Bullet Day - 10 things to make ; save money

This is ten  things that you can make in 15 minutes or less

• Cream soup base -3-4 ingredient recipe- saves cream soup at the cost of at least a dollar.    
• Taco seasoning - and you get just the amount of heat you want,   
• Croutons - why pay for someone else's dry bread :also bread for dressing . 
• Bread crumbs: they can cost as much as 2.40 and who knows how long they have been in the store.   
• Refrigerater bread,    Hands on time about 15 minutes - about a tenth of the cost of a bakery loaf.   
• Cocoa mix 
• Muffin mix 
• Baking mix 
• Gravy instead of a jar or mix 
• Cupcakes - cupcakes were six dollars a dozen for small cupcakes.   

Safeways 15 percent off with basket coupon. Haul

Safeways had a 4.00 off of 25.00 basket coupon and in ad coupons,
Spent 22.40 net

Pasta sauce - 24 ounces .84
Bread -2 loaves .84 total .42 each
London broil, net 2.35 a pound,  I made stew meat of it that was 5.99 a pound .   Savings of 3.64 a pound.
Hamburger was 1.69 a pound net.   I fried and de- boned  it.   Net six meals.   .82 a meal

1 lb  cod - wild - 4.25


A lot of protein for 22.40.  The "stew" meat alone would have been 24.00.


.

The ads - no mail ads, these are from the internet

Alberways

Just 4 you coupon 4.00 off 25.00


Strawberries 3.48 -2 lbs
1/2 Pork loin 1.69
Bread 2/1
Pasta sauce in glass .99@@
Peanut butter/preserves 2/5@@
Brewers 2.99@@
DiGiorno 4.99@@
Oatmeal canister 1.99@@


2 WEEK AD FOR QFC

Draper valley whole chicken .88
Strawberries 3/4
Chunky soup, .99$$
Large sour cream/ cottage cheese 2/5
Pork loin 1/2 1.99
Grapes 1.99
Romas or sweet onions .99
Ground turkey 7 percent 3.99 ( note ground beef is 3.28 for 7 percent )

Ideas day - Tuesday

 They see that Americans waste 50% of their food. If you add the fact that 50% of your food cart consists of  snacks and drinks, that would be a  hundred percent of your food. There's something wrong with those statistics. We however all know  and a lot of food is wasted in our country. Part of it is that we fill  plates  for our children and they eat  only part  of what's given to them. Use smaller plates and give them half of a portion. If they want more, give them more.  Another idea is to cut smaller children's sandwiches into shapes and save the bread scraps for bread pudding, bread crumbs , or croutons i.e. Dressing.   Portion control.

Find ways to use leftovers  in such a manner that you  don't know you're eating leftovers. I made chili  one day.  Two days later, the chilli became the topping for nachos after drained  it.    I added cheese, black olives, peppers.

 Chili can also be revisited with rice. Leftover rice can't be put in tomato soup.  Tomato-based sauces can't be added to soups or stews.

 Leftover vegetables can be added to soup.  The ends of the carrots and celery can make veggie stock or be addd to bones t make meat stock.   Of ylumdomt have  bought veggiesmr bines, save them up in the freezer.   Freeze in ice cube trays or a freezer bag,   Bags are best frozen sitting on a cardboard from the recycle bin,    Otherwise, it is hard to get it off the metal grate shelf of the freezer.

 Leftover hotdogs can't be sliced into coins and added to beans.

 Leftover chicken pieces and be quesadillas, burritos, chicken pot pie, chicken soup, chicken tacos ,  chicken noodle casserole.

 If you have an abundance of sour cream, you can put it in almost anything that calls for milk. Sometimes you need to dilute it with some water or milk.  Some  muffin recipes call for Greek yogurt. Sour cream is a good substitute. I have also added  sour cream to scrambled eggs.

 Sausage crumbles Can be  added to a quiche, leftover bits can be added to a pizza, or added to a pasta sauce or scrambled eggs.

Bits of veggies and chicken bones can become chicken stock.   Chicken stock is a couple of bucks a quart.   That two dollars can buy a couple of chicken breast.  

Think what can I do with this before you throw anything away.  The other mantra is keep a close look on the pantry and fridge to make sure you are eating things before they spoil.    Rotate canned stock.
Yes, this takes some time, but the reward is money in the bank and your family will eat better.

I now have it to the point where if I get a pan of bread in the oven. My husband will check it when the timer rings and uncover it and do the last step if I am busy in the front of the house.   LOL.  There is something about the smell of hot bread right out of the oven.

Kitchen management day

Kitchen management day,  

1. Clean fridge.   / organize.  
2. Dehydrate eggs,   This is an experiment.  If it works, I should be able to save eggs when they are a dollar a dozen and isle them when they are two dollars or more a dozen.
3. Slice cucumbers and tomatoes.   
4. Meals are easy thru Tuesday.   Wednesday is shopping day, but we don't need to go, I can finish kitchen management then.  
5. Wash kitchen floor.   
6. Make bread.   I made bread 🍞 Saturday and took it to the neighbor.   
7. Wash fruit
8. Prep a veggie for mondays dinner,   
9. 
   

Fred Meyers Haul (Kroger)!

Sunday is ad day at fred Meyers. My main focus was that we didn't have any fresh milk in the house,  I made pancakes for granddaughter with non fat dry,   It worked and I don't think she knew the difference.

Fred Meyers had a 10/10 sale, and you had to buy 10, mix or match, 

1. Marshmallows,  -2 ea - we love chocolate rice crispy Treats.  
2. Cream cheese -2 ea 
3. Crescent rolls - -3 ea 
4. Sausage -2 
5. A zero drink 

I was careful not to buy anything we wouldn't use and anything that was cheaper elsewhere.    I have a cracker crust and want to make a cream cheese pie for a special treat sometime soon.   

I have seen a taco pie on Facebook that would be good to try and we love putting a little cheese on them and rolling them up for a go to when having ansoup that lacks full protein,   Sausage is a given when we have breakfast for dinner,.  

Ice cream sandwiches were two dollars for 12.  .  

Blackberries were .99

Naval oranges were .99 - two large oranges were 150

Milk was .99 -!we got two regular and 1 chocolate,   

Total 18.43

Sunday meal plans

Having a couple of standbys helps a lot when making meal plans.  Part of the work osmdome for you.   Having a matrix is a good guideline to narrow your infinite possibilities.    We already know " Four plus one is five.   Four people. One dinner, Five  bucks.    That is the calculations to stay on a four dollar a day per person budget.  My mantra os that if you can stay on a low budget, spending more isn't hard.   LOL.   Meals aren't mecessarily in  chronological order.

1. Chicken parm , green vegetable 
2. Pizza 
3. Chicken and rice , salad 
4. Tacos, refried beans, Spanish rice 
5. Pork chops, dressing with apples and cranberries . Green vegetable 
6. Salmon patties. Baked potato, glazed carrots.   
7. Breakfast 4 Dinner  

Notes 

1. Chicken parm uses  spaghetti  (.49/2=.25) , chicken patties ( Foster farms- 1.80 ) pasta sauce ( .88/2=.44) green beans .33 -  2.82 
2. Pizza  uses.  Crust .(17, ) 1/4 of pasta sauce .(22) 1/2 of pepperoni .(25 ) 1/4 pound cheese (.50) total 1.14
3. Chicken and rice : rice is .03 a serving .(.12) chicken breast average 1.40 a pound.   ( 1.40) veggies (frozen mixes veggies (1.00/2=.50) total 2.02.  
4. Tacos 🌮: 1/2 lb hamburger ( 1.59) , taco shells ( .50) cheese (.25) lettuce, tomato ( .45) rice (.12) beans (.88) salsa ( .25) total 3.16 
5. Pork chops and dressing : pork chops ( 1.50) , dressing (1.00) apple  (.35) veggie (.50) total (3.35)
6. Salmon patties : salmon patties (2.33) potatoes 🥔 ( .40) green beans (.33) total 3.06
7. Breakfast 4 dinner  : French toast ( .43) fruit (3.00) total 3.43 

Total : 18.98.   Does not include small amounts of staple items. It also would cost more if you are eating seconds or are feeding a teenage boy. LOL.  Either case, you are still well below the 5.00 a day amount ( 35.00) . 

Tomorrow Fred Meyers ad

specials for Fred Meyers

Grapes 149
Blackberries,.99
Milk .99
Oranges .99
Bread 4/5
Chunky soup , crackers .99$$

A lot of the veggies  are cheaper at Winco.    Peppers are well under a dollar.   Last I was there they were fifty eight cents for red and sixty eight for green.  

Recipe: shrimp stir fry

This is a recipe that, obviously, cost more than five dollars.    It works because several other recipes during the week are a lot less ( average) .  

1 bag of shrimp. 

2 carrots , sliced thin 

2 celery ribs. Sliced thin, 

1 red pepper 

1 small onion or 1/2 a large onion, cut in half, then sliced. 

1 pkg top ramen, cooked without the seasoning packet 

Soy sauce to taste 

Olive oil or vegetable oil for cooking 

• Cook shrimp of raw and clean . 
• In skillet with sides or wok. Stir fry veggies until soft.  
• Add in cooked shrimp and cooked ramen noodles.  
• Season with soy sauce to taste.   

Note : we can get frozen stir fry veggies at times and I have found them with a .35 coupon.  
You could substitute cooked chicken breast or thighs cut into small pieces instead of the shrimp
I used red pepper, celery and carrot.   I would add mushrooms, green pepper  and onion if my husband ate them.   

Bullet day - five safety nets -in progress

It's  always a good idea 💡 to have a few go to dimmers that can be cooked in a hurry for days when a ))$. Storm happens.  Face or, life isn't perfect or scripted and ):;? Storms happen to the best of us.   If your mission is to keep your food budget low, having a plan helps.

• Low sodium chunky soups go on sale and you can find generous coupons,   Mymanswe to they are so bad for you is that take out usually is bad for you and a whole lot more hassle and money,   I recently got progresso chunky  soups  for .75.   Two cans with a little water fed three of us.   
• Foster Farms chicken patties are another item that can have coupons and be on sale.   Five dollars will make several meals for three people.   Chicken parm?    Chicken sandwiches.   Chicken salad ( just cut strips from the patties.   They cook in two minutes in the microwave, better cooked in the oven,  
• Keeping my a frozen  pizza , again bought on sale with coupons and s a good back up.   
• With already cooked hamburger in the freezer, you can make tacos in a flash,   
• Loaded baked potatoes take I utes in the microwave and you can make a bar with leftovers etc from the fridge: frozen broccoli, sour cream, cheese, chilli, bacon 🥓? 

Friday recipe - skillet Mac n cheese

Skillet dinners are quick and easy,   Sausage and bratts were in sale at Fred Meyers for two dollars.   I know, it's a fat storm ..  you don't eat it Every Day!  


Mac and cheese with sausage.  

3 cups chicken or veggie broth ( preferable homemade)
8 ounces small shell macaroni
Frozen peas
1/2 pound sausage,   Partially boil to get some of the fat out  and slice .
8 ounces shredded cheese- A blend of some part skim Motts is preferable.

In deep sided skillet, bring stock to a boil.  Add pasta and boil until a dente  about six minutes.
Add peas and sliced sausage . Cover and cook until pasta is done.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Serves 4

Winco haul.

Winco haul.   Winco does not have ads.

Jose ole tacquidos   3.48
Chicken chow mein 3.96
V 8 juice 4.96
Ragu pasta sauce 1.57

All of these things have coupons to go with them that total 3.75.
10 lbs potatoes 1.98
5 lbs carrots 1.98
Apple cider cupcake mix with frosting .98
2lns carrots .98
Bell peppers , red .58
Engkish cucumber .78
Bananas 2.16   4.5 pounds
Total 21.81


About my average basket total.  

Bullet day

bullet  day : things you can cook that save time and energy.   Every household has times when saving time and energy -- yours or the grid is a welcome sight,

• Bake potatoes in the slow cooker.   Wash potatoes 🥔.,dry and coat with olive oil and rub with koshure or sea salt or your favorite seasoning,    Place on slow cooker and cook on low.   Start checking for doneness at four hours.  Note : a baked potato bar is a good way to use up leftovers and children can help.   My granddaughter loves to clean veggies.   I put vomegar on the water and she uses a vegetable brush that looks like a ladybug.  
• Betty Crocker and readers digest cook  book has a lot of foil packet dinners.  You can wrap food in parchment first of foil bothers you.  It kits you custom dinners to individuals preferences and you have almost no dishes to do.    http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/green-chile-cheddar-burger-foil-packs/6d3f0544-8702-42b6-8424-ddcef8f23745?utm_source=Email_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BC_03_15_2017&vcode=AQAAAAAN1ybNS-9j26q6mS3BVdiDOUxX7QqEQ-CYVForZlYxAzuIgCJQUpSRMd3iScz1qRet5L-qkZrI6F8YE2eiAbqECPv1pmPRdpnSETiSRhpu0g
• Skillet suppers.    Cooking 🍳 a whole meal in a skillet saves dishes to wash and time.   One of the best meals I did when we were  camping was sausage, peppers, and potatoes.   I would add onions if my hubby ate them.    There are a lot of skillet  meals on Pinterest and on line.   Personally, I would avoid meal boxes because their per ounce price is high and you add all the basic ingredients anyway.  The ingredients read like a who's who of ingredients that you can't pronounce. 
• freezer meals can be made in bulk and placed in the slow cooker with very little effort.   Bulk meat made in bulk dinners  can save time and money when time  is in short supply.   
• One of my favorite tricks for summer dinners to beat the heat in the kitchen is to make a variety of salads on the week end and add a BBQ or quick main protein to go with.   Hamburger , hot dog, bbq chicken etc.   

Wednesday - the ads - Alberways only

Alberways,

Flat cut corned beef 3.99
Cabbage .59
Milk 1.99@@
Corned beef brisket 1.99@@
Oranges .99
Kens dressing 1.88$$


Note @@ means there is an in ad coupon
$$ means that there are coupons out there for this.  
As always, favado is a good resource, although they are not  100 percent accurate.

Tuesday : notes

Tuesday note day.  

A few months ago I set out to scratch cook anything that was cheaper to scratch cook,   It gave us the benefit of being cheaper and of avoiding preservatives and things we didn't want to eat.  

Scratch cooking without spending all day in the kitchen was a priority,   I realize that not everybody is retired and people have lives.   While eating is a necessary part of life, it's not everyone's entire life.  

The start of that mission was to find the cheapest price on quality ingredients,   Buying bulk was the answer to some of those things.  

The next step was to find easy ways to cook /bake the things o could cook/bake efficiently.  I happened on to peasant bread,   It is the cheapest , easiest bread you will ever make.   Next to it is refrigerater bread and pizza dough.  None of them have kneading, some of them don't have rising time,    They aka taste food,   Our pizza dough is thin crust,   It's what my husband prefers and I like a chewier crust, but I'm diabetic and thinner ismbetter for me.    Having a few go to breads that you can almost have memorized cuts costs dramatically.  A loaf of scratch  bread 🍞 costs about twenty five cents or less.   A pizza dough to fill a cookie sheet costs .17 and takes less time than you think,   It's a matter of mixing the dough ( I use  a food processor) , letting it sit for 10 minutes while you assemble the toppings, and rolling or patting it out.   It's a favorite thing to do for our  year old and she's getting really good at it. Pizza once a week is a winner for the whole family and easily fills a meal plan square.  

I have had a slow cooker for years,   They are getting really inexpensive for basic units,   Imwoukd buy one with a timer in it,  it's another way to cook scratch and not take a lot of time doing it.  The common name these days is a dump dinner.   There are ways to omit those cans and jars if ready made ingredients and still not take a lot of time.   Cream soup base is easy,   Hey, if my culinary challenged  husband can do it, anyone can!    Lol.   To his credit, he did build our house with a carpenters hammer, two thirty dollar drills, and a twenty five dollar skill saw.   No small Feat!  

Another way to cut the ready made ingredients is to make your own spice  blends.   It only takes minutes and you control the salt and the heat of the spices.   A good way to teach children counting or fractions.   Non alternative math!   Lol 😂 This new math kills me.   One plus one is fourteen?   Too bad my banker doesn't think that!    Lol.

Pre cooking some meats before you freeze them saves time.    You are cooking bulk meats and portion controlling them.   It takes the same amount of time to cook three pounds of hamburger as it does one pound of hamburger.   You just use a bigger pan.  It makes some meals a snap.   Things like getting Mexican sloppy joes in the slow cooker takes minutes.  

Scratch soups are filling, cheaper than canned soups and have a lot less sodium.   Slow,cookers are a hit here.   A few ingredients and you're out if the kitchen . Throw a loaf of bread in the oven and you have a glorious  meal - sometimes for  next to nothing.  

My objection to cooking dry beans from scratch instead of using a can of beans was the time factor.   Intellectually I knew that canned beans had more salt in them. But , beans and rice have a very short referigerster life and don't freeze well and keep their texture.   We have foir people in our home.   I have to cook small quantities. The thought of soaking beans overnight and then changing water and cooking the, was not my idea of fun.  Que insta pot. It's as easy as put beans in pot.   Add enough water to cover beans,  don't fill pot more than 1/2 full when cooking anything that expands,   Cover,
set to seal mode, and push the bean button.   Done.  

The basis for chilli, soups. Refried beans. A stretcher for tacos 🌮.

Using  scratch ingredients and passive cooking is the key to cooking efficiently and saving money while feeding your family good food .

Fred Meyer haul

Fred Meyers 3/13/17

Facial tissue 1.00 for 160 sheets
Sugar free candy 1.25 (usually 2.50)
Blue  bunny  ice cream 350
Total


English muffins - larg oaxkage 167
Nabisco rots crackers 2.00
Bratts 2.00
Stella asaugo cheese 4.99
Strawberries 2.00
Blueberries 2.00

Total regular food 22.66

Picture day / better, cheaper, faster.

In the time it takes you to drive to the store, stand in line and buy artisan. Read, you can make it from scratch.  WRm from the oven, no preservatives and about a tenth of the cost.    Actual hands on time about ten  minutes.

1. Make refrigerater dough,   Flour. Salt, yeast, water.   6 cups flour  .42, water and salt, pretty mich free, and yeast .09.  Total .51 for two large loaves or about .25 a loaf,   Artisan bread that size is 2.98 a loaf at Winco.   Measure ingredients im a six  quart  intainer with  a lid.  Let stand on counter for two hours.   The dough will aboitmdouble on size and there will be " bubble holes " in the dough. 

1. Refridgerate dough until ready to use up to two weeks" the longer you keep it, the more like sourdough it will taste.   You can make bread immediately.  Dough is a rough dough.  
2. When ready to make bread, cut off a hunk of dough.   About half thof mdough will be approximately 1.5 pounds.   
3. Shape dough into a ball.  You will need to place themdough onto a flour covered surface as the dough will be sticky  .

Place dough ball on a sheet of parchment paper.   (DT)

Pre heat oven to 200 degrees for a few seconds.   Turn over off.   oven should be warm, but not hot.  

Place dough, parchment paper and all in a four quart oven safe pan .  You can just place ball in the oven to rise, but your loaf will be flatter and wider.   

When dough dough has doubled on size. Put then,is on the pan, turn the oven on 450 degrees for 35 minutes.   After 35 minutes, carefully remove thenlidmwith good hot pads and cook at 450 degrees for 5 minutes or until top has browned.   

We like our artisan bread 🍞 natural, but you can carefully make shallow slits in the top of thembread and /or give it a brush with an egg wash,    

Kitchen management day

Monday  is kitchen management day. This blog post is not to tell you what I do , but rather to show you my thought process.    Kitchen  management day is the day you clean the oven of it,needs it and you have time, or fill salt shakers or anything that needs filling. Reolentish mixes if you are running low.   Deep clean the stove top.   Prep anything that you can to Oreo foods on your meal plans.   Organize and check dates on food on the pantry,   Make bread dough for the week.  

• Make notes of prep work on meal plan work sheet.   
• Cook chicken for chicken pot pie.  Make crust if you are not using the bisquick recipe.   I'm using the insta pot, but my mother ised to poach chicken on the microwave.   
• Note things on the fridge that need to be used up.    
• Make a new batch of cream  soup base.   
• Make bread. 
• Post meals on dry erase board and post things that we need to use up.   Use those things first.    I saw a clog once where a lady marks things like milk with numbers so the children know which jug to use first ( or next) .   

Keeping a stock  and replenishing your stock when prices are at their lowest   instead of buying just what you need when you need it saves time and stress.    If you can't ormdont want to go shopping, you don't have to.   Even if you are a shop when you need to shopper, it's a good idea to keep a few ingredients and a plan for dinner when one of those ;);) storm days happens. We have all had them.   Also, keep a few things that you can eat without having to cook them in case of an emergency,   I still keep cans of beans for when I am on a hurry and don't want to cook scratch or for  emergencies. You can't eat them cold if you have to. We live in a  part of the country where we have wind storms in the winter and often the power goes out and sometimes takes days to get it back.  You can't brave the weather I go to the next town to eat at a restaurant and stand in line, or you can be prepared to cook at home.  I have been known to cook canned soup in a cast iron Dutch oven in the fireplace.  Not the best fare, but our tummys were happy.    

Meal plans for week of March 13

Meal plans. Not necessarily in cronogical order.

1. Chicken pot pie 
2. Pizza
3. Pork chops with crab apple dressing
4. Chicken nachos 
5. Chilli 
6. Shrimp stir fry
7. Breakfast 4 dinner 

Notes 

1. Chicken breast was 1.50 for Foster Farms when I de-boned it myself,   
2. Pizza - scratch crust (easy) no knead crust that takes 15 minutes to make excluding bake time and cost is .17 . Safeways had premade pizza dough that  you still have to roll and bake for two dollars.    Dough is just flour, salt, water, amd yeast.  There are almost always pepperoni 🍕 coupons on coupons.com that make pepperoni .50 at the dollar store.   (2/1) dollar store sauce is a name brand, themcheaoest anywhere and you can freeze the sauce in an ice cube tray and use as much as you need (no waste) . The cheaoest  real cheese I have found is at Costco unkess you find a sale,  remember those little bags are 6-8 ounces and you have to do the math,  they might sound cheap  until you figure the per pound price.  Unit pricing can be tricky when it calculates per ounce .   Some prices I have in my head are for cans and you have to do the math. 
3. Pork chops are still the center cut chops that I  cut from a 1.50 a pound Pork loin. Apples  are still 3.69 a bag at Winco.  That makes them about .69 a pound,    
4. Chicken nachos.    Tortilla  hips are cheaper  at Winco for mission brand ,   You can bake them from flour tortillas in a pinch,   I have not done the math to tell of that is,cheaper, but, you can control the fat and the salt.   Cheapest at DT or on bulk at Costco.    I add grated cheese, chicken or beef cooked. Tomatoes, mild  peppers and sometimes black  olives and/or refried beans as a base.   Sliced olives are cheaper at  Winco.  
5. Chilli in the slow cooker.   I always prefry the hamburger meat and portion control it when I get it home from  the store.   I can cook the beans in the insta pot, turn the pot off , drain them when done and add the tomatoes 🍅 and seasonings and turn the pot back on slow cooker mode.   One pot and almost,no hands on time.  
6. Shrimp stir fry.    Stir fry veggies are frozen.  Sometimes  I add ramen noodles cooked without the packet , or make  rice.
7. Breakfast 4 Dinner.    Everybody cooks.   Family night. 

Tomorrow's Fred Meyer ad

Four day sale - SMTW

Kroger brats irmotalian sausage 2/4
DiGiorno pizza 3.99


Kens salad  dressing 1.99$$
Bottom round roast 2.97
Eggs .99
Tomatoes on the vine .99
Berries 2/4
Tillamook ice cream 2/6
Gala or Fuji apples  .99
Strawberry Rubarb pie 3.49
Barilla pasta  1.00

Note Barilla pasta was a dollar atmthemdollarmatore for 16  oimces.  
Apples are on bags for 3.69'at Wimco.  
$$ means there is a coupon out there for that  product.
@@ means it needs an on ad coupon,