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.

Make It From Scratch Carnival Round Up

Heather says:

Many thanks to Stephanie of Stop the Ride for letting us host this week’s Make It From Scratch Carnival .  It’s a round up for those who are sharing things they have made from scratch.  Do you ever wonder where that term came from?  A quick Google search suggested it was first used to mean starting from the line, perhaps a scratch mark in the dirt or sand.   Some would start from the scratch and others would have a headstart or handicap. Participants in this carnival are welcome to define their own version of made from scratch.  For instance, knitters don’t have to raise their own sheep, shear, wash, card, spin, and finally knit their own products to be included.  Make It From Scratch is an effort to encourage everyone to give new things a try and to show off their results.

If you would like to participate in next week’s round up, hosted by Country Magpie submit your entry here.

Let’s start with health and beauty aids, where it’s like a spa without having to tip:

Teaching Diligently made her own lemon-lime sugar scrub.

Renee is testing homemade moisturizing creams, she submitted Basic Moisturizing Cream.

Head out to the farm where Fowl Visions has a tutorial on how to use an electric skillet as an egg incubator.

Next up, crafting and sewing:

Susie shares the results of her latest sewing project, a vintage styled apron.

After all that cooking, there is bound to be some cleaning up to do.  Don’t worry, My Recycled Bags has homemade dishcloths with scrubbie centers.

Lea shows off her latest creation, Muno from Yo Gabba Gabba.

Lastly we head into the kitchen where carnival entrants were quite busy:

Modern Beet caught my eye with her Lamb’s Quarter Filo Pie.  Don’t let the name scare you away, lamb’s quarter is a vegetable, and you can use spinach if the ingredient is hard to find in your area.

If you belong to a CSA chances are you will occasionally end up with an unfamiliar vegetable or two.  Julie of ChezArtz experimented with kohlrabi salad.

Heather is in big trouble for putting a song in my head, but I’ll forgive her if she shares some of her home fries.

The Cincinnatti Locovore made and preserved garlic mustard dill pickle relish.

Ready for more preserving? See the strawberry jam canned by One Krusty Mama.

Adobo chicken salad is presented by I’ve Got a Little Space to Fill.

Need a frugal recipe for cabbage? Check out Funny About Money.

Tip Diva shares her top ten tips for making great deviled eggs.

Chief Family Officer orders you to pick up three pounds of potatoes and make Pommes Anna.

For dessert Lighter Side shares her strawberry shortcut cake.

Summer offers plenty of opportunity to try Adventures in Daily Living’s recipe for fruit crisp.

I am drooling all over Our Red House’s lemon tart, sorry about that!

Finally, would you like a tasty beverage to wash down all the goodies?  How about some of Stephanie’s blackberry shrub? It won’t be ready for a bit, which gives us all a chance to make our travel arrangements to stop in and give it a try.

See you next week at Country Magpie!

Beans are the Thing: Black Bean Burrito Filling

Heather says:

Meatless meals are often great for the wallet.  This recipe can be prepared with canned or dried beans.  If you use dry black beans, cook 1/2lb dried beans until soft.  I put mine in the crockpot the morning I want to make the burritos, cover them with water, and turn the crock on low. About an hour before I wish to serve dinner I make the rest of the recipe.  My kids were unimpressed, but Mr. Heather asked for more and with vegetarian dishes, that’s a high compliment.

To round out the filling we add cooked rice and cheese.  Then top with whatever your little heart desires: guacamole, sour cream, salsa, you get the idea.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups cooked black beans
• 1 tomato diced
• 1 TBSP cilantro - chopped
• 3 green onions - chopped
• Juice from 1 lime (about 3 TBSP)
• 1 garlic clove - chopped
• Optional - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• Optional - 1/4tsp hot sauce
• 1/4 cup canola or olive oil

Since I use dried beans I drain them and place them back on the crockpot on high.  Otherwise, place the beans in a pot on the stove on low.

To the beans add the: tomato, onion, and cilantro.  Stir occasionally, but let heat through.

Now, if you would like to be all fancy, get out a bowl combine the lime juice, garlic, and optional pepper and hot sauce.  Then, whisk briskly while you slowly pour the oil, in a steady stream into the bowl.

Or, you can be lazy like me and throw the remaining ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake vigorously.  I have kids underfoot and don’t like washing extra utensils.

Stir the dressing (that’s what you just made) into your bean mixture.

Spoon into warm tortillas (I zap mine in the microwave for a few seconds) with rice and grated cheese.  Fold, top with condiments, and enjoy.

Chicken Bog, Chicken Bog, Chicken Bog Time

Heather says:

Do you ever have a snippet from a TV show stay with you for eternity?

Now that you’ve had a peek into my twisted little mind, let’s talk chicken bog. At first glance, some long time readers may say, “But Heather, that looks just like chicken pilau.” Nay nay my friend, there are many heated arguments between Lowcountry residents and PeeDee residents about the superiority of one over the other. As long as someone is willing to share, I refuse to take sides. The grains of rice in chicken pilau are separate, where in a traditional bog, the grains will mold to a fork. Additionally, chicken bog is typically more savory.

This dish is economical, it utilizes a whole chicken which creates a rich broth to flavor the rice. It can feed a crowd or freezes for an easy night in the future. Andre Pope has been kind enough to share his recipe for chicken bog.

Chicken Bog

Chicken Bog

Ingredients

• 1 (3-5 pound) chicken (cut up)
• 1 pound smoked sausage
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pinch of salt
• Dash of garlic powder
• 3 bay leaves
• 8 cups water
• 3 cups raw white rice

Directions:
1. Cut the sausage into 1/2-inch pieces.

2. Combine the chicken, sausage, butter, seasonings and bay leaves in a large stock pot.

3. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 40 minutes at a low boil.

4. Remove the chicken. WARNING: VERY HOT

5. Remove the meat from the bones of the chicken. (Throw away the bones and skin. )

6. Add the rice to the pot with remaining chicken broth and seasonings.

7. Bring to a boil, stirring well.

8. Boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot and let cook for 10 more minuets or until the rice is done.

9. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, return the chicken to the pot, mix well, and serve.

10. Pour your self a big glass of iced-tea and enjoy.

Thank you very much, Andre, for sharing your recipe.

Simple Side: Carrot Raisin Salad

Heather says:

This classic pairs well with sandwiches and meals that call Spring and Summer to mind.  In its most basic form, the recipe here, it’s low cost and low effort.  There are many variations on this recipe, feel free to share yours in the comments.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coarsely shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

Directions:

Stir together and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

I don’t know about you, but that write-up just about wore me out.

Next Page »