The Price Of The Protein

For the most part, when I cook meals at the church I plan the menu on my own. When I was hired the pastor didn't give me any monetary restrictions, but I like to play a game and see how inexpensively I can put together a tasty meal. The protein is the most expensive ingredient, so I start by browsing the clearance section at the grocery store looking for a package of meat (which usually costs half of the normal price), then build the rest of the meal around that.

However, last week the pastor told me he had a hankering for Sloppy Joes and asked if I would make that this week. I agreed, and asked him what else should be on the menu. He said that when he was growing up his mom always served corn and potato chips. I know that a couple of the staff members are watching their carbs, so my menu also included cole slaw. 

On Sunday I stopped at the store to buy ingredients for breakfast and checked to see if there was any hamburger in the clearance section. There was sushi, sub sandwiches, and salami, but no hamburger.  When I went in to buy ingredients for Monday's dinner the meat shelf of the section was empty. Yesterday I happened to be in the store for personal groceries and decided to take a quick look. Still nothing.

I realized I was going to have to pay retail price for the meat. However, this morning there was one package waiting for me on the clearance meat shelf. I snapped it up with a smile, then went over to the meat section and grabbed just one package off the shelf.

Five years ago today: From Heavy Coat To Light Jacket