A meal for $.50 a serving that tastes great!!! sausage, beans and rice recipe

This meal is super easy to make and tastes delicious.  At about $.50 a serving not bad for a quick meal.

You will need the following to make sausage, beans, and rice

  • pkg smoked sausage
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 cans chilli beans
  • 2 -8oz cans of tomato sauce
  • 2 lb package of rice

these spices are extra if you cannot afford them leave them out but if you have them, they enhance the flavor immensely.

  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • a teaspoon of each basil and oregano

First take your smoked sausage.
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Cut it into chunks and then place it in your skillet over medium heat.

 

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Time for flavoring. You can cut up half an onion and add to skillet.
Image00003Dice up 2 stalks of celery and add to your skillet.
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Continue cooking over medium heat until your vegetables are soften.

While that is simmering, you can make your rice.  We usually eat brown rice, we have 5 gallon buckets full in the basement.  But we were given this rice and decided to use it, was very good with the meal.  We mixed up the whole bag according to package directions.  The secret to non sticky rice is to not stir it once it is boiling.  Do a quick stir when first mixing it with water and then after that just put the lid on to simmer and leave it alone until serving time.Image00005 After the meat and veges are cooked, add your 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of chilli beans, and 2-8oz cans of tomato sauce.

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I like to add a teaspoon of oregano and basil, but skip this step if you do not have it.Image00006
Stir until combined and continue cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes.Image00008 Serve over rice–delicious.Image00010

This recipe is enough for two meals for our family.  You can freeze the sausage, beans and tomatoes mixture if you were not able to eat all of it at a time.

bag of rice $1

sausage $4

2 cans diced tomatoes $2

2 cans chilli beans $2

2 cans tomato sauce $1

total cost about $10

total servings 20

cost per serving $.50

How to make a homemade pinata

For my daughters’ birthday this year, we made a homemade piñata.  It was a fun undertaking.  We have always purchased them before but at $20 for something you are going to smash to pieces in a matter of minutes kind of seems like a waste.  I remembered doing one in kindergarten when I was a child and thought the experience would be fun for the little ones.  Make this at least a week in advance to give it proper time to dry.

Cut up strips of newspaper into long strips.

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Mix up your paste.  2 cups water,  2 cups flour, and 1 Tablespoon salt069

Protect your work area, as this gets very messy.  Lay lots of newspaper down on the table.

Blow up a large balloon, we used the punch type balloons.  They were 3 for $1 at Walmart.

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Dip your newspaper strip into the glue and lay on your balloon.

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I had 3 children each make their own pinata.  The child that did not put much glue on the strips, their pinata balloon popped as it was drying and then it lost its form.  The child that left a few holes and did not properly cover all the areas, her balloon popped too and it was ruined.  The child that made sure to cover their strips in glue completely and even wiped some glue on top of the strips when done to make sure, that is the one we ended up using.  
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We covered our balloon completely and then set them outside in the sun to dry.  We then put another layer on and let it dry as well.  By this time our balloon had lost its air.  If your balloon stays in-tack cut a hole in the end of it large enough to place your treats inside.  

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We pierced a hole in the top and then threaded rope, attached to a washer, all the way through the balloon and then tied the ends.DSCN2055We used crêpe paper to decorate ours.  Just use glue and stick on strips of paper.DSCN2057 DSCN2058 DSCN2059

 

Your completed pinata.

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We used a wrapping paper tube as our bat.  It was a sturdy roll.  You can use a child sized bat as well.

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We filled ours with suckers, gummy worms–in ziploc baggies, chocolate bars, party blowers, and air heads candy.

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Fun, easy, simple, and frugal

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