Easter will be here soon. For some, they celebrate by having huge meals with all the trimmings. For others, Easter may be a challenge because of a tight budget. This year, we are only buying potatoes and broccoli for our Easter dinner. I may even splurge and buy a small carton of ice cream to go with our meal. We have everything else in the freezer, fridge or cupboard. In fact, we are using up stuff that we are trying to rotate and will still come up with a nice meal. But, if I only had about $5 for the meal, I would think of something that we could eat and enjoy. The real purpose of Easter is to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and be with loved ones. Don't let a tight budget distract you from true meaning of Easter. You don't have to have ham for Easter. I don't know who started that. Jesus was a Jew and Jews don't typically eat pork, so I don't know who came up with ham for Easter. Do something different. Think outside the box.
Why not have an Easter Brunch? Potatoes are on sale at some stores for 99 cents this week. Eggs are usually cheaper around Easter. You could have a decent brunch for $5. As for the stuff in the omelettes or quiche, try going to a salad bar and get a few teaspoons of things to put inside. Have it weighed before you buy it to make sure you aren't spending too much. You can get little bits of meat and cheese instead of having to buy a whole package of something. Green pepper and onions usually aren't expensive, if you like them. Add a one pound package of strawberries for $1.50 this week or a pineapple for $1.99 at several stores.
Another thing you can do if money is tight, have a potluck. You buy lots of eggs and have people bring things they like to put in omelettes or a quiche. Someone can bring juice or fruit if they want. You supply the hash browns, and you can still stay close to a $5 budget. Plus, you would have a lot of fun with friends and good times make it easier to make it through tough times. You will feel rich with friends instead of money!
Another idea for around $5 this week is to buy some inexpensive cut of chicken and make mashed or baked potatoes and broccoli. For dessert, you could buy a package of pudding or get a cake mix on sale. Albertson's has their ready made store brand pudding for $1 each this week. Just take the 4 single servings and put them in a nice dish and no one will know how little you spent.
If you don't want a heavy dinner, buy some lettuce and get a few different salad toppings from the salad bar. Don't buy something that is usually inexpensive like carrots, but get the more expensive cheese and meat to put on top. Get a couple of tomatoes and you are set. You could even make rolls or have egg salad sandwiches to go with it.
You can also go to the deli and get one or two slices of ham if you really want a traditional meal of ham and potatoes. I saw yams on sale for a great prices as well as potatoes for 99 cents. There is always a way to work it out if you just give it a try!
If you are on a tight budget, try making less of the recipes you normally make. Also, you can go to the bulk food section and only get a cup of flour or a teaspoon of something if you need it.
Don't let a tight budget put a damper on your holiday. Be creative and see what you can come up with.
Do you have any ideas for inexpensive meals that are around $5 for Easter?
Another thing you can use eggs for is quiche, or a quiche-like dish. I have a recipe that uses rice instead of pastry, and uses one can of salmon and 1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese plus any kind of milk in the egg filling. There are a few tips to make it work; if anyone wants the recipe I'd be glad to supply it.
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