Check this Out !

Yesterday, We were on our way to the bread outlet. I needed some French bread for a group. We were passimg the business Costco, so we went in to look. If I could get the bread there, it would save time and gas.


They had the bread for the same price as the bread store. They, however did not have regular bread for the same price, so it doesn't eliminate our once a month bread run.

But it brought to mind that not everyone knows that anyone can go to the business Costco and they have all kinds of things that the regular Costco doesn't.

I buy sugar free coffee syrup far cheaper than the grocery store. Cornmeal was half the price of the grocery store. They have a jus mix cheaper and more selection of spices.

Bulk beans are far cheaper and they have more variety. I would probably get with a few friends and split a bag--twenty pounds of beans is a LOT of beans. LOL

Good hamburger has always been cheaper in rolls.
Cornstarch and salt are really cheap in bulk they don't go bad and I haven't had to buy them for years.

Blue cheese was 17.00 and change for 5 pounds. It is 12.00 for two cups at TOP.
We, however didn't think that we could use 5 pounds of blue cheese crumbles.

Not everythimg is bigger portions, but a lot is.

They are not open the same hours as regular Costco, and not open on Sunday.

It's one of those places that I hit about twice a year and stock up on things like coffee syrup that I don't buy often.


It also works well if you have to feed a crowd for some reason. You can buy large packages and things that are semi prepared, and when you have the daunting task of cooking for twenty it is probably worth the little extra money. Do the math, if it is something that you use often for your family and find out if it can be used up fast enough and is it cheaper than buying it and prepping it yourself.

If you live near a Costco wholesale, it might be worth an exploration trip. The gas, by the way, was eleven cents a gallon cheaper the day we went.

Thanks for stopping by

Please share with a friend.

Jane

More crockpot..it's fall here

It's fall here..right on time!LOL

For some reason, fall is a time when our focus turns from BBQ and outdoors to home and
Hearth. Fall signals warm soup, and comfort foods. In the Pacific Northwest, ot gets colder and the rains come. We get busy with kids in school and our winter activities.
It is crock pot weather.

RED PASTA SAUCE

1 pound of ground beef
1/2 pound of ground chicken, turkey, pork, or sausage.
1 can diced tomatoes ( 14.5 oz)
1can tomato sauce ( or tomato paste and water to make 12/3 cups )
1/2 of a chopped onion
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1heaping T of Italian seasoning
1/2 cup wine
1/2 tsp garlic , minced.

Brown meats and defat.
Place all ingredients in the Slow cooker and cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours.

Notes

I usually have meat already cooked And defatted. It is easier to do batches of it When you get home from shopping or the next day. Label and freeze in meal sized portions.
Be sure to date them.

To defat any ground meat, fry the meat to 175 degrees ( no longer pink). Drain into colander in the sink or over a large bowl. Boil water on the stove, and place colander in the sink and pour boiling water over it. It is supposed to reduce the fat in hamburger by 17 percent and make it have less fat than a boneless, skinless chicken breast.

I generally cook meat in batches-- not at dinner time. I either refrigerate it if we are eating it in the next two days, or I label and freeze meal sized portions. This eliminates waste, and it gives you a head start on dinner. It is less stressful for me to either put something in the crockpot in the morning or have meat already cooked in the freezer. Cooked ground meat thaws quickly and gives you a head start on dinner and you are more likely to defat it if you aren't coming with growling mouths to feed! LOL

If you are in a hurry in the morning, get your veggies chopped the night before and put in the fridge. Dump everything in the crockpot and turn it on before you leave the house.

Using the crockpot when you entertain takes the stress out because you are not trying to do everything at the last minute.

I have a microwave pasta cooker. They are really cheap and they make for set it and forget it pasta. No watching the pot to boil, no stirring, and one pot, not a pot, a colander and a bowl.

Salad these days pretty much makes itself. They scientifically tested the question of to wash or not to wash salad from a bag. The washed salad had more germs than the unwashed salad.

I buy brown and serve baguettes from Costco or the bread outlet.

Remember, if you spend more time on the front end of the meal train, and less time on the back end of it, you are money ahead. You get "paid" handsomely for shopping wisely, no one pays you for cooking. As long as your family has good nutritious food you have succeeded and have dome it for half price!


Thanks for stopping by
Please share this blog, my object is to help people stretch their food dollar if they need or want to

Jane

Time to break out the crockpot

One of the best investments I have ever made in the kitchen is the crockpot. You can get them for as little as 25.00 and the smell of cooked dinner when you walk into the house after a long day makes it totally worth it.

The crockpot cookbook is another good investment. It is full of good recipes from main dishes to deserts.


VEGETARIAN BAKED BEANS

1lb dried navy beans
6 cups water
1small onion, chopped
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1tsp dry mustard
2 T dark molasses
1tsp salt

1) soak beans in water overnight in stockpot. Cook for 1.5 hours or until dome. ( or use canned beans that have been drained and rinsed. -- probably two cans

2) mix together all ingredients. Cook om low 10-12 hours


HERB STUFFING

1/2 cup butter
1large onion, chopped
3 celery ribs chopped
1 T poultry seasoning. ( parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme) -- sounds like a song LOL
Salt, pepper
1 loaf stale sourdough bread, Cut into 1 inch cubes.
1 1-2 -2 cups chicken broth ( ornusenvegetable broth)

1) sauté veggies in butter until soft. Take off the heat and add herbs.
( use fresh if you have them in your garden)

2) place bread cubes in bowl and add onion mixture. Moisten with broth.

3) place mixture in GREASED slow cooker. Cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook for 3-4 hours more.

Thanks for stopping by.

I am looking for a pulled pork recipe in the slow cooker.

Please share this blog.

Jane

Meal plans from the adds 9/20

Safeways has an electronic coupon that goes om your Safeways card. It is worth your time to set it up.

3 dollars off 15 dollars worth of produce.This works on the sale produce too that is an additional twenty percent.
Brownie mix .99
Coffee 6.99
Pasta .67 limit 3
Regular sale mashed potatoes are a buck

Meal plans from the adds

1) sirloin tips over rice, green salad
2) salmon , rice pilaf, green beans
3) Dagwood sandwich, veggie sticks
4) roast beef, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies, green salad
5) cheeseburgers, fries, veggie sticks
6) Mac and cheese, fruit salad
7) chicken thighs, ( see recipes last weeks posts)

These meals are based on what I got from WinCo, and Safeways and Top. Albertsoms also has a lot mostly what I have already stocked.

Sirloin tips are from steak at S for 2.99, make enough ric to make pilaf the next day.
Dagwood sandwiches a Friday special at . Use it soon or the breadn gets soggy.

The roast beef is from top. Roast off one, have roast beef for dinner and after it cools off, slice it thin in meal sized portions for a jus sandwiches and freeze in sealable bags. Grind the other for hamburgers.

I got chicken thighs ar WinCo. They are also a buck at Albertsoms.

There are a few plans that are over five bucks, but the mac and cheese and chicken thighs should bring the average down to five bucks .

Thanks for stopping by

Please share with a friend

Jane

This weeks adds

I purchased the Woman's Day magazine savings issue (ithas a pizza on the front).
I didn't see much that I didn't already know. They talked about pairing coupons with sales. The problemihavewith that is my bare bones budget does not cover a lot of ready made things or non essentials.

The other thing that they covered was economical meals that do double duty. I call that stair stepping --making double of a meat or ingredient to get a head start on a meal later in the week. This too takes planning.

Half priced food does take some work. After you get set up it should take you about the same rime or less time than before. Basically, you trade a dozen trips to the grocery store or a marathon of time at Costco and the stress of what's for dinner every night for One trip to two stores and an organized meal plan for the week. An hour of prep when you find time shortly after you shop, saves about four hours of time during the week.

Enough soapbox

Albertsons

Chicken thighs. .99
Apples .88
Grapes 1.99
Corn 2/1.00
Mayo 2.99

QFC
Raspberries 1.00
Strawberries 1.99
Pasta 1.00

TOP
Bottom round roast B1G1. Nets 2.75
Pork loin 1.69
Apples .99
Milk 1.99 coupon
Canned beans and tomatoes 15/10.00
Pasta and olives 10/10

Safeways
Chuck Steak, sirloin steak 2.99
Grapes 1.28
Grands biscuits 1.00 coupon
Eggs 1.49cupon
Chili 1.00

5 buck Fridays

Sub sandwich
Cookies

JFU
PASTA .67
brownie mix .99
2lbs tater tots 1.89

Thanks for stopping by

Please share

Jane

Winco trip and Costco

WE just got back from our once a month trip to Winco and Costco.

Costco had boxed tomato/roasted red pepper soup for 11.79.; brown and serve baggettes .89 each.


Winco

red peppers .78
diced ham 3.58
1.25 pounds salmon 6.98
Chicken thighs 1.18 a lb, skinless

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

I bought the womans day cut your grocery bill mag. ...tommorrow.

Recipes for ready made mixes

Through the years I have collected recipes for ready made mixes. There is also a book that was put out by HB books. I don't know if it is still in print or if you can get it at a used book store or garage sale.

Some things like BBQ sauce might be cheaper to buy if you find it on a good sale. I got BBQ sauce for 50 cents a couple of weeks ago at QFC.

Rice Seasoning Mix
6 T onion flakes
6 T parsley flakes
4.5 tsp garlic powder
.75 tsp EACH of cumin and pepper

For each cup of long grain rice, add 1/3 cup seasoning mix and cook according to directions on rice.

Basic BBQ Sauce

8 ounces of tomato sauce
1/4 cup EACH of ketchup, vinegar, water
2 T brown sugar
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T w sauce
Salt, pepper

Combine ingredients. Bring to boil, simmer for 15 minutes. Store in sterilized jar for up to 2 weeks.

Personally, it is more cost effective to get it on sale. Any price that is less than a buck is probably cheaper.

White Sauce Mix

1 1/3 cups dry milk
1cup flour
2tsp salt
1tsp pepper

Place 1.5 T and 1/2 cup of mix in saucepan.
Blend in 2cups water, or chicken broth.
Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Turn down heat and simmer
until thickened about 3-5 minutes. Makes 2 cups.


I have not tried this, but it is a low fat way to make a white sauce.

For cheese sauce: prepare white sauce and add 2tsp Dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, 1
Cup shredded cheese. Whisk until cheese melts.

Salsa

1clove garlic
1pound plum tomatoes, diced, but not peeled
1/2small onion
1/4 cup cilantro or parsley, minced
1T lime juice
Salt

For HOT version: add 1 clove garlic, 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce, and 1T chopped jalapeño peppers.

NOTE: The cost effectivness of this would depend on if you can get plum tomatoes cheap enough. They are often in bags at Grocery Outlet. Lime and lemon juice is cheaper if you buy it in the bottle.

Meat Sauce

2T olive oil
1large onion, chopped
2large cloves garlic
1poumd ground beef
2 - 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
2 T Italian seasoning
Pepper

in a Dutch oven, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add meat and cook until no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an hour.

let cool. Makes 2quarts, refrigerate three days, or freeZenup to 3 months.
NOTE: I would precook my ground beef and defat it. Then, as soon as your onions and garlic were soft, you could dump everything else in and let it go. This also sounds like a good recipe that you could dump in a crock pot as soon as the vegetables were cooked.

This is about the same cost as Hunts Pasta Sauce if you get it for .78 a can.

Thanks for stopping by
Please share this blog, you never know who you will be helping.

Jane

Fall is coming?

I decided that I would talk about two recipes that I foumd in my compilation if recipes
Personal book. Most of these are clipping from who knows where. Both recipes are good jumping off points. You can adjust them to suit your needs and what you have in your pantry and refrigerator or pantry.

Harvest pie

1 - 9 inch pie crust

FILLIMG

6 cups sliced fresh fruit , mixed. ( Use whatever sounds good to you. Apple, pear, cranberry,blueberry ? )

Dried raisins or cranberries, or blueberries or cherries.

Cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

TOPPIMG

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup nuts ( walnuts, pecans ). If you don't have nuts, use regular oatmeal -not imstant

1/4 cup EACH of cold butter and brown sugar.


PLACE PIE CRUST IN PIE TIN

TOSS FILLING INGREDIENTS TOGETHER IN A LARGE BOWL. FILL CRUST.

MIX TOPPING INGREDIENTS IN BOWL. TOP PIE.
BAKE IN 400 degree oven, loosely over with foil for 1 hour. uncover and bake 10 minutes more.


Note: I got pears and apples for .75 and .78 cents recently. Don't overlook pears that are not all the same size. Sometimes theybare a lot cheaper and when you cut them up for a pie or fruit cup, no one can tell the difference.

When I was single my mother had a neighbor that would let his apples fall to the
ground. With his permission, I would pick them up. After I got my child to bed, I would make applesauce.

CHEESE ENCHILADAS

8 WARMED CORN TORTILLAS- about 5-6 inches around

3 cups assorted cheese ( Mexican blend, cheddar, jack, pepper jack )use what you have.
A good way to use up your bits. 12ounces)

Mix together:
1/2 cup sour cream, salt, pepper, onion powder, chopped jalapeños to taste.

Mix sour cream mixture with cheeses.
Put filling down the center of the tortillas. Roll.
Put seam side down in baking pan. Top with sauce. Bakeat 350for about 25 minutes or until bubbly.

SAUCE
use salsa or make sauce from a can of diced tomatoes that you have drained off part of the liquid, chopped onion and taco seasoning. you can add hot peppers if you like.

Notes

You can add leftover chicken, pork, or beef shredded. Pickled jalapeños can be used in any recipe that calls for chilies. Drain them, chop them. If you want some of them pickle taste off,put them in a colander before chopping them and run water over them. Drain well and chop. This is the cheapest alternative to diced in a can I can find. I got a gallon of pickled peppers for 5 bucks at grocery outlet. We shared them with a friend.

If anyone out there is of Latino heritage and knows how their grandmother made them from scratch, please leave a comment.

Thanks for stopping by
Please share this blog
Jane

Easy chicken pot pie

I know that I am on a chicken kick. I have been trying to cook chicken so that it is tasty for years. My husbands main problem with chicken is that it is bland. The reality is that chicken os still one of the most inexpensive meats that you can buy now.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie ( Bisquick )

1 pkg frozen mixed veggies, ( I use peas and carrots)
1 cup cooked diced chicken
1can cream of mushroom soup

1cup Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1egg

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Mix veggies, chicken and soup in greased 2 quart casserole
Stir remaining ingredients together. spread on top of chicken mixture
bake 30 minutes or until dough is cooked.

CHICKEN FETTUCCINE

Sauté In olive oil
1/2 pound mushrooms
1/2 a red pepper, chopped
1/2cup onion, chopped
Garlic

Add
3cups COOKED CHICKEN, in cubes
Cook until chicken is heated through.

Keep warm

Meanwhile, cook fettuccine until done and drain ( 8 ounces)

Combine 1/2 cup of cream, 1/2cup butter In small saucepan. Heat on medium heat until butter is melted.

Add 1/2cup grated parm, 2T parsley, salt and pepper.

Toss chicken mixture and cream mixture with noodles.

Note. You could use reduced fat sour cream instead of cream and butter mixture. Or make a white sauce with a combo of olive oil and butter and milk and home made chicken broth.


Thanks for stopping by

Please share this blog.

Jane

A can of fish

Canned fish can sometimes be a lifesaver. An easy dinner that can be pulled from the pantry. Look for sales. Be mindful that canned meat and fish has a shorter shelf life than veggies.

Salmon Noodle Ring.

2 cups, cooked noodles

Make sauce from :
2T butter, melted
1T flour
1cup milk

Add 2cups flakes salmon.


1 cup breadcrumbs

Alternate noodles, salmon mixture, and breadcrumbs in a well greased ring mold.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Unmold salmon ring and fill the hole with cooked frozen peas and carrots.

I would bet you can substitute tuna for the salmon.


SALMON PATTIES

1- 1pound can of salmon
1 beaten egg
3 slces bread crumbled
1medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp W sauce
1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce
Salt, pepper
1cup shredded cheese

Drain and flake salmon
Add remaining ingredients. Shape into patties.
Brown on both sides in hot oil until warmed through.


Thanks for stopping by

Please share on Facebook.

Jane

Meals from the adds

I ran into some recipes from my original 1970 cookbook.

Cheesy Mac Chili

1poind ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
2cups tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup elbow macaroni
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1can kidney beans

Cheese

1) brown beef and onions
2) stir in remaining ingredients RXCEPT beans and cheese.
3) simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
4) stir in beans.
5) simmer until beans are warm.
Serve wit) cheese on top


Note you could get away with using 3/4 of a pound of ground beef. You could if your family will not squawk, use turkey instead.



MEALS



1) pork chops with stuffing, mixed lettuce salad
2) Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, waldorf salad
3) BBQ chicken legs and thighs , oven fries, coleslaw
4) chili Mac, beer bread
5) Tuna casserole with peas, cheese biscuits
6) ham and cheese quiche, mixed greens with blueberries and raspberry vinaigrette
7) Pizza, green salad


Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Ps. Beans are . 79 at QFC
Pizza is free at Safeways JFU

CHICKEN

It used to be that chicken wings were cheap. Not Any more since wings became a popular football snack. Now, the cheapest part of the chicken is the legs and thighs.

In the seventies, I made cannelloni with chicken backs and mushrooms. Backs were ten cents a pound and I was desperate. It was an arduous task that I will probably never do again. They,however tasted good.

2.5 pounds ( 8 total) of chicken thighs, legs, or a combination. Skin removed.

Mix
2T flour, salt and pepper. Coat chicken in flour.
With a small amount of oil in a Dutch oven, brown the chicken. Start with the meaty side down. Cook 5 minutes.
Leave in pan.

This is your base. Add the version of choice.

1) Thai. 14 ounces coconut milk, 1 1/2 tsp curry powder, quartered red potatoes, salt.
Add ingredients and simmer until potatoes are done. 15 minutes. Add about a bag of broccoli and cook an additional 12 minutes. Test chicken to see that it is done.


2) white wine. Add 1 cup wine, 1 cup water, potatoes, carrots, and Italian seasoning.
Cook until veggies are done and chicken is cooked.


3) Moroccan. Add 1 cup chopped onion, 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon and cumin. Cook a minute or so. Add 4 cups sliced zucchini and 1 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes, DRAINED and a cup and a half of chicken broth. Simmer 30 minutes. Add 10 ounces of couscous. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Notes. I might opt to make the cous cous or quinoa with the liquid from the tomatoes and water according to the directions on the cous cous or quinoa separately.

4) Tuscan. Add 1cup chicken broth, 2.5 cups carrot pieces, 1T garlic minced. 1tsp Italian herbs. Cover, simmer 15 minutes. Stir in 2 cans of a white bean. Cover, cook another 10 minutes until carrotts are tender.

5) arroz con pollo. Add 1-3/4 cup water, bring to a boil. Stir in 8 ounces of rice. Reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes. Add frozen green peas and cook an additional 5minutes covered.

Note. I might cook chicken until done, or remove from pan and finish cooking in the oven at about 350 degrees. Then cook the rice and peas and add the chicken back to the pan.

Thanks for stopping by
Please share this blog on your Facebook.

Jane

This weeks adds

This weeks adds

QFC

Produce that is .99

Grapes
Romas
Broccoli

Buy 10, save. 5

Om lunch meat
Triscut
Butter
Franz bread
Cheerios
BBQ sauce


Chili 1.00
Corn 2/.88


TOP

Lean ground beef
Pork chops
London broil
All 2.77 a pound

2lbs carrots 1.00
Celery .57 lb
Cauliflower .89

SAFEWAYS

Pork loin 1.69
Fryers .89
Sirloin tip 2.49
Tomatoes .99
Lettuce .99
Milk 2.59

5buck Friday

Cake
Oranges
Shrimp
French fries 5

Artichoke hearts b1g1. Net 1.50
Onions .99

ALBERTSOMS

Thurs only. Rage .88 limit 2
Cantaloupe . 99
corn 2/1.00

That's about it.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Main dishes

Finding recipes that use inexpensive sources of protein that your family will eat is one way to cut your food bill.

Bean Counters Chowder ( can be vegetarian )
1/2 cup chopped onion
2cloves garlic, minced
1T olive oil
1medium tomato
1 quart of chicken stock (or veggie stock)
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp basil, oregano
Celery leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cans beans, great northern, pinto
1cup uncooked elbow macaroni
Parsley

In a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add tomato and simmer 5 minutes. Add broth, water, and seasonings.
Bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Add beans and macaroni, return to a boil.

Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle with parsley. 2 quarts .

Notes:

If tomatoes are not in season, use diced tomatoes. Drain, reserving juice and reduce the chicken stock to compensate.

Top soup with grated parm or other hard cheese.

Serve with a crusty bread and a salad or fruit cup.

Thanks for stopping by
Please share this blog.

Jane

Let's talk about salad dressing

I belong to a group that sometimes has a potluck salad dinner. It works really easy, no real organization needed. If someone gets sick a key part of the dinner is not missing. One person bri gs a punch, one a roll and butter, one desert, and the rest of us bring a salad. Yum.

Ready made salad was .79 cents at Safeways last week, and it was twenty percent off that with JFU. That's .63 cents.

Salad dressing was recently a buck at Albertsons, and there was a coupon on the Sunday paper, that if you were lucky enough to find made it free.

That being said, that salad dressing was a regular price of about four dollars.
If you don't find a super sale, scratch would probably be cheaper.

Zippy tomato dressing

2/3 cup vinegar
2/3cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
2T vegetable oil
2 T chopped green onion
2T parsley
2tsp sugar
1tsp dried basil
1/2tsp dry thyme
1/2tsp lemon juice
1/4tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper

BLEND TOGETHER AND STORE IN A JAR WITH A TIGHT FITTING LID

BASIC VINAIGRETTE

3T vinegar
1/2tsp dry mustard
Salt
Pepper
8 T olive oil

Mix everything but the oil in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil slowly to incorporate it into the dressing.

Or
Place all imgredients I'm a blender and whirl

Note
You can substitute

lemon juice for the vinegar
Dijon mustard for the dry mustard
Vegetable oil for the olive oil

You can add

Garlic
Shallots
Basil

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Please share this blog

Jane

Meat after the drought

I can still find some cheap meats that are not full of fat.They are not as cheap as they were, but with some adaptations , theynwill still work.
Jimmy Dean sausage is 3/6.89 at Costco. Defat it and use it as flavoring.
Chicken is up to 1.39 or so. It's still a good bargain. You can still get three meals from a 4.5-5 pound chicken. I got boneless spareribs for 1.50 a pound last week and steak for 2.88 this week. Good for stir fry.

Pork chops with pear chutney, adapted from food channel cb.

Pear chutney
1T onion that has been put over a microplane.
2T vinegar
2T brown sugar
1T butter
1inch piece of peeled ginger, cut into coins.
Cinnamon, salt, pepper
3pears, peeled, cores, and cut into chunks
2T dried cranberries
Chopped cilantro ( or parsley)

Mix together. I would pour the vinegar over the pears to keep them from discoloring.

Brown thin pork chops that have been salt and peppered. Cook until done. Serve with sauce

Chicken in a pot

Cook carrots, onion and lemon zest in olive oil in stockpot. Add chicken broth and chicken parts. Being to a boil and simmer until chicken is done


Notes: sometimes a little splurge makes a big difference. Youncan buy a little bit of ginger, it's sold by the pound. If a recipe calls for somethimg like cilantro, either make several meals that use it, or use parsley imstead and make pesto with the leftovers. LemoN zest can be cut from a lemon and plan to make fish that week, or freeze lemon juice.

Thanks for stopping by

Please share this blog.

Jane

The nuts and bolts revisited

For people reading this blog recently, it is about grocery shopping and feeding your family on the cheap.

It takes a three pronged approach. Shop wisely, plan and organize, and cook from scratch.

Step one: Develop your own recipe book using sources of protein that are the least expensive. This is getting harder because of the drought making meat prices skyrocket.

Step Two: Never pay full price. Unless you have a photographic memory, you need a small spiral notebook, or a spread sheet of the foods that are your staples: What they are, what size package they come in, and how much you paid, when , and where.
For us it is diced tomatoes, canned beans, some canned veggies, refried beans, instant mashed potatoes, and pasta and pasta sauce.

Find the lowest price, and when it goes on sale for the lowest price buy as many as your budget will allow, as many as the store will let you buy, or as many as you can safely use before they expire. If it is something that I use once a week, I keep a supply of 24. If I only use it once a month, I keep 5 or 6. Pasta has a eight year shelf life. I just keep by bin full.

Each week I survey the adds. I take a sheet of computer paper from the waste basket, and divide it into four. Mark each quadrant with the name of the store. We are fortunate to have all four stores within a four mile radius and I can hit more than one in a shopping trip without back tracking. we also have dollar stores and the bank on the way.

Write down on each store's section, what is on sale cheap that you can use to make dinner, or that you need to stock. Now cross off anything that is higher priced elsewhere and anything that you already have enough of. You can now assess which two stores that you are going to visit. Stick to your list. Get in and get out. the longer you are in a store, the more you are going to spend.

Step three:

Cook from scratch. There are a few ready mades that are cheaper than making them from scratch. A few things are just too much bother to make. I take time into consideration. Figure your savings and divide it by your time spent cooking it from scratch. Sometimes I make 32.00 an hour.
We talk about techniques to get you out of the kitchen fast. IF you can set it and forget it and then go on to do laundry etc. You haven't spent much time in the kitchen.

Remember if you spend more time on the front end of the "Get a meal on the Table" train, and less time on the back end, you will be better off. Noone is "paying you to cook, but you are being "paid" well for shopping wisely. Half of the USDA 2009 stats for a family of four is about 75.00 a week. If you spend an extra hour shopping, you have made 75.00 an hour. Not to Shabby.

Thats pretty much the sumation of it all. The added bonus of stocking is that you never have to worry about getting to the store because you are out of food. You are prepared for a disaster. That can be that you are to sick with the flu to go to the store, or its snowing and you can't get to the store.

To the minimalists out there, if you can afford to buy your groceries from the whole paycheck store and burn seventy five dollars a week and feel good about it, then go for it, IT"S YOUR MONEY!

For the rest of us, that extra money might mean you can afford orthadontics or a college fund for the kids, a much needed vacation, or just have a piece of mind knowing that you have some more money in the bank.

Thanks for stopping by

Please share with a friend.

Jane

Meals from adds

There are still a few meat buys , not as good as before. Fruits and veggies are still reasonable.The best way to cope with rising meat costs is to eat less meals that have the meat as the main ya-da on the plate and use recipes that have less meat added to another protein source.


1) chili, beer bread, veggie sticks

2) meat loaf, baked potatoes, acorn squash

3) quiche, field green salad with strawberries and vinaigrette.

4) chicken orzo salad , French bread. ( I made itnthe other night, my daughter and I decided that it needed pesto or some chopped herbs.

5) pizza, green salad

6) tacos, refried beans

7) shrimp stir dry, rice

Note. : shrimp is often on Safeways 5 dollar Friday. Last week I got it for less with JFU. Peaches are a buck several places. Acorn squash is .79, beer bread is a bucket the dollar store, pizza is five bucks at Safeways . Steak is 2.88, makes good fat content hamburger cheap and you know what is in it.

Thanks for stopping by

Jane

This weeks adds

Just as we could have expected, meat has taken a big jump.
There are a lot of buy ten and get fifty centsoff sales, but it is hard to find products that are not high priced ready-made garbage.


QFC

Franz bread 1.99 (almost as cheap as outlet 3/5.89)
Butter 1.99
Triscuit crackers 1.49
Sour cream 1.49

Peaches.99
Raspberries 1.99
Corn 2/88

TOP

Cross rib roast 2.69
Canned veggies 15/10.00. Coupon
Milk 2.50 a gallon . Coupon
Eggs. 18 / 1.99

Grapes 2.00
gala apples 1.59

SAFEWAYS
Gala apples 1.69
Peaches .99
Bigi meat. No prices
Yoplait 10/ 5.00

5 BUCK FRIDAY
Pizza
Cookies

JFU
Strawberries 1.99
Skippy 1.89

ALBERTSONS
Green beans 1.49
Grapes 1.99
Gala apples .78
Pasta .88
Pasta sauce .88
Lean ground beef 3.49
Sirloin steak 2.88
.50 off ten
Mashed potatoes .49
Cheerios 1.99
Brownie mix .99

Acorn squash .79


That's about it. Albertsoms is the spoiler here, then QFC

Thanks for stopping by

Please share this blog

Jane

Grilled chicken salad ..yum

Here is the recipe that I found at the hair cutting place.




GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD

8 ounces orzo
8 ounces green beans, fresh
Olive oil
2large somewhat firm peaches
8 to 12 ounces of chicken breast strips
4 ounces feta cheese


Cook orzo in stockpot. Add green beans during last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Drain but do not rinse. Toss with olive oil.

Grill quartered peaches and chicken breast pieces.
Toss gently with olive oil and place on top of the orzo.
Sprinkle feta over top

Notes.

Sometimes all pasta is on sale. Orzo is a rice shaped pasta that can be used in soups.
Buy it when it is on cheap because pasta has a long shelf life.

Peaches and green beans are in season. Nectarines would also work and are a bit firmer.


Salt, pepper, garlic , rosemary?

Thanks for stopping by

Grocery adds are late because of the holiday.
Please share the blog

Jane