treat yourself to a leftover makeover

it's amazing what you can do with some staple items. here are some core items to have in the house when trying to rework your leftovers:

- tortillas, add rice and beans to any meat and voila, you have tortillas
- pizza bread, keep them in your freezer and just add toppings
- broth, kind of like the pizza bread, although soups can be tricky
- eggs, think scrabbles
- lettuce, so that's why it's called a garbage salad
- pasta, white wine works wonders for added flavor

more $$$ saving tips

buy the less convienient option -- boneless chicken breasts cost a lot more than chicken thighs with bones, but both are perfect for quick easy chicken dishes, same goes for preprepared or precut foods

buy in bulk -- if you buy a whole turkey pound for pound you'll spend less than if you buy just the breast, and you'll have a lot more food

as dave letterman might say, know you're cuts of meat -- and buy the cheaper kind

it's really difficult to ruin an egg -- eggs are an easy filler for leftovers, think quiche

the power of powder -- for baking consider powdered milk

just add rice -- rice makes a great side dish and the grains are substantial enough to fill up any tummy

beans are a bargain -- you can get a whole lot of dried peans for less than $1 a pound, plus they're packed with nutrients, think chili

buy in season -- look for what's on sale, that's often what's in abundance

get cool with frozen foods -- for out of season fruits and veggies, look to the freezer and can aisles, where prices will be less than fresh

just freeze it

you can pretty much freeze anything. which is really nice b/c then you don't have to worry about leftovers spoiling or buying too much of a sale item. good housekeeping offers a great freezing guide. here are some of their tips: avoid any extra air, this prevents freezer burn, if you defrost using the microwave, fully cook the food before refreezing, and if you change your mind, make sure it's still partially frozen in order to refreeze.

can you kabob

people love kabobs. they're easy to make and colorful to look at. whole foods had some great ideas on how to save money when throwing a kabob party:

- choose lower priced cuts of beef (save 40%)
- buy 1/2 the meat and skewer fruits and veggies in between (save 30%)
- use shorter skewerts
- shop sales
- offer side dishes

money saving tips

* plan ahead - if you know what you want before you go to the store it will save you on impulse buys
* make a list and stick to it so you get in and out of the store unscathed.
* shop the sales and stock up on items you know you'll need again
* buy in bulk and then divide and freeze
* buy smaller quantities to avoid throwing food away
* try eating out less
* cook larger quantities and freeze for another time
* ask the butchers, they'll be able to tell you of a nice cut for a smaller price
* buy frozen, you'll throw less away and be able to portion better
* check the price per unit, the largest may not be the cheapest
* try packing your luch
* plant a garden - plants are a wonderful renewable resource
* eat vegetarian

we're on a budget

we know. times are tough. this month we're focusing on how to entertain on a budget.

the perfect martini

fill a glass with ice
add 6 ozs gin
add 5 drops extradry vermouth
stir well
strain into a chilled martini glass
thread three olives (health, love, and wealth)
and serve