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Thanks to all the readers who have sent their creative and heartfelt ideas on how they save money on the high cost of food. I will be sharing these ideas with you in the next few weeks. . . . And this week's winning idea (drumroll, please) comes from Carol Williams of Bedford, NH, for her "3-Fer from one inexpensive chicken." Although this would only feed a small family and not with those of you who have hungry teens in the house, this is great advice and something we all can do. You could double this for larger families. Carol begins with a whole chicken, bought on sale.

Thanks to all the readers who have sent their creative and heartfelt ideas on how they save money on the high cost of food. I will be sharing these ideas with you in the next few weeks…And this week's winning idea (drumroll, please) comes from Carol Williams of Bedford, NH, for her "3-Fer from one inexpensive chicken." Although this would only feed a small family and not with those of you who have hungry teens in the house, this is great advice and something we all can do. You could double this for larger families. Carol begins with a whole chicken, bought on sale.

1. Meal One. Carol trims the breast meat from the chicken, and uses it as follows – Cheddar Crusted Chicken. "I brush the boneless skinless chicken breasts with garlic-infused melted butter, dip them in a mixture of bread crumbs, shredded extra sharp cheddar and parmesan cheese. Tuck the ends under to create a roll and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour."

2. Meal Two. Carol takes the remaining chicken, places kosher salt, fresh herbs, sliced onion and celery in the cavity, props it up on crumpled foil in the slow cooker. She sprinkles salt and more herbs on top, then cooks it without added water until done, or 6 to 8 hours on low, depending on your slow cooker. "This provides us with cooked chicken for a casserole or salad."

3. Meal Three. The liquid that remains in the slow cooker is the beginning of a quick soup. Or, it can be frozen for future meals.

Carol receives a copy of Cheap. Fast. Good! from my friends at Workman Publishing. You can, too, by sending me your wisdom on how to save money on food and yet still feed your family well – anne@cakemixdoctor.com.

My Cheap Tips of the Week: Ice cream and pizza are definitely favorites in my household, as I have three kids, ages 10, 14, and 18. But these foods are indulgences. So instead of purchasing the gourmet brands, I am opting for whatever ice cream and pizza are on sale. I bought the house brand of ice cream (with really nice flavor, I may say) for $3 a gallon and three large frozen pizzas to stick in the freezer for less than $10. That is a heck of a lot cheaper than delivered pizza, and the only thing better and cheaper is to make your own. But that’s for another week!