When I grew up, crepes were the default dish when nothing else came to mind. We usually ate each crepe directly as it came from the pan as nobody wanted to wait around until a large stack was prepared. They were best that way: crispy on the edges, light and fluffy.

Many people have the perception that crepes are difficult to make. While it's true that before you get the hang of it, it can be a little tricky to turn a crepe or "flip it." Although once you get it figured out, it's really easy and your crepes will be cooked in no time.

If you have the time, it's nice to make the batter in advance to work out any lumps, however it you don't, they'll be just fine.

There are various ways to serve crepes: with fresh fruit and whipped cream; with feta cheese and smoked ham; with cottege cheese and fruit jam. Or, for a more elaborate meal, fill your crepes with a mushroom sauce, top with cheese and bake in the oven. The possibilites are endless!

Here is a recipe for a basic crepe batter:

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Butter, for coating the pan

Method:

First crack the eggs, add the flour, the salt and half the amount of milk in a bowl. Whisk well until most lumps are gone. Now add the rest of the milk, and whisk together. Let sit for 20 minutes or so if you have the time, otherwise no worries. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours in the fridge.

Heat a small crepe pan, or a flat cast iron pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove from pan. Either serve directly, or stack the crepes on a plate, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Tip! After the crepes have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

*Savory Variation Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.

*Sweet Variation Add 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.

If you are looking to save some money at the grocery store, there are plenty of good ingredients you can pick up that don't cost a lot of money and that can be used for so many different dishes.

Many times cheap food is the best food for you, just think about hearty farmers meals with lots of root fruits, vegetables and grains. It's not expensive to keep up with a healthy yet satisfying lifestyle.

Here is a list of affordable recipes you can make with these ingredients.

So what ingredients are generally cheap and cost-effective?

Grains (rice, oats, wheat berries, grits, quinoa...)
Hearty grains is a perfect addition to any meal and one of the cheapest ingredients you can find. Make nice hearty salads, put in soups, or serve as an accompaniment.

Pasta
Pasta is the oldest trick in the book. Cheap and versatile, it can be used for so many things.

Beans and lentils
Beans, lentils, peas and chickpeas are extremely cheap as well nutritious. There are so many different kinds to choose between, so you won't run out of options. Preferably buy them dry in bulk and cook them yourself in large batches and freeze, or buy canned ones.

Potatoes
Potatoes is a classic part of the farmer's diet. Buy a large bag in bulk and utilize it for a million different dishes.

Cabbage
Cabbage is usually quite cheap, yet it can be utilized for more things then people give it credit for. Nutritious and packed with vitamins, it's perfect to have on hand.

Vegetables
Fresh vegetables can be surprisingly expensive, especially if they're out of season. Canned vegetables, or frozen ones are usually a better alternative. An added benefit to canned and frozen vegetables are their nutrition content – since they are preserved or frozen at their peak, they are sometimes more nutritious then fresh vegetables.

Onions, Carrots & Celery
These vegetables are among the cheapest ones you can find, yet they work as a base for so many different dishes.

Canned Tomatoes
You can pick up canned tomatoes as well as canned tomatoe paste for very little money, yet they are perfect to have on hand to make soups, stews, tomato sauce and other dishes.

Bullion Cubes
Instead of buying individual containers of broth or stock for your dishes, pick up a few packs of bullion cubes instead. One pack will produce a lot of broth for a fraction of the cost of canned or packaged broth, and provide good flavor for your dishes as well.

Meat
To buy small packs of meat is always expensive. You're better off if you buy larger packs of any cut and clean and cut the meat yourself. That way you can buy one large piece, separate it into smaller cuts and freeze what you don't need right away. Ground beef is usually cheap as well, and also works nice to freeze in case you buy a large amount.

Chicken
Chicken can be quite expensive if you go for the boneless chicken files. A better alternative, is to buy large packs of chicken thighs or chicken wings. They are usually much cheaper, and much tastier as well!

Sausage
A large pack of good quality sausage does not have to be very expensive. An added benefit to sausage is that it's easy to freeze individual sausage links to have on hand. Even just a little bit of sausage can add a lot of flavor in a dish! The same goes for bacon. You can wrap individual bacon slices in foil and freeze, that way you always have some on hand when you need to flavor something.

Fish
Fresh fish is usually quite expensive, however canned or frozen fish can be quite reasonable. Look for canned salmon or canned tuna (can be used in casseroles or soups in addition to sandwiches). Frozen fish is sometimes of higher quality than fresh fish. The same goes for fish: if you can find a large pack and portion some out for another day you can usually make a better deal.

Eggs
Eggs are wonderful: extremely cheap, versatile and healthy. You can eat eggs any time of the day and either make a meal out of it (omelet, egg sandwich) or eat a boiled egg with your cerial for breakfast.

Spices
Don't underestimate spices! When you are in the midst of your budget cooking with beans and rice and canned vegetables, some good flavor might be just what you're looking for. Try to find a grocery store that sells spices in bulk. That way, you can pick up just enough to last for a little while and your spices won't go dull.

All beans do require relatively long time to cook, however the different types do differ slightly. Here is a chart for various beans and how long they take to cook.

Soaking does reduce the cooking times somewhat for all the beans. There are two basic methods for soaking beans:

Long Soak:
Simply cover the beans in water and soak them overnight (about 8-10 hours). You don't want to soak the beans for too much longer, then they can absorb too much liquid and loose their texture and flavor. If however, you soaked your beans and want to wait to cook them, then drain the beans and store in the fridge until you're ready.

Quick Soak:
The second method is a little quicker and doesn't require as much preparation. Put the beans in a large pot, add water and bring up to a boil. Let the water boil for about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover the pot and let soak for about 1 hour.

Beans-to-Water Ratio

All the beans have the same beans-to-water ratio.

• 1 pound of soaked beans need to cook in 4 quarts (16 cups) of water
• 1 pound of unsoaked beans need to cook in 5 quarts (20 cups) of water

Cooking the beans

When cooking the beans, bring the water, the beans and 2 ½ teaspoons of salt to a boil. Reduce the heat and maintain a low simmer during the remainder of the cooking time.