I like to escape my house and visit friends.  It’s a nice way to de-stress after a long work week.  To make the most of the visits we’d often eat out or visit the grocery store…one of my favorites.  One problem…this can be tough on the budget.

“Cook a meal together” you might say (if you talked to blogs)…but eating out was often a place of necessity.  Who wants to cook two meals – one allergen free and one filled with all the itchy stuff.  It took a bit of practice but learning to cook easy meals and save a few pennies at home made it visiting fun.

While visiting Heather I offered to cook a quick 3 ingredient dinner and save our pennies for a RedBox movie.

This meal was easy with a grab and go from the pantry.  I included:

• 1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1.5 cups boxed Butternut Squash Soup
• Pasta – I brought my rice pasta/she had whole wheat

Using the boxed soup and fire roasted tomatoes provided a ton of flavor and I added a dash of nutmeg to bring out a warm flavor.  The tomatoes, soup and nutmeg simmered on the stove top while the pasta boiled.

The best thing about a meal like this the sauce is made from things I keep my pantry all the time.  Gluten free pasta is expensive so creating a sauce for two separate pastas was cost effective as well. 

I loved this so much I’ve recreated it several times with different friends for a quick and easy dinner we can both enjoy.  No feeling deprived or breaking the bank.  And simple meals like this make it nice for regular visits just to catch up.  I’ll be bringing some of this along when I stay with friends on vacation soon.

How about checking out :

Around in Many WaysI've beat myself up for not posting here as often as I'd like or sticking to a schedule. I know I say that often ... I'm a Life ScoutI’m searching for the perfect laptop satchel for my work things before I attach them all. And I also want to find some for ... We Sound Silly(source) That’s the exact look my friend gave recently when I happily told her about a new cookie recipe I’m experimenting with using sorghum ... Not willing to give up for savingsWant to save money but not willing to give up somethings.Healthy food: Especially with allergies. But skip all organic or super fancy.Gym membership: Stress ...