Juanita couldn't cook. ''My cooking sucks'' she said. After reading this article, she tried its advice. ''Now I've cooked several meals, and people loved them! I'm very pleased'' she exclaimed.
With this information I am sharing with you, get ready to learn how to make mouth watering meals on far less then you're spending now. Even though the basics of good meals may be the same, changes in ingrediants make them taste different every time. (It's a lot easier on you.)
This food is healthier than the average diet by far. I use ingredients that are high in vitamin B (commonly deficient in most diets), and loads of fiber. So you get good nutrition that's great for the budget.
Low income? Then pay attention. This is a test. One that will teach you to be a gourmet cook, and have some wonderful spaghetti dinners in 15 minutes! Want to learn? Get ready for some amazing gourmet secrets!
Truly amaze your friends. The reason people love to dine at my kitchen can be yours for the reading! Here's the story of Michelle visiting my house on Magnolia & 7th. She'd pop in, & taste what I had cooking in a big pot.
''Mmmmmm! You really cook good'' she exclaimed.
I told her, ''Come over any time'' .
So she did. ''Oh, its the same stuff,'' she said.
I replied ''Just taste it''.
''Hey, this tastes totally different! Its great'' she said with great surprise.
Learn the budget chef's secret! A 5 lb bag of brown rice costs about $2.95. A bag of Fiesta frozen veggies from Vons, cost 99¢ on 4/10/96. It is balanced nutritionally, but needs spices.
Vitamin B is pretty hard to get through the everyday diet, but brown rice has lots. It also has plenty of ultra-compact fiber (not normal). If you make brown rice, mix 50/50 with white or have plenty of other fiber. If you don't take care of these things your waste won't flush. (Clay-like will be an appropriate description.) Make sure to drink lots of purified water. One gallon a day, or you fart from all the veggies!
A squirt of Palmolive ORIGINAL formula dish liquid added to brown rice's water 5 minutes before cooking makes it fluffy when cooked. Normally instructions say to soak in water overnight. The company says it's safe to mix like this. Not all detergents are edible.

I'm writing this article because you believe you're not a good cook. Season by smell, and remember, less is more. Spices are much better if they are used in minimal quantities. i.e. 40 flakes of dill on an 8 oz portion is far better than 100.

Crushed garlic in a bottle a better way than fresh garlic cloves. No peeling etc. I like granulated garlic to sprinkle onto dishes. It's wonderful, both intense and easy to use. Try it and you will be delighted I'm sure.

Wait to add seasoning until after you've cooked your meal, or the spices will burn out. A few drops of vinegar or lemon juice perks up a dish. I like a shake of stevia, too. All stores have this sweetener that's great for diabetics.
Make sure to buy the one that's $10 for a small container. There's a larger one for $5 that's 95% milk sugar. That company's trying to trick you into buying a low quality product.

I suggest that beginners use bottled dressings in small quantities for flavor as seasoning until you get comfortable in the kitchen. Another tip for beginners is; Before you serve a meal to company, practice to make sure it's as special as you want it to be.

A small dash of vinegar, (wine vinegars, balsamic, seasoned, etc) makes the mouth water, when eating. Food is very zesty. Different dressings make a well balanced meal delicious, and very different in taste! If you're on a tight budget you can get whatever you wish, from slightly wilted of soft produce throw always. (Ask nicely at stores, and they gladly give the very best stuff out.)

Most people with a low income spend a large portion of their budget on food, because they don't know how to cook properly. Try white pepper, ground thyme, sage, granu-lated, powdered or whole peeled in a jar garlic (It's so much faster and easier than peeling fresh garlic cloves), chili peppers, and onion powders for starters.

So seasonings don't burn out add them just before serving and spray with vegetable oil. It bring the spices alive. Spices mature to full strength overnight so make enough to start the next meal with a base of leftovers from the previous night's meal.

Season by smell, ignoring all that you've seen others do. The best cooks just wing it.
''This is exactly how I cook'' Chrys told me after reading this article. She is a gourmet cook, that supplies a dessert business, run by her sharp friend Val. (They both own it.)

I add raisins, or grapes, pieces of banana, peanut butter (makes a tasty Thai sauce), at times trail mix, crushed nuts, (hammer them) or whatever looks good. Garlic salt on popcorn is delicious, as is chili powder too. Make your expensive foods quite spicy and they will go farther, yet add a touch of the exotic to your meals. Serve last and people will be fuller so it will go further. Adventure with eating is fun!

When I was young, a gourmet chef gave me this tip. When he got home after cooking all day, he just wanted to eat great food. Want spaghetti sauce to taste like it's been cooking for 12 hours under pressure, with herbs and spices, piquant and delicious? Here's how to put it on your table in 15 minutes, vegetarian or otherwise also.

You'll get raves from family and friends. Here's the speedy, delicious way. Classico Spaghetti Sauce is cooked 12 hours under pressure, at the factory. Gourmets will put their professional touch into your kitchen, at your command.

Use it as a base sauce. Fry fresh onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, hot Italian sausage (unless you are vegetarian), and the sauce is ready. (Extra seasonings like wine, extra garlic etc., are up to you. Use your nose to season. If it smells good, what do you think?)

Put 2 tbs. of any type oil into DRY SPAGHETTI, NOT THE WATER! Manufacturers instructions are silly. To cook the noodles, watch while cooking very carefully. Cooked just right, they won't be mushy. Rinse in a colander with hot water, then cold, and back to hot water. Now you have noodles clean of sticky starch, yet hot and delicious.

Have some precooked noodles rinsed hot, then cold, in a plastic bag or pot with a tight lid. Keep it in the fridge, for snacks or quick meals. Just running hot water, then cold (to handle the lumps), then hot again, gets fresh noodles.

Follow the above for the sauce & you're ready. Make sure you have taught kids kitchen safety, before you start. Here's a safety tip. Always put the handles of stove top items away from the edges that face traffic. Nothing gets flipped and no one gets hurt. Enjoy!
IF YOU WANT TO IMPRESS SOMEONE, PRACTICE ON YOURSELF FIRST! USE YOUR HEAD. YOU'LL ALL ENJOY THE MEAL A WHOLE LOT MORE!

Caution, if something comes out wrong, throw it out. Try to repair it, and you'll only have a bigger bunch of weird tasting food. Practice these tips and experiment by trying things for yourself. Don't give up and before you know it you'll be a wonderful cook! Bon appetite!