How I Learned To Stretch An Egg.

 I learned a lot about stretching a buck back in The Great Inflation of the 1970s. The only good part about that frightening time was that I was too young to understand the full measure of what was transpiring. That's because my parents were still sort of responsible for me so they dealt with the shortages. Not me. My friends and I made it fun to wait on long gas lines to fill up our cars. My girlfriends and I also shared recipes. The 1970s was a time of eating healthier, making your own yogurt, eating less meat and more tofu. It also was a time of learning to stretch the US dollar. Thankfully many of our grandparents were still alive and able to actually show us how to cook! I learned about lentils, fresh pasta sauces, the infamous meatloaf and Hamburger Helper (click here). Back in those days it was considered 'poverty level' if you used chop meat in any of your recipes. Today? Chopped beef meals would be considered a luxury! 

Many of the recipes I learned back in the 1970s I still use to this day. And why not? They're heathy, delicious, cheap and very easy to make. Some of those foods (which I will share on this blog sporadically) would be my infamous meatloaf, lentil soup, rice pudding and my most favorite one, quiche! I used to make a quiche almost every single weekend. It was a way to use up all the leftover veggies I had at the end of the week, as well as stretch an egg. I only use 2 eggs in this recipe and it makes enough quiche to feed me for the rest of the week. Feel free to use any veggie you'd like. Or none at all. I always tend to gravitate towards spinach. I always have a half bag of fresh but frozen spinach in my freezer. You can also add in little bits of sausage or bacon. It's up to you. The main money saver is that you do NOT use cream or expensive milk. I use a single can of (fat free) evaporated milk (plus 1/2 cup of skimmed milk but you can use any milk type you'd prefer).

I'd have a slice of my quiche every morning and it was as if I were eating my very own egg every single day. The mix between the protein of the egg and evaporated milk combined with either the spinach or some other veggie made my breakfast very healthy. And low cost! You can make your own pie crust but I always used the pre-made store bought shell. Into a bowl I would crack 2 eggs, the can of evaporated milk, a half cup of skim milk, a cup of shredded cheddar cheese (you can use any cheese you would like), a dab of dijon mustard, some salt, pepper, parsley, mix all together and pour over a (frozen) bed of spinach all sitting nicely at the bottom of the pre-made pie shell. Top everything with paprika. I'd bake it in a 350F oven for at least an hour and voila': home made quiche!

Aldi is currently selling a dozen eggs for $5.46. I remember just a few scant months ago they used to be only .99 cents for the very same dozen. Oh well. At least I have my 1970s quiche. If you do try my recipe, drop me a comment and tell me what you think of it. My girlfriends and I hope we can do you right!

Another way to stretch an egg, is to freeze them. I'm quickly learning how to do that! Here's the video I watched and learned from. I just bought some cupcake holders, two dozen eggs and I am on my way!