Low-Budget Meals In a Minute

Ever go home and look in the fridge only to find it sadly, echoingly empty? Well, look again my friend... there are probably a ton of condiments in there just waiting to be made into a hearty meal. Here are some tasty new recipes I discovered while living on a limited income. Dish up some dinner, liven up lunch, whatever you like! Mmmm, MMMH!

Saltines and Ketchup

Ingredients: five saltine crackers, bottle of ketchup

To Make: arrange crackers on plate. Drizzle on ketchup. Eat. Delicioso!

Variations:

1. Make sandwiches with the crackers (but I wouldn't reccommend this if you're low on crackers because then you can't "stretch" the eating time).

2. Squirt out little drawings/messages to self with ketchup squeeze bottle (assuming you are lucky enough to have one of these). Tip: messages should be no more than 2 words due to limited space on cracker. However, you can always line up the crackers and just write one big sentence across. Fun with Food!

Hot Dog Roll and Mayonnaise with Bread and Butter Pickles

Ingredients: hot dog roll, jar of mayonnaise, at least 2 bread and butter pickles (otherwise it would just be "Hot Dog Roll and Mayonnaise with Bread and Butter PICKLE).

To Make: Find one of those rubber scraper things to scoop out dregs of mayonnaise from bottom of jar. Sniff mayonnaise to make sure good. If smells bad, decide HOW bad. Trip to bathroom, or trip to hospital? Assuming the former, go ahead with scraping of mayonnaise jar remnants onto hot dog roll. Add pickles. Eat.

Variations:

1. Chop up pickles and mix with mayonnaise (this is actually tartar sauce--WHO KNEW?), then spread on roll.

2. Cut roll in half. Put one pickle and one smidge of mayo on each half. Bon Appetit!

Condiment Surprise

The surprise is, no one can ever remember what goes in this. Not even you! Amaze and delight your friends with your own secret blend of ingredients.

Ingredients: Whatever condiments you can find in your fridge such as ketchup, mayo, salad dressing, taco sauce, A-1, Saucy Susan, etc., Pretzels

To Make: Mix all ingredients in bowl. Cook, stirring occasionally. Serve hot or chilled with pretzels on side or mixed in.

Jelly In a Bowl

Self-explanatory.

Shrimp Mocktail

Okay, with a little practice this one might actually fool your friends... but it takes a skilled chef to really pull it off right!

Ingredients: several pieces of stale bread, water, ketchup

To Make: Check bread for green spots; remove if necessary (remember though, that mold is a valuable source of protein, and we all know that protein builds muscle). Break bread into small chunks. Use water to form bread into sticky lumps, then roll lumps into little shrimp-shaped forms.

Arrange "shrimps" in fancy circle on plate, then place bowl of ketchup in middle. Tastes just like the real thing!

Salt and Pepper* Sandwich

For those times when you're really "in a pinch!"

Ingredients: Salt, pepper, bread.

To Make: Sprinkle salt and pepper on bread.* Eat.

*Omit Pepper if you don't like it.
*Omit Salt if you don't like it.

For more tasty treats, buy my book "Making Lunch Out of Nothing At All".

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with ten years of industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like Toys"R"Us. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/07/health/main4505309.shtmlcid=1254897343ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNHrk6RHK8Eq1-tRuQSzBv-Xs-aKKgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=_Vc7k3-HLgUJimgurl=wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2008/10/07/image4505308g.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2CBS News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-microwave-safetyoct07,0,5353777.storycid=1254897343ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNGh2ikYUN2pHLooKwKAhPlzUPYv1AAfter illness outbreak, a microwave refresher/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fChicago Tribune,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr21 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Here are safety btips/b from the US Department of Agriculture and food companies. Microwave bcooking/b instructions are calibrated to cook food to a safe b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.oregonlive.com/kiddo/index.ssf/2008/10/consumers_warned_to_microwave.htmlcid=1254897343ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNE0ZuG0R8NsPCC9J3HITXwuv26c7wConsumers warned to microwave raw meats with care/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Oregonian - OregonLive.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1254897343hl=ennobrall 422 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.wasecacountynews.com/news.php%3FviewStory%3D976cid=0ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNEO_VeQWDHn8LA2XXHWKS2mluQwrQbTips/b for fire safety/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWaseca County News,nbsp;MNnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Waseca Fire Chief Gary Conrath said the most common causes of home fires are bcooking/b, smoking and heating. The one thing that ties those three together is b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/033961.htmlcid=0ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNGRgMB4ec5VUKL1bYawNrVz_KsuCQbCooking/b school packs Waterville Opera House/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCentral Maine Morning Sentinel,nbsp;MEnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Throughout the show, she offered bcooking tips/b as she conjured up dishes that sent tempting aromas throughout the Opera House. While cutting pork for a stir b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/10/07/f-thanksgiving-gelok.htmlcid=1255128296ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNFM-f_oFGMlvQfGQkwUylvuakSylgHealthy Thanksgiving btips/b and recipes/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCBC.ca,nbsp;Canadanbsp;-/font nobr14 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Instead of bcooking/b your turkey with butter, use a mixture of olive oil, onions, garlic and fresh herbs, such as rosemary, sage and thyme. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.mercurynews.com/restaurants/ci_10660048cid=1255287558ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNG025IfUnFM0JRA6ifDUK102-g2ywA few minutes with #39;queen of quick#39; Sandra Lee/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Jose Mercury News,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1To her detractors, the shortcuts she recommends discourage bcooking/b and produce mediocre food. Her fans say her recipes are quick and her presentation b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.mercurynews.com/restaurants/ci_10660224cid=0ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNHhhogtDBcvtevo3pOqs_rJdn1CwwTimes are tough. Let#39;s have a party!/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Jose Mercury News,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1This makes the meal look more ample. bTips/b contributed by Bon Appétit, bCooking/b Light, Everyday Food, Food amp; Wine and Gourmet magazines and Epicurious.com./font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/123recipescom-launches-online-source-recipes/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B86A079BD-3DBA-4FB6-A200-AD6253E689E9%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1245373764ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNEt5AF9yr3XjJoAYWELWmjkdbcs6A123Recipes.com Launches the Online Source for Recipes, Menus and b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobrSep 11, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Membership is free and users once registered can save recipes, rate recipes and even upload photos of their bcooking/b experience. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.uniglobalunion.org/uniapron.nsf/0/E05A9DCB209C3E47C12574DC0002A2ED%3FOpenDocumentcid=0ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNHM9MzbE3MPJmNL5aFCU1HRjiWoUQUNI PLC Women: Bringing better opportunities!/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fUNI Global Union,nbsp;Switzerlandnbsp;-/font nobr3 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1PLC-Women officers also take time to attend bcooking/b demonstrations by “Nestle” and we were able to learn some economical bcooking tips/b. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.contracostatimes.com/food-and-wine/ci_10659982cid=1255215292ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNGiAHjQTBXVawS02F19EnVr5uupCgFood and Wine Calendar/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fContra Costa Times,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Nutrition and bcooking/b class. You will experience bcooking/b demonstrations, receive an 85-page reference guide with tasty recipes, and learn simple btips/b for b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://keralaonline.com/life-style/cooking-fat-meals_5525.htmlcid=0ei=YTTsSJC5PImE6QPy3JyACQusg=AFQjCNGq1lo5ijJ6Mrzue4LidVchePc-vQbCooking/b Low Fat Meals/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKerala Online,nbsp;Indianbsp;-/font nobrOct 4, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1In the following lines we have provided bcooking tips/b to help you know how to plan low fat meals. Low Fat Meal bTips/b * While going for meat and poultry, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
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