Think you can make a meal this cheap?
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- April
- 23
This is indeed a challenge.
I stumbled upon Cooking With Anne and found she has a monthly cooking challenge (with Lots of Kids) for her readers, and this month’s is a doozy.
It fits right in with the issue I discussed earlier this month, increasing food costs.
What is it, pray tell? Create a meal for your family that costs just $1 or less per person. Fortunately, they’re taking it for granted that it’s pretty dang hard to create a meal for $3 or $4, so you can pretend you have a family of at least five for the purposes of this challenge.
It’s got to be a meal, though, under the rules — i.e., no mac & cheese. Check out the entire list of rules here.
The contest runs until April 30 and the winner will be announced May 5.
If you submit an entry, I’d love to hear about it, too, please let us know in the comments for this post.
And I’ll be checking in with Anne next month to see who won! I’m not involved in the contest at all, just an interested bystander. Good luck!
2007 file photo by Tom Nycz / The Journal News/LoHud.comÂ
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on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 at 4:58 pm by Amy Vernon.
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I sure can. as a matter of fact one of the things we teach our kids , is how much it costs to prepare a meal. then when we go out to eat we compare.
Hmm… McDonald’s dollar menu? Ya, that is probably against the rules. Wow! This one has me stumped!
now do they also include the price of the spices you may already have in the house?
if you are going to do this the contest should be explicit as to how things are priced.
my understanding is that if they’re spices you already have and pretty much always have on hand, then you don’t count them… it does address this in the rules…
but, Steve, when you determine your menu, I’d love to see it! I truly believe you can do this, if anyone can…
And Steph, ya, no McD’s.
If you come up with any brainstorms, though, please do share…
i may have already dont it last 2 nights ago for my sons Bday dinner. family recipe. peperoni sauce. what the goal? 4 dollars?
hmmm… let me think..
here are the rules. since it fed more than 8 people. i think i won. ;-]
Our first challenge is indeed a challenge. Create a meal for your family which comes in at $1 or less per person. Now, since it would be hard to create a meal for a family of 3 for $3 (though we do know people who have done it), the minimum will be $5. So if you have a family of 2, pretend you have adopted 3 exchange students and have to feed them too!
Sound easy? Well, here are the rules/restrictions:
1. Here’s the catch. It’s got to be a meal. Not simply macaroni and cheese with tuna mixed in. It should be something that you would be okay serving an unexpected guest, not just your kids and spouse.
2. You cannot rely on pantry products. Meaning, if you use pasta, you have to count the cost. You can pro-rate, though. Meaning, if you have a box of rotini that cost $2 and you only use half, then the cost for the dish is $1.
3. It would be difficult to count the cost of everything, so some staple items are excluded. Those are spices and condiments—that’s it. However, we do ask YOU be fair. Meaning, if you always have ketchup in the house, then it would be fair to exclude that cost. However if you don’t use paprika regularly and need to buy it for this dish, then you should include the cost.
4. The meal should include all the elements. Meaning any sides or bread. Drinks are NOT included.
5. One-dish meals are okay, provided they are substantial and have some thought put into it. Pasta with jarred sauce and cheese sprinkled on top wouldn’t qualify.
6. You must give a running total of the costs. No, you don’t have to give us a copy of the grocery receipt, but you should list out the ingredients and the cost for each, with the total.
7. You must list the recipe! It can be your own creation or someone else’s (with credit). But give the details to us, baby, so we all can try it out!
8. There is no limitation on what meal it can be. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It must be a meal though. No snacks or appetizers.
9. Contest runs April 14, 2008 through April 30, 2008.
So, Steve, share. Recipe, ingredients, etc. And enter the contest!
i don’t share my family recipes so well. because though the ingredients are simple. its the LOVE ;-]