Loads of Legumes

With Christmas over our credit card is a little beat up, not too bad, but enough to make me question what I'll be spending of the next couple of weeks while it recovers.

Step 1: Give credit card to hubby to hide - then I can't be tempted to use it.  I have to check my bank balance to be sure I can afford something before I buy it - which means tallying up what I'm spending at the supermarket. I tally up my shopping most of the time anyway, but now I'll have to be more accurate.

Step 2: Clear out the cupboards, larder, fridge and freezer.  I've found loads of beans and lentils in the larder, fruit and a few part packs of nuts in the freezer and pasta and coconut milk in the basement storage area.

Step 3: Only buy absolute essentials for the next 2 weeks (maybe even 3) and live of what we already have.

Step one was completed on Monday - I have no idea where my credit cards are. Done.

Step two is in progress.  I have done a quick rustle around in my larder, store cupboards and shelves and the freezer.  I will dig beeper next week.  I found loads and loads of legumes that need using.  Beluga lentils, dahl lentils, puy lentils, soy beans, haricot beans, chickpeas, pinto beans and red beans.

I soaked the large bag of pinto beans over night, rinsed and then simmered gently today while I set up a new run for the 9 roosters that are arriving today.  Once they were tender I left to cool in their juices.  I have just packed up containers for the freezer, perfect sizes to feed Mumma, Pappa and Baby Bears.  I find this a much better way of doing beans now, I used to just measure out what I needed for meal, soak and cook - then have to do it all over again for the next meal - no wonder I still have so many beans.  Now I do them in bulk and all I need to do is grab a box of beans from the freezer in the morning and they'll be ready for use for dinner.

Beans are so cheap, tasty and easy to make.  If you're on a budget they are a great way to add protein to a meal at a fraction of the cost.  For example, my 1kg bag of pinto beans from a bulk Indian food store cost me $5.50.  Once soaked and cooked they have been divided into 6 meal portions (for 2 adults and 2 under fives).  That's under a $1 for a meal, around 20c per person!  Bargain!  When it that cheap you can afford to splash on a little bacon to make my awesome baked beans, Boston baked beans to be precise.  I will be making them tomorrow so watch this space.

For step three I will make sure have my cell phone or calculator with me when I go to town next so I can note down the price of things on my shopping list and add them up.  I always visit my green grocer before the supermarket too, there's a bit more guess work in what I'm going to spend with everything being sold by the kilo.  Then I know exactly what I have to stick to at the supermarket where is everything has fixed prices.  I think I can get away with only spending $20 this week, I only need a handful of things, mostly sugar and spices for pickling my huge crop of gherkins and dish liquid to clean up after.