I'm excited this week because I have a low cost menu plan worked out. And it's good food, too. Not only does this save me a ton of money, but it also helps so much to know what we'll be eating. For years and years I just bought all kinds of ingredients to have in the pantry/freezer, and would decide what to make each day based on what we had. It worked most of the time, but didn't save any money and took way more time. And when we are all busy going different directions, having a plan means one less thing to worry about. We also tend to eat out less when the menu is pre-planned.
One of the biggest savings comes from it being actually easier to eat at home when meals are planned than it is to eat out. Eating out now takes more time, more money, is more stressful, and generally is not as good. We do still like to eat out on special occasions or when we are away from the house for an extended period of time.
To buy all the ingredients this week would be around $55 for my family of 5. However, I had some of the stuff already. The menu plan and grocery list with prices are here.
To see what is working for others, go here.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A Week's Menu for $50! (included shopping list)
Usually, I don't include lunches in our menu plans because we eat most of our lunches at school or at work and we don't all eat the same things. See this post about packing lunches for examples of the lunches we pack. This weeks dinner menu below will cover most of our lunches for the week since all the recipes will have a generous amount of leftovers after our family of 5 eats dinner.
For breakfast, we eat a lot of cereal (purchased free or nearly free when Safeway has it on sale and I have coupons), oatmeal, pancakes, homemade bread, and homemade muffins. We'll limit this to only a few items for this week to keep the cost down.
This week's dinner menu is fairly kid friendly. My kids will eat most dinners, but these are some of their favorites.
Most items should be easily found at Walmart for this price. If not, pick a few items at Dollar Tree if needed. It does end up being a little over $50, but most of us will already have at least a few of the items on hand. For an entire week's groceries, starting completely from scratch with nothing in the pantry, $54 is pretty good!
Breakfasts
eggs
homemade bread
muffins
milk (from powdered)
Lunches
leftovers with carrot sticks, fruit, pretzels
Snacks
applesauce
pretzels
crackers/chips
bread
muffins
leftovers
Dinners
Sloppy Joes and peas, $4.70
Chicken -n- Dumplings, $5.50
Chili, $4.50
Homemade Pizza and applesauce, $6.75 (including 3 big cheese pizzas)
Scalloped Tuna/Potato casserole, vegetable, $2.75
Spaghetti, Corn, $4 (with 1/2 lb. ground beef, $3 without)
Brown beans, homemade bread, vegetables, $2.50
Shopping List, $
eggs, 2
flour, 2
powdered milk, 4
yeast, 4
salt, 1
pepper, 1
chili powder, .50
margarine, .60
baking powder, 1.10
large bag carrots, 2 (for carrot sticks and grate up the rest to add to the recipes, will also add any leftover veggies in the freezer if they mesh well with the recipes)
fresh fruit, 4
pretzels, 1
canned, fresh, or frozen veggies for 5 meals, 3 (my family doesn't eat a *ton* of these, so I usually make sure there are veggies included in the main dish as well)
2 packages chips/crackers, 2
applesauce, 2
2.5 lbs. ground beef, 5
1 lb. chicken thighs, 2
2 16 oz. cans tomato sauce, 1.50
2 cans spaghetti sauce, 2
spaghetti noodles, 1.25
peas, 1.50
onion, .25
cream of chicken soup, 1.25 (one large can)
4 pack refrigerated biscuits, 2
dried chili beans, .90
dried brown beans, .90
mozzarella cheese, $5
tuna, .75
Total, $54!!!
For more menus, visit Organizing Junkie.
For breakfast, we eat a lot of cereal (purchased free or nearly free when Safeway has it on sale and I have coupons), oatmeal, pancakes, homemade bread, and homemade muffins. We'll limit this to only a few items for this week to keep the cost down.
This week's dinner menu is fairly kid friendly. My kids will eat most dinners, but these are some of their favorites.
Most items should be easily found at Walmart for this price. If not, pick a few items at Dollar Tree if needed. It does end up being a little over $50, but most of us will already have at least a few of the items on hand. For an entire week's groceries, starting completely from scratch with nothing in the pantry, $54 is pretty good!
Breakfasts
eggs
homemade bread
muffins
milk (from powdered)
Lunches
leftovers with carrot sticks, fruit, pretzels
Snacks
applesauce
pretzels
crackers/chips
bread
muffins
leftovers
Dinners
Sloppy Joes and peas, $4.70
Chicken -n- Dumplings, $5.50
Chili, $4.50
Homemade Pizza and applesauce, $6.75 (including 3 big cheese pizzas)
Scalloped Tuna/Potato casserole, vegetable, $2.75
Spaghetti, Corn, $4 (with 1/2 lb. ground beef, $3 without)
Brown beans, homemade bread, vegetables, $2.50
Shopping List, $
eggs, 2
flour, 2
powdered milk, 4
yeast, 4
salt, 1
pepper, 1
chili powder, .50
margarine, .60
baking powder, 1.10
large bag carrots, 2 (for carrot sticks and grate up the rest to add to the recipes, will also add any leftover veggies in the freezer if they mesh well with the recipes)
fresh fruit, 4
pretzels, 1
canned, fresh, or frozen veggies for 5 meals, 3 (my family doesn't eat a *ton* of these, so I usually make sure there are veggies included in the main dish as well)
2 packages chips/crackers, 2
applesauce, 2
2.5 lbs. ground beef, 5
1 lb. chicken thighs, 2
2 16 oz. cans tomato sauce, 1.50
2 cans spaghetti sauce, 2
spaghetti noodles, 1.25
peas, 1.50
onion, .25
cream of chicken soup, 1.25 (one large can)
4 pack refrigerated biscuits, 2
dried chili beans, .90
dried brown beans, .90
mozzarella cheese, $5
tuna, .75
Total, $54!!!
For more menus, visit Organizing Junkie.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Complete Weekly Menu
Dinners
Creamed Tuna and Peas with noodles, applesauce
Butter beans, cornbread, applesauce
Impossible cheeseburger pie, creamed peas
Meatloaf, Carrot and Raisin Salad
Sloppy Joes, peas
Homemade pizza
Cheesy hamburger maccaroni, carrot sticks
Breakfasts
Oatmeal
Biscuits with Jelly
Homemade raisin bread
Oatmeal
Biscuits with Jelly
Homemade raisin bread
Oatmeal
Lunches
Tuna Sandwiches, carrot sticks
Maccaroni and Cheese, peas
Canned soup, crackers
Leftover meatloaf, carrots
Scrambled or fried eggs, toast
Leftover pizza
Mini pizzas
Snacks
Pretzels
Carrot sticks
Raisins
Applesauce
Bread or toast
Oatmeal Cookies
Applesauce Muffins
Check out more menus here!
Creamed Tuna and Peas with noodles, applesauce
Butter beans, cornbread, applesauce
Impossible cheeseburger pie, creamed peas
Meatloaf, Carrot and Raisin Salad
Sloppy Joes, peas
Homemade pizza
Cheesy hamburger maccaroni, carrot sticks
Breakfasts
Oatmeal
Biscuits with Jelly
Homemade raisin bread
Oatmeal
Biscuits with Jelly
Homemade raisin bread
Oatmeal
Lunches
Tuna Sandwiches, carrot sticks
Maccaroni and Cheese, peas
Canned soup, crackers
Leftover meatloaf, carrots
Scrambled or fried eggs, toast
Leftover pizza
Mini pizzas
Snacks
Pretzels
Carrot sticks
Raisins
Applesauce
Bread or toast
Oatmeal Cookies
Applesauce Muffins
Check out more menus here!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Illusive Cabbage
Ever since I've had kids, since kid #1 has always been particularly picky regarding the entrees we serve, I've been perfecting the skill of hiding veggies in food.
For the most part, zucchini has always been my favorite. Shredded, the stuff can be put in most anything and not be detected. If the green bits from the peel give it away, then peel the zucchini before grating it up. Zucchini bread, brownies, pancakes, oatmeal, cookies, muffins, meatloaf and pasta sauce all hide zucchini well. No taste difference at all.
Grated carrots and fresh spinach leaves that have been frozen and crumbled (grab a handful of frozen spinach leaves and crumble into anything you are making) are other favorites. Cauliflower that has been pureed or chopped finely works good since it's white.
BUT. I can't believe I've overlooked one of the most versatile veggies all these years. My oldest child is 11 and 1/2, so that's a lot of years. CABBAGE. Yes, cabbage, folks. Cabbage is inexpensive as well. Use some of the head to make cole slaw if your family likes that. The rest can be shredded or chopped and added to recipes. I added some to Rice-a-Roni fried rice flavor and my kids didn't even notice it was there. Dh liked it better with the cabbage than without. Add it to soups, casseroles, and stir-frys. You can buy the already shredded coleslaw mix if you wish, but I just buy a whole head. It will last for a while. Cabbage is fairly easy to chop, or it can be grated in the food processor and stored in a Ziploc bag.
Yes, Cabbage Works For Me.
For the most part, zucchini has always been my favorite. Shredded, the stuff can be put in most anything and not be detected. If the green bits from the peel give it away, then peel the zucchini before grating it up. Zucchini bread, brownies, pancakes, oatmeal, cookies, muffins, meatloaf and pasta sauce all hide zucchini well. No taste difference at all.
Grated carrots and fresh spinach leaves that have been frozen and crumbled (grab a handful of frozen spinach leaves and crumble into anything you are making) are other favorites. Cauliflower that has been pureed or chopped finely works good since it's white.
BUT. I can't believe I've overlooked one of the most versatile veggies all these years. My oldest child is 11 and 1/2, so that's a lot of years. CABBAGE. Yes, cabbage, folks. Cabbage is inexpensive as well. Use some of the head to make cole slaw if your family likes that. The rest can be shredded or chopped and added to recipes. I added some to Rice-a-Roni fried rice flavor and my kids didn't even notice it was there. Dh liked it better with the cabbage than without. Add it to soups, casseroles, and stir-frys. You can buy the already shredded coleslaw mix if you wish, but I just buy a whole head. It will last for a while. Cabbage is fairly easy to chop, or it can be grated in the food processor and stored in a Ziploc bag.
Yes, Cabbage Works For Me.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Quick Garlic Bread Sticks
This recipe I used directly from Hillbilly Housewife, so I am going to direct you over there to get the recipe. My 3yo especially liked these dipped in spaghetti sauce.
Carrot Raisin Salad
This salad wasn't terribly liked by my kids, only slightly tolerated. I'm posting it here anyhow because it is one of my favorites. Oh, I am craving it right now! I think that most kids would actually like it since it is sweet.
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
I shred the carrots in the food processor. If you don't have one, use a cheese grater. Put the carrots and raisins in a bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a cup to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix. If you want your raisins to be softer, soak them in some water for a few minutes and drain before adding them to the salad. Oh, how I love this salad!
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
I shred the carrots in the food processor. If you don't have one, use a cheese grater. Put the carrots and raisins in a bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a cup to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix. If you want your raisins to be softer, soak them in some water for a few minutes and drain before adding them to the salad. Oh, how I love this salad!
Creamed Peas
2 T. margarine
2 T. flour
1 c. milk (I use reconstituted dry milk)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. frozen peas
Melt margarine in saucepan over medium heat. Stir the flour into the melted margarine until it is smooth. Stir in the milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. After a minute or so add the peas. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so. The "cream" will thicken up a bit after you remove the pan from the heat. Enjoy!
2 T. flour
1 c. milk (I use reconstituted dry milk)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. frozen peas
Melt margarine in saucepan over medium heat. Stir the flour into the melted margarine until it is smooth. Stir in the milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. After a minute or so add the peas. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so. The "cream" will thicken up a bit after you remove the pan from the heat. Enjoy!
Meat Loaf
My kids all liked this meat loaf.
2 to 2.5 lbs. ground beef
2 c. dry bread crumbs
2 eggs
8 oz. tomato sauce
2 c. shredded or finely chopped veggies (onions, carrots, celery, broccoli, raw spinach leaves, zucchini, etc., whatever you have but don't leave out the onions)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. season salt (or regular salt if that's all you have)
You can use a blender or food processor to grind up the bread crumbs. I usually throw the stale heels of bread that my family doesn't eat into a freezer bag and save for recipes like this. Throw all the ingredients into a big bowl and mix up with your hands (this is the easiest way). When it's all mixed up, divide and press into two loaf pans (or whatever shape pan you like, it really doesn't matter). Bake at 350 for an hour. I like to use my meat thermometer to check for doneness.
2 to 2.5 lbs. ground beef
2 c. dry bread crumbs
2 eggs
8 oz. tomato sauce
2 c. shredded or finely chopped veggies (onions, carrots, celery, broccoli, raw spinach leaves, zucchini, etc., whatever you have but don't leave out the onions)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. season salt (or regular salt if that's all you have)
You can use a blender or food processor to grind up the bread crumbs. I usually throw the stale heels of bread that my family doesn't eat into a freezer bag and save for recipes like this. Throw all the ingredients into a big bowl and mix up with your hands (this is the easiest way). When it's all mixed up, divide and press into two loaf pans (or whatever shape pan you like, it really doesn't matter). Bake at 350 for an hour. I like to use my meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Chicken Tetrazzini
This stuff is soooooooo good, you have to give it a try. Again, inspiration for this recipe came from Hillbilly Housewife.
1/2 c. margarine
1 onion finely chopped
sliced mushrooms (however many you like, fresh or canned)
frozen broccoli (however much you like, or you can leave out if you wish)
garlic (minced or powder, whatever you have, about 1 clove or 1 tsp.)
1/3 c. flour
1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 and 1/2 cups milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
salt to taste
pepper to taste
8 oz. pasta (spaghetti, linguine, corkscrew, bowtie, or penne work well)
parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top
Melt the margarine with the onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a saucepan. Start cooking pasta as per directions. Saute onion/mushroom/garlic mixture until onions are tender. Add the flour to the onion mixture and stir until well combined. Add the chicken broth and the milk. Bring to boiling and boil for one minute. Add the chicken, broccoli, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook and stir until heated through. Add the cooked and drained pasta and mix well. Dump all of it into an oiled 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for half and hour or so.
1/2 c. margarine
1 onion finely chopped
sliced mushrooms (however many you like, fresh or canned)
frozen broccoli (however much you like, or you can leave out if you wish)
garlic (minced or powder, whatever you have, about 1 clove or 1 tsp.)
1/3 c. flour
1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 and 1/2 cups milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
salt to taste
pepper to taste
8 oz. pasta (spaghetti, linguine, corkscrew, bowtie, or penne work well)
parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top
Melt the margarine with the onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a saucepan. Start cooking pasta as per directions. Saute onion/mushroom/garlic mixture until onions are tender. Add the flour to the onion mixture and stir until well combined. Add the chicken broth and the milk. Bring to boiling and boil for one minute. Add the chicken, broccoli, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook and stir until heated through. Add the cooked and drained pasta and mix well. Dump all of it into an oiled 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for half and hour or so.
Hamburger Gravy
The inspiration for this recipe came from the Hillbilly Housewife, but I tweaked it.
1 Pound Ground Beef
1/2 Cup Flour
1 tsp. Salt
Pepper to Taste
1/2 T. Onion Powder
1-2 T. Beef Boullion
4 Cups Water
1 Cup Dry Milk Powder
Brown the hamburger over medium heat. When it is cooked through, add the flour. Stir the flour and the hamburger until it is well mixed. Add the spices. Add the water and the milk powder. Stir until the milk powder is mixed in and dissolved. Boil for a couple of minutes, then turn heat to low. The gravy will be ready when you are! Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, or biscuits.
1 Pound Ground Beef
1/2 Cup Flour
1 tsp. Salt
Pepper to Taste
1/2 T. Onion Powder
1-2 T. Beef Boullion
4 Cups Water
1 Cup Dry Milk Powder
Brown the hamburger over medium heat. When it is cooked through, add the flour. Stir the flour and the hamburger until it is well mixed. Add the spices. Add the water and the milk powder. Stir until the milk powder is mixed in and dissolved. Boil for a couple of minutes, then turn heat to low. The gravy will be ready when you are! Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, or biscuits.
Menu Plan Monday (dinners only - with new recipe results!)
For the most part, last week's experimental menu went great. One night we weren't home, and another night dh made something that wasn't on the plan, so there are a couple of things I have moved to this weeks menu.
Here are the items most of us enjoyed from last week. Of course, I thought all the recipes below were to die for. I can't wait to make them again! My inspiration for nearly all of the recipes came from Hillbilly Housewife.
Butter beans
Chicken Tetrazzini
Carrot Raisin Salad
Hamburger Gravy
Quick Garlic Bread Sticks
Meatloaf
Creamed Peas
Other recipes that we tried were hoe cakes and corn fritters. These were good, but my kids weren't very fond of them so we probably won't make them again.
Here's this week's menu.
Monday - Leftovers, Rice-a-Roni
Tuesday - Orange Chicken and Rice, Broccoli, Birthday Cake (birthday dinner for ds)
Wednesday - Pizza (the frozen variety to eat after my son's birthday party)
Thursday - Hamburger Maccaroni Casserole, Coleslaw (moved from last week)
Friday - Impossible Broccoli Cheese Pie (moved from last week), Corn
Saturday - Tuna "casserole"(moved from last week), Fruit
Sunday - Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry (another experiment), Rice
Check out others' menus for the week over at Menu Plan Monday.
Here are the items most of us enjoyed from last week. Of course, I thought all the recipes below were to die for. I can't wait to make them again! My inspiration for nearly all of the recipes came from Hillbilly Housewife.
Butter beans
Chicken Tetrazzini
Carrot Raisin Salad
Hamburger Gravy
Quick Garlic Bread Sticks
Meatloaf
Creamed Peas
Other recipes that we tried were hoe cakes and corn fritters. These were good, but my kids weren't very fond of them so we probably won't make them again.
Here's this week's menu.
Monday - Leftovers, Rice-a-Roni
Tuesday - Orange Chicken and Rice, Broccoli, Birthday Cake (birthday dinner for ds)
Wednesday - Pizza (the frozen variety to eat after my son's birthday party)
Thursday - Hamburger Maccaroni Casserole, Coleslaw (moved from last week)
Friday - Impossible Broccoli Cheese Pie (moved from last week), Corn
Saturday - Tuna "casserole"(moved from last week), Fruit
Sunday - Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry (another experiment), Rice
Check out others' menus for the week over at Menu Plan Monday.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Butter Beans
As part of the experimental menu plan that I made for this past week, we tried the Butter Beans for dinner tonight. WOW! I mean, seriously, since my family doesn't really like beans that much I was expecting myself to be the only one eating these. While my 3yo didn't prefer them, everyone else ate them up! And not only did they eat them, they *liked* the Butter Beans. My dd normally dislikes lima beans, but she liked these. Anyway, here's the recipe.
Ingredients:
One bag dried lima beans, $1 (less at Walmart)
1/2 stick margarine, $.25
salt, $.05
pepper, $.o5
Total Cost: $1.35 (and this makes quite a lot, we have leftovers)
Soak the beans overnight, or you can do the quick soak according to the directions on the bag. Simmer over medium heat for an hour or so. Add the margarine, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook over medium heat until the beans are soft.
This recipe seems to be fairly foolproof. I soaked them for about 20 hours instead of just overnight. Then, I cooked them for an hour, put the whole pot in the fridge, left it there for a day, took it back out, added the margarine, salt, and pepper, and cooked until the beans were done. The were so delicious! Now, don't ask me why I went through all of that, but it just had to do with my busy schedule.
My inspiration for making this dish came from the Hillbilly Housewife.
Head on over to Saturday Stirrings at It Coulda' Been Worse to get many more yummy recipes.
Ingredients:
One bag dried lima beans, $1 (less at Walmart)
1/2 stick margarine, $.25
salt, $.05
pepper, $.o5
Total Cost: $1.35 (and this makes quite a lot, we have leftovers)
Soak the beans overnight, or you can do the quick soak according to the directions on the bag. Simmer over medium heat for an hour or so. Add the margarine, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook over medium heat until the beans are soft.
This recipe seems to be fairly foolproof. I soaked them for about 20 hours instead of just overnight. Then, I cooked them for an hour, put the whole pot in the fridge, left it there for a day, took it back out, added the margarine, salt, and pepper, and cooked until the beans were done. The were so delicious! Now, don't ask me why I went through all of that, but it just had to do with my busy schedule.
My inspiration for making this dish came from the Hillbilly Housewife.
Head on over to Saturday Stirrings at It Coulda' Been Worse to get many more yummy recipes.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Beans Anyone?
My family seems to have a difficult time with beans. And no, I don't mean with the digestion part, but that may be true as well. What I am talking about is my family rarely likes to eat them. Personally, I adore beans. Refried beans, baked beans, bean soup, white beans, black beans, red beans, kidney beans, etcetera, etcetera, I love me some beans. Beans are so healthy and so inexpensive that I would love to incorporate more of them into our diet. So, what I am asking is do you have a favorite bean recipe or dish? Will your family eat it?
Head on over to Works For Me Wednesday to help answer all the difficult questions in life.
Head on over to Works For Me Wednesday to help answer all the difficult questions in life.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Experimental Thrifty Dinner Menu Plan
This menu plan uses recipes in which my family has not yet tried. After we try them, I'll add an update so you all can rest at night knowing which ones passed the 3 children and dh test of approval. I'll also post the recipes that pass the approval. I can't post them now or I'd be going against my rule of only posting recipes that have already passed the test. So, stay tuned y'all!
I'm not going to map out days, just list 7 dinners and will choose days as the week progresses.
1. Tuna "casserole", Applesauce
2. Butter beans, Hoe Cakes, Canned Fruit
3. Carrot Raisin Salad, Chicken Tetrazzini
4. Peas, Instant Mashed Potatoes, Hamburger Gravy
5. Impossible Broccoli and Cheddar Pie, Corn
6. Garlic Bread Sticks, Meat Loaf, Coleslaw
7. Corn Fritters, Salmon Patties, Creamed Peas
Also note, prices will be added to this menu after I go shopping tomorrow. It's all about accuracy. Prices have really gone up, so I want to make sure what I write is at least close to accurate.
Please cross your fingers with me that my family will love these meals - or at least eat them.
Check out more menu plans over at Menu Plan Monday!
I'm not going to map out days, just list 7 dinners and will choose days as the week progresses.
1. Tuna "casserole", Applesauce
2. Butter beans, Hoe Cakes, Canned Fruit
3. Carrot Raisin Salad, Chicken Tetrazzini
4. Peas, Instant Mashed Potatoes, Hamburger Gravy
5. Impossible Broccoli and Cheddar Pie, Corn
6. Garlic Bread Sticks, Meat Loaf, Coleslaw
7. Corn Fritters, Salmon Patties, Creamed Peas
Also note, prices will be added to this menu after I go shopping tomorrow. It's all about accuracy. Prices have really gone up, so I want to make sure what I write is at least close to accurate.
Please cross your fingers with me that my family will love these meals - or at least eat them.
Check out more menu plans over at Menu Plan Monday!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Works for Me Wednesday - Easy and Cheap Kids' School Lunches
Easy kids' lunches work for me. We make our kids' lunches nearly every morning. Even if we buy convenience foods such as juice boxes and other pre-packaged items, lunches still cost way less to make at home. I can usually pack a good lunch, even with convenience items, for under $1. Having the kids eat hot lunch at school is even easier, but it can be a lot more expensive unless your kids qualify for free lunches. Here are some of our favorites that are kid friendly and quick to make.
Please note that I don't include a lot of veggies on the side. I usually try to add a bit to the sandwich/salad/soup if there is one, and usually we include fruit with the lunch. My kids won't usually eat just a vegetable in their lunch, even if it has dip, so I leave it out. They eat veggies during their time at home. I still feel guilt for all the good food made by my wonderful mom that I threw away in elementary school and don't want to be the one buying thrown away food.
Lunch ingredients:
Sandwiches (This is obvious, but try to mix up the fillings. Lunchmeat, egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, nut butter with fruit slices or grated carrots, use different cheeses or salad dressing instead of mayo, etc.)
Wraps (use a tortillia instead of bread, add lunchmeat, lettuce, cheese, or any filling at all and it will be super good)
Sandwiches on rolls or bagels or pita bread instead of regular bread
Bagel with cream cheese
Fruit (fresh or canned - my kids like grapes, apples, sliced oranges, cherries, plums, fresh pears, mandarin oranges, canned peaches, pineapple, raisins, applesauce, fruit salad)
Cheese sticks
Cheese, lunchmeat, and crackers
Juice (I usually buy individual juices, but you can use a plastic re-usable cup as well and pour your own)
Soup, chili, Spaghettios, leftover dinner from the night before, etc. packed in a thermos (Heat the thermos up with hot water before putting in the food and it will stay hot longer. Canned items work great for this. Granted, they aren't always the healthiest, but at least the kids will eat them. To make you feel less guilty, the quality of the food served by the school cafeteria is really very low on average.)
Maccaroni or potato salad
Cold leftover pizza
Granola bars or cereal bars
Homemade cookies
Yogurt
"Trail Mix" (we have a nut free home so I often make this with anything we have on hand such as cereals, dried fruits, a few chocolate chips, small crackers, pretzels, etc.)
Pretzels or crackers
Chips and Salsa
Celery sticks with Sunbutter (or peanut butter if you aren't nut free)
Pudding cups (made ourselves or storebought)
Fruit snacks (occasional treat)
Popcorn in a baggie
Olives
Baked beans
Cottage Cheese plain or with fruit
Hardboiled Eggs
If your kids have access to a microwave at school, there are a whole bunch more ideas. While my kids do have a microwave at school, sometimes there is a line to use it so I try to stick with "cold lunch" ideas so they have more time to actually be eating.
For more lovely Works For Me Wednesday tips visit Rocks In My Dryer.
Please note that I don't include a lot of veggies on the side. I usually try to add a bit to the sandwich/salad/soup if there is one, and usually we include fruit with the lunch. My kids won't usually eat just a vegetable in their lunch, even if it has dip, so I leave it out. They eat veggies during their time at home. I still feel guilt for all the good food made by my wonderful mom that I threw away in elementary school and don't want to be the one buying thrown away food.
Lunch ingredients:
Sandwiches (This is obvious, but try to mix up the fillings. Lunchmeat, egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, nut butter with fruit slices or grated carrots, use different cheeses or salad dressing instead of mayo, etc.)
Wraps (use a tortillia instead of bread, add lunchmeat, lettuce, cheese, or any filling at all and it will be super good)
Sandwiches on rolls or bagels or pita bread instead of regular bread
Bagel with cream cheese
Fruit (fresh or canned - my kids like grapes, apples, sliced oranges, cherries, plums, fresh pears, mandarin oranges, canned peaches, pineapple, raisins, applesauce, fruit salad)
Cheese sticks
Cheese, lunchmeat, and crackers
Juice (I usually buy individual juices, but you can use a plastic re-usable cup as well and pour your own)
Soup, chili, Spaghettios, leftover dinner from the night before, etc. packed in a thermos (Heat the thermos up with hot water before putting in the food and it will stay hot longer. Canned items work great for this. Granted, they aren't always the healthiest, but at least the kids will eat them. To make you feel less guilty, the quality of the food served by the school cafeteria is really very low on average.)
Maccaroni or potato salad
Cold leftover pizza
Granola bars or cereal bars
Homemade cookies
Yogurt
"Trail Mix" (we have a nut free home so I often make this with anything we have on hand such as cereals, dried fruits, a few chocolate chips, small crackers, pretzels, etc.)
Pretzels or crackers
Chips and Salsa
Celery sticks with Sunbutter (or peanut butter if you aren't nut free)
Pudding cups (made ourselves or storebought)
Fruit snacks (occasional treat)
Popcorn in a baggie
Olives
Baked beans
Cottage Cheese plain or with fruit
Hardboiled Eggs
If your kids have access to a microwave at school, there are a whole bunch more ideas. While my kids do have a microwave at school, sometimes there is a line to use it so I try to stick with "cold lunch" ideas so they have more time to actually be eating.
For more lovely Works For Me Wednesday tips visit Rocks In My Dryer.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Saturday Stirrings: Salsa Chicken
DeeDee is hosting Saturday Stirrings with friends. I have to say, there are some divine recipes over there. I can't wait to try some of them. Especially the ones with chocolate ingredients.
Salsa Chicken
1 chicken breast, $1
2 cups salsa (we usually use Pace mild), $1.50
1 T brown sugar, $.10
1 T dijon mustard, $.25
3 cups or so of cooked rice, $1
Total approximate cost: $3.85
Cut the chicken breast into very small pieces. Cook it through in a frying pan. If you don't have a non-stick pan you will need to spray with cooking spray first. After chicken is cooked through, add the salsa, brown sugar, and dijon mustard. Mix it all up and heat through. Serve over hot rice.
My kids will all eat this, it's incredibly quick and easy to make, and it is free of most allergens, which is a plus for many families. I think we may have gotten the recipe from a Pace salsa jar years ago. This makes enough for 4 people or so.
Salsa Chicken
1 chicken breast, $1
2 cups salsa (we usually use Pace mild), $1.50
1 T brown sugar, $.10
1 T dijon mustard, $.25
3 cups or so of cooked rice, $1
Total approximate cost: $3.85
Cut the chicken breast into very small pieces. Cook it through in a frying pan. If you don't have a non-stick pan you will need to spray with cooking spray first. After chicken is cooked through, add the salsa, brown sugar, and dijon mustard. Mix it all up and heat through. Serve over hot rice.
My kids will all eat this, it's incredibly quick and easy to make, and it is free of most allergens, which is a plus for many families. I think we may have gotten the recipe from a Pace salsa jar years ago. This makes enough for 4 people or so.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Tuscan White Bean Soup
1 lb. small white beans, $.65
3 Tbsp. olive oil (or whatever kind you have), $.50
2 onions chopped (I used one), $1
1 cup finely chopped carrots, $1
2 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (I didn't have so I left this out)
3 cloves minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar because that's what I had on hand, you could also substitute garlic powder), $.50
10 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used boullion and water), $.25
pepper and parmesan cheese for garnish, optional (we didn't use)
Total cost: $3.90
Wash and soak beans as directed on package.
In a large soup pot, heat oil and saute onions and carrots (and rosemary if using) until soft. Stir in garlic, beans, and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until beans are tender (mine took a couple of hours).
Transfer 1/3 of the soup to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Then return it with the rest of the soup and stir.
We ate this with homemade bread and it was wonderful.
3 Tbsp. olive oil (or whatever kind you have), $.50
2 onions chopped (I used one), $1
1 cup finely chopped carrots, $1
2 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (I didn't have so I left this out)
3 cloves minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar because that's what I had on hand, you could also substitute garlic powder), $.50
10 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used boullion and water), $.25
pepper and parmesan cheese for garnish, optional (we didn't use)
Total cost: $3.90
Wash and soak beans as directed on package.
In a large soup pot, heat oil and saute onions and carrots (and rosemary if using) until soft. Stir in garlic, beans, and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until beans are tender (mine took a couple of hours).
Transfer 1/3 of the soup to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Then return it with the rest of the soup and stir.
We ate this with homemade bread and it was wonderful.
Menu Plan Monday #3 (dinner only)
I always love to browse the menu plans posted over at I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. Here's what we've got planned for this week.
Monday - weekend leftovers, $0
Tuesday - fast food (away from home on necessary errands), $20
Wednesday - Crockpot Roast, Potatoes, Salad, $6
Thursday - Broccoli, Rice-a-Roni, leftover roast, $3
Friday - Bagel Pizzas, $4
Saturday - Hamburger Skillet, $4
Sunday - Roasted Chicken, Homemade Bread, Green Beans, $5
Total cost (skewed due to Monday being leftover day and Tuesday being fast food): $42/week for five people
Monday - weekend leftovers, $0
Tuesday - fast food (away from home on necessary errands), $20
Wednesday - Crockpot Roast, Potatoes, Salad, $6
Thursday - Broccoli, Rice-a-Roni, leftover roast, $3
Friday - Bagel Pizzas, $4
Saturday - Hamburger Skillet, $4
Sunday - Roasted Chicken, Homemade Bread, Green Beans, $5
Total cost (skewed due to Monday being leftover day and Tuesday being fast food): $42/week for five people
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saturday Stirrings: Healthy Banana Muffins
Read more great recipes for Saturday Stirrings over at It Coulda' Been Worse. Personally, after only looking for a minute, want to try the 3 Minute Slow Cooker Pot Roast and the Apple Dumplings. This week, I have for you, Healthy Banana Muffins.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup mashed banana (I usually just use 2 bananas from the freezer - I freeze them for this purpose when they start getting too ripe), $.50
1/3 cup brown sugar, $.25
2/3 cup orange or apple juice, $.25
1/3 cup oil, $.50
2 cups whole wheat flour, $.50
1 teaspoon baking powder, $.25
1 teaspoon salt, $.10
Total Cost: 2.35
Heat overn to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin (or use paper liners). Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately. Next, mix them together, but do not over stir. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Note: I usually double this recipe. The muffins can be frozen if they are not going to be eaten within a day or 2.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup mashed banana (I usually just use 2 bananas from the freezer - I freeze them for this purpose when they start getting too ripe), $.50
1/3 cup brown sugar, $.25
2/3 cup orange or apple juice, $.25
1/3 cup oil, $.50
2 cups whole wheat flour, $.50
1 teaspoon baking powder, $.25
1 teaspoon salt, $.10
Total Cost: 2.35
Heat overn to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin (or use paper liners). Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately. Next, mix them together, but do not over stir. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Note: I usually double this recipe. The muffins can be frozen if they are not going to be eaten within a day or 2.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Saving Milk Money
Today, Works For Me Wednesday is being hosted over at Don't Try This At Home because Shannon is in Africa!
(Of course, I'm not envious. The bloggers in Africa are wading through all that poverty, garbage, and sewage. And they are smelling the smells. I, however, am sitting on my couch, in my warm house, blogging away. But, people, I AM envious. What an experience that must be. I long to journey out of North America one day. And no, Hawaii doesn't count.)
Okay, back to Works For Me Wednesday. I was going to talk about saving money on milk.
First, check around for the best prices. I buy milk at Safeway, where they always have 2 gallons for $6. Walmart has good prices as well. I'd tell you how much I pay there, but it's been so long since I've shopped at Walmart I don't know the price.
Second, I use powdered milk for all cooking and baking purposes. No one knows the difference. I am an extremely busy mom, but seriously it only takes a few seconds to put some water into a mixing cup and stir in some milk powder. Easy, easy, easy. I buy a large box of powdered milk at Walmart for cheap and it lasts forever.
Third, if you really want to save on milk, buy whole milk. Divide the gallon in half. Add 1/2 gallon of reconstituted dry milk to each 1/2 gallon of whole milk and mix it up. Put the 2 gallons into the refrigerator to chill. Wait and see if your family notices.
Fourth, if your family drinks soy milk, find Costco. The Kirkland soy milk is the best and least expensive I've found. Walmart had good prices, too, if you don't have a Costco membership. If you really want to save money you could buy and start using one of these. Or you could make your own soy milk completely from scratch if you have lots of time on your hands.
Fifth, and last, if you are offering your family a varitety healthy foods, water is the healthiest beverage you can consume. Period. And it can be a whole lot less expensive. Water doesn't taste very good on cereal, though.
(Milk from a cow is not necessary to growing human bodies, contrary to what dairy farmers would like us all to believe. Google it if you wish, I don't want to get into a debate. Our family drinks milk and uses it in recipes because it is part of our culture and what we are used to doing, not for health reasons. I would love to switch over to soy milk completely, but it is too expensive for us at this time.)
How much milk money can you save?
(Of course, I'm not envious. The bloggers in Africa are wading through all that poverty, garbage, and sewage. And they are smelling the smells. I, however, am sitting on my couch, in my warm house, blogging away. But, people, I AM envious. What an experience that must be. I long to journey out of North America one day. And no, Hawaii doesn't count.)
Okay, back to Works For Me Wednesday. I was going to talk about saving money on milk.
First, check around for the best prices. I buy milk at Safeway, where they always have 2 gallons for $6. Walmart has good prices as well. I'd tell you how much I pay there, but it's been so long since I've shopped at Walmart I don't know the price.
Second, I use powdered milk for all cooking and baking purposes. No one knows the difference. I am an extremely busy mom, but seriously it only takes a few seconds to put some water into a mixing cup and stir in some milk powder. Easy, easy, easy. I buy a large box of powdered milk at Walmart for cheap and it lasts forever.
Third, if you really want to save on milk, buy whole milk. Divide the gallon in half. Add 1/2 gallon of reconstituted dry milk to each 1/2 gallon of whole milk and mix it up. Put the 2 gallons into the refrigerator to chill. Wait and see if your family notices.
Fourth, if your family drinks soy milk, find Costco. The Kirkland soy milk is the best and least expensive I've found. Walmart had good prices, too, if you don't have a Costco membership. If you really want to save money you could buy and start using one of these. Or you could make your own soy milk completely from scratch if you have lots of time on your hands.
Fifth, and last, if you are offering your family a varitety healthy foods, water is the healthiest beverage you can consume. Period. And it can be a whole lot less expensive. Water doesn't taste very good on cereal, though.
(Milk from a cow is not necessary to growing human bodies, contrary to what dairy farmers would like us all to believe. Google it if you wish, I don't want to get into a debate. Our family drinks milk and uses it in recipes because it is part of our culture and what we are used to doing, not for health reasons. I would love to switch over to soy milk completely, but it is too expensive for us at this time.)
How much milk money can you save?
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Menu Plan Monday #2 (dinner only)
Once again, I'm posting our weekly dinner menu for Menu Plan Monday. Head on over there to see lots of yummy menu plans!
Monday - Fajitas (tortillias $1, beef or chicken $2, soy sauce, $.25, 2 peppers $2, 1 onion $1, cheese $1, sour cream $1), $8.25 (not the most frugal but one of our favorites)
Tuesday - Burgers (buns $1, ground beef $2 -we happened to pick up a box of Mickey Mouse hamburger patties for $1.99 so we will use those-, lettuce $1, condiments $.50, canned fruit $1), $6.50
Wednesday - Olive and Corn Casserole $5, Salad $2, $7
Thursday - Cheese shell pasta (boxed) $2, Steamed Broccoli $2, $4
Friday - The Recipe Which Has No Name $4.75, Green Beans $1, $5.50
Saturday - Homemade bread $1, Tuscan White Bean Soup $2, $3
Sunday - Creamed Corn $.75, Steamed Broccoli $2, Finger Steaks $4, $6.75
Total Cost: $41.25 or less! That's right around $8.25 per person for dinners for the entire week.
Keep in mind there are 5 of us, and I am trying to price these at regular store brand price. Nearly all of the above we purchased at sale price so it was much less. For example, broccoli was on sale for $1 per pound, so we are eating it twice this week. And the peppers, I never buy them unless they are $1 each or less and around here you can commonly find them at that price so that's what I used for pricing.
Monday - Fajitas (tortillias $1, beef or chicken $2, soy sauce, $.25, 2 peppers $2, 1 onion $1, cheese $1, sour cream $1), $8.25 (not the most frugal but one of our favorites)
Tuesday - Burgers (buns $1, ground beef $2 -we happened to pick up a box of Mickey Mouse hamburger patties for $1.99 so we will use those-, lettuce $1, condiments $.50, canned fruit $1), $6.50
Wednesday - Olive and Corn Casserole $5, Salad $2, $7
Thursday - Cheese shell pasta (boxed) $2, Steamed Broccoli $2, $4
Friday - The Recipe Which Has No Name $4.75, Green Beans $1, $5.50
Saturday - Homemade bread $1, Tuscan White Bean Soup $2, $3
Sunday - Creamed Corn $.75, Steamed Broccoli $2, Finger Steaks $4, $6.75
Total Cost: $41.25 or less! That's right around $8.25 per person for dinners for the entire week.
Keep in mind there are 5 of us, and I am trying to price these at regular store brand price. Nearly all of the above we purchased at sale price so it was much less. For example, broccoli was on sale for $1 per pound, so we are eating it twice this week. And the peppers, I never buy them unless they are $1 each or less and around here you can commonly find them at that price so that's what I used for pricing.
The Recipe Which Has No Name
I got this recipe from Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer. Here is the recipe, in her words, and linked to her post.
The Recipe Which Has No Name
1 lb cooked ground beef
1 can Rotel1 Rotel
can-full of rice
2 Rotel cans full of water
1 beef bouillon cube
Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Slop it on a plate. Sprinkle cheese on it, if you want.
(You should know that "sprinkle cheese on it" is the proper Southern cook's mantra. That, or, " stir in some Miracle Whip" or "add cream of mushroom soup").
You should really consider stopping in on Wednesdays when Shannon hosts Works for Me Wednesday. It's lovely. And it can take hours to wade through all the fun links, but what a great way to spend your Wednesday. What with all the works-for-me tips you will glean, you can use the excuse that it will save you hours of time in the long run.
Anyway, here's my price breakdown of this recipe.
Ground beef, $2
Rice, $1
Rotel, $1.50 (really, I've only bought this a couple of times so I'm totally guessing on the price here, I usually use the large can)
Boullion, $.25
Total cost: $4.75
The Recipe Which Has No Name
1 lb cooked ground beef
1 can Rotel1 Rotel
can-full of rice
2 Rotel cans full of water
1 beef bouillon cube
Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Slop it on a plate. Sprinkle cheese on it, if you want.
(You should know that "sprinkle cheese on it" is the proper Southern cook's mantra. That, or, " stir in some Miracle Whip" or "add cream of mushroom soup").
You should really consider stopping in on Wednesdays when Shannon hosts Works for Me Wednesday. It's lovely. And it can take hours to wade through all the fun links, but what a great way to spend your Wednesday. What with all the works-for-me tips you will glean, you can use the excuse that it will save you hours of time in the long run.
Anyway, here's my price breakdown of this recipe.
Ground beef, $2
Rice, $1
Rotel, $1.50 (really, I've only bought this a couple of times so I'm totally guessing on the price here, I usually use the large can)
Boullion, $.25
Total cost: $4.75
Olive and Corn Casserole
This is a long time recipe of my mom's. It seems to be a favorite put-together-at-the-last-minute recipe of hers. My kids adore it.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Ground Beef, $1
Package pasta, $1 (we usually use penne or spirals)
Can of pasta sauce, $1
Can olives, $1
1 cup or can of corn, $1
optional, grated cheddar cheese $1-2
Total cost: $5-7
Brown the ground beef. You may add some onion if desired. Meanwhile cook pasta according to directions. When beef is cooked through, add the sauce, corn, and olives and heat through. When pasta is cooked, mix in with the sauce mixture. You may eat as is, or put in an oven safe dish and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Put in the oven at 350 until cheese is melted. Alternately, if adding the cheese you could just use a large fry pan to cook the beef and sauce mixture, then stir in pasta, sprinkle cheese on it right in the fry pan and cook until melted. My mom likes to put it in the oven, but I am much more simplistic and go for the easiest possible way.
For all you vegetarians, leave out the beef! It is yummy that way as well, and costs less.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Ground Beef, $1
Package pasta, $1 (we usually use penne or spirals)
Can of pasta sauce, $1
Can olives, $1
1 cup or can of corn, $1
optional, grated cheddar cheese $1-2
Total cost: $5-7
Brown the ground beef. You may add some onion if desired. Meanwhile cook pasta according to directions. When beef is cooked through, add the sauce, corn, and olives and heat through. When pasta is cooked, mix in with the sauce mixture. You may eat as is, or put in an oven safe dish and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Put in the oven at 350 until cheese is melted. Alternately, if adding the cheese you could just use a large fry pan to cook the beef and sauce mixture, then stir in pasta, sprinkle cheese on it right in the fry pan and cook until melted. My mom likes to put it in the oven, but I am much more simplistic and go for the easiest possible way.
For all you vegetarians, leave out the beef! It is yummy that way as well, and costs less.
Easy Cobbler
2 reg. size or 1 large can fruit or pie filling, $2
1 cake mix, $1
1 stick butter or margarine, $.25
Nonstick spray, $.10
Directions: Spray a square baking pan with nonstick spray. Dump the entire can(s) of fruit or pie filling into the pan. If you are using pie filling, add 1/2 cup or so of water to the fruit mixture. Pour dry cake mix over the top of the fruit. Melt the butter and pour over the cake mix. Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Use your imagination. Peaches or apples are really good, or use pineapple and add a bit of brown sugar to the bottom to resemble pineapple upside down cake. Cherries are great with chocolate cake and can be topped with whipped cream.
1 cake mix, $1
1 stick butter or margarine, $.25
Nonstick spray, $.10
Directions: Spray a square baking pan with nonstick spray. Dump the entire can(s) of fruit or pie filling into the pan. If you are using pie filling, add 1/2 cup or so of water to the fruit mixture. Pour dry cake mix over the top of the fruit. Melt the butter and pour over the cake mix. Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Use your imagination. Peaches or apples are really good, or use pineapple and add a bit of brown sugar to the bottom to resemble pineapple upside down cake. Cherries are great with chocolate cake and can be topped with whipped cream.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Saturday Stirrings: Chicken & Dumplings
Over at "It Coulda' Been Worse", FiddleDeeDee has asked for participation in Saturday Stirrings where she usually posts all the yummiest recipes. So, I've decided to take part this week and share our chicken and dumplings recipe. This recipe gets a thumbs up from all the kids.
Chicken & Dumplings
1 large or 2 small cans cream of chicken soup, $1.25
1 lb. any kind of chicken (you could use less or even omit), $2
1-2 cups frozen or fresh vegetables (we use peas and carrots), $1
2 small cans refrigerated biscuits (I buy the 4 pack store brand and use the other 2 cans for another recipe), $1 or less
Boil the chicken in 8 cups of water. Take the chicken out after 1/2 hour or so, throwing away the skin and bones. Break the chicken up and put back in to the pot with the water. Add the vegetables. Add the cream of chicken soup. Cut the biscuit dough in to small pieces and add to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or so. Wall-ah! A delicious dinner.This makes a big pot. All five of us ate multiple bowls and there are leftovers. Total cost $5.25.
This is soooo good. Save even more $ by using leftover veggies and making your own biscuit dough (if you have time).
Chicken & Dumplings
1 large or 2 small cans cream of chicken soup, $1.25
1 lb. any kind of chicken (you could use less or even omit), $2
1-2 cups frozen or fresh vegetables (we use peas and carrots), $1
2 small cans refrigerated biscuits (I buy the 4 pack store brand and use the other 2 cans for another recipe), $1 or less
Boil the chicken in 8 cups of water. Take the chicken out after 1/2 hour or so, throwing away the skin and bones. Break the chicken up and put back in to the pot with the water. Add the vegetables. Add the cream of chicken soup. Cut the biscuit dough in to small pieces and add to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or so. Wall-ah! A delicious dinner.This makes a big pot. All five of us ate multiple bowls and there are leftovers. Total cost $5.25.
This is soooo good. Save even more $ by using leftover veggies and making your own biscuit dough (if you have time).
Friday, February 8, 2008
Bubble Pizza
Ingredients:
2 cans refrigerated biscuits, $1
1 & 1/2 cups or so spaghetti sauce, $.75
1 & 1/2 cups grated mozzarella, cheddar, or jack cheese, $2
optional: typical pizza toppings such as pepperoni, chicken, olives, mushrooms, onions, peppers, etc.
Total Cost: $3.75 without optional ingredients.
Spray a rectangular baking dish with oil spray. Layer the biscuit dough around the bottom of pan. You may cut the biscuits into fourths first, or just use them whole. Next, cover with the sauce. Third, sprinkle cheese over this. Bake at 350 for 20-30 mintutes until the biscuits are done.
Notes: This is great as is without the optional ingredients. My 3 kids all like it. We serve it with a fruit or vegetable on the side.
2 cans refrigerated biscuits, $1
1 & 1/2 cups or so spaghetti sauce, $.75
1 & 1/2 cups grated mozzarella, cheddar, or jack cheese, $2
optional: typical pizza toppings such as pepperoni, chicken, olives, mushrooms, onions, peppers, etc.
Total Cost: $3.75 without optional ingredients.
Spray a rectangular baking dish with oil spray. Layer the biscuit dough around the bottom of pan. You may cut the biscuits into fourths first, or just use them whole. Next, cover with the sauce. Third, sprinkle cheese over this. Bake at 350 for 20-30 mintutes until the biscuits are done.
Notes: This is great as is without the optional ingredients. My 3 kids all like it. We serve it with a fruit or vegetable on the side.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Easy Stir Fry
Extremely simple and healthy.
Ingredients:
4 cups cut vegetables (Usually I use whatever is leftover in the freezer, but fresh would work as well if you need to use something up. Using up or freezing soon to go bad veggies is a real cost cutter.) such as broccoli, carrots, celery, cabbage, onions, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, green beans, etc.), $2 or less
1 cup cut up meat (any), $1
2 pkg. ramen noodles or rice, $1
Seasonings (We use a little soy sauce when cooking the meat, and/or use the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen noodles. If we have it on hand, dh likes to use Yoshida sauce in the meat/vegetable mixture. The possibilities are endless.), $.25
Total Cost: $4.25 or less (this dish usually costs me only $1 or $2)
Cook the meat in a large fry pan over medium heat. If you are cooking rice for this dish, begin cooking it now as well. You may use a bit of oil if you don't have non-stick pans. Add a tablespoon or so of soy sauce if you wish. If using onions, I like to cook those with the meat as well. When the meat is cooked through, add whatever vegetables you are using. If using carrots, I make sure they are in small pieces and add them 5-10 minutes before the rest of the veggies as they tend to take a longer cooking time. Be sure to stir frequently. Cook the ramen noodles now if using. When the vegetables are done, you can either add the ramen/rice and stir it all up, or you can serve the stir fry over the ramen/rice.
Ingredients:
4 cups cut vegetables (Usually I use whatever is leftover in the freezer, but fresh would work as well if you need to use something up. Using up or freezing soon to go bad veggies is a real cost cutter.) such as broccoli, carrots, celery, cabbage, onions, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, green beans, etc.), $2 or less
1 cup cut up meat (any), $1
2 pkg. ramen noodles or rice, $1
Seasonings (We use a little soy sauce when cooking the meat, and/or use the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen noodles. If we have it on hand, dh likes to use Yoshida sauce in the meat/vegetable mixture. The possibilities are endless.), $.25
Total Cost: $4.25 or less (this dish usually costs me only $1 or $2)
Cook the meat in a large fry pan over medium heat. If you are cooking rice for this dish, begin cooking it now as well. You may use a bit of oil if you don't have non-stick pans. Add a tablespoon or so of soy sauce if you wish. If using onions, I like to cook those with the meat as well. When the meat is cooked through, add whatever vegetables you are using. If using carrots, I make sure they are in small pieces and add them 5-10 minutes before the rest of the veggies as they tend to take a longer cooking time. Be sure to stir frequently. Cook the ramen noodles now if using. When the vegetables are done, you can either add the ramen/rice and stir it all up, or you can serve the stir fry over the ramen/rice.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Menu Plan Monday (dinner only)
Here's the frugal menu plan for this week for our family of 5.
Monday - Rice-a-Roni (2 boxes, $4) and salad ($2 plus dressing)
Tuesday - Roast ($5 or so) and salad ($2 plus dressing)
Wednesday - Spaghetti ($1 noodles, $1 sauce, $2 hamburger + will add any leftover chopped
frozen veggies $0) and green beans ($1)
Thursday - Orange Chicken and Rice ($5) and broccoli ($2)
Friday - Keilbasa Turkey Sausage ($3), Frozen Corn ($1), Homemade bread ($1)
Saturday - Baked Potatoes ($1), Creamed Corn ($1), Finger Steaks ($4)
Sunday - Turkey Pot Pie ($5 or less using leftover turkey from the freezer, leftover frozen veggies, and cream of chicken soup for the sauce)
Total Cost: Under $45
That's $9 per person for the week, or $1.29 per person for each meal.
Notes: We paid less, as many of the items were purchased on sale. And there will be leftovers from all of the above to feed many of us lunches as well.
Monday - Rice-a-Roni (2 boxes, $4) and salad ($2 plus dressing)
Tuesday - Roast ($5 or so) and salad ($2 plus dressing)
Wednesday - Spaghetti ($1 noodles, $1 sauce, $2 hamburger + will add any leftover chopped
frozen veggies $0) and green beans ($1)
Thursday - Orange Chicken and Rice ($5) and broccoli ($2)
Friday - Keilbasa Turkey Sausage ($3), Frozen Corn ($1), Homemade bread ($1)
Saturday - Baked Potatoes ($1), Creamed Corn ($1), Finger Steaks ($4)
Sunday - Turkey Pot Pie ($5 or less using leftover turkey from the freezer, leftover frozen veggies, and cream of chicken soup for the sauce)
Total Cost: Under $45
That's $9 per person for the week, or $1.29 per person for each meal.
Notes: We paid less, as many of the items were purchased on sale. And there will be leftovers from all of the above to feed many of us lunches as well.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Tried Recipes
All of the recipes posted here have been tried by our family. Some of them are loved by all, others only tolerated by the family members who are picky or don't like certain ingredients. I happened to love them all. Please feel free to switch ingredients as you see fit (especially vegetables, as people seem to have strong preferences or dislikes for those).
The Easiest, Best Pasta Dish Ever
This pasta dinner is sooooo delicious. Any time I see fresh asparagus on sale, we have this.
Ingredients:
One box of pasta (your choice, we usually use spirals or penne), $1
One package of bacon, $4 (you could easily only use half the package)
One or two bunches of asparagus ($2-$5)
Cook the pasta as directed. Fry the bacon. You can either cut it up before cooking, or cook it first and crumble it. I usually cut it first because I haven't thought to start the bacon cooking ahead and I don't like working with hot bacon. Break the asparagus into thirds or fourths. I usually throw away the bottoms of the stems, not sure if that is necessary or not. Once the bacon is done cooking, put the asparagus in the pan with the bacon to cook. When the asparagus is ready, dump in the pasta and stir it all up. This makes a lot, especially if you used 2 bunches of asparagus. Tonight we had this with some salad, but many times we eat it alone. The kids all 3 give it a thumbs up.
Ingredients:
One box of pasta (your choice, we usually use spirals or penne), $1
One package of bacon, $4 (you could easily only use half the package)
One or two bunches of asparagus ($2-$5)
Cook the pasta as directed. Fry the bacon. You can either cut it up before cooking, or cook it first and crumble it. I usually cut it first because I haven't thought to start the bacon cooking ahead and I don't like working with hot bacon. Break the asparagus into thirds or fourths. I usually throw away the bottoms of the stems, not sure if that is necessary or not. Once the bacon is done cooking, put the asparagus in the pan with the bacon to cook. When the asparagus is ready, dump in the pasta and stir it all up. This makes a lot, especially if you used 2 bunches of asparagus. Tonight we had this with some salad, but many times we eat it alone. The kids all 3 give it a thumbs up.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Saving Vegetables and Dairy
We will be going on a trip tomorrow. I was looking in the refrigerator to see what would be spoiled when we got back. I found 4 things. A bag of fresh broccoli (I thought we would eat this before we left, but we didn't), some celery stalks, a bag of baby carrots, and some milk. Instead of letting them go to waste, I saved them.
The broccoli I washed and cut up and put into a ziploc bag and into the freezer. We will be able to steam it and eat it when we get back.
The celery stalks and some of the carrots I washed and put into my mini chopper. Then I put each one into a storage container and into the freezer. I will use these in soups, stews, casseroles, etc. The carrots I can add to cookies, cakes, or breads as well. The mini chopper chops the veggies very finely. This way they can be added to just about any recipe and not change the texture or taste. The remaining carrots are coming with us on the trip for a snack.
The milk I am putting into the freezer. We will dethaw it when we get back. It is fresh milk as I only purchased and opened it a couple of days ago. I would have gone without, but my kids have been eating a lot of cereal lately. I stock up on cereal whenever there is a good sale, and right now we have quite a shelf full.
The broccoli I washed and cut up and put into a ziploc bag and into the freezer. We will be able to steam it and eat it when we get back.
The celery stalks and some of the carrots I washed and put into my mini chopper. Then I put each one into a storage container and into the freezer. I will use these in soups, stews, casseroles, etc. The carrots I can add to cookies, cakes, or breads as well. The mini chopper chops the veggies very finely. This way they can be added to just about any recipe and not change the texture or taste. The remaining carrots are coming with us on the trip for a snack.
The milk I am putting into the freezer. We will dethaw it when we get back. It is fresh milk as I only purchased and opened it a couple of days ago. I would have gone without, but my kids have been eating a lot of cereal lately. I stock up on cereal whenever there is a good sale, and right now we have quite a shelf full.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Orange Chicken and Rice
Ingredients:
2 T Frozen concentrate orange juice, $.25
1 can cream of chicken soup, $1
1 cup milk, $.25 (we use powdered milk for cooking, any kind will work fine)
1T honey, $.25
1T dijon mustard, $.25
2 cups uncooked rice, $1
1 & 1/2 cups cut up chicken (we use breast meat but any kind will do), $2
Total cost: $5.00
Cooking time: 20 minutes (a little longer if you use brown rice)
This is my kids' favorite dinner. First start cooking the rice according to the directions. Use whatever kind of rice your family prefers. Then, put the chicken into a frying pan and cook it over medium heat until it's done. Then add the milk, cream of chicken soup, honey, mustard, and orange juice to the chicken pan and stir. You may add more milk or some water if you need more sauce. If the sauce needs to be thicker, mix a bit of flour or cornstarch with water and stir into the sauce. Serve over the rice. We usually have either fresh steamed broccoli or corn on the side. Our kids eat a lot of this meal, and usually we have at least 2 lunches from it as well.
2 T Frozen concentrate orange juice, $.25
1 can cream of chicken soup, $1
1 cup milk, $.25 (we use powdered milk for cooking, any kind will work fine)
1T honey, $.25
1T dijon mustard, $.25
2 cups uncooked rice, $1
1 & 1/2 cups cut up chicken (we use breast meat but any kind will do), $2
Total cost: $5.00
Cooking time: 20 minutes (a little longer if you use brown rice)
This is my kids' favorite dinner. First start cooking the rice according to the directions. Use whatever kind of rice your family prefers. Then, put the chicken into a frying pan and cook it over medium heat until it's done. Then add the milk, cream of chicken soup, honey, mustard, and orange juice to the chicken pan and stir. You may add more milk or some water if you need more sauce. If the sauce needs to be thicker, mix a bit of flour or cornstarch with water and stir into the sauce. Serve over the rice. We usually have either fresh steamed broccoli or corn on the side. Our kids eat a lot of this meal, and usually we have at least 2 lunches from it as well.
About the Recipes and How They Work
We are a family of five, one of whom is a preschooler who doesn't eat a lot, so the recipes I post are for an average size family. If your family is smaller, I suggest making the full recipe and freezing the leftovers or eating them for lunch the next day. If you have a large family, double or triple the recipes.
I try to write an approximate cost next to each item. This is approximate, and I try to round up a bit. That way, the recipe won't end up costing you way more than my estimate. Hopefully, your store has had some good sales and you can make it for much less!
All the recipes I post are frugal recipes even if you aren't running to every sale in town or clipping coupons like a mad woman. If you have the time, those are great ways to save money. But if you don't have time, just shop smart at your local store, plan a menu, and use these recipes to save.
Your savings will be threefold. One, the recipe ingredients don't cost a lot. Two, you will have a list when you shop which will reduce the impulse buys. Not having to run around to multiple stores will also reduce the impulse buys. And three, having quick and easy recipes to make at home, and having all the ingredients ready, will reduce the urge to order out.
The menu plans I post are ones that our family is using or has used. You can and should mix and match and use what works best for your family. When first starting out or if short on time, I encourage you to choose one of my plans and try it out. Let me know how you do. If you come up with a great plan, please share it with us! By the way, I use either one or two week menu plans. Any longer than that and I get mixed up because I never know which fresh vegetables will be on sale. Plus, I don't like to buy the items too soon and have them go bad before I get to a certain recipe.
I try to write an approximate cost next to each item. This is approximate, and I try to round up a bit. That way, the recipe won't end up costing you way more than my estimate. Hopefully, your store has had some good sales and you can make it for much less!
All the recipes I post are frugal recipes even if you aren't running to every sale in town or clipping coupons like a mad woman. If you have the time, those are great ways to save money. But if you don't have time, just shop smart at your local store, plan a menu, and use these recipes to save.
Your savings will be threefold. One, the recipe ingredients don't cost a lot. Two, you will have a list when you shop which will reduce the impulse buys. Not having to run around to multiple stores will also reduce the impulse buys. And three, having quick and easy recipes to make at home, and having all the ingredients ready, will reduce the urge to order out.
The menu plans I post are ones that our family is using or has used. You can and should mix and match and use what works best for your family. When first starting out or if short on time, I encourage you to choose one of my plans and try it out. Let me know how you do. If you come up with a great plan, please share it with us! By the way, I use either one or two week menu plans. Any longer than that and I get mixed up because I never know which fresh vegetables will be on sale. Plus, I don't like to buy the items too soon and have them go bad before I get to a certain recipe.
Hamburger Maccaroni Casserole
Ingredients:
One pound hamburger (could use less), $2.00
One can tomato sauce, 15 oz., $1.00
1/2 bag(or box) maccaroni, $.50
Onion Powder to taste, $.25(most likely cost will be less when divided among all your recipes)
Grated Cheddar or American cheese to taste, $1.00
Total cost: $4.75
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Directions:
Cook the maccaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile brown the hamburger in a large fry pan. If you aren't using lean meat, drain the fat off when it's cooked. Add the tomato sauce and onion powder. When the maccaroni is cooked, add that as well and stir. When all is heated through sprinkle cheese on top. You can then either stir it up so the cheese mixes with the sauce, or leave it on top. It makes a lot. Our family of five usually has leftovers. We usually serve this with a vegetable such as salad, peas, corn, broccoli, or green beans.
One pound hamburger (could use less), $2.00
One can tomato sauce, 15 oz., $1.00
1/2 bag(or box) maccaroni, $.50
Onion Powder to taste, $.25(most likely cost will be less when divided among all your recipes)
Grated Cheddar or American cheese to taste, $1.00
Total cost: $4.75
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Directions:
Cook the maccaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile brown the hamburger in a large fry pan. If you aren't using lean meat, drain the fat off when it's cooked. Add the tomato sauce and onion powder. When the maccaroni is cooked, add that as well and stir. When all is heated through sprinkle cheese on top. You can then either stir it up so the cheese mixes with the sauce, or leave it on top. It makes a lot. Our family of five usually has leftovers. We usually serve this with a vegetable such as salad, peas, corn, broccoli, or green beans.
Menus and More For Less
This blog is where I keep track of frugal recipes and menu plans. It takes a lot of work to come up with recipes and menu plans that work, especially frugal ones, so I wanted to make them available for others to use. If you like particular recipes or menus, please let me know. Thanks.
BurgerMom
BurgerMom
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