Scratch And Save

There's an old adage that working people have no time, thus it's okay to buy the boxed, canned and deli stuff they call food. It isn't food, it's sales. The box says you can make a meal in fifteen minutes? You can do the same with a good stir fry or roast up dinner. It's all in the cutting of the food so that it cooks in unison. How much trouble is it to keep fresh veges in the fridge ready to pop into a couple of spoons of sesame oil and stir fry? These days certain businesses deliver a box of yellow and green things and a recipe at a fancy price while you can pick up the same things for a whole lot less in the grocery store. Adverts convince you that it's a lot easier and healthier their way. It's not. Nor is it a money saver. You pay dearly for the advertising, handling of the food products, the cute packaging and the delivery. Healthier? I doubt it when you have a grocer who will deliver the same fresh items plus a whole lot of other things you need around the house, to your door on your day-off. Price it out. Packaged, frozen and tinned foods are not fresh, and if of the boxed instant kind, they have additives that could be dangerous for some people. The rampant rise in "allergies" and sensitivities seems to go right alongside the increase in enhanced production-line foods. Pizza and buckets of fried chicken are not a healthy meal with all the sugar, fat and MSG to make your taste buds happy while your body weeps for nutrition. When the groceries come home, get the kids to help clean and package them for the week ahead. The carrots, celery and others will be just waiting ready to go. The kids could do the cooking when you get home. Mom and/or Dad shouldn't be doing the meal prep when kids are great helpers. Have them turn off the screens and get into the kitchen. How easy it is to toss the fresh items into a plastic bag to shake up or stir in a bowl with a bit of oil and herbs. They can be spread into the baking dish to roast along with the meat or fish. A whole meal in one fell swoop! Perhaps you'd rather toss the items into a wok along with some chow mein noodles and ginger orange juice adding a bit of spice, later slapping on the lid for a few minutes to steam it all. When you pour into bowls for a delicious fresh meal that takes minutes you will hear "yum". Also, how about fresh bread? With your mixer, it's so easy to stir up some bread dough, letting it rise on the warm stove while the oven is roasting dinner, and later forming  fat little loaves on the cookie sheet to rise a second time before putting it in the same hot oven to bake for half and hour. Ah the smell of bread baking. So easy, so healthful and children,  if they aren't over scheduled with silly stuff all week, can learn the art of survival in budget cookery when they reach college age.