Frozen diced potatoes

Have you ever had a large bag of potatoes that was going to go bad before you could use it all? I have! I get them when the price is right, but don't always feel like having a ton of potato meals. What better way to save those potatoes than putting them in the freezer?!

The tricky part about freezing potatoes is, they don't freeze well raw. After thawing a raw potato the texture gets mealy and undesirable. However, you don't want to cook them so much that they fall apart when cooking.

Here's what I do:

Dice potatoes and place in a stock pot.
Cover completely with water and bring to a boil on the stove top.
Allow to boil 1-2 minutes- potatoes will not be cooked all the way.

Drain and rinse with cold water to stop potatoes from cooking further.

Spread out on a lined baking sheet and flash freeze for a 2-5 hours.

Remove potatoes from freezer and transfer to labeled freezer bags.
If you have a scale, I recommend dividing them in 32oz (2lb) bags- it's the standard size you'll find at the grocery.
Place bags in freezer and use when  you're ready.


These work great in this loaded potato soup.

Note: I leave the skins on, but you can peel them before dicing if you prefer.

Four year wedding anniversary

As of today, my husband and I have been married for 4 wonderful years.

Here's the first picture taken after we were married.

Don't we make a good looking couple?

Back to the present:
To celebrate, we are going on a free date tomorrow evening (to the same place we were married even) and enjoying a nice lunch out as a family on Saturday. Lunch out is often cheaper than dinner, plus our children are still young enough to eat for free at several places.
Tonight, I'm making a special meal at home followed by a game or movie (or both) after the kids go to bed.

Any gift giving? No, we typically only spend money going out to eat for our anniversary and sometimes on a movie.
Not only is our anniversary so close to Christmas that it seems silly to buy more things, but the day is about us starting our family and allowing our love to grow, so we focus on giving each other our time.

Ravioli Stroganoff

Remember when I shared my recipe for enchilada ravioli, because my children have a major appetite for all things noodle? Well, I've got an even better one for you today. I've been tweaking this recipe a bit for about a year now and I think I've finally got it.

Estimated cost: $6-8
Estimated time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 package ravioli (mushroom or cheese)
1 lb gound meat (turkey, beef, or venison)
1 can cream of mushroom
1 C milk
1/2 C sour cream

Prepare ravioli according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, brown ground meat in a large skillet over medium heat, remove excess grease.
Stir in cream of mushroom and milk, bring to a simmer. Continue the simmer 5 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Mix in sour cream.
Stir in ravioli.
Serve and Enjoy!

How I use my $50 grocery budget: week of 12/26/11

Had I not been paying close attention, I would have gone over budget this week. One more reminder of why I should not be allowed in a store without a calculator/paper and pencil. I actually had to put an item back. Of course, I was only in the situation, because I completely ran out of butter Saturday morning and ran out to get some on sale from Aldi. I'm still not sure how I used so much butter in such a short time.

Here's how this week went:
last week's carry over: $2.99


Saturday morning's emergency butter run:

5 lbs butter $1.99 each (one not shown)
impulse buy: spiral ham $13.71- $3 (sale)
Total: $20.66

Kroger:

3 gallon milk $2.50each
2 boxes chex cereal $1.99- 1/2 MF = $1.49 each
clementines 3 lb bag $3.99- $.45/1 MF (doubled) = $3.09
cabbage $.29/lb
KB cheese: singles x1, shredded x1 $2each
stir fry vegetables $1.29
cottage cheese $1.99
1 dozen medium eggs $1
clearance buns $.99
B/S chicken breast $1.99/lb $5.47
lemon juice $.99
Degree deoderant $2.31-$.25/1 MF (doubled) = $1.81

Total:32.16
savings: $13.89


Total: $52.82
carry over: $.17

If you're going to Meijer anyway, they have the 5lb boxes of Cuties clementines for $3.99 so you can use a $.75/1 MF from a previous Sunday paper.

Basic menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
baked oatmeal x2
cereal x4
pancakes x1

lunches:
cheeseburgers x1
sandwiches (PB&J, ham, bologna, or tuna) x3
leftovers x2
out (anniversary) x1

dinners:
spaghetti pizza
pizza burgers
stir fry
pork chops w/ roasted cabbage
spinach manicotti or lasagna
mexican pizza
at parent's or pasta

snacks:
clementines
celery
dehydrated apples
canned fruit
Christmas candy

Homemade Hot Chocolate (in a slow cooker)

It's wonderful to come inside from a cold winter's day to a cup of hot chocolate. The part I don't like is waiting for the hot chocolate to heat up, so making it in a slow cooker before I head out seemed like the way to go for this winter.
I prefer my recipes to come from ingredients I try to keep on hand. So, hopefully you'll already have these items on hand too.

Ingredients:
(for a 2.5 QT slow cooker)                   (for a 6 QT slow cooker)
3/4 C sugar                                   1 1/2 C sugar
1 C instant milk powder                       2 C instant milk powder
3/8 C (6 T) cocoa powder                      3/4 C cocoa powder
6 C water                                     12 C water

Stir together dry ingredients (breaking up any chunks) add water and heat on high 1-2 hours.
Stir smooth. Serve and Enjoy!

If you're going to be longer than 2 hours, simply heat on low.


Extras and add-ins:
Caramel: I love caramel in my hot chocolate! To get just a hint, try draping the sides of your mug with caramel syrup before adding the hot chocolate. If desired top with whipped cream and drizzle more caramel on top.
For an extra boost of chocolate follow the instructions for caramel using chocolate syrup instead or in addition.

Mint: There are multiple ways of getting a mint flavor in your drink. If everyone wants mint, substitute 1/2-1 tsp mint extract for the vanilla extract. It gets strong, so taste before adding extra.
If not everyone wants mint, add the flavor with candy. stir a candy cane or mint candy into the mug, remove candy when desired potency is achieved.

Freezing Bread mixes

Did you know that you can make your own convenience baking mixes and freeze them?! Well, you can. And it's so much better than using a store bought mix. It's usually less expensive and is custom made to suit your tastes.

I use freshly ground wheat flour in a lot of my baking and since I don't have my own wheat grinder, I go over to a friend's house to use hers. It's not convenient to be going every couple of days, so we grind a large batch each time I go over. 
At first I was simply freezing the flour that didn't fit into my counter top container (all but 5 cups basically), but then a friend gave me this great idea to freeze all the dry ingredients for my bread mix together.
I rotate through my bread recipes, but my favorite and the one I keep in the freezer is for a basic and delicious whole wheat recipe:


Whole wheat bread -makes 2 loaves
5 1/2 C freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 TBSP instant yeast (found inexpensively at GFS)
1/3 C sugar
1 TBSP salt
2 C warm/hot water (110 F)
1/2 C vegetable oil
Mix together until incorporated then knead for 10 minutes.
Divide into 2 equal parts. Shape and place in 2 greased 8 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch bread pans. Cover with greased plastic wrap.
Allow to rise 90 minutes or until doubled and risen above edge of pan.
Preheat oven to 350 F during last 30 minutes of rise and bake bread (removing cover) 25 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

To freeze, simply put the dry ingredients into a gallon sized freezer bag (write the recipe and baking instructions on it first) and stick it in the freezer. Pull it out of the freezer a few hours before you want to bake (night before if your wanting bread in the morning). Pour into a bowl, add wet ingredients, and continue as directed.

This same concept will also work for biscuit and pancake mixes.

What do you do to make baking easier?

Alfredo sauce

Did you know that the original Alfredo sauce was only made with butter and Parmesan cheese? The chef made it for his pregnant wife, because she had lost her appetite (i would guess due to morning sickness).
Typically in America, the Alfredo sauces are much more complex and uber creamy. They are often made with heavy cream, thickeners, and tons of Parmesan cheese.
I came up with the idea for this recipe after serving a casserole to our ward missionaries and receiving the response "Is this Alfredo sauce?" No it wasn't, and when I tried it plain with pasta, it was rather lack luster, but a few tweaks later and I have figured out a budget friendly way to have a more modern Alfredo more often.

Serves 4
Estimated cost: $1-2
Ingredients:
3/4 C chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 T Italian seasoning
1/2 T garlic powder
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
5 T grated Parmesan cheese

Heat broth, seasoning, and garlic powder in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add cream cheese. Stir occasionally until incorporated.
Add Parmesan cheese and stir.

Add to your favorite noodles and enjoy!

Chicken and Asparagus Hollandaise

I was slightly skeptical the first time I tried this, but I loved it and so did the rest of the family. The key here is to use fresh asparagus and don't overcook it.

16 oz. egg noodles
Hollandaise sauce (use a a packet mix or your own favorite recipe)
1 bag tyson fajita strips (or 1 lb chicken, cut into strips & seasoned well during cooking)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lime juice
10 oz fresh asparagus, cut in 3 or 4 inch pieces

Prepare your egg noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare your hollandaise sauce and set aside.
Cook your chicken in a large skillet until hot and cooked all the way through.
Add lemon, lime, asparagus, and reserved hollandaise sauce, mix well.
Heat for about 3 minutes, until the asparagus is slightly cooked. You still want it crunchy.
Remove from heat and serve over egg noodles.

Enjoy!

Have you tried this recipe? Do you know another dish that would go great with this one? I'd like to know what you think.

How I use my $50 grocery budget: week 12/19/11

I've decided to add a new feature to this weekly post: my carry over balance. Some weeks I don't spend the whole $50, so that balance gets carried over for future weeks when I might need more. From now on (and starting fresh from last week), you'll find both the previous carry over and the updated balance.

I can't believe Christmas is this Sunday. Where does the time go?

This week was slightly more challenging to stay in budget than other weeks, because I'm running dangerously low on a few items and I really wanted some extra things I don't "need." Ultimately, I decided that I could make due with a lower quantity if some items and really just didn't need others.

I did make a few mistakes that cost me a little this week. I bought my milk at Meijer for $2.99 a gallon and discovered it was only $2.59 at Aldi ($.80 mistake). I also underestimated the total cost of the hams at Meijer and was forced to make a few adjustments. I let us run out of body wash, meaning that I had to pay more than I'd prefer.

Last week's carry over: $3.37

Meijer list:
Asparagus $1.99/lb
green onions
bananas
MB string cheese $3
whole boneless ham $1.59/lb $10 $15 max -get 3/4 sliced for lunch meat
2 gallons skim milk $2.99 each
helluva good sour cream dip $1.50- $.75/1 MF (doubled) = free
corn tortillas $1.29
2 MB frozen vegetables $.89each
2 Betty Crocker cookie mix 17.5oz $1.67 - $.40/1 MF (doubled) = $.87 each
3 MB baking morsels $3 for 5, 2 white, 1 milk choc.
1 (5lb bag) sugar $2.69
1 MB creamed corn $.50
2 12oz multigrain cheerios $2.50 - $1/2 MF =$2 each
body wash
Total: $45.83 saved: $21.44

Aldi list:
sour cream $1.29
celery $.59
2 cream cheese $.89 each
whipped topping $.89
Total: $4.55

Total cost: $50.38
carry over: $2.99

Other good buys this week:
Meijer:
Shank portion ham $.77/lb
2 Carnation evaporated milk $.99 -$.50/2 MF (doubled) = $.49each
2 Aunt Millies BOGO dinner rolls $3.69 - $.55/1 MF (doubled) x2 = $1.49 for 2
Aldi:
butter $1.99
16 oz shredded cheese $3.49

My menu:
Monday:

• baked oatmeal
• LO (leftover) lasagna
• loaded potato soup

Tuesday

• LO baked oatmeal
• LO potato soup
• Pork loin roast, asparagus, rolls

Wednesday

• eggs, toast
• sandwiches or LOs
• pork enchiladas (using pork loin LOs)

Thursday

• baked oatmeal
• LOs
• pizza

Friday

• LO baked oatmeal
• LO pizza
• Ravioli Stroganoff

Saturday

• omelets
• black bean quesadillas
• dinner at parent's

Sunday

• cinnamon rolls
• pasta
• dinner w/ family

Snacks

• ants on a log (celery w/ peanut butter and raisins)
• apples- fresh and dehydrated
• oranges/clementines
• bananas

Extras

• peanut butter pie
• peppermint bark
• cherry pie
• Brownie Cream Cheese Peppermint Bark

Enchilada Soup

I love this soup! It has a pleasant variety of textures and that oh so delicious spicy zing to it.

Enchilada soup
Serves: 6-8
estimated cost: $5-7

1 lb chicken, boneless, skinless
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce (or 2 8oz cans)
2 cans diced Mexican style tomatoes* 
1 can creamed corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can low fat milk (measure it in the empty cream of chicken can)
1 onion
1 clove (1/2 tsp) minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder (add more to taste)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried oregano
*if you can't find Mexican style diced tomatoes, use regular diced tomatoes and add 1 (4oz) can green chilies.

Stir all ingredients into slow cooker and cook on low 5 1/2 -7 hours.
Anytime after 5 1/2 hours, shred chicken using a two forks, it should fall apart easily, if not, cook a little longer.
Serve plain, with cheese, and/or tortilla chips. and enjoy!

Help! I can't find anything in my chest freezer.

Today is all about organizing your chest freezer. I've put together a method that always works for me and I find myself doing it 3-5 times a year as my inventory changes.

First, clear out some time. I opt for just after the kids go to bed when the husband is home to deal with any one needing bedtime comforting.

Next, gather a pair of warm gloves (preferably ones that fit well), and several boxes or baskets (paper bags also work for some people).

When you're ready, begin by taking everything out of your freezer (wear the gloves) and grouping the items into the boxes.
I use the following categories:

• vegetables (and fruit, if any)
• meat
• breads
• desserts
• convenience foods/freezer meals
• dairy
• pasta

As you are going through the food, make sure you discard anything that has gone bad and jot down everything you do have plus the quantities of each.
Also, if possible move any open packages to a more accessible kitchen refrigerator/freezer.

Here comes the hard part: putting it all back.
Since you've just spent all that time sorting, you don't want to waste it by just tossing everything back in. If the boxes you gathered are the right size to hold your items and fit in the freezer, I suggest using them to keep everything separated.

If you're unsure of how to put everything back in, use the following quidlines.

• Whole turkeys and other large heavy items should be stacked neatly in corners or spread evenly across the bottom. 6 of my 8 turkeys are lining the bottom of my freezer the other 2 are on top of a large bag of ice. I have just enough space lefts in one corner to stack my boxes of hamburger patties.
• Heavy/large boxes should also be towards the bottom, so you don't have to constantly lift them to get to something you need below
• Once you've arranged the heavy items consider the items you use least often* (the ones you know are there and just don't need as often, such as whole wheat flour) and depending on shape and quantity either stack them out of the way or use then to even out a layer.
• At this point you should have lighter, frequently used items.* In my house that means, cheese, pasta, and vegetables. You'll want these items to be easily accessible and movable.

Check out my freezer as of 12/15/11:

 From the top left: C1: breads (hotdog buns & whole wheat flour), open box baking soda, dairy (butter & cheese), filled pastas, C2: ground venison, diced hashbrowns

  Continuing on: C3: meats, fries, desserts, C4: fruits and vegetables, ham/turkey burger patties

Underneath everything: turkeys (in the grocery bags) and a big bag of ice

My freezer is fairly empty at the moment, so for a better idea of the layers, see this post.

*one exception to all of these rules is bread. Even frozen bread is easily squished, so make sure your bread is protected. A heavy duty box will keep it safe, but unless you have enough to justify a box, i recommend setting it on top. Remember to put your lightest softest breads at the very top.

Saving money on popcorn

There's just something about a a large bowl of freshly popped popcorn that makes watching a movie better.
Except of course if the seasonings aren't good or the kernel shells stab at your gums and get stuck like with cheap microwavable popcorn.
Buying the good stuff without the gum lodging kernel shells can cost an arm and a leg- no big deal if you only eat popcorn once or twice a year, but for people like me that eat it several times a week month, spending $3-5 a box just isn't feasible, at least if we want real food around too.
Yes coupons come periodically, but even with them it's still $1.50 or more per box of 3.

So what is a popcorn loving family to do? Make your own! Buy kernels and pop them yourself.

One way is to put them in a pot on the stove (low-medium heat) and stir until your kernels are good and popped. Season as desired and enjoy!

My favorite way is to buy a hot air popper (or other popper of your choice) and let it do the work for you!

Or if you're really stuck on using your microwave, put the kernels in a plain brown paper (lunch) bag, fold the top over twice, and microwave until the popping slows (just like the store bought stuff, timing should be about the same too).

Personally, I've only tried the first two methods, but then again I don't own a working microwave anymore. More about that to come in the future.

These options will save you plenty of money-even if you buy a popper. Plus, you don't need different packages to get different flavors.

My favorite seasoning is salt + a little melted butter (a little goes a long way).

What's your favorite flavor of popcorn?

keeping the budget when life happens

The best laid plans often go awry. Just because you make a realistic and fabulous menu plan, doesn't mean that you'll be able to stick to your plan.
So what do you do when you feel like death, an unanticipated visitor comes for lunch, or your dinner flops?

Is your first instinct to order out or run to the store?
Think about your budget. Are you barely making ends meet? Are you pinching pennies to pay off a debt? Are you saving up for something? If any of your answers were yes (or something close) resist the temptation to do unplanned spending.
If your budget is wide open and you can spend all you want without any consequence, I congratulate you and hope you have a delightful meal out.

For those of us that are concerned about money, I say look at what you have first and try to come up with an alternative plan using only the items you have on hand.

Real life example:
Last week's meal plan looked like this:
Monday: baked oatmeal - PB&A wraps - beanie wienies, cornbread
Tuesday: LO (leftover) baked oatmeal - freezer burritos - pizza
Wednesday: LO baked oatmeal or cereal - LOs - chicken spinach salad
Thursday: English Muffin Bread toast, eggs - corn dog muffins, sweet potato fries - spaghetti w/ meat sauce, salad
Friday: English Muffin Bread toast, eggs - LOs or pasta - loaded baked potatoes w/ chili
Saturday: Mexican baked eggs - paninis - shredded chicken enchiladas
Sunday: cereal - LOs or sandwiches - orange chicken, rice, strir fry veggies
Snacks: apples, oranges, carrots, popcorn, bananas


This is what actually happened:
Monday: baked oatmeal - PB&A wraps - beanie wienies, cornbread
Tuesday: LO (leftover) baked oatmeal - LOs - pizza
Wednesday: cereal - LOs - chicken spinach salad
Thursday: eggs - stuffed shells - spaghetti w/ meat sauce, salad
Friday: eggs - canned soup - corn dog muffins, sweet potato fries
Saturday: pancakes - chicken chimichangas - loaded baked potatoes w/ chili
Sunday: cereal - Fettuccini Alfredo - orange chicken, rice, strir fry veggies
Snacks: apples, oranges, carrots, popcorn, bananas, chips

The "life happened" part:

• We had tons of leftover cornbread and beanie wienies, so we pretty much had to eat them for lunch the next 2 days.
• My throat started hurting on Wednesday rendering me unwilling to make the English Muffin Bread.
• Due to the previous 3 days of cornbread, we just weren't in the mood to have it again the 4th day.
• On Friday, there was road work outside when we returned home from the library. I couldn't park near my house, so lunch was delayed and I didn't get the potatoes in the slow cooker soon enough. Then, once again, I neglected to make bread.
• Then on Saturday, not only did we have the missionaries over for lunch (why my husband couldn't tell me that plan Sunday before the Monday grocery trip, I don't know), but I couldn't find my enchilada sauce (example of poor organization- I'm no sure how it wasn't with the rest of my canned tomato products) either.

How I improvised:

• I did not go buy more food.
• I made sure to use all of the perishable and likely-to-be-forgotten-if-left foods as substitutes.
• I nixed things that will keep, like my freezer meals.
• I traded meals around, so that even though I didn't want to eat one on its assigned day, I still ate it at some point during the week.
• When I couldn't find an ingredient, I came up with something else that used the other ingredients from the meal (not always doable).

Now it's your turn: what do you do when life changes your plans? Did you find this post helpful? What else would you like to see on this blog?

How I use my $50 grocery budget: week of 12/12/11

My grocery shopping for this week was slightly different than previous weeks I've shown, in that I did all my shopping this past Saturday. We only have one car and my husband carpools so that I have it every other week- this week not being one of them. Our evenings are fairly busy this week, so it just seemed easier to shop early.

If you were looking for what to buy this week, I recommend a trip to Aldi for the majority of your shopping.

My actual list was fairly short this week, so I took the opportunity to grab (or let my husband grab) a few extra items. I've *ed the items I hadn't intended on buying, but grabbed anyway (I made sure to calculate where I was in my budget).

So here's what I bought from Aldi:
paper towels $1.98
whole chicken $4.57
3 gallons milk $1.99 each
*2 cream cheese $.89 each
2 crescent roll $.99 each
ricotta cheese 16oz. $1.69
butter 1 lb $1.90
Jiffy corn muffin mix $.49
*string cheese $3.29
honey 24 oz. $4.49
plastic wrap 200 ft $1.29
*2 baking/chocolate chips $1.69 each
*candy canes $.79

Total: $33.73

From Walmart:
lettuce $.94
brussel sprouts $2.98
apples $3.67
bananas $.52lb
baby wipes $.98 each
enchilada sauce $1.98
boxed potatoes $.94 - FREE MF = free

Total: $12.90

Total for the week: $46.63

Menu Plan:

Monday:

• toast banana bread (I love Christmas gifts) and eggs
• sandwiches- pb&h
• enchilada soup + wedge salad

Tuesday:

• toast banana bread and eggs
• LOs (leftovers) or sandwiches- lunch meat
• OUT with extended family

Wednesday:

• baked oatmeal
• pasta
• roast chicken, brussel sprouts

Thursday:

• LO baked oatmeal
• sandwiches (tuna, meat, or pb&j)
• chicken pillows

Friday:

• LOs or egg in the hole
• sandwiches (tuna, meat, or pb&j)
• pot pie

Saturday:

• kropsu
• LOs
• ham & cheese pockets (using pizza dough)

Sunday:

• LO kropsu or blueberry muffins
• LOs
• lasagna

Snacks:

• oranges (need to be eaten)
• apples
• chips and salsa
• bananas

Extras:

• sugar cookies decorated with glace icing

Broccoli cheese soup

Who doesn't like their broccoli smothered in cheese? When I was younger, I thought cheese was the only possible way to muscle through broccoli. My tastes have grown up since then, but I still love the combination.
As I was looking to try my own version of broccoli cheese soup, I wanted to stick with ingredients that I normally buy and not force myself to get a processed log of velveeta. Not that I'm completely against the cheese, I just prefer less processed varieties.

Estimated cost: $6-7
Ingredients:
2 C milk (I use skim, just don't use whole)
4 C chicken broth (or 4 C water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes)
1/2 onion, petite diced
24 oz frozen broccoli
3/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 lb (4 cups) cheese, shredded (I use 3 C sharp cheddar and 1 C mozzarella/provolone blend)

Stir together milk, broth, onion, broccoli, pepper, and nutmeg in a 6 QT slow cooker. Heat on low 5-7 hours until onions are transparent and soft.
Add cheese and allow to melt. The cheese will stick to the broccoli and not absorb into the broth. Carefully wisk (avoid scrapping the bottom of the stoneware with metal wisk) or use immersion blender to break up and distribute the cheese throughout soup.
Serve with rolls or biscuits and enjoy!

Note: This is a thinner (skinnier) version of broccoli cheese soup, the texture is different but the taste is delicious!

Freezer cooking: making a week's worth of meals

Freezer cooking is a lifesaver when you are preparing for a surgery or new baby or anything else that could add to the craziness of life. You should plan to have enough meals to take you through your expected recovery time, or you (or your significant other) will be tempted to just grab something out because it's easier. It may be easier, but it's usually a lot more costly.

When I had minor surgery earlier this year, I was expecting to be at home by myself with two kids for most of my one week recovery time.

Here's what I made:
White Chicken Chili
Chicken and Broccoli Calzones
Pizza
Chicken Pot Pie
Enchiladas
Lasagna
Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

Here's how it went:
I made the white chicken chili in the slow cooker for a meal during the week before and made enough for two meals, so when it came time for dinner I just ladled out a container full (before serving the family), let it cool, covered the top with plastic wrap, then secured the lid, and placed it in the freezer. Easy peasy.

I lucked out and found boneless skinless chicken on sale for $1.87 per lb, so I grabbed a big pack and stuck the whole thing in the slow cooker with some cream of chicken in the morning and let it cook on low until I was ready to use and shred it in the late afternoon.
I also happened to be cooking BBQ pork roast in my second slow cooker for dinner the night of this bigger session. So, I had plenty of pork leftover to shred and use for my freezer cooking.

Next, I whipped up a batch of pizza dough and made the related items

Next on the agenda was the pot pie so I whipped up my usual recipe. I've never frozen an entire pot pie (though I hear it works just fine), so I actually only put this in the fridge since I knew it would be fine until a couple days later when we'd eat it for dinner.

At this point I put the leftover chicken into freezer bags, labeled, squeezed out as much air as I could, and stuck them in the freezer to use at some undetermined point in the future. See this post for some easy shredded chicken ideas.

The next morning I made the enchiladas, using shredded leftover pork, green peppers, olives, cheese, and taco sauce. Then I whipped up a lasagna and mixed together all of the ingredients for the Cheesy Ham and Potato casserole and called it quits.

The leftover ham and onion from the casserole were used in breakfasts before my surgery.

Not having to do anything besides pop these meals in an oven or in a saucepan on the stove was wonderful. I didn't start freezer cooking until after both of my children were born, but I know it'd be the way to go if I had another one. And no, this is not an announcement.

To simplify and take out details so you can do this too:
Plan your meals based on sales and things you have (like normal).
Think about 2+ for 1 ideas. What can you make that gives you more than one meal?
Be realistic with your time, if you don't have hours to devote to the kitchen, use a slow cooker or bread machine to do part of the work for you. Then know when to take a break so you don't get worn out.
Make a plan (even if it's just to freeze) for any leftover ingredients, so you aren't wasting.
Take it easy and enjoy your meals.

Have you tried making several meals at once? How did it go? Any questions about this session or making it work for you?

Glossy Paint

Ever open up a can of evaporated milk for a recipe and then have leftovers that you have no idea how to use? Well, search no further. Next time, tell your children to grab their art smocks and paint brushes, because it's time to paint!

 To make glossy paint you'll need evaporated milk and food coloring.

Using whatever containers you have, pour in some evaporated  milk and add a few drops of coloring until desired color is achieved.

Then paint!

Warning: The masterpieces created with this paint will not last. Discard after a few days.

There are no stupid questions

Our family recently had a lesson in the importance of thinking for yourself, not taking someone else's word for it, and asking questions.

Long story short, here's what happened:
Our family has one car (that's right, 2 drivers and 1 vehicle). Last week, the tire leaked at an alarming rate, so we took it in to get fixed. The tire wasn't savable, it had 4 pieces of metal in it and one of them had caused a pretty significant hole. They ordered us a new tire (free to us since it was still under warranty) but wouldn't have it until the next morning when they opened.

Before I go any further we'll need a mini lesson about car tires:
Car tires are not like bike tires. They do not have a tube of air inside, instead the rubber and metal parts fit so well, they form an airtight seal. The only way to get air in or out of a fully functioning tire is through a small tube, called a valve stem, but contrary to my former ignorant belief it is not part of the tire.

Back to the story, the little tube broke on our wheel and because we have sensors that tell us when the air pressure isn't within a desired range, the little tube runs around $150. OUCH!!

After the initial shock was over, I asked questions, most of which resulted in the mini car lesson above. Then when I still didn't see why a little tube should cost so much, I asked if we needed the sensor. My husband didn't know, he was told it needed to be replaced, so he figured we just had to suck it up and pay. Next we (and when I say we, I mean he) called a different auto shop and asked for their non-biased opinion on whether the sensor was completely necessary.

Guess what, the answer was no. Without the sensor, the air pressure light will stay on (which isn't even true, because it's not on right now), but it fits the same and won't do any damage. I was thrilled!!

Guess how much a regular tube runs...go ahead guess, I'll wait... less than $10, so we got it for free! (Insert happy dance here)

To recap: they wanted us to pay $150 plus labor for a fancy part and because I wasn't afraid to ask questions, even ones that revealed my ignorance, we got a basic part and the labor for free.

The moral of the story: There are no stupid questions. If something doesn't make sense to you, ask questions until you understand. There's a decent chance that you don't understand for a reason. It's not the mechanics fault for not telling you that something else will work, it's his job to tell you the best way to fix it, not the cheapest. It's your job to understand how your spending your money.

How I use my $50 grocery budget: week of 12/5/11

This wasn't my best week for saving money, but it happens every now and then.

I usually check the ads on Friday or Saturday, so when I noticed the lack of advertised milk sales, I planned a quick trip to the store for milk to take advantage of last week's $2.50 milk price at Meijer. I knew I risked missing out on a lower unadvertised price, but I didn't want to risk a higher price.
Milk run total: $7.50

Much to my dismay, I noticed milk for $1.99 a gallon in this week's Aldi ad. Sigh. I was pretty annoyed, because the milk was not advertised at that price in the ad I picked up in the store last week for this week. I spent an extra $1.53 and it's frustrating. Not only that, but I need a few things from Aldi anyway.
The only thing making me feel better is a planned trip Friday or Saturday for next week. (I get my grocery budget in cash from Friday's paycheck for the following week, but I prefer to do my shopping on Monday mornings whenever possible)
Live and Learn, right?

Main trip to Meijer:
2 cans frozen OJ concentrate $.99 each
corn tortillas 16oz $1.19
whole wheat tortillas $1.39
sour cream $.99 (Daisy brand 8oz price drop through 1/1/12)
3 doz eggs $.99 each
2 jars MB (meijer brand) pasta sauce $.99each
B/S chicken 4lb $7.99
Bar S hotdogs $.99
pepperoni $2.50 (Armour brand price drop)
cheese 8 oz- mozzarella, cheddar, Mont. jack $2 each
spinach $.99
bananas
Borax $3.12
A&H washing soda $3.24
FelsNaptha bar soap $1.04
Estimated trip total: $40
Actual: $38.22 saved: $13.07

GFS:
pure vanilla extract $5.99 (save $4)

Weekly total: $51.71

Meal Plan
Monday:

• baked oatmeal
• PB&A wraps
• beanie wienies, cornbread

Tuesday

• LO (leftover) baked oatmeal
• freezer burritos
• pizza

Wednesday

• LO baked oatmeal or cereal
• LOs
• chicken spinach salad

Thursday

• English Muffin Bread toast, eggs
• corn dog muffins, sweet potato fries
• spaghetti w/ meat sauce, salad

Friday

• English Muffin Bread toast, eggs
• LOs or pasta
• loaded baked potatoes w/ chili

Saturday

• Mexican baked eggs
• paninis
• shredded chicken enchiladas

Sunday

• cereal
• LOs or sandwiches
• orange chicken, rice, strir fry veggies

Snacks

• apples
• oranges
• carrots
• popcorn
• bananas

Look what I got in the mail today

It was such a pleasant surprise to come home from grocery shopping with a package on my front porch. I was completely baffled by what it must be, so I didn't even bother opening it at first (strange, I know, but I had groceries to put away and then I forgot)

It's from the Frito-Lay Fan Program. I signed up (for free) a few months ago via this link. About a month later I got an e-mail asking if I was interested in receiving a package. Now after a couple months I have 3 full size bags of chips and a reusable grocery bag that's big enough to fit all 3 bags of chips with a little room to spare.

What I found hilarious was the fact that my kids were more excited about the hotdogs I had just put into the slow cooker than they were about these bags of chips. Don't get me wrong, they'll be thrilled when we eat them, but they rarely see the packaging for chips and as a result don't really know how to request them yet.

FYI: Frito-Lay supplied us with these chips and bag completely free of charge, but any opinions expressed are completely my own.

What is your favorite type of chip? I'm a sucker for tortilla and baked chips.

Loaded potato soup

There's nothing like a warm soup on a cold winter day. It's even better when you just happen to have all of the ingredients on hand so you don't have to hit up the grocery store if it happens to be snowing on your usual grocery day.

That's where this soup comes to play...okay, so you may not have all of these ingredients at your house, but there's usually a good chance that I have all of them at my house in the winter and now that you have the recipe you can plan accordingly.

Oh and there's one more thing: it's in a slow cooker, so you can have a snowball fight, a nice warm bath, and a little snooze without having to worry about your dinner.

Serves: 6-8  total time: 5 or more hours (low heat slow cooker) active prep time: 15 minutes, divided
Estimated cost: $7

Ingredients:
1 bag 32 oz frozen diced potatoes
2 cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 onion diced
pepper to taste
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/3 C bacon pieces + extra to garnish
1/4 C green onion, thinly sliced + extra to garnish
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, to garnish

Place potatoes, broth, soups, onion, and pepper in a slow cooker on low heat.
Cover and heat until 20 minutes before dinner.
Stir in cream cheese and let sit for 10-15 more minutes, until melted.
Stir in bacon and green onion.
Serve garnished with cheese, bacon, and green onion.

Enjoy!!

freezer cooking: easy chicken

When fresh boneless, skinless chicken goes on sale for $1.88/lb or less and I don't have anything easy in the freezer, I buy a big package and see what I can come up with.

To start, I put the chicken in the slow cooker on low with 2 cans of cream of chicken for several hours until it is falling apart/shredding easily and I am ready to work with it. If it's ready before you are, switch the heat level to warm.
Next, I drain the chicken and get out the rest of my supplies. Here's a basic look at what I used for this particular occasion (though, I didn't use the canned corn since I had the frozen bag):

 

I made 2 basic fillings that didn't involve more cooking and split the rest of the chicken into my-size-family-portion bags. Just make sure you squeeze out as much air as possible.
Pot pie filling: I used my usual recipe except I put it in a bag instead of crust.
Chicken fajita burrito filling: chicken, black beans (drained and rinsed), pepper, corn, fajita seasoning, and scallions. I put this inside tortillas to bake when we were ready to eat it.

I ended up with 1 bag of pot pie filling (which is exactly what I need to fill 1 pie pan), 2 bags of chicken fajita burrito filling, and 3 bags of plain shredded chicken to use for whatever I need. Once I was actively working on things, it took me about 30 minutes to get it all together and cleaned up.

To save more money, you could look for a bone-in variety of chicken, because slow cooking will make it fall off the bone anyway, but if you're pressed for time, this is the way to go.

What's your favorite chicken freezable meal?

Homemade Watercolors

A package of watercolor paints can cost a few dollars at the store, but if you already have a couple simple ingredients at home, then these watercolors will cost you a few cents.

You'll need: food coloring and water.
Plus some sort of container (my husband's a bit of an artist, so we already have various paint trays, but you can use bowls, lids, or styrofoam egg cartons), an applicator (paint brush, Q-tips, sponge, etc.), and something to paint on. We like using construction paper (which I stock up on during the back to school season, but can be found cheap enough the rest of the year), but you could use scrap paper, newspaper, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Simply add a drop or two of food coloring to approximately 1/2 Tablespoon of water. Stir and use.