Pantry Basics-Freezer and Fridge

Awe...October, rich in beauty.  The sweet smell of pumpkin and cinnamon...the luscious taste of warm coffee on a brisk morning...and the ability to make a warm, comforting meal, without having to leave your home.  Sounds like paradise! 

Over the last few weeks, I have been sharing some of my ideas and tips for starting a pantry.  Once you have established a dry pantry and your spice cupboard, the next step is to have a freezer and refrigerator that are well stocked.  Small or large, the freezer is a must for food storage on a budget.  For the last three years I have been stuck with a small freezer (my large freezer died and we simply didn't have it in the budget for a new one.)  Having a small freezer did not deter me from having it well stocked, but I couldn't purchase those great turkey specials, or partake in a deal at the grocery store, if I didn't have space.  I had to improvise and make do with what I had.  Now, a friend of mine has given me a small stand alone freezer and it is awesome!  I am so grateful that I have the space back, especially since my boys are eating me out of house and home!  If you have a small freezer and refrigerator, don't be discouraged.  You can still "stock up" and have room for weekly purchases such as milk, yogurt, and eggs.  Here are just a few of the ideas that I currently use to keep my freezer and refrigerator stocked and ready.

1.)  Rotate your meat purchases- In order to maintain my budget every week I can't purchase more than one or two family sized meat packages.  So usually in the first week of the month, I will purchase all of my chicken for the month.  This includes one package of boneless skinless chicken thighs and a package of regular chicken thighs.  I may also purchase a family size package of chicken breasts, but not always.  The following week I will purchase a pork loin, pork roast, or pork chops (whatever is on sale).  The following week is ground beef.  The last week of the month I will purchase whatever is on sale, so for example, last month I purchased some Italian sausage, some bratwurst, and some polish sausage for recipes that I intend to make.  Other times this might include a ham, turkey breast, or chuck roast.  My meat purchases cannot exceed $20 per week in my budget.  This is how I keep that cost in check when I'm shopping, and my freezer always has meat in it.  Shopping this way keeps everything rotating in my freezer and I never have more than my freezer holds. 

2.  Vegetables- I always have 2 16oz bags of veggies on hand for each type that my family eats.  For example, I always have 2 broccoli florets, 2 corn, 2 peas, 2 green beans, and 2 mixed veggies in the freezer.  When I use a bag, I know that I need to add a bag to the grocery list.  It is rare that I ever run out, and when I do, I can always grab another variety for dinner.  Sometimes, for special recipes, I may have some peas and carrots in the freezer as well.  As a family, we never eat veggies out of a can.  I prefer the taste and texture of frozen.  If your family does eat canned veggies, make sure that they make it onto your dry pantry list so that you won't run out. 

3.  Cheese & Butter-  Did you know that both cheese and butter can be frozen for later use?   They can, but you should use caution because it won't take long for the cheese to turn rancid once it's out of the freezer and past it's expiration date.  I freeze cheese all of the time!  I just plan to use the package in it's entirety within 5 days of opening, so often times, I will purchase one package of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese every time I shop.  Since my family only eats real butter, I have to be sure that I have enough on hand.  I usually purchase 3 pounds every 2 weeks.  If I am running out of space in my refrigerator, I will throw a pound of butter in the freezer to pull later. 

4. Condiments-  This is a big one, and often a scary one at times.  How long should you keep that open bottle of salad dressing in the fridge?  Well, I have done some research on the subject and my best advise is to throw things out 30 days after opening.  This includes all of my salad dressings.  Why?  Well, most of these items have enough vinegar to keep bacteria away, however, mold can grow on the rim and just inside the bottle top, Yuck!  Making fresh salad dressings is a great way to stay within your budget while also keeping quantities low.  If you aren't able to get through the family sized bottle of ketchup in a months time, purchase a smaller bottle. 

5.)  Sour cream, yogurt, and other dairy purchases-  I always keep sour cream, yogurt, and cottage cheese in my house.  These are "pantry" items for me because we eat them regularly and they never have time to go bad in my fridge once they are open.  My family goes through 3 gallons of milk, one family sized yogurt, and two containers of cottage cheese a week.  When I go shopping, I look at what I have on hand and purchase only what I need.  Paying attention to how quickly your family consumes their favorite cold storage items can be extremely helpful when trying to stick to a budget. 

Other items in my budget are produce, frozen potatoes, and breakfast items. I always have eggs on hand, usually a 18 pack, every week.  I try to keep baby carrots, celery, and apples on hand as well.  When I am running low, I purchase more, so they may or may not be on my shopping list, it just depends on how quickly we consume them.  Other items that I keep in the house are yogurt sticks and cheese sticks.  They go in my children's lunches. 

Rotate, rotate, rotate-  It is so important that you rotate your cold storage items.  Everything in my freezer is clearly labeled with the date that it went in, and I rotate accordingly.  Items don't stay fresh forever.  If you open a container of sour cream, make sure that you have a use for the entire container within a week of opening.  In addition, rotate through your expiration dates and make sure to use up your older items first.  This keeps you from throwing your hard earned money into the garbage.   

Keeping a pantry is essential to living on a budget.  No matter how large or small your pantry is, it is important to only keep items on hand that you know you are going to use.  I just recently went through my cupboard and realized that I had three boxes of Jello in my pantry that had since expired.  I have completely stopped making Jello (for my own reasons), and I simply forgot they were there. 

I hope that my this article is helpful for you and your family!  Do you have any thoughts on keeping a pantry?  If so, please share them with us!  Do you have a favorite pantry meal? 

I am off to make some yummy pot roast for dinner!

Have a blessed day!

Kim

Homemade Pizza Crust

    

Some of my favorite memories as a child were when my father was in the kitchen making a fresh, homemade pizza.  He would make it for football games, slumber parties, and other special occasions around our house.  He was a pro, very meticulous in his work, especially when forming the crust.  He would sprinkle it with oil and oregano and then he would proof it in a partially opened oven.  Then he would add the toppings and we would wait while the pizza baked in our oven...I can still remember our excitement when he told us that it was ready!

     As I became an adult, my husband and I still enjoy a fresh baked pizza.  The kids love it when they can make their own and choose their toppings.  I let them roll out their own dough, dress their pizza with whatever they want, and we still watch the oven door as the dough rises and bakes.  It is a heavenly smell! 
     There are times when we order a pizza and have it delivered, but for the most part, we make our own.  Here is a quick breakdown of what I spend when I make a pizza versus having one delivered. 

1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce per pizza ($.25)
12-16 slices of pepperoni ($.50)
1/2 cup of chopped onions, mushrooms, olives, peppers, or any other pizza topping that you prefer (approximately $.80)
1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ($.90) 

Pizza Crust- Makes 2 (12 in.) pizza crusts or 1 (16  in) and a small

1 1/4 cup warm water (tap water...minimal cost)
1 package of active dry yeast (or 2 tsp. yeast) ($.33)
1 tsp. sugar (minimal cost)
2 tbsp. oil (I use canola) ($.15)
1/2 tsp. salt (minimal cost)
3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour ($.60)

Total pizza crust cost is approximately- $1.08 give or take...my breakdown is based on approximations.  There are approximately 10 cups of flour in a 5lb bag and I paid $1.55 at Aldi.  Therefore each cup is about $.15. 

The total cost for one 16 inch round pepperoni pizza is about $2.73.  I usually have to make two pizzas and I always add additional toppings so my total cost when we eat pizza is about $6.00.  If you compare that to the cost of ordering a pizza you are saving a ton of money!  Who says that you can't enjoy delicious, healthy food, on a budget!  No more frozen pizzas for this family! 

Making pizza dough is easy!  Probably the least threatening yeast based dough ever...it is extremely forgiving! 

First-combine the water, sugar, and yeast and let them stand

for about 5 minutes.  Watch the amazing science behind yeast as it begins

to foam and grow!

(This is my son's favorite part!)

When the yeast and water is nice and frothy, combine the flour, oil, and salt into a large bowl.

Add the yeast & water to the four and mix well. 

I use a stand mixer, but my dad did all of this by hand.

 

I knead my dough with a dough hook attachment on my mixer for about 5 minutes on medium speed.  I watch the dough and add a little flour if it seems a little too sticky.

 

If you knead it by hand on a lightly floured surface, this process takes about 8 minutes. 

 

Grease a large bowl and out the pizza dough in it.  Cover with saran wrap and place in a warm area until it is doubled in size, about 30 minutes. 

 

 

 

Roll out into desired shape and size.  I use my hands, but a small rolling pin is okay too.

I sprinkle a little cornmeal on the pan that I am using, in this case I used an air bake cookie sheet.

I brush the edge of the crust with a little oil and sometimes I sprinkle it with garlic salt.  Yum Yum!

 

 

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted. 

 

Delicious, homemade pizza, made in just a little over an hour! 

Isn't that how long it takes for most pizza deliveries? 

 

How do you like your pizza?  Do you have any tricks or tips to share?  We would love to hear from you!

 

 

Pantry Basics- Spices, Packets, and Seasonings


     A good spice rack can take your meals from okay to WOW!  I still don't know what all of the spices on my spice rack can be used for, but I do have some that I use all of the time and couldn't live without! 
     There are common spices, or herbs, that should be in every pantry, and these spices are usually found in many recipes.  Let me be specific about spices, herbs, and seasonings.  A spice or an herb is something that is grown and then dried.  The difference between a spice and an herb is determined by the part of the plant that it comes from.  Okay...I know, I know, not the most exciting post so far...but because we are talking about spices and herbs, I thought you may find it interesting that spices and herbs are not the same thing! 

     So what is the difference?  Although both spices and herbs are part of plants, they are derived from different parts of the plant.  Spices come from the root, stem, or seeds from a plant.  Some examples of spices are cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.  Herbs come from the leaves of the plants.  Some examples of herbs are thyme, basil, oregano, and parsley.  As a root vegetable, onions and garlic would be considered spices when dried.  So if you are asked to use onion or garlic powder then that would be a spice. 

     Alright, so I'm now done with my science lesson for the day!  Spices and herbs are written interchangeably on most recipes so try not to be confused.  So what spices or herbs should you have in your pantry?  Great question!  Take a look at your favorite recipes and determine which spices and herbs are required for them; those are the spices and herbs that you should have in your pantry. 

     Below is the list of spices and herbs that I have in my pantry at all times.  If you are just beginning to cook, these are the ones that you will want to have on hand right away. 

Basil
Oregano
Thyme
Cumin
Chili Powder
Red Pepper Flakes
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ginger
Rosemary
Black Pepper


     What about seasonings?  What are those?  So for these, I think about a mix of different herbs and spices that make a seasoning blend.  For example, Italian seasoning, chicken seasoning, and season salts are all seasoning blends.  In addition, a seasoning packet like taco seasoning and chili seasoning are also spice blends. 

     So, what should you have in your pantry?  All of the above...especially if you are just starting out.  Luckily most of these spices and packets can be purchased for less than a dollar and they last a long time if stored properly.  I try to go through my spices and herbs twice a year.  They lose their potency after a while, especially once they're open.  If you notice that the smell or color of your herbs is not as strong as it was when you first got it, then you may want to replace it.  Try not to purchase an herb rack with a lot of spices that you have never heard of before, you probably won't use them, and that is just a waste of your money. 

Do you have spices in your pantry that aren't on this list?  Please share!  We would love to hear your fresh ideas.

I hope that this was helpful!  Next week I'm going to talk about stocking up your fridge and freezer.

Blessings to All!

Kim

Feeding 6 People on Less than $100 a Week.

       

       Shopping for a small or large family can be a very daunting task, especially when you live on only one income.  As our family grew, it became very clear that I needed to be more careful, especially with our spending.   I have to admit that this wasn't easy for me.  I had to learn how to be frugal.  Everything that I do today came from years of research and practice. 
        When we were first married, we were very young, 21 and 22 to be exact.  My husband was successfully managing the front end of a grocery store and I was in college and working for a bank.  Neither of us made over $10/hour at the time and he was the only full time income that we had.  It was clear, right from the beginning of our marriage, that we needed spend carefully.  It was in those early years that I started shopping at Aldi.  I had heard about it from a friend of mine, and since neither of us were brand loyal, TJ and I decided to give it a try.  We were amazed by the prices!  We began shopping there and fell in love with many of their grocery items.  Although I was thrilled at the savings, I have to admit that I was young and impressionable.  People around us, who had never been in an Aldi before, had a lot of opinions about shopping there.  Some people are convinced that if the product doesn't have a name brand on it that it is inferior, or that by shopping at Aldi, I am exposing my family to food that is old and expired.  Well, I am standing here (shouting from the rooftops!) that neither of those assumptions is correct!  The food is delicious and affordable and the food is not expired or old.  No one should feel ashamed for providing their family with healthy food options because of where they shop! 
        Okay, now that I am off of my soap box, I can go on to explain what I really want to share with you...some tips on how to grocery shop on a really tight budget.  Last year around this time, I asked a friend to help me start this blog.  She was already blogging, pretty successfully, and I needed some advice.  When I explained that I could feed my family of 7 (my dad was living with us at the time) on $75 a week, she asked me to write some of my tips in an article that she would put on her blog.  Many of you probably came here using the link that she has on her blog, happydealhappyday.com.  For those of you who read that article, this post might seem a bit repetitive, but I promise, there may be additional information in this post that might be helpful  to you, so please keep reading!
     I am constantly asked how I can manage to buy groceries for our large family on just $75 a week, and I basically follow these guidelines every time I shop.  Let me be honest and let you know that I do not shop for organic foods, and if you are worried about eating organic, then you won't be able to fall below $75 per week.  It's okay...no judgment here.  If you want to buy organic than you should.  You may have to adjust your budget since organics typically cost a little more. 

So here are the top five tips I have for grocery shopping on less than $100 per week.  I hope that you find them helpful!

1.) Meal planning is essential.  I have an entire page on my blog dedicated to meal planning because it is so important to staying within a budget.  I try to plan at least 2 weeks worth of meals before I go to the grocery store and I usually plan for all three meals including two snacks daily for my kids.  I try to pay attention to details when I am creating my grocery list so that no ingredients are forgotten. Keeping the recipes handy is really helpful so that you can easily reference them when creating your list.  Check out my meal planning page for details on how you can start menu planning today!

2.) Be open-minded-  Growing up I was raised on generic brands and so making the switch was easy for me.  I know that some of you are very attached to your brands and that is perfectly okay, however, if you are trying to stay on a tight budget you may want to try a store brand, or better yet, try going to Aldi.  I find that almost every generic option on the market is delicious and has the same or similar ingredients to their name brand counterparts.  Check them out, you may be pleasantly surprised! 

3.)  Cooking from scratch-  okay...it's time to put your Betty Crocker apron on and trust me!  Cooking from scratch is not difficult, although it may seem so.  I love to cook, but I realize that not everyone is like me.  That's why I choose easy, delicious recipes to post.  Many of the recipes I make can be on the table in an hour or less and don't have any weird ingredients in them.  I find that I can make a full dinner for less than $1.00 per person when I am cooking from scratch. 

4.)  Spread out your meat purchases-  This is a great tip if you want to spend less money per week!  I look at the flyers and decide what I want to purchase based on what's on sale.  Then I spread my meat purchases out through the month.  I have a freezer so I always buy meat in bulk or in the Family Pack at Wegman's.  Usually I will purchase chicken during the first week of the month, ground beef the second week, pork on the third week, and miscellaneous meats during the last week.  Those might include a chuck roast, turkey breast, steak, or whatever is on sale.  By doing this, I am not spending more than half of my weekly budget on meat alone! 

5.)    Choose a from a variety of recipes and change it up!  Last year, our family went through a period of time when we were going through 4 boxes of cereal a week.  I realized pretty quickly that not only was this practice unhealthy, but it was terribly expensive!  Even shopping for generic brands, I was spending nearly $10 a week on cereal alone.  Then when you added milk into the equation it was even more!  Now, I look for healthy alternatives.  I make breakfast from scratch at least 4 times per week and the choices include my Banana Oatmeal bake, Oatmeal cups, cream of wheat, and pancakes.  In addition to breakfast, I also change up the snacks in our house.  I make my own trail mix, granola bars, and offer the kids several other healthy options.  By changing it up, we aren't caught up in any "must haves" so if there isn't room in the budget for something, I know that we can make do with other options. 


Long article, but hopefully it's full of great information that you can use to save money when grocery shopping! 

Do you have any money saving tips that you would like to share?  We would be so grateful for you to share them with us! 

Check out my meal planning and recipe pages for more information! 

Have a Blessed Day!


    

Yum Yum Yummy Burrito Bowls!

Good Gracious this meal was delish!  I have to say that every one of my children was apprehensive when they saw this meal sitting in front of them, but everyone ate it and one of my kiddos had two full bowls!  I was impressed!  I got the idea from The Garden Grazer on Pinterest.  I saw the pin and thought...those look delicious!  So I made them with the creamy chipotle sauce to go with them. 
 
The bowls on my table did not look nearly as beautiful as the picture that is on The Garden Grazer's pin, but I did take one of my plate so you could see what goes into the bowl.  I used instant white rice instead of brown, but I think that a Spanish rice could be beautiful in this meal, a yellow rice might be delicious as well!  Simple ingredients make for a great weeknight meal!
 
Yummy Burrito Bowls- Serves 6-10 (depending on serving size)
 
1 can of black beans (rinsed)
1 cup of frozen corn
3 cups white rice, brown rice, or Spanish rice
1-2 cups of chopped lettuce
1-2 cups of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
 
Directions-
 
In a small sauce pan, cook the beans and corn in water until the corn is tender and the beans are heated through.  Meanwhile, cook the rice using the directions on the package. 
 
To serve- In a bowl, put 1/2 cup of cooked rice on the bottom, then add a layer of black beans and corn, top with lettuce, tomato and cheese.  Drizzle the creamy chipotle sauce on the top.  Serve with sour cream or ranch dressing (the chipotle sauce is very spicy!)
 
Creamy Chipotle Sauce-

1/2- 1 whole chipotle pepper (from a can with Adobo sauce) **Side note**  I used 1 whole pepper and it was way to spicy for my kiddos.  If your family likes spice, go ahead and use the whole pepper, but I am planning on making it with 1/2 of a pepper the next time.
1 tsp. of the Adobo sauce from the can (again, this is very spicy so use caution)
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup of sour cream (more if you need to cool it off)

Directions-

1.)  Open the pepper with a sharp knife very carefully.  Remove all of the seeds. (I rinsed mine).  Take special caution when handling this pepper...it is very hot and can damage your eyes.  Please wash your hands very well after handling it.  Do not touch your face with your hands immediately after handling the pepper.
2.  In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients.  Pulse for about 2 minutes or until the pepper is completely combined in the sauce.  Add salt if needed.  Serve immediately. 

****You can use plain Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream.****

I hope that you enjoy this meal as much as we did!  This will definitely go into the monthly rotation.

Blessings to All!