Winco Haul

Winco Haul

Cucumber 58
Celery .88
Potatoes  1.58
Potatoes  1.76
Beef and broccolli stir fry 5.02
Salmon burger 2.88
Marshellows .98
Olives 2@68
Hamburger buns .87

15.79 total

Beef and broccoli series 4 , makes for a lunch at 1.28 a plate.

A blast from the past.

I decided to break out my 1970 personal cookbook and see if I could remake some recipes that we considered comfort food.   Less salt, sugar, trans fats, hydroginated  oils, HFCS, and no fake.

Substituting butter for shortening will change the texture a bit because shortening is pure fat, and butter is 15 percent water.

Apple Raisen Bake

2 medium apples, peeled and sliced thin.
1/3 cup craisens
1/4 cup chopped nuts  **
1/3 cup brown sugar , firmly packed
Mix and spread in square greased baking pan


1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp EACH of soda, salt
1/8 tsp baking power
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup applesauce, no sugar added
1/4 cup water
1/2 a stick of butter (1/4 cup)
1 egg

Place all remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend well for one minute.  Then, beat on medium for 3 minutes.   Pour over fruit mixture in pan

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes

Friday Recipe

Its 4 am and I'm writing this in the dark.   I guess fall is here.   LOL

Balsaamic Orange sauce....good for chicken or fish

1 T orange peel
1T balsamic vinegar
1T honey
3/4 tap salt.

Brush on chicken or fish for a sauce.  


French toast

4 egg
1 cup milk
Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Mix all ingredients.   Dip bread in mixture to coat both sides.   Fry on medium heat on a griddle or a large skillet.  

Top with berries, yogurt and granola.  

Thursday Bullets : 5 dinners under 5 dollars

Note:  This is based on a proverbial family of four:   Two adults and two school aged children.   Buying a cooking bulk and buying smart are concepts that allow the meals to be super i expensive.

• Spaghetti w meatballs, salad or a vegetable.   Salad is preferred, but during the winter, it can be necessary to replace it with a vegetable for cost reasons.   Spaghetti, Barilla, 1.00 less ,27 coupons makes it .73.  -1/2 box is .37.  Pasta sauce .95, meatballs 2.00.  Salad 1.00 . Total 4.32
• Tacos an Spanish rice.   Taco shells ..67/2 is  33.  Taco shells were purchased for a dollar, subtract coupons makes them .67 a dozen. Hamburger 1/2 lb 1.89. 1/2 lb cheese 2.39/2 1.19 lettuce at 1.00 head is .25, tomato at 1.00 a lb is 50  total 4.16 add rice at .03 a serving.  .12 total 4.28
• Vegetable bean soup, beer or corn bread :  vegetable broth (free) 2 cans diced tomatoes 1.16, 4 cups cooked beans .34, 2 celery ribs and 2 carrots .50 total 2.00.  Beer or corn bread 1.00.   Total 3,00
• One pot skillet;  1/2 lb pasta .33, 8 ounces sausage links, 1.50, 1 ca diced tomatoes, .58, 2 cups cheese 1.20, beer or vegetable stock free.   Salad 1.00.  Total 4.61 
• Egg omelettes with veggies , English muffins toasted. Sliced oranges.   Eggs, (8) .48, veggies 1.50, 4 English muffins .56, 1 lb oranges 1.25. Total 3.79

Total 5 dinners:   20,00 or 1.00 a plate.   

Note:  this does not include pantry ingredients that are too small to cost out like salt, pepper, vegetable oil for frying or homemade stock or butter.   English muffins are 1.67 for a dozen at kroger (Fred Meyers ) .    

Complete seasoning

a good pair with chicken or turkey


1T EACH of

Garlic powder
Basil
Parsley

2T EACH of

Marjoram
Rosemary

1 tsp EACH of

Sage
Thyme
Pepper

Chicken burritos

4 flour tortillas -8 inch

1 large or two small chicken breasts -about a pound, 

2 cups frozen corn 

2 cups cooked black beans

1 can diced tomatoes 

1/2 can diced green chillies

2tsp taco seasoning 

1 cup Mexican style cheese shreds 

1. Cook chicken breasts in the insta pot.   Chop or shred. 
2. Place corn, beans cooked chicken and diced tomatoes, and seasoning  in the insta pot and set on slow cook.   
3. Cook for 2 hours 
4. Drain any excess liquid.  Add cheese 
5. Place a 3/4 cup of filling into heated shells and roll.   
6. Serve with  chips.   

Simple dinner: quiche our style

This is Betty Crocker impossible Pie.  There are receipts on. Line.  If you have cooked meat already i. Your freezer, it makes a dinner in less than ten minutes hands on time. 

Our version of basics : 

3.5 cups of cooked meat, cheese, and veggies 

I used cooked bulk sausage, grated cheese, and diced orange peppers.  

Fill a greased baking pan.

Add bisquick mix of : 

1 cup milk 

1/2 cup bisquick

2 eggs

I used the blender to mix it well.   Its the easiest way.   Afterwards, I fill the vessel with warm water an a couple of drops of dishwashing soap and run it.  Rinse with warm water and place in drying rack.   

Pour batter mixture over the meat mixture in the pan and bake at 400 degrees 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.   I served ours with sliced tomatoes on top.   I have also used field greens.   Sour cream and black olives for taco based "pie". 

Fred Meyer for Sunday

grapes .99
FF chicken drums, thighs whole fryers.  .87
Milk 1.79
Apples .99
Blues 2/5

Six dollars a pound for cheese is NOT a bargain.   My target price is 2.39.

Hebrew National franks 3.49


Not a lot there.   Apples and grapes are the best prices for fruit.
Milk is 1.79 and a bargain.  We got it for 1.79 at Safeways as well.
My pick for rotation meat would be the chicken.  

Pork with Orange sauce

One of the benefits of butchering your own pork loin is having pork cubes.  

A pork loin is one of the most inexpensive ways to stretch your protein dollar.   It is not hard with a sharp knife to cut it into enough meat for severe allergic meals.    Usually you can get ....starting from    Each end....pork cubes, a roast, and pork chops from the middle.   (Center cut) .

Working both ends against the middle....

1. Cut the ends that slope off and cut into cubes.  This can be in a stew, pot pie, or cooked and served over rice or mashed potatoes. 
2. Now cut a roast from each end leaving enough for pork chops.   
3. Cut the remaining center section into pork chops .  How many youn will get depends on how thick you want your chops.  
4. Any extra meat that may be along the side can be ground up for sausage.  

I digress.....on to Pork with Orange sauce. 

Ingredients: 

2 large carrots 

1 cup rice

3/4 pound of pork cut into 1/2 inch cubes 

1 T olive oil, or enough to fry the meat. 

1 large orange 

1 small onion 

2 tsp Dijon mustard 

Salt and pepper 

• Peel and cut 2 large carrots into coins.   Boil in saucepan until tender. 
• Cook 1 cup of rice in the insta pot with 1 cup of chicken stock.  
• Season pork with salt and pepper. In skillet, brown pork with a little olive oil.   Cook about 4 minutes, turning as you go until pork is browned on both sides. 

Add sliced onion and cook an additional 4-5 minutes or until pork is done and no longer pink.  

• Remove pork from pan.
• Deglaze the pan with the juice from 1 orange , the peel and 2 tsp Dijon mustard.   
• Return pork to pan.   
• Serve with carrots and rice.   

Cereal bars

A better alternative to rice crispy squares. 

1/2 cup honey 

1/4 cup peanut butter 

Place in saucepan over low heat an cook until blended. 

5 cups "suff" 

Main ingredients:  3 cups 

2 cups of a mixture of 

Yogurt chips or chocolate chips 

Dried fruit :   Craisens blueberries, 

Nuts. 

Stir the honey/peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients .  

Spread into greased pan or pan lined with parchment.   

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

...a different take on pizza

• I batch of ez pizza crust...
• Blue cheese dressing 
• Chicken pieces , cooked
• Red pepper sauce 
• Chopped red pepper 
• Mozzarella cheese 

1. Make pizza crust.  Dock the crust and pre bake  at 450 degrees until the crust is barely browned.   About 10 minutes 
2. Meanwhile:   Put cooked chicken in a bowl and add red pepper sauce to taste.  Stir . 
3. Fill the crust:  spread blue cheese dressing on the crust.  Add chicken red peppers and cheese.   
4. Return to oven and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.   

Notes:   Pizza crust is made in the food processor .   2 cups flour, 1.5 tsp yeast, 3/4 tsp table salt Mix to blend ingredients.  Add 6 ounces warm (105 degrees ) water an 2 tsp olive oil through the feed tube with machine running on low.   Run until the dough forms a ball.  Place dough ball on a floured  board or counter and knead a few time until dough is not sticky.   Do not over flour.   Roll or pat into a pizza pan or a sided baking pan.   

We use chicken that is cooked from the rib portion of split chicken breasts.   

When we cut red pepper strips, we cut the ends of the pepper off and chop them for the freezer.   This makes chopped red pepper easy for any number of dishes.   It adds color and we eat first with our eyes.   

Ez sides

Pickeled Beets, green beans, or carrots

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
2 T sea salt.

Place ingredients in in sauce pan.  Bring to boil.
Pour over vegetable that has been cut into appropriate pieces:  slant cut carrots wash green beans, sliced canned beets.

Refrigerate overnight


Oven fries

Wash potatoes 1-1/2 lbs with vinegar water and dedicated produce brush.
Cut potatoes in 1/8ths (wedges)
Dry with paper towels.

Toss with olive oil.

Sprinkle with garlic pepper.  Toss.

Spread in single layer on greased baking sheet or copper baking pan.  

Bake at 400 25-30 minutes or until done.  

Season gree beans with any of the following :

• Bacon 
• Blue cheese and pecans 
• Almonds 
• Radishes,parm, and walnuts. 

Stuffed chicken with feta and bacon

Note:  turkey bacon is on sale at FM for 2.00 when you buy 4 items on their list.

Mix a marinade of olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. 

4 small or 2 large chicken breasts, thawed. 

4 T feta cheese 

4 slices of bacon, cooked and drained 

Coating:  bread crumbs, italian seasoning, parsley 

• Cut chicken breasts in half if they are large, then cut each sideways to make a pocket. 
• Stuff the pockets with feta and bacon. 
• Brush chicken with marinade 
• Dip into crumb mixture 
• Place in greased baking pan. 
• Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until chicken tests done and is no longer pink.   I like 180 degrees internal temperature.   

Meal Plans for week of September 18

Meal plans are a tool that keeps us organized and on track for meals that stave off the "What's for dinner demons.  

1. Feta cheese and bacon stuffed chicken breasts, rice, salad 
2. Pizza
3. Pork Roast, sweet potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes 
4. Tacos, refried beans 
5. BBQ Pork sandwiches, Oven fries veggie sticks 
6. Salmon cassarole. Peas 
7. Breakfast for dinner 

Notes:   This is for mind techniques --to show how to use mindset to prepare meal plans.  We prep meal plans based on our stock.   We don't plan, then  shop, but rather, shop the sales to replentish a set      Of standard Grocery items. 

An inventory of the fridge netted a carton of feta purchased at a discount at Costco. The pizza and the chicken will help to use it up. 

Our neighbor brought us tomatoes zucchini and garlic out of their garden,   

We will make use of a pork roast in the freezer for two meals:  roast will reinvent itself into BBQ Pork sandwiches.   

Salmon was on sale at Costco for three dollars off a case.....like getting more than a entire can free.   Free is a very good word when you are on a tight budget.   

Sweet potatoes were purchased for .33 at grocery outlet.   

Last years weekly grocery haul was 72.00 average.   Since I started making more scratch food, it is 52.00 and that includes maintaining a small stock.   

At last calculations, that is 40 percent of the USDA stats for poor people.   

Homemade chicken nuggets

Homemade chicken nuggets are easy and a whole lot better than the stuff in a frozen bag.

In a bowl or plastic storage bag, mix

1.5 cups bread crumbs.   Homemade is best.
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated fine
3/4 cup nuts chopped fine.....walnuts or pecans work well.**

Melt butter in a small pan or bowl either on the stove or in the microwave.

Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1-1/2 inch pieces

Dip chicken in butter, then the crumb mixture.   Place on baking rack.
Let stand a few minutes to dry.

Bake on a baking pan that has been greased 20-25 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.   Test the meat with a thermometer.

** frugal tip:   Nut pieces are cheaper than whole nuts in the bulk isle and you save work too.

Olive Herb Flat Bread

A great accompaniment to a light soup.

EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package refrigerator biscuits - large or small if you have a small family
Red pepper flakes , optional
1/2 sweet pepper, sliced thin
1/2 can sliced black olives**
2 tsp each of rosemary and basil
1 ounce feta cheese **

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with oil.

Combine 1-1/2 T olive oil in a bowl with garlic.
Separate biscuits and flatten.  Place on baking sheet close together.   Brush with olive oil mixture.
Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, peppers, and olives.  Drizzle with a little  olive oil.
Sprinkle with herbs.
Sprinkle with feta
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until brown.
Serve warm or at room temperature .
Store in refrigerater if there are any leftovers.

**
Feta cheese can sometimes be found at the dollar store.
The other half of the black olives can be used in salads, on a pizza or in a sauce.
Sliced black olives are sometimes cheaper (winco) than whole olives.   Less water, more product.  

Beer Bread

One of the easiest quick breads .  Soup and bread is a quick, easy, dinner.  

3 cups baking mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 can beer

Mix dry ingredients, pout beer into the dry ingredients and stir just until all the flour mixture is absorbed.  

Spread into a loaf pan with the bottom greased.

Bake at 375 for an hour.  

Spread the top of the bread with butter while its still hot.

Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting.  


Bonus:

2 ingredient pumpkin muffins

1 cake mis :   Yellow, white , or chocolate
1 15.5 ounce can of pumpkin ( do not use pumpkin pie filling )

Fill muffin cups ( lined ) 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees 18-22 mnutes

Feta chicken penne

Cooking chicken breasts from frozen is really fast and easy in the insta pot. 

1 pkg penne pasta 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts ,cooked and cut into cubes. 

1 cup chicken broth 

Salt, pepper

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

6 Roma tomatoes, chopped and seeded 

1.5 cups fresh spinach 

3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled 

• Cook pasta according to directions, drain. 
• Sauté garlic in a tsp olive oil.  Add broth. 
• Simmer broth 2 minutes
• Add chopped tomatoes and spinach and cook until tomatoes arsoft.   
• Stir in cooked chicken and pasta and cook until heated through 
• Top with feta cheese 

Tacos

Taco meat can consist of hamburger that has been fried and de-fatted, or small cooked  diced chicken or pork. Leftovers work well.   Mix taco seasoning (homemade is cheaper or by a large container at the warehouse stores).and water in a small skillet.   Add the meat.  Simmer .

Meanwhile, chop lettuce, tomato, onion, and grate cheese if it isn't already grated.   I usually keep mozzarella and Mexican blend in the refrigerator or freezer.   Serve with taco sauce.  

You can use flour tortillas or hard shelled tortillas.   **

Serve with Spanish rice or refried beans


**.  I get hard taco shell, or sometimes a kit at Grocerey Outet here for a dollar.   Last time I used a coupon, a basket coupon, and a sale to get them for .60 a dozen shells.  

5 things to do with sausage

Bullet time:    5 things to do with sausage 

Sausage can be fried, and de-fatted, then frozen.   A quick smack on the countertop wil break it up and you are good to go.  

1. Pizza topping 
2. Sausage and egg quiche 
3. Sausage in place of hamburger in a vegetable bean soup 
4. Sausage and cheese balls. 
5. Pasta sauce 
6. Corn chowder 
7. In scrambled eggs or omlettes 

Meal plans

Notes:   Eggs continue to be really inexpensive this week.   Our Kroger stores have 18 eggs for .99 if you buy five of anything on their list.   Fred Meyer had more variety than QFC.   They included eggs, bread, sugar, and some bars, and milk.  .  We are on a no spend Spendtember .   I spent 7.50 this week continuing to rotate down  our stock.

• Chicken Parm, salad 
• Pizza
• Chicken nuggets, oven fries, salad or veggie sticks 
• Ham and Potato soup, toasted cheese, 
• Tacos, insta pot refried beans, 
• Salmon, baked.  Rice medley, broccoli 
• Breakfast for dinner :   Waffles 

My meal plans are based on a matrix that is based on protein.   Other people base a matrix on themes or kinds of meals --- like a roast, a roast planned over, a soup etc. or Italian, Tex mex,, etc.   

My mother went through a meal plan where we had the same thing every week --  clam chowder or egg omelette every Friday, pizza on Thursday, hamburgers on Saturday, roast on Sunday. Etc.  

Whatever works, make a plan , or plan to fail.   Meal plans stave off the take out demons, and take away the stress of the What's for Dinner question.   The more organized you are, the less stress you will have.  

Better, faster, cheaper

Eggs continue to be a budgeters dream.   At .99 for 18, that makes a serving of two .11.  

Scratch food is more sustainable if you can find recipes that are easy and not so time consuming.  

Hard Cooked Eggs

• Place eggs in a muffin tin, one egg in each cup.   This even works in mini muffin tins. 
• Bake in a preheated  350 degree oven for exactly 30 minutes. 
• Take out of the oven and place eggs in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.   
• Use immediately or store dry in a container in the fridge.   

Last night I made pronto pasta.   Most of the pronto pasta that I got was .50 a box.   It cookes in ten minutes on top of the stove in a large frying pan.    I made a sauce from cream of mushroom soup, *

Some milk and sour cream and cooked diced chicken.  I added garlic pepper and onion powder, and parsley.   Topped with Parmesean.   Thawed frozen broccolli would have been a good addition too., 

You stir frequently the pasta for 10 minutes.   Then, add the sauce and stir, adding more milk if necessary until the sauce has come up to temp.   This takes a matter of minutes. 

**. I am using the last of the .39 cream of mushroom soup that I got at thanksgiving time on sale with coupons.   

Fruited Caesar Salad

Croutons:   Place 2T olive oil and 2 cloves garlic in a small bowl.   Let stand half an hour.    Toss 2 cups french bread cubes in oil and place them on a sheet pan.    Bake at 400 degrees 7-9 minutes , stirring several times during the baking . Or until the cubes are a golden colour.

Salad:

Romaine
Apples
Grapes if desired
Chopped walnuts

Parmesean cheese

1. Wash and tear romaine 
2. Cut apples, soak or toss with lemon juice  to lessen darkening.   
3. Wash grapes, if desired 
4. Chop walnuts 
5. Grate cheese 

Toss a ingredients.   Dress with salad dressing .  

For a dinner salad, add cubed , cooked, chicken.   

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is a mainstay in our family.    We didnt have it growing up. When my mother was widowed and had health problems. I made her meals for the freezer that she could just heat up while I was batch cooking.   One of them was Chicken Pot Pie.   She called me.  How do you make that?    I think she ate it for months.    LOL 

Chicken Pot Pie : scratch 

• Cook a chicken breast in the insta pot or poach in the microwave. Cut into small cubes.  
•  Make a batch of cream soup base.

•  Add cooked chicken and a cup of frozen mixed vegetables, OR peas and carrots to a  greased baking pan. (9X9).

•  Top with bisquick biscuits and bake according to directions.   OR top with a pie crust and vent, cook according to the crust directions.   

Parmesean, garlic pepper bread in a machine

Bread machines are a dime a dozen so to speak at the goodwill.  They were really popular a few year back.   Some of them cost upward of 200 dollars.   It is common to see them less than five bucks.   Homemade bread is the best any shape it is in.    It lacks ingredients you cant pronounce, and there is nothing better than hot, crusty bread , especially in the winter with a hot hearty bowl of soup or chilli.

1 cup water, lukewarm, less than 80 degrees
2-1/2 Tablespoons butter
1T honey
3 cups flour
1/2 cup parmesean cheese, grated
1-1/2 tsp garlic pepper
2-1/4 tsp dry yeast

In bread machine pan, layer ingredients in order.   This is important for the yeast to work.  Choose a basic bread setting, and medium color, 1.5 pound loaf when programming the machine.  

Chicken wraps

One of the things you can do to make meals easier and faster to prep during the week is to cook in multiples.   We used to call that stair stepping.   The chicken you cook today should last three days under refrigeration .   The chicken breast can be for chicken and cheese sandwiches, chicken pot pie and a chicken wrap for a lunch.   

Chicken Wrap 

1 cup diced chicken or chicken shreds , cooked 

1-1/2 cup shredded lettuce 

1/4 cup salsa 

1 chopped green onion . 

2T cilantro 

4 flour tortillas , warmed 

Mix chicken and lettuce with a little salsa.

Spread on flour tortillas.  Top with salsa, green onion, and cilantro.  

Wrap up the tortilla.  

Cut in half diagonally.  

Meal Plans for week of September 3 , 2017

This is a meal plan based on a pantry purge.

• Chicken pot pie
• Pizza 
• Chicken, cheese sandwiches, tomato soup 
• Taco soup 
• Pork chops, sweet potatoes, green beans 
• Salmon, rice mix, veggie 
• Belgian waffles, eggs, fruit.   

Bacon chicken ranch speghetti

https://youtu.be/t1In2NEg3K8

The link is here.    This is a good recipe because it is something that you can make and that you most generally have hanging around the kitchen.

   Bacon bits can be purchased and frozen.
 .Chicken is easily made in the insta pot from frozen or you can use a can of chicken breast.   They can be about a dollar and you can get them at costco or dollar tree in a pinch.  

Cream can be subbed  with less milk.  

Ranch dressing mix is a seasoning that you can make at home.  

This can be made as they did in a slow cooker, or you could make the sauce in a large skillet and add the cooked chicken and garnish.  

Fast food in the slow cooker, or faster in the insta pot and on the stove.    On the stove would make a quick pick up meal.  

Having some on the shelf dinners for emergencies or those times when bleep happens is a sure fire way to avoid the take out fairy.  

Instead of buying ready made things, or buying a box of.....buying basics ingredients that are versatile is a better way to stretch your food dollar.  

Breakfast Muffins take a long.