little olive oil and topped with a slice of American cheese.  It's a nice start to the day and it only cost about $2 to prepare.  This will hold me until lunch, no snack required and in thinking about lunch, it's going to be meatballs in marinara cooked to perfection in the crock pot.

$50 to eat for a week, are you up for the challenge?

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Bachelor on the Cheap Challenge

By Mike Thayer

Most bachelors fall into one of two groups:  Those that like to cook and those that don't.

Even if you like to cook but your schedule doesn't really permit it, you fall into the group of those that don't.

So here's the Bachelor on the Cheap Challenge:  Can you eat for a week on just $50?

I say I can and eat well to boot.  Does that mean I'm cooking all my meals?  Will I be dining out?  Will it be a mix of the two?

Read in the coming days and find out....

$50 to eat for a week, are you up for the challenge?

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A burger so full of flavor, you don't need a bun - Carb Check Diet

A burger so full of flavor, you don't need a bun

By Mike Thayer

A bun doesn't make or break a great burger, the meat does.

Here's a recipe that makes for a great burger, a patty so full of flavor, not only is the bun not required, neither is lettuce, tomato or other toppings.....

Sweet Heat Burgers

Ingredients:

• One pound of Sweet Italian sausage
• One pound of 80/20 ground beef
• 1/2 Tablespoon of seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded Buffalo Wing cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  If you can't find shredded Buffalo Wing cheddar cheese at your favorite grocery store, regular sharp shredded cheddar and some Louisiana Hot Sauce is a nice substitute.  Form meat mixture into patties.  When your grill is ready to receive, place the patties over the hot spot to get those great grill marks and a good sear. Keep the lid off and watch for any flare ups. When you see red juices flowing to the top of the patties, flip those burgers over to the lower heat side of the grill and get ready to put the lid on. Before ‘lidding‘, place some butter and garlic in a grill safe dish to melt down on the low heat side of the grill next to those great smelling burgers. Check after about five minutes. The garlic butter should be melted and the burgers should be about ready. For well done burgers, wait to see the juices run clear.  Top burgers with the garlic butter just before plating.

It's another dose of YUM!

via www.carbcheckdiet.com

By Mike Thayer

A bun doesn't make or break a great burger, the meat does.

Here's a recipe that makes for a great burger, a patty so full of flavor, not only is the bun not required, neither is lettuce, tomato or other toppings.....

Sweet Heat Burgers

Ingredients:

• One pound of Sweet Italian sausage
• One pound of 80/20 ground beef
• 1/2 Tablespoon of seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded Buffalo Wing cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  If you can't find shredded Buffalo Wing cheddar cheese at your favorite grocery store, regular sharp shredded cheddar and some Louisiana Hot Sauce is a nice substitute.  Form meat mixture into patties.  When your grill is ready to receive, place the patties over the hot spot to get those great grill marks and a good sear. Keep the lid off and watch for any flare ups. When you see red juices flowing to the top of the patties, flip those burgers over to the lower heat side of the grill and get ready to put the lid on. Before ‘lidding‘, place some butter and garlic in a grill safe dish to melt down on the low heat side of the grill next to those great smelling burgers. Check after about five minutes. The garlic butter should be melted and the burgers should be about ready. For well done burgers, wait to see the juices run clear.  Top burgers with the garlic butter just before plating.

It's another dose of YUM!

Bachelor on the Cheap: Easter ham for breakfast

By Mike Thayer

Ham and eggs for breakfast, it's another dose of YUM!

Whether it's an Easter ham you made for yourself or leftovers from Mom or a restaurant, you've got a foundation for a great breakfast!

 This morning I opted for a quick ham fried rice.  I chopped up the leftover ham, some onion, fried up the rice (TIP:  Fried rice always turns out better when you use cooked rice that's been chilled in the fridge) and onion until it starts to get that crispy edge, then tossed in the ham and a couple lightly scrambled eggs.  Topped with a little American cheese and salted and peppered to taste and I created a scrumptious breakfast that only took about 10 minutes to prepare and cost around $1.

Re-purposed, delicious leftovers, you can't beat that with a stick!

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Bachelor on the Cheap: Fried Rice

by Mike Thayer

If you have some rice in the pantry and just about any kind of veggie and/or leftover meat in the fridge, you can create some rocking fried rice. 

Rice + meat + veggie + an egg = YUM!  And for pennies! 

Leftover steak?  Chop it up, make fried rice.  Leftover pork chop?  Chop it up, make fried rice.  Leftover chicken breast?  Chop it up, make fried rice.  Heck, got some lunch meat?  Chop it up, make fried rice!

There is no reason to pay the $$$ for Asian take out when you've got a decently stocked pantry, a few veggies on hand and some leftovers. 

The key to good stir fry of course, is to have all your ingredients chopped and ready to throw in the pan and knowing WHAT to throw in at what time and on some high heat.....  The beauty of this recipe is that you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand.  Be flexible with it.

Ingredients:

• One cup rice
• Two cups water
• One tab of butter
• Tablespoon, vegetable oil
• 6 ounces of leftover meat or fish
• 5-6 baby carrots, sliced Julienne (like match sticks)
• 4-5 button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 green onions, rough chopped
• Tablespoon, soy sauce
• Tablespoon garlic powder
• Tablespoon chicken boullion powder
• teaspoon hot sauce (your favorite brand)
• One egg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt the tab of butter in a medium sauce pan, add the rice, half the garlic powder and chicken bouillon powder, saute for about a minute, then add the water.  Bring to a boil, cover, then simmer for 20 minutes.  While that rice is cooking, chop up the veggies and leftover meat.  A few minutes before the rice is done, fire up the wok or a large non-stick skillet on high heat.  Once the wok/skillet is hot, add the veggie oil.  Give it 30 seconds, then put in the carrots, mushrooms, meat and let those sizzle for about a minute.  Next, add half the rice and the remaining garlic powder, let sizzle for another minute, giving some of that rice a nice crispy 'edge.'  Next, add the green onion and stir fry for about another minute.  Add the rest of the rice and all remaining ingredients, stirring constantly, for about another minute.  The goal here is tender crisp vegetables and a lightly (but done) scrambled egg.  Salt and pepper to taste.

This is a very satisfying dish, both for the stomach and the wallet.  Enjoy!

via www.metropursuit.com

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