First of all, I need to address couponing. My daughter and I are scheduled to go to an extre couponers couponing class Tommorrow. There is a video on u tube ( Stacymakescents). She is from the south, so some of her ideas don't make sense for the entire country, but she is funny and I learned a lot. There seems to be one website that has a relationship with manufacturers to make coupons available. it is necessary to download aoftware to print the coupons.
I have had no problem with the software, and I have listened to lots of videos on u tube, no one has reported any problem. Stacy addresses the issue in her seminar. I am throwing ideas that have worked for me out there, what and how much you take from it, is your call.
We had shrimp vegetable pasta last night. The pic is on Janes Groceries On The Cheap Facebook page. I am yet again trying to eat down the stock. It shouldn't be hard this week, there are no good specials. I got some vegetables and a chicken from IGA Wednesday. I still need to fill in some vegetables and SAFEWAYS has Kleenex on a coupon that is not part of the food budget. When you stock ahead and there is a slow week, you are not stuck paying full price. If I had to go shopping this week, I would go to Winco and the bread store. The bread store only because we are due and it is on the way so I make best use of our gas. We get 50 miles per gallon on the highway. But still I like to be as efficient as possible.
Ok Meals. I need to roast off the chicken I bought Wednesday. It is really fast to put a chicken on the oven to roast and go about getting other chores around the house.
How to roast a chicken
1) wash everything well after using it with raw meat. I have a glass cutting board that I can put through the dishwasher. Not so good on knives, but sanitary.
2) wash the chicken, clean out the inside if needed. Salt it inside. Stuff the inside with anything you have hanging around. Today it will be a piece of onion that I have from last night. It might be a lemon, orange or an apple. Drizzle it with olive oil and rub in in--both sides, top and bottom.
3) season it with salt and pepper, Sometimes I add thyme, rosemary, or lemon pepper.
4) I have a thermometer that plugs into the meat and has a timer that sits on the counter. You program the timer to the degree of done that you want and the meat you are cooking. It buzzes at you when the meat is at temp.
5) place chicken on roasting rack in oven at 375 degrees. I set the oven for 1 hour, 20 minutes, but let the thermometer do it's thing.
If you don't have a roasting rack, rough chop potatoes and carrots and put the chicken on the potatoes and carrots.
buying a chicken.
Never buy a chicken that is less than 3 pounds. Three pounds is the break even point for the ratio between meat and bone. In other words, you are paying for too much bone, and not enough meat. Most deli chickens are three pounds or less. You, most generally, are paying twice the price for deli chicken and getting less meat. You are better off getting a 4-5 pound chicken at a dollar a pound. I am still finding chickens for a buck a pound.
I use a breast for a meal. The other side of the breast is cut up for chicken Cassarole or pot pie, or buffalo chicken pizza. The dark meat is portioned for BBQ or another meal. The bones are saved for soup. If I had a larger family and chicken was a buck, I would roast off enough chickens to cover one meal a week for the month.
It takes very little more time, the same oven, and less work.
Meals
1) roast chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, salad
2) buffalo chicken pizza, salad
3) hot dogs, potato salad ( the last of the hot dogs)
4) sirloin tips on rice, salad, fruit
5) vegetable sauced spaghetti, salad
6) Mac and cheese, green beans
7) salmon, pesto potatoes, carrots, glazed
These meals total less than 30.00 for four people. The power of 1/2'price shopping.
I guess that's all
Thanks for stopping by
Please share
Jane
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