Who's so smart?

Yesterday while at the grocery store I was shopping not only for last nights dinner, but also for tonight's I had a revelation. We are really a lazy culture.

I know it's been said before, but what really struck me was that being lazy is also contributing to being broke.

Knowing that I was making a chicken Caesar Salad for dinner last night, I automatically went to the part of the produce section and stood in front of the pre washed, chopped and bagged salad mixes. $3.99, $3.29, $2.99 for a bag of lettuce that would probably feed the two of us. Then I sidled down the aisle at Albertsons and looked at these beautiful heads of romaine lettuce, whole tied up with a big blue twisty tie for $.99. All I had to do was take it home, chop it and run it through my salad spinner. I had enough for 2 healthy salads last night and enough to take to work with me today for lunch.

Then on to the meat aisle....boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 3# package for $16. OR I could buy a 3# package of skin on, ribs attached breasts for $6. Same brand.

The skin came off, the breasts and tenders detached from the ribs and the bones saved and frozen for the next time I need to make chicken stock. 2 breasts frozen for future use, about a pound chopped up for chicken skewers tonight and the remainder seasoned and pan seared for dinner last night.

I have to figure that for a little effort on my part in the kitchen dinner last night cost me all of $6 to feed both of us a very healthy and delicious dinner. And now I have the means to cook additional dinners without going back to the store. That, in my way of thinking, is smart shopping, smart cooking and smart eating.

I think a lot of America has forgotten to shop smart and eat smart. Brock and I were talking about it and he thinks I could do a Food Network show on it to help remind them...what do you think?