Week 2: Shopping List and Recipes

Week 2: Shopping List
 
Meat
(1, 3) 2 lb ground beef

(2,6) 1.5 lb chicken breast

(5) 8 oz deli turkey

(5,7) 1 pkg turkey bacon


Refrigerated

(2, 3, 5,7) 16 oz colby jack cheese

(3,7) 8 oz sour cream

(6) 8 oz fat free cream cheese


Fresh Produce

(2) 2 avocados

(4,5) 1 bunch romaine lettuce

(3) 1 head iceburg lettuce (or small bag shredded)

(3,4,5) 6 roma tomatos

(7) 8 russet potatoes or small bag

(7) 1 bundle green onions

(4) 1 bundle fresh basil

(1,) small bag baby carrots

*desired fruit to use as sides


Canned/Packaged

(1) pkg sloppy joe seasoning

(3) 1 pkg taco seasoning
(6) 1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

(1) 6 oz can tomato paste

(1) 1 package hamburger buns

(2) 1 can Hunts Pasta Sauce

(3,5) 10 count flour tortillas (2 pkg. for a family of 5 or more)

(3) 1 bag corn tortillas

(4) 20 oz bowtie pasta

(4) 16 oz jar Alfredo sauce (Light or Sun-dried Tomato Basil)(6) 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies

(6) 1 can black beans

(6) 1 can corn

(6) 1 can reduced fat evaporated milk

Staples
eggs, rice, milk, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, flour, oil, parmesan cheese, ranch dressing, chili powder, onion powder

　
Meal 1: Sloppy Joes
1 lb ground Beef
1 sloppy joe seasoning packet
1-6 oz can tomato paste
4-6 hamburger buns

　
Brown ground beef; drain excess fat. Add tomato paste, 1 1/4 cups water and seasoning packet. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns and with carrot sticks
　

Meal 2: Chicken Parmesan with Avocado
Adapted from Cuisine Paradise

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthways
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup pasta sauce
2 avocados
1/2 cup cheese
romaine lettuce
　

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 1 piece of chicken breast in flour(shaking off excess), dip in egg mixture then coat in breadcrumbs. Place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray or brush the prepared chicken with oil, bake for 10 minutes (turning after 5 minutes). Spread 1 heaping tablespoon pasta sauce over each chicken breast. Arrange avocado slices over sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes or until golden and chicken is cooked through.

Chop up romaine lettuce and serve with desired dressing and chicken.

　

Meal 3: Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Adapted from Culinary Couture Blog

6 large flour tortillas
6 small corn tortillas
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
sour cream
cheese
shredded lettuce or iceburg lettuce chopped
2 roma tomatos, diced

　
Brown ground beef in a skillet, then add taco seasoning (according to package directions). Set aside. Bake the corn tortillas in the oven at 400 degrees for a couple of minutes, until they are golden and crunchy. Microwave the flour tortillas, one at a time (because they cool off quickly), for about 10 seconds to warm them up; this will make wrapping easier. Lay out the flour tortilla. Spoon some of the seasoned beef into the center of the tortilla. Top with shredded cheese. Place the crunchy corn tortilla on top of the cheese/beef; spread a dollop of sour cream on top of it, then toss on some diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce.

Starting with the bottom of the tortilla, fold the edge up to the center. Continue doing this in a clockwise or counter-clockwise movement until all of the tortilla is folded over, and the filling is entirely enclosed.

　
Spray a frying pan with cooking spray. Carefully place the Crunchwrap, seam-side down, in the pan. Press with a spatula and cook on medium-low heat, for about 3 minutes, until the bottom is nice and brown. Flip it over and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve.

　

Meal 4: Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream
20 oz. package bowtie pasta
1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce or regular light Alfredo sauce
2 roma tomatos, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh basil strips

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta and serve with fruit.


Meal 5: Chicken Club Wraps
4-6 tortillas
8 ounces deli turkey
shredded cheese
8-10 slices cooked turkey bacon
4-6 tablespoons ranch dressing
2 roma tomatos, sliced
Romaine lettuce

　
Spread ranch dressing over the center of wrap. Add turkey, cheese, bacon, tomato, and romaine.
Fold sides in and then roll up.

　

Meal 6: Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
Adapted from: Rita's Recipes

2 chicken breasts, still frozen
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
1 can corn kernels, undrained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese
cooked rice

Place the chicken in the crock pot. Top with the tomatoes, corn, beans, ranch dressing, onion and chili powders, stir to combine then top with the cream cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring one or twice to blend in the cheese. Shred the chicken into large pieces and serve over rice.

　

Meal 7: Baked Potato Casserol
Adapted from: Very Best Baking

8 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups shredded cheese
6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
Sliced green onions


Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 2 1/2- to 3-quart casserole dish. Return potatoes to saucepan; add evaporated milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Beat with hand-held mixer until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese and half of bacon. Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining bacon and green onions. Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tip: This casserole can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated. Cover with foil and bake at 350° F for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated. Uncover; top with cheese, bacon and green onions; bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

　
Serve with fruit

　




　

　

　

　

Week 1: Shopping List and Recipes

I have some exciting news to announce-- I will now be posting all of my weekly meal plans, complete with shopping lists and delicious, healthy, and affordable recipes! The cost of the meals ranges from $5.00-$7.00 each and will feed a family of 4-6 people! Bear with me though, I wish I could provide you with nicely formatted lists and recipes that you could download but I just have Wordpad right now so I will be posting them directly on the blog. As soon as I am able to get Microsoft Word I will supply them in a nicer, downloadable, format :) Feel free to copy, paste, reformat, and print, for your personal use. My goal is to help you keep your grocery costs down! Enjoy!

Shopping List: Week 1

*Numbers in parentheses represent the corresponding meal

Meat/ Deli

(1,4) 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

(4,5) 1 pkg. turkey bacon

(7) 8 oz sliced roast beef

Fresh Produce

(4,5) 1 bundle green onions

(5) 2.5 pounds russet potatoes

(5) 1 small yellow onion

(6) 2 avocados

(6) 2 roma tomatoes

Canned/Packaged
(1) 10 oz pineapple (crushed or chunks)

(1,4) 1 bottle BBQ Sauce

(2) 2- 8.5 oz boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix

(2) 2 cans chili

(3) 1 can Hunts spaghetti sauce (four cheese)

(4) 1-14 oz. can tomatoes with green chilies added

(5) 32 ounces (4 cups) chicken stock or broth

(6) 1 can (16 oz.) refried pinto beans

(6) 1 taco seasoning packet

(6) 1 can black olives

(6) 6-8 flour tortillas

(7) 1 packet Ajus sauce mix


Refrigerated

(2,4,5,6) 4 cups Colby cheese

(2,5,6) 16 oz light sour cream

(5) 8 oz fat-free cream cheese, softened

(7) 1 package sliced provolone/swiss cheese

Frozen
(1) 1 small bag mixed veggies
(3) 1 pkg. pre-made cheesy ravioli

 
Bakery
(3,7) 2 loaves french bread

 
Optional
Strawberries, grapes, or other fruit to use as sides.

　

Staples
Eggs, milk, minced garlic, rice, salt, pepper


(My total for all of the ingredients listed here including the optional fruit was about $48.00. That comes out to be about $6.86 per meal.)

Recipes: Week 1

Meal 1: Barbecue Pineapple Chicken (Slow Cooker)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
10 oz pineapple, drained
1 cup BBQ Sauce
*1/2 tsp of Crushed Red Pepper (optional - see tip below)
3 cups cooked rice
2 cups mixed veggies

Directions
Spray crock-pot with non stick cooking spray. Place chicken breast on bottom of crock-pot. Mix BBQ sauce, pineapple and crushed red pepper together, pour over chicken. Cook on high for approximately 5 hours or until tender. Shred the chicken. Enjoy over rice with steamed veggies.

*Tips: The crushed red pepper makes it a little spicy/hot. If you don't care for spicy, reduce the amount of red pepper to 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon, or just skip the red pepper.

Meal 2: Cornbread Chili Waffles

2- 8.5 oz boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 2 large eggs 2/3 cup milk cooking spray 2 cans chili Additional cheese, sour cream, green onion, ect. for toppings

Directions
Blend together cornbread mix, eggs, and milk. Stir in cheese. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray. Spoon batter onto preheated waffle iron. Cook 3-5 minutes or until crisp and done. Repeat with remaining batter. Transfer waffles to a baking sheet, and keep warm, uncovered, in the oven at 200° until ready to serve. Waffles can be frozen in zip-top freezer bags and reheated in oven or toaster oven.　

Serve with fruit or other desired side

Meal 3: Tomato-Ravioli

1 pkg. pre-made cheesy ravioli (great value)
1 can Hunts spaghetti sauce (four cheese)
1 loaf french bread

　
Directions
Cook the ravioli according to package directions. Drain, return to pan, add sauce, and heat to warm. Serve with french bread.　

Meal 4: Monterey Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. BBQ sauce
1/4 c. bacon bits (I use cut up turkey bacon)
1 c. colby and jack cheese, shredded
1 14 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, drained (canned with green chilies added)
sliced green onions
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten. Season with pepper. Grill chicken until no long pink (we used our George Foreman grill) and place on baking sheet covered with foil. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon bar-b-que sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

Serve with fruit or other desired side.　

Meal 5:Baked Potato Soup (Slow Cooker)

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, washed but NOT peeled. Diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 small yellow onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
32 ounces (4 cups) chicken stock or broth
8 oz fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, green onions

Directions
Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours. Add the softened cream cheese and stir to incorporate.
Top with green onions, bacon bits, sour cream etc.

Meal 6: Seven-Layer Tostadas

1 can (16 oz.) refried pinto beans
1 1/2 cups mashed avocado (seasoned as desired)
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 tsp. taco seasoning 1 cup finely grated cheese 1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced black olives
6-8 tortillas
olive oil for greasing baking sheet, about 1 tsp.

Directions
Place a baking sheet inside the oven and let it get hot while you preheat oven to 450 degrees, about 10 minutes. Carefully remove baking sheet, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on it and spread around with a paper towel, and put flour tortillas on the baking sheet. Toast tortillas in the oven until they're crisp and barely starting to brown, turning several times. This will take less than 5 minutes so watch them carefully.

While tortillas are crisping, put the refried beans in a bowl, stir to break them apart, and microwave 2-3 minutes, or until they're hot. Stir the Taco Seasoning Mix into the sour cream. Chop the onions, slice green onions, and slice the olives.

Put crisped tortilla shell on a plate and top with:
--a thin layer of refried beans (1-2 tablespoons)
--a thin layer of guacamole (1-2 tablespoons)
--a thin layer of seasoned sour cream (1-2 tablespoons)
--several generous pinches of finely grated low-fat cheese
--chopped tomatoes
--thinly sliced green onions
--sliced olives

Serve right away, with salsa or hot sauce if desired. You can keep the topping ingredients in the fridge and crisp more tortillas later to use any leftovers.

　
Meal 7: French Dip Sandwiches with French Fries

1 loaf french bread
16 oz sliced roast beef
sliced swiss/provolone cheese
1 packet Ajus' sauce mix
4-6 potatoes

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice potatoes into long strips. In large zip-lock, mix together 2 tbsp oil and desired seasonings (I use garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.) Toss fries to coat. Place on greased baking sheet or line with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Slice french bread in half lengthwise. Layer roast beef and sliced cheese. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 7 minutes or until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Prepared Ajus according to package directions for dipping and serve with fries.



 

Never ask the question, "What should we have for dinner?" again!

Meal planning takes a lot of work and a lot of time. My life has recently become more busy and our budget still does not allow us to eat out very often. This is why I decided to subscribe to "Emeals" yesterday. When you subscribe, they give you a meal plan each week that has recipes and the entire grocery list. They create the meals around sales at your local grocery stores and have over 40 different plans to choose from. The meal plan I have chosen is the "low-carb" one. I liked how all of the recipes are healthy and they use a lot of fresh ingredients but are simple at the same time.

The subscription for 3 months costs $21.00. I found a coupon code that saved me over $3.00. ( I figured $17.00 was a small price to pay for all the work it is going to save me!)

Has anyone else used emeals before? What has been your experience?

I can't wait to try it out! I am going shopping today!

Buying Bread

So lately I have been going against everything I have been teaching on this blog.

I have been buying bread.

This is mostly because I have gotten lazy, but it is also because I have found the way to buy healthy-- relatively homemade bread. . . for cheap!

I have discovered the grocery store's secret-- instead of buying bread in the bread isle, buy it straight from your favorite grocery store's bakery! Everytime I have gone to buy it, it is always the same price: 3 loaves for $5 or $1.67 each!! And it is delicious and healthy! How can you not decide to be lazy when you discover something as great as this?

It is the same with buns and hoagies too! In the normal grocery isle the cheapest hoagie buns I could find were $3.65 for 6. I went to the bakery and got 12 large buns for $2.50. Not bad!

Homemade Pancake Mix

I was really craving pancakes but realized I was out of my homemade pancake mix. I decided to make another big batch to store in the fridge. I love making the mix. It is so simple to make, and it saves so much time because I just add water to mine! The actual recipe suggests adding 2 eggs and 2 tbsp. oil but I think it tastes fine without.

HOMEMADE PANCAKE MIX (makes about 5 batches)
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour (NOTE: you can substitute for all-purpose flour)
2 cups powdered milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
1 tablespoon salt

Mix mix mix! I just throw it all in a ziplock and shake :) When you are ready to make pancakes, add desired amount of mix with desired amount of water. So easy!

Free Household Products!

Lately I have been working on a project to earn free household products! I no longer have to pay for laundry detergent, body wash, deodorant, dish soap, face wash ect. ect. I know I have posted in the past about where to buy these items cheaper, but free is much cheaper! It has done wonders for our budget! I also found out my hero Dave Ramsey does the same thing! If you would like to know more about the program, email me at renaehall675@gmail.com

$5 Veggie Pasta Pie

I saw this recipe on Dr. Oz and knew I had to try it. It is both inexpensive and extremely healthy. It was so yummy! It tasted like a cross between veggie lasagna and an omelet. This is a must for your recipe collection. *Note make sure you have enough egg to hold your "pancakes" together.

Ingredients
Serves 4 (I doubled the recipe)

3 oz whole-wheat macaroni
6 large eggs
2-3 carrots, finely grated
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 14.5-oz can low-salt diced tomatoes
10 oz frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 oz reduced fat cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil and cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain the pasta and set aside.

Whisk 2 eggs in a bowl and add 1/3 of the grated carrot and 1/3 of the cooked macaroni. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a non-stick skillet, add the egg mixture and cook over medium low heat until the eggs are set but not dry. Slide this noodle “pancake” onto a greased cookie sheet and keep warm. Repeat this process two more times to create a total of 3 noodle layers.

Add 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and sauté 1 clove garlic until soft. Add the canned tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until the juice has evaporated and the tomatoes are almost dry. Set aside and repeat the process with an additional teaspoon of oil, the remaining clove of garlic and the spinach.

Add the first noodle pancake, browned side down, to a greased pie plate. Top with the cooked spinach and add 1 ounce of the shredded cheese. Add a second noodle pancake and top with the tomatoes and 1 ounce shredded cheese. Top with the final noodle pancake, browned side up, and remaining shredded cheese.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve hot or cold.

How to get More for your Money-- Everytime you Shop!

One day a couple years ago, I was looking at a price label on the shelf in a store. Then I saw a magical magical thing-- "price per ounce." When you compare the price per ounce, you can truly find the best value for almost every product. In some cases you may even notice that the off-brand is not the best deal, or maybe a different off-brand is a better deal. I use this trick for almost everything. For example. When I buy cereal (which is not very often), I do not choose any that are over $0.12 an ounce.

Using this trick will get you a lot more for your money. Does anyone else use this trick?

Homemade Onion Soup Mix

This mix is so much cheaper to make than it is to buy. This recipe makes 1 packet. I bulked up the recipe and separated it into little baggies.

2 1/2 tbsp dried minced onion
4 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Grocery Buying Tips

We live on a $130 per month budget for groceries. How do we do it? Here are some things I do that help cut down the grocery expenses.

1. I plan my meals for the week before I go shopping. I am only allowed 32.50 per week for all of our groceries. I usually plan and buy for 5 dinners per week. The other two days we just eat leftovers. All of the dinner recipes I will be posting on this blog will cost around $5 dollars or less to prepare. We do not eat a whole lot of fresh produce unless it is on a way good sale. I will usually buy frozen veggies and canned fruit. Before I go shopping, I check grocerysmarts.com.



Grocerysmarts.com is an amazing tool for checking out weekly grocery deals. I mostly use this to check on produce and meat deals for the week. I will mostly only buy the items that I need which has the word "Extreme" next to it. It is way nice too because it lists the grocery deals by store.

2. We do not buy processed food like cereal, crackers, chips, pre-made chicken nuggets, corn dogs, Hot Pockets  ect. These items will really rack up your grocery bill fast. I stick to the basics when I go shopping and basically everything we eat is homemade. Because we do not have cereal for breakfast, I make inexpensive breakfast cassroles, my own pancake mix, and fruit-oatmeal bakes (recipes to come soon.)

3. I try to go shopping by myself and will not buy anything that is not on my list. When I bring other people with me, I tend to get sucked into buying items that I did not originally intend to buy. I go by myself and stick to my list.

4. I know where to shop. The majority of my shopping is done at Smiths because they tend to have great sales and I like the rewards points earned from being a fresh values customer. There are some items though that can be purchased cheaper elsewhere. Yeast, flour, sugar, and sometimes cheese are cheapest at Costco or Sam's Club. You can buy a 25 lb bag of flour at Sam's for just $7.67. The yeast and sugar are also great deals.

5. We stock up on staples at good prices. When you have mass amounts of everything, you don't need to go to the store as often and when you don't go to the store, you don't spend money. We stock up on yeast, flour, sugar, cheese (at Sam's), canned spaghetti sauce, canned vegetables, and canned fruit. I buy about 4 gallons of milk at a time, freeze them, and bring a gallon out as we need it. Because we have this food stored up, we can sometimes go even 2 weeks without going to the store if needed. You may have to build your storage up slowly to make it fit in your budget (flour one month, tomato sauce the next ect.)