Ever made a salad in a jar? Very portable and makes a great make ahead meal. I made my wife and I a salad last night for our lunch today. Here’s how I did it. You start with what you want on top so when you put it onto a plate or in a bowl it comes out correctly. Tomatoes Diced Feta cheese cheese crumbles Bacon bits Diced ham Carrots Yellow pepper Celery Cucumber Chopped green leaf lettuce on top Put a lid on it and refrigerate. I put mine in a bowl and served with Western dressing. So good!!

I’m new here, and I really appreciate the focus on making the most of what you have. There’s something powerful about cooking with creativity and intention — turning simple, affordable ingredients into something genuinely satisfying. It also makes me think about how much skill and story sit behind everyday meals like these. I write about food, so going to have a careful look around the classroom! 😎

Not fancy. Not expensive. Just… surprisingly good. Because great food doesn’t come from spending more. It comes from knowing how to use what you have —how flavours build, how simple ingredients come together, how small tweaks make a difference. That’s something I think about a lot in my Skool too —how to notice those moments and actually put them into words. 👉 I'm sincerely curious: what’s your go-to thrifty meal that never disappoints? Would love to hear.

Let me introduce myself. I’m Lynda, a new member, and also a grandma who loves to cook. I received my training at the apron strings of my mother, aunts, and grandmother, who were all great cooks from Texas, USA. Family time meant the ladies of the family spent many hours preparing their favorite dishes. None of them were elegant chefs, but they were all dedicated to putting their best food on the table. Simple, satisfying, smell-good, taste-good food topped the menu. And since money was never something any of them had in abundance, their ability to improvise, adapt, and create original recipes flourished. One thing you’ll notice about my cooking is that grandma-style leaves lots of room for self-expression. Why? Because I don’t precisely measure much — I taste for accuracy. A pinch, a dash, a palmful, and a smidgeon are all very exact directions when you learn to appreciate them. Down-home potato soup with meatballs: You can start this dish with any basic recipe for potato soup. I always start with a stick of butter, diced onions, and chopped celery, which I simmer in my favorite soup pot. I’ll season with fresh garlic, salt, pepper, and a couple of spoons of chicken base. I add the diced potatoes, frozen meatballs, and a handful of chopped spinach. Then I fill my pot with liquid — 1 part water to 2 parts milk. Be sure to add additional seasonings of your choice if you desire. Cook on a medium/low heat until potatoes are tender. Just before serving, I’ll add a couple of tablespoons of sour cream to the mix. All that’s left is to dish it up into bowls and top with your favorite croutons. This soup is most appreciated on cold days when the inside of a person is in need of some additional warmth or when the soul is in need of something cozy. Enjoy!

Laura makes great potato soup. She wrote an article about it. https://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2017/02/filling-tummies-in-hard-times-simple.html?m=1