Cheap meals

[Kaleva]

Being on a fixed income of $1071.00 a month for SSDI, I don't have much in the way of spending money. On top of that, I get $16.00 a month in food stamps (it's actually applied to a debit card issued by the state) and a box of commodities once every three months.

So, I really try to watch what I spend on food and have adjusted what I eat accordingly. Below is a relatively cheap meal that lasts awhile and is one I like.

1 can of tomato juice + 1/2 can of water (more or less)
1 cup dried Northern beans
1 cup dried kidney beans
1 cup dried black beans
3 celery stalks finely chopped
5 carrots finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/3 head of cabbage finely chopped
1 lb. hamburger (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Pour tomato juice and water in pot
rinse beans and add to pot
simmer until beans are almost done (about an hour)
add celery, carrots, onions, cabbage and browned hamburger
continue cooking till veggies and beans are done

On occasion, I've added left over rice or pasta to this.

You'll need to add water as needed during the cooking.