Chef Sean called to say that he finds time and food go together. If you want to eat fast, then it’s going to cost you a lot. But he says that buying some technology can really help you save money — and make the food taste great.

He suggests buying a bread machine and either a slow cooker or a pressure cooker to help make meals quickly. With a slow cooker, you put in the food in the morning before you go to work, and when you come home, a hot meal is waiting, that is cheap and delicious. He says in his bread machine he makes bread, pizza dough, dessert breads and other things, which save him big bucks at the check-out line.

(I said buying fresh dough at Trader Joe’s for $1.40 or so and then making your own pizzas will save you a ton of time and money.)

Rebecca called in to say that for kids with allergies or ADD and ADHD, making fresh foods that they can eat will help alleviate their symptoms as well as being a lot cheaper. She makes a lot of cornbread and puts the dough at the bottom of muffin cups to act as a base. From that, she pops them out of the freezer to make mini pizzas or sandwiches for her kids during the week. She even mixes the dough with bits of egg and sausage, cooks it and then freezes them, making for a fast, healthy breakfast in the morning (you just pop them into the microwave and she said her kids love them).

Be creative, have fun in the kitchen and save money every time.

Sept. 14, 2008.