>We have a bison farm nearby....

Awww, MAN!  I'm jealous.  Do they butcher the meat on site, by chance?  If
so, see if you can get bones and other 'leftovers' at a good price.  Great
for stock!

Speaking of which (a tip for you and perhaps some others), I'm on a chicken
stock kick at the moment.  Homemake chicken stock is delicious all by itself
(nice winter treat, no?) and great, of course, for soups.  I found whole
chickens half off recently.  For a bird costing about $2.50 I got:

~ eight cups of stock (thicker than I've ever seen -- I could probably add
water and get ten cups still great for soup)
~ a good portion of pulled chicken (great to put in salads, toss in with
sauteed veggies, etc.)
~ plenty of fat and skin for Bart, my killer chihuahua; enough for two days!

If purchased separately, the above items would easily have come to $14.00
and the canned stock would have SUCKED!

You'll find as you go along there a many ways to stretch the food budget.  I
feel good about generating less waste -- fewer boxes and, in my case, no
bottles.  Love your mother!  (earth)

Dori Zook
Denver, CO

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