Apple Harvest Time Means Delicious Deals

 

For maximum taste at a minimum price, smart shoppers know that the best time to buy fruits and vegetables is when they’re in season. Right now in many parts of the country its apple harvest time, and that means delicious bargains await you in the produce section of your favorite store. Whether they’re sweet, tart, red or green, there’s nothing that beats a juicy, crispy apple. One of the best things about apples, however, is that not only are they a delicious and inexpensive snack, they’re also adaptable to a wide variety of sweet and savory recipes that are easy on your budget.

So what can you do with apples besides putting them in a pie? The following recipes are just a sampling of the wonderful dishes you can create with apples for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Don’t miss out on delicious apple deals at your local store…take advantage of apple harvest time and cook up some delicious apple-inspired and budget-friendly meals for your family this week.


Click on the orange boxes for a printable version of the recipes

Apple Pancakes with Apple Cider Syrup (makes 4 servings of 3 pancakes each @ about 99 cents per serving)



Cider Pork Chops (makes 4 servings @ about $1.68 per serving)



Easy Apple Crisp (makes 8 servings @ about 60 cents per serving)

Get an A+ on savings with this back-to-school menu

It’s back-to-school time, and for many of us that means the annual “back to school” frenzy and all that goes with it. As parents, while this might mean relief that peace and quiet will return to our homes during the day, it also means the stress of planning before-school breakfasts, packed lunches, after-school snacks, and dinners that are quick, and easy. While it’s true that meals must also be planned and prepared when the kids are home for the summer, somehow it seems like a bigger deal when you know you have to accomplish multiple meals in the midst of all the school-related chaos like getting your kids to the bus on time, finding lost books, shoes, coats, etc., not to mention helping with all that homework! It can be stressful and exhausting.

Our budget-friendly back-to-school menu brings you easy and delicious ideas for preparing a whole day’s worth of school-week meals, without all the stress and without spending hours in the kitchen. This week’s recipes cover breakfast, lunch, and an after-school snack, and in our next column we’ll bring you recipes for a wonderful school-week dinner and dessert. Your family will love these tasty recipes, and kids will love helping with the preparation, especially the “Beary” Delicious Snack Mix.

Click on the orange boxes for a printable version of the recipes

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins (makes 12 muffins @ about 23 cents per muffin)



Hearty Hoagies (serves 4 @ about $1.95 per serving)



"Beary" Delicious Snack Mix (makes 5 1/2 cups, serves 5 @ about 85 cents per serving)

Honor your mom with this affordable Mother’s Day brunch

Are you on a budget and wondering what to get mom for Mother’s Day? Why not give her the gift of your time and do something that lets her sit back, relax and enjoy? For most moms, it really is the thought that counts, especially when you do something that provides a rare opportunity for us to skip a chore like cleaning or cooking a meal. So this Mother’s Day, why not surprise mom with a delicious and affordable brunch you made yourself at home?


We have the perfect $2 Dinners menu to help you make this the best Mother’s Day ever. Mom is sure to love the herbs and spices in our savory Sausage Patties with Sage, and Gourmet Scrambled Eggs take a boring breakfast staple from ordinary to extraordinary. The true stars of this fantastic brunch, however, are the sweet, gooey and oh-so-easy cinnamon rolls you make with frozen bread dough.

So this year for Mother’s Day, show mom how much you care by preparing this wonderful brunch that’s so easy on your budget, you’ll have enough money left to surprise her with a little something to unwrap as well.

Click on the orange boxes for printable versions of the recipes

Sausage Patties with Sage (serves 4 @ about 43 per serving)



Gourmet Scrambles Eggs (serves 4 @ about 69 cents per serving)



Cinnamon Rolls (makes 24 rolls @ about 13 cents per serving)

For Breakfast or Dinner Eggs Are Economical

At a cost of only about $1.16 per dozen, eggs are an economical source of protein that lend themselves perfectly to preparing meals the $2 Dinners way! At my house we often make breakfast for dinner, and that usually means eggs in some form. One of my favorite ways to use eggs for these “breakfast dinners” is to make a quiche.

Quiche is the perfect idea for any easy, budget-friendly dinner, and it comes together in a flash! The perfect "go-to" meal when you’re on a budget and you have the "what's for dinner?" blues, quiche is also a smart and economical way to use up leftover meat, veggies and cheese. Add some fruit or a side salad, and you have delicious, thrifty and easy meal your family will love! Just follow the basic recipe, and the sky is the limit as to what you can create! Try these combinations or have fun coming up with your own:

Click on the orange box for a printable version of this recipe

Easy Quiche (makes 8 servings @ about 95 cents per serving)