What I eat

Whenever I google "healthy frugal recipes," I get recipes and blogs where the meat is the center of a recipe.  But when prices for food have risen lately (ground beef is no longer a super-cheap option), that won't work for me.  Plus, I eat quite a bit!  I can't afford to eat a whole chicken breast for each meal, so most of the recipes I find won't work for me.

The meal plan I posted a few days ago is unusually meat-heavy for me-- there are only three meat-free options on there (actually, that's not too bad; although two a week would be better, I know from experience that those will be saved for last or possibly never get eaten).  I don't usually eat meat-centric meals like tikka masala, hamburgers, and maid-rites; I will limit the sandwiches to one per meal and eat potatoes/fries and vegetables for filler..   If I'm using ground turkey or ground beef, I'll usually use a quarter of a pound for one day's worth of food(2-3 meals, depending how far it goes and how hungry I am), and the chili on the menu will use a quarter pound and makes a large pot: I use a can of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, water, an onion, pepper, and spices.

My ideal meal is some meat (a chicken tender or two), a whole grain, and lots of vegetables.  I like to cook my meat and veg together whenever possible, so I like stir-fries, etc.  I'm not a fan of soups unless they're heavy, like stews, but even those only keep me full two hours or so.

So, do you have any good meals to share that have the meat as more of a side than the main?  I'll try to share a few of my favorites in the coming weeks.

I got a bread machine!

I'm super excited because now I hope I'll be able to eat healthier... whole wheat bread products without all the extra ingredients.  Anything with yeast in it has never risen for me; actually, baked products as a whole don't like me.  Last Friday I made some no-yeast breadsticks, and when I went to put them in the oven, the tray tipped and they fell in the crack between the oven and door.   I was able to salvage a few, but the dough was so soft that they were mangled.  Then on Saturday, I made an almond cake, but it was too heavy and wet-- still tasted good, though!  Baked goods just don't like me.

It's a new bread machine, but dented, and I got it on ebay for a great price.

If you have any good bread machine recipes to share, please do!  I'm looking for anything whole wheat: bread, rolls, hamburger buns, pita, naan, etc.