I’m cheap. There, I’ve said it. I like to say “frugal” because it puts a positive spin on things, but by your standards, I’m likely just cheap. I’m so cheap, that I’ve had The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook checked out of the library for the last 19 out of 24 months, until my mother took pity on me and gave me one for Christmas.
I owe The $5 Dinner Mom a debt of gratitude. Besides helping me over my fear of raw meat (chicken juice… enough said), and teaching me that making bread by hand is easier than making it in the bread machine, she taught me meal planning, pantry organization, couponing, and why I should give up my 15 minute meals for whole foods. On a side note, if you’re still eating out everyday and aren’t regularly cooking, click here for 3 weeks of cheap 15 minute meals that take almost no effort. It’s processed food, but it will get you out of the habit of eating out. When you’re used to cooking and eating at home, you can graduate to $5 Dinner Mom.
10 Reasons Why The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook is The Holy Grail of Cookbooks
1. The ingredient lists are incredibly basic. You won’t need to buy 30 ingredients to make chili.
2. She walks you through everything. This book doesn’t assume that you already have basic skills.
3. She teaches you how to make things that you would normally buy (alfredo sauce, pasta sauce, salad dressing, guacamole, salsa, etc).
4. Many of her recipes use the same pantry staples allowing you to stock up at great prices and know they’ll get used.
5. She teaches you how to meal plan. Step by step. (See my post on MealBoard to make meal planning automatic by clicking here!)
6. She taught me that home cooked meals don’t need elaborate sides, homemade breads and desserts. They can, but our basic dinner is a main dish and a simple steamed or fresh veggie.
7. She taught me how to feed butternut squash to toddlers without them knowing (She’s clearly a magician!)
8. She has simple tastes, and delicious meals (I’m more of a chicken tenders girl than a beef wellington and couscous girl).
9. She deals with everything involved with feeding your family (stockpiling, meal planning, couponing, learning the essentials) and teaching you, not just listing recipes.
10. She pairs each main dish with a simple side, and includes it right in the ingredient list.
I wish more than anything that I could give you a few preview recipes, but since it’s not my cookbook, I can’t do that. However, I can tell you the names of my top 5 favorite recipes…
- Fettuccine Alfredo (with Chicken)
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Tex-Mex Chili
- Oven Fried Chicken
- Cranberry Pork Chops
Click here to order through amazon (prime!) for $11. Or you can just reserve it at your local library (even if its for the next 19 months… I won’t judge.)
Click here to check out her website and blog.
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