- Meal Plan
I know, I know. You're probably sick of hearing this one, but it really does work. My meal plan is based on three things. 1) What's on hand. 2) What's on sale. 3) What's in season.
We shop once a week in order to take advantage of that week's big sales (like BOGO deals). I make my plan on Friday morning, so I can do my shopping on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. I browse the ads of my local grocery stores, and check my pantries, freezer and fridge. I see what needs to get used up and build meals around those things. This week, I noticed that I have apples that are getting old (something very rare in our house of fruit-lovers), so I've planned to make stewed apples with the pork chops I have planned for Tuesday night. I've also planned to add them to the baked oatmeal I'm making for Saturday's breakfast. - Not buy
This one is the hardest for me. I grew up with my Depression-era grandparents. I was taught to always stock up on food, because you never know. I've had to learn some self-control. If something isn't in the budget, no matter how good a deal, it isn't in the budget. Period. If it's that important, I need to put something else back.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Saving Money Without Coupons Par IV
Here are my final 2 big tips on saving money on groceries without clipping coupons.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Little Things
Monday, January 6, 2014
The Sourgum Project, Part II: The Smoke Machine
Remember that 40 pounds of sorghum we were given? It's still hanging
out in our kitchen. The other day I decided to get real about using some
of it. One of the uses for sorghum that I found online was to pop it
like popcorn. The instructions were pretty simple: A little oil in the
bottom of a pot + sorghum grains + heat + some stirring = popped
sorghum. Easy right? Wrong.
As I was popping the sorghum, Lima Bean started crying, so I turned off the stove and went to figure out what happened. In the 4 minutes it took me to calm him down, the pot of sorghum went from oily kernels to smoke machine. The whole apartment filled with smoke. I got the kids outside and got the pot off the stove. I opened the doors and windows to vent the smoke. I added water to the pot to prevent the kernels from igniting. The contents of the pot had transformed into a large, black briquette. After a minute of hacking because of inhaling the smoke, I shut the doors (leaving the kitchen window open), grabbed the diaper bag, and decided to go for a drive. I took the kids to the park to calm them down. I called my hubby to let him know what happened and that we were okay.
My clothes and hair wreaked of sorghum smoke, so I took a long shower that night. I'm still trying to scrub the charred residue out of my pot. The apartment still has a smokey smell, but it's not as bad as it was. I'm not sure if it's fading or if I'm just getting used to it. Either way, I won't be popping sorghum for a while.
As I was popping the sorghum, Lima Bean started crying, so I turned off the stove and went to figure out what happened. In the 4 minutes it took me to calm him down, the pot of sorghum went from oily kernels to smoke machine. The whole apartment filled with smoke. I got the kids outside and got the pot off the stove. I opened the doors and windows to vent the smoke. I added water to the pot to prevent the kernels from igniting. The contents of the pot had transformed into a large, black briquette. After a minute of hacking because of inhaling the smoke, I shut the doors (leaving the kitchen window open), grabbed the diaper bag, and decided to go for a drive. I took the kids to the park to calm them down. I called my hubby to let him know what happened and that we were okay.
My clothes and hair wreaked of sorghum smoke, so I took a long shower that night. I'm still trying to scrub the charred residue out of my pot. The apartment still has a smokey smell, but it's not as bad as it was. I'm not sure if it's fading or if I'm just getting used to it. Either way, I won't be popping sorghum for a while.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Hamburger and Potato Casserole
This is one of my hubby's favorite dishes from his childhood. I made a
few changes from the original to make it more health and budget
friendly. Serve it with a salad or some green beans for a complete meal.
This recipe makes enough to feed 2 adults, 2 hungry toddlers, and
leftovers for lunch.
Hamburger and Potato Casserole
6 medium gold potatoes, cut into 1/3-1/2 inch slices (Any kind of potatoes should work, but we use golds.)
2 cups cooked ground beef (from the freezer) OR meat-free crumbles if you don't eat meat
1/2 pound (2 cans) of pinto beans or white beans, such as cannellini
2 cans of tomato sauce - 14.5 oz each (I get organic tomato sauce from Costco.)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a 13X9 dish, layer potatoes, then meat and beans. Top with tomato sauce. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cheese. The heat from the casserole with melt it. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes to let it set and cool slightly.
Hamburger and Potato Casserole
6 medium gold potatoes, cut into 1/3-1/2 inch slices (Any kind of potatoes should work, but we use golds.)
2 cups cooked ground beef (from the freezer) OR meat-free crumbles if you don't eat meat
1/2 pound (2 cans) of pinto beans or white beans, such as cannellini
2 cans of tomato sauce - 14.5 oz each (I get organic tomato sauce from Costco.)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a 13X9 dish, layer potatoes, then meat and beans. Top with tomato sauce. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cheese. The heat from the casserole with melt it. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes to let it set and cool slightly.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Oatmeal Breakfast "Cupcakes"
What kid doesn't want cake for breakfast?
Oatmeal Breakfast "Cupcakes"
3 bananas, mashed
1 cup almond milk
2 eggs
splash of vanilla
2 1/2 cups oats (I use "old fashioned" oats)
1/4 cup berries OR chocolate chips OR cinnamon chips OR raisins
Mix all of the ingredients, except berries/chips. (Batter will be fairly thin.) Fold in the berries/ chips gently and scoop batter into greased/ lined muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes (15-20 for mini muffins).
They freeze beautifully, too.
Oatmeal Breakfast "Cupcakes"
3 bananas, mashed
1 cup almond milk
2 eggs
splash of vanilla
2 1/2 cups oats (I use "old fashioned" oats)
1/4 cup berries OR chocolate chips OR cinnamon chips OR raisins
Mix all of the ingredients, except berries/chips. (Batter will be fairly thin.) Fold in the berries/ chips gently and scoop batter into greased/ lined muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes (15-20 for mini muffins).
They freeze beautifully, too.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Saving Money Without Coupons Part III
Make the most of what you buy and buy less meat
I may be aging myself a bit here, but I remember these things called leftovers. They were nasty. They had a weird texture, and their temperature was always wrong. Most of the time, they became science experiments that got thrown in the trash. So what's a thrifty girl to do when she has extra food? (First world problem, I know.) Use it, but use it in a different way. Those left over green beans aren't going to taste as good if you just microwave them, but they're delicious in soup or casseroles.
Cutting down our meat consumption is a huge money saver, plus it's good for health and environmental reasons. And if I may point out an uncomfortable fact here, an animal gave its life for that meat to be on our table. While we aren't vegans or even vegetarians, we do try to be conscious of the other creatures on the planet. So when we do buy meat (about 5 or 6 times a year), we buy meat that goes a long way, such as whole chickens. They're cheaper per pound ($0.99 vs. $2.99 for chicken breasts alone), and they go a long way. We have roast chicken one night, then use the rest of the chicken in soup, chicken and rice, chicken salad, etc. And don't forget to make broth from the bones! We like to buy large cuts of beef and cut them in half. Again, they're cheaper per pound than the cut up versions, and it isn't hard to cut them up yourself if you have a sharp knife and a game plan. Generally, we use once half of the cut for a roast and the other gets turned into little steaks, fajita strips, or stir-fry meat. When we use the fajita strips or stir-fry meat, we fill in the bulk of the meal with vegetables and/or beans and rice.
I may be aging myself a bit here, but I remember these things called leftovers. They were nasty. They had a weird texture, and their temperature was always wrong. Most of the time, they became science experiments that got thrown in the trash. So what's a thrifty girl to do when she has extra food? (First world problem, I know.) Use it, but use it in a different way. Those left over green beans aren't going to taste as good if you just microwave them, but they're delicious in soup or casseroles.
Cutting down our meat consumption is a huge money saver, plus it's good for health and environmental reasons. And if I may point out an uncomfortable fact here, an animal gave its life for that meat to be on our table. While we aren't vegans or even vegetarians, we do try to be conscious of the other creatures on the planet. So when we do buy meat (about 5 or 6 times a year), we buy meat that goes a long way, such as whole chickens. They're cheaper per pound ($0.99 vs. $2.99 for chicken breasts alone), and they go a long way. We have roast chicken one night, then use the rest of the chicken in soup, chicken and rice, chicken salad, etc. And don't forget to make broth from the bones! We like to buy large cuts of beef and cut them in half. Again, they're cheaper per pound than the cut up versions, and it isn't hard to cut them up yourself if you have a sharp knife and a game plan. Generally, we use once half of the cut for a roast and the other gets turned into little steaks, fajita strips, or stir-fry meat. When we use the fajita strips or stir-fry meat, we fill in the bulk of the meal with vegetables and/or beans and rice.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Slow Cooker Chili Wheat
Chili Wheat
4 cups water
1 onion, chopped
½ Tbsp molasses
½ tsp cumin
16 oz. tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1 ½ whole wheat berries
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp dried basil
Pinch of cayenne
Place ingredients in a slow cooker, stir, and cook on high 6-8 hours.
You can also add kidney beans to make it more chili-like.
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