Meal Planning Short Cut

Yesterday, while I was researching for today's post, I came across a very interesting and enlightening meal planning idea.  This idea is not new to me, but it came to me in a way that helped me to recognize that not everyone has the time and opportunity to meal plan the same way that I do.  I love to research and try new recipes as well as look through Pinterest and magazines with clear, beautiful pictures of what the recipe should look like when it's made.  This takes time, and since I enjoy it, I don't mind spending it.  Not everyone is like me though.  Some people are working parents who don't have time to look and find new recipes, (although I do hope some busy people are reading this right now!) 

Okay, so here it is, a very simple approach to meal planning that I hope can help you on your journey to saving both time and money!

If you go to my meal planning page and you look at the meal plan guideline that I use while meal planning, you will notice that step #2 is to have a list of meals that your family normally eats (and most likely likes to eat) ready when you sit down.  Usually, when I make my list of meals for the week, I have about ten or twelve of these recipes.  I chose at least 3 for the week and then I recycle the rest of the meals on that list throughout the month.  My husband is very picky and is insistent that we don't eat anything two weeks in a row, so it is very rare that I repeat a recipe during the month.  As a result, I make 25-30 different meals a month.  This may seem like a lot, but it is actually very easy for me because I have a large recipe collection that I can choose from. 

Once I thought about it though, I realized that I can remember 25-30 meals that my family loves, right off the top of my head!  I don't have to go to the magazines or cookbooks, or Pinterest to come up with recipe ideas (if I don't want to!)  All I have to do is sit down and write out a list of meals that my family eats on a regular basis and then fill in a calendar with those recipes.  Now I have an entire month of meal planning done in just 15 minutes!  Some families have regular meals that they eat on a weekly basis.  If yours is one of those families, the task is even easier!  For example, if your family eats spaghetti once a week than all you have to do is fill in spaghetti once for every week on the calendar.  It couldn't be easier! 

Here is a list of our families "go" to meals:

Spaghetti and Italian sausage or meatballs
Tacos
Mini Meatloaves
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Roasted Chicken
Hot Dogs and Hamburgers
Sloppy Joes
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Macaroni and Cheese
Chicken Pot Pie
Pot Roast
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chili
Taco Soup
Enchilada's (chicken and beef)
Sub Sandwiches
BLT's
Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Homemade Pizza
Italian Sausage w/peppers and onions
Bratwurst
Garlic Spaghetti with Chicken
Lasagna
Beef and Broccoli over rice (with ground beef)
Southwest Chicken Salad
Quesadillas
Roasted Ham Dinner
Roasted Turkey Breast

These are 30 "go to" dinners that I can make easier and they would fill up a calendar quickly with no repeats!  Meal planning couldn't be easier than this! 

Give this a try and share how it turned out for you. 

What are your families favorite "go to" dinners?  Please feel free to share!  We would love hear from you!

Blessings to All!

Kim

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

A few months ago I was on a big Greek Yogurt craze!  My  kids love yogurt of every kind so I began to substitute Greek yogurt for regular in hopes that it would give the kids a little more substance.  It is better for them and for us!  A big tub is way cheaper to buy then the individual yogurts, especially at Aldi.  I can buy a large tub of their vanilla Greek Yogurt for less than $3! 

Well, I had this yogurt in the back of my fridge and it was almost gone.  Since I don't like to throw anything away due to spoilage (that goes against everything I stand for!) and I don't like to hear the words "It's not fair!" (the little bit of yogurt won't feed all four of my kids), I have to find alternative recipes to use it in. 

I had some bananas that were a little more than ripe, and this yogurt, so I went on a Pinterest search to find a recipe that worked in both.  This is the recipe that I found.  Simple and delicious!  Thank you Crème de la Crumb for your great recipe!  I made a few changes to it and the end result was a moist, soft, fluffy muffin that everyone in our family loved! 

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (with Greek yogurt)



                                                  

This recipe makes approximately 16 muffins.

1.  Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners
2.  Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose or wheat flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. of butter (softened)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 extra ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
2 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. mini chocolate chips. 

Directions:
 
1.  In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Whisk until well combined.  Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Cream them together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.  Add the yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. 

2.  Add the dry ingredients, about a cup at a time, to the wet.  Beat on low until just combined.  Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter. 

3.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill each muffin cup.  Sprinkle the remain 2 tbsp. of chocolate chips on the top of each muffin.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden. 

Cost per muffin is approximately $0.17 each.  (Cheaper and healthier than any muffin purchased in a coffee shop!)

What is your favorite use for Greek yogurt?  Please share your recipes and ideas with us! 

Weekly Menu and Shopping Trip

Well, this summer seems to be flying by and I have been behind the eight ball which is completely normal for me.  I am always behind, especially when the kids are home...four little people can definitely derail my plans very easily. 

 

So, now that we are back from our vacation, and everything is slowing down as we get ready to start school, I can get back to the things that I love to do!

I have to be honest, I have not been doing much meal planning and my grocery bill has been paying the price.  I am guilty of eating out because of my lack of planning, and that is something that I hate doing because I can't stand it when my kids eat food filled with chemicals and preservatives. 

What can I say, I was tired! 

It feels good to be back to my old self again! 

In the last few days, I have spent time on Pinterest.  I am learning new tips and researching new meal ideas.  I have also been following some blogs and reading about other frugal families.  

I have so many ideas to share with you!  I can't wait to get started!   

 For my first real post of the year, I have decided to give you a run down of our meal plan for the week and my trip to the grocery store. 

 

Here's a little run down of our week...

Tuesday (tonight)- my husband is at a meeting for church so its just me and the kiddos.  No big deal!  The kids love pizza so for tonight, it's homemade pizza. 

 

Wednesday- Chicken Enchiladas. (Check out my great recipe!)

 

 Thursday- My dad is coming for dinner and I had a steak in the freezer, so that is the plan for dinner.  Steak, corn on the cob, potato salad, and rolls. 

 

Friday- It's the first night of camping and with setting up the camper and camp site there won't be time for an elaborate dinner.  We are serving hot dogs, potato chips, and watermelon. 

 

Saturday- 2nd night of camping- We are going to have a nice simple dinner of Italian sausage with peppers and onions, macaroni salad, and more corn on the cob (tis the season!) 

 

Sunday- We're back home so I have planned a spinach and artichoke macaroni & cheese.  I can set this up on Friday before we leave and it will just need to go in the oven when we get back on Sunday.  It will be great!

 

Monday- I have someone coming over to the house to show me some new cleaning products and I don't want to be cooking while she's here, so I am using my crock pot and making my family their first pot roast of the year! (Chuck roast has been very expensive and now it's on sale for $4.69 a pound at Wegman's when you purchase a family pack.)  To go with the pot roast, we are also having mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade dinner rolls. 

 

Tuesday- Crock Pot Meal #2 for the week.  Thank you Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes for your recipe idea!  I am going to make your Chicken and Dumplings with my own homemade biscuits.  I am serving it with Sweet potatoes and peas.  I can't wait to try it!

 

Wednesday- Crockpot Meal #3 for the week with a creamy ranch pork roast, roasted potatoes and broccoli.  I am making my homemade cornbread as a side. 

 

Thursday- We are taking dinner to a friends house.  Tonight it is going to be BBQ chicken thighs and drumsticks, twice baked potatoes, and a cucumber and tomato salad. 

 

Friday- It's my birthday and honestly after a two weeks of cooking I am sure I will be ready for a night on the town with my family. 

 

Grocery List for the week:

5# bag of potatoes (2.49 @ Wegman's)

Frozen cut green beans, broccoli florets, spinach, and peas ($0.99 each)

grape tomatoes (2 pounds for $3.99 @ Wegman's)

cucumbers (3 pk. for $3.49)

green peppers (6 pk. for $3.99)

Corn on the Cob (fresh from the farm stand)

bananas   ($0.49 per pound @ Wegman's)                                                                            

watermelon (In season)

peaches (In season) ($3.99 for a qt. @ Wegman's)

Apples (8 pounds for $6.99 @ Wegman's)

5# bag of flour ($1.55 @ Aldi)

4# bag of sugar ($2.15 @ Aldi)

1 family pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts ($1.99/ pound @ Wegman's FP)

1 family pack of mild Italian sausage ($2.79/ pound @ Wegman's FP)

1 family pack of chuck roast ($4.69/ pound @ Wegman's FP)

1 pound of bacon ($2.99/ pound @ Aldi)

3 boxes of frozen cooked breakfast sausage ($1.09 ea. @ Aldi)

1 block of white cheddar cheese ($1.59 @ Aldi)

1 block of Monterey Jack Cheese ($1.59 @ Aldi)

1 pound of mozzarella cheese (shredded) ($2.99 @ Aldi)

1 pound of mild cheddar cheese (shredded) ($2.99 @ Aldi)

1 package 16 slice American cheese slices ($1.79 @ Aldi)

3 Gallons of milk ($2.18 each @ Wegman's)

3 pounds of butter ($2.89 each @ Aldi)

1 tub of whipped butter (for camping) ($1.99 @ Aldi)

1 qt. half and half ($1.89 @ Aldi)

2 bottles of Italian Sweet Cream coffee creamer ($2.19 ea. @ Aldi)

4 boxes of cereal ($1.59-$2.29 ea. @ Aldi)

2 18 packs of eggs ($7.99 for 2 pk. @ Wegman's)

1 pound of ham (deli) ($4.99/ pound @ Wegman's)

1 pound of turkey (deli) ($5.49/ pound @ Wegman's)

1 pound of shell pasta ($1.19 ea. @ Wegman's)

4 cans of navy beans (pot luck church picnic) ($0.99 ea. @ Wegman's)

1 bottle pure maple syrup (for baked beans) ($4.99 @ Aldi)

1 package of real bacon bits (for baked beans) ($1.29 @ Aldi)

3 sweet potatoes ($1.49/ pound @ Wegman's)

Chips (for camping) (3 bags for $1.19 ea. @ Aldi)

Chocolate bars (camping) (6 pk. for $3,49 @ Wegman's)

marshmallows (camping) ($0.99 ea. @ Wegman's)

1 large can of coffee ($5.49 @ Aldi)

1 small bag of French Vanilla ground coffee (a weakness of mine!) ($4.99 @ Aldi)

flour tortillas  ($2.49 for FP @ Wegman's)

ranch seasoning packet ($0.59 @ Aldi)

2 loaves of 12 grain bread ($0.89 ea. on sale at Aldi today only!)

2 loaves of whole grain white bread ($0.99 ea. @ Aldi)

1 loaf of rye bread ($1.49 ea. @ Aldi)

pepperoni ($1.99 ea. @ Aldi)

 

What I have in the house already-                            Breakfast for the week-

1 jar of artichoke hearts                                            Cereal

chicken drumsticks and thighs                             egg, sausage, & cheese burritos

2 pound pork roast                                                    Oatmeal bakes

hot dogs                                                                    pancakes

hot dog rolls                                                              fruit

celery                     

corn meal                                                                 Lunches-

onions                                                                      P,B, &J sandwiches

yellow rice                                                                ham and turkey sandwiches

sour cream                                                               grilled cheese sandwiches

                                                                                 fruit                                                                                   leftovers

What I spent- $96.65 @ Aldi

                      $ 122.24 @ Wegman's

                         $218.89

                                                                               Snacks-

                                                                                 Apples, bananas, peaches

                                                                                 Applesauce

                                                                                 Graham Crackers w/ PB

                                                                                 Cheese Crackers

                                                                                 Cheese Sticks

                                                                                  chocolate animal crackers

 

Although it seems as though I have gone over my budget of $100/ week, I actually spent less.  The family packs of meat that I purchased are going to last about 3 weeks.  Therefore, I can split their cost by 1/3.  In addition, I purchased a few items that were not on the list, but I knew that I was running low on.  An example would be the tub of shortening that I bought.  Overall, the total was approximately $189.89.  When divided by 2, I came in under budget at $94.94 per week.  I consider that a success! 

 

Please feel free to share your menu for the week.  I would love to know more about you, your budget, and your tips and ideas for saving money! 

 

Blessings to All!

Kim

 

 

 

 



Hamburger and Hot Dog Rolls (Updated)

 

 

There are few things in life that are more relaxing than making your own bread.  Coming to this conclusion didn't happen for me until the winter of 2014.  Up until that point, I was afraid to make bread.  Can you believe that?  I was afraid of baking something!  You know, working with yeast can be very intimidating, and for me it was a matter of being afraid that my bread wouldn't rise and it would turn out like a brick.  Boy was I wrong!  I learned very quickly that working with yeast wasn't hard at all.  In fact, for the last 12 years I have been making my own pizza dough, and guess what, I used yeast to make it (and I wasn't afraid of that!) 

 

I definitely had to get over myself!  So I started making loafs of beautiful bread!  I experimented with several recipes before falling on those that I am using today.  Every time I make bread (of any kind), my children watch or participate in the process.  This time, my son Ethan was there watching me.  At 10, he is really excited to learn how to cook and bake and I am working on teaching him.  It is a bit of a struggle for me because I am a complete control freak in the kitchen!  I am learning to let go and let him try.  Today, he just watched me, but next time he will be right in there getting his hands dirty! 

 

These buns are delicious!  I have posted an all white flour version of the recipe on the blog in the past, so if you want to skip the whole wheat flour, feel free to check that one out!  We ate them on pulled pork sandwiches and grilled sausage this week and they were delicious both days!  The recipe makes 12 rolls. 

 

 

 

 

The ingredients for this recipe are in the photo above.  You will need water, salt, milk, butter, yeast, an egg, and flour.  I used a combination of whole wheat and white flour for this recipe.

 

 

I used my Kitchen Aid mixer, but if you don't have one, that's okay!  This recipe comes together beautifully by hand as well. 

 

 

Once the dough is kneaded, you will cut it in equal pieces.  First it will be cut in half, then those halves are cut in half, and then each quarter will be cut into 3 equal pieces.  Then, you should have 12 equal pieces that you will roll up to make into the buns. 

 

 

Once the dough is rolled, you will place it on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper.  Gently press them down and place them in a warm location for about 45 minutes.  The buns will double in size. 

Brush the tops with an egg glaze and sprinkle them with sesame seeds. 

They will bake for about 18 minutes in a 400 degree oven until golden brown. 

 

 

The end result is this beautiful, fluffy hamburger bun!

 

Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns (Makes 12 buns)

 

2 tsps. active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup warm milk

1/4 cup butter (melted)

1 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups all purpose flour

 

Directions:

Combine the warm milk, water, butter, yeast, sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour to a large mixing bowl.  Allow to rest for ten minutes.  You will see the batter froth as the yeast begins to work. 

 

Add the egg and the salt and mix well.  Add the flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, and mix on low until all of the flour is added.  Add more flour, a tbsp. at a time if dough is sticky.  Knead for 5 minutes if using a stand mixer with a dough hook, or 8-10 minutes by hand.  When the dough is elastic and bounces back when pressed, it is ready.  Shape into a ball and put it in a greased bowl.  Cover the bowl with a greased piece of saran wrap.  Place the bowl in a warm place (I use my oven with the light on and it works great!) for about an hour until the dough is double its size. 

 

Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough in half. Cut each half into 2 pieces.  You will have a total of 4 pieces.  Then divide each piece into 3 equal pieces.  You should have 12 equal pieces. 

 

Roll each piece into a ball and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Slightly flatten each ball and then put them back into a warm place while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

 

Gently brush the tops of the buns with an egg wash and sprinkle them with sesame seeds. 

 

Bake the buns for 15-18 minutes or until they are golden brown. 

 

Serve warm or allow to cool completely and store them in an airtight container.  They will be good for up to 5 days. 

 

I am so happy that I took the plunge and started baking bread!  There is nothing better than a fresh roll warm right out of the oven! 

 

 

What is your favorite bread to bake?  Is there anything that you are afraid to bake or make?  Please share your stories with us!

 

 

 

 



Back to the Blog!

WOW!  That is all I really have to say after almost an entire year off from the blog.  As many of you may know, I was enrolled in school and unfortunately, this Mama couldn't multitask.  I have recently graduated with a degree in Childhood Education and I am ready to start blogging again! 

As it goes, many things have changed this year.  My father has found a house and moved so I have one less mouth to feed and I am not a student any more so I have a little more free time.  The kids are all a year older and that means that their appetites have grown, so our budget has gone up a bit.  I try to stay below $85.00 per week but if I go up to $100 I try not to stress. 

Some things have remained the same though, I still shop at Aldi, Wegman's, and occasionally Walmart.  I try to stay away from Walmart if I can, but the convenience of having one only a few miles from my door is too hard to pass up when I am out of milk or dog food. 

This year on the blog I am going to spend more time focusing on my grocery store tips, recipes, and budgeting information.  Although the other subjects (frugal living and crafts) are interesting to me, I don't feel as though I have enough expertise to continue blogging about them. 

What I hope you will get from this blog going forward are easy, family friendly recipes that will fit into any budget.  In addition, I will be focusing on ways to cook all of your food from scratch, using as many fresh and natural ingredients as I can.  Finally, I will be sharing tips on how to remain on budget and offer your family the best food that you can afford. 

I would love to hear comments from you as well!  If you have tried something and it doesn't work out, please let me know.  It can be hard to give all of the little details of recipe preparation in writing. In addition, if you have something that you do that you would like to share, we would love to have it!  I could always use new ideas and recipes to try!   I would still like to encourage only family friendly comments if you choose to leave one. 

Thank you for stopping by My Mamas Cheap! 

Blessings to all!

Kim