Be Fast and Frugal

Lately, I've really been trying to be diligent about planning our meals and putting aside a set amount of money to purchase the ingredients. Playing with a two year old all day however, sometimes halts said plans and occasionally I find myself at dinnertime with no dinner. For times like these, Dawn Hall's Fast & Frugal Cookbook is what you need!

Fast? Frugal? Yup. The beginning of the books includes helpful tips for saving money at the grocery store, and buying ingredients that are healthier and lower in fat. And the "fast" part is no joke. Every recipe can be made in thirty minutes or less. I love how the book is laid out. It's divided into sections like Breakfast and Brunch, Appetizers, Salads and so forth. A page at the beginning of each section divides the recipes ever further into cooking times: 10 minutes or less, 15 minutes or less, 20 minutes or less and 30 minutes or less. In addition, each recipe includes suggestions for sides to make it a total meal. I often get so caught up in making the main meal that I forget about sides, so this was really helpful to me. Most of the recipes are made with low fat ingredients but you can substitute for full fat if you desire (which I sometimes prefer to do.) There's even a section on making tasty beverages, almond steamer, yum!

There's a wide variety of standard favorites in here, as well as some unique offerings. Purchase a copy for yourself here.