My kids are eating more. I knew it would come, but they ate alot before, so it still surprised me just how much food we would go through. Brian is working a really physically demanding job now and he's eating more too... and on top of it all, I've been working at getting healthier foods into us. That seems to equal more $$. We didn't get any venison last year, so thankfully people have blest us with extra meat, we've had quite a bit- beef, venison, elk, it's all been a great blessing. But I have had to buy some too, which I normally don't have to. I'm thankful that hunting season is only 2 months away and there will be 5 of us out hunting this year. Each of us can get 3 deer, so I asked Brian to set aside money for processing... because frankly, I don't want to butcher 15 deer. If we get an elk or 2 we would be set. I should start praying now, eh? :-)
Looking back on my blog I found that I spent $250 for groceries in April 2008 (menu here). I impress myself. LOL! But I know I was doing a "pantry challenge" at the time.
Since then I really have changed what we eat so much. I look in the pantry and there are:
Dried bean and rice
2 boxes of pasta (penne and macaroni noodles)
raisins
A couple cans of crushed tomatoes and tomato paste
Salsa
Various spices to replace the ones that are almost used up
Hot Chocolate mix that I bought at Costco before we went off sugar and now I don't want to use
Candy from making our "traditional" ginger bread house (and I'll continue to save the candy... we'll use it up this Christmas- why toss it just to buy more?)
These days I have a budget of $650. month. I have a really hard time staying in that budget. We eat alot more fruits and veggies than we used to, for my "quick" meals I get things like high quality sausage that just need to be heated on the grill.
I try not to buy much canned stuff, because from what I've read the plastic lining of alot of cans has BPA in it. (Please do your own research on this if you have questions, I'm not an expert). I try to only buy things that I know what the ingredient list says and nothing with nitrites/nitrates or the dreaded MSG.
Last night we had a delicious dinner- steak, corn on the cob, grilled zucchini and asparagus and some fresh peas. I don't usually make bread/rolls in the summer because of the heat. But as I looked at my plate with all the meat and fruits and veggies, I realized how much I have changed. And maybe $650/month is really good for a family of 7.
Nap time is over, so I'll have to stop my ramblings for now.
Have you been changing how you cook? If so, how and why and how is it affecting your budget?
Showing posts with label menu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label menu. Show all posts
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Menu Plan Monday
Monday: Fancy Chicken Bake
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: Meatloaf, fruit and veggies
Thursday: Lentil Chili
Friday: Salsa Burritos
Saturday: Lasagna (with homemade noodles)
Sunday: Turkey Dinner (no, I haven't had enough turkey and yes, I need the freezer space!)
For more visit Menu Plan Monday
Monday, November 30, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
Monday: Tortellni
Tuesday: Sausage Skillet
Wednesday: Chicken Mac & Cheese
Thursday: Pizza Rolls
Friday: Lentil Chili
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: Whatchagot :-)
For more visit I'm An Organizing Junkie.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Valentine Banquet 2009
Last year our group at church (Y.A.M.S. Young Adults Married & Single) hosted a Valentine Banquet (2008) for the rest of the Church.
Everyone had a great time, so we decided to do it again this year. It was a beautiful- we had so many people helping, setting up, decorating, cleaning, serving, doing dishes- it went really well. It was a little more challenging with having a 2 month old, but YAMS is a pretty good group of friends and they did so much.
Here's what we had on the menu: (recipes on the bottom of post)
Last year at the banquet we were low on silverware... so when I found a huge amount at a garage sale this summer I grabbed them. There was soup spoons, so I was determined to make a soup for the first course of the banquet. I got this recipe from my friend Suzanne. It's supposed to be like the soup at Olive Garden. I don't know- because it has been so long since I have tried their soup. But Brian loved this, so I went ahead and made it for the banquet. I stuck the soup in 3 crock pots for the day, adding the pasta and sauce a little while before serving. The smell apparently drove the pastor and his wife nuts while it was cooking, so they had to go get some lunch alot earlier than what is normal for them.
Pasta e Fagioli
1 lb ground meat
olive oil for browning, if needed
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, quartered and diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 24 oz can tomatoes
6 c. beef stock
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 tsp. parsley
3/4 tsp. tobasco sauce
1 can Hunts Chunky Vegetable Spaghetti sauce
1 c. (8 oz.) ditalini pasta, cooked and drained
Brown the meet in oil, until crumbly. Drain if needed. Stir in carrots, onions, celery and tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain the kidney bean, then stir in. Add beef stock, spices and tobasco. Simmer for 45 min, until celery and carrots are tender. Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta. Serve.
Artisan Bread
A few months ago I read this post on a blog I follow. I sent the link to my mom, who then bought the cook book.
Of which, I borrowed. I found it very interesting and enjoyed reading it. I liked the basic bread, so I used it for the Valentine Banquet and everyone loved it. I changed it a little, so I'll post what I did here. The book inspired me. It was alot of fun and nice to have the dough ready. I really liked the way the crust was so nice and crunchy and crackled when it came out of the oven- just lovely. The texture was great as well and just what I was looking for in an artisan bread.
For the banquet I made all the bread the day before and then before the banquet stuck them in a hot oven with a pan of water for 5-10 minutes. They were great. That made the crust crunchy again.
So, here's what I did:
Artisan Bread
3 c. warm water
1 T. kosher salt (coarse salt)
1 1/2 T. yeast
6 1/2 c. flour
Mix thoroughly, but don't knead. Let rise for about 2 hours, dump onto a floured surface, cut in half and then cut the halves into 3 equal portions. Shape into round loaves and set on parchment paper. Let rise. (This dough was easier to work with after it sat in the fridge for a day, like they suggest.)
Heat oven to 450˚ for 20 minutes before baking with an empty broiler pan (or another metal pan) and pizza stone. When the bread is ready, take a serrated knife and slice three 1/4" deep slits in the top. (Or an "X".) Slide the parchment and bread onto the hot pizza stone. pour 1 c. of warm/hot water into the empty broiler pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool before cutting.
The first time I made it I used unbleached flour, but then for the banquet I used bleach- because that's what I had a 25 lb. bag of. It worked fine, I think they were a little better with unbleached- but really, I would prefer to use unbleached in everything, but it's not so inexpensive here, at least not for the amount of flour I go through in a month.
Everyone had a great time, so we decided to do it again this year. It was a beautiful- we had so many people helping, setting up, decorating, cleaning, serving, doing dishes- it went really well. It was a little more challenging with having a 2 month old, but YAMS is a pretty good group of friends and they did so much.
Here's what we had on the menu: (recipes on the bottom of post)
Soup
Pasta e Fagioli
Fresh Artisan Bread
Penne Rigate with Grilled Chicken Alfredo
Topped with Diced Tomatoes and Basil
Roasted Asparagus
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
with Chocolate Drizzle
Last year at the banquet we were low on silverware... so when I found a huge amount at a garage sale this summer I grabbed them. There was soup spoons, so I was determined to make a soup for the first course of the banquet. I got this recipe from my friend Suzanne. It's supposed to be like the soup at Olive Garden. I don't know- because it has been so long since I have tried their soup. But Brian loved this, so I went ahead and made it for the banquet. I stuck the soup in 3 crock pots for the day, adding the pasta and sauce a little while before serving. The smell apparently drove the pastor and his wife nuts while it was cooking, so they had to go get some lunch alot earlier than what is normal for them.
Pasta e Fagioli
1 lb ground meat
olive oil for browning, if needed
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, quartered and diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 24 oz can tomatoes
6 c. beef stock
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 tsp. parsley
3/4 tsp. tobasco sauce
1 can Hunts Chunky Vegetable Spaghetti sauce
1 c. (8 oz.) ditalini pasta, cooked and drained
Brown the meet in oil, until crumbly. Drain if needed. Stir in carrots, onions, celery and tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain the kidney bean, then stir in. Add beef stock, spices and tobasco. Simmer for 45 min, until celery and carrots are tender. Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta. Serve.
Artisan Bread
A few months ago I read this post on a blog I follow. I sent the link to my mom, who then bought the cook book.
Of which, I borrowed. I found it very interesting and enjoyed reading it. I liked the basic bread, so I used it for the Valentine Banquet and everyone loved it. I changed it a little, so I'll post what I did here. The book inspired me. It was alot of fun and nice to have the dough ready. I really liked the way the crust was so nice and crunchy and crackled when it came out of the oven- just lovely. The texture was great as well and just what I was looking for in an artisan bread.For the banquet I made all the bread the day before and then before the banquet stuck them in a hot oven with a pan of water for 5-10 minutes. They were great. That made the crust crunchy again.
So, here's what I did:
Artisan Bread
3 c. warm water
1 T. kosher salt (coarse salt)
1 1/2 T. yeast
6 1/2 c. flour
Mix thoroughly, but don't knead. Let rise for about 2 hours, dump onto a floured surface, cut in half and then cut the halves into 3 equal portions. Shape into round loaves and set on parchment paper. Let rise. (This dough was easier to work with after it sat in the fridge for a day, like they suggest.)
Heat oven to 450˚ for 20 minutes before baking with an empty broiler pan (or another metal pan) and pizza stone. When the bread is ready, take a serrated knife and slice three 1/4" deep slits in the top. (Or an "X".) Slide the parchment and bread onto the hot pizza stone. pour 1 c. of warm/hot water into the empty broiler pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool before cutting.
The first time I made it I used unbleached flour, but then for the banquet I used bleach- because that's what I had a 25 lb. bag of. It worked fine, I think they were a little better with unbleached- but really, I would prefer to use unbleached in everything, but it's not so inexpensive here, at least not for the amount of flour I go through in a month.
And since we had 24 loaves of bread to slice- and were limited in our appliances, we used an electric meat carving knife- it worked great.
The loaves were cut into about 5 slices, so we put one loaf between each couple.
Alfredo Sauce
1 qt. Heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat whipping cream on medium, stirring constantly with whisk. When it starts to boil, add cheese about 1/4 c. at a time. Stir until melted before adding more cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. I think this would taste great with some garlic, but I had a lady who was allergic to garlic, so I didn't add any. I will another time when I make it just for us.
I used the fully cooked grilled chicken strips you can find frozen at Costco. I used a little less than 1/2 the package and mixed the sauce with 1 lb cooked Penne Rigate.
Top with diced fresh tomatoes and basil.
Roasted Asparagus
I love roasted asparagus. Just trim the ends off, line in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. My favorite is no pepper- but garlic salt. YUM!
Bake at 400˚ for 10-15 minutes. You want them to be slightly crunchy (not soft and mushy) and a beautiful green color.
Dessert
My friend Dawn makes the most beautiful cakes. I asked her to make the desserts last year too and they were gorgeous. She uses this opportunity to branch out from the typical cakes. This cheesecake was wonderful and she shared the recipe- so you get it too!
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
2 c. packaged chocolate wafer crumbs
1/3 c. butter, melted
3 T. sugar
2 1/2 c. fresh or lightly sweetened, frozen red raspberries, thawed
2/3 c. sugar
2 T cornstarch
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 T flour
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg whites
1 c. whipping cream
Crust:
combine wafer crumbs, butter and 3 T. sugar. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of an ungreased 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan. Chill while preparing filling.
Raspberries:
In a blender container, blend the 2 1/2 c. raspberries until smooth. Press though a sieve to remove seed. Add water to sieved raspberries if necessary to equal 1 c. Combine 2/3 c. sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in raspberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice. Remove 3/4 c. sauce; cool slightly without stirring. Cover remaining sauce and chill until serving time.
Filling:
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, flour and vanilla. Beat with mixer until fluffy. Add egg whites, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in cream.
Our half of the mixture into crust-lined pan. Drizzle the 3/4 c. raspberry sauce over cheese mixture in pan. Carefully spoon on remaining cheese mixture, covering sauce. Place in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 375˚ oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until center appears nearly set when shaken.
Cool in spring-form pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan and cool 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan; cool 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.
To serve top with remaining raspberry sauce.
Alfredo Sauce
1 qt. Heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat whipping cream on medium, stirring constantly with whisk. When it starts to boil, add cheese about 1/4 c. at a time. Stir until melted before adding more cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. I think this would taste great with some garlic, but I had a lady who was allergic to garlic, so I didn't add any. I will another time when I make it just for us.
I used the fully cooked grilled chicken strips you can find frozen at Costco. I used a little less than 1/2 the package and mixed the sauce with 1 lb cooked Penne Rigate.
Top with diced fresh tomatoes and basil.
Roasted Asparagus
I love roasted asparagus. Just trim the ends off, line in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. My favorite is no pepper- but garlic salt. YUM!
Bake at 400˚ for 10-15 minutes. You want them to be slightly crunchy (not soft and mushy) and a beautiful green color.
Dessert
My friend Dawn makes the most beautiful cakes. I asked her to make the desserts last year too and they were gorgeous. She uses this opportunity to branch out from the typical cakes. This cheesecake was wonderful and she shared the recipe- so you get it too!
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
2 c. packaged chocolate wafer crumbs
1/3 c. butter, melted
3 T. sugar
2 1/2 c. fresh or lightly sweetened, frozen red raspberries, thawed
2/3 c. sugar
2 T cornstarch
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 T flour
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg whites
1 c. whipping cream
Crust:
combine wafer crumbs, butter and 3 T. sugar. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of an ungreased 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan. Chill while preparing filling.
Raspberries:
In a blender container, blend the 2 1/2 c. raspberries until smooth. Press though a sieve to remove seed. Add water to sieved raspberries if necessary to equal 1 c. Combine 2/3 c. sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in raspberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice. Remove 3/4 c. sauce; cool slightly without stirring. Cover remaining sauce and chill until serving time.
Filling:
In a large bowl combine cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, flour and vanilla. Beat with mixer until fluffy. Add egg whites, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in cream.
Our half of the mixture into crust-lined pan. Drizzle the 3/4 c. raspberry sauce over cheese mixture in pan. Carefully spoon on remaining cheese mixture, covering sauce. Place in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 375˚ oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until center appears nearly set when shaken.
Cool in spring-form pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan and cool 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan; cool 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.
To serve top with remaining raspberry sauce.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Budget
Well, now that my pantry is low, I have really been able to see how much I can spend- and this month's menu was done for under $250.00, I actually gave myself $300 for budget, because I realized the kids eat so much, unless I have a stocked pantry to cook out of, I just can't do it for as cheap as I used to!
I think I came close to $220 for this menu- but I had 3 "company" meals I had to come up with and so spent money on things that weren't on the menu. All total, I did it with $250, so I did have some excess of $$- which is so much nicer than cutting it right down to the last cent.
I don't think I'll do that again this month- that was too much boxed mac & cheese (granted, it's a really cheap meal, but so unhealthy!).
I was thinking about how much my kids eat the other day- and you know, they do eat alot! Naomi is one now, and she will eat a whole sandwich plus fruit or veggies. If I use store bought white bread, the boys easily eat 4 sandwiches each before I tell them to stop and eat some carrots or something. It continues to increase every year. Good thing Luke is going hunting this year!
I think I came close to $220 for this menu- but I had 3 "company" meals I had to come up with and so spent money on things that weren't on the menu. All total, I did it with $250, so I did have some excess of $$- which is so much nicer than cutting it right down to the last cent.
I don't think I'll do that again this month- that was too much boxed mac & cheese (granted, it's a really cheap meal, but so unhealthy!).
I was thinking about how much my kids eat the other day- and you know, they do eat alot! Naomi is one now, and she will eat a whole sandwich plus fruit or veggies. If I use store bought white bread, the boys easily eat 4 sandwiches each before I tell them to stop and eat some carrots or something. It continues to increase every year. Good thing Luke is going hunting this year!
Friday, April 4, 2008
April Menu
Well, I have used my pantry down to very little... I basically have a bunch of dried beans, some rice, pumpkin puree, tuna, tomato soup, tomato sauce and marshmallows (and all my wheat/oats, etc). So this month I'm going to see how much I can actually get the grocery bill down to and still have some variety to the menu.
April Menu
April Menu
| Breakfast | Lunch | DInner |
| 4 Pancakes | Tacos (leftovers) | |
| 5 Banana Bread | Grilled Cheese | Mac & Cheese |
| 6 Coffee Cake | Lentil Chili | Sandwiches |
| 7 Pancakes | Turkey dinner | |
| 8 Oatmeal | Turkey soup | |
| 9 Zucchini Bread | Hash | |
| 10 Pancakes | Skillet Rice | |
| 11 Oatmeal | Peanut Butter Rice | |
| 12 French Toast | Lentil Chili | Turkey Soup |
| 13 Coffee Cake | Mac & Cheese w/ hot dogs | Left overs |
| 14 Pancakes | Egg Drop Soup | |
| 15 Oatmeal/Granola | Grilled Cheese | |
| 16 Zucchini Bread, eggs | Creamed Tuna over Rice | |
| 17 Pancakes | Lentil Chili | |
| 18 Muffins | Black Bean Soup | |
| 19 Waffles | Grilled Cheese | Pizza |
| 20 Coffee Cake | Mac & Cheese | Chili Dogs |
| 21 Pancakes | Skillet Lasagna | |
| 22 Oatmeal | Egg Drop Soup | |
| 23 Toast | Fried Rice | |
| 24 Muffins | Grilled Cheese | |
| 25 Pancakes | Stroganoff | |
| 26 Hootenanny Pancakes | Pizza | Lentil Chili |
| 27 Coffee Cake | Mac & Cheese | Sandwiches |
| 28 Pancakes | Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles | |
| 29 Oatmeal, eggs | Turkey Soup | |
| 30 Banana Bread | Steak-bit Spaghetti |
Saturday, March 1, 2008
March Menu
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| 1 Pancakes, eggs | Leftovers | Shepherd's Pie |
| 2 Coffee Cake | Out to Eat | Sandwiches |
| 3 Pancakes | Sandwiches | Grandma's Casserole |
| 4 Toast | Mac & Cheese | Burritos |
| 5 Baked Oatmeal | Grilled Cheese | Tuna Bake |
| 6 Banana Bread | Leftovers | Lentil Chili |
| 7 Biscuits | Pasta | Pizza |
| 8 French Toast | Mac & Cheese w/ hotdogs | Fried Rice |
| 9 Coffee Cake | Tacos | Sandwiches |
| 10 Burritos | Porcupine meatballs | |
| 11 Muffins | Chicken Curry | |
| 12 Oatmeal | Al Fredo w/ Polish Sausage | |
| 13 Ham & Eggs | Spaghetti | |
| 14 Bread Pudding | Sandwiches | |
| 15 Motel Breakfast | Applebees | Drive Through |
| 16 Coffee Cake | Chili Dogs | Sandwiches |
| 17 Pancakes | Mexican Dish | |
| 18 Muffins | Veggie Tacos | |
| 19 Toast | Skillet Lasagna | |
| 20 Baked Oatmeal | Pizza Pockets | |
| 21 Pancakes | Spicy PB Noodles | |
| 22 Hootenanny Pancakes | Fried Rice | Mac & Cheese w/ Ham |
| 23 Cold Cereal (Big Breakfast @ Church) | Grilled Cheese | Skillet Tuna Pasta |
| 24 Pancakes | Steak & Potatoes | |
| 25 Toast | Black bean & Rice Tacos | |
| 26 Baked Oatmeal | PB Rice | |
| 27 Zucchini Bread | Pepperoni Bake | |
| 28 Muffins | Skillet Chili Pasta | |
| 29 French Toast | Grilled Cheese | Stroganoff |
| 30 Coffee Cake | Italian Beans & Rice | Sandwiches |
| 31 Pancakes | Spaghetti |
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Valentine Banquet
I know I haven't posted much in the last couple weeks- but for the last month I've been planning a Valentine Banquet for our church- our group (Y.A.M.S., Young Adults, Married & Single) hosted it for the rest of the church. And this week, that is pretty much the only thing that has been on my mind. So even though I had some things I wanted to post after I made them- I forgot to take pictures- so another time. :-) The Banquet turned out wonderfully. I wish I had taken pictures of all of it to put on here, but pictures were the last thing on my mind Friday night!
I was in charge of the menu- except the desserts, which a friend of mine made- she did a beautiful job and made Chocolate Mousse Meringues.
We were able to keep our cost to a minimum- here's the menu:
Fresh Green Salad
with Red Pepper Vinaigrette
Artisan Bread
Steak wrapped with bacon, Baked Potato
Green Beans with Almonds
Meringue Bliss
I don't have a break down of the cost by food- but I took the total bill and divided it- it came to $5.40/per person. We had 37 people attend, so we fed them for just under $200.
I will have the bread recipe later this week- as I did manage pictures of them, as they were so pretty.
I was in charge of the menu- except the desserts, which a friend of mine made- she did a beautiful job and made Chocolate Mousse Meringues.
We were able to keep our cost to a minimum- here's the menu:
Fresh Green Salad
with Red Pepper Vinaigrette
Artisan Bread
Steak wrapped with bacon, Baked Potato
Green Beans with Almonds
Meringue Bliss
I don't have a break down of the cost by food- but I took the total bill and divided it- it came to $5.40/per person. We had 37 people attend, so we fed them for just under $200.
I will have the bread recipe later this week- as I did manage pictures of them, as they were so pretty.
Friday, February 1, 2008
February Menu
February Menu
| BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER |
| Fri. 1 Banana Bread | Pasta & Spicy Peanut Sauce | |
| Sat. 2 Scones | Mexican Meat & Rice | Outside plans |
| Sun. 3 Coffee Cake | Chicken Burgers | Superbowl Party |
| Mon. 4 Pancakes | Hash and Eggs | |
| Tues. 5 Toast | Lentil Chili | |
| Wed. 6 Baked Oatmeal | Cheese Delight | |
| Thurs. 7 Rice Pancakes | Turkey Dinner | |
| Fri. 8 Banana Bread | Sombrero Pie | |
| Sat. 9 Simple Scones | Tuna Ring with Cheese Sauce | Ham Dinner |
| Sun. 10 Coffee Cake | Italian Beans and Rice | Leftovers |
| Mon. 11 Pancakes | Chinese Goulash | |
| Tues. 12 Toast | Porcupine Meatballs | |
| Wed. 13 Applesauce Oatmeal | Meat & Egg Sandwich | |
| Thurs. 14 Breakfast Scones | Chicken Caruso | |
| Fri. 15 Zucchini Bread | Ham Pie | |
| Sat. 16 Coffee Cake | Grilled Cheese Sandwiches | Texas Hash |
| Sun. 17 Cold Cereal | Taco Lentils and Rice | Sandwiches |
| Mon. 18 Pancakes | Tuna Noodles Romanoff | |
| Tues. 19 Toast | Turkey Soup | |
| Wed. 20 Baked Oatmeal | Dinner in a Dish | |
| Thurs. 21 Muffins | Swedish Meatballs | |
| Fri. 22 Banana Bread | Chinese Beef and Rice | |
| Sat. 23 Scones | African Safari Pilaf | Sour Cream Enchiladas |
| Sun. 24 Coffee Cake | Mac & Cheese w/ Ham | Sandwiches |
| Mon. 25 Pancakes | Pizza | |
| Tues. 26 Toast | Meatballs with Sour Cream Gravy | |
| Wed. 27 Baked Oatmeal | Bean, Cheese and Rice Squares | |
| Thurs. 28 Muffins | Grandma's Casserole | |
| Fri. 29 Zucchini Bread | Skillet Lasagna |
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Being Frugal
Ok, my reason for starting this blog, other than enjoying cooking, eating and taking pictures (what a wonderful combination!)... is to show people how I feed our family for such a small amount, as it is a mystery to some, and they ask. So, I've been trying to figure out how to do this and what I've come up with is to track my expenses and give a dollar amount to each dish. So I hope that helps- though this might take some time, so if you don't see it at the bottom on the recipe post, then I haven't gotten to that recipe yet.
Typically our grocery budget is $300/month.
I do not have any picky eaters- I am very thankful for a husband who likes pretty much everything. He won't eat mushrooms or sardines (he is totally missing out on this- oh well, more for me!), but I think he likes everything else.
I have never cooked separate meals for anyone and the kids know this, so they eat what is on the table. There are somethings I know they don't care for, so I do offer things on the side- example: Jesse doesn't care for oatmeal, so I will have toast as well; Luke doesn't care for Peanut Butter Rice, so I serve rolls with it. It's not a stress point- I want the family table to be enjoyable. I do think that because of how we do this, they have learned to not be picky and are very good eaters. Too good sometimes, it seems- but I would rather have that!
When we try a new recipe- we all vote on whether to keep it or not. When they don't like something- they are allowed to say "I don't care for this" or "This is not my favorite", so I have a good idea of what people like and try to have a verity.
Typically our grocery budget is $300/month.
- When I started making breakfast from scratch it saved us $80/month- that's what I had been spending on cold cereal and milk!
- We hunt, (yes, I hunt too!) we get between 5 to 7 deer a year, we butcher them ourselves so it works out to be $.84 per pound for meat. So that does cut my grocery bill down alot through the year.
- I do buy turkey during the sales around Thanksgiving- so $15/turkey= 5 meals= $3/meal.
- Watch sales: we go through alot of eggs, so when Albertson's has their 10/$10 sale on eggs I buy about 10 dozen. Or during the summer I can get them at the farmers market for $1/dozen as well. Albertson's also has rice on sale now and then 10/$10- both white and brown- which is great and I will buy about six 2# bags- it works out to $.40/meal.
- I compare prices and normally buy generic. Most grocery stores have a "price per unit" on their price code sticker- this is so much easier than carrying around a calculator!
- Menu planning is a must to stay in budget.
- I make pretty much everything from scratch. It's not much more work and it doesn't take long before you have recipes memorized and you don't have to have the recipe in front of you.
- I do not buy pre-made or prepackaged things- except for Mac & Cheese and hot dogs, but that's not often, and spaghetti sauce.
- I grind our own grain- I have no idea how to work this out cost-wise. I buy a 50# bag of each: soft wheat ($14), hard white wheat($14), hard red wheat($14) and rolled oats($30). These last about 6 to 8 months. I grind soft wheat about once every 2 weeks and have it in the freezer for baking quick breads. I bake bread=4 loaves about once a week.
- I use dry beans instead of buying cans of beans-- so much cheaper! It takes a little more time, but I try to plan it around days I know I will be home most of the time.
- Snacks are limited. On school days the boys have a snack when they get home from school- on Saturday they have a morning snack as well- but snacks are not normally much, a couple carrots, apples, oranges, muffin, a piece of toast, etc.
- We don't drink milk or pop and juice, rarely. I don't believe milk is very beneficial- so water it is!
- When cooking (except gravy) I use powdered milk. I can buy a huge box at the scratch and dent store for $4-- normally $15 at Walmart. So using 2 cups for pancakes in the morning is just pennies.
- We don't eat out. When I have a higher budget ($350/month) then we can drive-thru on Sundays- but the boys eat so much- they each need 2 burgers and they are still hungry!
I do not have any picky eaters- I am very thankful for a husband who likes pretty much everything. He won't eat mushrooms or sardines (he is totally missing out on this- oh well, more for me!), but I think he likes everything else.
I have never cooked separate meals for anyone and the kids know this, so they eat what is on the table. There are somethings I know they don't care for, so I do offer things on the side- example: Jesse doesn't care for oatmeal, so I will have toast as well; Luke doesn't care for Peanut Butter Rice, so I serve rolls with it. It's not a stress point- I want the family table to be enjoyable. I do think that because of how we do this, they have learned to not be picky and are very good eaters. Too good sometimes, it seems- but I would rather have that!
When we try a new recipe- we all vote on whether to keep it or not. When they don't like something- they are allowed to say "I don't care for this" or "This is not my favorite", so I have a good idea of what people like and try to have a verity.
We eat every meal at the table. This means we all sit down for breakfast and dinner and lunch on the weekends.
That's all I can think of right now. Hope that gives you some idea of how I work things out!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Blowing the budget...
I went grocery shopping last night- and I went over budget. *Sigh*.
I can say that there was uncounted for expenses- I had to buy laundry detergent, which I tend to forget to plan for, tea for Brian and Mapleine- so those things add up to $9. and I only went $5.48 over- so all in all, that's not too bad.
So Walmart yesterday: $39.06
Total for the month: $125.48/120.00
WIC total: $69.60
Total grocery bill (including WIC) for the month: $195.08
I will say that when I do these "pantry challenges" I tend to look at it as a game and of course, when I stay in budget I'm the winner! I would like to say that then I go spend the extra $$ on something fun... but for some reason unexpected expenses always come up at that time. I feel like stomping my feet and pouting-- I worked hard to save that money! But at the same time, God is good and it is a blessing that we have extra money when we have extra expenses.
I am planning on doing this again next month, I think I only used about 1/2 of what is stockpiled in my pantry, but I think I will set my budget a bit higher- I would like to eat other veggies, instead of just green beans!
I can say that there was uncounted for expenses- I had to buy laundry detergent, which I tend to forget to plan for, tea for Brian and Mapleine- so those things add up to $9. and I only went $5.48 over- so all in all, that's not too bad.
So Walmart yesterday: $39.06
Total for the month: $125.48/120.00
WIC total: $69.60
Total grocery bill (including WIC) for the month: $195.08
I will say that when I do these "pantry challenges" I tend to look at it as a game and of course, when I stay in budget I'm the winner! I would like to say that then I go spend the extra $$ on something fun... but for some reason unexpected expenses always come up at that time. I feel like stomping my feet and pouting-- I worked hard to save that money! But at the same time, God is good and it is a blessing that we have extra money when we have extra expenses.
I am planning on doing this again next month, I think I only used about 1/2 of what is stockpiled in my pantry, but I think I will set my budget a bit higher- I would like to eat other veggies, instead of just green beans!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
"Pantry Challenge"
So- it is the start of the year and my goal is to save as much money this year as possible. I have a stocked pantry/freezer-- so I'm doing a "pantry challenge" this month. I have $120 for groceries: perishables (fruit, veggies, dairy, eggs, etc) and the rest is going to be used from what I have on hand. I also get WIC, so that takes care of most of our milk, etc. I haven't given myself this small of a budget for groceries in a long time. It also has to cover diapers/wipes for Naomi.
I'm excited for the challenge and to see the extra money in the bank at the end of the month.
I have made up my menu (posted on the blog! yea!) and have to stick to it. Because I don't have any really quick meals when I cook from the pantry/freezer- I have to plan ahead and make sure meat is out of the freezer, beans are soaked, etc. I only have enough mac and cheese for 2 last minute meals, so that doesn't leave much wiggle room!!
Anyone care to join me?
I'm excited for the challenge and to see the extra money in the bank at the end of the month.
I have made up my menu (posted on the blog! yea!) and have to stick to it. Because I don't have any really quick meals when I cook from the pantry/freezer- I have to plan ahead and make sure meat is out of the freezer, beans are soaked, etc. I only have enough mac and cheese for 2 last minute meals, so that doesn't leave much wiggle room!!
Anyone care to join me?
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
January Menu
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| 1 Pancakes | Souvlaki, baked potatoes | Peanut Butter Rice |
| 2 Baked Oatmeal | Polish Primavera | |
| 3 Burritoes | Meatloaf | |
| 4 Eggs & Potatoes | Turkey | |
| 5 Cheesecake French Tst | Leftovers | Clam Chowder |
| 6 Coffee Cake | Soup | Sandwhiches |
| 7 Pancakes | Beirrocks | |
| 8 Muffins | Tavern Burger | |
| 9 Toast | Stew | |
| 10 Baked Oatmeal | Steak and Potatoes | |
| 11 TexMex Breakfast | Baked Spaghetti | |
| 12 Zucchini Pie | Tacos | Beef, Cheese and Spinach |
| 13 Cold Cereal | Leftovers | Sandwiches |
| 14 Eggs | Stroganoff | |
| 15 Biscuits | Quick Enchiladas | |
| 16 Toast | Fried Rice | |
| 17 Baked Oatmeal | Fast Chicken Soup | |
| 18 Muffins | Steak in Sour Cream | |
| 19 Waffles | Taco Rice Skillet | Shepherd's pie |
| 20 Cold Cereal | G-chili, Cheese & Rice | Sandwiches |
| 21 Toast | Hamburger Roll-ups | |
| 22 Pancakes | Turkey soup | |
| 23 Muffins | Taco in a Bowl | |
| 24 Baked Oatmeal | Steak | |
| 25 Toast | Pot Pie | |
| 26 Hootenanny Pancakes | Sour Cream Enchiladas | Chili |
| 27 Toast | Grandma's Casserole | Sandwiches |
| 28 Pancakes | Oodles of Noodles Chili Bake | |
| 29 Muffins | Soup | |
| 30 Baked oatmeal | Spaghetti |
Thanks David for giving me the code to put up my menu!!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tightening the belt
Well, over the next year we are going to try to save at least $200 each month. Now, our budget is already pretty tight, so at least $100 is going to come from what was my grocery budget. THis means I'm going to either have to get really creative or eat alot of mac and cheese... and since Brian isn't a huge fan of mac and cheese, plus, it's really unhealthy- I guess it's creative time!
First, I'm going to to cook out of my pantry, as much as possible. On a good note, I've been stocking the pantry and have lots of beans and rice and there's plenty of meat in the freezer (4 turkeys and venison).
Cooking of this tight of a budget means menu planning-- I like to plan breakfast, lunch (on the weekends) and dinners for a month at a time.
I have tried to do that here, but I can never get it laid out the right way with the html code... so I'll have to work on that. Until then, I guess you just get to see what we ate as we go along. By the way-- I'll be working with a $200 food budget each month-- this also has to cover diapers/wipes for Naomi.
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