Comments on: Sloppy joe pinto beans one dollar meal

By: jeffb161

jeffb161 — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:34:32 +0000

Check this out before you load up on soy

http://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/

By: bigato

bigato — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:07:32 +0000

Jacob, please don't be fooled by soymilk makers. Research a little about them on the internet. Unless you buy a big bulky industrial version, you will end up with a fragile and slow machine. It's not worth and it's not durable. We make tofu at home, and for that we need to make soymilk first. We use only a manual flour mill like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038NTONK/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000PCDTNI&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0D4SNB47ND6SDY4HYGY9 As I didn't have a solid wood table to attach it to, I had the idea to use a wood bench (i don't know if it is the right word, it's a wood thing that you use to sit on) just the right height. And you may use the flour mill to tons of other things too.

By: jeffb161

jeffb161 — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 05:53:25 +0000

Beans and rice, soybean products, grains, and such are only food choices of last resort. They are of very low quality nutrition and as such should only be considered suitable in third world situations or in extreme poverty. Soy in particular is quite harmful except in fermented versions.

I am a lot older then your typical reader on this blog. When I was younger I thought I could eat the way you are talking about and be quite healthy and content. Now with type 2 diabetes, I have learned healthy for me is a low carb Paleo style WOE. I buy grass fed meat, uncured bacon, pastured eggs, New Zealand lamb, and wild fish, along with pastured dairy fresh vegetables, and some organic berries. This diet is expensive, but I wouldn’t eat any other way. I wish I had eaten this way when I was young.

By: LifeAndMyFinances

LifeAndMyFinances — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:45:25 +0000

Haha! Nice recipe! If everyone could eat for a dollar a day, I wonder how much money would be left over for charitable giving?

By: Luke

Luke — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:20:35 +0000

‘Soy sauce is mana’

You should’ve been a chef Jacob

By: spirit

spirit — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:37:00 +0000

Hi friends,
Fresh fruits and vegetables are generally much cheaper at hispanic, korean, asian, and persian markets. They have weekly specials, too. I just bought 10 pounds of persimmons for 99 cents vs. major supermarket chain $1.99 for each one (same type and size); oranges are usually much cheaper, too. I particularly like korean markets because they tend to be clean and reasonable. Also, learn how to cook with different types of veggies-they’re frequently the ones on sale. My current plan is to try different types of fresh fish that other cultures eat-beats the price of salmon.

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 05:15:19 +0000

>> soymilk makers

I bought one of these a few years ago, and wasn’t happy with the results. The end result was not nearly as good as the processed soymilk. And the machine itself was bulky and difficult to clean.

I don’t bother with milk or soymilk (or cereals) anymore. If for some reason you want soy, just buy the dried beans, soak them, and add them to your beans & rice concoction. If you want dairy, yogurt or cheese might be good alternative, as it lasts a while in the fridge. Yogurt can be had by the gallon. Just add honey or jelly. Be careful of cheeses because most of them are fairly high salt. I think Swiss cheese is one of the few with little or no added salt.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:34:37 +0000

@Sam – I was not aware that soymilk makers existed. Much as I dislike appliances, I might have to get one. I found one that grinds coffee as well. Incidentally, Big Agriculture corn is nothing but reprocessed oil :-/

@Paul – That’s why I bought a pressure cooker. I usually stir fry. Onions are a staple, but carrots and apples or kale and broccoli and leeks work well. Soy sauce is mana. For spices, I prefer ginger, cinnamon and a few others I can’t remember the English names for… but it’s generally Indian flavored.

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:24:29 +0000

beans and rice, cooked from scratch are the ultimate frugal food. The trick is finding the proper spices to make them palatable. I use dry hummus powder and red wine vinegar. Just be careful to visually sift the beans, because a small stone hidden amongst the beans can crack a tooth, and getting that fixed would be very unfrugal. I generally buy all the same beans, rather than the mixed beans, to facilitate visual inspection. And for fresh stuff, cabbage, carrots, apples, grapefruits and bananas are very cheap were i live.

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:38:07 +0000

You might want to try black beans in your Sloppy Joes. They’re not quite as frugal as pintos, but they are a nice treat.

I’m amazed at the markup people pay for processed food. Compare the cost of soymilk to the cost of soybeans. The beans cost $.65/lb at WinCo. The soymilk costs many times as much. People pay it because they’re too lazy to get a soymilk maker and make their own. The machine costs $100 and quickly pays for it’s self if you drink milk.

The same can be said about veggie-burgers. You save a lot by making your own and freezing them. Recipes are on the net.

Your Sloppy Joes are a lot cheaper than the processed stuff that corporations sell to the masses. They taste great and they’re healthier.

How many people will follow your advice and save their money? Not many. People think it’s too much hassle. I disagree. Cooking is something you can do at home rather than spending more time at work. It’s a fun, low stress activity. The beans can cook while you do something else…

BTW- Real meat is nothing but corn and beans that have been processed by Big Agriculture to make something that costs more and is worse for the planet.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:34:18 +0000

@mjukr – Currently at a low cycle. All we have in the “house” is frozen and canned vegetable … and bananas. You add them by only buying the loss leader of the week. The problem is that I’m not the one doing the shopping and so I have to dig through the flyers to make a shopping list. Frankly, this past month has been very busy, so we have taken the easy solution every few days (oatmeal with raisins).

By: mjukr

mjukr — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:27:08 +0000

Jacob,

Awhile back you wrote about trying to incorporate more fruits/veggies into your diet as a preventative measure for your health. How has that been going vis-a-vis frugality? Given that these can often be pricey, have you found any ways to add these foods without significantly increasing your food budget?