Saturday, November 27, 2010
A Week of Thanksgiving
This week my family and I have been out of town visiting Tracy's parents. It has been a wonderful trip. We spent time with loved ones we only see a few times a year and I finally got to cook with my mother in law. I spent the whole time here thinking of all of the things I have to be thankful for. When we get home tonight I'll post some of the recipes we used. I hope you and yours had a great holiday!!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Horn of Plenty
Friends, Thanksgiving is nearly here. My family and I are travelling to Alabama this year to spend the holiday week with my husband's parents. It is a little sad for me to not be orchestrating and menu planning all by myself - I do love to be in charge - but I've never cooked this meal with my mother-in-law and I know it is going to be an experience I'll treasure.
In preparation for our holiday the kids and I have been talking about Thanksgiving and what it means to be grateful. How do I explain to a five year old who has never lacked anything how miraculous God's provision for us is? How do I contrast the glowing comfort of a table full of food and family to the emptiness of hunger and loneliness? Security and fear? I don't want my little ones to face the harsher realities of this world yet, so we don't talk about the families around us who are hungry. I think about them and pray for them, and I hope you will too.
After I return from my trip I will begin posting steps that every family can take to help make sure that their kitchens are horns of plenty for their families and friends. I will also be posting about hospitality and simple table manners. I love this time of year - nothing pairs family and food quite like Thanksgiving.
In preparation for our holiday the kids and I have been talking about Thanksgiving and what it means to be grateful. How do I explain to a five year old who has never lacked anything how miraculous God's provision for us is? How do I contrast the glowing comfort of a table full of food and family to the emptiness of hunger and loneliness? Security and fear? I don't want my little ones to face the harsher realities of this world yet, so we don't talk about the families around us who are hungry. I think about them and pray for them, and I hope you will too.
After I return from my trip I will begin posting steps that every family can take to help make sure that their kitchens are horns of plenty for their families and friends. I will also be posting about hospitality and simple table manners. I love this time of year - nothing pairs family and food quite like Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Average Food Costs
I shared in an earlier post that the average family in America spends $650.00 per month on food. My friends who have responded to this statistic have been shocked. They are also certain that they spend nowhere near that amount and that you would have to be living a strange lifestyle to be hitting those kinds of numbers. They are wrong. I know this because I myself have hit those numbers and was doing it without feeling like I was being at all extravagant. Here's how it happens. You go to the grocery store on Sunday planning to buy a weeks worth of food and spend $100.00. You are feeling frugal. Four people for a whole week for $100.00 is $3.57 per person per day. You rock. You might even have a receipt that says that when you spent your $100.00 you saved $22.50!! Tuesday is a crazy day and you decide that you do not have time to cook so you go to McCallister's where kids eat free on Tuesday but iced tea costs $2.00 per glass and spend $18.25. You still feel good because, after all that's less than you "saved" the day before. On Thursday you run out of milk so hit the store. They have a special on bell peppers and chips so you pick those up too. You spend $8.66. On Friday everyone begs for pizza, and because pizza is such a good buy right now you go for it. You may as well get enough for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow so you spend $21.70. On Saturday you pull your receipts and find that you spent $148.61 on food. You also find that the head of broccoli and on special beef tips that you did not eat on Tuesday or Friday have gone bad. You throw them out and vow to do better next week.
$148.61 x 4.3 weeks per month = $639.02. Average is expensive I learned to do better and so can you.
$148.61 x 4.3 weeks per month = $639.02. Average is expensive I learned to do better and so can you.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Navigation
Hey friends!! I hope you are finding some helpful hints here. This morning I added a recipe for Potato Soup. You can find it by clicking on the Recipes page on the right. I will try to add all new recipes there and let you know about them here. Enjoy!!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Menus
One of my money saving strategies is planning and posting a weekly menu. I build my grocery list from it and hang it on the fridge so that everyone knows what the plan is. When we deviate from it - and trust me we do sometimes - we know that we are choosing an alternative to the perfectly good prepaid option in front of us. I use my grocery store's sale flier to choose good values and spend coupons when I can. It really helps beat the temptation to overspend and overindulge. I am a lot more likely to hit a drive through or call for pizza if I don't have a plan or the energy to make one. Of course, the menu is a tool - your tool - not a prison. If you just don't feel like meatloaf and you want to switch Tuesday's meal for Thursday's - go for it. If you have a craving for pizza on a Friday night and you choose to reschedule Friday's dinner to Sunday - feel free. You have my permission to use your planned menu as a help and not a hindrance for your family. You also have my permission to use it as an excuse. "No Caleb, we are not going to Chick Fil A for supper. We have spaghetti on our menu tonight." is a lot nicer to hear and say than, "We can't afford...I don't want..."etc.
A note about coupons: spend them (not use them) the way you would spend money. The coupon is not of value to your family if the item purchased with it is not cheaper than a similar item at another store would be without it. It is also not valuable if the product purchased with it does not benefit your family by being nutritious or practical. The goal of coupon creators is to market to your family. If you don't enjoy and approve of their product, if it doesn't fit into your lifestyle - don't buy it. I don't care how cheap the name brand, frozen, convenience packaged, preservative filled item is just this once - it's probably not cheaper than the ingredients in your pantry that you would use to make it and you are not helping to set your family's expectations where you want them if you put things on your table that you wouldn't want to see there on a regular basis.
Okay, all of that said I am now going to post my family's menu for this week. My husband and son eat lunch away from home so sometimes I don't list a meal in the middle of the day. Addie and I usually eat leftovers and Tracy and Caleb usually eat sandwiches. Enjoy!!
A note about coupons: spend them (not use them) the way you would spend money. The coupon is not of value to your family if the item purchased with it is not cheaper than a similar item at another store would be without it. It is also not valuable if the product purchased with it does not benefit your family by being nutritious or practical. The goal of coupon creators is to market to your family. If you don't enjoy and approve of their product, if it doesn't fit into your lifestyle - don't buy it. I don't care how cheap the name brand, frozen, convenience packaged, preservative filled item is just this once - it's probably not cheaper than the ingredients in your pantry that you would use to make it and you are not helping to set your family's expectations where you want them if you put things on your table that you wouldn't want to see there on a regular basis.
Okay, all of that said I am now going to post my family's menu for this week. My husband and son eat lunch away from home so sometimes I don't list a meal in the middle of the day. Addie and I usually eat leftovers and Tracy and Caleb usually eat sandwiches. Enjoy!!
Menu 11/13-11/19
Saturday - Biscuits with apple butter, milk
Potato soup, fruit salad
Pork chops, rice pilaf, broccoli
Sunday - Eggs on toast
l/o Potato soup, sub sandwiches
Chicken and dumplings, carrots
Monday - Peanut butter toast, banana, milk
Sub sandwiches, pretzels
Chicken quesadillas, rice, corn
Tuesday - Cereal with milk, banana
Ham slices, cottage potatoes, green beans, applesauce
Wednesday - Brown sugar oat porridge
Ham fried rice
Dinner at church
Thursday - Grits and ham, applesauce
Pasta with Italian sausage, green beans
Friday - Cereal with milk, banana
Vegetable beef soup, corn bread
Potato soup, fruit salad
Pork chops, rice pilaf, broccoli
Sunday - Eggs on toast
l/o Potato soup, sub sandwiches
Chicken and dumplings, carrots
Monday - Peanut butter toast, banana, milk
Sub sandwiches, pretzels
Chicken quesadillas, rice, corn
Tuesday - Cereal with milk, banana
Ham slices, cottage potatoes, green beans, applesauce
Wednesday - Brown sugar oat porridge
Ham fried rice
Dinner at church
Thursday - Grits and ham, applesauce
Pasta with Italian sausage, green beans
Friday - Cereal with milk, banana
Vegetable beef soup, corn bread
Friday, November 12, 2010
Shepherd's Pie
Today the kids and I (my husband opted out of this one) prepared and ate shepherd's pie. I scanned some of the cookbooks I have lining my kitchen counter and found recipes similar to what I was after - meat, a veggie and a mashed potato topping - but nothing just right for us. I don't usually enjoy a dish prepared with cream of something soup or ketchup and that eliminated much of what I found. Here's what I came up with:
1 lb. ground beef (93/7)
8oz. frozen green peas
1 envelope onion soup mix
5 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
parsley
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. brown ground beef with a little olive oil. If you are using ground beef with a higher fat content you will want to drain it before the next step.
2. add onion soup mix and 3/4 cup of hot water. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer.
3. add frozen peas. Simmer until peas are defrosted.
4. warm mashed potatoes in microwave. This recipe is designed to use leftover or planned over mashed potatoes. If you don't have any you can start from scratch or take advantage of one of the few convenience food products I advocate - instant mashed potatoes. I don't enjoy instant potatoes by themselves but they work great in casseroles - and they are cheap, cheap cheap. I buy the store brand in a big box with no added flavors. Once your potatoes are warm stir in the sour cream and add parsley. I use around 1 tablespoon of dried but this item should be added to suit your taste.
5. pour beef mixture into a buttered 8x8 glass casserole dish (I use Pyrex). Spoon potatoes on top and spread to cover. Top with shredded cheese. Or don't. This is not a cheesy casserole. It is not supposed to be gooey. You should try it topped with french fried onions or buttered bread crumbs or just a little paprika. The goal is to add a little color or texture to the top.
6. bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
My daughter and I ate this for lunch and then I warmed up the rest for supper. It was yummy and I did not have to cook twice - it also made evening clean up easier.
COST $7.00/ $1.17 per serving
1 lb. ground beef (93/7)
8oz. frozen green peas
1 envelope onion soup mix
5 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
parsley
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. brown ground beef with a little olive oil. If you are using ground beef with a higher fat content you will want to drain it before the next step.
2. add onion soup mix and 3/4 cup of hot water. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer.
3. add frozen peas. Simmer until peas are defrosted.
4. warm mashed potatoes in microwave. This recipe is designed to use leftover or planned over mashed potatoes. If you don't have any you can start from scratch or take advantage of one of the few convenience food products I advocate - instant mashed potatoes. I don't enjoy instant potatoes by themselves but they work great in casseroles - and they are cheap, cheap cheap. I buy the store brand in a big box with no added flavors. Once your potatoes are warm stir in the sour cream and add parsley. I use around 1 tablespoon of dried but this item should be added to suit your taste.
5. pour beef mixture into a buttered 8x8 glass casserole dish (I use Pyrex). Spoon potatoes on top and spread to cover. Top with shredded cheese. Or don't. This is not a cheesy casserole. It is not supposed to be gooey. You should try it topped with french fried onions or buttered bread crumbs or just a little paprika. The goal is to add a little color or texture to the top.
6. bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
My daughter and I ate this for lunch and then I warmed up the rest for supper. It was yummy and I did not have to cook twice - it also made evening clean up easier.
COST $7.00/ $1.17 per serving
What's For Dinner?
I ask myself this question all the time. My family also asks me...and never when anyone else can hear them. So I answer this question at least four times a day and sometimes more often than that if the one who asks at 10:00am has forgotten by 4:30. I have yet to answer that question and get a response of, "Oh, wow!! You must really love us. You are the best Mom ever! Thank you!!" I don't know why...
Meal planning, shopping and preparing food for my family is one of the most time consuming tasks I have. I spend tons of time thinking about food. Who likes what, who won't eat it, how much is it going to cost, how can I make it cost less, is there any way I can convince someone else to clean up after we eat it - a LOT of time thinking about food. Part of the reason I let it dominate my day is the fact that I believe that it is my responsibility to teach my children the importance of wholesome food and to enjoy our time to together when we share a meal. It is my gift to them - my act of service. Daily bread matters.
In addition to growing their bodies, I aim to shape the attitudes and expectations of my little ones so that they conform to my value system. I believe that we can do more for others with the resources we are given if we have simple lifestyles and live below our means. If I don't spend every penny in my bank account every month not only do I have money on hand for my emergencies but I will have something to give when my neighbor is in need. Families in this country spend a whopping $650.00 per month on food and 40% of that eating out. I want my children to think that eating out is something we do to celebrate a special occasion or when we are on vacation. I want them to know all of their food groups and notice when there is one missing from their plate. I want them to be nourished and comfortable - not stuffed and sluggish. Most of all, I want my children to look forward to family meal time and know that there is always room at our table for one more.
I look forward to sharing with you my recipes, menus, budget and money saving tips. I also hope to inspire you to look at your kitchen with something more than the dread of having the wrong answer to the "What's for Dinner?" question. I want you to see it as your kingdom and your mission field.
Meal planning, shopping and preparing food for my family is one of the most time consuming tasks I have. I spend tons of time thinking about food. Who likes what, who won't eat it, how much is it going to cost, how can I make it cost less, is there any way I can convince someone else to clean up after we eat it - a LOT of time thinking about food. Part of the reason I let it dominate my day is the fact that I believe that it is my responsibility to teach my children the importance of wholesome food and to enjoy our time to together when we share a meal. It is my gift to them - my act of service. Daily bread matters.
In addition to growing their bodies, I aim to shape the attitudes and expectations of my little ones so that they conform to my value system. I believe that we can do more for others with the resources we are given if we have simple lifestyles and live below our means. If I don't spend every penny in my bank account every month not only do I have money on hand for my emergencies but I will have something to give when my neighbor is in need. Families in this country spend a whopping $650.00 per month on food and 40% of that eating out. I want my children to think that eating out is something we do to celebrate a special occasion or when we are on vacation. I want them to know all of their food groups and notice when there is one missing from their plate. I want them to be nourished and comfortable - not stuffed and sluggish. Most of all, I want my children to look forward to family meal time and know that there is always room at our table for one more.
I look forward to sharing with you my recipes, menus, budget and money saving tips. I also hope to inspire you to look at your kitchen with something more than the dread of having the wrong answer to the "What's for Dinner?" question. I want you to see it as your kingdom and your mission field.
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