At Considerable Cost

One of Mama's go-to meals is now a standard in my meal rotation.   I always keep ingredients on hand, so when in doubt, I know we can have goulash.   It is an easy, quick, nutritious--and even cheap--meal that may be easily multiplied.   It warms up well, also.   My children love goulash (the corn makes it sweet), especially when served with green beans and homemade buttermilk biscuits.  I use half turkey and half beans for the protein component of this recipe.   I drain the beans in a colander and then rinse them to remove some of the salt.   I usually buy no-salt added canned diced tomatoes and sauce. I usually use whole-grain pasta.   Mexican-Style Goulash Ingredients: 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey (93/7) 1 cup onion, chopped 1/2 bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed with water 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, no salt added, undrained 1 can...

I have a bad habit of watching the baskets of shoppers around me at the grocery store check-out lines.   How many times have I watched carts loaded with unhealthy pre-made convenience and junk foods?   My first impulse is to get upset, but then I think of how many people today have never learned how to shop wisely or manage money.  When my children are all older, I'd like to volunteer to help moms learn to cook healthy, cost-effective meals and to stretch their food budgets as far as possible.    I had an advantage of watching my mother.   She was very wise with money.   She used coupons and filled our home with beautiful things from garage sales.   She loved the thrill of finding a bargain and she always said that decorating with re-vamped garage sale treasures meant that you didn't have to feel guilty about changing your decor later or swapping out an item for another one.     This was Mama's coupon box. ...