Easiest Chicken EVER

There are whole cookbooks on recipes that start with a rotisserie chicken.   Rotisserie chicken is the biggest ripoff of the century.  When you buy a three pound chicken, 1/2 of that chicken is bones you don’t eat.   So, whatever you are paying , you are paying double per pound.   That makes a 7.99 chicken that is three pounds. 5.33 cents a lb.  Even the chicken at Costco is 3.33 a lb.

Easiest EVER chicken. 

1. Peel and very rough chop a large onion, or two small ones. (In half if its small or in quarters if its large) .  This onion isn’t consumed , so it works even if someone doesn’t  like onions.   
2. Put in bottom of a slow cooker. 
3. Take the chicken out of the package.  I do this in a clean sink.   Drain any liquid off of it.   Place chicken on a plate and dry with a paper towel.   
4. Sprinkle with a dry rub.   
5. Place chicken in slow cooker.
6. Cook 1 hour per pound on high heat or until the chicken tests done....I use 180 degrees as a benchmark and when its no longer pink.    

This chicken will not have a crispy crust.  It will make a good stock base.   Put it through a colander.   The breast is usually intact, the rest of the chicken will be good for soup, enchiladas, etc.   

I discovered this recipe when I walked into our Kroger and they had whole chickens marked .50 per pound because the pull date was the next day.   I bought three and cooked two in the oven and one in the slow cooker.    

Recipe: Sausage stuffed acorn squash.

The other day, I found acorn squash for a dollar.   I can always find stove top stuffing for a dollar..   That’s my RBP.   That makes this dinner far less than a five dollar dinner.   By sneaking in a few really inexpensive dinners, you can afford some more expensive dinners and still average five dollar dinners.

Serves 4

2 acorn squash
Butter
Poultry seasoning

Cut acorn squash in. Half the long ways and take the seeds out.   Place a pat of butter in each half and sprinkle with poultry seasoning.   Bake in 400 degree oven for an hour.  Or in the microwave for 8 minutes or until the flesh is fork tender.  

1 pkg stove top stuffing
Butter and water that the package calls for

1 cup cooked sausage
1 medium apple, chopped.

Add sausage and apple to the stuffing before cooking according to the package directions.  

Fill the cooked squash with the cooked stuffing.

Basics : Part 3

Basics, part 3: Rotation buying 

The biggest hurdle to get over is the transition between buying your food on a weekly basis at one store and buying rotation at two stores. 

If you buy your groceries at one store and you are buying just what you need for a week, the odds are against you , about the same as winning at the casino.    One of the easiest change  for most people is to investigate which two stores in your area have the best prices.    If you only have one store, think about going to a neighbouring town once or twice a month and either getting them to mail you their flyers or finding them on line.    If it's too far, group them with other errands or carpool with a neighbor or family member.    Buying the real specials that you will eat at two stores cuts your grocery bill a lot.    Here, Winco and Fred Meyers have the best prices , but that can change.   

The biggest difference you can make is to know your prices. 

My mother used to say that some people could have a bargain get up and bite them on the butt and they wouldn't see it.   Don't be that person.   

You don't have to know the prices of everything in the store, but you need to know the RBP of the things you use in a regular  basis.    That can of cranberry sauce that you buy once a year won't make much difference in the overall scheme of things, but the can of diced tomatoes you use twice a week will. 

Make a list , one item per sheet on a small spiral pad.  They are three for a dollar at the Dollar Tree.  Write the prices off the sale ads for those products and the dates.   You will soon see a pattern and can predict when things will go on a good sale.

Take little steps.   Start with the first thing you find that you use on a regular basis that is on a RBP.   Buy two instead of one ( probably no more capital outlay) .  Ditch  one on the back of the pantry.   Keep doing it.   Just plug away at it.   Soon you will have a stock built and instead of buying a weeks worth at a time, you can only buy what needs to be replentished and you will be shopping your  pantry  instead of shopping  the stores.    That six pack of green beans you bought this week, will be replaced by a six pack of corn next week, and so on.    This will be easier if you get your budget amount in one lump sum.    Buy your basics and set aside a certain amount a week for the perishables.  When you buy your food 1/2 price, it doesn't take long to realize the profit. 

Being in a position of not having to buy things gives you the upper hand.   You can wait until the price is the lowest to buy your food.   This won't work for produce. But it will work for a lot of staples.   Watch for dairy sales.   I can almost always get milk for 2.00 a gallon.  Sour cream for a dollar for 8 ounces,  butter for 2.50 a pound. And yogurt for .40 or less.    I only buy yoplait light because I watch my carbs and they are the lowest I have found.  There is always a coupon for them. 

Stocking is a good thing of you know your limits.   Have a good idea and a limit set in your mind of how much you use and how much of a supply you are stocking,   I have shelves in my pantry and a certain amount of shelf  space is allocated to a particular food.   I can tell at a glance when I need to watch for a sale.    Moderation is the key.    Watching pull  dates is key.    No one needs a whole closet full of pop, or anything else for that matter. 

Two major things you can do to cut your food budget drastically and grow a stock is to

1) don't buy snack foods and drinks,   1/2 the average grocery cart is snacks and drinks,   Stick to coffee, tea and milk.  Give your children the RDA of milk a day including what they get in their cereal and in pudding etc,   And, don't buy chips and snack foods, especially the individual packages.

We buy tortilla chips in the big sack at Costco. Anything else has to come out of a entertainment budget.

2) shop two stores and shop the RBP..  Let your meal plans be dictated by the produce in season and the foods that are on a good sale.    Note that not everything listed on the "sale " ad is really on sale. 

Cereal bars

Cereal Bars 

An attractive to rice crispy treats 

3 cups oatmeal rounds ( like cheerios ) 

1/2 cup peanut butter 

1/4 cup honey 

1 cup white or chocolate chips 

1/2 cup nuts 

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

Mix all ingredients together. 

Place is greased 9 X 13 pan 

Chill for at last 30 minutes 

Cut into bars 

Store covered.  

This is more like a granola than it is like rice crispy treats.   Tastes good, but it is not sticking together.   

Fish Packets

A good, easy dinner fix that can be adjusted for peoples food preferences.


Layer on parchment paper square:

A spinach leaf or two or use a leaf of romaine.
A scoop of cooked rice
White fish portion
A green veggie:   Broccolli or green beans work

Seal packet.   Re wrap the parchment packet in foil.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.  Check fish for doneness.