The Rachel Cruze Show - How to Stop Overspending on Food with Cassy Joy Garcia

Episode Date: November 15, 2021

Believe it or not, you can feed and entertain friends and family without breaking the bank—or your Christmas spirit. In this episode, Rachel shares: Are You Wasting Money on Your Pinterest Party? 2 Family Meals You Won’t Believe are This Cheap! with Cassy Joy Garcia 5 Holiday Side Dishes Under $5 Resources: EveryDollar Cook Once, Dinner Fix Green Bean Casserole Sweet Potato Casserole Cranberry Sauce Baked Mac n’ Cheese Creamed Spinach   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ask for help. People are willing to help you. If you are throwing a big party, it's true. People feel connected to you. There's a level of humility to say, yeah, we don't have it all. So if you don't mind, actually studies show that you are more likable when you ask for help. Hey, everyone, welcome to the Rachel Cruz Show podcast. So glad that you're here. In this episode, we're going to talk about five classic side dishes for under $5 for Thanksgiving. I have Cassie Joy Garcia on and we're going to make two meals and I love talking to her because we're going to talk about everything of saving time in the kitchen, great kitchen gadgets you need, things like freezing your meals and unfreezing them like everything that comes around preparing meals,

she's going to dig into along with two great recipes. Also, we're going to talk about if you are spending too much to throw a party. Hosting a party is a big deal and a lot of people do it during the holiday season. So we're going to break that down. But first, we're talking about the holidays, everything from food to throwing a party. So hope you enjoy. All right, the holidays are in full swing, and so many people are asking the question, how can I host a great party and not spend a ton of money? I love a good party, especially with good friends, with family around. It is so fun. But I feel like so many people have such this pressure and this high expectation of what their parties should look like. I mean, you got obviously Instagram and Pinterest and all these places that just show this beautiful, wonderful party.

And here's the deal. I think that there's like two books of people in life. There's some people that are just really good at this stuff. They just naturally are like, oh, here's an old book from my grand grandfather. I'm going to make a centerpiece out of it. And you're like, how did you do that? And it just like happens. You're like, oh my gosh, everything they do is just, they're just creative.

It's like how God made them. And it's amazing. And then there's me. And everyone else that falls in my bucket. I feel like I can't do anything. And I'm not like bashing myself. Some people are like, Rachel, don't be hard on yourself. I'm not being hard on yourself.

I'm just telling you the truth. Like I just genuinely, I'm not creative. I'm not good at it. I'm not good at putting stuff together. And so it's very difficult. I don't feel the pressure as much anymore. I used to a whole lot more. But I just know, like, I kind of just can appreciate people that can throw really beautiful parties.

Because, again, it is either that they're just spending a ton of money or they're really creative. So I want to dive into where you're at financially and give you some good ideas on when it comes to throwing a party. Because here's the truth of it. When it comes to hospitality, when it comes to inviting people into your home, one of my favorite quotes of all times. Shelly Giglio, I will give it to you because it just spoke to my deep soul. She said that true hospitality is when someone leaves your home feeling better about themselves, not about you. Oh, my gosh.

Isn't that not so good? Is that not so good? When people walk into your home and they leave feeling better about themselves, which means it has nothing to do with your decor and your beautifulness of your party, it's truly about how they feel when they leave because they feel like you probably asked questions. You actually had a conversation and had interest in them.

They feel built up. That's what's going to stay with them more than what beautiful memories they have, right? So just remember that. Like when we go through all this decor stuff and throwing parties, this is all fun. That's why we're doing this video. But remember, people just want to feel heard

and feel loved. and that is like goal number one. Now, back to the money. So, everyone has different budgets. Everyone is in different places in their money journey. So I'm going to break this video into two sections. First section is going to be those of you on babysaps

one through three. And then everyone else, four, five, six, and seven. We'll do a little bit later. And then within these groups, we're going to talk about four main categories when it comes to throwing a party, okay? And where people tend to overspend on. Food, guests, activities, and decor.

All right, let's get into it. So if you're on Babyset 1 through 3, which means you're saving up for your emergency funds, you are getting out of debt, and you're saving up for your fully funded emergency funds, well, your budget is going to just be a little bit smaller because you have some really aggressive money goals that you are looking towards.

So if you are hosting a party on Babysips 1 through 3, here's some tips when it comes to the food. Plan your food around what is on sale. So look around the grocery and just kind of pick up, what is cheaper, don't try to buy, like, the most expensive thing. Look at the prices. You can also do a potluck. People love this, especially if it's more, you know, have a casual thing and just ask people,

hey, will you bring a dessert? Or you bring a side dish? Like, people are willing to bring stuff. They always are. You can also do a B-Y-O-M, bring your own meat. That's the most expensive part of a meal for sure. So maybe you do some sides that say, hey, you know, and have other people bring their own meat. And then you can grill, do a barbecue.

all of it. So fun. If you're making dips or casseroles, you can use store brand products instead of NAY brand to put in. And that can save you a whole lot of money just doing that. And you can also have the party, not during meal time. So you can just have like smaller foods, so you don't feel like you're having to do one huge meal. And if you are doing a big meal and it's something like brunch or dinner, look for recipes that are inexpensive to feed. at large crowds. So kishas, casseroles, pasta, chili, a taco bar, there are ways to do a big dinner and have a bunch of people and not spend a ton of money. All right, when you're looking at the guests, people that you are inviting, I would say just nix the invites. Like, you can do this via text

and not a big group text. They're like, hey, everyone, you know, party Saturday night, da-da-da-da, give them all the info. Just on a text. You can, you know, if you're an overachiever, you can go on because there's so many sites like paperless posts, Eivites, green envelope, places to email invitations. And then on it, I would suggest just kind of a little bit of a summary of what they're going to expect. So you can say, please join us for snacks, drinks, and a good time, you know, just something that just kind of like sets their expectation for what they're walking

into. And also, here's another key. Ask for help. Okay? people are willing to help you. If you are throwing a big party, actually studies show that you are more likable when you ask for help.

It's true. People feel connected to you. There's a level of humility to say, yeah, we don't have it all. So if you don't mind, you know, bring an X, Y, and Z that would be super helpful, especially if people offer. And a lot of people offer, hey, what can I bring?

Then take them up on it. They're okay. People aren't freaking out. And again, it's going to help with the budget. Okay, when it comes to activities, just use what you have. You can do board games, outdoor games. a lot of free game apps on your phone that you can mirror to your TV even and do like

trivia night. You can have a bombfire outside in your backyard. Just do some stuff, some entertainment that's not expensive. Now the decor, this is where, you know, the Joanna Games can kind of just brh. Because in this, it's like you can go to your backyard, literally, and there's flowers and branches, I mean, there's stuff everywhere, and you can create a beautiful centerpiece. I can't. This is where I fail. I can't do this. But a lot of people,

a lot of you out there, I would really recommend trying it because I believe in you a whole lot more than I believe in myself when it comes to that. But it is true. You can use stuff

that is around your house, your yard, all of it. And especially Christmas, there's so much greenery and stuff that it's inexpensive. Use it. It's great. You can go to things like

the dollar store, Walmart, Amazon, like look online and there's really inexpensive things like the fake silverware that, I mean, it's not fake, it's real silverware, but it's fake silver, but it looks like real silverware, but it's like plastic, but it doesn't look plastic, super fancy. But it's inexpensive, and yeah, it's great. Throw it away after. They even make plates that are like plastic, I guess they're plastic,

and you can just throw them away, but they're inexpensive, but they look beautiful, beautiful. You can get candles, napkins, all of it. You can make a beautiful whole set, and it's not, it's not expensive. So, if you're on Baby Steps 1 through 3, you can still host a great party and not bust the budget. All right, all of you on Baby Steps 4, 5, 6, and 7, yep, you got a little bit wider of budget. You can spend a little bit more. So when you're looking at food, if you're going to make all the party food meal plan ahead of time, and I have a new meal plan planner that will help you get rid of all the stress and save some money. So just text meal plan to 3-3-6. seven, eight, nine. It's free, and it's amazing. Now, again, if you're on Babysups 4 through 7,

maybe you're going to cater it from a restaurant or even get a caterer to come and do the party, all of it, which is so great. Now, if you're doing this, get the quote ahead of time and get multiple quotes from multiple restaurants or caterers and find the best deal. Don't just go with one person. Actually, look, and then talk to them and say, hey, is there anything on here that looks off to you or that's going to be too much food, find ways to just cut that bill a little bit here and there, and it's going to be awesome. Now, when it comes to guests, just remember in the back of your head, the more people you invite, the bigger the cost.

It's just the way it is, which is fine. And again, same with Babysups 1, 2, 3. Ask them to bring stuff. If people come and you're like, oh, yeah, I need an ice bucket. I may need some chairs or an extra table. Yeah, reach out and ask your friends for help. Right. Now, activities. There's some fun ones. Now, if there's going to be like little kids there and it's around Christmas, you can hire a Santa for the party. So fun. You can hire a cocktail artist to come and make fun cocktails. You can do like a blind wine or bourbon tasting. You can do some really fun activities. Now, the decor, you can do things like those personalized cookies. Have you seen those? They can be like Santas or gingerbreadmen or whatever. Super cute. But you can make a little centerpiece that people can take them home. You can do this at your local bakery. You can do some really nice place settings. If it's a sit-down dinner party, it was just

nice glassware, some really pretty floor arrangements. And again, so this is going to cost you, but you're in babysaps 4-7. So if you have the budget and you want to entertain, you're able to do this and spend some money. And I'll tell you, like I said earlier, I am not a creative person. So I went to one of my friend's houses, who is a creative person? And everything's just beautiful all the time. And I'm like, how do you do this? And she had a table. and there was like eight of us. And literally she had all these random little single candlesticks

down the whole table. That was it. That was it. Just candlesticks. Different sizes, different colors. And it was like beautiful. And just like, I don't know, you kind of feel like you're on a movie or something.

I was like, this is the best. So what did Rachel do? I went and pot a bunch of candlesticks. So when we get people over, I just a lot of bunch of random candlesticks. But it's so pretty because the wax goes down. And it just feels so Christmassy and holiday. and I love it. So that's what Rachel does.

I don't go get branches in my backyard like some of you, because some of you are really talented like that. I just have candlesticks, but it's pretty inexpensive. I'll say that much. But remember, no matter where you are with your money, whether you're just starting on that emergency fund, or maybe your fund in retirement, wherever you are, you can throw a great party.

You don't have to break the bank. And remember what people really truly care about, especially when it's good friends, they're just coming over to hang out and to talk and catch up on life. So do not feel like you have to have all this pressure to make everything so, so perfect, okay? Take a deep breath. It's okay.

Don't feel the pressure. It's all going to be great. All right. I hope this helps. Just relieve the pressure as these holidays approach. But it's so fun, you guys. The holidays are great. It can be stressful, sure.

But again, I want you to be able to take some of these tips, help you create a great experience, not go crazy and spend a ton of money that you don't need to spend. And when people leave feeling better about themselves than about you, you know, you did it right, people. You know, you did it right. Well, when it comes to cooking, it can be a challenge for some of us, whether it's actually finding great recipes,

sticking to the budget, having the time to cook, all of it. So that's why I was bringing in the experts. So Cassie, Joy Garcia, is back here on the show. Welcome back. Thank you for having me. Oh, my gosh, this is so great. Okay.

So I just want to know because you've done, you're on your second cookbook? Yeah, is that right? Number three, but second and, yes, like this. Like this, okay. So what got you into cooking in the first place? You know, I was the oldest of three girls and my babysat. Well, they would, I couldn't call it babysitting. Right.

But we know what it is. Yes. And I would make them dinner so that my parents could just go out. And we just meet Fetuccini Alfredo night after night, but I loved it. I could feed them, they were happy, and it just got me curious. It's so great. I know. I feel like cooking can be such an outlet for people where they love it.

And I feel like if I have the time, my husband, he enjoys it more than I do. Okay, so one thing I do love, though, because I feel like with gifts and stuff, people give you some great kitchen gadgets. Yes. Okay, so I want to know from you as the expert. Like, what are some good gadgets we have to have in the kitchen to help us? Good gadgets to have in the kitchen to help you. You know, I think I've owned these cutting boards and I don't want it to feel like a personal attack.

But a good cutting board that, don't scoge around on you, you know, those flimsy ones. Yes, I do. I've had them. I did it. But when you're chopping up something and it's scooting away from you, it just takes some of the joy out of cooking, you know? And so I say grab just a good, solid cutting board that'll stay put.

And you don't need to spend the extra for the rubber bumpers. If you actually just take a kitchen towel and get it wet and stick it underneath the cutting board, it'll stay put. So that's one. Yes. And then I would say a sharp knife. And again, you don't have to spend the four. You could.

There's lots of options out there. There's some great knives. When you use a great knife, though, you're like, oh, this is what it's supposed to be. Yes. Again, it makes it more enjoyable. Yes, it does. Totally. Totally.

And so get one that fits within your budget, but make sure it's sharp, right? Because it's not working for you if it's not sharp. Okay, do you like, and I think every knife probably has, like, its own reason. Yes. Okay, because there's some that are, this is how ignorant I am. There's some that are just straight down. Right? Some with the little, like, things in it.

Serrated. Sure. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay, so what's the difference? Like, what does it matter? You know, I think everyone needs a chef's knife.

So, like, a big, at least seven-inch chef's knife. That'll be, get one that fits around your hand. Yep. You know, the one that my dad would use would be different than the one that I grab. Yeah. I use his, and I've used it to chop potatoes before, and I had a hand cramp. Yeah. So get one that feels nice in your hand, about seven inches, a nice,

straight edge and you can just do about anything with it. Okay. Oh, that's so good. Can I tell you one of my favorite gadgets? I want to know. If you have more, I want more, because I love it. And I got it from some, I don't even know where I got it, but it's the meat grinder and it has like the little, it looks like a little fan or something. Yes. You do your ground beef and you just spin it. Brilliant. Because I used to do a dang spatula and like to there and, but this thing, you just spin it on the thing. I love it. Have you seen it? Yes, I do. Yes, I do. So I asked the question because I was like, I could catch it as the best. Yes, I think that's a great one.

You know, another one you might already have in your kitchen, though. Yes. But we're going to use it in a different way is talk about mixing up your meat, but a stand mixer or a hand mixer to shred already cooked meat. Oh. Instead of getting out the two little forks. And 100%, 100%. And take in 10, 15 minutes.

Yes. Use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer or your hand mixer, and it takes seconds. There you go. See, this is why we have wrong. on people. This is so good. Okay, I love it. I love it. Okay. And another thing that you do that I love is you talk about switching ingredients. Yes. Like budget-friendly swaps, which I always love. Because I don't have all like the super fancy stuff I feel like in my kitchen. Like if I have a recipe that has all this like kind of bizarre stuff and then I go buy it and you use this much of it

and you don't touch it again for five years. So what are some good substitutes that we can do in the kitchen with ingredients? Yes. Okay. So when it comes to oils, remember that when you're cooking, because you can spend a lot of money on all the different flavors. 1,000. Yes. Yes. And to your point, if something calls for, I don't know, a tablespoon of truffle oil, I'm going to probably forget because I'm going to tell myself I'll make truffle fries.

That's right. That's right. Every week. But it doesn't happen. And so just know that all oils and recipes are interchangeable with one another. Okay. And so whether it's a specialty oil or an olive oil or a vegetable oil, you can actually swap those one for one. It's going to change the flavor. Sure. But the function of the dish will be the

same. It'll turn out just fine. Okay, good to know. So that would be one for sure. I would also say any ground protein is a one-for-one swap. Like a turkey or a beef or a... Yes. Okay. Yes. If you don't like beef or you don't eat it or you prefer to use whatever you've got in your freezer or your refrigerator. I'm of the mind. Now the texture's going to be a little different. The fat content's going to be different. And so a lot of other recipe developers that are very precious. about their recipes. Yes. I'm not that way.

I'm like, if it's cooked, it's dinner. That's right. That's right. Amen. We don't get sick. Yes. We're fine. Everything's great.

It's going to taste good. It's just going to taste different. That's right. And so I think any ground protein is a one for one swap. Use the one that you prefer, the one that you can find on sale. Also, any large roast is going to be a one for one swap. So, for example, if there's a shredded pork, some folks who don't like pork, or maybe you've got a beef roast on hand because you did a cow share. or with your friends.

Yep. Something like that, those big, large cuts, I actually think are swaps for one another. Okay, okay. So that's so good. Yeah, and then in the potatoes and the vegetables, a crunchy vegetable you can swap with others, potatoes you can swap.

Okay. Really just make it your own. Okay, I love that. And that's the secret of being a recipe developer is you're like, what can I switch? Yes. Swap it up, and you create it all. It's brilliant.

So great. Okay, so your new book, Cook Once Dinner Fix. Yes. It's beautiful. Thank you. So tell me, I mean, it's laid out on a very specific way. And you did it for a reason. So explain that to me. Yes. It's not your typical recipe book where normally that you'd have the appetizers and breakfast and dessert and all those things. This is broken

up to be very utilitarian. I want this to be the cook's secret weapon in the house. And so there's five chapters broken up by protein. And so we have poultry, pork, beef, seafood, and vegetarian by popular request. And so what we've got in here is these are organized by dinner series. So these two dinners, two full complete meals work really well together because they use one central ingredient. So let's say it's ground beef, right? I say, well, you've got your skillet out and you're crumbling that ground beef using your meat chopper. Using my meat thing. Yes, exactly. While you're doing that, I say make double the amount of ground beef that you need. So instead of the one pound, we're going to double it and do two pounds or heck three pounds. And then when it's cooked, not seasoned yet,

but cook, split it in half. Okay. And we're going to do it. And we're going to double it. And we're going to double it. And we're going to make half of it tonight, use it in an enchilada casserole, really simple to pull together. And the other half, we're going to do a terriaki stir fry, you know, and it's already cooked and it's ready to go. And we're saving ourselves time because we don't have to cook it again. But it's going to be really interesting for your family, and the odds of you eating all of it are so much greater. So much great.

Which, again, is going to make it much more budget conscious. I love it. Well, that's what we're going to do here on the shot. We're going to take two recipes with the same ingredient. Yes. Pork here starting out. And it looks so great. so I can't wait to dive in.

So this is the bacon-wrapped pork. Yes. Right? Yes. Nailed it. Delicious. It's such a lovely meal. Yeah.

So what we're going to do is the central ingredient is going to be this pork loin roast. Don't overthink it. If you're like, I've never heard of a pork loin roast. Just go ask the person at the grocery store that'll lead you in the right direction. Three to five pounds somewhere in there. And then we're going to take a pound of bacon and decorate it. You can do this beautiful lattice weave like we have here. Or you can just drape the bag.

bacon on top. Okay. And it'll be great. And then what I like to do to turn, again, everything's a complete meal because what I want is I want this to be like, dinner, box checked. Yes. We don't have to think. I don't want to just give you this recipe, Rachel, and be like, you figure out the size. Yes, that's right. God bless you. I said, I see, Joy Garcy. Yeah, this is what I love you. That's not helpful. No. Right? Not. No. And so what we've got, all these are going to be complete meals. And so we've got this half a head of purple cabbage. Okay. And we're just going drizzle a little bit of olive oil over that. The whole dinner series calls for two tablespoons of olive oil, but I can't don't overthink it, right? Use the oil you've got. It's going to be okay.

And I'm just rubbing that olive oil into this cabbage. I'm just going to stick it in there. Perfect, beautiful. And if you have not had roasted cabbage this way, it is really, really delicious. It's so humble and simple, but it's going to be lovely. And then the sweet potato, we have about three large sweet potatoes we're going to use. Crumble or toss that together and the rest of the olive oil. And then this is going to just get spread around our pork

roast. Just like that. And then would you like to sprinkle with salt and pepper? I'd love to. Thank you so much. Just over everything? Over everything. Give it all a good dose. Okay. I love it. Perfect. Beautiful. And then this is going to go into the oven. I would tint it with

foil first. But this is going to head into the at 325. And we're going to cook it till the pork's done. Okay? And so it could be as fast. Uh-oh, you're making me nervous. I'm going to tell you when. Yes.

It could be. I was like, oh, no. Cook it until. I joke for folks, but what an unhelpful recipe book that would be. Cook it until it's done. Yes. We're going to stick it in the at 375 for anywhere between one and two hours. But if you have a meat thermometer, talk about kitchen tools.

Get that one. That's a great one. It's a little thermometer. It'll stay stuck in the meat while it's in the oven. And then it beeps at you. when it's at the right temperature. So you could kind of forget it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's great. I love it. I love it. And so when this comes out of the oven, it's going to be this beautiful roasted. The bacon's going to be crispy. Yep. And we're going to drizzle it with a little fresh lemon juice just to finish it off. That's a fun tip if you ever want to limit your salt intake.

Sometimes when we think we're craving salt, we're really craving acid. Citrus or something. Yes. It's a little lemon or lime. We'll help with that. Yes, exactly. And then just a little bit of parsley right there on the end to give it a really fresh pop of color. Beautiful.

But that supper on night one. Right there. And it's done. And then you're going to take the remaining pork. So are we going to like cut this one in a half, like when it's done? Exactly. So that's half of it. That's the portion.

That would be dinner. So all those potatoes, all the cabbage. This is enough to feed four adults, hungry adults. Of it. And then you're going to half it. Put the other half in the refrigerator for the next dish for the next night. which is going to be a crispy ginger pork stir fry. And that's so exciting.

Yes, so nice. I make this all the time. I make this all the time in my house, and I was like, we've got to figure out a way to put this in the book. I'm so glad. It's so tasty. Okay, so what we're going to do, so we have taken half of that pork roast.

Yep, right? That was cooked and thinly sliced it into pork pieces, bacon and all. Everything. Everything. Everything. It was planned for. I thought it through.

It's going to taste great. She's planned it. I did. I did. I've got you covered. And so all of this chopped up pork that's already cooked is going to head into your favorite skillet. All right. And so in here, we're just going to toss it around. You can use a little butter. You can use a little olive oil. Again, that's interchangeable for each other. We're going to toss that around until it gets a little crispy. I want that bacon, you know, leftover bacon out of the fridge. It's not exciting. Yes. It's not. Let's give it. But we can make it exciting. Yep.

And so just let it cook until it gets a little crispy pork can do this in the skillet, and the texture is going to be great as long as you slice it thinly. Okay. And then from there, are you having this on like medium? Yeah. Great question. Yes, medium, high heat is usually what I go for. Perfect.

Yes. Perfect. And then what we're going to do is we're going to add in some shredded carrots. Now, you can splurge and get the already shredded carrots from the grocery store. Yep. That's usually what I go for. That's one of those concessions I make. And so that gets tossed around, and we're going to.

start to wilt those and then goes in all of our fun flavors. And this is when we turn it into an Asian-inspired dish. So some soy sauce heads in. Quarter cup or so, somewhere around there. If you make this as much as I do, you're not going to have to measure it in the future. Isn't that great sense? Yes, you're just going to eyeball it. Some honey is going to get poured in.

And this is, you can skip this. So there's a lot of folks who, you know, really don't like cooking with sweeteners or sugars and things like that. And that's going to be okay. But I think that the honey really adds something here. A little vinegar. Okay. All right. That'll help offset that honey so it doesn't taste too sweet. And then I don't know if you're used to cooking with fish sauce. Yes. Yes. Oh, great. It was one of those ingredients that I had that expired in like 2013 that I found like two years ago. Perfect. But yes. It's fermented. You know it's a lot though, right? I use it a lot. Oh, you do. Okay. I do. Okay. I do.

I need to cook more. I know. You could leave it out. You really could. If you're new to fish sauce or if anything intimidate you, you can definitely move it out. So we have some ground ginger key ingredient for the crispy ginger pork. Yes. And, you know, again, you can measure it out, half a teaspoon, quarter teaspoon,

depending on how much you like ginger. I really just, again, I just add to my heart. I had a friend say that she measures garlic and vanilla extract with her heart. I was like, I just feel it. It just feels right. I measure vanilla. with my heart. I was like, that's great. Okay, so you're going to keep sauteing this. It's going to start smelling so good. All these big flavors are going to come together. The pork is crispy. The carrots

are getting wilted. And then right before you're done, we're going to add in some green onion. So just take ahead of green onion, roughly chop it into about one inch pieces. Okay. Toss that in. And then you can essentially turn the heat off at this point because all the heat from all the other stuff is going to cook those enough. Yep. Yep. And then this is done. And then I serve it over fluffy white rice, a squeeze of lime juice, some sesame seeds. Uh-huh. Dinner is done. And that's it.

That's it. So easy. So, so easy. And it smells great. I mean, I know it's like not cooking right now because it's on an island, but it does. The flavor is stuff, it doesn't. It smells so good. And I love Asian stuff.

Like, this is like, yeah. This is my jam. And this is, this literally will come together in 10 to 15 minutes. So fast. And you have a totally different meal. And you're able to use. repurpose some of those things. That's one of my favorite things. So this dinner series is one of the more affordable ones in the book. And we have this really cool guide in there where I wanted folks,

so I'm a nutrition consultant, right? And so I wanted to be able to give people guides if you're gluten-free or dairy-free and things like that and have substitutions. But I thought it'd be neat to put little dollar signs, like a Yelp rating. Yes. You know when you're shopping for a restaurant. Yes. And both of these together was like a little over $17.15, right? Yes. Is that right? Yes. Which is like $2.19. Per person, per meal. Yes.

Which is unbelievable. Isn't that neat? So good. And again, with pork, with like a pork roast, like a big protein in there. Yes. So awesome. So great. Well, the cookbook I am so excited about.

I love this stuff. And because it does. It helps me. I was telling you during one of the breaks, I'm like, for people that just aren't naturally, like good. I'm like, when you see something, like you see a video like this. It's why I like do these videos. You know, on Instagram where you see a picture of something.

And you're like, okay, I can do that. I can do that. And it does. It inspires people. So you're so good at what you do. Thank you. From just the research beforehand. But as, again, as you put this book specifically together, was so smart because we can repurpose things, save time, save money, all of it. It's amazing. Okay, so where can everyone find the cookbook? Yes, you can find the cookbook. It's available. Everywhere books are sold. I think Target's got it, Barnes & Noble, wherever you are. Of course, all the places online. And then we have some free resources for you. FedInfit.com, of course,

is where I've got thousand plus free recipes for folks. And things like seasonal guides and shopping lists, things to make it just that much easier. So great. And where can people find you? Fed and Fit on Instagram. All right there. It's been really easy for you.

I love it. It's so great. So great. Well, you guys, I hope you enjoyed this. Again, give you some good ideas to save time, save money, make a great dinner for your family. That's what we love. That's what we love.

Thank you, Cassie. Thank you so much for having these. Yes, I love sharing my favorite recipes, things that make cooking easy and inexpensive and all things. So today we're going to walk through five classic Thanksgiving side dishes that you can make for $5 or less. Again, I love recipes that are easy, that are delicious, that are budget-friendly, and these are all three.

Now, listen, all of you, gluten-free, paleo, keto, cross-fitters may not appreciate all these recipes, but they are, timeless, they are classic. It just like brings you back to the 80s, you know, when you grew up, and you just had some classic Thanksgiving side dishes. So I'm so excited to jump in. So we're to start with baked mac and cheese. Of course, you have to have macaroni and cheese at Thanksgiving. It's like, it's a staple. So you just need one pound of elbow pasta, half a cup of flour, one fourth cup of butter, and two and a half cups of half and half. And of course, two cups of cheddar cheese, and you can even substitute some of the cheddar cheese for pepper

jack cheese, and it gives it a little spice. So great. So that recipe serves eight people. Total cost of everything is $4.72. And again, per serving is 59 cents a person. Amazing. Mac and cheese, love it. All right, the green bean casserole, you know, whether your grandma made it, your mom made it. We all had it. I feel like on our Thanksgiving dinner table. So this is going to require two cans of green beans, one can of cream of mushroom soup. Again, we're going back, people. We're going back the cream of mushroom of anything. You need one package of crispy fried onions, one cup of cheddar cheese. You can skip the cheese if you want, but why would you? And this serves six people for a total of $4.17.

and cost per serving is 68 cents. Yes. All right, classic, the cranberry sauce. You know, you've got to have cranberry sauce. You can do it out of the can, which is totally fine. But this recipe only has three ingredients. So you need one 12-ounce package of frozen or fresh cranberries, one cup of sugar, and half a cup of orange juice.

Serves up to nine people, total cost of $2.31 per serving, 40 cents. All right. Up next is creamed spinach. This is Sharon Ramsey. My mom always made cream spinach. It's so good. My grandmother made it. I love it. So you need three eight-ounce packages of spinach. You need one-fourth cup of butter. One and one-fourth cup of heavy cream. Two tablespoons of minced garlic. Altogether and voila. Serves 10 people. Total cost of $4.99. Cost per serving, though, is $49. cents. All right, last but not least, the classic sweet potato casserole. You know, this dish has your vegetables. It's got a little dessert, a little sweet on top. It's everything you need. So you need five sweet potatoes, one fourth cup of butter, one 10 ounce package of many marshmallows, three

tablespoons of orange juice, half a cup of brown sugar, a little pinch of cinnamon, and voila. There it is. Oh, it's so good. Serves eight people, $4.21 per serving is $50.50. It's 50. $0.2. Classic, you guys. And so inexpensive. So inexpensive. Now, before you run to the store and start making everything for Thanksgiving,

here are five quick money-saving tips that you need to know for the holiday season. Okay, number one. Some stores like Publix, Albertsons, Croger, they do buy one, get one, free sales the week prior to Thanksgiving. So be on the lookout. Number two, check grocery and coupon apps

for the deals before you head to the store. so many out there and make sure you know what you're buying and if there's any coupons because usually there's going to be. Number three, stock up ahead of time so you can get items like pie crusts, crescent rolls, all of that ahead of time and freeze them for up to a month. So then when Thanksgiving actually rolls around, you don't feel like you're spending a ton because you already have some ingredients that you already spent on. All right, number four, speaking of budget, you need one people. In our 2021, Ramsey's Solution. state of personal finance survey,

budgeters say that they feel more hopeful about their money than non-budgeters. So I want you to feel hopeful about your money in this holiday season. So use Every Dollar. This is the best budgeting app out there. It makes things easy. Keep track of your money all during the holidays,

from gifts to groceries, decor, everything. So you can search your app store or everydollar.com, download it for free and start budgeting. Number five, do a Thanksgiving potluck styles. Don't feel like you have to prepare the entire meal by yourself, especially if you're celebrating with a group. You can save on the budget, you can save on your time, and you can taste new recipes that people bring. So ask for help. All right, this holiday, oh, it's going to be so fun. I hope you guys enjoy these recipes. I'm going to leave everything, all the details, and the show notes. You can try them yourself. And again, I love giving you.

you guys the tangible things about life because we know life is crazy, our time is crazy, our money is crazy, food is crazy, it's all, but when we can make things simple together and again, classic Thanksgiving side dishes that you can make for $5 or less. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode.

Again, the holiday season is upon us and food and parties and all the things, oh, they're constant, but they're great, and it's also so exciting. Well, I want to thank Cassie Joy Garcia for being on and sharing all of her wisdom. And I want to thank you guys so much for listening. If you have not hit that subscribe button, make sure to do it. And if the spirit leads, you can leave a review.

As always, remember to take control of your money and create a life you love.