Frozen Assets...Post 1

It's been a while since I wrote a blog post. I've known what I wanted my next subject to be, but I've been doing some research the past month or so, trying to formulate a plan that will work for us. This will be a series of posts-this first one will deal with the basics (followed later by the shopping trip and cooking day posts).

I've read numerous blogs, books, and talked to several people about freezer cooking. I made an attempt at it once before, but it wasn't entirely successful. Hopefully I've refined my knowledge on the subject so that I can make this a monthly staple. Some things I've read suggest cooking the entire month's worth of meals (30 meals) to put in the freezer. That isn't a good option for us because it calls for lots of repeat meals, and very precise shopping. However, I've decided to cook 14 meals, to use at our discretion throughout the month.

Why cook ahead? Well...there are a lot of good reasons.
*Saves cooking and cleaning time during the week! Can you imagine a whole week where you never have to clean up cooking utensils? It also prevents that rush during busy nights. Just grab a meal out of the freezer and pop in the oven!
*It's a portion control device. A lot of items I make (specifically pastas and casseroles), make WAY more food than we need for the meal and a day of leftovers. We end up grossly overeating and still throwing away food. So, it's just as easy to make the same amount on cooking day, but separate it into two freezer containers. Voila! Two meals ready to go. And, should you need an extra meal to take to a sick friend or have unexpected company, you are no worse for wear.
*It's money saving. Planning ahead, freezing meals, and having easy to prepare side dishes makes for quick meals. You can control your impulse spending on fast food and eating out this way. Also, the planning portion allows for a chance to implement coupons and other seasonal deals.

Don't have a big freezer? No problem! You can freeze meals flat, in zip-top bags and stack them (a dozen meals takes up only half of a traditional top of fridge freezer)...they do require more prep time when you plan to eat them, but more on that later. I DO recommend getting a deep freeze if you have space (even a garage, laundry room, or corner of a kitchen are good options) because they allow for bulk purchases. Even consider sharing a deep freeze with a friend who has space for one (Maybe they can even exchange a couple of ready-to-eat meals for your freezer space!)

How do you cook for a day with kids under foot? Hire a sitter, send them out with dad, or find a friend who will exchange watching them for food or their own cooking day.

So that's the basics. On the next post, I'll include the meal plan and shopping list. After that, I'll post with actual shopping and cooking days. I'd love for some people to try out this with me!!

Eat From the Pantry Challenge ($30 grocery week!)

A lot of blogs I follow advertise doing "eat from the pantry" challenges. Some are for a few days, some as long as a month. I always found that idea overwhelming and unpleasant. But, in our end of the summer budget crunch, we decided to give it a try. We opted to do one week and see what happened. I have to admit, not only did it save us a lot of money, it was quite humbling.

We have never considered ourselves "extra" wasteful (you know, we recycle and donate when we can, try to eat the last bits of cereal, etc...) but what I didn't realize is how many things we buy that weren't getting used. And then, before you know it, they are expired, spoiled, or stale and you throw them out. I've recently had a lot of overwhelming emotions about the number of people just in our own community that don't have food. It sickens me when I think about how much I throw away. So, slowly but surely, we're making changes towards that. Here's how we did the challenge.

First on the list was to take inventory of what we had (this is now actually a running list for our convenience and to help with waste that we keep tacked on the fridge/pantry door/deep freeze and add/cross off items as needed). We marked down lists for the refrigerator, freezers, and pantry. I had a lot of obvious items this time around and didn't have any trouble at all coming up with meal plans. However, should you find yourself in a situation not knowing how to use what you have, go to www.allrecipes.com and click on "ingredients" at the top. You can list items you have and it will give you meal ideas for those items (you still might have to purchase one or two things, but that's better than buying ALL the ingredients for a different item!).

Then, we listed the few items we needed to complete the meals, and use for the household over the next week. We set our budget at $30 (I know, I know, you're thinking WHAT??). This forced me to do two things: get EVERYTHING in one trip (no quick trips during the week) and really seriously watch my budget.

The outcome: we survived! It was actually refreshing to know that we made it a whole week on $30 worth of additional groceries, we had company over for dinner 2 of those nights, and we were able to use up items we already had on hand! We felt really good about being mindful of our pantry. And, this is something I think we will add to the list every month or two-just to clear out "extras" hanging out in the pantry and freezer. Will YOU take the challenge now?

Here are a couple of tips for doing the challenge:
*don't dismiss those half eaten potato chips/pretzels/crackers that may be stale. Crumbled, they make an excellent crunchy coating for meat and veggies!
*consider how much you will REALLY use (it's okay if you actually run out of something!)If you're running really low on something, use just a hint of water in the bottle (like coffee creamer or ketchup), shake it up, and use it.
*if you have leftovers that you won't use for a while, freeze them. Then pull them out on an eat from the pantry week (no purchasing required!)

It's the Little Things that Count!

Most people think teachers have a glamourous life, with summer breaks and all. What they don't realize is that most teachers don't get a regular paycheck over the summer. So, for our family, this means the last paycheck comes on May 30. Then we have a long stretch until Aug. 30. We have to plan carefully to stretch our money across the summer. But, on occasion, life gets in the way. Like the $400 septic pump we needed put in plus $165 to pump the tank. There went nearly $600 we hadn't budgeted. So, by the end of summer, we're stretching to the next paycheck.

That said, we've been very careful about our budget lately and I've done some exploring. I have to admit, for someone who will jump on a $.75 coupon from a mile away, I sure missed some obvious money-savers. So, I'll attempt to pass on the (obvious) savings to you!

I looked at some things we typically buy and compared them to other, similar options. Amazing what a difference. I'll compare 4 common items on our grocery list:

Shredded cheese: we use shredded cheese in a million and one dishes. But do you realize exactly what a PREMIUM price you pay? I sure didn't...
Great Value brand shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups) $1.98
Great value brand large block cheddar cheese (shredded, yields 6 cups)$3.36
Divided into 2 cups: $1.12
SAVINGS OF $0.86

Rice: I've always used minute rice. No particular reason, it's just what I'm used to. But I really never realized what a money pit it is!
Kroger brand quick minute rice $1.60 for a small box
Kroger brand dry bag rice $.98
SAVINGS OF $0.62

Salsa: I've been making my own for a while. But it really is a great savings.
Kroger brand jar salsa $1.75
Homemade salsa: one can petite diced tomatoes $.50
sliced jalapenos (one jar is $1.30, but yields 10 batches of
homemade salsa) $.13
lemon juice, salt, cumin $.05
1/2 diced onion $.40
Total: $1.08
SAVINGS OF $0.67

Oatmeal: I like the flavored kind. But it's simple to make your own.
Quaker instant oatmel-blueberry delight (6 packets) $2.50 ($.42 per serving)
Great Value quick cooking oats $1.50 (makes 10 servings)
brown sugar, blueberries, and cinnamon to taste $.10 per serving
Total: $.25 per serving
SAVINGS OF $.17

It may not seem like a lot, but for things you buy often, it really adds up. If I buy these 4 things weekly for a year, it adds up to over $100! And imagine the other items you may be paying convenience premiums for!

Summer Parties on a Budget!

I love that I have been blessed with two wonderful children. But when we were "surprised" with Nick, and he was born in mid-July (in fact, the bank clock was the only thing I could see from my hospital room window, blinking 100 F all afternoon), I swore up and down that I would NEVER have another July baby. Fast forward two years. We were expecting a girl...due on Nick's birthday...July 16. UGH! Seriously?? Okay, so God has a sense of humor. Unfortunately, that left us with a little dilemma. Two birthdays, mid-summer, a week apart. Last year, Olivia was only 10 days old when we had Nick's party, and we scheduled a pool party. Perfect for late July, right? NOPE! It was 70 degrees and the water was freezing.

So, with all the mishaps and hooplah surrounding multiple summer birthdays, we devised a plan to not break our budget, make everyone happy, and not have to skimp on the food.

We decided on a joint birthday party for the family to attend. One advantage of summer parties? Almost every produce imaginable is in season and inexpensive, as well as super tasty.

Here's how the lineup looked:
Veggie and chicken kebabs (veggies from our garden-tomatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini; mushrooms and onions from the supermarket...using more veggies, allows for less meat and thus, a cheaper entree)
Fresh fruit and dip
Corn dip (made with fresh corn at just $.25/ear!)
Veggie/ranch bars
Pasta salad

For dessert, we opted to make cupcakes instead of ordering a sheet cake from a local bakery. At $15-20 a pop, it's just not worth it. I was able to make 48 cucakes for under $5. And, I let the kids help decorate, so they were just as excited about them. I did order some cupcake rings for Nick's bowling party from eBay for just a few dollars too. Still much cheaper than store-bought.

It was a really fun time, the kids enjoyed it, and everyone was well fed. So, I guess, although I would never WANT to have another summer baby, there are some advantages.

Pickles Pickles Pickles!!

Our garden has exploded, and thus left us with an overabundance of cucumbers. Dont' get me wrong, I enjoy the OCCASIONAL cucumber, but much rather prefer the pickled variety. Unfortunately, making pickles is a very delicate and time consuming process. Enter-my wonderful Grandma Rhew. I don't have a lot of memories of her, but these pickles are something I do remember. I remember her having them in her refrigerator in the summer-and also my mom making them every year. I haven't made them in years, but it's exciting. I can almost taste them now...but I must wait for 2 days!!

They are super easy, quick, and cheap to make. So I thought it only appropriate to share it on here. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. :)

Refrigerator Pickles
Slice 4-5 small/medium cucumbers thinly and fill a large, clean glass jar. Add one peeled garlic clove, whole.
In a separate bowl, mix the following:
2 cups cold water, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp dill, and 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns. Pour liquid over sliced cucumbers. Seal jar and refrigerate for 2 days.

June Meals and the summer harvest!

So sorry it has been a few weeks since I blogged last. It has been BUSY BUSY BUSY as most summers are. I realize that I never posted the June meals list. This will be a two-part post because during the summer it just isn't practical for us to do a month of meals at a time. We do a significant amount of traveling and entertaining so it's a little unpredictable, and for us, can be more costly if we try to plan too far in advance. We're also getting the first items from our garden, which is also unpredictable, and will dictate much of what we cook later in the summer. It's so refreshing to walk out to the yard and pick what you need for a meal!

Alright, on to the list! As always, I'm happy to share recipes if you want them.

Italian marinated grilled chicken/baked sweet potatoes/salad
Dijon chicken/roasted garlic potatoes/green peas
Homemade sloppy joes/roasted potato fries
Broccoli chicken alfredo pasta/garlic toast/salad
Teriyaki flat iron steak/baked potatoes/salad/homemade yeast rolls
Honey Mustard pork chops/stove top stuffing/green beans
BBQ ribs/grilled corn/baked beans
Tomato soup and grilled cheese
Cincinnati chili/hot dogs/
Chicken parmesan/spaghetti/garlic toast/salad
Breakfast casserole/fresh fruit/yogurt
Lemon pepper grilled chicken/rice-a-roni/grilled veggies
Stuffed shells/3 cheese bread
Tacos/refried beans/homemade salsa and chips

*New Recipe* Sausage and Pepper Subs!

We are busy. Simply put. So I LOVE quick and simple recipes! Some of them seem so easy that I have a brief moment of "why didn't I think of that before?" This is sort of one of those moments. But, the result was delicious, inexpensive, and quick!

Sausage and Pepper Subs

1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 green or red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 onion sliced thinly
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp steak/all purpose seasoning
*optional* 1/4 cup chicken stock or water

Put olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and turn on medium heat. When oil is hot, add sausage. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until sausage reaches desired doneness (we like ours on the crispy side). Once sausage is done, remove from pan, but leave any oil or rendered fat in the skillet. Add in pepper, onion and steak seasoning. Sautee the veggies until they reach desired doneness (about 4-5 minutes). When veggies are done, add sausage back in, and ketchup. Stir to combine. *Note: if you like this to be "saucier" then you can add 1/4 cup of chicken stock or water at this point). Once everything is combined, it is ready to serve! We like ours on split, buttered, toasted sub rolls and sprinkled with mozzerella cheese.

**For a quick side dish! Dice 4 Idaho potatoes (skin on, washed). Place on a cookie sheet that has been covered in aluminum foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray). Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil. Sprinkle on 1 tbsp favorite steak/mixed seasoning (Mrs. Dash works great, as does Italian bread dipping seasoning mixes). Mix up potatoes so that all are coated with oil and seasoning. Put in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. If you like them crispy, turn on the broiler for five minutes once the potatoes are cooked through. Enjoy!