You know how I am always saying save your money, cook your own meals? well, its harder than it sounds isn't it? so I guess I am going to practice what I preach and do as I say. Eating out is ...out, but it doesn't mean deliciousness is out of my life as well. You see, I have friends, and these friends can cook and I have bugged them and bugged them until they gave me their yummy-licious budget friendly recipes.
First up, T's bean burger recipe. She is a vegetarian cooking goddess and makes these delicious bean burgers. I made them a couple of weeks ago for my meat loving bf and he had seconds, so they're not so bad. They are amazing!!!
Here are the ingredients:
1 Can of Black Beans ( I enjoy Eden's Organics Black Beans)
1/2 Cup of Bread Crumbs ( I like Mr. Pita's because it contains no eggs)
1/2 Cup of Onion chopped to perfection
1 Garlic Clove Crushed
1 tbs of Dried Bay Leaves/ Cuming/ Black Pepper/ Coriander/ Sea Salt (depending on what you like or have around)
1tbs of Canola oil (I use the spray type so its about a 2 second spray)
Instructions:
1) Rinse beans and drain while you chop onion, crush garlic and mix spicies.
2) Mix all ingredients together and mash them up. You can mash them with your bare hands, but I have a food processor so I use mine because I am lazy.
3) Now that the mixture is ready, roll mixture into a ball and flatten to form a patty. Heat a little bit of oil and place the pattys on the pan until they are browned.
4) Bon Appetite! I like to eat them with a bit of avocado. 2 pattys will leave a regular person satisfied.
Do you have any other delicious and ridiculously easy recipes you'd like to share? e-mail me at torontogirlchronicles@gmail.com or post a comment!

One of the hardest things about being a single person (in the city or elsewhere) is, hands down, eating. No, no, I'm not going to excuse my eating habits but ...okay! I am excusing my eating habits. But really, go to the super market. Super markets are not single people friendly. The inexpensive items are too big, the small ones twice the price. So it all comes down to this conundrum: Do I buy cheap and let half of the food rot? or do I pay twice as much because I'm single? If you pick option #1 you will end up eating the same thing every-single-day for a week. I don't know about you, but this Toronto Girl loves variety.
This is where the devil comes in: Take out. In cute packaging. Oh dear, I go through months where I don't do groceries, I just eat out. Then my pants don't fit.
So now I am at the stage where my pants are not fitting and tunics and leggings have become my uniform. I am looking at my take-out bills and after doing the math I have realized that buying the expensive single-people-items will save me about $50 a month. Not a number you laugh at.
After this epiphany I called by aunt. A food connoisseur and fabulous single home-maker. Here are a few tips she shared:
- Buy organic produce - it usually comes in smaller quantities and its good for you. Pricey? yes, but as the saying goes "pay now or pay more later"
- Buy grains (organic) in big quantities - grains don't perish as quickly so, say, a bag of brown rice will last you a month, provided you store it well
-Read your food fliers and see what's on sale. We do this with clothing too right? But also know why it is on sale! The expiry date tomorrow?
- Get your organic meat at the butcher (where its sold by weight and you can control the amount you buy) and don't get a lot, you should not be eating meat every single day anyways
- Have friends or roommates with a similar passion for good food and saving money? take a field trip to the farmers market every once in a while. Buy organic fruits and veggies, and at the end of the day divide and conquer. Split the goods and the bill
- Support local farmers buy organic. Knowing you are doing something good for the environment, the local economy and yourself will help you keep motivated
- Cook on Sunday afternoons/evenings. Perfect way to get ready for the week ahead: by taking care of yourself first. Store meals in glass containers. Prepare salad but don't put in any dressing until you're about to eat it.
So, it is my hope that the following tips will help be become a domestic goddess , a savings queen and help me fit into my pants again.
RESOURCES:
What is Organic
List of Organic Farmers Markets in Toronto
Tips for Cooking for One
The Healthy Butcher - Organic Meat
Do you have any tips on eating well in a budget? Do tell!

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