Meal Planning: A Primer (Part 3)

Dear Home Ec 101,

I need to get our food budget under control, we spend a ton of money eating out. It’s starting to cause fights. I can’t cook, I can’t plan, and even if I could I wouldn’t know where to start.

Signed,

Hopeless in Hopeswell

Heather says:

Welcome to our third installment of our first series on Meal Planning.  If you are just joining us, check out  Part 1 and Part 2.

Today’s focus is on cost cutting through pantry building.  In this case, the term pantry refers to the pantry itself, the freezer, and refrigerated items that have a reasonably lengthy shelf life (think condiments).  Pantries are incredibly personal and dependent on your diet.  What works for me may be a complete waste of money for my vegetarian neighbor or my friend whose son has celiac disease.

A little work now will save a great deal of money over time.

Gather your frequently used recipes and the sales flyer(s) for the stores you frequent.  With the rising cost of fuel I cannot recommend leaving your usual route. Some stores will match competitor prices and that can be extremely handy if you are willing to be patient with your cashier and possibly the manager.   MyGroceryDeals.com is a helpful site if you don’t have access to this week’s flyers.

List each ingredient for your recipes by section of the grocery store: Bakery, Dairy, Non-Perishable, Freezer, etc.  As each recipe’s ingredients are added to your master list some will be repeated.  Place a hash mark beside those items each time they are needed.  Once you have finished, it will be fairly obvious which foods are staples in your household.  In my home a sale on canned tomatoes or butter cannot be ignored.  I’ve had more than one cashier look at me as though I have lost my mind. When butter is more than fifty cents less than its usual price I stock up.  I don’t care if I may appear to be a rabid Paula Dean fan, it’s six or more dollars I can put to better use.

Examine the flyers and look for your staples.  After you have budgeted for your current week (or two’s) food, take any leftover money and use it to purchase items from your list.  Some weeks you may only have enough to buy an extra bag of flour, a box or two of noodles, or a few cans of tuna fish.   This is perfectly fine.  Each time you make a purchase on sale you are preventing a future purchase at full price.

Additionally, use sales as an opportunity to try out new recipes.

Super savvy shoppers create a pricebook of their pantry items.  Each item is listed with its lowest sales price and the dates it has appeared on sale.  Over time the cycle becomes clear and purchases are limited to just enough to make it until the next sale.  This prevents the habit of overbuying any particular item.

Each week (or two) as you plan meals and make your grocery list don’t forget to shop from your pantry first.  This helps keep items rotated and prevents any full price purchases of items already on hand.

Pay special attention to spices and remember to investigate sources other than the baking aisle of the grocery store.  Personally, I have lots of luck buying herbs at a nearby health food store, some spices I pick up from the ethnic section, and the ones I use the most frequently are purchased in bulk when I make my seasonal shopping trip to Whole Foods which has a great bulk food aisle.

Next week we will examine when buying in bulk makes sense and when can be a waste of time and money.

Meal Planning: A Primer (Part 2)

Dear Home Ec 101,

I need to get our food budget under control, we spend a ton of money eating out.  It’s starting to cause fights.  I can’t cook, I can’t plan, and even if I could I wouldn’t know where to start.

Signed,

Hopeless in Hopeswell

Heather says:

Welcome to part two of this series on meal planning.  Part 1 focused on finding the dining room (or kitchen) table and getting into the habit of eating at home, whatever it took.

I’d like to clear this misconception up right now: a habit is not the same as a rut.  The habit is what helps break the cycle of relying on the drive-through for sustenance.  Without introducing new foods, the idea of repetitively cycling through eight meals of convenience food becomes depressing and once again the take-out option becomes appealing.  To prevent the rut you must be brave and experiment.

Two facts about your meal planning journey:

• As the cook it is not your job to please everyone.  I take requests, but they must be reasonable.  Don’t cook to purposely irk your family, but do not cater to overly picky palates, either.  A perk of being the planner is that your whims are the first to be accommodated after allergies and dietary restrictions.
• Accept that there are times where you will screw up or be disappointed*.  It’s not the end of the world, it’s one meal and there are very few of us in America who couldn’t stand to skimp on a meal or two.  Salvage the night by making popcorn or some other treat.  Be careful though, some of the more inventive family members out there could figure out your plan and sabotage future efforts.

Ten tips to successfully expand your menu:

• If you are cooking for others don’t push your luck, only introduce one new food item per week.
• Pay attention to the reactions of your audience.  If they hate the black bean dish you tried this week, try a different main ingredient next time.
• Be open to suggestions.
• If you have young children ask friends with similar family situations for suggestions.
• Different marinades make similar meals feel exotic.  Grilled chicken with barbecue sauce is nothing like chicken with an Asian marinade.  Additionally using the same marinade on a variety of meats can also liven up a menu.
• Vary your sides.  Similar entrees can feel entirely different if they are served with noodles instead of mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes instead of broccoli.
• Learn to make soup.  It’s simple, economical, and there are hundred of variations that can be created from ingredients found in the average fridge, freezer, and pantry.  It also is a fabulous way to use up leftovers.
• If you are new to cooking avoid fancy cooking magazines. Some are great, but others call for exotic ingredients that a beginner cook may not have on hand.  In rural areas some of the ingredients may be difficult to find.  I highly recommend Taste of Home for straightforward, tried and true recipes.
• Peruse other menus.
• Finally think of your favorite menu items when eating out.  Set a goal to master a similar recipe.  Even a beginner cook can quickly learn to outdo many middle of the road chain restaurants.

*True story, a few weeks ago I burned garlic bread in front of company.  I’m not being modest and trying to call slightly overdone burnt.  I honest to God, completely forgot about it and scorched it badly enough I was worried the fire alarm would start and add another layer of embarrassment to the evening.

Meal Planning: A Primer (Part 1)

Dear Home Ec 101,

I need to get our food budget under control, we spend a ton of money eating out.  It’s starting to cause fights.  I can’t cook, I can’t plan, and even if I could I wouldn’t know where to start.

Signed,

Hopeless in Hopeswell

Heather says:

Would you believe our own darling Ivy* was in your shoes just five years ago? Scout’s honor!  If Ivy can learn to cook and menu plan anyone can.

First you need to decide why menu planning has failed in the past.  Was the plan too sudden of a shift from drive through windows to four course dinners?  Couch potatoes don’t turn into marathon runners overnight and it would be difficult to completely change course in a short period of time.  The health gurus and frugal queens may jump down my throat for this advice, but so be it.  If you are new to cooking, but must put a stop to the fast food habit use convenience foods.  Did you hear that? I just recommended dinners like Hamburger Helper or Taco Kits.

The first two weeks of your menu planning endeavor is spent getting used to eating at your table.  Yes, that thing buried underneath the bills and overdue library books.  Your first mission is to clean it off, get a piece of paper, a writing utensil of your choice, and sit down for ten minutes.  List the days of the week and any activities that may make meal preparation difficult.  My husband works a rotating shift, so our difficult nights vary from week to week.  Allow one night for leftovers, we call it CORN: Clean Out Refrigerator Night and one night that is a complete break from cooking.  As you gain experience with menu planning the night off may be a meal pulled from the freezer, but for now frozen pizza or sandwiches will fit the bill.

This leaves a maximum of five dinners to plan.  Remember, these first two weeks are only about getting used to being in the kitchen and dining room.  Don’t worry if the nutrition isn’t perfectly balanced.  This is just your first step.  If you can read (and you are right now, so don’t lie) you can handle making spaghetti with jarred sauce.  Add a couple frozen chicken patties and you have a cheater’s chicken Parmesan.   Pre-made salads can be jazzed up with hard boiled eggs, canned tuna, or grilled chicken and shrimp.  Ground beef and a packet of brown gravy can be served over egg noodles or instant mashed potatoes with corn or green beans.  Any of these meals can be put together in under twenty minutes and are simply a matter of following the directions on the packages.

Will these meals be served at the Four Seasons? No, but they are edible and won’t break the bank as you find your kitchen legs.  Next Friday I’ll cover your next step adding variety.

List your plan and remember that it is simply a guide to help you avoid the drive through.  Each night before bed glance at your menu and make sure nothing needs to be done the night before.  There have been many days where I have kicked myself for forgetting to get meat from the freezer or place beans to soak.  Sure, the world doesn’t stop, but it’s just one more thing to deal with.  As you become acquainted with your kitchen you don’t need any unnecessary hassle.

*A word to the wise, don’t call Ivy darling, trust me.

Don’t forget to check out Meal Planning: A Primer (Part 2) and Meal Planning: A Primer (Part 3).

Have a domestic question? Please send it to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Menu Monday 7/14

Heather says:

Hurray! Sweet corn is in season once again.  What is on your menu this week?  Are you trying anything new?

• Monday - Black bean burritos, green fried corn
• Tuesday - Lasagna, Caesar salad
• Wednesday - C.O.R.N.
• Thursday - Steaks, grilled corn on the cob, grilled vegetables on skewers
• Friday - Cajun seasoned grilled salmon, steamed cauliflower, butter beans
• Saturday - Pizza night
• Sunday - BBQ chicken, baked potatoes, green beans, black eyed peas

Menu Monday 7/7

Heather says:

I can hear it already it’s July, Heather, why on earth are you serving soup?  It’s one night and we’ll survive. It’s the best method I have for using up all those odd produce bits that I just can’t throw away.

• Monday - Stuffed bell peppers, refried beans
• Tuesday - Spaghetti marinara with sauteed vegetables and 7 layer salad
• Wednesday -  Mustgo Soup*, tossed salad
• Thursday - C.O.R.N.**
• Friday - Pan fried whiting, tomato gravy, green beans, rice
• Saturday - Pizza night
• Sunday - Parmesan crusted cubed steak, sauteed zucchini, rotini and broccoli salad

Tell me, Home Eccers, what’s on the menu at your house?

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