Skyrocketing gas prices and escalating grocery costs have put getting more for a dollar top-of-mind for many consumers. Many Americans are tailoring their grocery shopping lists to ensure they get more bang for their buck. That means purchasing items that provide the best nutritional punch for their value.

Luxury items like prepackaged or single serve meals are giving way to items that can stretch the food dollar and function as more than one meal. Hard-working staples such as bread, pasta and eggs are moving to the top of the grocery list.

Budget-conscious families know that when shopping for food, they need items that provide value in both cost and nutrition. For about 17 cents, one egg provides varying amounts of 13 essential vitamins and minerals, contains the highest-quality protein of any food, and has 72 calories.

A dozen eggs costs approximately $2 and can be served morning, noon or night. For a family of four, a dozen eggs can turn into a protein source for two or three meals. Eggs also have a long shelf life. In fact, eggs can be kept refrigerated for up to four weeks after purchase.

Here’s a price/nutrition comparison of common protein foods:

Eggs:
* Cost per serving — 17 cents
* Calories per serving — 72

2 Percent Milk:
* Cost per serving — 24 cents
* Calories per serving — 122

Skinless Chicken Breast:
* Cost per serving — 45 cents
* Calories per serving — 94

90 Percent Lean Ground Beef
* Cost per serving — 55 cents
* Calories per serving — 150

Boneless Pork Chop
* Cost per serving — 68 cents
* Calories per serving — 179

Beef Round Roast (USDA Choice, Boneless)
* Cost per serving — 70 cents
* Calories per serving — 168

Try this value-conscious recipe that will still leave you with six eggs that you can serve another day — as breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Frugal MacDougall’s Quiche

Frugal MacDougall’s Quiche

Makes: Six servings

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup shredded carrots (about 5 ounces)
2/3 cup sliced celery
1 teaspoon instant minced onion
6 eggs, divided
2 cups cooked mashed potatoes, cooled
3/4cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 cup skim or low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 inch water to a boil. Add carrots, celery and onion. Cover and cook until celery is tender, about seven to eight minutes. Drain well. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat one egg. Stir in potatoes until well blended. Spread on bottom and up sides of lightly greased 9-inch pie plate to form crust. Sprinkle reserved drained vegetables and cheese into crust.

Beat together remaining eggs, milk and salt (if desired) until well blended. Pour over vegetables and cheese. Bake in preheated 375 F oven until knife inserted near center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

For more recipes or information on eggs, visit www.incredibleegg.org

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Anyone who enjoys the taste of charbroiled foods should know that there is a way to get that delicious flavor in your food right at home. Outdoor fireplace cooking is how, and this is a style of cooking that has become incredibly popular, especially over the past few years in particular.

Buying the Fireplace

Obviously the first step to outdoor fireplace cooking is going to be purchasing the fireplace if you do not already have one. There are a few things you are going to want to consider here. If you are looking for warmth then you may want to get an outdoor fireplace that resembles a traditional campfire because these devices allow many people to gather around and use it for heat.

If you are more concerned with appearance then be prepared to spend a bit more money, because for the really luxurious models the price tag can get quite high. Some of the magnificent outdoor fireplaces are fairly large and so you will also need to consider the size factor, and how much room you have to spare on your patio or wherever you are planning to put the fireplace.

Cooking

Now that you are ready to start outdoor fireplace cooking, you will want to come up with some great outdoor fireplace cooking recipes. One of the quickest and simplest outdoor recipes you can make is Eggs on a Raft. The only ingredients required for this recipe are bread, butter, salt, pepper, eggs, and a frying pan.

You simply take a slice of the bread and cut out a circle about two inches in diameter, then toast it slowly and lightly on both sides. You can use a kebob or forked stick to toast the bread, and after it is lightly browned you want to melt some butter in the frying pan, put the toast in the pan and wait until it begins to sizzle. The egg should now be broken and put into the hole so that the yoke will stay put. Once the egg begins to cook you want to sprinkle some salt and pepper and after it is cooked to how you like it, you can take it off and serve.

Another great recipe for outdoor fireplace cooking is French toast. This is another very simple recipe and all you need is milk, salt, pepper, sugar, butter, and syrup or jam. Break the eggs into a bowl, and then you add about a cup of milk, as well as the salt, pepper, and sugar. Then you want to beat this mixture with a fork, wet the slices of bread in it, and put them in a hot frying pan to cook until browned.

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