I'm watching the chew

Today I am watching the chew. they are talking about leftovers. Their stays say that we throw out half of our food. They are advocating 3 trips a week to the store. That is a way to spend twice what you need to spend. That's probably why they think a meal costs 25.00 Lol. The trick is to stay on top of your perishables and find ways to use then up or pit them up.

Roast chicken is becoming chicken salad and chicken crepes.


Chicken crepes are white sauce, leftover veggies, parm and chicken. Sounds good with spaghetti or noodles.

Just a note



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Jane

Meals from the ads

Traditionally, groumd beef is one of the cheapest ways to buy beef. It os also one of the most versital. by buying in bulk you can portion control and avoid waste. Sometimes I have been finding low fat for 2.50. When a roast is cheaper, I grind my own. You can de fat hamburger and make it have less fat than a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Beef has some nutrients that you can't get in any other meat. Moderation is the key. It seems like what is good for you today, isn't good for you tomorrow. Remember liver on the 60's?

On to meals... I'm talking my mindset so you can do it yourself using you families tastes. I am just doing the main dish, fill on with what's appropriate and inexpensive.

I'm still with

2 beef
2 chicken or pork
2 vegetarian
1fish

Using last weeks ground beef at 2.50 a pound

Taco soup
Spaghetti and meatballs

Chicken is .88 at QFC. That is about 1/2 of the price of a deli chicken. Buy a 4 or five pound one.

Roast chicken.
Chicken pot pie. If you make your own white sauce and portion control the bisquit, you can control the fat and calories.

Quiche
Mac and cheese

Tuna is .80 at Top.
Tuna melts

That's all.

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Jane

The ads

I finally got the ads .

QFC

CHICKEN .88
flour tortillas 10 ct for 1.00
Pork loin 1.97
1/2gal milk 1.00
QFC pan bread 3/4.00
Strawberries 2/5
Yoplait 10/5.00
Chili 1.00
Chuck roast B1G1. Nets 3.50....this summer 2.00


TOP

Ground sirloin 3.77 ***
hagan tomatoes 15/10.00. .67 each
Apples .89
Pork chops 1.99
Boneless bottom roast or steak 2.74 net B1G1. ****
rice 4lbs 2.99

Tuna 10/8.00
Blues 3.00


ALBERTSOMS

ground beef 3.99***

Tomato or chicken noodle soup 4/3.00. .75

Blues 2.99
Lettuce .99
tuna 1.25***


SAFEWAYS

pot roast 2.49
Sirloin tip 2.99
Bottom roumd 2.99

Boneless pork loin 1.99
Chicken parts, thighs, drums, split breast 1.25
Apples 1.00

5 dollar Fridays

Sub sandwich
Clementines 5 lbs
Canola oil
Shrimp per pound

Milk 2.59
Coffee 7.99

Chili 1.00

Blues , blacks. 3.00
Oranges 8 lbs 5.99
Grapes 2.99


Just 4 you. Nathans2.99
Pudding ring. 2.88


Notes

Note the variance of prices of ground beef. That is why we bought it for 2.50 last week.

At the difference between 4.00 and 2.50. (1.50). Times 8 poumds is 12.00 .

Boned chicken breasts 1.25. Boneless 3.99. (2.75) and you get the start of chicken stock to boot.

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Jane

Wednesday

it's Wednesday,mid week for most people. We used to have Pizza establish,nets that had all you can eat pizza on Wednesday night. Kinda like the all you can eat tacos Tuesday now. But, you could bring the kids.

It was a great inexpensive way to have a night out mid week.

I thought I would talk about different pizzas. The recipe for crust is on a older post.

Spinach mushroom | Very well Ed and squeezed spinach, feta, mushrooms, garlic, diced tomatoes, garlic and Italian seasoning.

Bacon and clam pizza

olive pizza

Pepperoni

Mushroom and black olive

Chicken and olive

Ham and pineapple


Thanks for watching.

Ads later

Jane

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Terrific Tuesday

I watched the chew yesterday.They are advocating meatless Monday. Their stats say that if you eat vegetarian one day a week, you reduce your chance of heart disease by 19 percent. They also say you reduce your chance of diabetes by 15 percent and you reduce your food bill by 100.00 a month. The 100 dollars a month is had for me to believe. if don't spend 25.00 a meal, you can't save 25.00 a meal. LOL

They made two vegetarian burgers. The lentil one doesn't appeal to me, but the mushroom one sounded ok.

The news yesterday was about beef takimg a LARGER HIKE. It already is almost double.
My plan is to watch for sales and hang on until it is never cheap enough and rework my menu spread to eat more chicken and pork if they don't skyrocket too. This is hard, because my husband only likes beef.

My plan will still reduce food costs, but maybe not to 75.00 a week. With the drought and the freeze in California, I suspect the average grocery shopping bill will increase significantly. We can, adjust as our grandmothers did in WWII and the great depression. Not to mention the Nixon years. Stocking now , without overstocking, will hedge it.

On to a more positive subject.
Ground beef was 2.50 a pound for 10 percent .
One of the ways to reduce your protein costs is to stretch it and use less. Another point they made on the chew.

BEEF AND MUSHROOM ROLL.

Filling:
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup dill pickle relish?
1tsp salt
1/4 tsp EACH mustard and pepper

2 T flour
1/3 cup water

Cook everything in a skillet until the meat is no longer pink.
Make a slurry of the flour and water and add and cook until it thickens.

CRUST
2cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup plus 2 T milk, divided

Combine dry ingredients . Cut in shortening. Stir in 3/4 cup milk. Stir into ball. Roll or pat into a 12X 9 rectangle.

Set aside 1/4 cup meat mixture. Spread remaining beef mixture on dough within 1 inch of edges. Roll up starting with the large side. Pinch edges ton seal. Place seam side down on baking sheet that has been greased. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

For gravy, melt 2 T butter, stir in 3 T flour, salt and pepper. make a roux. Gradually add remaining milk. Heat, storing, until gravy is smooth. Nstir in reserved meR.

Slice roll, serve with gravy.

From Taste of Home.

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Please shRe

Jane

Monday madness

It's Monday again...funny how that works. Back to the old grind. I thought I would talk about the Family Circle magazine that I got at Joann's for 1.80.

I think that it is interesting that they always have a really good desert on the cover right when everyone is trying to diet. It is next to the 35 ways to be healthier.

I bought it because the cover talks about cooker recipes. They are in the very back of the magazine. There are also ideas for organizing-- that dreaded kitchen counter catch all!

Chocolate caramel brownie stacks....
Sharp cheddar shells and cheese
grilled cheese and tomato
Chicken and dumplings
pomegranate chicken
Meatball and barley soup
Apple, sausage and walnut pasta
Salmon tacos

White chocolate peppermint yum!

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Jane

Game day

Football Frenzie is upon us. Todays game is in the morning. Breakfast parties are going on all over town.

Breakfast for Dinner is a good way to cut your food bill. Traditionally, breakfast foods are cheaper than dinner foods. Some kids think it is fun because it is out of the ordinary.

Besides the standard quiche, there is sausage, eggs, and hash browns. Waffles and bacon, frittata,omlettes, fruit, French toast.

The bakery outlet sometimes has Texas toast. One time I got it for .50 at Grocery Outlet. It makes really good French toast.

CRANBERRY MUFFINS

2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1cup fresh cranberries, chopped


2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1tsp grated orange rind
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 slightly beaten egg

Preheat oven to 400. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Sir in cranberries. Make a well. Combine wet ingredients. Fold together. Do not over mix.
Coat muffin pans with cooking spray. Spoon batter in to cups. bake 18 minutes ormuntil muffins spring back when touched. Cool on a wire rack.

From Cooking Light.

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Jane

Yesterdays grocery trip and more comfort foods

Yesterdays grocery trip was a real eye opener. It os going to takema lot of ingenuity
To keep a 75.00 a week budget. The salmon that used to be 1.1 pounds for 5 bucks os now 12 ounces for 5 bucks. the hamburger that was supposed to be 7 percent was really 10 percent. Still a bargain and actually 7 percent is harder to defat and still get enough fat to not make it dry.

I did manage to spend less than 75.00 takimg in consideration that my husband bought his beef jerky ingredients. He went to Costco and picked up bisquick, bananas, and brown and server bread. Still itmshould be close to the 75.00. itsna marathon cooking day today!

There are lot of recipes for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It happens to be the most expensive way to buy chicken. It is worth your while to either learn how to cut up a raw chicken,or adjust the recipe to compensate for cooked chicken breast. Use the same flavors as the regular recipe.


GREEK CHICKEN WITH CAPERS

1 pound chicken breasts, boneless

Flour
1 tsp oregano
Olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced
1.5 cups chicken broth


1/3 cup raisins
2T lemon juice
2T capers
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Lemon slices

1) flatten the chicken breasts that have been cut into portions. Dredge in flour that has been seasoned with oregano.

2) in a skillet with olive oil, brown chicken. Cook about 4 minutes each side.

3) remove chicken from pan, keep warm.

4) sauté onions about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, raisins and juice. Cook a few minutes, deglazing the pan.

5) return chicken to pan and cook until chicken done. Remove chicken, stir capers into sauce.

Serve chicken by pouring sauce over it and sprinkling feta on top. Garnish with a lemon wedge if desired.

Serve with couscous and zucchini that has been steamed.


NOTES: you could Make the sauce and add Cooked chicken breast to warm at the last minute and cook the sides before or while you cook the sauce. This would shorten the time in the kitchen. You might have to add a flour slurry to thicken then sauce to compensate for not having dredged the chicken.
Couscous is cooked almost like instant rice.
Don't overcook the zucchini...threaten it!

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Jane

Comfort Foods and menus from the ads

I was watching then chew yesterday. They were talking about how each generation has different comfort foods. I always thought Mac and cheese was comfort food. Interpretation is that for the older generation it is Mac and cheese, and braised meats. For the X generation it is fast food burritos and hamburgers. For the y generation it is ramen noodles-- not the kind out of a package--more like foo.

I would love to kmow you take on comfort foods. You can leave a comment below and still remain incognito LOL


Now, on to the meal plans from the ads.

My formula is still 2 beef, 2 pork or chicken, 2 vegetarian, and 1 fish.


Good ground beef is on sale at Safeways as is salmon--hopefully I can get some this time. Chicken is still a buck.


1) meatbLls and spagetti, green salad, bread
2) tacos, refried beans, salsa rice

3) roast chicken, mashed potatoes
4) pork chops, red cabbage, applesauce

5) no brainer pasta, salad
6) quiche, salad

7) salmon on potatoes and tomatoes


To make fish on potatoes and tomatoes. Slice potatoes and tomatoes. ROMAS are cheaper and have less seeds. Layer them in a greased baking pan drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper. Place fish on top and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 375 until potatoes are tender and fish is done.

No brainer pasta is on an earlier post, as is taco seasoning.

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Jane

agh...the ads

Truly, I dont live for the ads!LOL

SAFEWAYS

Buy one, get one meat sale. If you don't want to buy double packages of meat, I would suggest that you getbwith a sister, cousin or neighbor and buy in bulk. Saco fs are worth it.

Round steak nets 2.50
7 percent ground beef 2.50 ******net
Pork ribs. 1.75net
Chicken 1.00 net


5 dollar Friday
Salmon
Baby back ribs 5.00
Strudel

Frozen potatoes...fries or tots 1.99
Brownie mix 1.00*****coupon
Tuna 1.00
Ice cream 1.99***coupon
Eggs 18 count 2.39****coupon


**** note ground beef is a REALLY good buy. At that fat content, when you defat it, you havE LESS than boneless skinless chicken breast that four dollars a pound.
I batchncook ground beef and meal size portion it. Tacos, meatballs, beef crumbles for pizza or pasta sauce, no brainer pasta and a meat loaf.


ALBERTSOMS

chicken .99
Pork chops 2.40 net. B1G1
Sirloin steak, 3.50. Net B1G1
Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast 3 lbs 4.99 weekend only
Pasta sauce 1.00

TOP

Whole salmon 3.97
Iceberg lettuce 1.00


QFC

Yoplait .50
Boneless chicken breast 3.75 net B1G1
16 ounces blueberries 5.99


That's all.
Remember to cross off anything that is a more expensive price and anything you don't need to stock.

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jane

Expensive

OOPS, no ads yet again.

Wednesday and yet again another day without the ads. I went to the Goodwill yesterday and found a couple of magazines (small books actually) for .49 a piece. You can get inspiration anywhere, and it is expecially nice if it is free or next to free.

From cooking Light

Tuscan Chicken Stew , Drop Bixcuits

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into one inch cubes.
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can white beans
1 can (7ounces) roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
3.5 cups torn spinach.

Combine chicken , rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss well. Heat oil in skillet and cook chicken for 3 minutes. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Add broth, beans, and peppers. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes until chicken is done. Stir in spinach. simmer 1 minute. Yield 4 servings.

Note: You can use already cooked chicken and toss with the spices. add chicken broth and beans, and roast your own peppers. I call adding the spinach for a small time , threatening it. LOL

The other alternative to boneless, skinless chicken breast (the most expensive way to buy chicken besides the wings,) is to cut up your whole chicken raw. Its not hard, but it is a little time consuming if you aren't an expert butcher.


Drop Bisquits

2 cups flour
1T baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup butter, chilled , cut into small pieces
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup, level with a knife.
Combine dry ingredients and 1/2 tsp salt. Cut in butter. Add milk and stir JUST until moist.

spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray,
Bake at 450 for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan immediately, place on wire rack.


This is supposed to be a thirty minute meal. It would be less if you use already cooked chicken. In that case, I would cook the bisquits first, and then cook the chicken.


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Jane

Tuesday

It's Tuesday. I thought I would talk about comfort foods. Winter is upon us. they are calling for snow in the convergence zone!

SOUR CREAM ENCHILADAS

1-1/2 pounds chicken breasts

2 cans cream soup

1cup sour cream

1-1/2 tsp onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

2 cans chopped green chiles

1/2 cup vegetable oil

12 tortillas

2 cups grated cheese

Serves 6

preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 pan.
Cook the chicken and cut into bite sized pieces

In a large pot, mix together soup, sour cream, onion, garlic and chilis. Simmer 5 minutes.

In a skillet, heat oil. Soften tortillas on oil avout 2 minutes.

Top each tortilla with chicken, and 2 T of sauce. Roll up.

Arrange rolled tortillas in pan. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas.

Top with cheese and baked covered for 20 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

From Comfort Foods Cookbook.

note. As is, this would be a time consuming and expensive recipe. The secret to low cost cooking, is to adjust accordingly. this recipe feeds six. I would 1/2 it and serve a salad along with it or some rice For four people.

You can use a can of green chill is or pickled peppers that have been rinsed.

The chicken is probably already cubed and in your freezer.

Chicken Breast was a dollar a pound at Albertsons last week. Tortillas I got for a buck.
Cream of mushroom soup is .75 often or you could make a white sauce and use pRt of the sour cream for the milk.

With some substitutions, this can become a low cost dish. Remember, if you replace an expensive ingredient, use something that takes the same space and substitute the same flavors.


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Jane

Monday Madness

And we start the madness all over again. I don't think that I have ever talked about leftovers. When I was in junior high home ec class, the teacher insisted we call them planned overs. LOL. Leftovers are an easy way to give the cook a night off or take advantage of cooking a larger batch of something and have the leftovers for lunch the next day. Last night we had roast chicken breast, mixed veggies, baked potatoes and fruit salad. Today I am making a chicken waldorf salad.

Taco meat can become nachos or a taco casserole or the meat in no brainer pasta. The recipe for no brainer pasta is on an earlier post-- a good cheaper, better, faster alternative to hamburger meal boxes-- more food, less money.

Pot roast can become pulled beef sandwiches.

Pasta sauce is 1.00 this week (ends tuesday) at Albertsons. Pasta was .93 at Safeways just 4 U. If You haven't signed up for it, it is well worth your while. Usually there is a electronic coupon for 3 dollars off 15 dollars off produce--that's twenty percent if you watch your totals.

If a large package is cheaper, take advantage if the cheaper price and freeze some of it, make a concentrated effort to use it up...blueberries can be in banana bread, waffles, pancakes, on top of cereal or use the "green" boxes so they last longer. organize your fridge so that things don't get shoved to the back and forgotten.

A good trick for this is the mid week inventory. Take a quick minute and make a mental note of what's in the fridge and what you can so with it. I usually do that when I am
Putting away the leftovers so that I can think about what to do with them while I am doing the mindless task of the dishes.

I am out of ideas and time...

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Jane

Sweet Sunday

good Mornimg! While researching some non-related subject, I found a video on UTUBE.
it was for a speedy pie. you make a pie, use cooked filling, and "bake" it in the microwave until the crust is done, then bake it at 425 for 8-10 minutes until the pie is golden brown. I haven't tried it yet, Dont know if it is a real time saver or not. She used canned pie filling. Canned pie filling is usually a lot of juice and cornstarch, and a little real fruit!

Brownies are quick and easy. We usually don't frost them. When cooking for a group, chocolate decadence is Devine and it's easy--cooks itself in the crock pot. I found low carb ice cream on sale at Albertsons. You have to look through the flavors to find the ones that are lowest. What's in the product description isn't always a clue. low carb on the label is decieving. My mother used to say she wanted to EAT it, not just smell it! LOL

Yesterday, my husband brought me my grand baby. She had been shopping with her mother, and her mother was unpackimg her car. I asked her what she had on her face, what had her mother been feeding her. I swear she said" canny". now, she only BABBLES and doesn't know what candy is, but it was really funny at the time. she had been given a goldfish cracker.

Yesterday I made banana bread with blueberries. It is a bisquick recipe and has oatmeal in it. Bananas are cheapest at Costco and are pretty steady in price. I make banana bread when they stRt to have black spots. I hear that they are better for you then, something about reducing cancer risk. my family won't touch them then, so I make banana bread. It works and it is quick and easy! LOL

We don't always have desert. We always have fruit in the house.

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Jane

Meals from the ads

We did a grocery shopping trip yesterday. I don't usually go to Albertsons because it is hard to get in and put of and they usually don't have enough good buys to warrant the trip.

In did go this week. The buys were better than usual and a lot more of them. Besides, I needed an embossing folder from Hobby Lobby. LOL

To recap the ads...

Apples were .88 a pound and if you bought the bag, there was a buck more off. They had a large variety of hunts pasta sauce and it was a buck. Pasta was .93 on justn4 u at Safeways. And, shrimp was 5 bucks.

On another note, I happened to open two cans of diced tomatoes to make vegetable soup.
One was hagan brand, one was hunts. Both were good. The Hagan brand had less chunks than the hunts one did. Hunts steam the peels,other companies use chemicals to peel their tomatoes.

Chicken was a dollar a pound for nw grown breasts.

I found tortillas for a buck and ice-cream for three dollars that had 17 grams of carbs.

Roast was cheaper than the good hamburger. We will grind our own.

On to the meal plans...


My formula is 2 beef, 2 chicken or pork, 2 vegetarian, and a fish.
I suspect that this will change when the drought prices truly kick in. We will have to adjust accordingly.


1) spaghetti with meatballs, green salad, French bread
2) tacos, refried beans, rice

3) Chicken Breast, baked potato, green beans, salad
4) pork chops, red cabbage, apple sauce

5) Breakfast for Dinner. Scrambled eggs, hash browns, oranges and grapes
6) Mac and cheese, broccoli

7) shrimp stir fry, rice

I would plan the shrimp and the tacos back to back so I made one rice cooker of rice.
Taco seasoning is on a previous post.


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Please share. With a lot of us taking a two percent cut in pay and the prices of groceries going up weekly more of us, unfortunately, might need it.

Jane

The ads --just in time

The ads

BARTELLS

Chili .99
Pasta .99


TOP

Oranges .53
Apples 1.00

QFC

Broccoli .99
Roma tomatoes . 99
Yoplait .50
Franz bread B1G1
Chuck roast B1G1. Net 3.50
Pork Loin Chops nets 2.49

Cukes . 69
Chicken 1.00

SAFEWAYS

sirloin steak 2.99
Pork loin 1.79
Blueberries 4.99 for 2
Milk 2.59

5 dollar Friday
Shrimp
Boston cream cake
8 pounds oranges


ALBERTSONS

Chicken breast or thighs .99
Bottom round 2.99
Broccoli . 88
Apples .88
Oranges 4/ 1.69
Bread 1.00
7 percent hamburger 3.99

Ice cream 3.00

Hunts pasta sauce 1.00

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Jane

No ads yet

Again, because of the holiday, we have no ads.

Safeways just for u , came in the e mail. They have a few things, but not as good of a buy as before. The three dollars off 15 dollars worth of veggies is still there.
It's not hard to amass fifteen dollars worth of fruit and veggies.
Five dollars off 20.00 of Ranchers reserve meat.

Last night we had sausage bean soup. I was watching the chew, and apparently, bacon is going to take a big leap next year. I suspect alL pork will and we will have to adjust. Kind a like a two percent payroll tax hike. The good news is they left the milk prices alone. LOL

SOUR CREAM AND BEEF TURNOVERS

2 cups flour
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening ( substitute )
1 cup sour cream
1egg yolk

Filling

3/4 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp EACH salt, oregano
Pepper
1egg
2tsp water

Make dough

Combine fry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add wet ingredients. Form ball.
Cover and refridgerate two hours.

Filling :

Cook meat and onion and mushrooms until meat is no linger pink and veggies are tender.
Take offnheatnand add sour cream and spices.

On a board, roll dough until 1/8 inch thick. Cut with a three inch cutter. Placena rounded teaspoon on each round. Fold over and pinch edges with a fork. Prick turnovers.

Bake on greased baking sheet. Top turnovers with an egg wash. Bake 450 12-14 minutes.


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Jane

Peanut butter and jelly beans

I decided I would start off the new year with nonsense....The nonsense of children not eating a variety of real food. There are a lot of kids that have a problem with eating real food. It makes budget cooking a challenge. It is also disconcerting to take a child out to someome else's house for dinner and have them fuss over their plate all through dinner.

My mother used to board children during the second world war. The children's mothers had husbands in the military overseas, and they were nurses at Harborview and stayed at the hospital. The doctor that cared for the children told my mother not to make a big deal of children being picky eaters. He said to put a balanced plate of food in front of the child, leave it there for twenty minutes and take it away. Dont give the child any snack foods and repeat the process at the next meal time. Kids will regulate their diet if left to do so without the benefit? Of garbage food.

On another note...

Inspiration for recipes can come from anywhere. There is a recipe on the fall candle that I got for my birthday! Keep your eyes open. When you don't like the sounds of an ingredient or ingredient is pricy, substitute.

Pasta Primavera

12 ounces rotini pasta, cooked and drained
1cup chopped and seeded tomato
2/3 cup chopped onion
10 ounces peas
1-1/2cups cheese cubes, assorted varieties
3 T Parmesan
1/2 cup Italian vinaigrette
Parsley, basil, salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and serve immediately or at room temperature.
Store leftovers in fridge.



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Jane

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I have actually got the day off. Yesterday we took care of the grand baby and went down to Tulwilla to deliver cards for the troops.
I am going to make sausage and bean soup. Not exactly what some people make for good luck. But it sounds good to me and its easy and cheap.

The recipe is on an older post.

Creamy Carrot Soup (Taste of Home)

3/4 cup chopped onion
3T butter, divided

3 cups chopped carrots
3 cups chicken broth
2 T uncooked long grained rice

1/2 cup cream
1 to 2 T tomato paste
Salt and pepper

1) In a large saucepan, sauté onion in butter.
2) Add the carrots, broth, and rice. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Or until the carrots and rice are tender. Cool slightly.
3) Process carrot mixture in blender in batches until smooth.
4) return to pan and add remaining ingredients. Stir. Heat until soup is warmed through.

Note. I would garnish with bacon and have toasted cheese sandwiches with it.
If I didn't have cream, I would use just a little less milk to maintain the consistency. A good vegetarian meal without the garnish. Sour cream? Croutons?
Grated carrots? Popcorn?

In remember in junior high home ec, putting popcorn on tomato soup.

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Jane

The rest of the story...

Now, the rest the story.

One thing that I forgot when I was writing yesterday is like in almost any undertaking, you need a plan. Make meal plans after you get home from shopping.

If you have to answer the what's for dinner ? question after a long hard day, it's to easy to say pizza delivery if you don't have plan. It doesn't have to be entailed,just a list of seven main dishes. You don't even have to stick to the plan, just have a plan.

We were going to have salmon for dinner this week. But, I ran out of stock and two trips to Safeways yielded zero salmon.


The other point that I didn't make was that you need to take a mental note of anything in the fridge that is gone, or is old, but not dead and use it up on your plans soon.
If it is to far gone, give it a decent burial. We call this dump everything dead!

If you check mid week and incorporate anything on the edge into your meals or do something with it, this should be at a minimum. bread crumbs, croutons, banana bread, soup stock? Some things should be frozen up front when you buy on bulk.

Another thing worth mentioning again is Almost free pizza. My co worker's first reaction to this was, who's giving away free pizza? LOL No such luck, the operative word is ALMOST ! You keep two zip lock bags in your freezer door and every time you are chopping something that goes on a pizza you set aside a bit for the bag. The same goes for meat...hamburger crumbles, chicken, sausage. In would probably keep them in separate bags. You can reuse the bags if you want to.

When you have enough for a pizza, you make crust (easy food processor crust ist on previous blog). Sauce can be slightly watered down tomato paste with garlic and Italian herbs or some pasta sauce you have held back from another day with added herbs to taste.

I priced the cheese at Costco yesterday. It was all really expensive compared to previous trips. It has been on sale for 5.00 a brick lately. I have even got shredded for 5.00. I haven't checked the business Costco lately. WinCo used to have big bags cheap. We haven't been there for a while, at the rate thing are going it's hard to predict.

When aren't stable, it takes some true diligence. it's not too arduous task if you just commit to your key staples. The things that you buy one or two of a year,don't really impact you that much.

MY LIST AND THE PRICES I WANT TO PAY

Pasta .88 - 1.00 16 oz...pasta has an 8 YEAR shelf life
Canned diced tomatoes .50-.67
Canned beans .67
Re fried beans .78
Pasta sauce (hunts) .75-1.00
Instant mashed potatoes. .50-1.00
tuna 1.00 or less...be careful meat and fish have a shorter shelf life.
Cheese 2.50 a poumd....not that long ago it was 2.00

I keep some CAMPBELLS soup. I want to pay .75 or less.
If I don't find it on sale, I don't buy it.

We like tomato roasted red pepper soup. When Costco has it, it's about 2.00 a box. it is up to 4.00 or more a box at other stores. Only get it Costco. We add fresh basil, some milk and some blue cheese and some chunks of tomato...YUM.

Guess that all the time I have for today. Work is callimg me...

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Please share. I know that there are unemployed, underemployed and people that have had to resort to food stamps. Our economy is not out of the woods yet. My hope is to reach some of these people and help them.

Some people enjoy a new or old recipe, some the time saving tips, some laugh at my bad keyboard skills..not used to two finger typing with a baby at my side "helping" and the auto spell check!LOL. Whatever your reason, I hope you can fimd something you can use in the blog.

Jane

The Nuts and Bolts of Meals on the Cheap

It's the first of the month...almost. Every first of the month I do a review of the
Basic principals of meals om the cheap. I want to pay 1/2 price for food. The USDA has stats on how much you should spend based on family size and ages. It is not adjusted for the drought prices we are experiencing.

Groceries on the Cheap takes a three- pronged approach. Planning and organizing, shopping wisely, and cooking from scratch.

Once you get yourself set up, you should spend very little more time than the average person does without the concept and be a whole lot richer! LOL

If you spend more time on the front end of the. "Get the meal on the table train " and less on the back end and you will be a lot better off. You get "paid " for shopping , not for cooking. If you spend an hour shopping and you save 75.00. Basically you are makimg 75.00 an hour. This is a concept not everyone can see.It's not a virtual concept.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING

First, compile recipes for main dishes that use inexpensive sources of protein.
Rice and beans, chicken, pork, some beef, eggs, cheese, tuna, some fish. start with seven and expand to 14 to give yourself more variety.

Next, make a list of stock items that you use frequently. At our house that would be diced tomatoes,canned beans, instant mashed potatoes, refried beans, some corn and green beans, pasta, black olives and canned pasta sauce.

Start a small spiral notebook or a spreadsheet and track the price you paid, where you purchased it and when you purchased it.

Page Heading: Green Beans

1/2/12 QFC. 1.59
3/6/12 top. .67

Soon you will see a pattern and know the lowest price. When the price is at it's lowest, buy as many as the store will let you buy, as many as you can afford to buy, or as many as you need to replenish your stock, whichever comes first. If I use something once a week, I keep 24. If I use it once a month, I keep 6 .


SHOPPING

The main idea, is never pay full price for anything. My mother used to call it not paying top dollar.

Take advantage of what meats are the cheapest any particular week. Use the least expensive veggies that are in season. They will taste better too. Roma tomatoes have more flesh and are usually cheaper.

When the weekly ads come out, take a piece of computer paper and divide it into quarters. Mark each quarter with the name of the store. Now go through the ads and write the things that are truly on sale that you use. Forget the ready made junk food. When you are done, cross off anything that is cheaper elsewhere and anything that you have enough of. Now pick the two stores that have the best prices in the things you want. I don't bother to go to two stores if there is only one thing on the list.

Take the ads, your list, and any coupons you have come across. Get in the store, get your list, and get out. The more time you spend in the store, the more money you will spend. The stores have spent a great deal of money researching ways to get you to impulse buy.

I used to work for a grocery wholesaler. There one store that has a 42 percent markup. That is huge. Stick to the large chains. We hit Costco, winCo, Grocery Outlet, and the Bakery Outlet about every four to six weeks. I usually try to hit them when we have other errands in the area or group my stops to make the best use of our gas. I don't advocate going across town for .15 savings. I stock when I go. often I save a dollar a unit--that ads up fast.

When a roast or London broil is cheaper than hamburger, we make our own hamburger.

SCRATCH COOKING

besides going to the specialty store every other day to buy just what you need for two nights dinners, ready made foods and snack foods are the fastest way to derail your budget.

My daughter and I diasected a hamburger meal box. It is on a prior post, it is a real eye opener.

There are ways to cook from scratch almost as fast as using mixes or ready made .
The slow cooker and pressure cooker are your best friends here. Also anything that you can quickly prep and shove on the oven works well too. The microwave is a boon for some things. I really like the microwave pasta cooker. It uses one "pot" to cook drain and don't have to watch the pot. Just use a few less minutes than it calls for, it tends to overcook.

I frequently post recipes that are easy and quick.

I almost always precook my meats the day of shopping, or the next day. buying bulk meat and pre cooking and meal size portioning is a way to waste less and get a headstart on dinner prep. This is especially true of hamburger. I either buy hamburger in bulk, or make low fat myself. Then, I make taco meat,meat balls, meat loaf,and crumbles, or some of the above. I defat the taco meat and crumbles.The meat loaf is baked in a meat loaf pan so that the grease drains, and I cook meatballs in the oven on a rack lined sheet pan. The technique for defatting is in a previous post.

I roast a chicken , pretty much set it and forget it. Then separate it into leg portions, and two breasts. Make stock from the bones. That makes four meals.

Never buy a chicken less than 3 pounds. Every pound over 3 pounds is gravy. Three pounds is the break even point. you don't want to pay for too much bone to meat ratio. A precooked chicken at the deli is usually three pounds. Costco is the cheapest. You are paying 1.67 a pound for chicken. I frequently get good northwest grown chicken for under a buck. It takes about 10 minutes to prep a chicken. It motivates you to scratch cook when you do the math. A six pound chicken is about 4.00 less than two three pound ready made chickens. If it takes you ten minutes to prep a chicken, you are making 24.00 an hour for your labor and you are getting more chicken for your buck.

I take and roast off a beef or pork roast. We have a roast dinner and thinly slice and freeze the rest in meal sized portions for a roast beef a jus or BBQ sandwiches.

There are a few things that are cheaper than scratch to buy, or that are just too much bother to make from scratch. Remember, when we are spending the majority of our time on shopping, rather than cooking.

Pasta, taco shells, mayonnaise(because of health reasons), and refried beans come to mind. I buy canned beans on sale and they are about the same price as dried beans. Rinse them well to reduce the sodium. Beans have a really short fridge life. It's not worth it to cook them from scratch and taking a chance on getting sick. You can cook them in pressure cooker.

Another note, there are storage solutions that keep fruits and veggies longer. They are well worth the investment.

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Please share. I know with stores closing and unemployment there are people that this will help.

Jane
Jane

Suddenly Saturday...

Yesterday I found myself with an hour to kill in north Seattle. I need a box of Kleenex , but no dollar stores have them. I went to the grocery outlet. Coffee is always cheaper. My husband prefers regular instead of designer coffee.

They usually have red and yellow peppers for .50 and Roma tomatoes cheaper than anywhere else. They have designer chicken sausage that my husband actually likes.
Sausage, peppers and red potatoes are really good and not too bad for you when you use chicken sausage!

Some of the canned goods are more expensive than the sale prices at the chains.
I got sweet potato fries and hash brown patties. I refuse to make hash browns from scratch, because I usually have a big, glutenous mess.

They usually have a wide variety of cheeses, some less expensive, some not.

Its a treasure hunt, you never know what you may find.


On to Safeways. The salmon was gone. No surprise. I took advantage of the Friday specials that they have extended to the weekend. I got chicken wings. London broil is cheaper and better fat comtent than hamburger. We'll make our own ground beef.

Next time... The basics.


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Jane

meals from the ads

It's two in the morning. tomorrow is going to be a long day, so I decided that I would get a head start on it.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, prices are going up rapidly I suspect because of the drought. Its going to take some creative meal planning to compensate. But,like our mothers and grandmothers before us during the great depession and WWII, I suspect we will survive. One could hope that the federal government would step up to the plate and give the farmers subsidies, but with the cliff being so rocky, I am not holding my breath.

On to food....

My formula for meals is 2 beef, 2 chicken or pork, 2 vegetarian and a fish.


Safeways has salsa cheaper than you can make it. We tried a few wks ago, it wasn't bad.

Tacos, refried beans.

London Broil, roasted root veggies.

veggie fritata

mac and cheese

salmon ( on sale this weekend at Safeways)

Chicken pot pie

Pork roast , mashed potatoes, green beans and salad

Notes

chicken and pork is from last week . (frozen)
I plan to make ground beef this week out of the London broil that is on sale.
don't forget to de fat it.


Cheese is still a bargain at 2.50 a pound.

if you have been stocking, you have time to regroup and make adjustments to compensate for the higher prices.


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Jane

This weeks ads

We finally got this weeks ads today. I am hoping that the holidays are over and they go back to some real bargains. With what I have seen lately, I wouldn't be holding my breath. LOL

SAFEWAYS

Pork blade steak 1.99
London broil 2.49..bulk alert
Cheese 2/5....watch the size of the package u need 8 oz
Hormel entres B1G1..***
Lettuce 1.00
Salsa 5.00

5 dollar friday
Salmon 5.00


ALBERTSONS

Oranges .48
Lettuce .88
15 percent ground beef 2.49***
tillamook cheese 4.99
New bread mix 2/5

QFC

carrots .89
20 percent ground beef 2.66
Pork shoulder 1.49

TOP
yogurt .60
Beans .69

That's all folks. It's still a dismal week.
There is a lot of ad space taken up with holiday splurge foods. Maybe they will be better next week.

*** notes
London broil is 2.49. It is cheaper, for better quality to grind your own beef this week. The fat content will be less.

Assuming hormel entres are a net of 3.50 or so, they are good hedge on the watsnfor dinner we got home late Delima. With some instant mashed potatoes and a salad,youncan have dinner on the table in literally less time that it takes to call the pizza place!
The sirloin tips are the only flavor we have tried and liked.

There are coupons out there for a dollar off the new bread mix. It isnstill cheaper than buying bread. Can't believe 3.50 for hamburger buns. that warrants a trip to
the bakery outlet. I'm fact, the poor ads should warrant a trip to WinCo. I will be glad when we get one of our own.


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Jane

The calm after the storm

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  We had a very busy, but fun Christmas.  Christmas day was lounging around in our pajamas putting together toys ( put peg A in slot B) and watching our grandchild thorally enjoy herself.   What Fun!

I got a new keyboard for my tablet.  Haven't figured out how to use it yet, so I am using the main computer. 

Turkey noodle Soup 

4 quarts Poultry Stock
1 large onion, chopped
5 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper

2 pounds leftover turkey, cut into cubes
1 can corn
1 can white beans

16 ounces of egg noodles

Cook veggies and seasonings in 1/2 of the broth for a half hour. 
add remaining ingredients except noodles  and cook on simmer for an hour. 
Add noodles, and cook 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. 

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Jane

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Merry Christmas

I am takeing today off to enjoy my family.

I will be back tomorrow.




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Jane

Christmas Eve

It's the day before Christmas all through the house.....

My son baked about sixteen dozen cookies and two pumpkin pies. He has a Pullman kitchen, so he came down and used my kitchen. I am lucky enough to have two ovens so it made the job more efficient. LOL.

My daughter spent the day delivering presents to her friends.

My husband and I decided we would take advantage of having time to ourselves and go Christmas shopping for each other. We are at a point that we have everything we need and would rather spoil our grandchild than buy each other presents. But, my husband felt compelled to get me something.

So, I bought him some gummy vitamins. He finds it really unpleasant to swallow the horse pills he is taking.

He bought me a new glue gun, a T square, and a box for my alcohol pens from the recycle store. I was really excited that he found the box. I have been looking for something that would work. I refuse to spend a hundred dollars for a box to hold markers-- a bit over the top in my book. LOL

Christmas is for enjoying time with family and gifts should be somethimg the recipient really wants, or needs, or never dreamed of ever having.

My sorority made Christmas for a family. I had so much fun! I got 120 dollars worth of stuff on their list for twenty dollars. The boxers for the son were 35.00 and I got a barbie for the daughter and a sterling and gemstone pendant for the Mom. I Thorally enjoyed myself and hope the family has the best Christmas ever!

An inexpensive gift or something handmade for the recipient is much more thoughtful that an expensive present that the person doesn't want or need. Everyone has something that they either don't have time or patience to make for themselves or that they can't bring themselves to buy.

Gifts aren't about the money, they are about the effort and thought that goes into them.



Some of my best Christmases were when we were poor and "made" Christmas--it's all about the memories.

Merry Christmas . I hope you have a blessed and memorable Christmas!


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Jane

Merry Christmas Eve's Eve

Merry holidays are upon is. I have to pick up a couple of things from the grocery store to finish holiday meals, but I am. Pretty much done.

I picked up the Woman's Day magazine for January. It got me with Quick meals .
There are a lot of recipes, bmt not all of them would pass the husband and children test.

I can't reprint the recipes, but I can tell you what they are. If younwant tonbuy a magazine, they are 10 per cent off at joannes and thirty percent off at Costco. Costco has more expensive and yuppie magazines.

Peanut butter and banana pancakes--Elvis is still alive LOL

ravioli with sausage and Brussels sprouts
Pasta with quick meat sauce
Pasta with roasted cauliflower, tomatoes and pepperoni

Spaghetti with bacon, fried eggs and swiss chard
Creamy spinach and broccoli lasagna

Eggs Benedict casserole

No bake hot cocoa cake

Spiced beef and butternut squash stew

Seared salmon with lentil salad

Quick turkey chili
Pork chops with balsamic braised cabbage

Vegetable fried rice


Louisiana Hoppin' John


I like the apple pancakes forma special occasion ( Christmas breakfast!)
pork chops or roast with balsamic cabbage is interesting
Spaghetti
Peanut butter and banana pancakes might be a hit with the kids



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Jane

Suddenly Saturday.

Two days until Christmas eve. I quit baking for Christmas. My son makes cookies and my daughter makes fudge. Consequently, my stress level is at zero! We are bringing food to the family parties, but that's not a big deal.

Christmas morning we have Belgin waffles, bacon, and Christmas oranges. I haven't been able to find real Japanese oranges for several years now,


For the vegetarians,

VEGGIE SKILLET from land of lakes booklet

2.5 cups bow tie pasta, cook and drain.


2T butter
1tsp minced garlic
2med zucchini, cu into 1/2 inch slices
median red onion
1 T fresh basil
1 cup cheese in /2 inch cubes


Stir fry everything except the pasta and cheese until veggies are tender. Stir in pasta and heat through. Stir in cheese. Salt and pepper.


GREEK FRITTATAS

1 medium red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-1/2 cups spinach leaves
1/2 cup milk
8 eggs
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Pepper
1/2cup crumbled feta cheese

1 can diced tomatoes, warmed with garlic and herbs.


In skillet, cook red pepper and onion 3-4 minutes
Add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.

In bowl, combine milk, eggs, garlic salt and pepper. Stir in cheese.

Reduce heat to med low and add egg mixture to veggies.
Cook, lifting the eggs on the side of the pan until eggs are set and the top is done.


Spoon warm tomato over at serving time.


One of the ways to beat the rising cost of meat is to eat vegetarian a couple of nights a week. My mother did that before the word vegetarian was in our vocabulary! LOL

I got cheese for 2.50 a pound at top. It is tillamock. I spent more than I usually do, but I picked up some last minute stocking stuffers and it's Christmas. Well go back to frugal after Christmas.


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Jane

Three days until Christmas. Eve

Three days and I'm sure the little ones are waiting with anticipation. Our little one isn't old enough to know what's going on, but I'm looking forward to her squeals .LOL

Last night we had the pork stew that I posted earlier I'm the week. Itvwas really easy to cook the pasta in the microwave cooker and heat the stew and walk away.

On to food.I haven't shopped yet.

Beef Stuffed French Bread

1pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1large baked potato, peeled and cubed
1can cream of mushroom soup
Mushrooms

1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pepper


Loaf of French bread
Cheese


1) brown meat and onion until meat is no longer pink and drain.

2) add re sing ingredients except the bread and cheese and simmer for 10 minutes.

3) cut the loaf of bread lengthwise. Hollow out some of the bottom , leaving 3/4 inch shell. Place the removed bread in a blender or food processor and make crumbs. Add 1 cup crumbs to the meat mixture. Add cheese.

4) stuff the bread shell. Wrap with foil. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before cutting.


Notes
I would use already cooked and drafted meat. I don't usually have mushroom,s around because my husband is not fond of them. I might substitute olives and add some Ed pepper just because I like some color . It seems more appetizing to me.


SPINACH MEATBALL SUBS

Add chopped, cooked spinach that has been squeezed dry and Parmesan to your basic meatball recipe. Add red sauce and shredded white cheese. Fill sub buns.



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Jane




2)

Thursday , we have ads

I finally got the ads yesterday. Yesterday we had pork roast, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans and pear and blue cheese salad.

Now, to the ads...

QFC

Ham 1.79

Top roumd roast B1G1. Nets 3.25 a pound
Spiral ham 2.79

Peeled carrots 1.00 pound
Celery 1.00
Sweet potatoes 1.00
Veggies .60


TOP

Spiral ham. 1.97
Butter 2.50 @
snack crackers 1.77 @
Cheese 4.99 @
satsumas 2.98
Vegetables .67
Turkey .69

Green beans 1.79

SAFEWAYS

Ham .99
Coffee 7.99

Sirloin tip roast 2.99
Celery .99

FRIDAY SPECIALS

CHEESE 5.00
bar cake 5.00
Shrimp 5.00


ALBERTSONS

apples .88
Ham .99
Spiral ham 1.99
Coffee 7.99
Yams .79
Celery .89
8 pounds potatoes 1.28



I am not seeing a whole lot of bargaims which is a typical for a holiday ad.


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Jane

No ad wednesday

There were no ads in our mailbox yesterday.

Since the holidays are upon us, I thought I would post some somewhat healthy dips from my blender cookbook.

HUMUS

1/2 of a small jalapeño pepper, seeds removed
1 clove gRlic
1/2 medium small onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 of a medium green pepper, cut onto chunks
2tsp olive oil
1/2tsp cumin
1can garbanzo beans, drained
3T water

Place in blender in order

Jalapeño, pulse 5-10 seconds

Onion and green pepper, pulse 5 seconds 2-3 times


Heat oil in skillet and sauté garlic and cumin, add onion mixture and cook until veggies are tender. Cool

Place onion mixture, beans and water in blender. Mix until smooth.

Place in serving bowl.

2 cups



CREAM OF BROCCOLI AND CORN SOUP

From kitchen aid

2 T butter
1/2 cup chopped onion

2 T flour
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp pepper

2cups chicken broth

1/2 cup water

1 16 ounces frozen broccoli
1-1/2 cups corn

1 cup milk


1) cook onion in butter 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard, thyme, pepper, broth and water. Bring to a boil.

2). Add broccoli. Reduce heat and leat on loe about 10 minutes. Cool.

3) place mixture in blender in batches. And blend until smooth.

4) return mixture to saucepan.

5). Add corn and milk.

6) simmer until warm.

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Jane

Makes 4.5 cups.

Tuesday QUICK

I pulled out my bisquick leaflet book for today's blog. My mother in law used to make pie from bisquick. Apples are a buck a pound now, so it is a lot of bang from your buck!

FRENCH APPLE PIE

Topping

1/2 cup bisquick
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped nuts
2T firm butter


Pie

3 Tart apples, peeled and sliced.
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 T butter
2 eggs

Heat oven to 325. Spray 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray.

In small bowl, mix dry ingredients for topping. Cut in butter.
Set aside

in medium bowl, mix apples, cinnamon and nutmeg and pour into pie pan.

Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over apples.

Sprinkle topping on top of bisquick layer.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Doneness test is when the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.


RANCH OVEN FRIED CHICKEN WITH WARM CORN RELISH

3/4 cup bisquick
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup reduced fat ranch dressing

4 Boneless skinless chicken breast

2T butter, melted

2 cups frozen corn

Heat oven to 425 degrees

Spray a 9x 13 pan

In shallow pan, mix bisquick, salt and pepper
In another dish, pour 1/2 cup salad dressing
Coat chicken with dressing, and then with bisquick.
Place in pan and drizzle with melted butter.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until meat reaches 170 degrees and juices run clear.

Cook corn and drain. Stir in 1/4 cup dressing. Serve over chicken.


Notes

I think you could use boned chicken, but adjust the cooking time.


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Jane

Monday madness

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

European Pork Stew

1 poumd pork cubes ( about 3/4 of an inch)
olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

2cups chicken broth
1can diced tomatoes
1 red pepper, roasted
1/4 cup Greek olives, pitted and cut up
2 tsp orange peel
1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Pepper
2 medium yellow summer squash , cut I to small pieces

12ounces ORZO cooked and drained

1) cook meat cubes in oil until browned. Do it in batches.
2) Add onion and garlic and cook briefly. Add broth, tomatoes, peppers, olives,
Orange peel, seasonings.
3) bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 50 minutes.
10 minutes longer until squash and meat are tender.

Serve with ORZO or couscous.


Notes
I think that you could brown the meat and finish this in the slow cooker up to the squash addition. Then put the squash in and set it to high.
I cook pasta in a microwave pasta cooker and use a bit less time than it calls for. I haven't cooked couscous, but I think it is as simple as instant rice.

Greek olives are a bit of a stretch of the budget. Red peppers are fifty cents often at grocery outlet. Oranges are inexpensive this time of year. Yu can use the orange for another meal.


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Jane

Notes on Sunday

Nine dayS until Christmas. I know we all wanted to hear that.

Last week on the chew , they featured a pork roast that they comed, spread with Dijon mustard and rolled om chopped herbs. It sounded really good. I am sure that the recipe is on the website.

Nacho Pie
From taste of home

1pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 -8 punce can tomato sauce
2T taco seasoning

1 tube crescent rolls

1-1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips, divided
1cup sour cream
1cup shredded American cheese

In skillet, cook beef and onion until beef is no longer pink, drain
Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Let cook 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, open crescent rolls and pinch together to make a " pie crust."
place on pie pan.

Speinkle 1 cup crushed chips over pie crust
Top with meat mixture
Carefully spread sour cream over meat mixture.
Sprinkle with cheese and remaining chips.
Bake at 350 for 20-35 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden.


Notes :

In would use already cooked and defatted meat. I would probably add some peppers.
It would be a good recipe for leftovers from a party. The bottom of the ch bag, crescent rolls are on sale during the holidays, the recipe for taco seasoning
is in an older post. Serves6-8.

On another note--I went to the goodwill this week. Some of the prices on gloves and gift bags were more expensive than the dollar store. I found canvas boxes for organization in a broad range of colors for 4.99 and they have straight sides. They also had white shelves with a plate groove really cheap.

Of anyone has an idea for a post, please let me know.


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Jane

Grocery shopping is a crap shoot!

We went shopping as usual this week. I picked Top foods and Costco. I noticed that prices were up and just for you prices were more than I paid for the same products last week. I expect some fluctuation on sale prices. But, Costco is usually pretty stable.

Cheese that was 1.92 a pound last time I bought it, was 2.79 a bound. A forty percent increase.


We just got notification of our social security raise...you can bet that it isn't forty percent!LOL

To say that prices are not stable would be an understatement. Top had cheese shreds on "sale " for 2.00. That's four dollars a pound. It's harder to second giess what is the lowest price, but you can still compare and take advantage of what is the lowest price.

We don't buy a huge variety of foods so it isn't to hard or time consuming to keep track.

I'm trying to continue on my easy fast meals to reduce the stress of holiday time. I am finished with my decorating, Christmas cards, and wrapping. I don't bake anymore, I'm diabetic and the last time I spent hours baking Christmas treats the family decided they were on fat police diets and just wanted cardboard cookies. In figure someone else can bake, and I'll spend the time enjoying the kids. Their excitement is so fun to watch. Christmas is for kids.

I made the students in my daughters class snowman soup packets and place favors for another group.

On to the recipes!

I did get pork loin for 2.00 a pound.

Pesto Pork Roast
Pesto:
mix in blender or food processor
1/4 cup olive oil
2cups basil leaves
1/2cup parmesan cheese
4 peeled garlic cloves
Process until blended

Reserve 2 T pesto in a small bowl. Add 2 T olive oil to the reserved pesto.



Cut 12 Roma tomatoes into slices. Place on bottom of roaster. Salt and pepper.
Place 4-5 pound roast on the top of the tomatoes. Salt and pepper roast. Spread pesto over roast.

Bake at 350 for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat registers 160 degrees.

Cook a pound of dried egg noodles. Drain. Remove roast to rest on platter. Add tomatoes to the noodles.

From taste of home

Notes

I would roast the tomatoes separately in olive oil maybe with a little Parmesan.
And add them to the noodles. If basil is to pricy, you could substitute parsley or check to see if costco's pesto is cheaper.

This would also work for a smaller roast . Just adjust the cooking time.
I have a thermometer that has a probe and a programable pad that you can set the meat and the doneness. It beeps at you when the meat comes up to temperature, I think I paid 25 dollars at Costco years ago. It was well worth the expense.

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Jane

Finally Friday

Friday...I have had a cold and haven't left the house all week.

Meat has taken another hike. Safeways just for you has higher prices than I can get the food elsewhere.

Roast is cheaper this week than hamburger. A dollar a pound makes it well worth your time to grind your own.


Pasta Pizza Soup

1 pound ground beef
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
4 cups water or beef broth
1can diced tomatoes
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1.5 cup cooked tricolor spiral pasta

Sauté meat and veggies until veggies are tender and meat is no longer pink.
Stir in remaining ingredients

Cover and simmer for twenty minutes. Add pasta until heated through.


Chili Skillet

1 pound ground beef
1cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup tomato juice.
1can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
4 tsp chili powder
1tsp oregano
1tsp salt
1/2 cup uncooked long grained rice.


1cup corn
1/2 cup black olives
1cup cheese


Cook ground beef until no longer pink with the onion, green pepper and garlic.

Add the tomato juice, kidney beans, chili powder, oregano, salt and rice. Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir on corn and olives. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add cheese and cover and cook 5 minutes more.

From taste of home


NOTES

I would use 3/4 of a pound of pre cooked, defatted hamburger and use less onion.
Rinsing canned beans reduces a lot of the sodium . Cooking dried beans is the about the same price as canned. If you cook dried beans, you need to use them including leftovers soon. Beans and rice have a short fridge life. When on sale, sliced olives are cheaper than whole olives.

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Jane

Thursday cold weather dishes

I had one hit on yesterday's ad post!

Beef Barley Soup

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
2-1/4 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup water

1/4 cup pearl barley
1tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper

Cook beef and veggies until veggies are tender and meat is no longer pink.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer an hour.

2 servings

Note. You could use pre cooked and defatted meat and just cook the veggies and add meat. You could substitute cooked stew meat into small cubes.


ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO SOUP

2 small zucchini, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
Olive oil
Salt

1cup v8 juice
1small tomato cut Into wedges


Sauté zucchini and onion until tender. Salt. Add V8 juice and tomato. sprinkle with pepper and dried basil.

Cook until heated through.

Garnish with shredded cheese and or crumbled bacon.


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Jane

You can leave a comment below. There is an anonymous option. If you don't want the ads dissected, please let me know. L

Dollar dinner mix

At grocery outlet this weekend I picked up a taco kit for a dollar. It had six flour taco shells, six hard corn shells, taco seasoning, taco sauce. I used leftover chicken, re fried beans , lettuce, tomato, cheese .

A dinner for three dollars and fifty cents and I have shells and sauce and seasoning left for another meal.


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Jane

Wednesday ads

These are this weeks ads

SAFEWAYS

ham .99
Apples .88
Milk 2.69
Beef bottom round 2.99

FIVE DOLLAR FRIDAYS

Baby back ribs
Oranges, 8 pounds


TOP

MULTI DISCOUNT..BUY 4

Cream cheese .99
Shredded or singles 1.99


Pork loin 2.00
Turkey .69

Lean ground beef 3.99 ***

Pasta 1.00

Foccacia bread 3.99 ***


QFC

English cucumbers 1.00
Butter 2/5.00
Sour cream 1.00
Baby carrots .99


ALBERTSOMS

Ham .99
Coffee 7.99
Chicken .99
Canned veggies .69


notes ***. Roast is a dollar a pound less than the lean ground beef if I had to jace broind beef, I would gri d my own. The bread is no bargain, but the best bread I have ever eaten if you like hot peppers.

That's about all.

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Jane

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Skillet suppers

Following the theme of quick and easy.

CHICKEN AND NOODLES

1 pound cooked chicken cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1cup baby carrots, cut in half
1 cup frozen broccoli

2 ounces uncooked noodles ( 1 cup)
1-3/4 cups chicken broth

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Parsley to garnish

Sauté onions in olive oil until soft.

Add all ingredients to the skillet and bring to a boiling, reduce hest and simmer 10 minutes covered. Uncover and cook 5-8 minutes longer until veggies and noodles ar tender.

SPEGHETTI AND MEATBALLS, UPDATED


Pre-made meatballs

1/2 package speghetti

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can tomato sauce
4 ounces pesto
1 tsp oregano

1) cook and drain speghetti and heat meatballs in microwave.


2) heat sauce ingredients in a saucepan 10-15 minutes

3) place meatballs in sauce and add pasta.

Garnish with parsley and parmesan.


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Jane

Monday madness 12/10

It's Monday the dreaded start of the work week. The holidays are fast approaching.

From Betty Crocker

Four Cheese Mashed Potatoes for a croud.

5 pounds of white potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch pieces

3 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup blue cheese
1cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

8 ounces sour cream
1tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp paprika

Chives to garnish if desired

1) cook potatoes and mash.

2) in bowl beat together cheeses, sour cream and salt.

3) mix the potatoes and cheese mixture , add milk if necessary to make right consistency.

4) put into greased pan. 9X 13. Bake at 350 for 35-0 minutes. Serves 24.

5 grams fat each. 135 calories.

This can be made ahead and baked later.



LOW FAT MINESTRONE

1 can EACH OF

28 ounces of tomatoes

14.5 ounces of great northern beans
Corn, drained
Kidney beans

2stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 medium onion , chopped
1 cup shredded cabbage,

1/2 cup elbow macaroni or broken spaghetti

1 1/4 cups water
1tsp Italian seasoning
2veg bouillon cubes
1 clove garlic, minced

Parmesan to guarnish

Place everything but the Parmesan in a 4 quart pan. Heatto boiling. Reduce heat to low.

Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until macaroni and veggies are tender.

2 grams fat, 305 calories


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Janet

Sunday notes

Last night we had pork roast and oven roasted root veggies. Both were cooked in the oven and took 30 minutes. I got some organizational work done in my studio while it Cooked. The roast was on sale at Safeways and I picked up garlic rosemary parmesan cheese at grocery outlet. I had to go get boxes at the dollar store so we stopped by the grocery outlet too. they usually have a good variety of cheeses. Sometimes they have bargains on them, but not all are on sale. The parmesan was .50. Because we had never tried it, I would rather have a small size. It was really good.

Parmesan Rice and Peas with bacon. From Betty Crocker Simple Home Cooking ,2006

2 slices bacon , chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked long grained rice
1 can chicken broth (14 ounces)
1/2 cup water
1cup frozen sweet peas
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp pepper

In a two quart saucepan, cook bacon until done. Add onion and stir one minute. Stir in rice until it is covered with bacon fat. Stir in broth and water. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about twenty minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Gently stir in peas. Cook one to two minutes until peas are hot. Stir in cheese and pepper.

Note.
I would use the bacon ends I got cheap. This would also work with instant brown rice.
I would use the Romano cheese that I already have and my chicken stock or better than bouillon .


Slow cooker pork stew

1-1-2 pounds pork cubes
1-1/2 cups carrots, cut into slices
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups peeled and cubed parsnips
1-1/2 cups peeled butternut squash
4 cups chicken broth

Sage, thyme, salt, pepper--1/2 tsp each
3T flour
1T butter

Brown meat on stove . Place om slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients except flour and butter.
Cook on low 7-8 hours.

Mix butter and flour to make paste. Stir into stew.
Cook on high for 30 minutes until Gravy is thickened.

Adapted from the same booklet as above.

Note. This would be a good Sunday dinner When you are busy with Christmas preparations.
I love the cook and walk away meals.


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Jane

Suddenly Saturday

It's Saturday . I thought I would continue to post recipes that are easy because we all have extra things on our agenda for the holidays and easy food is a stress reducer!
the holidays are supposed to be for having fun with friends and family.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

1/2 pound baby carrots
1/4 pound mushrooms
1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges
1 zucchini, cut into pieces
4 red potToes, cut into fourths

Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese

Place veggies on baking sheet with sides. Drizzle with olive oil. oss to coat veggies. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and cheese.

Bake at 450 for 30 minutes.


Taco Skillet Helper!

Mix together in skillet:

1 pound taco meat ( 12 ounces cooked meat)
1.5 cups water
1cup salsa
1can corn, drained well

Heat to boiling. Stir in 1-1/2 cups instant rice.
Bring back to a boil. Cover, take off neat and let stand 8 minutes.

Fluff rice.

Sprinkle with
3 ounces Mexican blend cheese
Cover and let stand until cheese is melted , about 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with lettuce and tomato.


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Jane

Finally Friday

It's finally Friday and I have a lot of errands to do. I just spent some four in the morning organizing my studio and purging.

On to food-- meals from the ads

My mix is 2 vegetarian, 2 chicken or pork, two beef and a fish. This assures a variety and enough of a mix to please everyone some of the time. Your mix may be different.




Chicken roasted
Hearty chicken soup

Tacos
Meatballs

Shrimp stir fry

Mac and cheese
Bean soup


Notes
Most of these meals are either fast or make ahead.

Once you have roasted the chicken and portioned it out, you have four meals partially made. The meatballs were done when you batch cooked the hamburger as was the taco meat. Stir fry is fast. Bean soup is a matter of throwing stuff in the slow cooker. That leaves scratch Mac and cheese.

Mac and cheese in the Slow cooker usually calls for evaporated milk. I am not too fond of evaporated milk so I would rather make it with a white sauce. I usually use a variety of cheeses. It's a good way to clean out the cheese drawer of bits and pieces,

I usually make a topping of breadcrumbs, Parmesean and parsley.

If you use rice with the meat balls, you can double batch it for the stir fried shrimp.


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Jane

Thankful it is Thursday.

It's Thursday already. Time to clean out the fridge and note what we might need.
Some notes? A friend of mine made a cake that was really healthy. It was a spice cake mix and a small can of pumpkin. Cake mixes are on sale this week. She made it in a bunt pan, but I would bet it could be made in a 9x13 also or in cupcakes.


Chicken is on this week as well and it's cold and flu season...yuk.

Hearty Chicken Soup

1 cup total of chopped carrot, celery, and onion.

6 cups chicken broth

1-1/2 cups chicken cubes

Salt, pepper, poultry seasoning to taste.

1-1/4 cups dry egg noodles.

Parsley


In a large pan, sauté veggies in olive oil. Add broth, seasonings , chicken and noodles. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until noodles are tender.

Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Make white sauce with 3Tbs butter, and 3 Tbs flour and 2-1/4 cups milk. stir in two tsp poultry seasoning.

Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup cheese.

Add about 10 ounces of cooked chicken pieces and 1-1/2 cups of peas and carrots.

Put mixture in a 2quart greased baking dish. Top with ome package instant mashed potatoes, made up.

Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minuts before eating.

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Jane

Wednesday , add day

The adds for this week.

Safeways

Chicken .99
Pears .99
Oranges .50
Pork shoulder roast 1.49

Stove top stuffing 1.99**

Raspberries 2.99

5 DOLLAR FRIDAY

SHREDDED CHEESE
ribs
Shrimp

TOP

Cake mix .99. ( buy for deal)
chocolate chips 1.49
Marshmallows .79 ***snowman soup alert
Chili 1.00

Dukes .69
Apples 1.00

ALBERTSONS
Raspberries 2.50
Grapes1.99
Lettuce .88
Apples .99 red delicious
Cheese, tillamock 5.49
Pears .99
Cake mix, Duncan Hines 100
Frosting 1.40

Buy 10--- 2.70
Sliced cheese
Tea
Chocolate!! Godiva. Stocking stutters?

Buy 10 - 1.70
Craisens

Buy 10- 2.20
Zero

QFC

Chicken .89
Apples .99
Broccoli, cauliflower .99
romas .99

Buy 2 Jimmy dean sausage for 6.00 and get free eggs

Retro and Costco cookbook

Last nights dinner. It was chili Mac from the Costco cookbook. We had nachos the night before, so I used the left over taco meat and chilies. Less than a five dollar meal.

Having a plan, but being flexible is the key. Without a plan, it is too easy to fall into the " let's order pizza " trap when you have had a long hard day.

Soup or stew in the crockpot is another tool to use when you know it's a hectic day. We all have busy lives and the holidays make life even more busy.


Last night we were talking about recipes from the sixties. Some of them my family never had. My mom was a stickler for basic food. She was of British decent and most everything was pretty basic and plain.

I remember beef stroganoff, Mac and cheese, tuna casserole, an omelet that she finished off in the oven so it puffed, clam chowder, meat balls with rice in them. We had liver with a red sauce, and spaghetti and braised beef on rice and hamburgers.

Mom would Bake bread pm Thursday's and we would have pizza in the mid fifties.

Some of these, I cook now and everyone likes them. ( except my daughter has become a vegetarian)!

Let's talk about almost free pizza. Keep a couple of freezer zip locks in your freezer door. Whenever you are chopping or cooking anything that goes on a pizza, set some aside in the bag. Veggies in one, meat in another. When you get enough to make a pizza, make the dough( see earlier post for easy recipe) and make a pizza. If you really want to be frugal, set a little pasta sauce aside too. Add Italian seasonings.

Guess that's all for today, I have to get to work on some other things.

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Jane

Monday madness

OK, I decorated the house yesterday and I'm pooped! I thought I would talk about the Costco cookbook that I picked up last time I was shopping.

There wonderful pictures of all the recipes.

I can't copy the recipes, but here are a few. The cookbooks are free at Costco.

Nutella stuffed French toast
cinnamon pancakes with maple cream cheese glaze
spinach quiche
Egg stuffed tomatoes on an English muffin bed...don't know about that one!!
Muffins galore.

Mm. Can we say Christmas morning!!

My reader is out dead and I have to go in the other room to finish.

Black bean and corn salsa
Asparagus and Brie soup

Fresh tomato lemon pasta with walnuts ,olives and feta
Parmesan roasted steakhouse potatoes
Crunchy harvest salad with honey cider vinaigrette
Double blue spinach salad


Mac and cheese
gingered salmon
baked tilpa with tomato tRtar sauce
Tilpa with red pepper sauce
Ground beef and rots cassarole
Chilli Mac
Tex Mex chicken tort a


Peach and custard creme tart
French apple slices YUM!
Chocolate brownies with peppermint bark...sounds like Christmas to me"
Rice pitting with cherry sauce


And many many more. Remember if some ingredient is too expensive...substitute if you can, or splurge!

I'll be trying some of these recipes soon. Many are fairly low cost and healthy.

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Jane

Two hundred Posts!

I can't believe this is the two hundredth post!

I got frozen peaches from Grocery Outlet for a buck a pound. I need to use them so I thought I would share a peach pie recipe.

Pastry for a double crust pie

5 cups frozen peaches, thawed and drained.
1T lemon juice
1cup sugar
1/4 cup tapioca
Pinch of salt
Butter, cold

Place bottom crust in pie pan.
In bowl, combine peaches, lemon juice, sugar and tapioca and salt.
Place in pie pan.
Dot with butter.
Place top crust on pie and flute,

Egg wash crust and sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg.

Bake at 425 for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.


Twice baked Potatoes

4 baking potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1cup grated cheese
4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
1tsp Dijon mustard

1) bake potatoes , cut slice off top and scoop out the insides, leaving the shell.

2) In a bowl, mix the potato insides with butter, milk and mustard. Fold in the cheese and bacon. Sprinkle the top with green onion if desired. sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and potatoes are warm.

Time will depend on of you pre make the potatoes, or cook them write after you prepare them.


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Jane

The basics revisited

This blog is about groceries on the cheap. That doesn't mean cheap food, it means good food cheap. The USDA has stats in how much it should cost for a family to eat. It is based on ages and family size. I want to pay half. It is meals: better, cheaper, faster!


1/2 price groceries takes a three pronged approach at getting food on the table.
1) plan and organize 2) shop wisely 3) cook from scratch.

1) plan and organize
First, gather recipes that your family will eat that use low cost sources of protein.
Seven will do to start, but fourteen is better so you have variety. I want to average 5 bucks a dinner. I call it 4+1 = 5. Four people, one meal, five bucks.
Think pork, chicken, vegetarian and some beef. It getting harder because of rising food costs.

When you get home from the grocery shopping trip,plan 7 meals. It doesn't have to be a fancy meal plan-- just jot down 7 main dishes . Make a mental note of what was in the fridge before you went shopping and incorporate anything on the edge in your meals first. Store fresh food properly. There are a lot of storage solutions that keep your food fresh longer. They are well worth the investment.

About once mid week, take stock of the bread bin and fridge and do something with anything on the edge--incorporate it into the next meal,put it up, or as a last resort, throw it out. Bananas can become banana bread, stale bread can become bread crumbs or stuffing mix, vegetables can become stock.

2) shop wisely

The mantra here is not to get stuck paying full price. Make a list of staples you use frequently. In our house, that would be beans, cheese, re-fried beans, diced tomatoes,
Pasta sauce, some canned veggies,some tuna and pasta.

Keep track of how much you pay, where you bought it, and when you bought it. This can be in a small spiral notebook that you can carry with you, or on a spreadsheet. Mark the top of the page with the food and the size of the package. Then take a line to mark the date, the store, and the price you paid. Soon you will will see the lowest price for that product. You need then to buy 1) as many as you can afford 2) as many as the store allows, or as many as you need to maintain your stock, which ever comes first. If I use something once a week, I keep 24. If I use something once a month, I keep six.

When the ads come out, take a piece of paper draw limes to quarter it and top each quarter with the name of the store. Now go through the ads and write down the items and prices of anything on a good sale that you use and the price. Record the fruits and veggies you may need, and the meat prices that are low. Now, cross off anything
That is a higher price elsewhere,and anything that you already have an adequate supply of.

Now pick the two stores that have the best prices. Go there with your ads and list.
Get in, get your list, and get out. The longer you spend on a store, the more money you will spend. The grocery stores have spent a lot of research money to get you to impulse buy. Not all stores are created equal. There is a huge difference in prices, and no one store has low prices on everything. I used to work for a food wholesaler.
on
One grocery store has a 42 percent mark up. That is huge!

Don't overlook the stores that don't sell food for their main focus. Sometimes, they have the best prices. Always check pull dates. For example, I got diced tomatoes at Big Lots for .48. The same brand at QFC this week was 1.00 ON SALE. I think the regular price is 1.59. You can see that it would not take long to realize a big savings.

I am not advocating running across town to save .15. I plan my trips to the two stores to incorporate our other errands and maintain a tight circle so we don't waste gas. Going to the closest store for dinner foods every day or two is the worst thing you can do for your budget.

I have guidelines for meat and veggie purchases. I try for less than 2.50 a pound for meat, and a buck for veggies and fruit. It is not working lately with rising food prices. Balancing good nutrition goes along with this too.




3) Cook from scratch. :

One of the fastest ways to derail your budget is to buy ready-made or packaged mixes.

My daughter and I dissected a cheeseburger macaroni meal box. It had .20.8 cents worth of macaroni, and 1.57 ounces of a sauce mix. We paid 2.08 for the box. At that rate, the Cheese burger sauce mix cost 13.28 a pound. They have to list ingredients in order of volume. The first ingredient was cornstarch and the last was cheese whey and preservatives. I never met a cheese I didn't like, and I never met a cheese that had no cholesterol. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. You can buy REALLY good cheese for 13.28 a pound.

In most cases, there is a way to cook the same things just as fast and a whole lot cheaper. With few exceptions, scratch is better and less expensive without the preservatives. I don't think that re-fried beans and tortillas are worth making from scratch. The few times I make cake or brownies doesn't warrant scratch. I can get the mixes for a buck frequently.

Depending on the time of year, instant mashed potatoes are cheaper than scratch. I can sometimes get them for .50. Pasta sauce ( hunts) is as low as .75. You can't buy the tomato product that cheap!

There are styles of cooking that make scratch cooking fast cooking. The slow cooker is really your friend as is a pressure cooker. The new electronic ones have safety valves. Any food you can prep in a few minutes and put in the oven is fast food. You can be doing other things while dinner cooks.

If you spend time to precook meat when you have a less stressed time, you save a lot of time when things are busier. I cook and defat ground meat when I get home from the store, or the next day. You can roast a chicken, cut off the leg portion, and cut the breast in half. Serve half the breast for one meal, cut the rest of the breast meat in cubes for a pot pie or pasta, and freeze the leg portions to make another meal. Save the breast bones and the neck, etc for stock. Roast off a roast. Have a roast dinner, and then slice the rest of it thin for sandwiches-- either roast beef a jus or BBQ pork.

Making your own seasoning mixes, salad dressing and croutons and bread crumbs is a real money saver.

Basically, if you spend more time on the front end of the "get the meal on the table" train and less time on the back end, you will be better off. No one is paying you to cook, but you are being paid well to shop. The average family spends 150.00 a week on food. If you spend 75.00 and you spend an extra hour shopping, you are making 75.00 an hour. This is a concept nots everyone can grasp. If they don't have the money in their little hot hand, they can't see it! LOL. Another abstract is that you would have to earn 90.00 to spend that 75.00. Food for thought.

Thanks for stopping by.
Please share. The object of me writing this blog is to help people eat better for less. I know the unemployment rate is still high and there are people who have had to resort to getting food stamps. We have all had times when we have had to economize.
I hope you enjoy this blog and get what you can use out of it. Some people enjoy seeing a new recipe, or being reminded of an old one, some enjoy the time saving tips. But, whatever it is, I hope I am helping someone.

Jane