If you live in the eastern half of the US, you may have an ALDI's (or Save-A-Lot) store somewhere near you. Recently I've been doing nearly all my grocery shopping at ALDI's, and it is saving me a bundle. Even if you don't have an ALDI's near you, it's worthwhile checking out their website. They have a online meal planning tool and a collection of over 6000 low-cost recipes. 

While I don't often use convenience foods, ALDI's prices allow me to do so without breaking the budget. Today I picked up a 16-ounce bag of frozen turkey meatballs for $1.99, and a 2-pack of sweet peppers (one red and one yellow) for $1.49, and here's what we had for dinner.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs (Serve over rice)

1 pound bag of frozen meatballs (or make your own from scratch using beef or turkey)

2 cups brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup vinegar

¼ cup orange juice (or use water)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 tablespoons oil

Chopped peppers (I used ½ of a red pepper and ½ of a green pepper)

Defrost meatballs (in the microwave is fine.) Put the oil in a skillet, and stir fry the chopped peppers and meatballs for a few minutes to soften the peppers and brown the meatballs a little.

Meanwhile, in a larger pot, combine the sugar, flour, vinegar, juice or water, soy sauce, and ketchup. Stir over medium heat until boiling.

Place meatballs and peppers in a casserole dish, and pour the sauce over them. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly. Easily serves 4.

I'm excited to say that my May Digest is now available. We have all the usual goodies, along with a focus on education. This covers everything from fun pre-school activities you can do at home, to saving money on college costs. You don't need to be a homeschooler to find lots of useful tips in this Digest. I know you'll love this issue as much as I do.

 

What others are saying about Molly's Money-Saving Digest for May 2009:
 
"Molly has delivered yet another inspiring yet ultimately practical issue dedicated to all the areas which matter most to homeschooling families, which I'm sure you'll find well worth the cover price of $4.95!"--Michelle Smith, TOS Research Panel
 
". . . May's issue is my favorite issue of Molly's Digest so far! It was encouraging and refreshing--exactly what I needed to read this week!"--April Elstrom, TOS Review Panel
 
Molly has a wealth of information and support to share in one easy-to-read, handy resource for an incredibly low price!  At under $5, you'll recoup your cost of this E-Book right away. And you'll more than recover your investment as you are encouraged to keep going strong in your commitment to the Lord and your family.