Traditional Meals for the Frugal Family: Delicious, Nourishing Recipes for Less

by Shannon Stonger

Low-Budget Should Never Mean Low-Quality

In this practical cookbook, Shannon Stonger, author of Traditionally Fermented Foods and co-author of The Doable Off-Grid Homestead , invites you into her bustling homestead kitchen. She shares how she feeds her family of eight with delicious, nutritious meals for less. Based on the wisdom of traditional food diets, these recipes are focused on unprocessed ingredients, pastured animal products and frugal foods that people have thrived on for generations. The resulting meals are gluten-free, almost entirely dairy-free, picky eater–certified and, most importantly, deeply nourishing.

Find tips and tricks for cutting down on costs while prioritizing nutrient density per dollar. Follow easy directions for sprouting or soaking grains and legumes to unlock their full nutritional value, then use them in yummy meals like A Better Kefir-Chia Soaked Granola or Soaked Gluten- Free Artisan Bread. Learn to tactfully utilize more expensive produce, with foolproof recipes like higher-protein, lower-cost Stretched-Out Guacamole. With recipes like Homemade Coconut Milk and Cultured Oatgurt, you can make your own pantry staples, saving you money.

There are also tons of incredible dishes that maximize wholesome animal products, mouthwatering flavors and cost-effectiveness, such as Mediterranean Hide-the-Heart Meatballs, Stretch-the-Meat and Bean Loaf and Real Food Copycat Tomato Soup. Give your family the gift of nutritious meals made from real foods―without breaking the bank.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this is actually a 2-star book but only because the majority of recipes don’t fit my current lifestyle in terms of time and ingredients. Although the recipes do appeal in terms of dairy and gluten-free, sadly, I don’t have time for the soaking, kefir making, and sourcing some of the ingredients. With that being said, I opted to give this book 3 stars because it is a viable cookbook for those who do have those abilities and are wanting a healthier lifestyle. The recipes are straight-forward and there is a lot of good information in terms of ingredients, budgeting for meals, and sprouting. I recommend that others interested in this type of cooking / diet take a look at the book and make a decision based on how well it will fit their needs rather than solely relying on reviews. It’s worth the quick check out from the library if you can.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably won't purchase or make anything from this cookbook- but it was designed well with easy-to-follow recipes and instructions.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very pretty cookbook. In the end, I only found two recipes that interested me.

[Cheryl]

Not traditional. Fermented, raw, gluten-free, etc. Nothing appealed to me even as inspiration to adapt to my own pantry. I read every list of ingredients (it's really a slim volume, too) but am tagging as dnf Feb 2021.

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Notes::
Fantastic recipes
Gorgeous photos
One of my favorite cookbooks

[Jenna Hetmansperger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful and informative book. I'm excited to try these recipes and try some new skills like soaking and sprouting.