The basics revisited again !!!

About every first of the month, I go over the basics for any new people, or to refresh memories.

This blog is about grocery shopping on the cheap. It takes a three pronged approach at putting inexpensive, tasty meals on the table. It is not about eating cheap hot dogs, top ramen, or .28 a pound chicken or dumpster diving??!! LOL. There are many reasons why one would want to economize on food. Some people read this blog to see new recipes or get an idea how to get out of the kitchen fast. The idea is "If you spend more time on the front end of the 'get the food on the table train' and less time on the back end you will be better off. You essentially get paid for shopping, not for cooking.

If you can cut your food bill in half, and save 75 dollars a week on food, you save almost 4 thousand dollars a year. What can YOU buy or save for that much money. If you are like I was in my early years, I didnt have it to save. I just had to make what I had stretch.

The basics take a three pronged approach.1) Planning and organizing,2) shopping and 3) cooking from scratch

1) Planning and Organizing
Everything successful starts with a plan. First, gather main dish recipes that use inexpensive sources of protein that your family will eat. Start with seven, and go from there. Fourteen is better for variety.

Now, make a list of the staples you use frequently. In our house it would be beans, refried beans, cheese, diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, pasta, some tuna, and some salmon and instant mashed potatoes.
make a spread sheet or a small spiral notebook to track the prices. Record the item, the size, the amount you paid, when and where. Pretty soon you will discover the rock bottom price of the article. Plan your menus when you get home from the store keeping in mind what is leftover in the fridge before you went to the store. Nothing fancy, just jot down seven main dishes. Do this after you shop something that is on sale might not be as good a quality as you want, or not available.

2) Shopping.
When you find the rock bottom price, buy a) as many as the store will allow you to buy, b) as many as you can afford to buy,or c)as many as you need to replenish stock. If I use something once a week, I keep 24. If I use it once a month, I keep 6. This isn't about hoarding.

When the grocery ads come out, take a piece of computer paper , divide it in fourths. Put the name of a store at the top of each section. Go through the ads and mark down any meat and veggie buys that are a good price and any stock items that are a good price. Skip the ready made items and snack food.

When you are done,cross off any thing that is a higher price and anything you don't need. Record lowest prices of your target foods. Pick the two stores that have the lowest prices on things you need. plan your trip to save gas.

Take the ads, and your list. Get in and get out. The More time you spend in a store, the more money you will spend.

Store your fruits and veggies properly. There are storage solutions on the market that make fruits and veggies last longer.

3) Cooking from scratch
There is no room in a good food cheap budget for snacks and ready made foods. That being said, there are a few things that are cheaper to buy ready made than to make from scratch, and a few things that are best bought ready made. Refried beans, canned beans and tortillas and mayo come to mind. Sometimes instant mashed potatoes are cheaper than scratch. There are ways to make dinner as fast as you can by using a box. I did a post on a hamburger dinner box. It is a real eye opener. it is about the most expensive item in the store pound for pound. Booze excluded.

I'm out of time, hope I covered everything.

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Jane

Price comparisons

My mother was an antique dealer. She always said that every antique store had sleepers and the trick was to find them.

No one grocery store has the lowest prices on everything. If you can effectively and efficiently take advantage of
The lowest prices, you can master 1/2 price food.

We did a Costco run yesterday. We only needed a few things, but they were really necessary things. I thought I would spend some time comparing prices. I have had a lot of questions about comparing Costco prices.

Many produce prices at Costco are pretty stable year round. Bananas are 1.39 the cheapest anywhere. Grocery Outlet is 1.99, other stores .79. All bananas are organic. Berries are almost always cheaper. Blueberries are full of antioxidents and are very versitile.

Toilet paper is the cheapest I have found.

They have pizzas on sale at times. I got a extra Large pizza for 5.99 yesterday. It is so large that I havento cut it into quarters to get it in our fridge and oven!

Cheese was 3.19 a pound. I have been getting it for 2.50 a pound. They had mots for 2.19 grated. Grated cheese should not be more expensive than the bricks. We went to the Tillamock factory. Mthey make cheese in huge molds. Then put it through a cutting machine. The excess goes into a plastic bin and goes to the grater machine. Basically, it is the leftovers.

The chicken sausage that I buy for 2.99 at grocery outlet was more expensive.

I buy the brown and serve baguettes from Costco unless I can find them at the bakery outlet. The bakery doesn't always have them. I keep them in the fridge, they last a long time. Tortillasmaremcheaper. I keep them in the fridge too.

Re fried Beans were cheaper than the regular price at the other grocery stores. They were not the .50 that got them for on sale.

Pasta was a lot more expensive. Pasta has a very, very long shelf life. You can stock very comfortably.

Spices are a lot cheaper. I buy the spices that I use a lot from Costco along with better than bouillon low sodium. Some that I don't use often I get at the dollar store or Big Lots.

Stamps are less than par value at Costco.
Magazines are thirty percent off. They don't have a complete selection.
Some magazines are .50 at the goodwill.

Cottage cheese and sour cream is cheaper at Costco most of the time.

Dry beans are really cheaper. The quantity is huge! In would get together with friends , neighbors, or family and split a bag.

The trick to all this is to know the prices ofnthe things that you use all the time. If you can't remember, keep a spread sheet or spiral notebook . It gives you an overview of prices and where the rock bottom price is. Often times, you can save as much as a dollar or more on an item.

It adds up fast. 75 dollars a week is almost 4 thousand a year!

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Jane

Notes on Sunday

I came across a trivia that is interesting. The grocery chain stores research their locations carefully. they are based on demographics. The dollar stores piggy back certain stores. If you notice most of the time, the dollar store be in the same strip mall as Safeways or grocery outlet! Grouping your stores saves time and gas. We have TJ MAXX , Safeways, and the dollar store and Costco just down the highway. Oe we have Joannes, Albertsoms, Safeways, and the dollar store, and big Lots in a cluster and grocery outlet nearby.

I know I sound like a broken record, but the slow cooker is my best friend in the kitchen. I have to work the late shift today. I'm going to put soup on this morning so it's ready when I get home.

Beef and vegetable soup

1 pound lean ground beef, cooked and defatted
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 bottle beer
1cup beef broth
1 cup water

1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup celery
1/2 cup chopped sweet pepper

Salt, pepper, bayleaf

Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Discard bay leaf.

Note. You could use ground pork or turkey. I don't know how fake meat would hold up, but you could add it the last and heat through. You, of course, could add non alcoholic beer.You couldmusenany other rootmvegetables that sounded good to you or add some noodles or cooked rice at the end.


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Jane

Shopping trip

I cleaned the fridge, and made banana blueberry bread. Decided to go shopping anyway. I got cheese for five bucks at Top and apples. We took baby to her mom so we got lost for an hour. In less than an hour including travel time, we went to Safeways and got sour cream and some lunch meat. the dollar store was next where I got French fries and hot poppers. The grocery outlet was where I got whole wheat pizza crusts two in a package for a buck. Also chicken and artichoke sausage for three bucks. Yum!



I posted the last of the receipts for February. I averaged 68 a week and more than maintained our stock.

The banana bread recipe is bisquick. It is a healthy banana bread with egg substitute, low fat bisquick and low fat milk. Add oatmeal and bananas that are to the point of anti cancer properties and blueberries with anti ocidents and we have a real winner.

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Jane

Finally Friday

Today, I am not going grocery shopping! We have enough food stocked that I dont have to. I am not seeing any terrific buys that are calling me LOL. Just one more reason why stocking is beneficial. They are predictimg 30 mile an hour winds today. A good day to stay home and get caught up on paper work or do some work for the business.

A good day to use the crockpot if the power doesn't go off. We have been real lucky since the power company cut down a tree up the road.

Batch cooking sloppy Joes

3 pounds ground beef
3 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 drops liquid smoke
1 Tsp dry mustard


Cook ground beef until no longer pink. Defat. Return to clean pan and add ingredients. Simmer until warm and flavors have blended-- about 10-15 minutes. Bag in meal sized portions.

In also have used a recipe from the crockpot cookbook for a croud that takes veggies and canned tomatoes.

My favorite thing to make when I am having a crowd is something in the crockpot with a couple of simple sides, it takes all the pressure off at serving time. Ome time I had sloppy joes,tater tots and coleslaw. Another time I had sirloin tips with caramelized onions, rice, and green salad.

Salisbury Steak

1 cup milk
28 saltiness, crushed
1/4 cup minced onion
4 tsp parsley flakes
2 poumds groumd meat

Mix together all ingredients. Shape into 8 patties. Spray baking pan with cooking spray. Place parties in pan and bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until temperature is 160. Make gravymaddimg w sauce.


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Jane

the ads

The ads for this week are here.

QFC

Pork loin roast 1.59
Boneless chicken breast 3.75 a pound***
milk 2.50

Broccoli .99
Strawberries 2.00
Grapes 2.49
BRYERS 2.99

TOP

Cheese 5.
Chili 1.00
Broccoli 1.00
Potatoes 1.39
Apples .89

SAFEWAYS

Round steak 2.49
Sirloin tip 2.99
Pork loin 1.69
Shrimp 5.00

5 dollar Friday
Salmon 12 oz
Lemon me range pie


Pasta sUce 1.00
Potatoes , mashed 1.00
Carrots .79

ALBERTSONS

Manufacture coupons round to a dollar
YOPLAIT .50
tuna .78 coupon

That's all.

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Jane

Wednesday notes

I am getting writers block. Please comment what kind of recipes you want to see. Do you want to see the recap of the ads every week? Meal plans? I would really appreciate your ideas!

Today I am going to survey the fridge. We were lucky enough to be able to go out. Happy hour food is much cheaper than the regular menu. I just drink ice tea. My husband loves finger foods for dinner sometimes. You can make finger foods healthy.

Tomato soup is too expensive to make from scratch. My mother-in-law used to make it from canned tomatoes. unfortunately, I never saw her do it. There was a piece on Americas Test Kitchen comparing soups. There are actually tomato soups that have no tomatoes in them. kinda like the cheeseburger macaroni that has no cheese in it. LOL. I like then tomato-roasted red-pepper soup in a box. I can't afford it unless I happen to see it at Costco for about two dollars a box.I add basil, blue cheese, and some milk.

Veggie Sandwiches

Hummus
Feta cheese
Roma tomatoes
Lettuce

Small tortillas

Serve with salad.

I got garbanzo beans for .50. feta cheese with tomatoes was cheap at grocery outlet. small tortillas were .60 at big lots. I keep them in the fridge. I'm not surenincouldnget my husband to eat this for dinner, but maybe it would be a good lunch dish.

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Jane

Quick meals

I'm getting a lot of inquiries about horseradish sauce, chicken pot pie, WinCo and split pea soup.

The only thing I haven't seen a lot of is recipes that call for horseradish sauce. It's a strong taste and goes well with beef.

PIZZA PASTA
Sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni, green pepper, pasta sauce, onion, ripe olives, Italian seasoning. serve over pasta of choice.
Note I bought big cans of sliced ripe olives for 50 at big lots. I'll post later as to the quality.

CHICKEN TACOS

Chicken pieces, cooked
Drained diced tomatoes
Taco seasoning

Corn tortillas

Toppings
Lettuce, cheese, tomato sour cream avocado

CHICKEN QUICHE

Sauté 1/2 cup chopped mild onion and 2 tsp chopped garlic in a teaspoons of olive oil,
In a large bowl, beat six eggs. Add :
3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 cups cooked chicken, 2 cups shredded cheese, and 5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled.
add onion and garlic.

Grease a pie plate and pour mixture in it. Bake at 375 35-45 minutes.

Notes
to reduce the fat!!
You can substitute milk for the cream. Use maybe a half cup instead.you could use turkey bacon and reduce some of the cheese or mix parmesan with cheddar to total 2 cups.


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Jane

Gleaming ideas from magazines

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

Enough soap box.

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Jane

Sunday and one more day off!!!

I bought salmon, stew meat, and hamburger this week, all in bulk amounts. My husband cooked all the salmon Friday night and I will make a salmon noodle casserole tonight. That leaves me with the stew meat and hamburgernto cook today. I am really hungry for beef barley soup. I wish I had paid attention to how my mother cooked it. I don't remember, but maybe because she started it before I got home from school. Que the Internet!!I have a notion that it had tomato paste, beef, beef stock, carrots...umm

Beef stew
1 pound beef cubes
4 carrots cut into chunks
1/2 pound red potatoes cut in half ormquarters to equalize size.
Red peppers, cut onto chunks
1can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup flour
6 ounces tomato paste
3/4 cup beef broth

1/3 cup additional liquid, water, stock, wine?

Salt, pepper, garlic, thyme

Brown beef. Place beef, vegetables in slowncooker. Add tomatoes over top.
Mix in a bowl, flour tomato paste and broth until smooth. Add the additional liquid, salt and pepper, garlic and thyme. Stir into contents of slow cooker.
Cook on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.

My mother cooked stew meat the way her mother did. She dredged it in flour. She then browned it with some oil and added water and braised it.

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Jane

soups..easy, cheap and satisfying

One of the most requested recipes I have is for soups. We all want spring to come, but reality is that http://www.pinterest.com/pin/157907530660665317/ still winter. A hearty bowl of soup fills you up and usually it is healthy.

I bought LARGE bag of split peas at Costco. It was fractions of the price it is at even the grocery outlet. I split them with my husband's siblings.

Split Pea Soup #2

1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
16 ounces of split peas
9 cups water
1 cup carrots, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Parsley, basil, salt and pepper

Your choice of meat, ham , kielbasa,or turkey kielbasa, fake sausage???

Sauté onion and celery in olive oil in a soup pot. Stir in 6 cups of water and the peas.
Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer andncook 25 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook an additional 25 minutes. Don't forget the remaining 3 cups of water.

I think you could sauté the veggies and dump everything in a slow cooker for 8-10 hours. You could also substitute veggie stock for the water, or chicken stock. Also, you could sneak in some cauliflower. I usually blend all or part of the soup to make it thicker. If I wanted to sneak in the cauliflower, I would the food processor on it first so it blended in better.

Very technical chicken noodle soup

Sauté vegetables - carrot, celery,and onion
Add chicken broth,diced cooked chicken,and poultry seasoning.
Cook til warm. Add a couple of handfuls of noodles and cook until done.

We like anpiece of hard crusty bread with ours.

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Jane

Post grocery shopping

We gone shopping. First we went to the closing sale atmPetosas. They had everything is 1/2 price. I got rice, cream soups, and some sugar free jam. Then off Safeways. Again, there was no 7 percent hamburger. I did get salmon and stew meat. I am hungry for beef barley soup. Mashed potatoes were .90 cents.

I found frozen potatoes and mixed veggies at the dollar store.


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Jane

Finally Friday.

The internet is a wealth of recipes so you don't get stuck in a rut. Betty Crocker has a web site that you can type in what you have and it will give you recipes. Just be mindful that you can substitute a box of ??? For real food.

There are only a few " rules" that will make a real difference on your food bill. It's rather funny to me that my mother a half a decade ago did most of them. There was not then deluge of ready made products back then, or the
Variety of vegetables we have now. The alternative food eaters didn't exist either to complicate things.

I have managed to work around vegetarian. Some of our meals can be adapted, sometimes, she has to make her own.
I have a husband that won't eat vegetables, a daughter that won't eat meat, and I am diabetic, so I can't eat a lot of starch. We all have to co exist! LOL

I digress.

1) never pay full price for anything. Sometimes I get stuck, but it is usually somethimg that never goes on sale. I still try to find the lowest price.

2) Never ( never say never) buy ready made foods. there are a few things that are cheaper ready made andna few that are too time consuming to make yourself.

3)Always shop at more than one store. Stores price some things low, planning on you buying what goes with them at a jacked up price. beat them at their game.

4) Plan your trip, research, make a list. Plan your route,get in and get out.

5) Try to use up everything. Cut the waste. How clever of our great grandmothers to make banana bread!

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Jane

Meals from the ads

Today is usually meals from the ads. Even though I usually wait until after I shop to plan my meals. Sometimes I get to the store and Shay is on sale is in way too large a package or is not good enough or they are out of it.
A couple of weeks ago, QFC had pork loi . Most of it was dark meat and it had large gristle stuff running through it. The strawberries were growing gray hair prettier than mine!

My formula is

2 beef
2 chicken or pork
2 vegetarian
1 fish

Your spread may be different. these are my strategies than have worked for me. Use the things that make sense for
Your world now.

It seems as if the same cuts of meat are on sale . Trying to mix it up is a challenge. my mother seat one mealmplan and we coldntell what day of the week it was by what we were having for dinner. Pizza.. It must be Thursday. Roast, it must be Sunday. Hamburgers was Saturday!

1- steak, baked potatoes, horseradish sauce mixed greens with strawberries.
2- tacos

3- chicken noodle soup - scratch.
4- pork loin sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, cheese, broiled.

5- Mac and cheese
6- pizza

7- salmon, oven roasted root veggies, salad


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Jane

The ads

It's that Timel of the week.

The ads

Safeways

7 percent hamburger 2.99
Chicken .99

Apples -99
Salmon 5.99
Milk 2.59
Nathans b1G1
Blues,blacks 3.99


QFC

grapes 1.99
Chicken .88
Breyers ice cream 2.99
Klondike bars 2.99
80 percent beef 2.66***

TOP

Sirloin tip B1G1. 2.75 net


ALBERTSONS

Klondike bars 2.60
Chicken .88
Apples .88
Oranges .88
7 percent beef 3.49***

Note the spread between the hamburger prices and the chicken prices.

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Jane

Tuesday

It's time to take a quick look at the fridge and incorporate anything hanging around too long. We mare goimg tp have breakfast for dinner to use the berries I bought Friday. Maybe blueberry waffles.

Hreycvv. (Baby Dear is helping! )

A thrifty kitchen always has ground beef or turkey or textured vegetable protein. It's usually inexpensive and versatile.

Beef Stuffed French Bread

1 poumd ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 large baked potato, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Mushrooms
1tsp parsley
1/4 tsp dried onion powder
Pepper
Dash of red pepper sauce

Hard rolls

1cup cheddar cheese, grated

Cook beef and onion until no longer pink. Drain.
Add potato, soup, mushrooms and rest of ingredients except bread and cheese.

Cut a slice off the top of the bread and hollow out center, leaving a shell. Make bread crumbs out of the pieces. Add one cup of the crumbs to the beef mixture. Stir on cheese.

Fill bread shells replace tops. Wrap in foil. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving

From Taste of Home booklet.

Notes. I would use already cooked and defatted beef. Instead of a can of mushrooms, I would use fresh so I could control the amount. A good recipe to use that leftover baked potato. Safeways has hard rolls in a bag. 8 for three dollars. Our TOP has them in bulk bread bin.
Can be made ahead of time and frozen. Thaw in fridge and bake for 20-25 minutes. I like things that I can
Put in the oven and finish dinner while it cooks. Maybe a green salad or veggie sticks.


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Jane

Shopping Trip and $5.00 Dinners

Good Morning. After I get home from any shopping trip where I buy groceries, I post to a spread sheet. Recording my grocery purchase totals keeps me on track.
If I see that I have spent more than my 75 dollar limit, I know I can back off the next week. I typically spend less on some weeks, and spend more the weeks that I find a good price on my stock items or a bulk meat.

Last night we had Pork Loin Roast, Mashed sweetpotatoes, green beans and salad. It would be a five dollar dinner --actually 4.50.

I got Ragu sauce for 1.00 and pasta for a buck. Add some meat and a salad and you have well under five dollars.

Sausage was buy one get one. Sausage and eggs and fruit and toast would be less than five dollars.

Split Pea soup and toasted cheese sandwiches would be less than 5.00.

Chicken Pizza would be less than 5.00 with a salad.

Tacos come in at less that 5.oo.

Pork sandwiches and coleslaw. The trick here is to find buns for a good price. Sometimes, the bread store or Grocery Outlet.

One of the tricks for keeping your food bill low is to group your meals in such a manner that you use all of what you purchased. If you buy spinach for a spinach salad, then you can use some spinach on a pizza. If you have cottage cheese left, make lasagna or stuffed shells. Leftover bread can beoome dressing for chicken or pork , or breadcrumbs for meatloaf or a thickening agent for soup. Cooked to much pasta...make pasta salad for lunch or to go with a sandwich for dinner. Fridge management cut down on the amount you have to throw away. The average family throws out a lot of food--like thirteen pounds a week by one account.

Pot Roast was on sale at Safeways. I am pretty well stocked, so I didn't opt for 18.00 worth of pot roast. If I hadn't been well stocked, I would have divided it into four pot roasts and frozen three of them.


My very technical recipe for pot roast in the slow cooker. Dump the pot roast in the slow cooker. Slice an onion and spread over the top. Salt and Pepper.
Pour a 12 ounce beer over the top. Add enough beef stock to almost cover the roast. Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours.

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Jane

Is anybody out there?

Is anybody out there? Yesterday I posted recipes for pizza that were different than the hum drum pepperoni...most of them a bit more healthy. I don't know are looking for because I am not gettimg any comments from anyone. There is an anonymous button on the comments section.

It's Sunday and I have to go to work today. That's six days this week, ugh! Soup is a good go to for days like this.

Burger Beef Soup

12 ounces cooked, defatted ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Salt, pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 cup uncooked noodles


Brown onions, carrots and celery in a little EVOO.
Stir in remaining ingredients except noodles.
Heat to boiling. Stir in noodles. Simmer 10-15 minutes until noodles are cooked.
Serve with hard crusty bread or croutons.

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Jane

Suddenly Saturday

It's Saturday finally a day and a half off. Yeah! Saturday is a pizza kind of day.

Pizza crust is recipe is on a previous post. It's really easy.
Sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 scant teaspoon EACH of grated onion and minced garlic
Pinch of Italian seasoning
Salt,pepper

Toppings
1.5 cups mozzarella, grated
2 ounces diced ham
1 small red or green pepper, diced
1/2 can sliced black olives, drained **
onion
Parmesan
Basil

bake crust at 375 for 15 minutes. Spread withnsauce and toppimgs and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

chicken pizza toppings
Chicken chunks
Onion
Garlic
White cheese
Diced peppers
Smoked Gouda

Note : smoked Gouda isnat grocery outlet, chicken strips are buy 1 get 1 Safeways thisnweek. I have not calculated the end cost of those. peppers are cheap at grocery outlet as well.

Mexican pizza toppings

Black beans
Onion, chopped or grated
Peppers, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped and seeded
Garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin
Spinach, cilantro
White cheese

Pizza crusts like bomboli are 2.18 at WinCo. Or pre bake the crust recipe.


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There are still people that are under employed, unemployed or just want to get ahead.

Jane

Bake accordimg to your crust instructions.

Comfort Food

Comfort Food seems to be a topic I see lots. I also see inquiries about chicken pot pie, split pea soup,Tex Mex WinCo vs Costco.

Before I start talking about comfort foods, my daughter told me somethimg worth repeating. Costco green beans have 300 less grams of sodium than some of the other green beans. Their price is comparable except for the .33 ones I purchased from WinCo.

ORZO stuffed Tomatoes--6 servings

2/3 cup uncooked ORZO
6 medium tomatoes
1T butter
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese, reduced fat
1tsp basil
2tsp parsley
Salt, pepper

Cook pasta. Drain
Cut a thin slice off the top of the tomato.
Scoop out the pulp leaving a shell. Invert tomatoes on a paper towel.
Cook butter in a saucepan. Add ORZO, the tomato pulp without seeds,drained and the remaining ingredients.
Spoon into tomatoes. Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes.


3 T butter
3 T flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-1/2 cup milk

4 ounces shredded cheese
3 cups grated potatoes.
1 cup grated carrots
2 T onion.

Make white sauce with the butter, flour and milk. Remove from heat and add HALF of the cheese.
Add the vegetables. Transfer to an 8 inch square baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Uncover, add remaining cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted and potatoes are tender.

NOTE

I think you you could use less cheese. You could also grate all of the veggies in the food processor and drain them. Good with roast chicken.


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Jane