Gleaming ideas from magazines

One of my machines needed parts. Had to go to joannes to get it. I picked up the family circle. Magazines are ten percent off. That pays the tax!!!

We also went to big lots. I got fruit pouches for baby for fifty cents. I also got stewed tomatoes for .50 and chicken noodle soup in a larger can...30 percent more for .95.

I thought I would dissect the Family Circle. As usual, the food is in the back. They have a months worth of meals. Woman's Day has been doing that for years.

I won't quote the recipes, but will give you their titles. kinda like you thumbing through it at the checkouts.
chicken stuffed with tomato and cheese
Turkey sausage and spinach Orecchietti
Shrimp and sweet pepper fajitas
Meatballs in creamy dill sauce
Broccoli and onion pie
Pork medallions with apple
Honey soy glazed salmon

Balsamic pot roast
Chicken and hominy chili bowl
BBQ short ribs
Smoky navy bean soup


A lot of these recipes are in their month list.
A lot of sausage, fish, vegetarian, turkey and chicken, and some beef.
Some things I have never heard of, and some my husband wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole...broccoli and onion pie comes to mind. Heck, most of them he would make funny faces about! LOL


Some of these recipes are just to expensive to make. Some you can get into my budget if I find the ingredients on sale. Salmon was on sale this week at Safeways. It was still pricy, but I can offset it withza a couple of inexpensive meals--average. Short ribs are expensive when you consider how much is bone and how much meat you actually get to eat! Chicken breasts are more expensive ,but you can get them on sale, or cut up your chickens and save the breasts up in the freezer. There is a post of things you can do with leg portions. They used to be .50 a pound. Now they are a buck...more than buying the whole chicken. I can find chicken for .88 to a buck a pound.

I don't these days de-bone a chicken very often. I'm not as proficient as I used to be. I am retired, run two businesses, belong to a service club, take care of my granddaughter 10-12 hours a day five days a week and when I don't take care of my granddaughter, I work retail on my feet two days a week. Shopping on the cheap doesn't have to take more time that just going to one store and buying anything you want. Once you are organized, it probably takes less time collectively. Remember, if you spend more time on the front end of the" get dinner on the table train" and less time on the back end, you will be better off. You get " paid" for shopping, not for cooking.

There are ways to cut kitchen time and not sacrifice good food. Box dinners are neither cheaper nor faster. There is a post on that too. LOL. My daughter and I proved that!!
Better, cheaper, faster.

Not everything is organic. Organic can have three percent pesticides and still be labeled organic. Not everything is fat free, or sugar free, or gluten free. Pay attention to what they are putting in those things. It might me penny wise and pound foolish. I think it is interestimg that when our society is turned on to a speciality diet, suddenly even the stuff that never had whatever is being toted as healthy, has a big sign on it's package as fat free or gluten free or whatever. I believe in moderation and balance. They change their mind like some people change their underwear. Remember when liver was good for you?? Drink three glasses of whole milk a day, no don't drink three glasses of milk a day. Eat pasta. No don't eat pasta, you will get diabetes. I really think moderation and balance is the key.

Enough soap box.

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Jane