This Week's Menu and How I Budget for Groceries- 5/11/15

When I sat down to right this post, I meant for it to be about the recipes I made this week.  However, it turned out that I had a lot to say about budgeting and grocery shopping, so instead, it is going to be about budgeting and grocery shopping.  I'm sorry it's so long and there are zero pictures, but I want to get it posted.  I tell you what, I will take pictures as we eat our meals this week and I will go back and update them.  For now, I hope you find this helpful...

For about 2 weeks now, I have been trying to make our family stick to the envelope system of budgeting.  We are having passing success in that I now know we were way off track in our spending and I have finally made a budget and found a way to organize all our bills and monthly spending.  I divided our spending into 2 categories: bills we pay online through our bank or websites and purchases with make with cash.  Our groceries fall in the cash category.  Groceries also happen to be an area where I really cut our spending.  I am limiting us to $50 a week in groceries.  Sounds crazy right?  Well, I am justifying it by this logic.  When I was single, I spent $30 a week shopping at Whole Foods.  I didn't clip coupons, I didn't buy generic, I certainly didn't pay attention to sales and I never ever planned ahead.  Granted, I ate pretty much the same thing every day, but I was eating pretty well.  So $50 a week, is roughly $7 a day to feed my husband and I.  Enter meal planning...

Almost every dinner lately (unless we are grilling) is something I have made in bulk and frozen.  Our freezer is pretty full, and as I see items go on sale (or if I have a coupon), I will buy it and stock pile it until I have all the ingredients for a regular recipe.  This means I don't usually shop for a specific meal each week.  This is not a perfect system, and we are frequently guilty of an impulse buy, but we are working on that.

We grocery shop on Wednesday's because my mom gets a Senior Discount at Kroger.  Since Kroger is running a fuel point special over the summer, I might also shop on the weekends for the extra points, but I try not to since we don't get the discount.  However, since I get my gas at Kroger, and you get twice the fuel points by shopping on the weekend, and argument could be made for moving my savings on gas over to the grocery budget.  Since this weeks dinners are already planned, the only thing we will be shopping for is anything we need for breakfasts and lunches, and I'll be on the look out for coupon or sale items I can stockpile for dinner prep.

This weeks menu is:
Monday- Chicken breasts with roasted carrots and smashed potatoes.  This is the only meal that didn't come from the freezer this week. The chicken was on sale, the potatoes were purchased in bulk for multiple meals, and the carrots we paid full price for.
Tuesday- Roasted red pepper baked ziti- A few weeks ago Italian Sausage was on sale, so I grabbed two packs and tossed them in the freezer.  Gluten free pasta seems to be in a sale cycle right now, so I have been buying 2 boxes every week. I made 4 batches of this meal over the weekend, for a total of 12 servings.
Wednesday- Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas-
Canned items were on sale, and I used up leftover chicken, cheese, and tortillas from other meals.  I only paid full price for the enchilada sauce and sweet potatoes.  I made 5 batches of this meal, or 15 servings.
Thursday- Beef stew with mashed potatoes.  I made the beef stew awhile ago, and it had finally come up in the freezer rotation.  Usually I will make a triple batch, and then freeze two.  I will be making the mashed potatoes fresh this week (since I have a few more potatoes left from my bulk purchase), but otherwise I usually keep some on hand that I defrost and bake while the beef stew is reheating.
Friday- Thai Shrimp Soup.  This starts with my vegetable soup as a base, and then I add frozen shrimp, coconut milk, rice noodles, and a peanut sauce to the mix.  We did not plan ahead for this one, so we paid full price for the extra ingredients, but sometime you give into the cravings.
Saturday and Sunday will be leftovers, unless we see an awesome deal when we grocery shop tomorrow.

This week I planned 3 meals to prep for the freezer:

Roasted Red Pepper Ziti

Bran Muffins for my husbands breakfast

and Butternut Squash Pasta.  

I got gluten free pasta for less than $2 a box last week, so we are definitely going to have a lot of pasta meals in our freezer.  Since I also prepped a ton of Veggie Spaghetti Sauce not too long ago, this gives us something to put it on. I should note that I always try to include a meat, a veggie, and a carb in my dinners.  Sometimes I make a salad as the veggie, and sometimes the carb is an after thought, but I do try to make sure it is always balanced.  Additionally, it is very important to consider serving sizes when you are on a budget.  You will get so much more bang for your buck when you actually measure servings.  I like to freeze meals in 3 portion sizes (since there are 3 people in our family), so we don't waste food by throwing away leftovers.  This also keeps us on track calorie wise.

So, what should you take away from this?
1. You are probably spending so much more on groceries than you need to.  You don't have to go coupon crazy to really see a difference.  We are saving an average of $30-$50 a week by combining sales, coupons and my mom's senior discount.
2.  Definitely shop with a grocery list, and keep an eye out for sale items you can use later.
3.  Stock your freezer with easy meals.  Every morning when I get up, I pull out that nights meal to defrost.  This has saved us so much money since we aren't eating out any more.
4.  Use those gas points!  I saved 70 cents a gallon this month with gas points.  I can't believe I haven't been doing this sooner.  That savings goes back into my grocery budget or my emergency fund.
5.  Buy in bulk and plan in bulk.  It is often cheaper to buy a lot of one type of meat or other ingredients.  If you can make multiple meals out of these and freeze them, not only does it save time but it saves a lot of money.  Just because you make them all at once, does not mean you have to eat them all the same week.
6.  Measure your food before your freeze, and package in appropriate serving sizes.

21 Day Summer Slim Down!

I don't know about you, but in our house we celebrate any holiday with a lot of food, and a festive cocktail.  Mother's Day was no different.  My mom does a lot for other people, so it was nice to spoil her with her favorite foods.  We had mimosas, homemade gluten free waffles with bacon and mixed berry syrup for breakfast .  For dinner we went out for gluten free pizza and salad and then wrapped the evening up with Frosty's on the way home.  Everything was delicious, but it is definitely time to get back on track. 

With warm weather approaching, my thoughts are turning to summer fun – Pools, Lakes, Fireworks and Popsicles! My goal this year is to be in the BEST SHAPE OF MY LIFE to feel confident poolside and have the energy to play all summer! I am looking for 10 people who want to get FIT with short, yet effective workouts {30 minutes per day}, eat clean {REALISTIC food} and feel amazing for summer! 

I am running a 21-DAY SUMMER SLIM-DOWN accountability group that will help you eat clean, exercise effectively and stay motivated! This program will SCULPT and TONE your entire body while getting in the best shape of your life! It also includes low impact demonstrations for every move making it suitable for ALL fitness levels. We will use some amazing tools to keep us on point! 

PLEASE COMMENT "GET SUMMER READY" AND ADD ME ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION! 

Vegetable Soup Base- 21 Day Fix Recipe

Today's recipe is one I have been making for years!  I especially love to make it as a way to clean out the produce bin and freezer.  At it's heart, is is a low calorie vegetable soup, but I see it has a way to use up ingredients, stretch a buck, and serve as a jumping off point for other meals. 

You can eat the soup plain, but to be honest, I don't.  If you'd like to use it as a vegetable soup, you will most likely need to add additional seasonings.  Because I use it as a base for other soups that I will be adding additional flavor components to, I season it very lightly with season salt.  Most of the flavors come from the other combinations.  

I make this soup in the largest pot I own, and then freeze it in smaller 4 cup batches.  A serving size is 1 cup, but when you add in the other mix in's (see the recommended combinations below), you end up with a pretty big meal! 

Ingredients:

6 cups frozen baby vegetables (carrot, pea, corn, green bean, etc)

1/2 head of celery, sliced

1 large onion, diced

1 family sized bag of baby spinach

1 bag shredded cabbage

48 ounces of crushed tomatoes (low sodium)

2 cloves minced garlic

48 oz low sodium  broth

6 cups water

1/4 cup Season Salt

Directions:

Coat 12-quart stockpot (or 2 large saucepans) with nonstick cooking spray. 

Over medium-high heat, add onions, celery, and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.  

You don't have to use this brand, this is just what I buy in bulk at Costco.

Add the frozen baby vegetables and cook for a few minutes until they begin to defrost, stirring occasionally. 

Add broth, water, and season salt; heat to boiling over high heat. Add tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. 

Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Stir in spinach and cabbage and simmer until wilted.  

Makes 27 servings. Serving size is approximately 1 cup.  1 serving equals 1 green 21 Day Fix Container.

To make a complete meal, add additional seasonings of your choice and serve with 1 red and 1 yellow 21 Day Fix Container. 

Recommended Combinations:

Thai Shrimp Soup:

2 cups soup+2 yellow’s of rice noodles+ 2 reds peeled shrimp+1/4 light coconut milk (canned)+ red pepper flakes & lime juice

Serves 2- 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup:

2 cups soup (pureed) + 1 red greek yogurt +1 purple tomato sauce + 1 blue parmesan cheese + fresh basil, Salt and Pepper to taste.  Combine all ingredients except cheese in a blender. Garnish with the parmesan cheese

Serves 2- 1 green, 1/2 red, 1/2 purple, 1/2 blue

Southwestern Chili

2 cups soup + 2 red ground turkey + 2 yellow’s of cooked beans+1/2 purple salsa+1 tbsp Southwest Seasoning + 1 blue cheese

Serves 2- 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 blue, ¼ purple

Tortilla Soup

2 cups soup + 2 reds chicken + 1 yellow corn kernels+ 12 corn chips, crushed+ 1/2 purple salsa +1 tbsp Southwest Seasoning + 1 blue cheese+ 1 tbsp cilantro+ lime wedges

Serves 2- 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, ½ blue, ¼ purple

Cheeseburger Soup

2 cups soup + 2 reds Mini Meatballs + 2 yellows diced potatoes + 2 blue grated cheddar cheese + salt and pepper to taste

Serves 2- 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue

Buy the 21 Day Fix

Freezer Meals

I have been super busy lately, and have not been cooking as much as I'd like to.  Traveling for work has really put a damper on my ability to stay organized in the kitchen.  I had some time this week and I managed a massive meal prep day.  It took two separate shopping trips (Costco for the meat) and Kroger (for the rest of the ingredients).  I had a lot of the pantry items on hand, but I ended up using them up so I will have to replace them next time I go to the store.  I don't know what happened to my receipt, so I can't really tell you how much money I spent per meal, but I do know that it was less than $250 for everything I bought (and I bought a lot of breakfast and lunch items that I am not including in this prep).  It would have been better if I had planned further in advance and combined coupons with sale items, but I am not that great at planning...yet.  I did pick up a few sale items that I plan on using next time I prep.  

Everything I made is meant to be frozen and eaten at a later date.  Ideally, I would defrost the bag in the fridge over night and then put it in the crock pot the next morning, but you can dump everything in frozen.  However, you may need to increase the cooking time depending on the size of your chicken breasts if they are not defrosted. Most of the meat is uncooked, with the excepting of the ground beef and meat balls.  Those are meant to be added last minute to other dishes like soups and stews.  Because I wanted to make my enchiladas last night, I made one batch of pulled pork for dinner, and then used the leftovers for the enchiladas.  It made for a late night and some dishes this morning (I highly recommend taking breaks to do dishes as you go), but it will be awhile before the kitchen is that dirty again.  

A word about serving sizes.  If you aren't used to weighing and measuring your food like I am or you have a big appetite, you may look at these meals and wonder in what world do I think they will feed 3-4 people.  I promise you, they will.  We had a little adjustment period when we started really looking at how much we eat.  It never seemed like enough food (especially on king size dinner plates) but it totally is. Keep in mind, I am not making food for a body builder, and I am not making food for a 15 yr old boy.  I am making food for an average family of 3 with an average activity level.  Sometimes we get 4 servings out of a meal (which usually means my husband eats leftovers in the middle of the night), other nights we each eat a serving and a half.  However, when I plan meals, I plan for 1 serving per person.  You may have a bigger appetite, and there for want more servings, but the serving sizes are correct.  How many servings you eat is between you and your fork.  Just remember, a serving size and what you serve yourself may not always be the same thing.

As I take pictures of these meals I will update this post.  I should have taken pictures of all the bags of food, but since I was trying to get it in the freezer relatively quickly, and the whole process took a few hours, I just forgot.  

Hamburger Patties

3 pounds ground beef

1 TBSP season salt

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently. Divide into 6-12 patties (depending on the size of burgers you want).  Place on a wax paper lined baking sheet.  Freeze over night and then transfer to a zip top bag.  Serves 6 (1/2 pound burgers) or 12 (1/4 pound burgers)

Chicken Burrito Bowls

4-6 large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts 
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 cups of Frozen Corn
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 finely Chopped Red Onion
1 cans of Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup cilantro

Combine all the ingredients, except cilantro, in 2 gallon sized zip top bags.  Cook on low for 8 hours, high for 4.  Add the cilantro 30 min before serving.  Serve over rice with sautéed bell peppers and onions.  Garnish with sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), pico de gallo and additional cilantro.  Makes 2 meals, each meal serves 3-4.  

Pulled Pork

1 package large pork tenderloins (2 loins per package)
1 red onion
1 hard cider
2 TBSP pork rub or cajun seasoning.  

Combine all the ingredients in 2 gallon sized zip top bags.  Cook on low for 8 hours, high for 4.  Top with BBQ sauce if desired.  Makes 2 meals, plus leftovers for other recipes (see below).  Each meal serves 3-4.  

Pork, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

This is not the prettiest meal, but it tastes great!

Leftover Pulled Pork (roughly half 1 pork loin)
2 baked sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can black beans, drained
1 8 oz block pepper jack cheese, grated
1/4 cup taco seasoning (1 packet)
2 cans red enchilada sauce
16 extra thin corn tortillas

Combine the pork, sweet potatoes, and black bean with the taco seasoning and mix well.  Spread 1/4 enchilada sauce in 2 baking dishes.  Rinse 2 corn tortillas with water and microwave between 2 paper towels for 15 seconds on high. Place a small amount of cheese and pork mixture in each tortilla, and place seam side down on the enchilada sauce.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas.  Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce, and cover with the remaining cheese.  Cover, and bake at 350 for 30 min.  Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until bubble.  Garnish with sour cream or plain greek yogurt and cilantro.  Makes 2 meals, each meal serves 4. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

4-6 large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1/2 Brown Sugar
1/4  cup. Soy sauce
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 TBSP yellow mustard (Chinese mustard if you have any)
1 16 oz. can Pineapple with juice

Combine all the ingredients in 2 gallon sized zip top bags.  Cook on low for 8 hours, high for 4.  Add the cilantro 30 min before serving.  Serve over rice with sautéed bell peppers.  Make 2 meals, each meal serves 3-4.

*update: I thought this needed more of a sauce, so I ended up adding a little more soy sauce and a little more (about 4 ounces) pineapple juice.  If you didn't use Chinese Mustard, and you like spicy food, you may also want to add some hot sauce or Sriracha   

Bell Peppers (and Onions)

Chop 4 bell peppers and divide between 4 zip top bags.  Add half of 1 sliced red onion to 2 of the bags.  Freeze until needed.  Sauté the peppers and onions in a small amount of olive oil.  Before serving. Serve the Peppers and Onions along side the Chicken Burrito Bowls, and the plain bell peppers with the Sweet and Sour Chicken.  Makes 4 side dishes. 

Meatballs

3 pounds ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 milk

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

1 TBSP season salt

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently.  In a large skillet over medium low heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter.  Working in batches, roll the meat mixture into small meatballs and place in the skillet.  Brown in the skillet and then remove from the pan to cool.  The meatballs may not be fully cooked.  Divide among 3 zip top bags and freeze.  To serve, add to sauces or soups and cook until heated through and fully cooked.  Makes 3 meals, each meal serves 3-4.  

Honey Dijon Chicken 

4-6 large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Honey or Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp chili flake
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all the ingredients in 2 gallon sized zip top bags.  Cook on low for 8 hours, high for 4.  Shredded and serve on buns as sandwiches.  You can also grill this chicken, but make sure it is fully defrosted. Optional- top with bacon and cheddar cheese.  Broil until the cheese is melted.  Make 2 meals, each meal serves 3-4.  

Ground Beef

In a large skillet brown 3 pounds ground beef.  Drain, and divide between 3 zip top bags.  Freeze until needed.  Add to salads, chili, tacos, potatoes as needed.  Season as desired.  Makes 3 meals, 3-4 servings per meal.  

5 Day Jump Start for Summer

I have a lot of people ask me about my eating habits, the types of workouts I do, and how I balance a clean, healthy diet with every day life- especially since I love to eat and trying new recipes is one of my biggest hobbies!  As someone who has always struggled with keeping weight off and making myself workout on a regular basis, I totally get how hard it can be to know where to start and how to make the jump into a healthier lifestyle.  I have counted calories, been low carb, vegetarian, dairy free, low sugar, trained for half marathons, done weight lifting, and even dabbled with diet pills (oh the choices we make in college).  Some of these worked well, some of these not so much (sorry, there is no magic diet pill).  The biggest thing I've learned over the year, is you just have to start somewhere and set small, attainable goals for yourself.  This brings me to the 5 Day Jump Start. 

Throughout my entire adult life, I've been most successful when I've had a clear plan, been 100% committed to my goals and had a support network.  So, I am looking to create a small group of 10 people who want to join me in getting ready for summer.  We will follow a simple nutrition based program that uses a clean eating meal plan, light daily activity, and daily attainable goals.  This program is easily modifiable for every fitness level, from people who don't exercise at all, to people who run marathons.  

This 5 day program will begin Monday, April 20th, but the spots go fast so I encourage you to register in advance.  

If you want to…

...commit to a healthier lifestyle
...get tips on portion control and clean eating
...find a support network of people going through the same struggles
...get tips on meal planning
...learn how to incorporate more activity into your daily schedule
...get constant motivation and support 24/7

then THIS program is for you!

To reserve your spot, you MUST follow these TWO steps:
1: Comment below and say “Count me in!"
2: Then follow me on Facebook so that I can send you a private message to make sure that we’ll be a good fit working together and to receive full details. 

This is a 5-day life changing challenge that will be fun, effective and leave you feeling confident and on the path to great health. This is a virtual group, so it doesn't matter where you live. Part nutrition, part exercise and part MOTIVATION to stick to it!

There has been a murder...

My Mom and I went out of town this weekend.  My Cousin's wife (cousin- in- law?) is having a baby, so we drove down to South Carolina to visit everyone and go to the baby shower.  This is her first boy (she has two girls already), so it was fun to see her get all the little boy stuff, and of course the little boy theme (Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails).  I should have know our "little boy" aka Caesar would be getting himself into trouble this weekend as well.

Since there isn't really a direct way to get where they live in South Caroline from where we live in Tennessee, and I have been out of my absolutely favorite peanut butter for about a month now, we decided to cut through Atlanta so I could go to Sprouts for more.  Since the shower was on Saturday, and we wanted to have plenty of time to visit, we left Thursday morning to get my peanut butter.

I know, it is kind of ridiculous to go out of our way (and by out of our way, I mean risk Atlanta traffic) for just peanut butter.  But seriously, it is the best peanut butter.  I found a Sprouts that was sort of on the way, and called ahead to make sure they had some.  They put 6 jars on hold for me, and we picked them up Thursday afternoon.

Because my husband is like most husbands, and hates baby showers, he stayed at home with the cats. I could have used his help with the Diaper Cake/Tricycle construction, but my cousin and I managed it pretty well.  Luckily my Aunt had a lot of the craft supplies we needed (that I didn't think to bring with me) as well as one of my Grandfather's bow ties to use as a bow when we ran out of ribbon.

Since the Husband was at home, he had cat sitting duty.  Desi and Caesar are usually pretty well behaved, but someone has to be around to make sure the food bowl is always full (so Caesar doesn't panic) and to make sure Desi doesn't get lost in the house.  For the most part I think they had a pretty relaxing weekend, but by Saturday night, things were getting a little hairy.

Caesar had been spending a lot of time in the basement, and it was soon discovered he'd found a new toy.  The Husband spent a lot of time trying to rescue the little mole, but he was too quick, and he couldn't ever catch him.  Unfortunately, some time Sunday morning Caesar did...and then he caught a bird as well.

When we got home, there were bits and pieces everywhere.  Desi was taking a nap, and the Husband had no idea what had happened.  Caesar waited until no one was looking and just slaughtered the poor creatures.  Of course, he knew he'd done wrong, because he refused to come out when we called for him.  We finally found him about an hour later, hiding on a dining room chair.

The Best Holiday Ham

My dad loved ham.  He grew up in Virginia eating country ham.  My grandfather would soak it for an eternity, and then slice it really thin.  I remember eating country ham served on my grandmother's rolls or biscuits.  Nothing says home cooked comfort food to me like a ham biscuit.  

Nowadays, I am not about to soak a country ham and do all the work that it take to get one edible, but I still like to eat ham on the holidays.  In my house, we have ham twice a year: at Christmas and Easter. I buy a nitrate free (also called "uncured") ham if I can find it, and make my own glaze. It's super easy, and so much better than the glaze packets or the store bought sugar coated hams. 

I usually serve Green Bean Casserole and Orange Scented Sweet Potatoes along side the ham.  When we have cut off most of the meat from the bone, I freeze the bone until I get a craving for Bean Soup.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of orange marmalade or preserves 
2 heaping TBSPs brown mustard. 
Cloves
Fully Cooked, Bone in Ham

Directions:
Stud the ham with cloves and cover with foil. Heat the ham according to the package directions (usually about 2-3 hours in a 350 degree oven).  Combine the orange marmalade with the brown mustard.  Then remove the foil, brush on the glaze and heat uncovered for another 15-30 minutes until caramelized.  Serve with your favorite rolls or biscuits!