Healthy and three squares

First of all most children  eat lunch at school that are on snap.    We happen to send lunch with granddaughter because she goes to two schools.  

Breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal, cooked from scratch in the microwace and a banana.   The oatmeal costs  .10 and a banana costs .12 for a quarter.   - seven days is 1.75 - based on Costco prices.   The dime was when oatmeal was ten dollars for ten pounds,   It's now 8.00.   Bananas are 1.39 for a three pound bag that many times is 3.5 pounds.  

A breakfast English muffin with a fried or scrambelled egg would be about .21.


Lunch :   Hummus and crackers and or veggie sticks, a piece of fruit. A bottle of water or herbal tea.  


Snack - air popped popcorn.  

Dinners are mapped out on other blogs.    A cheese pizza from scratch is a dollar.   You can add veggies and be well under.  

Homemade soups are well under a dollar for several servings.   Bread sticks are about a quarter for a full cookie sheet minus somemherbs.  

All the dinners on my blog cost out to average less than five dollars for four people. Most less.   It's when o add a fish or steak that is higher, but some more inexpensive meals average it out.  

When I had teen boys, I always had certain foods that they knew they could eat all they wanted to if they were hungry,   With my son  it was beef and bean burritos , popcorn, peanut butter and jelly , and  the veggie sticks in the fridge.  

It's nit what you eat, as much as finding the RBP ( rock bottom price ) on the things you eat on a regular basis.   Once you identify what those are, find who has the cheapest prices.   Buy any non perishable staple item, onkymat a RBP and buy enough to last you until it goes on sale again, or to last you a specific amount of time, when the shelf gets low, start watching for a sale.  

I have target process ( nothing to do with the store with the red balls ) if something costs more than my target price, I have to have it really bad and there isn't a substitution for it.

Use coupons, use a web site like Ibotta.   Learn prices and develope recipes that use inexpensive sources of protein.   We dont eat much  steak, lobster, asparagus, .....

Meat : I try for two dollars a pound,   I can get Foster farms for a dollar  for whole chickens and 128 for split breasts.  I de-bone the breast to make boneless, skinless chicken breast and cook the bones for stock and harvest the meat for tacos or a cassarole.  

Ground beef for 7 percent fat is about 3.28  if it isn't and I can find any other piece of low fat beef, I grind our own - or,mrather, my husband does it,  LOL.

Pork loin is about two dollars a pound on sale.  

More information other posts.  

Note I wrote this blog to help people eat healthy as they can on a foirmdollar a day budget.  Many use it for hacks and ideas for a different dinner.  I don't have ads because I just want to help.  


Hope this helps.

PBS take on feeding the hungry

I just read a piece in Facebook about the "new White House's take in food stamps and kids getting free lunches at school.....Ryan seems to think  it's deplorable.  

 It's a passion of mine,    I don't think any child should go hungry.  Children should not suffer the insecurity of having no food in the cupboards.   I can't feed every child, but I can teach people how to stretch their dollar, eat square meals and not junk food and always have food in the pantry.    I can't seem to get anyone to help me spread  this word.   I think the minimalist movement thinks that having more than two tubes of toothpaste in the cupboard ism"hoarding". The television show, like the couponing show has given people the wring impression.   It is reality tv: it's greatly exaggerated to keep you watching,    It's NOT real.    

Groceries on the cheap is a different way of purchasing  food.    It works.   We eat well on three dollars a day,   We don't eat creamed chip beef on toast, or rice and beans every day,   We don't eat a hamburger meal box , or top ramen and potato chips for dinner.    Last week we had wild caught salmon with lemon  sauce, rice medley, and gingered  carrots.   Last night we had homemade pizza with red peppers, mushrooms, black olives and pepperoni.    The day before we had quiche with sausage and mixed berry compote.   

The last three months, I spent  61.00 and change a week on food, average for three of us.   I'll admit I'm not feeding teenagers, but I have maintained a pantry on that money too.    It can be done.   It can't be done without effort, but I can be done.  

Yesterday I spent three hours on kitchen management,    It was more intense than I usually do, but I had mixes to make and a more labor intense meal plan this week.   I usually have a few easy Peasy  meals.    I also filled the olive oil bottle, the soap bottle, cleaned a cupboard. And grated parm cheese while things were cooking and loaded the dishwasher.   It should take about four hours a week to meal plan, study the ads, shop, use a rebate tool, and prep.    The reward is eating better for less, less preservatives, fat, salt, and sugar, and teaching your children that food doesn't come out of a box.    

Happy 😊  eating!   

Happy 😊 Wednesday

Happy Wednesday.  
We did not get any ads yet, QFC is the same as last week and I didn't get Alberways.   There are good coupons on coupons.com.

Kitchen management is a tool that enables you to cook more efficiently and hekos to make the hectic dinner hour a little less hectic.    Basically you set aside a block of time when it isn't hectic to prep anything that can be preped  ahead of time.  

1. Clean out the fridge and pull anything that is close to loosing its prime.   Check pull dates so that you can incorporate it into the weeks meals,   Waste not, want not,  
2. Go over your meal plans and adjust if you need to.  It helps of you have a list of things that use things that are typical must use ups- like sour cream  in this house. 
3. Jot down things that need to be prepped on each meal.   And group them.   We hacemcarrots in the menu a couple of times, so I'll slice carrots and pit them in a container.  Refried beans can be made a day ahead.  Pizza crust and bread sticks can be made together, so that tomorrow's soup and bread sticks are well on their way to becoming a meal.  
4. Make any mixes you need to replenish.  Doing one a week makes light work.   
5. If you have children, let them help with anything they can do.   Small children can help with anything that doesn't involve sharp or hot.   My granddaughter is 4. She can butter and season the French bread.  She can pulse the food processor and make bread crumbs.  She can stir. She can roll pizza crust and fill the pizza with some supervision.  It's good for their  self image, theyncan kearn to wash their hands and use proper heigene,  and eventually, they will be able to cook a meal on their own.   Even small children can work at something.  It keeps them out of trouble while you are cooking  and engages them.   I saw a u tube where even two year olds were taking the seeds out of squash.   

If you can be efficient, you can spend less time cooking scratch and your food will be healthier, and you can make time to coupon and plan trips to make bestmuse if your food budget.   You get paid for shopping wisely with savings,  you don't get paid for cooking -- unless you count happy  tummies! LOL. 

Budget

Our average amount spent in the past three months is 63.00 a week including building the stock,   That's about three dollars a day per person,   Last night we had lemon glazed salmon, rice medley, and ginger carrots.


Fred Meyer ad   TOMORROW

Avacados or mangos .99
Oranges .69
Ground turkey -Foster farms

Kroger Cheese - variety of packages   4/5 a -- 2.50 a lb if you buy 8 ounce packages
Sour cream / cottage cheese 4/5@@
Barrilla pasta  1.00
Dijorno pizza 4.99 -$$ buy 2. Get one free coupon on coupons,com
Kroger sliced ham  1.49
Apples 1.49
Berries 2/4
Romas .99

Notes :
Please note : cooking on the cheap does not mean you have to eat unhealthy foods.
Heritage farm poultry products  are Tyson.  
There is tsp in some cold  cereals.  We used to sell tsp at the paint store to clean.   It's highly toxic when used as a cleaner.   The FDA says it s water solvable salt and Safe in small quantities.    You be the judge.
There is wood pulp on Parmesean cheese product.   Don't buy cheese in a can.

Quick!

It's that time of the year when your busy life just got busier.    Decorating, wracking presents, parties, kids Christmas programs.     If you have really easy and inexpensive dinners up your sleeve. Life just got a bit easier.

1. Quiche  aka impossible pie.   The bisquick or Betty Crocker on line has many recipes.   Last night I used akreadyncooked sausage, some cheddar cheese  and the egg mixture from the cookbook.  An 8 X 8 pan makes serving  easier.   Add some fruit as a side.    Time - 10 minutes non passive time. Cooking ground meat, bought in bulk and de- fattimg it saves time and is more healthy.   
2. Foster farms chicken nuggets can be cheap when you have coupons and sales.   Add French fries or tater tots and a salad.    
3. Tacos can be a fast meal when you already have the meat cooked on bulk.    That andnhest in microwave while you chop lettuce , and dish cheese and tomatoes.    
4. Bake hard rolls ( dollar store ) , better than bouillon with hot water in sauté pan.   When bit, add meat for a few seconds - more time can  be disastrous!  simple garden salad.   
5. Right now, digiorno pizza is five dollars at Freddies.    There is a coupon for buy two, get one free at coupons .com.      Makes the pizza $3.33 each. Shouts decorare the  tree party to Me!  Lol.  

Dump cake

Peach dump cake

1  large can peaches, drained, reserving liquid into glass  measuring cup.  
1 - six ounce package raspberries.
1 yellow cake mix, about 15 ounces
1stick butter.  

1. Place drained peaches and raspberries in greased 9 X 13 pan,   
2. Add 1/2 tsp of cornstarch per cup of peaches to reserved juice,   Stir to dissolve cornstarch,   
3. Pair into pan.  
4. Sprinkle cake  mix over filling
5. Melt butter in microwave, pour over cake mix.    
6. Bake at 350  for 40-45 minutes, or until cake is done,   

Serve with whip cream or ice cream,    

1. 
   

Sunday meal plans

Yesterday, imcleaned oit the freezer in the fridge and cleaned the food storage cupboard, shelf.   ( along with cutting off all the old lights off the Christmas tree because they wouldn't work anymore.    We need a new Christmas tree, but I'll wait until next year.    Maybe after Christmas sales.  

I digress

Meal plans

1. Tacos, refried beans, Spanish rice 
2. Pizza 
3. Garlic potato soup -- dump recioes 3 in 1'cookbook , bread sticks 
4. Tuna casserole. Peas and carrots . Rolls 
5. porcupine   meatballs, salad 
6. Mac n cheese, glazed carrots 
7. Breakfast 4 dinner 

1. Taco meat is already cooked on the freezer, refried beans from scratch to be made in slow cooker or pressure cooker, Spanish rice is rice with salsa.    Lettuce, cheese tomato.    
2. Homemade pizza crust - coupons,com has pepperoni coupon, pepperoni is sometimes at the dollar store.  I haven't matched that brand yet. Pizza sauce also at dollar store, put on ice cube tray and freeze and pull out what you need,   
3. Garlic potato soup.    Done on stove, total time - 40 minutes.    Bread sticks are From pizza dough 
4. Tuna cassarole, drained tuna, peas and carrots frozen, himemade white  sauce mix,   Noodles.   
5. porcupine  meatballs are meatballs with rice.    Tomato and cucumber salad on lettuce 
6. Mac and cheese made with white sauce mix , glazed carrots.   
7. Make muffins,    

Pork roast

Pork roast is one of the bulk meats that I have on my rotation list.   In order to maximize economy  and minimize work time, buy meat on bulk, enough for a months worth of themdays you will  eat that meal.   In other words, if you will eat pork once a week, you want to buy enough for four meals.  

A pork loin is one of the meat I buy in a rotation basis,   We have three meat eaters on thenfamiky, so I buyna half loin when it it less than two dollars a pound.  You can cut he ends that aren't perfectly flat and make stew meat for stew, meat pie, or tacos.   Then slice some pork chops, that leaves  a roast.   I use leftover roast for sandwiches.  


Slow cooker Roast Pork Loin

• 2 lb pork roast 
• 1 T dry onion 
• 1 small can of diced tomatoes 🍅 Undrained 
• 1 small can diced green chillis 
• 2 T brown sugar 
• 2 teaspoons taco seasoning, 
• 1/2 tsp better than boullion or beef granules 

Place roast on skow cooker 

Combine ingredients and pour over roast.  

Cook on lownfor 8-10 hours or until Pork is tender and tests done,   

Easy.    Add rice and a vegetable or salad 

Book reviews !

I bought two cookbooks this week.   Both are dump cookbooks.    Some of them  use a lot of premade  canned ingredients.  Don't let that turn you off, you can always substitute them for scratch,   Often with little to no effort.  

The basic idealology is that theyncook in one pot or slow,cooker,or...and save time.   These days, there are recipes for just about any mixes you might use in a regular basis on the Internet.  Making them can be a good REAL math teacher for children or grandchildren.   Knowing fractions and converting to cups etc is a good thing to know.    I read years and years ago that by,now, we would be taking vitamin pills instead of eating.   Didn't Happen!    Don't think it Ec DR will.   Eating is a social and primal instinct.

Dump Dinners by Cathy Mitchell - 250 recipes. Kohls with a 20 percent discount. 7.99.  Last I checked, it was double that on Amazon.  

Lots of quick tips to get you out of the kitchen faster.    Recipes I had forgotten .  It's always,nice to change things up and cook something different or forgotten.  

• Mushroom rice pilaf 
• Porcupine meatballs - my mom used to make them 
• Crunchy cracker stuffing ( crackers getting stale?) 
• Several quiches - good brunch dishes 
• Apple coffee cake - no cans here.   
• Chicken, bacon and ranch pizza 
• Chilli Mac 
• Chicken broccoli and rice 

The only thing I should tell you is that there isn't a picture for every recipe.   You'll have to use your imagination.    If something doesn't sound good to you, don't make it,   If it has a very expensive slice in it, try leaving it out or skip the recipe.

Favorite Brand Name Dump Recipies , 150 recipes - about twelve dollars at Amazon.    

Dump soup, cakes, and dinners.    

As the title implies, many are recipes with premade  things,    As before, you can sometimes easily adapt.    

 A lot of dump cakes. 

A lot of chicken recipes 

 Marvelous soups to satisfy the most picky gourmet.   

A lot of gourmet type  recipes. Not all of them take a box or can.    All are fast and easy. 

Note 

I take no money for this blog.   I am not sponsored by anyone.  The opinions are just that, my opinions.    I am here solely to help people eat well for less.   A lot of people , it was being reported to me, were finding it hard to eat on a meager budget.    I learned how and are passing on my knowledge.   On the process, I am  finding readers that read this because they like the hacks, or finding out who has the cheapest turkey, or or something different to cook for dinner.   

Thanks for stopping by 

 

  

Getting it all together.

getting groceries for 1/2 to 3/4 off takes a bit more time than running to a store and buying what looks good to you.  Mind you , there is, nothing wring  with that method is you can afford it,   But, if you are feeding your family as well as you can in three or four dollars  a day, it takes some planning and usually shopping more than one store.  Shopping two stores give you the luxury of two sets of produce to find the best prices and quality. And two sets of good prices on the stock items you use in a regular basis.  

Making a penciled in meal plan first and noting what you will need to complete your meals is a good first step along with a quick read to the sale ads.  I have a form that speeds up the process.  

Go shopping with a list of things  you need and the things that  you need to add to your stock.   Get on and get out. It helps  to go to the same stores so you have a good idea of where things are so that you aren't wasting time looking for things. If you don't have a dog, don't go down the dog food isle,   Skip to the next isle.    

My average cart load is about 25-45 dollars.    I buy for three of us,  

The only  time it is necessary to spend  any time planning your trip is when you are doing an extremes coupon thing with a   buy Four, save four  type of sale.  Then, sometimes you can get as much as seventy eight percent off.   That takes matching the things you need with coupons and or a basket coupon,   Basket coupons usually require a specific minimum purchase total.   Going over hat figure is not  to your advantage.

After spending a little more time planning and shopping, you can make up the time by cooking  more efficiently.

Planning a shopping trip saves money, efficient cooking saves time,   

• Go over your meal plan and jot down what prep you will need.   Note the things that you can do buy bulk prepping,   For example, we are going to have gingered carrots one night, and chicken pot pot one night,   Both require sliced carrots.   I can break out the veggie slicer and slice them all.   They are ready for me in a deli container when I need them.   
• You can Prep veggies and clean them with vinegar water all at the same time.   You set up once.   And clean up once.  
• Dinner can be a matter of putting dinner in the oven or slow cooker and walking away.    
• You can prep that,nights dinner while you are cutting veggies.   Then it's a matter of putting it in the oven or microwave and you're done,    

A hour or two of Oreo can save a lot of time during the hectic dinner hour,   Rarely do I need to spend more than fifteen or twenty minutes cooking dinner, sometimes it's closer to ten.    

When cooking dinner, look at your plan,   What takes the longest time to cook.   What can you "set it and forget it." .   Do the longest cook time first.   Plan meals so that the whole meal isn't labor intensive.    If the main dish is labor intensive, pick easy sides that can be prepped during kitchen management day or prepped while the main dish is cooking.   

Alberways ad and QFC

There is a digital download  to your card for

Buy 50-99.99. Get 10 percent
Buy 100.00- 149.99 get 15 percent
Buy 150.00 or more get 20 percent,


They, however do not have a lot of special buys,

Top round London broil 2.99. A pound,  

Mandarines 2.99

Milk1.99@@
flour 1.99@@

Coffee 5.99


That's about it.   If you aren't going to be able to use the digital coupons, it's not that good.
Milk and flour are the same price at Fred Meyer.   I got pork chops for 1.50 a pound,  they were more like pork steaks. The ones that are cut from pork loin are better.   Some people, however, like the bone on.

It still remains that Fred Meyers and Winco are better prices.    A lot is cheaper at Winco, but certain things are better traditionally at Fred Meyers.

• English muffins are always 1.67 for a very large bag.    
• Canned diced tomatoes are frequently .50 
•  Milk is a dollar on a rotation basis.   
•  Vegetables are cheap, but so are some of Winco s 
•  Pasta goes on sale frequently , more than Winco

•   Chicken 🍗 breast with ribs , Foster farms,  it was running around a dikkardollar,  the last time I got it , the price was 128.   Still cheaper than the six dollar a pound boneless , skinless chicken breast.   

Winco has cheaper

1.  Black olives. 
2. Green chilies
3. Pasta sauce 
4. Meat

1. Buns 
2. Instant potatoes 
3. Frozen potatoes 
4. frozen veggies 
5. Bread
6. Bakery specials 
7. Meatballs.   

QFC


Peppers  99
Ham, spiral cut 1.69
Oranges .77

Buy 4. Save 4
Orowhear bread 1.99
Butter 1.99
Kroger ice cream 1.98
Sausage 1.99
Sparkling cider 1.49
Berries 2/4 ----cheaper at fm
Pears .99

Costing meals

Costing out a batch of pizza dough.  Crust is flour .16, yeast .015 cents.   Water, salt, too small to cost, and 2 teaspoons  of olive oil I'm guessing to be .05.    Total cost.  .22.   Add 1/5 of a pizza sauce can at a dollar ( dollar store) .20, and a cup of cheese 🧀.50.   .92.  

When doing your kitchen management, set aside things in a freezer bag that go on your pizza.    Put veggies on one bag and cooked meat in another.    (Or separate bags.  ).  For very little money you can feed your family their most favorite meal for next to nothing

Pepperoni is a dollar at the dollar store for the same brand that is 1.69 at Winco,   Probably more at other stores.  You can a,si add veggies that you have or ham cubes, or canned, drained diced tomatoes, sausage, olives ( sliced olives are cheapest at winco .58.

You can use bits of things saved and cover a pizza for little money.  

Granddaughter loves to help, of course, the pepperoni just might be placed in the shape of a happy face?    LOL.

Actual time making bread dough is about ten minutes tops.   It takes a standing time in between the actual time of making dough and patting or rolling it into the pan or into a circle of you have a pizza stone.  

Kitchen hacks

It's  kitchen management day, so I thought I would share some kitchen hacks that make getting food on the table a little easier.   You are more inclined to cook scratch if it's efficient and easy.

1. Meal plan.    So much time is saved not worrying about whars for  dinner.  You can look at it first thing in the morning, or the night before and act accordingly.  Do you need to take anything or take something out of the freezer or prep anything ? 
2. Of you make something daily or almost daily, leave a measuring cup in the canister.   It takes a half a cup to make oatmeal in the microwave.  You just save a step.  
3. Having a container or crock on the counter with utensils saves looking for something in a drawer,   It's at your fingertips.   
4. A tray with  the things you use everyday is also  a help.  If you have a small kitchen, make it a  small tray.   Olive oil in a bottle with a bar stopper, or I've seen a condiment bottle , a small set of mesinplaus bowls, salt and pepper.   
5. When baking, gather all the ingredients and place them on a tray.  Take them off the tray when you use the item, and place it on the counter.   You never have to wonder did I use that already or not if you get interrupted.   Like that's ever going to happen ??   It also saves steps.   
6.  Putting all of one kind of thing in the fridge saves time looking for something.   An organized door shelf is a great help.   Dairy on one shelf.  
7. Develop a personal cook book of recipes your family likes and that are easy and quick.   You can use a binder, dividers, and plastic sheet protectors.    All easy to get at the dollar  store or goodwill.  
8. Recipes that you use real often can be placed with a clip ok the fridge.  If you don't like looking messy, out them in the side.   You can copy pages out of a book or the instruction manual for an appliance.   
9. Batch cook bulk meat when it's on sale at a RBP.   Ground meat makes, meatballs, taco meat, crumbles, Salisbury steak.   Portion control and freeze.   Make enough to serve that meat a certain amount of times for a month,    Already cooked meat saves a lot  of time at dinner time. You can. For instance, put speghetti sauce on to cook, add meatballs and let simmer after you pit the pasta on to cook.   I cook the pasta on the microwave, no stirring, or watched pot.   Salad ingredients can be cut and washed on prep day, and bread can go on the oven while everything else is cooking.   In our house, my granddaughter is responsible for the bread.  She's out of trouble while I cook the rest and dinner is parcially made and she's learned something.    
10. Using your meal plan affords you the luxury of prepping anything hat can be prepped during one session.   If you are going to have veggie sticks at a meal and want to put some in a child's lunch, Oreo all of them at the same time and place me in a container,  it's faster when you do. I'll cooking and prepping,  everything is out and you can do one cleanup.    When it's dinner time and hectic, dinner is made in a matter of mo items and you have time to relax or supervise home worl or just listen to how work or school went for your family members.    

 

Meal plan

meal plans for week of November 28

• Beef barley soup ,   Parmesan peppercorn French bread
•  Pizza , green salad 
• Mac and cheese , peas and carrots 
• Chicken pot pie 
• Steak . Oven roasted russet potatoes. Gingered carrots.  
• Baked salmon w lemon sauce. Rice medley, minted peas 
• Breakfast 4 dinner

Notes : 

1) beef cubes were on sale for 3.28 a pound at Winco.   Cutting them in smaller cubes and portion controlling the larger package saves money and waste.   Making smaller batches if you have a smaller family helps too.   Bread can be made in bread baker. Often you can get them cheap at thrift stores.   Or use a standard French bread recipe and add grated oarm and cracked oepper ( 3/4 teaspoon for a large loaf) . Beef barley soup has stock, carrots ,celery onion, chopped garlic and meat cubes.  Cook in pressure cooker or slow cooker.  An hour before serving, add the barley and a grated russet potato .  If using the pressure cooker , switch to skow cooker  mode.  

2) homemade pizza crust, pizza sauce can be made by using part of a small (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce and adding Italian veggies, using a couple of  spoons  or so of pasta sauce if you are having pasta soon.   Or, pizza sauce is a dollar at  the dollar  tree and you can freeze it on ice cube tray and dump the cubes in a freezer bag.   Take out what you are going to use.   To thaws quickly on the counter, or you can defrost it in the microwave a few seconds.  The brand at the dollar tree kids at many grocery stores for 30-150 percent more.    Add veggies or olives of choice.   Pepperoni is also at the dollar store, major brand.   Sometimes you can find coupons,   

3) peas and carrots frozen have been on sale lately and there are coupons for them.   So much for the argument that the only thing that has a coupon is junk food.    Lol.  Mac and cheese is scratch.   Macaroni in the blue box is at the dollar store. The most you should pay is a dollar.   Often with sales and coupons it can be as low as thirty eight cents.   

4) chicken pot pie.   Frozen chicken breast, cut in cubes, peas, carrots. Potato, cream sauce (scratch) -top with a pie crust or bisquits.   

5) grilled steak ( Winco had it for three dollars a pound ) , oven roast wedges of russets with olive oil , sea salt and pepper.    Sea salt is the pink stiff and is at the dollar tree for a fraction of Costco's offering,    Cook sliced carrots, add butter and a little ginger.   

6) bake salmon, season rice is a homemade mix of rice , chicken s tock, and herbs.   

7) breakfast 4 dinner,   Eggs continue to be cheap.   Some lady back east found them at Aldis for .28 a dozen,  a dollar for 18 os the best I've seen in the PNW.   Berries are really cheap at Fred Meyers his week.   Add pancakes, waffles, or English muffins (.cheapest  at Fred Meyers) and you have balance.  

When making meal plans, a guideline is a protein, a starch, and a vegetable.    Your plate should be 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch  and half vegetables.  Aim to maintain balance.   

Fred Meyer ad for tomorrow

Fred Meyers ad for tomorrow.    Just in case you are getting sick of Leftovers yet.....

Berries 4/5
Angie ground beef 10 percent 349

Peppers, eggplant ,99
Cucumbers 2/1


Milk ,99

Evaporated milk 1.00
Gold medal flour 2/4 ( 5 lbs)
Cream cheese 4/5
Brown , powdered sugar .99@@
Choc chips 2/4@@

Notes : now is the time to buy baking supplies for the year.    They are usually at their lowest price, and the closer to Christmas you are, the higher the price.   If you wait until you really need it, the price will be higher.   As long as what you are buying is not perishable, stocking is to your benefit.   You may see low prices around Easter again.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.   I pretty much stayed out of stores, went to the dollar store and the Winco.    The  grocery store was like a ghost town.   The only thing that I missed was that they had no sour cream.   Fortunately, my husband went next door tomsafeways while I got what I needed from the dollar store.    Granddaughter needed mittens,  hers were too small and she donated them to the women's shelter.   I never knot or buy expensive mittens for small children that go to school and daycare.   One teacher cannot keep track of ten little people's mittens,  they are easily lost. I cry less when I laid a dollar for them,  children need to take responsibility for their possessions, but I'm not going to spend big bucks while they learn.  Lol.

Please note, heritage farm chicken is Tyson and southern grown.  

Black Friday

Nothing black here. We are having a second thanksgiving.  Yesterday, we had a quick and easy one with our immediate family.  Granddaughter set the table.  I refuse to battle crowds to shop-- too much stress.   I made Christmas cards for people on nursing homes, and will address our Christmas cards.

Leftovers?   5 things to do with leftovers.  

1. Take a meal to a single person that can't cook a big meal or would just live a leftover meal and went out.   
2. Turkey soup
3. Turkey with cream sauce and spaghetti.  
4. Turkey sandwiches 
5. Turkey over dressing with gravey .  

Oops. Need a desert! Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving 

Pumpkin dump cake .......easy, Peasy, a child can do it!    Just remember child cooking rules : nomsharp, no hot.   LOL.  

Pumpkin dump cake 

1 angel food cake mix 

1 - 15 ounce can of pumpkin 

1 T pumpkin pie spice. 

Mix. 

Dump in a greased 9X13 pan 

Bake at 350 for 45-50 monutes or until dome when toothpick on center comes out clean.    

Easy Peasy . I would swevemwith whipping cream.   Maybe a touch of cinnamon?    

Wednesday - thanksgiving eve

Thanksgiving is the one time that we go all out and I just buy at the lowest cost all the things that mean thanksgiving.    I will make pie today or tomorrow,  we are having a small turkey roast because only four of us  eat turkey.  

This isn't  it prolly the most popular thing I've said on this blog, but, I tell it like it is.     One of the reasons some people have a huge food bill  is, frankly, they eat too much.  This just causes two problems-- their food bill is high and their weight  makes a health issue.  Now, I realize there are teen children that burn what they eat.


 But, if you are eating two loaded pizzas for three people, you are probably eating too much. Stick to the recommended daily allowances unless your doctor has told you different.   There are certain things, I just can't eat, according to my doctors.    I still keep to a therapeutic diet and keep on a small budget.    Serve a salad with your pizza.    You will fill us, and have less carbs.  

Of your recipe is for bigger portions than you can eat, or should  eat, make less.  
I recently started measuring out the pasta  and making a half batch of Mac and cheese, or casserole.  My daughter doesn't eat it, and that leaves granddaughter, my husband and I.    Waste not, want not,  

There are ways you can get more fiber in your diet,   I try to get pasta with vegetables in it or with double fiber.    Fruits and veggies have fiber  in them.   I buy good whole wheat bread.     If you serve a quarter of your plate protein, a quarter starch, and the rest salad and veggies. You will be better off.  

I lost sixty pounds, just watching my carbs.  I read labels,    Look for the serving size, the amount of carbs and subtract the dietary fiber.    I'm rarely hungry and maintain my weight.  

Terrific Tuesday

Yesterday, I made dinner with my camera along for the ride.   Not much response,   Please comment so I know of that is something you want to see.

Eating good, healthy meals on three dollars a day is doable,    It is not a piece of cake.   I spend more time on the front end, shopping and planning, and less time cooking,    Yesterday took two hours, but that was because I took pictures and had problems  with the reader.  Normally, that could have been done in less than a half hour.  Once you have a routine, it gets faster,   I started the dough first so that it could be doing its rise while I cooked the carrots and celery and put the ingredients in the slow cooker pot.      Multi tasking is a way to get out of the kitchen fast.   I found things to do while the bread was baking,     Like the dishes-- a novel idea.....you mean some little elf does the dishes while you text!    LOL.   Wishful thinking!

My husband and I decided we would like the breadsticks better if we made them a little smaller so that they would be thicker.  Either way, the cost,  not including spices, is about forty cents.  

The soup can have cooked sausage added.  It's cost is about 2.25.    This makes a full six quart  pot.  
So, for less than three dollars, you have dinner and enough for lunch the next day, provided you have the proverbial  family of four.  

Picking a balanced meal plan so that you can average costs makes it possible to stay on budget and have a more expensive meal at times.   We had steak the other night, this week, we will have wild caught salmon, we can still stay within budget.    Adding breakfast 4 dinner is another inexpensive meal to afford a more expensive one,

Quick basics.

1. Use up bits and pieces.   Find a way to use up those small leftovers.    Frozen veggies are sometimes fresher than fresh ones because they are packed soon after they are picked   You can take out as much as you need and return the rest to the freezer,  canned veggies are a bit harder to use up.   
2. Never pay full price.   The reason why the soup is as cheap as it is is because The RBP on them is fifty cents for tomatoes and beans.   The retail on them is more like 1.59.    It makes a big difference. This is a go to fast meal.    Otherwise, you could have cooked the beans first.    
3. Stock when things are at a RBP if they are something you use on a regular basis,   
4. Plan to have a few pick up the pieces meals up your sleeve for the days when everything falls apart and you need to pick up the pieces and move on,   It saves you from the take out, pizza man demons,   
5. Use everything available to you to cut your cost for food.   You can use coupons, rebate sites such as Ibotta, and take advantage of sale prices.   
6. Slow cookers, food processors, and pressure cookers are tools that make life in the kitchen easier.   Please read all the safety tips and remind yourself of them periodically with a pressure cooker.    Some people have been burned bad, I suspect because they didn't buy a good pressure cooker and didn't use it properly.  Make sure you allow it to depressurize fully before you try to open the lid,   It should be impossible to open the lid without it being ready,    Do NOT allow a child, even teenager, to use a pressure cooker.    If you manually depressurize the cooker, use a wooden spoon handle and put a dish towel over it.   It is HOT steam.   Open the lid away from you.   
7. Check pull dates before you leave the store and before you use anything,    Somethings  are ok after the pull date, some not.  Don't necessarily use the pull date as a benchmark to throw everything away.  Try to buy things that you are not going  to use immediately with a far out pull  date and control your stock to what you will use in less than a year.   Some things, like pasta. Has an eight year shelf life.    I wouldn't eat it eight years old, but I wouldn't throw it out if it looked ok and was a week or two past  it's date.   We throw away far too much food and sometimes it is just because our adult children think the pull dates are etched in gold.   I would be wary of anything acidic and meat or fish.   I would not be upset over cornmeal or a pasta salad kit.   Cake  mixes could have their leavening agents go bad -- but not on two days.   

Use your common sense.

DInner : step by step

Dinner : step by step

Bread sticks

1. Place 2 cups of flour in food processor bowl 
2. Add 1.5 tsp of dry quick acting yeast 
3. Add 3/4 tsp of table salt 
4. Process a minute or so to combine ingredients     
5. Measure 6 ounces of hot water ( 105-110 degrees f, ) 
6. Add 2 tsp olive oil. 
7. With processor running, add hot water mixture through the tube.   
8. Process until the dough forms a mass.   
9. Turn out onto a flour covered board or counter and knead just enough for the dough  not to be sticky and make a smooth ball.    This could take more flour if you are in a wet climate (Seattle? ) 
10. Pour  a little olive oil on a small bowl and cost up the sides.   
11. Place dough ball in bowl and turn to cost it with the oil.   
12. Cover and place bowl in a warm place for at least 10 minutes until the dough doubles in size.   
13. Turn onto the counter or board and press down and po or roll into a baking sheet with sides.   
14. Brush with olive oil or butter. And sprinkle with desired toppings, we use sea salt, parmesean cheese and herbs.   
15. Bake on 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the bottom is cooked.   
16. Remove from oven, let cool five minutes and cut into fingers.   I cut about one and a 
17. quarterinch slices the short  ways and in half the longways.
18. 
    

Place flour in bowl 

Measure yeast 

6 ounces water with 2 tsp oil 

Pour oil through tube while machine is running until ball is formed

Place ball into oiled bowl and let rise.   

Ball in pizza pan.  And flatten , sprinkle with ingredients 

Baked bread sticks 

SOUP

Soup in slow cooker pot 

Ingredients plus stock. 

Soup 

1. Chop 2 small carrots and a celery rib
2. Cook in skillet with a little olive oil until soft.   
3. Meanwhile, in slow cooker insert, place: 2 cans of diced  tomatoes, 2 cans of beans, 4 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable) 1 T of Italian seasoning and the carrots and celery.    
4. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.    
5. Serve with croutons or parm cheese.    

Meal plans And more

meal plans for week of November 21

1. Vegetable soup. Breadsticks 
2. Salmon, rice medley, peas and carrots 
3. Chicken nuggets, French fries, vegetable sticks, 
4. Thanksgiving : turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, dressing, cranberry sauce , pickles, olives, celery plate 
5. Leftover turkey
6. Speghetti and meatballs, salad, breadsticks, 
7. Breakfast 4 dinner 

1) vegetable soup is done in the crockpot or pressure cooker.    Breadsticks is pizza dough that is soread into a flat pan with sides.    Soread with melted butter or olive oil and sea salt and herbs.    

2) salmon ( frozen) rice medley ( homemade seasoned   rice mix , peas and carrots.   

3) chicken nuggets, fries, veggie sticks 

4) family thanksgiving : 

5) leftovers - 

6) speghetti was fifty cents, meatballs are foir pounds  for 7.50 at Winco, sauce is always .88 or use coupons to get it on a glass jar for close to a dollar.    Pasta sauce premade  is cheaper than scratch, as is the  Meatballs,   Bread sticks are scratch,   One batch does two mealsmfor us,    Easy, and quick, children can help.  our granddaughter (4yo)  owns it!    At this age, I let her do anything that isn't sharp or hot.    

7) breakfast 4 dinner,    We do this once a week,   Eggs at this point in time are cheap.    Enter toast, pancakes or waffles , and fruit and you are set.   Or a quiche and a fruit plate or mixed greens salad with fruit.    

Feeding a family for 4.00 a day requires meals that average five dollars for the probverbial family of two adults and two school aged children.    

Groceries on the cheap takes a different perspective on grocery shopping.   Instead of going to the grocery store and buying just what you need to get you through to the next "payday" leaving you on a lurch if payday is late or you're not abke  to the store. You buy to to replenish  your reserves.   You , after you get up and running, buy 1) a protein that is at a RBP, enough for you to have that protein ( meat) a specific number of times on a month ( portion controlled ) .2) produce you will need to fill our your  menu plan, 3) a months ( check pull dates ) worth of dairy, or the amount you can use before the lull date)!thst you may need to add. 4) a RBP stock item, enough to replentish  your set stock  amount.    

See how to begin posts.   You never pay full price, use coupons and rebate web sites to get the lowest possible price on almost everything you buy on a weekly basis.   You go to two stores.    This affords you about twice as much food as when you just shop.   It affords you the luxury of always having 

food in the pantry.    You are covered if an emergency happens, anything from being sick, having a sick child, or that ugly s work in the PNW.   Lol 😂

I am  not going to tell you that this is a walk in the park.  It takes some effort to get started.   Once you are up and running, it should not take you any more time.    You spend more time planning and shopping, and less time cooking by learning how to cook scratch efficiently.   Some people read this blog just for this.    I scour everywhere I can for the easiest scratch cooking recipes I can find,   The tricks that make you get out of the kitchen faster.    I'm retired, I do it because I have health issues and don't want to be on my feet all day.  When I was younger, it was because I was holding down two jobs and had a family and home to care for.    

My food expenses for the last 15 months averaged 70.06 a week.   The USDA stats for thrifty cooking for my husband and I is almost a hundred dollars.    And, I have amassed a stock with that budget.   That's about 3.00 a day.   The basis of snap is four dollars a day.   This affords you a back up plan for emergencies.   It's my opinion that no child should suffer the feeling of having nothing in the house to eat.  I hav no sympathy for teenagers that think there's nothing in the house to eat because they may have to cook something! 😂 

Teach your children to cook.   They don't have mandatory home Ec in schools anymore I hear.    It's a necessity if life,   Many young adults in college don't know how to boil an egg.     It's a life skill everyone needs,     Raided the fact that if you are otherwise tied up with something, a preteen should be able to fix a simple dinner.    We were baking by the time we were nine.   By the time a child is 13 they would be able to make a basic meal.    It's good for their self image.  And, when they are younger, it keeps the, busy to cook with you.   You can supervise their time and get dinner cooked too.    My granddaughter can butter French bread and sprinkle herbs and parm cheese on it.   She can roll pizza dough and with supervision, paint the pizza  sauce. And sprinkle cheese  and set pepperoni.  

She knows she needs to wash her hands.   She can stir and operate a closed food processor.   Anything that doesn't involve hot or sharp.   She can graduate to that when she has a bit more coordination and is taller.   It's the old Native American adage about fish.    Something like give a person a fish and they eat for a day,   Teach them to fish and they eat a lifetime.   

 

Fred Meyer ad

Kroger turkey .49 with 50.00 purchase
Foster farms turkey  1.49
Ham 1.69
Park loin roast 1.99





Butter 2.50
Crackers 3/5$$
Fryers 2/5@@


Cranberries 2/4
Yams .99
Celery .69
Berries 2/4

Cooking a chicken

I have recently read an article about cooking chicken, especially whole chicken.   The article said not to rinse the chicken.   The insides especially can have germs.  

My two ways to cook a whole chicken.  I usually , if possible tag team with my husband or daughter, I touch the chicken, and the other person touches everything else.  You need to disinfect everything that has come on contact with raw meat or your hands when you have just touched raw meat,  

This is another reason why batch cooking a months worth of chicken meals is more efficient.   A months worth of chicken  meals does not mean 30 meals.   It means ifmyoumestmchicken twice a week, you will be cooking enough chicken , portion controlled, for 8 meals.  

Slow cooker chicken
Open package of chicken .  I do this in the sink into a colander,   Imcut the end off the big and place it upside down into the colander and pull the bag off into the garbage.

Prep the slow cooker  insert by peeling a rough chopping an onion , or two if they are small and placing them in the bottom of the insert.  

Place chicken breast side down in the cooking insert,   Rub chicken with a dry rub.   You can find recipes for dry rubs  on the Internet.   Or, use seasoned salt.  

Place the insert into the slow cooker, cover and turn on high .  Cook the chicken on high for an  hour PER POUND.  You will be left with a cooked chicken and broth,   Chicken should read 180 degrees with a meat thermometer.  

Every precaution has been taken to assure the safety of cooking,   Use your own judgement,   Wash everything the raw meat and you touch after touching the raw meat  thoroughly with a disinfectant.    Wash your hands often.   Disinfect your sink.

Second way of cooking a whole chicken.  

Open package of chicken into a colander in the sink. Stuff whatever you have laying around in the cavity short of a kids dirty sock. A peeled onion, an orange, an apple, a lemon.  

Place chicken on roasting pan on a rack and oil it with  olive oil , then sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Roast in a three hundred and fifty degree oven until the juices run clear and itmhas an internal temperature of one hundred eighty.    I use a thermometer with a probe.   You set it to well done chicken and it beeps at you when it's done.  

Be sure to remove your stuffing,  

Again, wash everything that has come in contact with the raw chicken except thembaking own that will be on the oven,    Wash your hands often,  

We tag team so one person touches the chicken and someone else touches the salt and pepper shakers and olive oil bottle.   Wash your hands before placing the pan in the oven.  

I use a glass cutting  board,  it tough on knives, but you can disinfect it and it's non porous.  



 

5 things you can do with enchalada sauce.

Lately, I have got enchalada sauce for 3/1- 10 ounce cans at dollar tree and grocery outlet .  The dolkar tree  ones are old El Paso.  

That encouraged me to look for ways to use enchalada  sauce instead of other tomato products.   I also found tomato broth granules  at grocery outlet cheap.   I saw them at Winco at four times  the price.  

1.  Chicken enchalada  soup ( pinterest) 
2. Mex sloppy joes 
3. Chicken enchaladas 
4. Beef enchaladas 
5. Taco soup 

Warning: political essay.

So, the election is over......not quite yet..

The kkk, KGB, and the FBI rigged the  election.  Every time Mr, Trump accused someone of doing something, he was really telling all what he was doing,  

He who dumps load in pants , accuses someone else of smelling of it.

This is not our America.   Our America isn't governed by the kkk, the white supremestists, or the KGB.   That is not what the majority of people, democrat or republican want.

I don't think that Mr, Trump had envisioned that either,    I think he just didn't think things out.   Remember back when you were a child, you would do things and not look beyond the obvious.  

The kid that got onto the pudding you made for desert, had chocolate all over his face, and lied that he didn't do it.    The kid that changed his report card, not realizing that he was going to have his mom sign it and return it to the teacher.    Lol.  

I don't think we should march in the streets and burn the flag or hurt people or property,
But, let's not roll over and play dead either.  

What's happening is not what America needs to do,   We don't need to be divided by hate.   We don't need to be governed by radicals and by people that don't have the same belief system as we do,   I'm not talking about christians or atheists -- religion.   I'm  talking about what this county was founded on.

We need to know what and how deep the connection that Mr, Trump has with Russia and Putin.   Is that not a conflict of interest at best?.    Call or write  your favorite station or newspaper.   Asking the FBI to investigate the connection, if any between the hacks and Trump is like the proverbial asking the fox  to guard the henhouse.  The major stations have very good investigative reporters.

Write your elected officials and let them know that you don't like the way this all played out.
Our democracy has checks and balances.   Our founding fathers planned it out well.    Use it.

This is America, it's not Hitler's Germany. It's not Russia, and we are not bunch of hate mongers.

Stand up and be counted or don't whine when we have lost all our rights.  

Wicked Wednesday,

I'm done shopping for the most part.   If you wait until thanksgiving to get your ingredients, you are going to lay a higher price.    Case in point.   A few weeks ago, I bought stove top stuffing for a dollar.    It's more than that everyplace I looked this week.    Planning ahead almost  always gives you a better option.  There are times odnthe year when  things that are rarely on sale are on sale.   That's the time to stock up.    Picnic supplies and BBQ condiments are best around the summer holidays and baking supplies are cheapest at thanksgiving time.  


I did know a family that gave money for Christmas and celebrated the day after by shopping the sales.  


Winco haul

One of the meals we are going to have on a crazy day is chicken sandwiches, French fries or oven roasted fries and veggie sticks,    I bought hamburger bins for .88.   There not as big, but anplus for your carb levels.  

Canned green beans are still .33 I just replaced what we used.  

I got four pounds of meatballs for 7.48.    Considering even the cheapest ground meat is 3.00 a pound , that's a lot cheaper than scratch.    Pick your non scratch things carefully.    It's always best to scratch cook, but sometimes having a dinner on the freezer is preferable to going out or getting take out.  
We all have crazy days from time to time.  

There have been no yoplait coupons lately.   I got 8 in a case lot for 3.58

That's about it.   We filled in from the Fred Meyer ad.  

Alberways

the only ad  that I have received

Alberways

Free turkey with your 150.00 purchase
Clementines 3.88
Spiral ham 188
Butterball turkey 1.69
Cheese block 2 pounds 4.99@@
Crackers 3/5@@$$
Yams, broccoli. Cauli. .99


Grocery outlet
Hills bros coffee 4.99@@
Pork loin roast 1.79




About it.  
As far as I have found so far the best turkey price  is .49 with a 50.00 purchase at Winco,  

Stretch your budget between paydays ?

The way to stretch your food budget between paydays is to not be in a position of being in dire need of finding the grocery store.   If you have to have something, you are at a disadvantage.   You are going to have to pay full price.   That is why poor people stay poor.    The system is rigged for the rich.   But, you can beat the system.  

I basically, feed three of us on less than the USDA stars for my husband and I.   Basically, for 70 percent of it and I have a back up stock of food.   A large back up stock of food.   I might not have that much, but I know that I'm goimg to have major expenses the last quarter of the year.   Mostly Christmas, taxes, and medical.    I cannot get fifty percent on my money any other place.  

It takes looking at your grocery shopping from a different perspective.   It won't happen  overnight if you don't have an influx of money.   But, it can happen.  You can do it one can at a time.  

Steps.   One step at a time.  

• Start by reducing drastically your consumption of snack and junk food.   That can be 25 percent of your food budget.   Buy popcorn and a air popper.   Make inexpensive   muffins.   
• Find the TWO stores in your area within a five mile radius that have the cheapest prices.  In our area, it would be Winco and Fred Meyers most of the time. 
• Go through the ad and find the basics for meals that are at a low cost.   This is usually produce on season and usually you can find a so called loss leader protein.  
• Pick a protein that is a remarkable price.   Here, I can use under two dollars a pound for my benchmark.   The one exception is good ground beef, and that is closer to 3.00. Buy enough to have that meal for a month.   Example : if you want beef once a week, imwoukd buy enough for four or five meals.   When I got home, I would cook it and de-fat it, and portion control it for the freezer.   
• Buy whatever you can that's inexpensive, maybe eat vegetarian a couple of meals, to get you through.   Your object is to , in rotation, buy one RBP protein a week and buy enough for a months worth of that meal.  
• Decide what proteins your family will eat, make a list.   Ours is pork ( 1/2 binkessmpork loin 1.69, whole chicken or split chicken breast that I debone and make broth from the bones, hamburger (7 percent ) , fish, cheese, beans.  
• Develop a matrix that fits your family for meal plans.  Ours is 1 beef, 1 fish or seafood, 3 pork or chicken, and 2 vegetarian.   That makes meal planning easy and quick.  You do need to have a plan.  It saves a ton of money and stress.   
• Now that we have tackled the two most expensive catagoriesmofmyourmfoodbill. We need to tackle the rest.  Research the RBP of the stable items you use to make your meals.   Everyone has ten or so go to dinner options their family likes.  List your ingredients and do a price list so you can find the RBP for those things.  Everyone has a it's of 10-15 items that they buy on  a regular basis. We eat a lot of Tex-mex and Italian.    Our list would be pasta, pasta sauce. Green beans, diced tomatoes, beans, rice, mild chilies.  Know the RBP of these items, whaeveryour family's list  is.   We are more worried about the things we use in a regular basis than that can of cranberry sauce we use once a year.  
• Getting started, when one of the things on your list is a RBP, buy as many as you can afford, as many as you have decided you need to stock, or as many as they will let you ( limits) . I respect their limits and ask for them to allow me to buy more if I am trying to fulfill a list for the food outreach.   
• Pretty soon, you will have a stock built, you won't be on a position to desperately have to go to the store.   You will be able in a pinch to get by , at least for a few days.   
• With a stock built, you go to the store to 1) buy your rotation protein. Some weeks you will buy two, some weeks you wont buy any.  It's driven by the market.    2) dairy.  Buy a months supply of anything with a far out pull date that is a RBP.   3) produce you will need to fil out your meals preferably in season,   And 4) any stock item that you are short  of and is a RBP. 

Use coupons, Ibotta. And RBP to enable you to get the lowest possible price on the things you need.   

Fred Meyer haul

yesterday's Fred Meyer haul

I did buy safety pins.   My understanding is that people are wearing safety pins to show solidarity against the hate that has been stirred up in recent months. Nothing good can come out of hate and negativity.  

1. Milk was a dollar a 1/2 gallon.   
2. Frozen entrees were .88 - I always keep a few things to supplement a dinner that granddaughter won't like or is inappropriate. What's nit to like about chicken nuggets and mashed potato happy faces.   Lol.  
3. Frozen veggies were .69 a pound 
4. Frozen fruit was 2.50 a pound   Fresh berries were 2.00 for six ounces and did not look good.   
5. Pork bourbon meat balls were 2.50 - a fail, they were rough and didn't taste good either   
6. Good mandarin oranges were 6.99
7. Broccoli was .99 a pound.  I've seen better, but it wasnt bad.   
8. Cranberry sauce 1.25 
9.  Bacon  bits 2.00  considering the fat is gone, it's probably cheaper than messing with the fat.   
10. Pronto elbow macaroni was 1.25 and I had a dollar coupon - nets .75 each 

That's about if for food.   

The mandarin oranges were a splurge.   There were cheaper ones,  it considering the amount of waste when you deduct the peel for small oranges, I'm not sure they are worth it.   Besides the fact that that is a lot of peeling for a couple of bites of orange.  

Meal plans

meal plans for the week of November 14. Not necessarily im chronological  .  order.  

1. Chicken sandwiches 🍔
2. French fries or oven roasted vegetables 🍟
3. Vegetable sticks 

1. Pizza 🍕
2. Green salad 

1. Chicken enchaladas 
2. Rice 

1. Vegetable bean soup with parmesean cheese garnish 🍲
2. Bread sticks 

1. chili 
2. Beer bread 🍺

1. Tuna casserole 
2. Broccoli , steamed w lemon 🍋 
3. 
   

1. Breakfast 4 dinner 🍇🍑🍞🍳

Fred Meyers ad

Thanksgiving ad for Freddies.  

Turkey .49 when you buy 50.00 Fred Meyers
Turkey free when you buy 150.00 Alberways
Turkey at Winco will match prices. I don't know if there is a minimum purchase.  There wasn't last year.  


Spiral ham 1.69
Breast of turkey 1.69
Broccoli .99
Milk 1.00

Tillamook cheese 3/5@@$$
Idahoan potatoes .87
Berries 2/4
Mandarines 4.99
Pears .99
Cranberries 2/4
Cream cheese, jello, pudding 10/10
Pumpkin 2/3 Libby's
Evaporated milk .99
Cranberry sauce 2/3

Pie 3.99
Ice cream - tillamook 2/7
Frozen fruit 2/5@@kroger sausage or meatballs 2/5@@

Ten things not to buy at the grocers

Ten things NOT to buy at the grocery store : ..some ever......

1. Pop, soda. It's just bad for you.  So,e studies say that the fizz leeches calcium from   your bones.    It's empty calories.   Even if it's zero calories. You are not getting nutrition for your buck.  .     I have recently changed  my sloppy Joe recipe not to include ketchup  .   Most ketchup   has high fructose order to serve as one of the ingredients. This is not good nutrition.
2.  Personally hygiene items. Those things are the moneymakers for the grocery store. You're better off by name brands from the dollar store or big lots. 
3.  Everything else that's not food. Impulse buys  prostitute 70% of a Market Basket. Many are high profit items which means you're paying too much. 
4.  The things that my mother used to call peanuts popcorn and cracker jacks. And other words junk food. That's a good source of protein. Air popped popcorn from scratch is a good snack.    But already popped  popcorn,  crackers and Potato chips are expensive and not much good nutrition.    
5. Out of season  produce. You're going to pay more money  and less quality. Four instance, right now in the Northwest we are getting  raspberries and cranberries. Strawberries are past their prime and more expensive.     Used trade-offs. Buy something with the same nutritional contents instead 
6.  Most single packaged items. Would you buy single packaged items you're creating more garbage for the landfill  and your pain sometimes almost double. 
7. Anything  with high fructose corn syrup , high concentration of sugar, high trans fats,  or hydrogenated oil. Fake butter  sometimes has hydrogenated oil's. If it's not olive oil, or canola oil in its  ingredients don't buy it.  You're better off with a moderate amount of butter. Recently I was able to get a mixture of butter and canola oil for the same price as butter.    Coconut  oil has more trans fats that a beef steak.    
8. Most processed foods.   Be a label reader.   The ingredients on the nutrition label are on order of volume.  If you  are buying potatoes, potatoes should be the first item on the list.    Elite have to read the label once.  If it doesn't cut the mustard, delete from your list.     Look at the  fat and carb level per serving. Glance at the serving size. Is it realistic. 20 g of sugar  Per serving is too much for a child. Some juices and sub fruit cups have 20 or over grams of sugar.  
9.  Most meal boxes. They may be quick but honestly you can't make it from scratch just about as fast. The bill box my daughter and I dissected  had a little over 4 ounces of pasta  and 1.57 ounces  including the tare weight of cheese sauce mix  that had no cholesterol in it.    I have never known a cheese I didn't like, and I have never known a cheese without cholesterol.   LOL . The ingredients read like a Who's Who of additives and preservatives.    It's better, cheaper and faster to make scratch.   You still have to add milk and meat.  And, when I  did the math, that "cheese"  sauce cost $13 a pound.

scratch pizza crust

• The last week has been a waste.  It's time to move on.   

QFC has their buy 10 sale this week as well.   Spaghetti is .50 - a good time to stock.   .50 and a .88 can of pasta sauce makes a cheap and fast meal.   You can make bread sticks from pizza dough.  

Pizza dough can be made easily on a food processor, but it also can be made by hand,   You barely have to knead dough from the food processor.    In the time it takes to go to the store and buy the door, you can have dough.  

Pizza dough, quick and easy.   In food processor bowl with the plastic blade. put

• 2 cups flour. ( spoon into cups and level off   
• 1.5 tspoons actove dry yeast ( Costco or bulk at Winco) 
• 3/4 tsp salt - regular table salt 

Turn on the processor and blend for a few seconds.   

Pour into a glass measuring cup

•  six ounces of 105-110 degree water ( hot  but not burning 
• 2 teaspoons olive or canola oil 

Pour the water and oil mixture through the tube while the processor is running.   Mix until the dough forms a ball.   

Turn the dough onto a flour covered board and knead until smooth.   Add enough flour to make a dough consistency.  In our climate I have to add flour in the fall and winter.   

Firm into a ball and place in a small bowl that has been lightly coated with oil.  Cover and let rise on the counter until it doubles in size.   This should take 10 monitesmin a warm,itchen, or longer in a cooler kitchen.  

Pat or roll flat to for, a pizza crust.   We bake the crust  at 400 degrees on a sheet pan, or on the pizza stone that has been primed with corn meal for about 8 minutes, then take it out of the oven and fill with sauce, cheese, and toppings. 

Return to oven and bake until the crust is done and the cheese is melted.    

This makes one crust.   

Bread stick option.    

Pat dough into a sheet pan about nine by thirteen.   

Brush with olive oil or melted butter

Add sea salt. herbs, and or garlic 

Bake until done , about   Fifteen minutes.   

Cut into fingers about an inch and a half wide crosswise. And in half lengthwise.   

This is a recipe that cost about  forty cents.   

Cost of speghetti with meat sauce and bread sticks ?  One dollar and seventy  eight cents if you buy on sale in bulk.   

Add green beans (.33) at Winco or a salad .    

Shopping?

I haven't shopped since Monday when I went to the dollar store, grocery outlet, and Costco.   Costco was for meds.   I did buy a Christmas gift and some cranberries and raspberries.       Grocery outlet netted coffee, and tomato broth and no sugar added  pears for  granddaughters lunch.  

The dollar store netted some Christmas decor, pounder glasses, enchalada sauce, glass jar of peaches,

Not much there.    We don't need much.    I have been purchasing a supply of old El Paso enchilada sauce because it is 3/1.00 at dollar tree.   It has come out that catsup has high fructose corn syrup on it and I am trying to stay away from that.   My sloppy joe recipe called for catsup.   My new one calls for enchalada sauce and taco seasoning.    Also, I bought no sugar  added pear cups  the granddaughter for her lunches.   They were six for a dollar  and a half.   That is better than the jar of peaches because with onky one child in school, we would waste fruit if I opened a jar for one school lunch.    Regular fruit cups have over twenty grams of sugar EACH.   That's way too much sugar for a child.   In contrast, I am allowed forty five carbs for an adult full meal.  

If you oit a box of apples juice  and a tub of fruit in a child's lunch, they are getting far to many carbs, most of which is coming from sugar.  

It's a fine line to buy your food for half price and still make sure you don't have too much salt, sugar, and saturated or hydrogenated oils or fats.  

Once you have a reasonable set of dinner recipes , your mealolans and dinner cooking should be a snap.   Most people have ten to twenty dishes that they make in a regular basis.  

Our recipes tend to have the same group of ingredients.   Listing them and their RBP is the first step in groceries on the  cheap.    I, not so worried about what I spend on that can of cranberries that inbuy once a year.    It's the can of diced tomatoes that I use at least once a week that creates a large impact on my bottom line.  

The ads

QFC was a two week ad last week.   The buy 10  sale is still on.

Alberways has its thanksgiving ad out.  Like usual, holiday ads don't usually reap a lot of good buys. They figure you are going to buy this stuff anyway, it's tradition, and they dont have to give a lot of bargains.  

Free turkey if you soend 150.00.  That a mighty big floor.   It yet to be seen if the prices are low enough for that to be worth your while.   Use just 4 you coupons electronic

Ham 1.88
Naval oranges .88
Canned veggies 2/1@@
Butter 199@@
Stove top .99
Cranberry sauce .99

Digital only .49 for tuna

Frozen pumpkin pie 2/7

Five dollar Friday

Shrimp
FF breaded chicken - $$ for 3.75 off of three

Progresso soup ,99@@$$
Dreyers 2,99@@
Ritz 3/5@@
Cake mix .99@@
Cranberries 2/5

That's about it.  I would suspect that Fred Meyers will have a better turkey price, we won't know until Saturday.   Winco usually matches.  

What you can do with 20.00

Let's pretend, I'm broke, I have twenty dollars and martians have wiped out my grocery supply.    What do I buy to get by until payday.   Based on dollar tree  and grocery outlet and two people.  

1. One and a half pounds of pinto beans 
2. A pound of rice 
3. 2 pronto pasta with a coupon.    (1.00) 
4. 2 .cans of pasta sauce.    
5. Pizza crust 
6. Package of tortillas 
7. Eggs
8. Package of brown and serve rolls 
9. Box of oatmeal 

That's ten dollars 

Grocery outlet 

1. Grated cheese - white and yellow or Mexican blend 
2. 2 cans of tomato paste ( .80) 
3. Lettuce 
4. Peppers 
5. Apples 
6. Milk 
7. Bananas 
8. Tomatoes 

Makes 

Speghetti 

Pizza 

Quesedas 

Rice and beans 

Burritos 

Oatmeal 

Eggs

Salad with eggs 

What you can do with 20.00

Let's pretend, I'm broke, I have twenty dollars and martians have wiped out my grocery supply.    What do I buy to get by until payday.   Based on dollar tree  and grocery outlet and two people.  

1. One and a half pounds of pinto beans 
2. A pound of rice 
3. 2 pronto pasta with a coupon.    (1.00) 
4. 2 .cans of pasta sauce.    
5. Pizza crust 
6. Package of tortillas 
7. Eggs
8. Package of brown and serve rolls 
9. Box of oatmeal 

That's ten dollars 

Grocery outlet 

1. Grated cheese - white and yellow or Mexican blend 
2. 2 cans of tomato paste ( .80) 
3. Lettuce 
4. Peppers 
5. Apples 
6. Milk 
7. Bananas 
8. Tomatoes 

Makes 

Speghetti 

Pizza 

Quesedas 

Rice and beans 

Burritos 

Oatmeal 

Eggs

Salad with eggs 

Fred Meyers haul

Fred Meyers had a lot of veggies on sale.    They also had two rotation meats on sale.   I just happened to have plenty of rotation meat.    I have four drawers  in my side by side freezer.   I marked them with a marker: beef, chicken, pork and fish .    Some bins are short but they have overfkow  others.  

Total of Fred Meyers haul was 31.34.    I bought a lot of produce , probably enough for a couple of weeks.

3 boxes of crackers ( holidays ) were 3/5 and I had a .75 coupon,  
Stove top stuffing was .99.
A box of ham slices 3.00

The rest was produce / veggies

2 frozen , 2 pound bags of French fries.   2/3

Grapes
Naval oranges
Raspberries
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Celery
Apples

A good rule of thumb is that a quarter of your plate should be protein, a quarter starch, and a half vegetables or fruit.  

The first thing I am ever asked when someone hears that infeed is on three or four dollars a day is. Do you eat fresh veggies.    The answer is yes.    We have had fresh fruit all summer.   We always have carrots and celery.  I add other veggies as we need them.   I also have canned and frozen veggies.   I operate on the food pyramid.  I have tried to avoid lots of salt, sugar, and fat, especially hydrogenated oil and trans fats.  I have always opted for the middle of the road-- a safe place unless you are, quite literally  driving a car.   LOL.

Meal plans for week of Nov 7th

Meal plans 

1. Breakfast 4 Dinner ( we have an abundance of eggs @ .05 each) 
2. Pizza 
3. cajin chicken pasta , bread sticks 
4. Salmon patties , rice mix , green beans 
5. Chilli, beer bread 
6. Chicken tenders, French fries. Carrot and celery sticks 
7. Sausage, bean, and vegetable soup , leftover beer bread 

Notes : 

1. Eggs are about five cents  each when you get them for 18/1.00. Averaging a really inexpensive dinner with a more expensive one, keeps you in budget, but affords you  some luxury too) 
2. Homemade pizza crust cost about .40.   Pizza sauce costs a dollar at the tree and is he same brand and size as other stores.    Freeze on ice cube trays and take out just what you need.   (.20) cheese is still two dollars a pound,    A cup of grated cheese is 4 ounces or .50.   Total 1.10 
3. Cajin chicken pasta , bread sticks ( make double batch of pizza dough.   Spread dough on a baking sheet and top with melted butter, salt, garlic , and herbs. After baking, cut into sticks.  ) speghetti was .50 at QFC this week, chicken breast is 1.28 at times at Freddies and I De-bone  it and cook the bones for the meat ( casserole or pizza ) and stock. Diced tomatoes are .49 at QFC.    
4. Salmon patties are at Winco - a bit pricy or you can make them from amcan of salmon and egg and breadcrumbs.    Rice mix is homemeade with  chicken stock and herbs.  Green beans were .33 at Winco.   
5. Chilli in the crockpot. Beans cooked in the pressure cooker. Beer bread is a 4 ingredient quick bread.    
6. Seasoned chicken tenders. Homemade oven fries. Celery and carrot sticks.    Potatoes were .20 a pound, chicken tenders were 1.25 with coupon in bulk.  
7. Sausage was 1.50 a pound on sale with coupons. Beans cooked on the pressure cooker, tomatoes were .49 at QFC and .50 at Freddies.     Celery and carrots.   Leftover beer bread . 

Corn bread can be substituted for beer bread .    

The ads

Fred Meyers

Gala apples .88
Russet potatoes .88 ( 10 lbs. )
FF chicken .88


Cottage cheese/sour cream 4/5@@
Stove top .99@@
Ragu  2/3


Pork chops 1.47
Half loin 1.99

Raspberries 2/4
Mandarines 4.99
Romas .89

Meal plan help

One  of the things you can do in order to make meal planning quick is to make yourself a master list.  

Divide a paper in sections and head a column with the main protein ingredient or the type of dish .  
And list diner ideas.   Then, when it is time  to meal plan with a matrix  and the list it should be a snap.  

Eggs 

Quiche
Scrambled
Omlettes
Muffin sandwiches
Hard cooked eggs for chef salad



Cheese 
Mac and cheese
Burritos with beans
Toasted cheese and soup
Stuffed potatoes
Pizza


Chicken 

Chicken noodle soup
Chicken BBQ thighs
Chicken, rice and broccoli casserole
Chicken pot pie
Buffalo chicken pizza




Pork 
Ham quiche
Ham and split pea soup
Poor chops with apple bread dressing
BBQ pork sandwich
Pork roast
Sausage bean soupsausage and oven roasted root veggies


Ground beef 
Speghetti and meatballs
Tacos
Enchaladas
Burrito
Meatballs
Stuffed peppers
Meatloaf
Hamburgers
Sloppy joes
Mexican sloppy joes
Cowboy speghetti

Soups 
Vegetable bean
Chilli
Split pea
Potato
Chicken noodle
Beef barley
Clam chowder
Seafood

Fish
Tuna casserole
Salmon burgers
Salmon
Tilipa
Clam chowder
Crab cakes
Fish packets

QFC haul

The weeks groceries - this isn't about me talking about what I buy.    This is to a) let you know if you are in the Seattle area, what's on sale, and give an example of how groceries on the cheap buy groceries with a different mindset than other people.     Most people buy what they need to get them through until the next paycheck,    Groceries on the cheap has a different approach,   You buy what osmat a RBP, and buy enough to last you intel you can find another sale.    What you buy in any given week is different than the week before with the exception of the basic produce and dairy.  The object is to never pay full price.   So you can spend four dollars a day and eat like you spent eight dollars a day.  

Fred Meyers and QFC are both Kroger stores.    QFC typically has higher prices.     Except of they are running a huge sale.

At QFC. I spent 36.59 some of which was not food.   12.00 was Kleenex, freezer  bags and pasta I took to the food bank.    Nets 24.59
At Fred Meyers.  I spent 35.11, but was overcharged 4.29 to be returned.  30.82

Total real food 55.41

Foster farms chicken frozen cooked : retail 7.00, sale 4.99 less 3.75 coupon nets 3.75 for three bags full, about 5 meals.    Certainly less than two dollars a meal.

Butter : 2.50 less .50 coupon.   Is 2.00 for a hybrid that reduces the sat fat.

Diced ham 2.00 - another bargain that makes two meals




Cream cheese 1.25 - holidays are coming

Chocolate milk .99

Powdered sugar, brown sugar .99 each - holiday baking

Grapes, broccoli.


QFC
Cake mix   .69
Butter 2.00
Raspberries 2.00
Pumpkin pie 2.99
☃️Ice cream comes 349
Progresso soup .75 w coupons

Del minute diced tomatoes .49 ( nite if you buy seasoned tomatoes, it saves. Ones because you aren't using your slices and it saves time too.

Basis     I bought ham cubes for quiche and split pea soup.    I bought 21.00 worth of ez chicken for 11.21 -- a good save for when mom just is too sick to cook or sick of cooking LOL.

I stocked for holiday baking,  

I bought raspberries, broccoli and grapes to fill on the produce.  

I bought 18 eggs for a buck.  - another couple of protein meals.

I  ought  chocolate milk for a treat for DDG.


If you don't deny yourself everything, you will stay on budget a lot longer and not be tempted to stray.   A list and meal plans and planning your trip helps to keep you on track.  

We eat well, we eat normal food, we just eat what's on sale,    Buying your food at 1/2 price affords us a  70.06 a week budget that feeds three of us and stocks a pantry and freezer.  

We are heading into a no spend month or six weeks to cover the donut hole.   I am going to try to just buy dairy and produce.    We'll see how that works.  

The ads

QFC

Honey crisp apples 1.99
Berries 2/4


Buy 10, save 5
Butter 1.99 $$
Progresso soup .99$$
Milk .99
Stove top 99
Hummus 2.99
Pillsbury cake mix .69
Pasta .49
Ragu 1.49
Hefty slider bags .99$$
Kleenex .99




18 eggs .99
Pumpkin pie 3.99


Alberways

Halos 4.99
Salad ,89
Prego 1.49@@$$


Notes :
0bciousky, QFC is the better store this week,     Buy 10 has a lot of stacking possibilities.    If you can't come up with ten items, consider buying pasta for .50 and taking it to the food bank.    Pasta and a jar ormcan ofnoasta sauce makes a good, cheap dinner,  

New, simple recipe

Last night being Halloween, I decided to break from the meal plan and make Mexican sloppy joes.    I already had day old hambirgermbinsnthat needed to be used up.  I had hamburger akreadyncooked in the freezer and I had bought enchilada sauce for 3/1 at the dollar  tree.   I always have diced mild peppers in a can that I get from Winco for .58.    

It was a five minute or less project to our a pound of cooked hamburger, a can of enchilada sauce and the oeooers in the slow cooker and turn it on for 4 hours.   Please refer to enchalada slopoynjoes on Betty Crocker ( Google ) theynadd onionsm but my family doesn't like them.  

It made dinner easy and everyone could eat when it was convenient before or after trick or treating.     

Meat 2.97 

Buns .40 

Enchalada sauce .33

Diced oeooers .58 

Total for 4 people 

4.28 or 107 each,