Dollar Store Cuisine - Challenge #1

Throughout the summer I'm give my girls a challenge that they are actually quite excited about.  Create a meal from items purchased at the dollar store for $5 or less.  It has to feed at least two people and be as nutritious as possible.  Spices, oil and salt & pepper are the only things excluded from the $5.  Everything else they use has to be an item you could purchase at Dollar Tree.  They both eagerly accepted.

My oldest took on Challenge #1 and selected items to make a breakfast.  Hashbrowns, sausage, eggs and fruit.  Total spent = $4.

She cooked the sausages first and drained the fat off into a dish using some of it to cook the hashbrowns in.

With scrambled eggs

She used a little more fat to cook the eggs.  She only needed to use salt and pepper to season the hasbrowns and the eggs.

The fruit was served as a side dish and while it didn't look all that appetizing it was okay.  Her recommendation for next time would be to select a canned fruit like peaches or pineapple.

However she didn't waste the frozen fruit and used it instead to make a smoothie which she pointed out could've been done with dollar store ingredients as well as they sell both milk and yogurt.

With fried eggs

The thought behind this is for me to help them prepare for any eventuality.  I'm encouraging them to think outside the box a little bit and challenging them to make a meal with little money and fewer resources.  Because you just never know.   I think she did great!