Monday kitchen management

kitchen management for week of  July 3rd.

1. Mark meal plans with days to thaw meat, especially the chicken that didn't get done last week,   
2. Clean the stove fan filter.   
3. Wash and wax floor 
4. Straighten the pantry.   
5. Disinfect sinks, countertops, and drains, 
6. Check potatoes and eggs and dehydrate if necessary,    

Fred Meyer and grocery outket

We went to Freddies and the GO.    GO in north Seattle is not  as good as the Kenmore one,   To start off, someone  was trying all the car doors to find one open when we arrived.   Most of the good stuff we got at Kenmore wasn't there and the give five, save five wasn't clearly explained,  

I did get a box if nutragrain  bars for .99
Hello kitty cookie mix .33
Small tomatoes .99
Danimals smoothies 1.17


Fred Meyers total 22.17

Watermelon 1.88
English muffins,    Dozen 1.67
Radishes - large .79
Celery 1.16
Cottage cheese -dbl 1.99
Nathan's franks 2/5
Sargent sliced cheese 2.50 less .55 coupon 1.95
Strawberries 1.25
Green grapes 199 lb


That's about it.    I didn't need meat, but the meat was a good buy.

Meal plans for week of July 3

Lots of BBQs  this week and the ads are full of specials on that type of food.    Fred Meyers ad starts on Sunday,   Winco doesn't have an ad, their prices are based on local market prices and they try to be the lowest priced market.    Fortunately for us, the two stores are basically on the same road a few miles  apart.  

• Pizza 
• BBQ - 
• Bacon, feta stuffed chicken breast, broccoli 
• Pork chops, sweet potatoes, peas 
• Tacos, rice 
• Baked salmon, rice, glazed carrots 
• Breakfast 4 dinner, 

• 
  

Fred Meyers for Sunday

Sunday ad
3 day sale SMT

Sirloin steak 2.97 -
Nathan's hot dogs 2/5
Dreyers 2/5




Broccoli .99
Blackberries 2/5 - QFC 1.88
Strawberries 4/5
Milk 1.79 gal
Grapes,1.99
Corn 3/2


***
Split chicken breast .87. Foster Farms Fresh

*****

Ground beef - 20 percent fat...3.49...... this would be a good time to buy the sirloin steak instead and grind your own,    2.97 vs 3.49  and you will have less fat if you pick your steak.    Traditionally , sirloin  has less fat.    Use a food  processor, a grinding attachment in the kitchenaid, or you grandmothers old fashioned meat grinder.   Grannies meat grinders can be had at  estate sales, or antique stores for a few dollars.    I can remember my aunt grinding a few pieces of leftover roast and adding mayo and pickle for a sandwich spread.  

The rotation meat would be by far the chicken  breast.  Breakfast Knesset, skinkess chicken  breast at QFC is 8.00 a pound,    That's over a  ninety percent  savings.

QFC haul

note : QFC has buy six, save three sale.  That doesn't mean that you have to buy six of any one thing.
There is an electronic coupon form.60 off of hillshire  Farms sausage.   Gummy bears were free this week.

Taco shells .79
Hot dog buns 1.00
Milk (3) .99
 Crescent rolls (2) . .99
Hillshire Farms sausage 1.39
Red pepper 1.00
Berries 188
Hummus, reg 4.99, w coupon  1.99

Total 14.86

Savings 19.02.  43 percent

Where to buy what

Certain retailers have purchased things  at a lower price.    That is to say that they consistently sell certain item the cheapest prices in the area.    Taking advantage of those proces when  they happen is a good  way to cit your food bull without much effort.    

Fred Meyer (Kroger )
Usually that is the place for dairy.    Milk is often a dollar  for regular or chocolate .   Sometimes sour cream  and cottage cheese are 1.00 or 1.25.  

I can get butter for 2.50 all the time at Costco.   I would rather pay 2.00, and have been finding it here and there, mainly Safeways and grocery outlet.  

Cheese has been close to two dollars a pound.   Watch closely the small packages, what sounds like a good deal, really isn't,    Fivenpoumd sacks are around two dollars a  pound to 2.35 at Costco,   Sometimes business Costco is better.  

Eggs are cheap these days,    I have been getting them at Safeways for .78 a dozen.   Drying eggs is a royal pain, but it will help when the price goes up.  

You can usually find ice cream coupons.  



Next : meat and protein,

Winco.

There was a question on Facebook about can you really. Save money at Winco.    Winco is just like any other store, they always have a certain  amount of bargains.    It is one of my go to stores.  Or seems these days the usual stores for the Best bargains are Freddies and winco.   I can still during a good sale find some buys at QFC and Safeways.  Dollar tree , grocery outlet and Costco are one of those places we go to once or so a month usually . Costco is on a must need  basis.  

I replied to the lady that wanted to know if you could get good bargains at Winco that I fed three of us for 53.00 a week.  

The moderator asked me what some of our favorite meals were.    I was sure she was waiting for a response of.   Beans. Beans. And more beans!    I said.....

• Roast chicken with oven roasted potatoes 
• Pork chops with dressing with apples  and craisens 
• Meatball subs and French fries, veggie sticks 
• Homemade pizzas 

Another installment of what can I do with 20.00

Ok, the martians came down and stole your pantry.    How can two people get by with 20.00. I'm picking grocery outlet and dollar tree because there are two places on the Seattle area that have grocery outlets and dollar  trees side by side.  They are the cheapest places to go if you have no money.   Buying bulk and watching sales can net cheaper prices, but our senecio is more, we are in a pickle, what can we do,   

Dollar Tree 

1. Pinto beans 1.5 pounds 
2. Rice 1 pound makes 6 cups 
3. Pasta sauce 
4. Pizza crust 
5. Tortillas 
6. Eggs 
7. Bread 
8. Pasta ( use coupons if you have them ) 
9. Oatmeal 
10. Pepperoni ( coupons if you have them) 
11. Salad dressing 

Grocery Outlet - prices aren't as predictable 

1. Cheese ( as much as you can for six dollars ) dollar tree sometimes has real cheese, but watch, sometimes it's fake.    Compare prices 
2. Tomato paste 
3. Milk 
4. As many vegetables as you can get with what's left.   This will depend on how much cheese you can find. Stick to veggies that are close to a dollar.   Now is not the time for a five dollar watermelon!    Carrots, celery, peppers, lettuce, tomato. Bananas.    Sometimes yogurt is really cheap at GO.   

• Rice and beans - enough for several meals.  There are six portions for two people out of the rice.    
• Pizza
• quesedas  
• pasta  w sauce (2) 
• Eggs and toast 
• Oatmeal 
• Bean and rice enchiladas.    ( use tomato paste and water and slices for sauce. ) 
• Salad w pepperoni and hard cooked eggs, cheese 
• Toasted cheese sandwiches .   Carrot and celery sticks 

This assumes you have the basics.   If you have staples like butter, flour etc.  you have a lot more options.    This is by no means sustainable. On a long term basis.   It is, rather. Make your tu,my happy until a regular  budget happens.   

This is a challenge.    What can you do!    

Friday recipes -'chicken

surprise.....it's chicken !

Easiest chicken recipe ever...... one day I went into QFC and there was a managers special on  chickens.  They were .50 a pound because they had to be cooked soon.  The pull  date was the next day,

My mother had an expression that went something like,  some people wouldn't know a bargain if it got up and bit them in the butt.  Don't be that person.

I bought three.    I came home and went hunting  for a good recipe for efficient chicken cooking.  I have two ovens so I knew I could roast  two of them in the oven . Cooking two chickens side by side didn't work, the center portions never got done.

I found one !

The easiest, most efficient way to cook a whole chicken.   Five minutes flat!

• Peel and rough  chop an onion, or two if they are small.   And place in bottom of slow cooker.  This is key,   I tried it with carrots when I didn't have an onion, it doesn't work.   Even if your family doesn't like to bite onto an onion, this works because you aren't going to eat the onion.   
• Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel.   
• Rub a dry rub on the skin.   Recipes for dry rubs are on the internet and you can choose which one you that like the sounds of the ingredients.   If you like it, make a jar so it's ready for you.   Or use  seasoned salt.   
• Place in slow cooker.   Cover and turn on high for an hour a pound or until it tests done. The leg with remove from the body easy and juices will run clear.  Temperature should be 180 degrees in the thigh meat.   

Some of the meat can be fall off the vine, but it's easily used for recipes like casserole, tacos. Enchaladas , pizza......

How to roast a chicken 

• Wipe the chicken with a paper towel.   
• Stuff the cavity  with just about anything you have hanging around short of the kids dirty sox! An apple. An orange, lemon, onion
• Rub olive oil onto the skin.   
• Season with salt and pepper.   
• Place on roasting rack in the roaster.    If you don't have a roasting rack, you can use a baking dish and lift the chicken up by placing it on a bed of onions, carrots, or potato or some of each.  
• Roast at 375 degrees until the internal temperature is 180 and it tests done.   I use a meat thermometer with a probe.   It really works well.   

Thursday bullets - chicken

Thursday's  bullets   in keeping with this weeks theme.

Things to make with chicken

• Roast chicken breast with oven roasted veggies 
• Chicken dinner :  mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, green salad 
• Buffalo chicken pizza 
• BBQ chicken pizza 
• Chicken noodle cassarole 
• Chicken soup. 
• Chicken tacos 
• Chicken enchaladas with sour cream sauce 
• Chicken salad 
• Stuffed tomatoes or red peppers. 
• Chicken pot pie 
• Chicken veggie packets 
• Chicken and orzo with grape  tomatoes. Spinach and feta cheese 

• 
  

Chain store ads for 6/28'

Alberways

Blueberries 299
Cherries 2.99

Buns 2/1@@
Best foods mayo 2/5@@
Heinz ketchup .99
Lettuce .99

Sour cream 4/5!



QFC   (Kroger )

Berries 1.88
Cherries 3.88
Sour cream 4/5
Buy six, save three

Milk, reg, chocolate 1/2'gal .99
hillshire farm sausage 1.99
Sweet baby rays .99
Yuban coffee 7.49
Jumbo biscuits .99


That's about it.   Ck coupons for sausage.  

Grocery outlet haul

This is from kenmore

Good buys

I always keep protein bars because the are good to stabilize blood sigars and stave off the fast food gremlins

Kind bars, almonds and apricot. 1.99/4
Betty Crocker  tenage mintant turtle cookies mix  .50
Fiber one bar pkg  .99
Shortbread cookies,.99
Coffee 6.99
No bake cheesecake mix .50
Dill pickles 1.29
Tahoe cookies 1.49
Cheese  slices 2.39

White bread .99
Black Forest ham 5.99
Hebrew national franks 3.00
Total 31.98

Efficient economy cooking.

We all have cooking habits.   It's what works for us,   Over the years, our particukar  circumstances seem to dictate what cooking style we adapt to dot our changing needs,  

I'm old.   We have a three generation house.    I have adapted to easy, home scratch cooking.   It works.  I suspect it will work for many people.   It's the best of two generations.   I want, frugal, quick, and homemade-- I want it all.    And, I got it.    😂

Enough about me.

People have developed many ideas to save time and money on the kitchen,   It's all aboitnoersinalm preference.  Some wash with me, some don't.

Some things, like couponing, if you don't go extreme can add more money to your grocery budget.    Last grocery haul netted us five bucks.  It took about five minutes to net that five bucks.  I did it while watching tv.    Virtual paycheck is 60.00 an hour.  Gone are the days where you get ten magazines and flip through them looking for something that is a coupon for actual food. Cohponong has met up with the electronic age.  There are digital coupons, and printable coupons.  The others appear in your Sunday paper that we get at the DT or in the mailbox,   A few seconds and you can flip through and cut the few that you are going to make use of.   The people that think it's really time consuming, , I'm suspecting  don't multi task.  

My husband watches the microwave microwave.   While the microwave, microwaved yesterday for two minutes, I swept the kitchen floor.    Time management  skills.   Involving a child teaches them something, and saves cleaning up the mess they are making while you are working,    😂

Personally, I don't can.   I am too afraid of killing off my family!     I do freeze, and dehydrate.  I dehydrate and out things in clean canning jars and use the food saver to pull the air out. It's a good way to preserve bulk things that you find aren't being eaten fast enough,    It takes less room, lasts longer than freezing, and takes less hands on time.  I can pit vegetables through the food processer and slice them. Place them on the trays, plubmthe dehyrater on and walk away,    Children can put vegetables on drying trays while you run the food processer.  

Freezer meals :  freezer meals take a block of time.   I can see where if you were young and had the stamina, you could cook  all day and have dinners all month,  I went to a class on that,   Personally, I think it might work to have some meals at the ready for emergencies,   I have a small freezer and don't want to take up freezer space with anything that doesn't have to be frozen is my only hesitation.
With the insta pot, I can throw ingredients at it, some dried, and program it and walk away in less time than it takes for me to walk down to the basemeat and get the freezer meal.

Batch cooking - buying a select few meats in bulk at RBP and cooking when appropriate or cutting into manageable, portion controlled meal sized packages is a way to save a lot of money.   More bang for your buck .    Pork chops can  be close to three dollars a pound, or youmcan spend ten minutes cutting them from a pork loin and get them for 1.50 a pound.   More meat, less money.   Chicken breast withnribs is the same price or less here than thighs and legs.   Pretty much, about .88 is the cheapest chicken you are going to find,   Our family isn't too much dark meat eaters, so, if I take less than an hour and de-bone chicken breasts we are money ahead,   Boneless, skinless  chicken breast is 8.00 a pound,  split chicken breast is .88 a pound.   I can de-vine six breasts in about 30 minutes and throw the bones in a stockpot with veggie ends and some herbs and water and cook them off for broth and pick the meat for another meal or two.   All this takes about an hour and a half actual hands on.
Virtual paycheck : 42.00.
Hamburger can be cooked and de-fatted for crumbles and/ or taco meat.  The savings here is not on the money, bi more on health.   I am a firm believer that we need some beef on our diet.   De-fat   low fat hamburger is easier and you are more likely to do it in bulk.    I wait till I get 7 percent fat hamburger for 3.28, or I find lean steak for about 3.00 and grind it ourselves.  

Finding simple meals that are scratch, but don't take a lot of time or money  is key.    Pinterest is full of them,   Bear in mind, you do want somewhat healthy  : low fat, sugar and salt.    That and portion control is paramount.    Lower your budget and your weight at the same time!   Win win situation.  Add some veggies to your diet and cut the three portions of meat.   Corn is a starch, not a vegetable.  As is sweet potatoes and winter squashes.    I learned that in diabetic school.  
A half a cup of pasta is a portion,   Load it with  vegetables and meat!   Try soup and bread for a meal,   A hearty soup is cheap and fills you up.   It's easy to make a cornbread or a loaf of beer bread,  or a loaf of artisan bread- cheesy biscuits. Some soups  are easy in the slow cooker or insta pot.

Pick what efficient cooking works for you.  If you spend more of your allotted time e for dinner on the table function on shopping and planning and less time cooking, your food budget will be better off and you can still have balanced good meals.

Tuesday notes

Let's talk about making a go to personal cookbook.   Some recipes we have committed to memory,   It's not too hard to make meatball subs.    A lot of savory dishes are not that technical and don't need a particular  recipe,   Like how hard is it to split a hogie roll, scrape out some of the  insides, save them for bread crumbs,and fill them with warmed , BBQ sauced meatballs.   Your meatballs are either Armour, or homemade .

Recipes usually come from the internet these days.   There are letter sized plastic sleeves sometimes  at the dollar tree.   I finally bit the bulletin and bought a box at Amazon because it was cheaper .   I can get two recipes to a sleeve and the recipe doesn't get dirty during cooking.   I keep a few recipes on a magnetic clip on the side of the fridge.   I can see them that often.

1. Refrigerator bread dough 
2. Pizza dough 
3. Rice crispy treats 
4. Refried beans in the insta pot.   

Three ring binders are easily found, I have bought them at garage sales, the goodwill, and at the dollar tree.    My granddaughter is more than happy to draw pictures to slide in the covers.    LOL 

I still.have a binder from the 70s.    There are some recipes that I still refer back to, like the mixes .   Some of them are clippings from women's magazines because we didn't have internet back then,   I can't believe we have the technology now that we have vs what it was "back in tue day".  oir  greatgrandmothers would be amazed; yet somethings have never changed.   

-my meal plans are on a clipboard folder that I got at target,   It works out well, and imhave a pocket for recipes I need for the weeks meals, a perishable  list to check off , and a tablet for notes,   I recently reassessed the cost of bulk essentials: flour, oatmeal, beans, rice.   Bulk foods should be things you eat a lot of that won't go bad before you use them up.  We buy beans at the DT.  They are a dime a pound more than Costco bulk purchases, but we wouldn't eat 25 lbs of pinto beans and they would go to waste.  In that case, we wouldn't be saving anything,   At this writing, DT is the cheapest I have found.    Kroger is the most expensive.   

Keeping track of food costs helps to reduce the cost of meals.   We are working on the assumption that we are on a four dollar a day per person budget-- the amount they say snap is based on.   We actually are eating on less than snap.    The caviar here is that granddaughter is small, and we are old.   A younger, more active  family would eat more. They also, would have a larger allowance for food.    The best way to tell how close to reality you are is to look at the USDA stats of cost of food at home.    They are in the internet.   Last I looked, we were at a hundred dollars for my husband and I . We have been spending less than 55.  This month was 50.00.   About 1/2 price.  Eating well doesn't have to cost a fortune.    In fact, cutting out the foods that are bad for you can actually save money and teach your children good habits.  When they see you drinking a so. Pack of pop a day, they think that is normal behavior.    It's teaching them a bad habit.   

Having a personal cookbook is an easy way to refer to the recipes that are too complicated to remember off the top of your head and makes life a little easier.   If I had to try to remember where  a particular recipe was and find it before I could  make it. I probably  wouldn't bother.    

Monday , kitchen management 6/ 26/17

kitchen management for June 26

Kitchen management saves time and hassle when the hectic dinner hour comes.   You are using less space in the frodge because  you aren't cooling the inedible parts of the veggies and the bones of the meat.     That sound trivial unless you are stocking for the future when  things are cheap.  

1. Clean fridge, wash ice maker catch basin, 
2. Wash veggies for salad 
3. Mark meal plan to thaw chicken 2 days ahead 
4. Make sub rolls 
5. Straighten pantry. Take inventory 
6. Wash kitchen floor 
7. Disinfect sinks
8. Deep clean the stove. ( drip pans ) 
9. Find recipe for stuffed chicken 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/16682/feta-cheese-and-bacon-stuffed-breasts/

Dollar Tree Hacks (DT)

My father used to say, it cost the same to keep the top end of the gas tank full as it does the bottom end.   

• Keep one ahead of those things that you can't love without, but don't see that much better f, catsup, mayo, mustard........
• This is a big one.......buy a 4 pack of toilet paper from the dollar tree.    Put it in the very back of the cupboard.   When you reach the "emergency rations " it's time to buy more.  And, don't believe everything you hear.....Costco toilet paper is very good quality.     
• DT small plastic boxes are a great organizational tool to make your freezer more accessible , or assemble bath items for the shower.    
• Stacking crates are good for things in the pantry.    It makes things like pasta boxes or small cans easier to store.    
• I keep scissors all over the house.   Small ones in the bathroom to open cartons.   A pair of scissors belongs in my coupon binder in a zipper pouch for clipping in ad coupons.    Naturally, the desk, and kitchen scissors are a must.    And, of course, the studio.   
• Glass bottles with booze stopper tops at the DT are good for olive oil, vinegar, and dishwashing soap.    I keep my soap on a bottle that looks like a fish that had wine in it.    I buy dawn so it can't be confused with oils.    
• DT place,acts for the patio are washable and add a splash of color to the table.    
• Betty Crocker kitchen tools are exceptional for the money,    I also got rolls at IKEA that were a good buy.   Love Betty Crocker kitchen shears.   I have several pairs because I want to put anything that touches raw meat through the dishwasher, opened.    
• Individual drawer organizers are great for hair things like barrets and ponies.   
• Canning type  are great for storage and organizing,    Theyndint seal likemcanning jars, but are fine for "stiff" you need to keep together,   

Anything that contains little pieces is a great help in killing the chaos monster.     

Meal plans - June 26

Meal plans for June 26.

I bought feta cheese because it was in sale at Costco.about 40 percent off.
First, I went over the basic perishable food list to take inventory,  
I keep a small stock of things that we use in a regular basis and usually keep one ahead of things like mayo, mustard and catsup.    I got on that habit when we lived out in farm country and it was eight miles  to the nearest store the next town over.    You didn't just run to the store to get a little something in the middle of cooking dinner.  Besides being exiensicenti buy it that way, it was nit convenient woth a Baby!

Meals : working on a matrix of 1 beef , 1 fish or seafood, 3 chicken or Pork, and 2 vegetarian,    Having a vegetarian meal or two really cuts your cost of meals.

1. Chicken parmesan, green beans 
2. Pizza 
3. Meatball subs, salad 
4. Enchiladas, Spanish rice , lettuce and tomato 
5. Feta and bacon stuffed chicken breast 
6. Pot luck: salad ( spinach, strawberries, feta, walnuts,) 
7. Breakfast for dinner 

Meals are not listed in any particular  order.   

.

Winco and QFC (Kroger)

QFC has a buy six, save three sale.   Most of the time, those sales are t a real bargain in,sea you can match with coupons.   I bought six, saved six.

4 Ragu pasta sauce.    Sale 1.99 less .75 coupon 1.25 net
2 milk at .99 one reg, one chocolate.  .99'each


Store calculated savings 56 percent
Spent seven, saved nine


Winco

Fries , 5 lbs. 3.18
Sandwich bread 1.18
Rolls for meatball subs .76
Street taco shells (24) .98

Sugar free BBQ sauce 2.98

Olives .68

Blue bunny ice cream 3.00 w coupon

Frozen vegetables .74 w coupon

Armour  meatballs 1.98
Tomato .74
 Total 19.77

Total per week for 2 quarter.   53.00

Fred Meyer ad for Sunday

Sunday's ad for Fred Meyers (Kroger)

Cantaloupe .99
2 lb strawberries 1.99
Pork shoulder roast 1.69

Best foods mayo.  2.99. $$
Hillshire Farms smoked sausage 2/5

Peaches 199

Nathan's hot dogs 2/5

Cottage cheese, sour cream 4/5


About it.

Coupons worth noting in Sunday's paper

Ritz snack crackers at FM 3/5 : .75 off two.    1.295 each.  
You don't have to buy three if you don't want to buy three.  

Coupon for sure jell if you are making jam

1.00 off Birdseye or c and w veggies
 50 off any dole canned fruit,
.50 off five  yoplait yogurt.  

Note Winco wanted .69 for Yoplait.
I paid .23 with a coupon last time including chocolate.  

And who says coupons are only for garbage food.