A big part of my new challenge is to find ways to make my food dollar go further. Instead of trying not to go out for reasons including eating better, knowing what’s in my food and saving some money, now going out like I used to is simply not an option. It doesn’t mean the reasons that I would eat out in the past – primarily a hectic schedule and not feeling like cooking after a long day – have gone away, so now I need to plan better. However, I refuse to revert to cheaper, processed foods because I face new constraints. I’m out to prove that I can still eat well with less expendable cash.

Thankfully I enjoy being in the kitchen and find it relaxing. On a recent sunny Sunday, I did some bulk shopping and spent a few hours prepping what I hoped would be quick and easy mid-week meals and ingredients. I roasted a whole pile of kale into chips, which are so easy and so yummy. I picked up a huge bag at BJ’s for under $2. One issue is, though, I can't get them to keep properly... ah well, will need to keep practicing.

I also made black bean turkey burgers and froze a bunch of them individually. While cooking, I had one for lunch, sans bun, with just a bit of salsa on top. To make the burgers, I coarsely mashed up some black beans, added ground turkey, egg, fresh cilantro, and some ground chile I had in the house. The one I tossed on my stovetop cast iron grill was pretty good, so we’ll see how the frozen ones work out...have one in the skillet as I type.