Doesn't the title of this post read straight off the cover of a magazine?
The topic of food budgets has come up often as of late in conversations. Hence, at the risk of repeating information you already know (and that I may have already written), I decided to do a top ten list of tips for eating well on a budget. And...I have a post in the works on the cost of actual recipes, and what we spend on food for a week.
1. Shop sales-I keep an eye out for items that we buy on a regular basis and pick up a few extra to keep on hand for when we need them.
2. Buy in bulk- This only saves you money if it is cheaper to buy it in bulk, or it keeps you out of the grocery store and away from impulse purchases, which leads us to number three...
3. Track prices- Yes, I'm serious. It's not as hard as you think. It can be as easy as mentally noting that asparagus was $4.99 last week and now it's $1.99, or if you're a little AR like me, it can be a spreadsheet with columns for price, quantity, price per ounce, purchase date, estimated life, actual life, cost per month, and source. Or you could fall sanely somewhere in between.
4. Buy produce in season- Don't have a clue what's in season? Look for what produce is at a good price at your supermarket (It actually is most likely in season elsewhere, and not in your actual state.). Buy from your farmer's market that only allows local farmers. (You can sometimes find farmers that use more natural methods, but aren't necessarily certified organic.) Grow it yourself. I just calculated the cost of our homegrown lettuce at between 2 and 4 cents a serving! And it tastes better.
5. Steer clear of prepackaged food- You are paying an arm and a leg for someone else to cut up those veggies or make cookie dough for you. I know sometimes you're shorter on time that cash, but this post is about saving the moolah.
6. Avoid junk food- Junk food comes by its name honestly. There is little to no nutritional value in chips and the like, which means you're still hungry afterwards. You might as well just eat the cash you'd spend on the Ruffles and call it a day.
7. Choose water- It's virtually free (from your tap) and oh-so-good-for-you. Sodas belong in the junk food category. Even juices are not as good for your body as eating the actual fruit, and they cost a pretty penny.
8. Substitute, substitute, substitute- So the recipe calls for cauliflower, but you've got broccoli. Chance are, unless it's the essential ingredient of the recipe, you can safely make the substitution. The next time you're short on an ingredient, hit up Google to see if you have a substitute on hand instead of jumping in the car and save yourself both the grocery and the gas money.
9. Choose recipes wisely In line with number four and number eight, choose recipes without crazy of-the-wall ingredients and keep in mind the season. January and February are not the ideal time to make a fresh heirloom tomato basil pasta when tomatoes are so-so and basil is in a tiny little container for $4 a pop. Not only will your pocket book thank you, your taste buds will, too.
10. Make cuts in other areas Maybe you don't want to hear this, but a lot of us could use a good refresher on needs versus wants. Healthy food for your body is a need. Designer clothes, the coolest car, and even cable TV *gasp* are wants. Am I saying you have to live like a pauper to eat healthy food? No. Do I realize that some of you, dear readers, have cut everywhere you know to cut and still are scrimping pennies? Yes, that is part of my motivation in writing this post. However, it seems that many of us, by looking at our spending habits, place a higher importance on things that look good on the outside, than what goes inside our body. I believe that eventually we pay the price for these choices.
One final note, our family buys produce through a coop from a local farmer, and our meat and dairy through local farmers who use humane and healthy practices in raising their animals. However, you don't have to be all on board with organics or the like to make healthier choices in your eating habits. The above tips are easily applied to conventional items at the grocery store.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Late Winter
It feels like spring in Texas right now, but I am just waiting for that cold snap to come through and slap us in the face with one last hurrah.
Nevertheless, I placed an order for a whole bunch of seeds last Friday. In January we started working on some of our garden beds when the weather was nice, getting them ready to plant THIS MONTH. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. I am sure I bought way more seeds than I should have, but I just couldn't help myself. They were just begging me to purchase them and plant them and let them grow into delicious food right. in. my. own. backyard.
(adapted from mothering.com)
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| Beds ready for planting! |
Last Saturday my husband dug up the overgrown bushes in our front yard with the help of his brother. (Thank you, dear!) We are going to plant blueberry bushes in their place. YUM! Weather-permitting we will start our planting this weekend.
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| Soon to be home for blueberry bushes! |
I can hardly wait!!!
In the meantime February looks like it will be a continuation of January's menu plan with a few additions. I realized soon after posting the menu for January that I had three very similar soup recipes in my menu plan. While my family are not overly picky eaters, the redundancy would have been overkill, so I added a few more recipes to the plan:
Beef Stroganoff
Twice Baked Potatoes
Pork/Sausage with Crock Pot Braised Red Cabbage & Apples
Chicken Enchiladas
Black Bean or Lentil Casserole
Make-Your-Own Taco Salad (with black beans)
Finally, I'm sharing the Lentil Soup recipe I promised a while back. Since lentils do not have to be soaked, this recipe often becomes a go-to recipe for me when I forget to prep something in advance. We like to eat this soup served over brown rice with a salad or cut up veggies. Enjoy!
Lentil Soup
(adapted from mothering.com)- 1 lb dry lentils (brown or green)
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (or a can of diced tomatoes)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)
- Spike Seasoning or thyme, marjoram, oregano, and basil to taste (I add around a 1/4-1/2 t of each)
- 6-8 C water or broth (chicken or vegetable)
- salt and pepper to taste
Rinse the lentils according to package directions, then put in slow cooker. Saute onions until almost translucent, then add tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno. Saute just a few minutes more. Add sauteed veggies to lentils, cover with 6-8 cups of water or broth and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for about 10hours. The end result should be a deep brown, thick soup, with the onions, tomatoes and jalapenos barely noticeable.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
The Cleanse Factor--January Menu Plan
So every January (and by every January I mean once two years ago in December and maybe last year in January, but I can't remember for sure) my DH and I do a week-long cleanse. Sort of. Because I am an avid rule follower--if I like the rules, or if I made the rules up myself. Anyhow, strict cleanse or not, it just seems like a good idea to get a handle on food choices after all of the holiday junk treats.
To be honest with you, we don't do a cleanse in the strictest sense of the word (depending on whose variation you choose.) Our personal experience was that focusing on eating primarily vegetables and on reducing and being selective about grains and proteins was a better option than eliminating them all together. (We also allowed ourselves one cup of coffee each morning because we are total wimps. I think we may have used a little honey from time-to-time as well.) However, we did eliminate dairy and refined sugar, which is how I came to drink my coffee like a real grown up--black.
Our "cleanse" looked something like this:
(Oh yes, I am not a doctor, and all that jazz. This is not medical advice, consult your doctor, etc, etc.)
Wake: water with lemon
Breakfast Options: fruit-only smoothie (no dairy or soy milk), steel cut oats with apples, fruit salad with almonds/pumpkin seeds and a little plain yogurt, cooked millet
Snack Options: veggies with hummus or almond butter, yogurt (plain) with fruit, raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds, almonds, vegetable broth
Lunch Options: vegetable soup, salad, beans, veggie sandwich (can use portabello mushrooms instead of bread)
Dinner Options: Lentils, beans, brown rice (in moderation), chicken or fish (every other night), lots of vegetables, quinoa, salad (every night)
Beverages: Green tea (limited), water, herbal teas, vegetable broth
***Note: I prefer to make my own broths, as commercial broths can have unexpected ingredients or additives, and homemade just tastes better. Beans are also even more economical when purchased dry, and can be left alone to cook in the crock pot.***
Since we only have the discipline to last about a week, below is my Winter Menu Plan which will get us through the rest of the month and possibly into January. This being our coldest month, you'll see quite a few soups on the menu. I love soup because not only are they warming, but they are also economical and extremely forgiving, easily modified to fit whatever fresh ingredients you have on hand. I've starred recipes that could be eaten on the cleanse or slightly modified to fit.
Week One
Saturday: Pot Roast with Veggies/Steak with potatoes (or potato soup) & veggies
Monday: Quinoa Chili* (I don't use TVP.) / Vegetarian Chili*
Tuesday: Spaghetti (with noodles or spaghetti squash)
Wednesday: Swiss chard and chickpeas*/ Hummus (with less lemon juice) & Veggies*
Thursday: Bean burrito
Friday: Chicken & Dumplings/ Chicken Soup*
Week Two
Saturday: Lasagna/ Lasagna Soup
Sunday: Lentil Rice Casserole*
Monday: Winter Vegetable Soup*(without Parmesan) / Holiday Soup For the Soul* (leave out vegetable bouillon and replace all or part of water with vegetable broth)
Tuesday: Parmesan Chicken/ Roasted Chicken*
Wednesday: Rustic Cabbage Soup*(without Parmesan)/ Nutmeg and Honey Carrot Soup
Thursday: Crock Pot Roasted Winter Veggies with or without Salmon*
Friday: White Bean Chili*/New England Clam Chowder
Hope your New Year is off to a great start!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Mexican Chowder
Fall weather has finally arrived! This is absolutely perfect timing for my culinary bent as Mexican Chowder is on the menu for the evening. I had a recipe for this that I loved, but that recipe has somehow disappeared. I searched the internet and found nothing that was quite like it, so tonight, I am boldly exploring new possibilities and creating my own recipe!
Alright, as a guide I am starting with a corn chowder recipe from my faithful Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, tweaking it as my memory serves me, and adding my own creative twist. Here we go...
Mexican Chowder
1/2 C chopped yellow onion
1 T olive oil
1 medium chopped zucchini
14.5 oz chicken broth
1 C frozen corn
2 C chopped cooked chicken
1 small can chopped green chilies (I used home-canned hatch chili peppers.)
1 C milk
1 T flour
1/4 t salt (more if using homemade chicken broth)
1 T taco seasoning
1/4 C chopped cilantro (optional)
shredded cheese & tortilla chips (optional)
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and sautee for a couple of minutes. Add in zucchini and continue to cook until the onions are soft, but not brown.
2. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil. Add corn, chicken, and green chilies. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. In glass measuring cup or small bowl whisk together milk, flour, salt, and taco seasoning. (Supposedly you're supposed to let this cook and stir until it's "thick and bubbly." Um, mine didn't really get thick, and I think chowders should be thick. If you're happy with the "chowder" at this point, then skip to step 5.)
4. Melt 2 T butter in a small saucepan. Whisk together 1 C of milk and 3 T of flour. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the melted butter, whisking it until it thickens. Add to chowder. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
5. Top with cilantro, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips if desired.
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| Please forgive my photo-taking abilities. |
Mexican Chowder
1/2 C chopped yellow onion
1 T olive oil
1 medium chopped zucchini
14.5 oz chicken broth
1 C frozen corn
2 C chopped cooked chicken
1 small can chopped green chilies (I used home-canned hatch chili peppers.)
1 C milk
1 T flour
1/4 t salt (more if using homemade chicken broth)
1 T taco seasoning
1/4 C chopped cilantro (optional)
shredded cheese & tortilla chips (optional)
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and sautee for a couple of minutes. Add in zucchini and continue to cook until the onions are soft, but not brown.
2. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil. Add corn, chicken, and green chilies. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. In glass measuring cup or small bowl whisk together milk, flour, salt, and taco seasoning. (Supposedly you're supposed to let this cook and stir until it's "thick and bubbly." Um, mine didn't really get thick, and I think chowders should be thick. If you're happy with the "chowder" at this point, then skip to step 5.)
4. Melt 2 T butter in a small saucepan. Whisk together 1 C of milk and 3 T of flour. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the melted butter, whisking it until it thickens. Add to chowder. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
5. Top with cilantro, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips if desired.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Fall Menu Plan
The bug may have finally hit me. Decorate for Fall has been on my to do list for the past three weeks, but this week it may actually get crossed off. We took the kids to the pumpkin patch this weekend, temperatures are about to get cool(er), and I've been pinning winter squash and apple recipes on Pinterest. This menu plan was hard to write because there were so many recipes I wanted to include. (Since I started this post, I have found even more recipes. *sigh*)
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| Pumpkins on death row |
Also, we joined a new coop this month that offers local food during our growing season!!! So excited about this. I'll update you on our progress on the Pantry Challenge at the end of this post as well.
Since seasons range quite a bit around the country, I wanted to give you a quick how-to for menu planning so that you can adapt to where and how you live.
1. Start with what's in season. If you shop at the grocery store, start with what produce is on sale. (This will save you money and you will get better quality.)
2. Look at your family calendar and decide which nights you would benefit from a quick and easy meal or a crock pot dinner. Do you want to eat out one night? I like to put more time consuming recipes on the weekend.
3. Consider spreading out costly items such as meat and dairy. We only cook meat 2-3 nights a week. If we eat it other nights, it's leftovers added to a new dish. Some people have chicken on Monday, pork on Tuesday, etc.
4. Think about grouping meals together that share ingredients or can be used to make the next meal. I'll give you an example in my menu plan in week two with the Cilantro Lime Chicken.
That's about it! So, without further ado, my fall menu plan:
Week 1
Saturday- Sweet Potato Burgers/Quiche
Sunday- Chicken & Shrimp Gumbo (freeze leftovers in small portions for lunches)/ Chipotle-Glazed Roast Chicken
Monday- Curried Quinoa/ Creamy Quinoa Primavera
Tuesday- Crock pot Meatloaf/ Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers
Wednesday- Grilled Sweet Potato Medallions/Sweet Potato Quesadillas
Thursday- Spanish Tortilla/ Twice Baked Potatoes (crock pot)
Friday- Homemade Pizza
Week 2
Saturday- Steak & Baked Potatoes/ Chili & Cornbread
Sunday- Butternut Penne/ Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli
Monday- Crock pot Tikka Masala/ Crock pot Cilantro Lime Chicken (Serve with lots of veggies & cook extra rice to go with it. If necessary set aside about two cups of chicken before serving for Friday's recipe.)
Tuesday- Crock Pot Lentil Soup/ Crock Pot Bean Soup (Serve with leftover rice from Monday.) *Both recipes came from mothering.com, but they've changed their site, so I will share these recipes later.
Wednesday- Homemade Pita stuffed with leftover lentils/ Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Burritos
Thursday- Kale Risotto/ Roasted Butternut Squash with Kale
Friday- Chicken Tortilla Soup/ Mexican Chowder (Use leftover chicken and cilantro from Monday's recipe. If you're worried about food poisoning, you can freeze the chicken Monday night.)
Lunches
Last time I included lunches in my menu plan, and we didn't really use the recipes I posted. This time I'm just going to assume we will either have leftovers, sandwiches, or will eat one of the meals we didn't end up eating during the week. And of course, there's always Butternut Squash Soup. :)
Pantry Challenge Update
Ummm, yikes. I am way behind posting. I started this post last week, didn't have time to finish it and then life happened, including starting back to work part-time, and it's a week later. Oh well. I will try to remember as best I can and hope my menu on the calendar is accurate.
Day 12
Eggs; leftovers; Out
Day 13
Yogurt & Granola; Quinoa Salad; Vegetable Tian
Day 14
Out; Eggplant Marinara Flatbread; Simple Stuffed Peppers
Day 15
Zucchini Muffins; Leftovers; Salmon & Crock Roasted Root Veggies
Day 16
Apple Pie Breakfast; Out; Chicken Sausage, Red Cabbage & Apples
Day 17
Smoothie & Toast; leftovers; I don't remember.
Day 18
Eggs & Zucchini; leftovers; Chicken Wrap
Day 19
Zucchini Muffins; Out; Homemade Pizza
Day 20
Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts; Out; Paella
Day 21
Baked Oatmeal; Community Lunch at Church; Caprese Lasagna
Day 22
Zucchini Muffins (so glad I made a bunch and froze them); leftovers; Cilantro Lime Chicken, Rice, Sweet Potatoes
Day 23
Yogurt, Frozen Fruit, & Granola; leftovers; Black Beans & Rice
Day 24
Make-your-own-cereal; leftovers; Roasted Veggie & Black Bean Burritos (This recipe made 6, so I froze the extra ones for future lunches. :) )
As far as spending goes, at this point we are at 506.79 total for the month. I also highly doubt I will spend absolutely nothing at the grocery store in the next 7 days, considering that we are almost out of salt, vanilla, and something else which escapes me at the moment. I still think we've done pretty darn good, overall, though.
Since seasons range quite a bit around the country, I wanted to give you a quick how-to for menu planning so that you can adapt to where and how you live.
1. Start with what's in season. If you shop at the grocery store, start with what produce is on sale. (This will save you money and you will get better quality.)
2. Look at your family calendar and decide which nights you would benefit from a quick and easy meal or a crock pot dinner. Do you want to eat out one night? I like to put more time consuming recipes on the weekend.
3. Consider spreading out costly items such as meat and dairy. We only cook meat 2-3 nights a week. If we eat it other nights, it's leftovers added to a new dish. Some people have chicken on Monday, pork on Tuesday, etc.
4. Think about grouping meals together that share ingredients or can be used to make the next meal. I'll give you an example in my menu plan in week two with the Cilantro Lime Chicken.
That's about it! So, without further ado, my fall menu plan:
Week 1
Saturday- Sweet Potato Burgers/Quiche
Sunday- Chicken & Shrimp Gumbo (freeze leftovers in small portions for lunches)/ Chipotle-Glazed Roast Chicken
Monday- Curried Quinoa/ Creamy Quinoa Primavera
Tuesday- Crock pot Meatloaf/ Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers
Wednesday- Grilled Sweet Potato Medallions/Sweet Potato Quesadillas
Thursday- Spanish Tortilla/ Twice Baked Potatoes (crock pot)
Friday- Homemade Pizza
Week 2
Saturday- Steak & Baked Potatoes/ Chili & Cornbread
Sunday- Butternut Penne/ Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli
Monday- Crock pot Tikka Masala/ Crock pot Cilantro Lime Chicken (Serve with lots of veggies & cook extra rice to go with it. If necessary set aside about two cups of chicken before serving for Friday's recipe.)
Tuesday- Crock Pot Lentil Soup/ Crock Pot Bean Soup (Serve with leftover rice from Monday.) *Both recipes came from mothering.com, but they've changed their site, so I will share these recipes later.
Wednesday- Homemade Pita stuffed with leftover lentils/ Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Burritos
Thursday- Kale Risotto/ Roasted Butternut Squash with Kale
Friday- Chicken Tortilla Soup/ Mexican Chowder (Use leftover chicken and cilantro from Monday's recipe. If you're worried about food poisoning, you can freeze the chicken Monday night.)
Lunches
Last time I included lunches in my menu plan, and we didn't really use the recipes I posted. This time I'm just going to assume we will either have leftovers, sandwiches, or will eat one of the meals we didn't end up eating during the week. And of course, there's always Butternut Squash Soup. :)
Pantry Challenge Update
Ummm, yikes. I am way behind posting. I started this post last week, didn't have time to finish it and then life happened, including starting back to work part-time, and it's a week later. Oh well. I will try to remember as best I can and hope my menu on the calendar is accurate.
Day 12
Eggs; leftovers; Out
Day 13
Yogurt & Granola; Quinoa Salad; Vegetable Tian
Day 14
Out; Eggplant Marinara Flatbread; Simple Stuffed Peppers
Day 15
Zucchini Muffins; Leftovers; Salmon & Crock Roasted Root Veggies
Day 16
Apple Pie Breakfast; Out; Chicken Sausage, Red Cabbage & Apples
Day 17
Smoothie & Toast; leftovers; I don't remember.
Day 18
Eggs & Zucchini; leftovers; Chicken Wrap
Day 19
Zucchini Muffins; Out; Homemade Pizza
Day 20
Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts; Out; Paella
Day 21
Baked Oatmeal; Community Lunch at Church; Caprese Lasagna
Day 22
Zucchini Muffins (so glad I made a bunch and froze them); leftovers; Cilantro Lime Chicken, Rice, Sweet Potatoes
Day 23
Yogurt, Frozen Fruit, & Granola; leftovers; Black Beans & Rice
Day 24
Make-your-own-cereal; leftovers; Roasted Veggie & Black Bean Burritos (This recipe made 6, so I froze the extra ones for future lunches. :) )
As far as spending goes, at this point we are at 506.79 total for the month. I also highly doubt I will spend absolutely nothing at the grocery store in the next 7 days, considering that we are almost out of salt, vanilla, and something else which escapes me at the moment. I still think we've done pretty darn good, overall, though.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Update: Target, Wal-mart, and the Pantry Challenge
We ran out of coffee. This lead to me stopping in Target on my way back home from dropping off the kids at school and deciding to do a quick check of prices on the items from my last post. Which also lead to stopping in at Wal-mart (oh the horror) to check prices their too as they are reputed to have the "lowest prices" and supposedly have started carrying more organics.
I added my findings to my spreadsheet. Instead of copying and pasting from Excel which leaves the table looking a little wonky, I have uploaded it to Google Docs.
Wal-mart did beat Whole Foods on non-organic items, however their selection of organic items was awful. I also have other reasons for not shopping there such as horrible customer service, way too many crazy customers, and the fact that they are rated extremely poorly by better world shopper. Target didn't do so hot on prices, although they have a fairly decent selection of economical fair trade organic coffee which I was in desperate need of Tuesday morning. The least expensive price for each item is highlighted in yellow. As you can see, no one store offers the best price across the board.
My advice to you if you are on a super strict budget is to keep a notebook or a spreadsheet of prices for items that you buy on a regular basis, much like the spreadsheet above. If you can hit two or three stores without going too much out of your way and wasting gas, then go to more than one store to get the better overall price. Keep in mind that grocery store prices fluctuate a lot. If you combine a sale with a coupon at a grocery store that doubles coupons, you can actually beat Wal-mart's prices. Websites like thegrocerygame.com charge a small fee to track sales and coupons for you if that's your thing. I personally don't coupon because I've found that there are very little coupons out there for the products we buy.
Pantry Challenge Update
My little OCD self created yet another spreadsheet to inventory the items I had bought through Azure Standard the last two months, complete with cost per unit for future price comparison, estimated length of time the product will last us, and the cost per month. When it was all said and done, I discovered according to my spreadsheet (which erred on the side of caution) calculated the monthly cost to be 92.24, which means I have an extra $2 per week. Woohoo!
The bad news is I already dipped in to tomorrow's grocery budget for bacon, snacks, and fried chicken from Target. (The dentist appointment ran late, the chicken wasn't defrosted in time, etc, etc.) I only have 16.09 to spend at the store tomorrow. I have no idea how I'm going to make this work. Maybe I'll dip into next week's budget...
Day 8
Breakfast: Milk, Leftover Apple ButterCupcakes Muffins (They didn't even have frosting on them. Don't judge.)
Lunch: Kids-leftover Sweet Summer Corn chowder, Quesadillas; Adults-BBQ Chicken Sliders (leftovers in freezer), Cucumbers
Dinner: Spaghetti, Salad
Dessert: Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Day 9
Breakfast: Make your own cereal (My kids LOVE this.)
Lunch: Leftover Spaghetti
Snack: Pretzels and goldfish from CVS after looong dental appointment
Dinner: Fried Chicken from Target, Potatoes, Cucumber & Bell Pepper Salad
Day 10
Breakfast: Peach Pecan Waffles (Thank you, dear.)
Lunch: Chicken Wrap
Snack: Yogurt and half a peach
Dinner: Tomato Basil Soup, Garlic Toast
Snack: Homemade popcorn
Day 11
Breakfast: Toast with Almond Butter, half a peach
Lunch: Chipotle (out)
Dinner: Chicken Teriyaki Thighs, Rice, Cucumer (Finally used those chicken thighs I've tried to defrost three times...)
Wish me luck shopping tomorrow. I'm going to check the sales online.
I added my findings to my spreadsheet. Instead of copying and pasting from Excel which leaves the table looking a little wonky, I have uploaded it to Google Docs.
Wal-mart did beat Whole Foods on non-organic items, however their selection of organic items was awful. I also have other reasons for not shopping there such as horrible customer service, way too many crazy customers, and the fact that they are rated extremely poorly by better world shopper. Target didn't do so hot on prices, although they have a fairly decent selection of economical fair trade organic coffee which I was in desperate need of Tuesday morning. The least expensive price for each item is highlighted in yellow. As you can see, no one store offers the best price across the board.
My advice to you if you are on a super strict budget is to keep a notebook or a spreadsheet of prices for items that you buy on a regular basis, much like the spreadsheet above. If you can hit two or three stores without going too much out of your way and wasting gas, then go to more than one store to get the better overall price. Keep in mind that grocery store prices fluctuate a lot. If you combine a sale with a coupon at a grocery store that doubles coupons, you can actually beat Wal-mart's prices. Websites like thegrocerygame.com charge a small fee to track sales and coupons for you if that's your thing. I personally don't coupon because I've found that there are very little coupons out there for the products we buy.
Pantry Challenge Update
My little OCD self created yet another spreadsheet to inventory the items I had bought through Azure Standard the last two months, complete with cost per unit for future price comparison, estimated length of time the product will last us, and the cost per month. When it was all said and done, I discovered according to my spreadsheet (which erred on the side of caution) calculated the monthly cost to be 92.24, which means I have an extra $2 per week. Woohoo!
The bad news is I already dipped in to tomorrow's grocery budget for bacon, snacks, and fried chicken from Target. (The dentist appointment ran late, the chicken wasn't defrosted in time, etc, etc.) I only have 16.09 to spend at the store tomorrow. I have no idea how I'm going to make this work. Maybe I'll dip into next week's budget...
Day 8
Breakfast: Milk, Leftover Apple Butter
Lunch: Kids-leftover Sweet Summer Corn chowder, Quesadillas; Adults-BBQ Chicken Sliders (leftovers in freezer), Cucumbers
Dinner: Spaghetti, Salad
Dessert: Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Day 9
Breakfast: Make your own cereal (My kids LOVE this.)
Lunch: Leftover Spaghetti
Snack: Pretzels and goldfish from CVS after looong dental appointment
Dinner: Fried Chicken from Target, Potatoes, Cucumber & Bell Pepper Salad
Day 10
Breakfast: Peach Pecan Waffles (Thank you, dear.)
Lunch: Chicken Wrap
Snack: Yogurt and half a peach
Dinner: Tomato Basil Soup, Garlic Toast
Snack: Homemade popcorn
Day 11
Breakfast: Toast with Almond Butter, half a peach
Lunch: Chipotle (out)
Dinner: Chicken Teriyaki Thighs, Rice, Cucumer (Finally used those chicken thighs I've tried to defrost three times...)
Wish me luck shopping tomorrow. I'm going to check the sales online.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Comparison Shopping: Whole Foods vs. Kroger
Much to the horror of my budget savvy friends, Whole Foods is my go-to grocery store. I realize that it is not the most economical across the board, but I have my reasons for shopping there besides the fact that it smells oh so good I inhale a contented sigh whenever I walk in the door. Keep in mind that I don't buy all of my groceries there. As mentioned previously, I buy a lot of my pantry staples through Azure Standard. I get produce, milk, eggs, and meat through local farmers. For me the grocery store just fills in any gaps I may have.
1. Tortillas Yes, this sounds like a silly reason to pick a grocery store, but it's important. It is the only place that I have found yummy tortillas that do not contain hydrogenated oils, preservatives, or other scary ingredients. I do realize that one can make homemade tortillas for less expensive, however that person would not be me. For some reason, homemade tortillas are my unicorn. I have tried multiple recipes, different pressing techniques; I was even given instruction in Mexico by a Mexican. It never works. My tortillas come out thicker than they should, they don't roll easily, and they rarely inflate during the cooking process. (The true test of whether or not you are ready to marry according to Mexican standards. Lucky for me my husband is not Mexican.)
2. Convenience I like that Whole Foods has not just one option for healthy foods, but several. Shopping at Whole Foods does not negate the need to read labels, none the less, chances are I'm going to find an option that is satisfactory. At the regular grocery stores I have to hunt and search for a product that I'm okay with consuming, and sometimes I can't even find what I'm looking for.
3. Location I have friends who swear by Trader Joe's and who say Central Market is better than Whole Foods. That may be, but I would have to drive to Fort Worth or Dallas to shop there. Whole Foods is not the closest natural grocer. There is a Sprouts that is a little closer in driving time. However, it is out of the way of anywhere else I would go, whereas Whole Foods is close to my church and is often within my route of errands I run. The other options just aren't worth the extra gas to me.
All that being said, I do occasionally run in to a conventional grocery store for odds and ends. Sometimes Whole Foods either doesn't have what I want or more likely it costs more than I'm willing to shell out. Hence, today I went to both Whole Foods and Kroger and decided to do a little comparison shopping. My findings are below.
Interestingly enough, Whole Foods was less expensive in total on items that were available both places. The only thing not available at Whole Foods was the 5 oz size of evaporated milk which I don't buy on a regular basis. I just needed it for a new recipe. I didn't actually buy the Negro Modelo which I needed for a particular recipe. Instead I bought a $3.69 large bottle of Corona Extra to avoid going over budget. This item I only found at Kroger. (Once again, not a normal purchase.) Side note: Sundried tomato paste was $5.49 for a tube. See the strike-through above? So. not. worth. it.
My grand total at both stores was $32.98, 52 cents under budget for the week. Some items I considered not including in the budget as they were bought to make a dessert for a meeting. However, I decided to include them because it's part of my real life. I must confess that I sent my husband to the store the next day for bacon as I overlooked that ingredient in a recipe I planned. And he didn't even buy the "healthy" bacon. As a result, I am actually over budget this week by whatever the cost of the bacon is minus 52 cents. I will take it out of next week's budget. Promise.
Week One in Review
Day 3
Breakfast: Apple Pie Breakfast (This recipe was a hit! Even my non-oatmeal-eating child ate two helpings! Hint: Add cinnamon to the recipe and keep the cooking time short. Don't tell them it's oatmeal. Call it apple pie breakfast. It's not lying, that's the recipe's name. If they ask you what's in it, say grain instead of oatmeal.)
Lunch: Leftover Chinese Chicken from Monday's dinner, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for sick child :(
Snack: Apple and peanut butter
Dinner: Zuni Stew (Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook) I forgot to mention last post that I cooked a pot of pinto beans in the crock pot overnight for this recipe.
Day 4
Breakfast: Leftovers (zucchini muffins and apple pie breakfast)
Lunch: Out (surprise catch-up lunch with a good friend)
Snack: Quinoa Pizza Bites (from the freezer)
Dinner: Tomato Salad, Leftover Chicken
Day 5
Breakfast: Zucchini and cheese Omelet
Lunch: Out (Pizza during shopping trip at Whole Foods)
Snack: Apples
Dinner: Out
Day 6
Breakfast: Leftover Rice Hot Breakfast Cereal
Lunch: Sweet Summer Corn Chowder (the bacon culprit)
(Put leftover Zuni Stew, pinto beans, and chicken noodle soup in the freezer. Baked Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies and Apple Butter Cupcakes.)
Dinner: Out (We got a bonus date night since the kids stayed the night at the grandparents!)
Day 7
Breakfast: Eggs, Toast, Bacon
Lunch: Shredded Beef Tacos with Avocado and Lime
Dinner: Chicken Caprese Sandwiches
After dinner treat: Homemade popcorn
We ate out a more this past week than is typical for us. Our normal habit is I eat something out on Friday when I'm running errands, and we eat out after church on Sunday. My husband eats out almost every day for lunch and I try to let it go because I'm not in his shoes and I value my marriage. ;) This week we traded Sunday lunch for Friday dinner because we just felt like going out. I got to go out to lunch with a friend I haven't talked to in months if not years on Thursday, and my husbands parents offered to let the kids spend the night on Saturday. When these opportunities come up in life you smile and take them. And you put the extra leftovers in the freezer for another day.
1. Tortillas Yes, this sounds like a silly reason to pick a grocery store, but it's important. It is the only place that I have found yummy tortillas that do not contain hydrogenated oils, preservatives, or other scary ingredients. I do realize that one can make homemade tortillas for less expensive, however that person would not be me. For some reason, homemade tortillas are my unicorn. I have tried multiple recipes, different pressing techniques; I was even given instruction in Mexico by a Mexican. It never works. My tortillas come out thicker than they should, they don't roll easily, and they rarely inflate during the cooking process. (The true test of whether or not you are ready to marry according to Mexican standards. Lucky for me my husband is not Mexican.)
2. Convenience I like that Whole Foods has not just one option for healthy foods, but several. Shopping at Whole Foods does not negate the need to read labels, none the less, chances are I'm going to find an option that is satisfactory. At the regular grocery stores I have to hunt and search for a product that I'm okay with consuming, and sometimes I can't even find what I'm looking for.
3. Location I have friends who swear by Trader Joe's and who say Central Market is better than Whole Foods. That may be, but I would have to drive to Fort Worth or Dallas to shop there. Whole Foods is not the closest natural grocer. There is a Sprouts that is a little closer in driving time. However, it is out of the way of anywhere else I would go, whereas Whole Foods is close to my church and is often within my route of errands I run. The other options just aren't worth the extra gas to me.
All that being said, I do occasionally run in to a conventional grocery store for odds and ends. Sometimes Whole Foods either doesn't have what I want or more likely it costs more than I'm willing to shell out. Hence, today I went to both Whole Foods and Kroger and decided to do a little comparison shopping. My findings are below.
| Food | Whole Foods | Kroger | |
| Organic Frozen corn | 2.39 | 3.79 | |
| Conventional Garlic | 0.89 | 0.50 | |
| Organic Onion (3lbs) | 3.99 | Not available | |
| Organic Tortillas | 1.99 | Not available | |
| 0.89 | 0.79 | sale price | |
| Conventional Avocado | 1.29 | 0.78 | |
| Conventional Lime | 0.33 | 0.20 | |
| Negro Modelo (didn't buy) | 8.99 | 8.69 | |
| Organic unsalted butter | 3.99 | 6.29 | |
| Pumpkin | 1.29 | 1.00 | sale price |
| Organic Sugar (2 lbs) | 3.69 | 3.33 | |
| 5 oz. can evaporated milk | Not available | 0.65 | |
| Organic Apple Butter | 4.49 | 4.89 | |
| Total of Items Available | |||
| Both Places | 28.24 | 30.26 |
Interestingly enough, Whole Foods was less expensive in total on items that were available both places. The only thing not available at Whole Foods was the 5 oz size of evaporated milk which I don't buy on a regular basis. I just needed it for a new recipe. I didn't actually buy the Negro Modelo which I needed for a particular recipe. Instead I bought a $3.69 large bottle of Corona Extra to avoid going over budget. This item I only found at Kroger. (Once again, not a normal purchase.) Side note: Sundried tomato paste was $5.49 for a tube. See the strike-through above? So. not. worth. it.
 |
| Whole Foods buys: Not a lot, but enough to fill in the gaps |
My grand total at both stores was $32.98, 52 cents under budget for the week. Some items I considered not including in the budget as they were bought to make a dessert for a meeting. However, I decided to include them because it's part of my real life. I must confess that I sent my husband to the store the next day for bacon as I overlooked that ingredient in a recipe I planned. And he didn't even buy the "healthy" bacon. As a result, I am actually over budget this week by whatever the cost of the bacon is minus 52 cents. I will take it out of next week's budget. Promise.
Week One in Review
Day 3
Breakfast: Apple Pie Breakfast (This recipe was a hit! Even my non-oatmeal-eating child ate two helpings! Hint: Add cinnamon to the recipe and keep the cooking time short. Don't tell them it's oatmeal. Call it apple pie breakfast. It's not lying, that's the recipe's name. If they ask you what's in it, say grain instead of oatmeal.)
Lunch: Leftover Chinese Chicken from Monday's dinner, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for sick child :(
Snack: Apple and peanut butter
Dinner: Zuni Stew (Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook) I forgot to mention last post that I cooked a pot of pinto beans in the crock pot overnight for this recipe.
Day 4
Breakfast: Leftovers (zucchini muffins and apple pie breakfast)
Lunch: Out (surprise catch-up lunch with a good friend)
Snack: Quinoa Pizza Bites (from the freezer)
Dinner: Tomato Salad, Leftover Chicken
Day 5
Breakfast: Zucchini and cheese Omelet
Lunch: Out (Pizza during shopping trip at Whole Foods)
Snack: Apples
Dinner: Out
Day 6
Breakfast: Leftover Rice Hot Breakfast Cereal
Lunch: Sweet Summer Corn Chowder (the bacon culprit)
(Put leftover Zuni Stew, pinto beans, and chicken noodle soup in the freezer. Baked Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies and Apple Butter Cupcakes.)
Dinner: Out (We got a bonus date night since the kids stayed the night at the grandparents!)
Day 7
Breakfast: Eggs, Toast, Bacon
Lunch: Shredded Beef Tacos with Avocado and Lime
Dinner: Chicken Caprese Sandwiches
After dinner treat: Homemade popcorn
We ate out a more this past week than is typical for us. Our normal habit is I eat something out on Friday when I'm running errands, and we eat out after church on Sunday. My husband eats out almost every day for lunch and I try to let it go because I'm not in his shoes and I value my marriage. ;) This week we traded Sunday lunch for Friday dinner because we just felt like going out. I got to go out to lunch with a friend I haven't talked to in months if not years on Thursday, and my husbands parents offered to let the kids spend the night on Saturday. When these opportunities come up in life you smile and take them. And you put the extra leftovers in the freezer for another day.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
What's in Your Pantry?
A couple of days ago I posted about our October Pantry Challenge to spend $500 or less on organic whole foods this month. It only seems appropriate to give you an idea of what's in my pantry that I'm working with. (An approximate cost of these goods was subtracted from the total budget for the month.) This also gives me an excuse to show off my newly organized pantry. Feel free to skim through to the update below if this bores you. ;)
Not the greatest pictures as my pantry has no light in it and a small door that gets in the way which keeps you from seeing the entire shelf, but...
Top shelf: White flour (way in back and almost never used), Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, flax seeds, coffee grinder for the flax seeds, baking soda, powdered sugar, Sucanat, brown sugar, Cholula hot sauce (free from Rangers game), vinegar (raspberry, apple cider, rice, white wine, red wine, balsamic) honey, brown rice syrup (which I obviously needed seeing as how I've never opened it since I bought it over three years ago), molasses, pectin (three boxes, nonetheless), Mirin, Marsala, and extracts (lemon, almond (once again 3?), vanilla, and cherry)
Bottom shelf: brown rice puffs (similar to Rice Crispies), steel cut oats, quinoa, white rice (soon to be used up and replaced), lentils, arborio rice, garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), brown rice, elbow pasta, white beans of some sort, vegetable alphabet pasta, and the odds and ends of packages to restock the containers to the side.
To the right, top shelf: almonds, instant tapioca (for a particular recipe or two), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit (whatever I buy at the time), coconut, sesame seeds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, raisins, cashews, poppy seeds, homemade lemon rind candy, peanut butter, pinto beans, more garbanzo beans, Great Northern beans, 11 packages whole wheat penne pasta, 11 packages whole wheat spaghetti pasta, 12 packages lasagna noodles. Bottom shelf: 11 jars homemade chicken broth, two cans of tuna, Chipotle salsa, two cans sweetened condensed milk (once again, have owned these over three years), 7 jars roasted Hatch chili peppers, four jars homemade peach jam, 9 28 oz cans diced tomatoes, basket contains dried chilis, pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, and sunflower seeds, basket for onions and garlic, basket for potatoes.
Pantry floor: Unseen to the left are my reusable grocery bags and egg cartons; the large containers hold soft wheat berries (to make flour for quick breads, cookies, etc.), rolled oats, black beans, hard wheat berries (to make flour for yeast breads). Also lurking down there is some bottled water and a fire extinguisher, in case of emergency, although not necessarily for the same emergency. As you can see I haven't found a good place for my freezer paper, plastic freezer bags (still working on phasing those out) and two extra boxes of plastic wrap, which I almost never use. Up top: I chose not to take a picture of my top shelf which is kind of a catch all for items too tall to fit elsewhere such as a couple of serving items, adult beverages, and my oils: olive, canola, and coconut.
Moving right along...
I realize in a perfect world, I would be starting day one with zero food items. That's not going to happen as October 1st was a Monday and I run errands on Friday. And I'm not going to through away all my food. I've decided not to include that trip in my budget, either, because at the end of the month I will be buying food that will carry over into November, so I figure it all works out or at least close enough. Just so you know, I did keep my spending last Friday within weekly average budget guidelines.
Day One
Monday is my "cooking" day, as in, baking/cooking larger batch items to carry over into the week or month. This past Monday, I made cheese crackers, mayonnaise, and 40 Zucchini Muffins. The quantity of muffins was somewhat of a happy accident as I had extra zucchini and decided to double the recipe before I realized that it already made 24 muffins. No matter, as my children LOVED them and now we have extra in the freezer. (Tip: Call them surprise muffins that have cinnamon and sugar in them until after they have devoured two. Then they will be shocked and in awe when you tell them the surprise is zucchini.) I also made some yogurt in the crock pot overnight.
Breakfast: Leftover blueberry muffins
Lunch: Chicken salad sandwich, cucumbers
Snack: Cheese Crackers
Dinner: Crock pot Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken with Sesame seeds, brown rice, Stir-fried summer squash, zucchini, sweet peppers, and onions; milk for the kids
Note: I wanted to make a new sweet and sour chicken recipe from Pinterest, but I had a whole chicken, not chicken breasts. Such is life.
Day Two
Breakfast: Zucchini muffins, cantaloupe
Lunch: Chicken salad sandwich, cheese crackers
Snack: Zucchini muffins (I told you they were good. And I almost forgot to grab something before picking up the kids.)
Dinner: Maple-Cardamom Glazed Salmon (minus the cardamom, ha!), chickpea and tomato basil salad (On my original menu plan, I had only listed the salad, and then realized that was completely ridiculous as two of my kids don't really eat chickpeas so I added salmon. The salad turned out to be smaller than I expected anyway, so it all worked out.)
What's in your pantry? Anyone care to share?
Monday, October 1, 2012
October Pantry Challenge
It's a new month! Yay! I have been waiting for this.
A little into last month I read a couple of blogs (here and here) about women who challenged themselves to feed their family for $100 a person for one month. However, I intentionally place large orders to Azure in August and September to stock up my pantry for the next few months as I will be working part-time and don't know when I'll be able be able to pick up an order again in the near future. No way could I stick to $100 a person last month.
One of my best cost-savings strategies on groceries is to buy staple ingredients in bulk at a discounted price. (They don't typically make coupons for raw nuts and grains.) This means that some months my grocery bill is higher than others, but it should balance out over time, provided we eat what we have on hand instead of buying other food to eat instead--not that we would ever do such a thing... (Avoids eye contact.)
Enter "The October Pantry Challenge."
We have four kids, but they are only with us half the time, so I will say $400 for groceries for our family for the month of October. This number is for food only. In August and September I spent bought $600 from Azure to stock our pantry. I am guesstimating that these items will last around 6 months. Some may last much longer, while other items we may end up using up way before then. I also ordered Salmon which I expect to last around 4-6 months. We order beef and chicken through a coop, but that normally balances each other out as we order them every other month, respectively.
Here's a break down of the fuzzy math:
Food budget:$400 500
Azure (averaged out over 6 months): 100
Salmon: 16
Milk and eggs: 40
Coop: 150
Balance:$94 194
Hmmm. I honestly think I could do it on $400, but it would mean a big spending month again the following month. Plus, I wouldn't be able to order chicken this month which would create problems and higher spending later. I'm thinking that $500 for the month is a little more reasonable and possibly sustainable over the next few months. I also am thinking my Azure number may be on the high side as a lot of what I bought is probably going to last us closer to 9-12 months. (Getting a better idea of how long my bulk items last is on the to-do list.)
During this month I am going to ATTEMPT to post updates more regularly--every day or at least every other day. I'm thinking this may give more of an idea of how we eat real organic food at a reasonable price. However, I am not going to be estimating the cost of each individual meal because I am not going to make myself that crazy. (If you follow via Facebook updates, I am planning to post blog updates for this once or twice a week, not daily, as that seems that it may get a little annoying. If you're interested in reading the in-between posts, you may want to subscribe via e-mail so you don't miss one.)
Over the course of this month, my goal is to be more watchful of my grocery spending and to get a better idea of what we're spending. I also hope to prove that eating healthy food doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Then again, I may be coming to the realization at the end of the month that we do spend more on our food than I thought. Wish me luck!
 |
| Don't you just love a well-stocked pantry? |
One of my best cost-savings strategies on groceries is to buy staple ingredients in bulk at a discounted price. (They don't typically make coupons for raw nuts and grains.) This means that some months my grocery bill is higher than others, but it should balance out over time, provided we eat what we have on hand instead of buying other food to eat instead--not that we would ever do such a thing... (Avoids eye contact.)
Enter "The October Pantry Challenge."
We have four kids, but they are only with us half the time, so I will say $400 for groceries for our family for the month of October. This number is for food only. In August and September I spent bought $600 from Azure to stock our pantry. I am guesstimating that these items will last around 6 months. Some may last much longer, while other items we may end up using up way before then. I also ordered Salmon which I expect to last around 4-6 months. We order beef and chicken through a coop, but that normally balances each other out as we order them every other month, respectively.
Here's a break down of the fuzzy math:
Food budget:
Azure (averaged out over 6 months): 100
Salmon: 16
Milk and eggs: 40
Coop: 150
Balance:
Hmmm. I honestly think I could do it on $400, but it would mean a big spending month again the following month. Plus, I wouldn't be able to order chicken this month which would create problems and higher spending later. I'm thinking that $500 for the month is a little more reasonable and possibly sustainable over the next few months. I also am thinking my Azure number may be on the high side as a lot of what I bought is probably going to last us closer to 9-12 months. (Getting a better idea of how long my bulk items last is on the to-do list.)
During this month I am going to ATTEMPT to post updates more regularly--every day or at least every other day. I'm thinking this may give more of an idea of how we eat real organic food at a reasonable price. However, I am not going to be estimating the cost of each individual meal because I am not going to make myself that crazy. (If you follow via Facebook updates, I am planning to post blog updates for this once or twice a week, not daily, as that seems that it may get a little annoying. If you're interested in reading the in-between posts, you may want to subscribe via e-mail so you don't miss one.)
Over the course of this month, my goal is to be more watchful of my grocery spending and to get a better idea of what we're spending. I also hope to prove that eating healthy food doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Then again, I may be coming to the realization at the end of the month that we do spend more on our food than I thought. Wish me luck!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
First Fall Recipe of the Season
 |
| This is only a slight exaggeration. Seriously. |
Regardless, maybe this little taste of "fall" softened me a little bit to whipping up something more autumn-like, plus I found apples at the farmer's market yesterday. Hence, this morning for breakfast I decided to add a twist to our Baked Oatmeal recipe and create Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal. The words out of my husband's mouth? "You've outdone yourself this time." Why thank you very much. (By the way, even my non-oatmeal-eating kiddos LOVE this recipe.)
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal1 1/2 C Rolled Oats
1/2 C Honey
1/2 C Milk
1/4 C Olive Oil
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 C chopped Pecans
1 Small or Medium Apple, chopped
1. Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
(Tip: Use a glass measuring cup to measure the olive oil first, then the honey. The coating from the olive oil will help the honey pour out easily without sticking.)
2. Spread evenly in a greased 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking pan.
3. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. (You can vary the cooking time according to your preference. Shorter cooking time 20-30 minutes will result in softer oatmeal, while 30-35 minutes will yield a chewier consistency, more cookie-like.)
Next time I think I might add the chopped apple to the top after baking to give it a fresh crisp taste. However, this version was quite yummy as is. Happy Fall!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Quick Go-to Dinner
Have I told you how much I love Frittata, Tortilla Espanola and all versions thereof? It is quick, easy, requires no actual measuring or precise recipe, and calls for eggs and whatever I have on hand. It's the perfect meal when I'm home by myself (although I make it for the family sometimes, too), or when I wrote down Calabacitas on the calendar which I read at 5 o'clock after getting home from the Chiropractor.
Ahem.
As I said above, there isn't a real recipe to this. Once you know the method, you can tweak it as you see fit.
Step One
Chop up your veggies of choice. (I used a new potato and a little red onion tonight.) Heat some olive oil in a ovenproof skillet and saute the veggies until they're cooked and a little soft. (For potatoes, I cook them until they're soft, but not too brown.)
Step Two
Beat eggs and a splash of milk together in a bowl.
Step Three
Add eggs to pan. Add a little cheese of choice if you want. Let the eggs cook until they're mostly set. Put the pan in the oven under the broiler to finish cooking. (2-7 minutes depending on how long you let them cook in the pan.
That's it. Enjoy your yummy, easy, inexpensive dinner. This is one of those dinners I consider a "free" meal. I know it's not really free, but you're using up odds and ends in the kitchen so it feels like it's free.
P.S. I am not posting a finished product picture because it broke on the way out of the pan, and I don't want you to laugh at me.
Ahem.
As I said above, there isn't a real recipe to this. Once you know the method, you can tweak it as you see fit.
Step One
Chop up your veggies of choice. (I used a new potato and a little red onion tonight.) Heat some olive oil in a ovenproof skillet and saute the veggies until they're cooked and a little soft. (For potatoes, I cook them until they're soft, but not too brown.)
Beat eggs and a splash of milk together in a bowl.
Step Three
Add eggs to pan. Add a little cheese of choice if you want. Let the eggs cook until they're mostly set. Put the pan in the oven under the broiler to finish cooking. (2-7 minutes depending on how long you let them cook in the pan.
That's it. Enjoy your yummy, easy, inexpensive dinner. This is one of those dinners I consider a "free" meal. I know it's not really free, but you're using up odds and ends in the kitchen so it feels like it's free.
P.S. I am not posting a finished product picture because it broke on the way out of the pan, and I don't want you to laugh at me.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Extended Summer Menu
I know, the title is disappointing. You were hoping for great "fall recipes" weren't you? But I live in Texas, and although the temperature has dropped considerably (85-95 feels like heaven after 100+), it won't be fall here for a while. So far we've gotten off pretty easy this year, though. Last year at this time we were in the middle of a drought and trying to keep first graders from falling into huge cracks that had formed around the school playground, never to be seen or heard from again.
In spite of the multitude of fall decorating ideas and recipes on Pinterest, I absolutely refuse to decorate my house for fall until after October 1st, usually closer to mid-October. One year I dutifully hauled out scarecrows, pumpkins, and hay September 22nd as the calendar dictates only to be ready to rip it all down all before Halloween. When the trees don't even change color (if you can call it that) until November, it feels terribly foolish to have decorations up for over a month prior. (To all of my friends out of state who are happily making soups and apple-type desserts and decorating their house for fall, just wait until March when that snow has long lost it's beauty, and we're close to enjoying the first tomatoes of the season. Texas rules. Winter drools.)
But enough of all that. Below is what's cooking in my kitchen for the next month--some of which I precooked and stashed in the freezer over the past few weeks. (Those recipes are linked to onceamonthmom.com which has links to the original recipes as well.) I realize I provided two different options per night. I like to have a myriad of choices so that I don't get bored with the same old-same old, and so I can pick and choose from what I have on hand and can buy at the Farmer's Market. Although these recipes still include summer veggies, there are some "warmer" recipes for the cooler days. Enjoy!
In spite of the multitude of fall decorating ideas and recipes on Pinterest, I absolutely refuse to decorate my house for fall until after October 1st, usually closer to mid-October. One year I dutifully hauled out scarecrows, pumpkins, and hay September 22nd as the calendar dictates only to be ready to rip it all down all before Halloween. When the trees don't even change color (if you can call it that) until November, it feels terribly foolish to have decorations up for over a month prior. (To all of my friends out of state who are happily making soups and apple-type desserts and decorating their house for fall, just wait until March when that snow has long lost it's beauty, and we're close to enjoying the first tomatoes of the season. Texas rules. Winter drools.)
But enough of all that. Below is what's cooking in my kitchen for the next month--some of which I precooked and stashed in the freezer over the past few weeks. (Those recipes are linked to onceamonthmom.com which has links to the original recipes as well.) I realize I provided two different options per night. I like to have a myriad of choices so that I don't get bored with the same old-same old, and so I can pick and choose from what I have on hand and can buy at the Farmer's Market. Although these recipes still include summer veggies, there are some "warmer" recipes for the cooler days. Enjoy!
Week One
Saturday- Veggie Panini/Eggplant Parmesan
Monday- Ginger Peach Chicken/Sweet and Sour Chicken (I would use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch.)
Tuesday- Chickpeas and Tomato Basil Salad/Summer Veggie Pasta (Use less pasta or more veggies than the original recipe.)
Wednesday- Calabacitas/Zuni Stew (Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)
Thursday- Veggie Stirfry/Frittata
Friday- Homemade Pizza
Week Two
Saturday- Steak Fajitas/Chicken Caprese Sandwich
Sunday- Caprese Lasagna with Spicy Turkey Sausage/Grilled Pork Chops
Monday- Vegetable Tian/Quinoa Salad
Tuesday- Teriyaki Chicken Thighs/Orange and Honey Chicken Drumsticks (Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)
Wednesday- Heirloom Tomato Tart/Tomato Basil Soup (both new recipes to try!)
Thursday- Chicken Wrap/Chicken Pesto Pasta
Friday- Ginger Cilantro Baked Tilapia/Out
Weekend Lunches
Our tradition is to eat out for lunch on Sunday, and I typically eat leftovers during the week. However, I am adding weekend lunches to my meal plans because somehow lunchtime on Saturday rolls around (as it does every week), and I am consistently shocked and surprised that we need to eat lunch. Of course I have absolutely nothing at all planned, and all leftovers have been consumed as of the night before. Somewhere out in Chicago my husband is cheering and possibly dancing a little jig out of sheer joy as he loves my lack of planning for Saturday lunches.
Hummus (I use less lemon juice.) and Pita Bread (I used all whole wheat pastry flour.)
Any others have a favorite "not quite fall/end of summer" recipe to share?
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Not so "once a month" cooking
I’m not even going to mention the fact that I haven’t
blogged here in a while. (Oops, I just
did.) I have come to accept the fact
that I am an inconsistent blogger. We
all have our shortcomings.
A blogger friend of mine is doing the “500 month” on her
blog--100 dollars per person for food for the entire month. I have seriously considered joining her, but
alas, this is not the month to do it. I
need to order both beef and salmon and place a large order to Azure as I am not
sure how often I will be able to order from them when I start working part
time. Sooooo, we’ll try it next month. I think.
 |
| School Lunches and Snacks :) |
Here is what I’ve been up to lately. I haven’t been blogging about food because I’ve
been in the kitchen making food—a. lot. of. it.
And the kids started school. And
I’ve been painting while the hubby put together IKEA furniture for two kids
rooms. Which means I’ve been living in a
black hole for the past month.
Over the summer onceamonthmom.com has been our go-to for cooking and menu-planning. For some reason effective summer
menu planning escapes me, so it has been nice to have someone else kind of tell
me what to do. I also used their
back-to-school mini menu to put some food in the freezer for school lunches,
which the kids have been loving! Variations
of peanut butter, cream cheese, and tuna sandwiches/roll ups gets boring after
a while. I’ve been loving the daily simplicity
of lunch-making, too.
 |
| Homemade Spaghetti-O's and Mac and Cheese |
In this process of giving once a month cooking another shot,
I have discovered some things about myself, which I will share with you for
your reading pleasure:
1. I love making bread, chicken broth, breakfast
items, school lunches, snacks for the freezer.
2. I am thrilled to make a double batch of whatever
I’m making for dinner on occasion to put in the freezer as an “emergency” meal.
3. I hate once a month cooking, because somehow or
another one day turns into three, and as much as I really do love to be in the
kitchen and cook, I don’t want to live there all day every day. (I’ve tried to break it down into a few recipes
per week, and that hasn’t really worked out so well either.) I also think I prefer using my favorite
recipes and adding in one or two new ones per week.
That being said, I’m not gonna do the once a month
thing. I still like the website for the
school lunches, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of their recipes. I’m thinking I’ll still use them, just not
for a whole day-long cooking session.
Maybe someone with a different personality type could do it in one day
and be done and would love it. And maybe
I will end up using it in the future when I know a busy season is coming up,
and I want to have some meals prepared in advance. As for right now, I’m going to spend the rest
of my day putting together the August meals as I have already bought all of the
ingredients for them but I'm not even going to worry about doing the September cooking session. Be on the look out for a new menu plan for September/October next week!
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