Recipes that use up the last bits.

I thought I would talk about using up things that are coming close to the yard waste
Bin.

one of our grandmothers tricks was to make banana bread from too ripe bananas . I use a recipe from the Bisquick cookbook that adds oatmeal and blueberries. It adds more texture and the errors add an extra pop of flavor.



Stradas use bread that is becoming stale. Stale bread also makes breadcrumbs, croutons, and dressing cubes. Note: I fry sausage when I get home from the store. Drain and defatted it and put it into 1/2 pound zip lock bags and freeze.

Sausage Pepper Strada

1 package of bulk sausage
1/2 small onion, chopped.
1/2 green or red pepper, chopped
4 cups bread cubes.( 6 slices)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt, pepper
1cup grated cheese

Sauté onion and pepper until limp. Add to sausage mixture.
Spread bread in a 9x13 pan. . Spread sausage mixture over bread.
Mix eggs, milk and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Pour eggs over the bread and sausage in the pan.

Poke with fork to moisten all the bread.
Cover pan and refrigerate at least hour, or overnight.

Bake at 375 uncovered for 55 minutes. If top is browning too quickly, cover with foil.

Dish will be brown and puffy and the eggs will be cooked.

Can be guarnished with salsa or a fine stream of maple syrup.


Twice Baked Potatoes

4 Potatoes, already baked

3 T butter

1/3cup sour cream

Salt pepper

1cup shredded cheese

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the potatoes, saving the potatoes and
Leaving 1/4 inch shell.

Add melted butter, sour cream and salt and pepper to the potato mixture.
Mash the potatoes.

On a baking sheet, place the shells and fill them with the potato mixture. Top each with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 min until heated through.



Thanks for stopping by

Jane

August 1st: This weeks grocery ads

This weeks grocery ads

QFC
Blueberries 4.99 - 2#
Peaches .98
corn 3/1.00
Pesto Pea Salad 4.99 lb: Compare to this weeks Pesto Salad recipe
Hebrew National Franks 2/ 6.00

TOP

Green Peppers .59
Spinach 1.00

SAFEWAYS

Country Ribs 1.99
Milk 2.49
Sub Sandwich FRI 5.00
Cookies FRI 5.00

Albertsons

Albertsons

grapes .99
cherries 1.99
milk 2.29
Bumble bee .78 Coupon


Not much out there, folks. I sense an alternative grocery store trip coming on LOL

What to do with pesto.

Pesto is an paste that can be used to flavor. Consisting of greens, hard cheese and nuts, it is fairly good for you.

One of the best summertime ways to beat the heat in the kitchen is to make several salads on the weekend and add a different entre for a few days. BBQ chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, sloppy joes, pork chops or a BBQ pork or beef sandwich. you are only limited by your imagination.


Pesto Salad

8 ounces of pasta. Like penne, or Bow ties., cooked and rapidly cooled.
1 stLk of celery, chopped.
1 cup tomatoes ( cherry, grape , or chopped and seeded tomatoes)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, ron ed in cold water to thaw.
1/4 cup pesto
Dash of garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Toss all ingredients together. Cover and chill.

NOTE

You can make an entre of this by leaving the pasta hot ( maybe spaghetti) and add cooked, diced chicken, and blanched veggies of choice. (tomato, asparagus, jullianed snow peas and or carrots, brocolli.) top with shaved parm.


Pesto Pizza.

Use stirred pestonas a base on pizza instead of tomato sauce. Layer. : crust,pesto, ham cubes ( or cooked chicken) motzzarella cheese, thin sliced seeded tomatoes, grated parm.

NOTE. Roma tomatoes are best because they are often less expensive and have more flesh and less seeds.

Pesto Mayo

Stir a teaspoon of pesto into a quarter cup of mayo. Use on chicken salad sandwiches.
Or whatever sounds good to you.

Pesto chicken pasta variation: use tomatoes, black olives, and cooked chicken.


You can use this pesto in any recipe that calls for basil pesto.

Next time: batch cooking.


Thanks for stopping by


Jane

Odds and ends of quick thrifty recipes

One of the quickest ways to jack up the food budget is to buy ready made anything. In most cases,cooking from sctatch is a lot cheaper than ready made. In some cases, the labor involved justifies the expense. But most of the time when you figure the difference in price and the labor involved, you are being paid well for your labor.
This is a concept that some people cannot grasp. If the money is not in their hand, they don't think they are being paid. Lol.

If making your own salad dressing takes you an extra 10 minutes, and the salad dressing
Costs 1.00 and the bottle of dressing cost 3.50, you are saving 2.50.
2.50 times 6 (there are six units of 10 minutes in an hour) is 12.50 or you are being compensated 12.50 per hour for your time.

Now if you make tortillas from scratch, the amount earned hour is not enough to make it worth your while.


Raspberry Vinegrette

3 T seedless all fruit raspberry jam
1/3 cup vinegar
Dash of salt and pepper
1cup of vegetable oil

Whirl in blender until blended.
Put in jar or plastic with lid .
Shake before using.

This Is good on field greens with fruit :oranges, blueberries, strawberries or any combination.

Greens are in box at Costco. If heads of leafy lettuce are less than 1.35 a head, they are cheaper.

Vinegar is 3.00 and change at Costco. If you steep washed organic nasturtium flowers ,in vinegar. It makes a peppery vinegar good in salad dressings and on cucumbers. Put a couple of flowers on a quart of vinegar on a stainless steel or enamel pot. Bring almost to a boil, turn off the heat, and let steep for a 1/2 hour or so. Strain into a bottle.


Spinach Pesto

1/2 cup walnut pieces
2cloves garlic
1/2 bunch of parsley
3 cups packed spinach leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup shredded parm
Dash of salt.


Zap walnuts in microwave for two to four minutes, stiring 1/2 the way through.

Peel the garlic and drop in food processor and whirl, add washed parsley , a little at a time. Washed spinach is next. Process in batches. Add olive oil in a stream, then the lemon juice. Add the parm and process the walnuts.

Lasts 3-4 days. You can freeze it in plastic lined muffin cups 1/4 of a cup each.
Put in freezer for two days and then pop into plastic bag. Lasts 2 months. Label the bag.

Next time, what to do with it.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Martha Stewart show and twenty dollar budget dinner.

Ok.  I am not really one for negativity, but Martha Stewart Show was on cooking on a "BUDGET".
What kind of a budget is twenty dollars a dinner?  That's four dinners, not one.  Of course, they were buying their food at Whole Paycheck Foodstore.  Now I know where the 15 dollar a pound chickens are from > LOL.  Honestly, the dinners weren't that great.  They did have desert with them, something that I usually don't plan.  I usually get one $5.00 Friday cake or whatever Safeways has and fruit.

They also bought panko bread crumbs foe 2.39 a box.  Honestly, 2.39 for about a ten ounce box of someone else's dry stale bread.  I can get that at home for almost free.  Chicken is a dollar or less a pound for northwest grown, natural, grain fed chickens.  What more,  really, can you ask for?  So I usually roast the whole chicken...a ten minute  prep job and the rest of the time is in the oven so I can go do something else.  After it is cooked, it is easier to cut up the pieces and then make BBQ chicken with the legs and thighs and something else out of the breast.  A chicken breast dinner and some leftovers for a cassarole , pizza, or pot pie. 

Salad greens are always less than a dollar a salad.  Even for the dark leafy greens.  The darker the green the more food value is in them.  I usually make salads really simple.  One of the best ways to save on salad fixings is to make your own croutons and salad dressing.  It is really fast., and saves a ton of money.  Again, croutons are buying someone else's dry bread for an exorbitant price. 
So, does it make sense to throw away your stale bread and pay big money for someone else's.  Just get the bread out of the plastic wrapper before it starts to mold.  I put mine in the oven with the oven off and let them dry.  

Recipe for Croutons.  ( can also be adapted for dressing mix., another money grabber.) 

12 Bread slices ( makes 4 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil or 4T butter melted. 
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dry basil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Trim the crusts from bread.  (save them for breadcrumbs)  Cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes and place in single layer on baking sheet with sides.  Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. 

Remove from oven.  Drizzle olive oil over crumbs and sprinkle with herbs.  Stir.  Continue baking the cubes for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so.  Allow croutons to cool to room temperature.  Store in air tight container at room temperature for up to three weeks. 

Cheap Almost Caesar Dressing. 

1 lemon
2T vinegar
2 T Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup oilve oil. 

Into 2 cup or larger bowl. 
1. Juice the lemon. 
2. Add vinegar, mustard and pepper. 
3.  Peel the garlic and mince.
4. wisk together. 

Drizzle the oil into the bowl in a thin stream, wisking as you go until the oil is incorporated into the dressing.  

Lasts three days. 


Thanks for stopping by..

Jane

It Figures !

Here I go with figures again.  Bet you can't guess that I was an accountant in my former life!  2003 United State Department of Agriculture stats on a family of four for food shopping is 107.70.  That's almost ten years ago and that was for a "Thrifty Meal Plan". We are talking less than 75 dollars a week.  We have opted for meatless meals a couple of nights a week, and smaller portions of meat.
Times have changed and the 8 ounce steak is really a thing of the past. 

Thrifty shopping and scratch cooking is the key.  I opted to spend more time shopping wisely, and less time in the kitchen.  You can still cook from scratch and not slave over a hot stove for hours. 
If that's your hobby and you enjoy it, go for it.  But, I can "make" more money shopping than I can
cooking. 

Staples are purchased at rock bottom prices, but  I don't count them in when I price meals.  I do count them in when I post my grocery receipts.  I do not count in coffee or snack foods. I don't usually buy any exotic foods .  I try to keep servings to the amount we are going to eat, unless I can use the leftovers for lunch the next day. 

We have set dollar amounts....2.25 per pound for meat...(average) and 1.00 per pound for veggies.  This is getting harder and harder.  Sausage has just jumped from 6.13 for three pounds to 6.89.  I suspect with the drought, it won't be the only thing that jumps up in price.  The realitive word here is ADJUST. 

Make meals that your family will eat.  It doesn't save any money if your family doesn't eat it. 
That doesn't mean that you have to cook pizza every night.  If you have a picky eater, they will just have to get over it.  We were not allowed to be a picky eater when we were growing up.  Dinner was on the table.  Take it or leave it.  There was always breakfast in the morning.  Consequently, we ate liver (it was good for us in the 50's LOL) and anything else that came our way. 

Lets Talk Main Dishes. 

Enchiladas

1 cup Taco Meat ( Ground beef with taco seasoning) 
4 large flour tortillas
1 can refried beans
1/2 cup cooked rice
Salsa
Sour cream , divided
2T mayonaise
1 cup mexican shredded cheese , divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray.
Warm taco meat in microwave .  Assemble enchiladas . Place 1/4 of the filling in the center of each tortilla.  Continue with the refried beans , rice, sour cream, and l/2 cup of the cheese.   Fold the ends in and roll the tortilla to form a "package".  Plase seam side down in pan. 

Mix salsa, sour cream, and mayo and spread over enchiladas .  Cover pan with foil and bake 25 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake an additional 3-5 minutes until cheese has melted. 

By planning meals, making best use of food in season, and shopping wisely you can eat well on less money. 

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

5 Reasons why you want to buy your food at 1/2 price

1) There is a smug satisfaction in knowing that you beat the stats. it gives you a sense of enpowernment.

2) you actually can have money left over at the end of the month.

3). You have a sense of security knowing that if something happens,you have food In the house -- anything from getting sick and not feeling well enough to go to the store, to not getting your paycheck, or weather not permitting the grocery stores to get deliveries or any of the million things that could go wrong.

4) you know you have made the best use of your grocery money and have been able free up some money for something else you want or need.

5) you are teaching your kids life skills that will carry with them the rest of their lives. A millionaire boss of mine one time asked me why my children worked when they were in high school. I told her that we weren't rich enough to give them everything, so the best I could do was teach them how to work and how to make the best use of what they did have.

My mother always said that we all pay our dues, sooner or later. No one gets through life without their share of rocky roads. 1-2 price foods can smooth over a rocky road, or just make your life better. You can cook faster, or more efficiently, or just enjoy trying a new recipe.

I just wish that I could figure out how to reach more people.

Thanks for stopping by

I'll post more recipes later.

Jane

Now that you have 1/2 price food, what do you do with it?

Yesterdays food jaunt saved 1/2. Now, what to do with it.

I took a mental inventory of my fridge and am going to make a weeks meal plans.

1) sausage, corn on the cob, red potatoes, blueberry cobbler for desert.( I fried some of last weeks sausage, microwaved corn om the cob, added potatoes cut in 1-2 to the sausage and cooked them, then added corn, broken into thirds. Sprinkled with parsley.

Corn .67, sausage 1.67, potatoes .30. Blueberries 4.00. 6.64

2) clam chowder, crusty bread. Berry cup. ( blues from this week and others from last)

Use 2 cans of minced clams, potatoes , I slice bacon and milk. The clams were 1 buck a can, the potatoes were ten pounds for 2.00,, the milk was 2.19 a gallon the berries were 11.99 less 20 percent for a 1/2 flat. The bread was from the bread store last week. Frozen. 4.22

3) baked salmon, rice, frozen mixed veggies. Coleslaw. Coleslaw was .79, salmon was 5 bucks, frozen veggies were 1.00 for 12 ounces. Rice was bulk in the pantry.  6.79

4) chicken, green salad, potato salad, coleslaw.  3.79

5) baked breakfast burritos. Taco sauce, sour cream

8 mushrooms, sliced, green onions, green pepper, garlic. Sauté veggies until limp in a T olive oil. Set aside and keep warm. Beat 8 eggs and 1/4 cup sour cream in a bowl. Stir on 1/4 cup Mexican cheese and 3 T taco sauce. Put on a frying pan and cook until eggs are set. Add veggies. Spoon mixture down the center of 4 large flour tortillas. Place seam side down in baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes until cheese has melted.

Low cost: substitute any veggies that sound Tex Mex to you. Any peppers, corn, ?
Eggs were 1.00 a dozen, large red pepper was .79 . I have dried hot peppers. Corn from the three for a dollar. I keep flour tortillas in the fridge from Costco. Serve with Baked bananas for desert.  2.55

6) Spaghetti with red sauce, parm cheese, garden vegetable salad ( last weeks
Crusty bread.

Garden vegetable salad
2/3 cup zucchini , sliced
2/3 cup sliced, blanched mushrooms
1/2 a large tomato, cut into pieces
Green pepper, celery, onion
Toss in bowl.
Dressing
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 T vinegar
1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 EACH tsp of salt, pepper, garlic powder
Mix and pour over veggies. Let set while you make the main dish.

Pasta was .88 , sauce is .78. Zucchini was a 1 a pound if your neighbor doesn't have a ton of it lol
3.66

7) Zesty Steak Salad, fluffy muffins

1 pound steak, sliced thin into strips. 
1/3 cup W sauce
1 medium onion , julienned or1/2 a  red onion in rings
1/2 a lartge  green pepper, julienned
1T butter
shredded lettuce
tomato,
salsa if desired. 

Marinate meat in w sauce.  Saute onion, green pepper, in butter.  add sliced meat stir fry until done. 
Toss with lettuce and add tomato.  5.50

This averages 4.74 a meal.  It does not include, oil, vinegar, or spices.  Vinegar is three dollars plus change  a gallon at costco.  Spices I either get a the dollar store, or at Costco in bulk.  Store them in a dark, dry place away from the stove or oven.    Sour cream is at Costco in bulk for really cheap. Taco sauce is really cheap at the dollar store. 

Thanks for stopping by
Jane

Specials I just found 7/25

Just for you at Safeways.com has a lot of specials worth talking about.

Eggs are a buck.
Barilla pasta is .88 limit 10
.50 off two Safeway frozen veggies (I have not checked the reg price yet, but there is a reg coupon for them too. I don5 know if you can double dip, I suspect not.)
Milk 2.19
1.00 off best foods
2.50 off farmers garden pickles ( I'm going to check them out too)
salad is .79

Also, BARTELLS has minced clams for a buck and my husbands roast beef hash for two bucks...yuk...he eats that when I go out with the girls LOL

Thanks for checking in

Jane

Cookimg for two

I think it is really hard after you have been cooking for a family to get used to cooking for two. Although it hasn't happened to me much, our family just seems to be growing imstead of shrinking. lol.

These recipes are for two, but can be doubled if you have four.

Cranberry Chicken

In plastic bag, combine

1/2 cup cranberry juice
1T soy sauce
2garlic cloves

Add two 1/2chicken breasts and torn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours.

Put chicken in pan and bake uncovered at 350 for an hour, or until chicken is done.

Serve with rice. ( add craisens and nuts to the rice )

Cream of broccoli soup ( a good way to get veggies I to a non vegetarian!)


2 cups chopped broccoli, 2 cups chicken stock.

Steam broccoli until a bit past the crisp tender stage, add to chicken stock.Cool slightly - 10 min. Process in food processor until creamy.

Add broccoli mixture back to pan and add 1-2 cup milk. Heat over low heat until hot.

Garnish with a teaspoon of sour cream and parsley or chives.


Biscuit Muffins

1 cup self rising flour ..**
2T mayo
1/2 cup milk.

Put flour in a bowl. Cut in mayo. Add milk and stir just until moist.
Pour in four greased muffin cups and bake at 425 for 14 to 16 minutes.

** self rising flour is expensive. Substitute 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt and 1 cup flour.

Apple crisp for two

2 large tart apples, peeled and sliced.
1T lemon juice

2T brown sugar
2T oatmeal
2T butter, melted
Dash of cinnamon.


Place apple in small baking pan. Add lemon juice.

Combine dry ingredients and butter. Sprinkle over apples.
Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 u til apples are tender.


Notes...

Lemon juice is far less expensive in a bottle, than it is to squeeze your own.

You can double up on recipes in the oven. My mother used to always cook meatloaf, baked potatoes and acorn squash together in the oven. Wrap the potatoes in foil and cut acorn squash in half and put butter, brown sugar in the cavity and sprinkle with cinnamon. We didn't even care that we were eating squash. LOL

If you don't have an ingredient, consider a replacement before you run to the store for it. Apple juice could be substituted for the cranberry juice in the chicken recipe.

I might add some parm to the muffins.


Thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment and tell me what you WA t to see on the blog. I know if you aren t in the pacific Northwest our grocery ads aren't of
Interest to you.

Jane





our grocery adds aren't of interest to you.

The future..without a crystal ball

I read an article last night on the drought. According to this article the Feds say that beef prices have taken a hike...duh. Like we hasn't already figured that out ,
Some 6.9 percent. Chicken took a 4.2 percent hike.

Their stats say that prices of food went down in 2009 and went up overall 2.7 percent from June 2010 -2011. I don't know about their overall stats. I do know that the price comparisons I have done between 2009 and 2011 are up 13 percent. In 2009 I could get hamburger for 3/5.00 at QFC. Now the price is 2.29 on sale for 80 percent. Corn used to be 6/1 in season. Now we are lucky to get it for 3/1.00. I started out in the 70's allowing .39 cents a pound for fresh veggies, if they were over that, I bought something else, then it was .69. One it's a dollar and sometimes I have to break my rule to get apples. The one thing that should be cheap in Washington.

Because of the worst drought in 25 years, we will probably see anything connected to soy and corn take a hike. I am not going to panic and start horsing at this time.
My normal stock will take care of us for a while.

The government might subsidize like they have in the past. If not, we homemakers have got a real knack for adjusting. If you look in old cookbooks written during 2
WW 2, there are all kinds of recipes for the things that were in short supply. That s how red velvet cake came I to being. Someone wanted to make a cake that resembled chocolate cake without using chocolate!

Exactly what foods will be impacted by the drought, I really don't know. But, I will worry about it when it happens. In the 70's we used tvp to stretch hamburger. Yuk.it wasn't very good.

This article reminded me of what I already have been saying, but in different terms. The grocery stores put items on sale as loss leaders . They do thisbto get you to shop at their store. They are assuming that you are going to shop at one store a week and spend money on high priced items too.

When you only buy the specials, and shop two stores you beat the system. There are still going to be some things that you have to have, but if you avoid the high priced things, you will win out.

Stocking when something is really cheap helps us get through times when it's not cheap and will help your food budget.

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment or e mail and let me know what you want to see on this blog.

Jane










e

Getting started on a dime

First, I thought I might talk about how you start acumulating a stock when you haven't many resources.  I managed to do it on a dime years ago. Just start by omiting the junk food (popcorn is an inexpensive substitute) and not buying anything that is premade or  a high price. Invest what is left over from your grocery money into something that is low priced.  If there is nothing that particular week, save the money for when it is.  The old envelope trick.  Slowly one can at a time, you will accumulate a stock. 

If you are on SNAP, just buy what you need from sale items and add what you have to have.  You
don't need pudding cups, fruit cup, potato chips  and hanburger helper. LOL.  It might me a culture shock for the kids, but they will get over it and learn to eat healthy foods.  There are a lot of kids shows that talk about healthy food and you will be doing your kids a favor.  Lessons learned now will follow them the rest of their lives.   You will be surprised how much you can save for a stock.  It is really comforting not to worry about where your next meal is coming from; that stock gives you a sense of security.  Grocery stores want you to buy the junk food, they have the highest markup. 

My dad had a job where your worked when there was work.  My mother was a stay at home mother and we never knew she was economizing. We always had good quality food.  We never had snack food or ready made food.  We thought everyone ate like that.  We all learned to buy groceries by her example. 

Off the soapbox. 

Meals from Grocery ads

Eggs are 1.29 a dozen at QFC. 
Chicken is .89 Northwest grown. 
corn is 3/1.00.( 1/2 an ear is a serving) pick large ones.
lettuce is a dollar. 

Safeways:
Lettuce 16 ounces for .99-salad
blueberries 2.99
Ground Beef 2.29 pound

Ok
1)  Quiche. leaf lettuce salad with blueberries and balsamic vinegrette. (Bisquick Box )
      ssusage from costco )
2)  BBQ'd chicken thights and legs, corn on cob, salad
3) Chicken Breast, Mashed Potatoes, Brocolli ( last week's 1.00 a pound)
4) Pizza - with last weeks motz. cheese, chicken and red peppers. 
5) Cheeseburger macaroni, green beans, (last week)
6) Taco Soup
7)  shrimp stir fry with yellow summer squash, red peppers, celery and carrot.  , rice

When it is a slow week at the grocery store bargain parade, rely on  previous weeks bargains to supplement.  If you store your veggies properly, they will last two weeks.  --except maybe lettuce. 


thanks for stopping by


jane

What's on sale where !

Surveying the ads for this week.

TOP

Country style ribs. 1.97
Blueberries 3.00
Yellow squash / zucchini 1.00
Black olives 1.00 ( I have not done the comparison between sliced and whole olives. I suspect that the slices are cheaper, because of less air and juice in the can.)

QFC

Hamburger helper 1. ( it's still too expensive )
Buns 1.00
Frozen veggies 1.
Chicken .89
Blueberries 3.00
Lettuce 1.00
Corn 3/1.00

SAFEWAYS &&5.00 off 20.00 purchase.

Milk .99 1/2 gallon
Pasta 12-16 ounces .88 ( get the 16 ounces)
eggs 18/ 1.99 coupon

Jfu
Best foods 1.99



Spinach and salad .99
2.79 lean ground sirloin
Grapes 1.49
Tomato 1.29
blueberries 3.00

ALBERTSONS

Chicken .79

Not a lot out there
Remember to cross off everything that is cheaper somewhere else. Mark coupons, sign up for jfu. And bring the ads and coupons.

I suspect there is going to be big sales in the next few weeks. Canned tomatoes are still a buck.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

The proof is in the pictures

My daughter and I decided to do an experiment. She volunteered to make the cheeseburger Mac from the box and I made cheeseburger Mac from scratch. We both took 27 minutes. We both used already cooked meat.

My recipe cost 1.75 excluding the meat. It made 9- one cup servings for a cost per 5 servings of .97. It contained vegetables, tomatoes, tomato paste, macaroni, and a cup of real cheese and spices. I added a salad and a piece of crusty bread for a total cost of 2.47 plus the cost of the meat.  ( 4.72 for the meal)


Her box cost 2.33 excluding the meat. It made 5 servings for a cost of 2.33. It contained macaroni, 2cups of milk, and 1.57 ounces of a sauce mix that contained cornstarch,salt, flour,sugar, Cheese whey, lactic acid,salt. Tomato, msg,flavor, citric acid, hydrogenated soy oil, modified corn starch, paprika, spice, colors, ,monoglycerides, cheddar cheese (milk,cheese cultures, salt enzymes)
cheese, buttermilk, cheese , milk, cheese cultures, salt,silicon dioxide, sodium phosphate and modified cheddar cheese. They have to list the ingredients in the order of volume. The first ingredient on the list is cornstarch, the last ones are cheese cultures, salt and enzymes and words I cannot pronounce. 1.57 ounces is translated to two tablespoons. 

The top dish is the box mix.; the bottom is the scratch recipe. 

You be the judge. 

Muffins..the quick breakfast food

I thought that I would talk about muffins. Buying muffins could get really expensive. At THE COFFEE shop, they are really pricey, and even at Costco, they are not cheap, and full of calories. Muffins are really easy to make. If you are short on time you can put the same batter in a loaf pan and save on cleanup . There are silicone liners that save on paper cup liners;and as a added bonus, you can sneak veggies into an picky eater. Lol

Taste of Home's ultimate freezer cookbook has two recipes for muffims that are really either inexpensive or full of good ingredients. Monkey muffins ( what a fun name for kids) have ripe bananas and peanut butter and morning muffins have carrots.coffee nit muffins could be adapted to be really cheap too without loosing flavor. (Costco has it on their magazine rack for 30 per cent off)

You can vary any basic muffin recipe or Bisquick base by adding ingredients. Change orange juice for coffee or another juice that sounds good to you. Add or subtract nuts. Replace blueberries with chopped apple.

Cheddar muffins

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1cup buttermilk or substitute
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1T honey or substitute
4oz shredded cheddar cheese or substitute other cheese.

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. To avoid tough muffins, don't over mix. The dough can be lumpy, but there should be no dry spots.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Top of muffin will spring back when touched.

Raspberry muffins

2 cups bisquit mix
2 T sugar
1/4 cup butter, cold
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup raspberry jam ( you could substitute any other jam too. )

Confectioners sugar glaze if desired.

Combine bisquit mis and sugar. Cut in butter. Add milk and stir until combined. Spoon about a tablespoon into each muffin cup. Top with a tsp jam. Spoon another tablespoon of batter over jam. Bake at 425 degrees 12-14 minutes. Glaze if desired.

Rhubarb oatmeal muffins

1cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2cup brown sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup of orange juice
1tsp orange peel
1cup diced rhubarb. ( you can use frozen)

TOPPING
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup brn sugar
2T chopped nuts
2T butter
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients until mixed without dry spots. Don't over mix. Put batter in muffin
Cups 2/3 full. Combine topping ingredients, sprinkle on top of batter in the cups.
Bake at 350 18-20 minutes until done.

Any muffin basic dough can have a variety of ingredients added. Nuts, dried fruit( cranberries, raisins, cherries etc).

Muffins can be frozen and quickly thawed. Or keep in a plastic container for a few days.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

the substitute for buttermilk is 1 T vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to equal one cup. 
Let stand 5 minutes before using. 

The substitute for honey is (for 1 cup) use  1 1/4 cups granulated sugar with 1 cup of any liquid called for in the recipe.  If recipe calls for a tablespoon, use I tablespoon of product.  1Tablespoon honey equals 1 1/4 tablespoon sugar with 1T Milk. 

Italian dishes..on the cheap

Italian food and Tex Mex are foods that have always been kind to the Budget.
We all remember the spaghetti dinners for a croud. Church dinners or family ones. Italian has come into it's own with a lot more sophisticated dishes that are still budget pleasers. Often times,dishes that maybe a little pricy can be adapted to be within your guidelines for a budget meal and still not Change the flavor of the dish.

Pasta Carbonara

2.5 cups penne

4 bacon strips, diced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/2cup sour cream, 1/4 cup 2%milk
1/3 cup butter
Parsley
Garlic
Hot pepper sauce
Salt
Parm
Green onions

Cook pasta until done. in skillet, cook bacon remove from pan.Drain the pan, reserving some fat. Cook mushrooms and remove from pan. Add sour cream, milk, butter, parsley, garlic, hot pepper sauce and salt.
Stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in bacon, mushrooms ,and cheese.
Toss pasta in sauce. Top with grated parm and parsley.

Note: you can use low fat sour cream and less butter. there are 13 grams per serving without the butter , using regular sour cream and bacon. You could use low fat sour cream, turkey bacon and omit the butter or use a substitute. It just wouldn't be as rich.


Balsamic chicken breasts


1/4 cup flour
Salt, pepper
4 chicken breast halves - 4 ounces EA ( chicken breasts sometimes are 1 a pound at Safeways. It's not hard to debone them. Run your sharp knife right next to the bone, pulling the meat away from the bone as you go. )

1T oil
1 small onion, sliced (rings)
1/4 cup water
2T balsamic vinegar (dollar store)

1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/8 tsp dried rosemary.

In large plastic bag, place flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken breast.
Place on rack to rest.

In large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken on both sides until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

in the pan, cook onion until soft. Add water and deglaze he pan.
Add vinegar, and spices. Simmer a couple of minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Pour over chicken.


Italian sausage and vegetables. ( good for garden season)

1 pound sausage. ( tubular like johnsville etc )
1can diced tomatoes, undrained.
6 medium red potatoes, cut in half
4 small zucchini, cut into one inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into wedges
Garlic powder
Crushed red pepper flakes
Oregano
Basil
1T dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Place already cooked sausage In Slow cooker. Add veggies and seasonings. Cover and cook on low 6 hours or until veggies are done. Remove sausage and cut into 1 inch pieces. Return to slow cooker and add bread crumbs. Stir. Serve on bowls with grated cheese.

Note: sausage was 42 ounces for 5 bucks at Safeways bucks this week- Friday only special. Safeways always has five dollar specials on Fridays. Usually a bakery treat, and some kind of a dinner item.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Disecting Cheeseburger macaroni mix

In order to expose the true value of cooking from scratch and the actual cost of dinner mixes, I bought a box of  a cheeseburger dinner mix.

The actual cost of the box was 2.09. That works out to 5.77 cents a pound for the whole box.

The amount of macaroni in it is 4.23 ounces, about .21 cents

When you subrtract the amount of the macaroni, that leaves you 1.57 OZ for the sauce. That means, that you are paying 1.88 for 1.57 ounces of cornstarch, salt, and spices, dry milk and cheese powder. The ingredients have to be listed in order of volume. Cheese is the last on the list. There is more cornstarch than cheese powder and the total of all of it is 1.57 OUNCES.

That's about 13.28 a pound for cornstarch, tomato powder, salt, parsley, paprika and cheese powder.

You still have to add the hamburger. And milk.

Scratch hamburger macaroni is cheaper, more nutritious and doesn't take much more time.
You open two packages instead of one to make the same version.



My Cheeseburger Macaroni

Cook 1/2 lb macaroni until done.

Sauté 1 celery stick, finely chopped and 1 slice red pepper, chopped in 1T olive oil until soft, add tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder.

Add 3/4 pound hamburger and cook until no longer pink (or use already cooked hamburger.

Add 1 can of diced tomatoes,drained and 1/2 can tomato paste.


You can add the tomato "juice "to the pasta water if you don't want to waste it.
Simmer 15 min until flavours blend.

Add cooked macaroni and pasta water if needed to make it the right consistency.
Add 1 cup (2 oz) of grated cheese and cover. Cook on low heat until cheese is melted

1.75 for other ingredients plus hamburger and you have more nutritious food.
You are getting a whole cup of tomatoes,plus the tomato paste instead of less than a tsp of dried tomato and a cup of real cheese.

Serves six.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

And you buy your groceries...WHERE?

You would be surprised how many stores carry food . Some are cheaper and some have a limited amount. The Dollar Tree stores have a couple of isles of food. Some of it is off brands and I usually steer clear of off brands. Some of the items are more money than what you can get them on sale for at the regular supermarket.

My daughter goes there for school supplies. She picked up a box of " Larry the cable guy"'s beer bread for a joke for her father. I fixed it , not wanting to waste money. It is actually good. It is kind of like cornbread, but with a finer texture and different taste. I understand from someone, that the cornbread is not as good. 

Salami and pepperoni is a dollar a package instead of the 3.50 a package that it is in the store. It's a name brand and has a far out pull date. I always check pull dates on food.

As a side note, I always get facial tissue and other cleaning products and paper products there because they are cheaper. What I don't get there I get in bulk at Costco. Almost always, soap etc is more expensive at the grocery store than getting it at the dollar store or at one of the department stores ( like k mart or wall mart.) I don't count these items in my grocery budget, and try to keep them to a minimum.

BARTTELS sometimes has good buys on a select group of food items.

Basically I am saying keep your eye open everywhere you go and don't pass up a bargain just because it is in an unusual place. Stick to name brands that you have tried before.

I would draw the line at the side of the road! Lol.


Someone asked me why I do this blog. I don't get any money for doing this blog.

I learned how to shop from my mother. During the Nixon era, when we had double digit inflation, I was a single mother, we had double-digit inflation, I didn't get a raise in three years , and seldom got child support. Something had to give with my budget and since I had the cheapest car I could find and had already turned off the heat in some rooms, there wasn't much else I could economize on. Unfortunately, a lot of middle class people were in the same boat. I read everything I could get my hands on about saving money on groceries. After the crisis was over , it was a habit and became a game that freed up some resources for other things.

To make a long story short, I am doing this in the hopes that I can help just one person that is in the dire straights that I was in to get through a hard time. 

The single mom that doesn't want to take a second job to make ends meet and would rather be doing something with her kids.

The senior that has little left after paying medications reaching the donut hole.

The family that is trying to save for a condo.

The family that can't quite afford the orthodontic bill or college Fund for their kids.

The family whos breadwinner is laid off.

I am sure there are more situations, but you get the point.


Whether it is a game, you enjoy the recipes or the time savings, or you really need it, I hope that you enjoy the blog.

Thanks for stopping by.

Jane

Meals from this weeks grocery ads.

First a little heads up. My Safeways " Just for You " just arrived in my e mail box. Cheese is 3.91 for 2 pounds. If I am getting a lot in the drawer, I try to get a white cheese if it is available.


Meals 2 chicken or pork, two beef, 2 vegetarian, 1fish . If I use this as a guideline, it is easier to think of what to cook.

1) Mac and cheese, broccoli.
2) Quiche with ham and cheese, mixed green AMD blueberry salad
3) chicken legs and thighs, corn on cab, vegetable salad
4) Roast chicken, mashed potatoes , tomato and zucchini stir fry.
5) BBQ pork sandwiches (Pork loin sliced thin heated in BBQ sauce on hamburger buns.
6) Pasta Puttanesca, salad *
7) Meatball subs, roasted red potatoes, vegetable sticks**

My time is up, thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment so I know what you might want to see.

Jane


*Www.doctoroz.com/media/print/12153
** cut red or new potatoes in half or quarters to make them about the same size.
On a foil lined baking pan with sides, toss with olive oil and steak seasoning OR
Thyme. Roast at 400 degrees until done. About 15 minutes or more depending on
your oven and the size of the potatoes.

Wednesday: this weeks ads and Chocolate Decadence.

First:  This weeks ads

Albertsons
grapes 1.99
strawberrues 4 lbs/ 7.99
Blueberries 1.99
Chicken breasts .99
Corn 2/ 1.00

QFC
Blueberries 2# 4.99
Milk 1.00 1/2 gallon  ( 2.00)
Green beans .99
zuchinni  .99
Pork Shoulder Roast 1.49
corn 2/ .88

Safeways

Pork Loin 1.79
Strawberries 1.99
Plums .99
Raspberries 1/2 flat 11.99
$5.00 FRIDAY
32 oz grated cheese 5.
2# blues 5.00
cake 5.00

TOP

London Broil 3.00
corn 3/1.00 Coupon
Butter 1.88 Coupon
radish .50
grapes 1.98
Brocolli 1.00

remember to cross off anything that you dont like or need; and cross off anything that is less expensive somewhere else.  Get down to the two cheapest stores. 

I might have to go to three of them.  I want the milk, the veggies and the pork loin., 
This works for me because I have to go to QFC area for other things and it is on the way to Safeways.  Top is on the way home. 

Now for Chocolate Decadence.  This is not what I would call inexpensive desert.  It is a good one for a progressive dinner it cooks in the crock pot and is warm.  Just right for ice cream a top. 

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 8 oz carton sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup water
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 package (4 serving size INSTANT pudding and pie filling mix.

Coat 4.51 quart crock pot with cooking spray.  Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well.
Transfer to crock pot.  , Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or on High 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. 
Serve hot or warm with ice cream.  Makes 12 servings. 

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Please pass this blog to a friend.  Let me know if you want to hear about something else food shopping related.   Leave a comment or E mail.