The local gourmet shop sent me an email about the Friday night dinners to go.

This week's offering is $8.49 plus tax for a salisbury steak with onion gravy and rice. The tightwad in me is remembering that Stouffer's is 4/$10.00 this week at Harris Teeter.

Next week's  $8.49 dinner is bbq pork with baked beans, cornbread, and cole slaw.

Do you think $8.49 is too much for the meals ?

I am not sure if I want to get the dinner this week or not.

My budget would allow me to go out to dinner in Newport News at a restaurant. Unfortunately, I'd have to eat alone because my widowed friend is working. Part of me wants to go out to eat at a restaurant. I would like a break from eating my own cooking, but I don't want to be a spendthrift.

Thanks.

Keep in mind that price doesn't always equal value. So the $8.49 salisbury steak may be a value to you based on the quality of the ingredients. I'm not saying that the Stouffer's is bad, just that Stouffer's may compromise on the quality of the ingredients to meet a price point.

Jill

The portions only fed one person back when Mom and I would order them.

The quality is pretty decent. They use Sysco as one of the suppliers.

There is a lot of grease in the Stouffer's salisbury steak frozen entree. Also, there isn't much onion in the onion gravy in the Stouffer's.

If I wanted to eat at home and cook Friday's supper, I could have some sort of potato and a steak plus a green veggie. I do get tired of eating my own cooking, though.

If I found a sale on ground beef at Harris Teeter, I could make my own Salisbury steaks. I saw directions in a recent foods magazine. It makes 4 of them. Could I freeze the rest of them ?

Personally, I can't see how the two meals can even be compared.  One comes from a gourmet food store and the other is sold in the frozen section at the supermarket.  Although they both say they feed 1, I am willing to bet that the one from the gourmet store weighs more.  (There have been times that I've thought the Stouffer's meal could fill a cavity...that's how hungry I was afterwards!)  In addition, the quality is probably better.

The Stouffer's used to be good. The only reason I buy them is to keep something easy to fix in the freezer.

However......last week I saw for myself how nice the frozen things were at Trader Joe's. They are something I would enjoy more than Stouffer's.

The local gourmet shop meal would weigh more than the Stouffer's plus it would be better quality.

I am seriously considering buying my own ground beef at Harris Teeter and making my own frozen Salisbury steaks. I've got onions in the house. I could go to Harris Teeter on Saturday. Friday I have to take Aurora to the vet's. I have 2 different appointments on Thursday that are time consuming.

Some of the frozen things at Trader Joe's are great.  I love the mushroom or pesto flatbread.  For less than $2.00 a serving, it makes a great meal, with a salad. 

I keep Lean Cuisines or Smart Ones for when I'm in a rush.  I only buy them when they are on sale and when I have a coupon.  Today I scored, because in addition, it was senior day...10% off total bill.

If you have the time and are so inclined to do so, make the Salsbury steak yourself.  It will cost more, but you will have another meal or so to freeze...and then it will really be worth the effort.  I bet it will taste better, too.

 Why don't you just get one this Fri and try it out and see.  I say a boxed meal at $8.50 is worth it if I can share it with one of my kids.  If I were flying solo, I would say it was worth it if I could have lunch leftovers for the next day.

I have to admit that $8.49 is cheaper than eating at a restaurant. Besides, I don't have to tip (if I get good service, I don't mind tipping).

I am not really sure if I'd enjoy making a Salisbury steak for myself. I like doing things that kinda cook themselves after I've made them....like quiches.

I can call tomorrow and see if a salad comes with it. The green salads are good that they make. It'll also give me an excuse to buy some of the fancy cranberry cheese and the cheese with grainy mustard seeds in it.

I can chill the bottle of sparkling cider and have it with Friday's dinner. Yes, I keep neat things like sparkling cider in the pantry. I buy neat stuff on sale and then I forget about it.

I can bake a homemade pie on Thursday.

Do you remember my saying that I used to order from Home Bistro ? www.homebistro.com My goal is to keep neat foods in the freezer that I either have made or that I've bought at Harris Teeter or at Trader Joe's. I own a Food Saver.

The Fresh Market carries the veal I need for veal stew that Home Bistro used to carry. The recipe makes 6 servings. I'm sure that I can make it for less than $13.95 a serving plus s/h. I found the recipe in The Silver Palette Cookbook.

I got tired of the s/h prices at Home Bistro plus I also got tired of having so many styrofoam freezer chests pile up.

If I grocery shop on Saturday, the rack of ribs at Harris Teeter will cost $7.99 instead of $10.99.  I have cornbread mix and cans of baked beans, bought on sale. If I do that, I'll qualify for a $5.00 off the next grocery bill at Harris Teeter.

Many of the promotions at HT are worth doing. I love combining coupons with sales and promotions.