Sunday

The day after my birthday, I felt that hangover sting that only a Scorpion bowl can provide. I woke up starving, but all I really had for breakfast were some rolled oats that I promptly made into delicious oatmeal. After some french-pressed coffee, I felt ten times better.

Lunch was actually eaten out-of-home. Mac was in town and he has a love for Ali Baba's in Lower Haight that can't be ignored when he's here, so we went for falafel at lunch. We walked to the library to return a book, then went to Amoeba to look around. Let me say this: walking into a record store like that and walking out empty-handed is a hard one for me. Especially since I'm moving to a city without a record store. Vinyl will be available only online for me very soon.

For dinner, I just ran to the produce market at Page and Divisadero and loaded up on enough veggies to make my Ginger Peanut Stew again. (My roommates discovered that rice added to the stew makes it super-thick and soaks up a lot of the spice - perfect dish!)

The same produce market also has bags of $0.75 "iffy" produce out front, and there was a bag of banged-up and bruised apples for $0.75 that Nate got me on Saturday, so I opted to make a super-simple apple crisp out of them. The crisp was gone when I woke up this morning, so I think it's a winner.

That batch of stew provided enough food for me to eat like a king at lunch three days in a row this week!

• Falafel: $5.96
• Produce: $1.76
• Bus: $1.50
• TOTAL: $9.22

Mom's Oatmeal

-1 cup rolled oats

-2 cups water

-1 tablespoon margarine (Smart Balance is good!)

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-2 tablespoons sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small pot over the stove on medium-high heat. Stir constantly until oats are thick enough for your liking.

Easy Apple Crisp

Filling:

-4 cups chopped apples

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-2 tablespoons brown sugar

-2 tablespoons flour

Topping:

-1 cup rolled oats

-1/4 cup sugar

-1/4 cup margarine

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Oil an 8x8-inch baking pan.

Mix the filling ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Pour into greased pan.

Mix the other ingredients in a large bowl, then spread evenly over the filling mix in the pan. Sprinkle with a small amount of brown sugar, if desired.

Bake at 350 for about one hour.

Birthday Binge + Hella Recipes

I have to make up for the small updates over the past few days. I'll be posting several recipes at the bottom of this entry.

Yesterday was my 23rd birthday. I wound up spending absolutely nothing, but I did get dinner and drinks for free...since it was my birthday and my friends are hella rad. Dinner was at Khan Toke Thai House (soooo good; rad atmosphere; affordable) and drinks were had at the shameful, bad-news-bears Trad'r Sam. Both are located in the Richmond District of San Francisco. Both led to a night of debauchery and sheer hangover hell today. ($14 BOWLS of rum punch at Trad'r Sam....between four of us, there were five bowls involved.

Prior to all of the nighttime activity, however, I did bake myself a birthday cake and I made lunch soup for several people around the house. Both are stuffed with super-cheap ingredients and both owned the mouth.

• TOTAL: $0.00

Spicy Ginger Peanut Stew

-1 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
-1 1/2 cup chopped carrot
-1 medium chopped yellow onion
-1 tablespoon minced ginger
-4 cloves minced garlic
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-3 cups vegetable stock (or water)
-1 large chopped tomato
-5 tablespoons peanut butter

In a large pot, saute onions in oil until soft. Add ginger and garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Add vegetables and spices. Cook until vegetables are tender. In a small bowl, mix peanut butter with half of the stock until peanut butter is thinned-out. Add peanut butter and all of the stock to the vegetables in the pot. Reduce heat and simmer for twenty minutes.


Cold Sesame Noodles w/ Tempeh

-1 8 oz. package tempeh
-2 tablespoons peanut oil
-8 oz. spaghetti
-1/2 cup shelled edamame
-1/4 cup tamari
-1 tablespoon sesame oil
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-juice from one lime
-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, sliced
-3 green onions
-1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Cut tempeh into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat peanut oil in skillet over medium-high heat and cook tempeh and bell pepper until tempeh is golden-brown and pepper is soft. Remove and set aside. While tempeh cooks, prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and set aside. At same time, bring another small pot of water to boil. Add edamame and simmer until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
In small bowl, whisk together tamari, sesame oil, olive oil, lime juice & red pepper flakes.
In large bowl, combine noodles, tempeh, bell pepper, edamame, green onions and cilantro. Add dressing and toss to coat.


Wacky Vegan Cake

-2 tablespoons cocoa powder
-1 1/2 cup flour
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 teaspoon vinegar
-5 tablespoons vegetable oil or margarine, melted
-1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
Sift together cocoa, flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. In seperate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients until well-mixed. Add dry mix to wet mix slowly, stirrying constantly. Stir all ingredients together until JUST MIXED (don't over-mix) and pour into a greased 8x8 baking pan.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

**This cake is a favorite in my house. Roommates gush about how moist it is, and the best part is that the ingredients are those that most houses have on hand. It's an old recipe from the war days, when rationing was common.

Easy-as-Sin Sinful Chocolate Icing

-10 oz. silken soft tofu
-3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Put ingredients in a blender and puree until completely mixed. Pour into airtight container and let cool completely before using. (It thickens as it cools.)

Sales, Sales, Sales

I decided to just make myself some fried rice for dinner, mainly because it’s thrifty. As I walked to Safeway, I really started to crave a taco from Castillito…and it’s right across the street from Safeway. I almost caved and veered right instead of left, but I stuck to my guns and went to the grocery store. I’m glad I did, because I found out tofu was on sale for even LESS than it had been all month. Prior to this, it was 2/$3, which is a good deal, but now it’s at 10/$10, so $1 EACH. I was excited, and snatched up not one but THREE containers of it. Inspired by the sale, I went ahead and picked up everything I needed for dinner for tonight in addition to the fried rice for dinner last night and lunch today. I even got the ingredients for a bagel spread I had been wanting to try, since Tofutti “cream cheese” is over my budget at $4.79 a container.

So, I made my fried rice. I made my bagel spread (so good, recipe below). I have everything I need for dinner tonight. All for under $10. All for under $7, actually. Nice.

• Coffee: $0.60
• Apple: $0.75
• Bar of Dark Chocolate: $1.29
• Tofu: $3.00
• Onion: $0.54
• Potato: $0.66
• Banana: $0.30
• Brown Rice: $1.49
• TOTAL: $8.63
  
  
  
  Bagels-for-Breakfast Spread
  
  -one medium, ripe banana
  -four ounces of silken smooth tofu
  -two tablespoons peanut butter
  -two tablespoons maple syrup
  -one teaspoon vanilla
  -1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  -1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  
  Directions:
  Blend everything together in a blender. Pour into airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Unexpected Bills

Finances have begun to stress me out a bit. I have that cavity issue to deal with, and I also just received a bunch of medical bills in the mail from November. (I broke my arm biking to work.) I did my taxes yesterday and somehow (I still can’t figure it out) I owe. I’m moving at the end of the month and I have a U-Haul truck to rent. Suddenly, I’m nearly-$1k in-the-hole and it’s making me uneasy….especially since I have given my two-weeks notice (I’m moving out of San Francisco.) and I have no job lined up at the destination city. (I have savings, though…as small as they may be…)

Regardless of all of that, I am still cranking away on my $10 project. I ate my last bagel for breakfast yesterday, so I made sure to load up on another package while shopping for supplies for dinner. Other than that, my spending was typical. I did my coffee, apple, leftovers bit at work. On my way home from work, I biked past a church between Octavia and Laguna on Page Street. This church puts out a table PILED with various types of bread, and the bread is fine. I’ve had several roommates in the past who survived on these loaves of bread. Considering my current situation, I went ahead and picked up two bags. On my way home, I went over what to do with the bread in my head, and I tried to work it into the sales I know occurring at Safeway. I found a solution: meatball subs.

Oh, yes. Big, filling, overflowing sammiches. And it was delicious.

• Coffee: $0.60
• Apple: $0.75
• Bagels: $2.50
• Gimme Lean "Beef": $2.99
• Tomato Sauce: $0.85
• Onion: $0.24
• TOTAL: $7.93

Meatball Subs

-1 pkg Gimme Lean “Beef” Style
-1 small onion, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 15-oz can tomato sauce
-2 mini-french loaves of bread
-olive oil
-salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and basil

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
Saute onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes further. Open package of beef and roll the “meat” into balls about 1-inch in size and drop into pan with onion and garlic (this “meat” works really well like this; it won’t fall apart). Stir often until “meat” starts to brown. Add tomato sauce, then season by taste. Simmer for about five minutes, then spoon into the slice loaves of French bread, creating an “open-face” sandwich.
Bake for about five minutes, until the bread gets crispy.
Optional: Grate fake mozzarella cheese over the sauce and meatballs before you put them in the oven.

Hangover

There just wasn't much happening in my life yesterday. I could barely make it it the four blocks to the taqueria for a taco, much less to the grocery store and back, then to cook. Yesterday, I was all about making take-out food relatively cheap.

I DID make breakfast. I had gathered the stuff I needed the night before for tofu scramble and homefries. Halfway through the cooking, I remembered that our house was out of ketchup....and I was not in the mood to have potatoes without ketchup.

After that, though...I laid around and watched Netflix movies. I started to get hungry again around 1, and I started having INTENSE cravings for a "chicken" sandwich from Love'N'Haight. I ignored the cravings at first, but it got out-of-hand and I found myself walking the two blocks there, repeating "No avocado. It's an extra $0.99 for avocado."

Around dinner, my roommate and her boyfriend were creating a masterpiece in the kitchen and I didn't feel like making anything anyway, so I just went to Taqueria Castillito and had a veggie taco (free chips!) for $2.16. (Tacos are my secret weapon. When you order JUST a taco, it's like they're TRYING to hook you up. You end up with half-the-amount as a burrito, and half the calories. Tacos usually fall around $2-2.50, and if you go to a place that gives you chips with dinner...it's exactly enough for a meal. I had two taco tortillas, rice, black beans, salsa, cilantro, onion, guacamole, lettuce, and a tomato slice, and chips and three kinds of salsa - for almost $2 even. Hot damn and hell yeah.)

The rest of the night was free entertainment - a friend came over and one of my roommates hung out, too, and we watched four episodes of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" on Hulu.com. I passed out relatively early because I had only four hours of sleep the previous night.

• Ketchup: $1.79
  
• Sandwich: $5.49
• Taco: $2.16
• TOTAL: $9.44

I also wanted to share the super-easy and super-tasty waffle recipe from yesterday. I just didn't have it in me during my last update.

Also, to note, you need a waffle iron. They're $10 at Walgreens and a great appliance to have around the house. Not only can you make delicious homemade waffles for a1/3 the price of a store-bought frozen box...but you can use the thing to make pressed sandwiches!

Easy-Peasy Vegan Waffles

-1 cup flour
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-a few dashes salt
-1 cup soymilk
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(-Optional: Add in about a cup of fruit - berries, apples, banana...I minced a large apple and threw it in the flour and mixed well before adding the wet ingredients - so good!)

Directions:
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Mix all of the wet ingredients in another bowl.
Add the wet to the dry. Mix until just mixed. Put 1/4 cup batter into each "waffle" section on the iron, or follow the manufactuor's specifications.
It makes about five waffles.

Cooking for Friends on $6

I've noticed a severe increase in the amount of people bringing in their own food at lunch-time around the office. I guess the financial times are finally hitting them...or perhaps it's that "New Years Resolution" thing that will eventually wear off. Regardless, I like the trend. It's amazing how much money you can save by not shelling out at lunchtime every day. (Not that I ever really did. I think $3.50 for a sandwich across the street is even ridiculous. I've always brought in food at least 2-3 days out of the week.)

I also like the concept of leftovers. You get a bit of variety in the middle of your day that could vary from the typical sandwich or salad that people here get trapped in. Leftovers also tend to be a little heartier and, if it's homemade, it's probably healthier than pre-packaged foods.

Today, I'm eating leftovers from last night's "communal" dinner. A few friends came over and brought the alcohol and I made the dinner. We settled on Chana Masala, an Indian dish made of curry and chickpeas. The ingredients are super-cheap and I was able to make a large portion for all of us. Also...rice and chickpeas are very filling.

I'm also super-stoked on my mom mailing me some jars of homemade apple butter. It goes GREAT on my bagels in the morning!

• Coffee: $0.60
• Apple: $0.75
• Two Cans of Chickpeas: $2.00
• Two Large Onions: $1.17
• Bag of Brown Rice: $1.49
• Garlic: $0.50
• Tomato Paste: $0.85
• TOTAL: $7.36

Chana Masala for Two

-one 15-oz can chickpeas, drained

-one large yellow onion, chopped

-three cloves garlic, minced

-half of an 8-oz can tomato paste

-two tablespoons curry

-three tablespoons water

-one tablespoon lemon juice

-salt and pepper, to taste

-oil

-one cup brown rice, prepared according to package directions

Directions:

Saute the onion in oil until translucent. Add the garlic, curry, and tomato paste and saute for a few minutes. Add everything else (except the rice). Stir well. Adjust seasonings to your liking and let simmer for about ten minutes. Serve over rice.

Using the Sales @ Safeway

Today was a day like any other. I had my bagel and coffee and apple, leftovers for lunch, trip to the dentist, came home..

...yeah. Trip to the dentist. /shudder. I don't want to get into it, but I am in the process of finding a new dentist after a less-than-satisfactory experience with the evil lady of Commercial Street. Co-pay for the visit is nothing, so I didn't spend any money on the visit. I will, however, have to break the $10-a-day thing on the 22nd and get two cavities filled, but this is my teeth we're talking about; I only get one pair.

Another faux pas: I had to buy contacts today. I realized I only had one pair left this morning, and that's no bueno. I DID, however, manage to finagle some savings out of the situation. My eye doctor told me it would be $38 A BOX for a pair of contacts, and I was all, "oh, no. No way. Not paying that." I requested my prescription and logged onto 1800contacts.com. I found my contacts on there for $24.99 a box. Score! THEN, I decided to see if I could get them any cheaper - by searching for coupon codes. I went to Google and typed in "1800contacts coupon code" and the first site gave me a code for free shipping. Double score! I got two boxes of contacts for only $10 more than my eye doctor said ONE box was. I felt a little...victorious. (And yes, I understand that glasses are practically free...but the sun shines in my eyes and when I wear the glasses too long, my eyes get strained/tired.)

All of that being said...I was on-track with the rest of my expenditures.

Dinner tonight was rad! I went down to Safeway with a few options in my mind (stirfry, fried rice, beenie weenies or quesadillas), but I had pretty much decided on beenie weenies for dinner, since the Tofu Pops were on sale for $2.69 a package. (They're usually something like $4, so it's a good deal...you meat-eaters are lucky with your cheap dogs!) Whilst browsing the bean aisle, I discovered that the cheapest can of baked beans was something like $3, and I find that a bit ridiculous. I just glanced over the ingredients list and figured I could totally make my own baked beans, so that's exactly what I did. (I also saw a can of vegetarian chili for $1, so I grabbed that right up for lunch at work one day.) The finished product was delicious, so I'll be sharing the recipe...in all of it's "kinda-sorta measurements" glory.

• Coffee: $0.60
• Apple: $0.75
• Black Beans: $1.00
• Tomato Sauce: $0.65
• Vegetarian Chili: $1.00
• Tofu Pops: $2.69
• TOTAL: $6.69

Homemade Veggie Beenie-Weenies
(for the broke and wonderful)

-one can black beans
-half of one medium yellow onion, chopped
-four garlic cloves, minced
-olive oil
-four "hot dogs"
-barbeque sauce
-tomato sauce
-brown sugar
-salt & pepper

Directions:
Saute onion in oil until translucent. Add garlic and saute a few minutes longer. Drain the water from the can of black beans (or save even more money and soak a cup of dry black beans overnight prior to this) and add to onions and garlic. Chop up the "hot dogs" and add them to the mix.
This is the fun part: add everything else to your liking. If you like baked beans super-sweet, then add a few tablespoons of sugar. If you really like barbeque sauce, then pile it in. Don't add too much liquid, though, or you'll wind up with a soup. My measurements were about 1/4 cup tomato sauce, three tablespoons of barbeque sauce, two tablespoons brown sugar, and then a few dashes of everything else. I added a little bit of garlic powder, too, because I'm a garlic addict and four cloves wasn't enough - it's just all we had in the house.
Let it simmer on medium for about ten minutes to soak in the flavor.

The Most I've Spent

Yesterday was the closest I've come to the $10 mark.

For breakfast, my boyfriend and I decided to make breakfast burritos. He bought the tortillas and salsa, and I bought everything else (tofu, onion, avocado, potato, and garlic). The burritos turned out really well...some of the best food I've eaten since the inception of this whole thing.

The burritos held us over for a long time as they were super-filling. We did, however, stop by a new bakery in-town called Brickhouse Bakery. Luckily, it's pretty affordable, and I was able to buy a vegan cinnamon roll for only $1!

The rest of the day was spent at an antique store and walking around town for some fresh air. We watched a few movies...all "free" things to do. For dinner, I just made some fried rice, but I tweaked the recipe a bit. I used green onions instead, and Boyfriend had some nutritional yeast for the tofu. I think it made it taste better.

• Avocado: $0.89 (on sale!)
• Onion: $0.45
• Tofu: $2.98
• Garlic: $0.50
• Potato: $0.92
• Green Onion: $0.89
• Crescent Rolls: $2.50
• Cinnamon Roll: $1.07
• TOTAL: $9.75

Vegan Breakfast Burritos

-large tortillas

-one cup salsa

-one block tofu

-one medium onion

-five cloves minced garlic

-two medium potatoes

-one avocado

-salt and pepper

-oil

Directions:

Chop the onion in-half. Use one half of the onion (chopped) for the potatoes. Use the other half (chopped) with the tofu. Saute four of the cloves and half of onion in oil until translucent. Add diced potato and salt-and-pepper to taste. Fry until potato is golden-brown.

In seperate skillet, saute the rest of the onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add tofu and salsa and saute for about ten minutes.

Remove potatoes from skillet and place in a bowl. Lower to medium heat and warm tortilla for about a minute on each side. Place potato, tofu, and diced avocado in the tortilla and roll tightly like a burrito. Place in medium-heat pan and "grill" for about a minute on all sides.

A Dinner Feast

Yesterday was relatively normal. I had my bagel and coffee for breakfast, with an apple in-between meals. Lunch was a can of soup I had stashed here at work.

By the time I made it home, though, I was pretty hungry. I found some spaghetti noodles in the cabinet, and I had some Yves (fake) ground turkey in the freezer from a sale Safeway had a month or so ago. I figured I could make some spaghetti in "meat" sauce for dinner.

I live about two blocks from a tiny, corner "health-food" store. They price things a tad bit higher than most grocery stores, but you're paying for convenience. Considering I wasn't grocery shopping and just picking up a few things, I figured it was okay. I wasn't going to go over $10.

Dinner was awesome. I picked up a small head of broccoli at the store, so that I could work some dark greens into my diet. I simply steamed it and ate it as a side to my meal. I also got a mini-loaf of french bread and cut it in-half (some for today's lunch with leftovers). I made garlic-bread with it by spreading some olive oil on the halves and sprinkling it with minced garlic, then baking at 250 degrees Farenheit for about ten minutes.

• Coffee: $0.60
• Apple: $0.75
• Onion: $0.25
• Tomato Sauce: $2.49
• Bread: $1.00
• Broccoli: $0.75
• TOTAL: $5.84

And, here's a recipe for some easy pasta...since it's been a bit:

Spaghetti w/ "Meat" Sauce

-one small yellow onion, chopped

-five cloves of garlic, minced

-olive oil

-one pound fake ground turkey (or fake ground beef)

-half-pound spaghetti noodles

-one can tomato sauce

-salt, pepper, thyme, sage, basil, oregano (or italian seasoning)

Directions:

Saute the onion in a few tablespoons olive oil until translucent. Add the chopped garlic and saute for about two minutes. Stir in the "meat" and stir frequently until the "meat" begins to brown. Add the tomato sauce and seasonings to taste.

In a seperate pot, boil water with a few dashes of salt and olive oil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions.

Stir the sauce frequently while pasta boils. When pasta is done, drain, then add to sauce. Stir well.

Not So Bad

The second day is practically over, and I won't be spending another cent.

I spent a bit more today, but I didn't even reach my $10 limit just yet.

I repeated a few meals again, today, as well, but I'm in Reno and vegan food has to be prepared at home in any way and I already had stock of several of the things I used.

This morning, I woke up and made my french-pressed coffee in-house. Boyfriend and I walked to the supermarket and picked up two bagels each. I ate my bagel with the same spinach dip-spread as the day before. The other bagel was consumed for lunch with some things I already had on hand (some hummus, tomato, avocado, and sprouts leftover from a sandwich I made prior to January).

During the day, I decided to make brownies, and (luckily) I didn't have to pick up any of the ingredients.

I made the fried rice again for several reasons. My boyfriend wanted to know how to make it, I had most of the ingredients already, the ingredients I didn't have were cheap, and, well, I liked it.

Tonight, some friends picked me up for pizza night, a weekly all-girl meetup at a pizza place in-town. Pitchers of PBR are $8 or so, so I put in $5 for one of two pitchers at the table. I didn't eat since I ate at home.

Today's expenditures:

• Two Bagels: $1.00
• Tofu: $1.49
• Onion: $0.48
• Beer: $5.00
• TOTAL: $7.97

And, as an added bonus, here's the recipe for the brownies. Most people who bake already have this stuff on hand, and they're probably the best vegan brownies I've ever had.

The Best Vegan Brownies I've Ever Had

-2 cups flour

-1 cup water

-1 1/2 cup sugar

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp vanilla

-3/4 cup cocoa

-1/2 cup vegetable oil

-1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Boil the water and 1/2 cup flour over medium heat until a semi-thick paste is formed.

Mix sugar, salt, vanilla, cocoa, and oil. Add the flour-water mix.

Mix in the rest of the flour and baking powder.

Pour into an 11"x9" pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Day One

It's the first day of my project, and conveniently the first day of 2009.

It's interesting to suddenly be so aware of cents in addition to dollars. Prior to this, I didn't care too much if something was $3.49 or $3.79 or $3.99. Now, that fifty cents matters.

I'm in Reno until Sunday night (visiting my boyfriend), so I am away from home and any "stocked" foods that I usually have at home (potatoes, rice, pasta, etc) so I made sure to stop by the store last night and grab a bag of brown rice, a box of linguini pasta, a loaf of bread and a 5 lb. bag of potatoes. (This was all relatively cheap, though...under $10 for sure.)

We rang in the New Year at his house with his housemates and a few of their friends. One of his housemates made an awesome vegan spinach dip from Tofutti cream cheese, so I used the leftover "dip" as a spread this morning on a bagel I got for fifty cents at supermarket Raley's here in Reno. The rest of my bill at Raley's included a bag of frozen peas and carrots, a box of tofu, and a small yellow onion.

Around 1 p.m., I got a little hungry, so I made homefries out of two potatoes, half of the onion and some garlic his housemates had. I plan on living on these homefries as a side quite frequently through this whole thing, because they are super cheap to make and super tasty.

Later on in the day, we went for a walk through downtown Reno to make a stop at my bank atm and withdrawal the money for tomorrow and Saturday. There are two corner-stores in Reno that carry Little Debbie pies that happen to be vegan, and they are only $0.75. I munched on an apple-stuffed one.

When we got home, I started on dinner: my first foray into fried rice (vegan-style). The experiment was hugely successful...so much so that Boyfriend asked how I made it, as it was so cheap and tasty. We killed the entire batch and now I rest at the end-of-the-day. I don't predict leaving the house at all, so I believe I can make note of today's expenditure (and save a few super-cheap vegan recipes).

• Frozen Peas & Carrots: $1.25
• Tofu: $1.49
• Small Yellow Onion: $0.43
• Onion Bagel: $0.50
• Little Debbie Apple Pie: $0.75
• TOTAL: $4.42

My only complaint is the health aspect thus far. The only veggies were spinach in the spread and the peas and carrots in the rice, and there's no real fruit to speak of. (I have an apple in the 'fridge. I might indulge in it later as a snack.)

Recipes for the day:

Yell's Homefries

-2 medium potatoes

-5 garlic cloves, minced

-1/2 onion, chopped

-salt and pepper, to taste

-oil (I usually use olive for health, but any others work fine)

Directions:

Saute the onion in the oil over medium-high heat until onions are transclucent. Add the garlic and saute a few more minutes. While the garlic and onion saute, chop the potatoes into squares about a cubic inch in size. (No need to peel the potatoes.) Add the potatoes to the garlic and onion and mix well. Sprinkle salt and pepper (be very generous!) onto the mix. Stir well. Saute the mix for about twenty minutes, stirring frequently.

Vegan Fried Rice

-1 cup brown rice

-1/2 onion, chopped

-1 box Firm Silken tofu

-1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots

-soy sauce

-seasonings (I used salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and a little bit of curry.)

-oil

Directions:

Bring 1.75 cups of water to boil. Reduce heat to low and add brown rice. Cover and let simmer for 50 minutes. Remove from heat and let set for 10 minutes before removing lid. DO NOT LIFT LID WHILE RICE IS COOKING - IT WILL LET THE STEAM ESCAPE. Stir rice with a fork.

Saute onion in a little bit of oil until translucent. Crumble tofu into the onion and sprinkle with a tablespoon-or-so of soy sauce. Season to your liking - but don't over-season! Saute for about five minutes, then transfer mix to a bowl. Pour about two tablespoons of oil into the pan and add the rice. Add a little bit of soy sauce and stirfry the rice for about five minutes. Add the half bag of veggies and mix well. Add in the tofu mix and cook for about five more minutes.