So, we are on a tight budget until the end of the month.

[conuly]

I'm trying to work out groceries on the cheap, which is... fun, always fun. Beans and pasta and rice and beans, from now until the first. If anybody has alternate suggestions, or novel recipes for those basic ingredients, you know I want them even more than I wanted recipes before! Potatoes as well, and did I mention the beans?

Parent teacher night was yesterday, and I went in lieu of their father, who couldn't make it. With the storm and all it had just slipped everybody's minds.

Evangeline has TWO teachers, one for math and one for reading, and they both think she's just the smartest thing ever, working a year above grade level in every area but spelling, but maybe she could stand to put her book down once in a while. Also, we got a blank stare when told that her last year teacher didn't think she retold stories adequately. I asked for all this in writing so I could highlight the more interesting parts and mail it off to her, but neither they nor I was sure how serious I was being.

Ana is not writing enough in class, though she is reading well above grade level, as always. Also, she's not paying sufficient attention on tests, so that's gotta change. Her teacher agreed to quietly deemphasize that damn reflection journal, even more than before, because it's not helping. And at this point it's not just Ana who is being badly affected by the expectation of writing in that awful thing, just the thought of it makes my blood boil! It's not fair to anybody else either.

Comments

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I assume that you still have store-cupboard ingredients like spices? Look into pilaf/pilau/plov/insert regional variation here. They're basically fragrant rice dishes popular across much of Asia and are incredibly versatile. The main one I grew up eating is onion, leftover roast chicken, rice, raisins and chicken stock.

I can't stand beans so can't suggest much on that front, but you could try a cassoulet? I've long wanted to try making one but haven't because beans are so central. It's French peasant food, so it should certainly be achievable on a tight budget.

And then of course there's that most wonderful of simple comforts: baked potato, baked beans and a little grated cheese. I know American baked beans are a bit different to ours, but I guess it would still work.

I second the recommendation for fried rice, it's a great way to use up whatever scraps you've got knocking around. Also, if you still have eggs then spaghetti alla carbonara? The version I was brought up with just uses bacon, spaghetti, eggs and black pepper - and I suppose some parmesan? (I've never made it myself, I hate it, but I sure was fed it a lot in my youth!)

[conuly]

Yes, all our spices. And we like beans, more or less, so that's no problem!