The Bean Eaters

I've been rather inspired by the goings on over at Frugal for Life. I like choosing where I'm going to spend my money very carefully; for example, buying the best organic raw ingredients is important to me. I know I can get a 10 lb bag of pinto beans from a big supplier for a few bucks, but I'd rather spend 69c per pound and buy bulk organics at the local market.

The natural gas for cooking seems to run about a dollar a day at this house. I made a giant pot of beans a couple days ago. Last night I refried a couple of cups of those, reheated the rice, fried or scrambled eggs (depending on who I was customizing dinner for), sizzled up some corn tortillas in just a splash of oil, piled everything up and then topped it with crushed tomatoes or cheese (again, playing short order cook to a certain extent).

Voila! Huevos Rancheros that rival any my Mom or Dad ever made, for about 50c each. Along with an organic salad, I fed dinner to all the bean-eaters in my house for about $3.

Getting your protein from something besides meat is a most excellent endeavor. I've found that everyone in my household can eat garbanzos. I'll be learning a few recipes using those, and then I won't be making double-dinners on those nights! Yay!