I'd recommend a nice bottle of wine, if he drinks.
Or maybe go somewhere like Things Remembered, and find a pen or something he could use at work, and have it engraved. They have quite a few nice sale items during Christmas. ... View related article.
I've used jack-o-lantern pumpkins for cooking... as far as I know, the only difference is that they don't have as much flavor as pie pumpkins.
You could make pumpkin butter... bake or steam hunks of the pumpkin until they're soft, then puree in a blender. Put it in a crock pot with cinnamon and whatever other spices you like, and cook it with the cover off until it's reduced by about half. ... View related article.
You could donate them to Goodwill, or the Salvation army, or any thrift store. It's for a good cause, and if you get a receipt you can write off what you paid for the gifts on your taxes. ... View related article.
Do you know if it's the texture your child doesn't like, or the flavor? If it's the flavor you could try switching to ground turkey, or maybe using half-and-half beef and turkey. Ground turkey is around 50-75 cents cheaper per pound than beef where I shop. ... View related article.
How about meringue? It's easy to make, just egg whites and sugar. I don't have any specific recipes, but lemon meringue pie if one of my favorites (and will work with pudding mixes in you don't want to make the custard by hand)... or meringue cookies, flavored with a little bit of whatever flavor extract you like.
Of course, that would mean you'd have to find a use for the yolks... but they can be frozen, mixed with a little big of salt or sugar so they don't harden too much, and used in recipes. ... View related article.
Take a walk through your local farmer's market and see how the prices compare to the grocery store- you might find that it's a lot cheaper! In my farmer's market (during this season) I've gotten broccoli, tomatoes, and peaches for 1.00 per pound- huge bunches of beets, carrots, and onions for 1.00 regardless of weight.
When fruits like apples are in season growers will sell the excess for very low prices, in bulk. Today I saw shopping bags stuffed with apples selling for around 3 to 4 dollars. You'll see more bruises and imperfections than at the grocery store, but those are easily sliced off if you're cooking with them. Plus, everything you're getting is much fresher than at the store, and you're supporting your local economy!
I agree with those who say you can replace some of your husband's meat with beans. I did this to my dad when he was diagnosed with high cholesterol, he's also a meat-and-potatoes person, and he had no idea! For example, when you make burgers take some of the meat out and replace it with mashed beans, or add beans to taco meat, stews, etc. Then you'll have meat left over to use in another meal.
I buy bags of dried beans and soak them overnight. One average-sized bag of beans usually costs 1-2 dollars, and when soaked will produce the same amount of beans as you'd get from multiple cans, so you've saving a few dollars per bag of dried beans. ... View related article.
