Ranch Pork Roast and Homemade Corn Bread Muffins

Oh my word!  Let me just tell you that yesterday was my first real Sunday dinner in FOREVER!  We had my sister and her family over and well, I meant to take pictures of this fabulous meal, but alas...I got caught up in my beautiful little niece and so I didn't get a chance to take any pictures (enter sad face here!)  But oh!  The goodness!  So good, in fact, that we ate it all!  Every last bite of the 2 1/2 pound pork roast was eaten!  This meal is definitely going to go on the rotation. 

Thankfully, I have pictures of the corn bread...oh the cornbread...so moist and flavorful!  I know your mouth is watering as I am describing these little yellow pillows of goodness!  When the butter melted, and we ate these little beauties, they were so soft and sweet.  They were an absolutely perfect compliment to the pork roast! 

I have to tell you that I did alter what I was supposed to serve yesterday, just slightly.  I made a beautiful apple pie for dessert and so I omitted the applesauce from the menu and added broccoli. (Some of my guests were not thrilled by eating glazed carrots, which by the way, were gobbled up!)  I basically had a few mashed potatoes left when the entire meal was complete. 

So, here is a rundown for you so that you have a complete picture of how it all played out...
There were 10 people eating this beautiful Sunday dinner, four adults and six children.  All of my kids ate their carrots, mashed potatoes and broccoli.  Two of my kids decided that they liked the pork, but they didn't want to eat their entire portion and the other two ate all of it.  My six year old niece ate her entire dinner (but only ate the carrots to be polite) and my one year old niece ate the cornbread (I remember those days well!) 

So, how much did it cost me to feed 10 people this delightful dinner? 

Pork Roast ($2.49/lb.) $6.22
Creamed soups for recipe $1.58 + the ranch packet $0.49
Potatoes ($2.99/ 10 lb.) 2 lb. @ $0.58 plus milk and butter $0.40 for a total of $0.98
Baby Carrots $0.69/ bag
Steamed Broccoli $1.19/ bag
Cornbread Muffins (from scratch) approximately $1.25 for 15 muffins
Apple Pie (also from scratch) $2.99 for the apples and then crust is approximately $1.25 for a total of $3.24

Overall cost for the entire meal was $15.64.  What!  Is that true?  Did I make a beautiful meal with dessert for just $1.56 per person?  I think I did!  How amazing is that? 

Below is the recipe for the pork...next time I will take pictures, I promise!  You will want to add this to your monthly menu (and if your family is smaller, there should definitely be leftovers!)

Ranch Pork Roast (in the crock pot)

1 2-2 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin roast (or boneless chops)
1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix (dry)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
A splash of water or chicken broth to thin out the sauce.

Place the pork roast in the bottom of a 5-6 qt. crock pot.  Combine the soups, salad dressing, and water.  Pour over the top.  Turn to low and cook for 6-8 hours. (mine cooked for 7 hours and was perfect!)  If you can, turn the roast over half way through cooking.  (No biggie if you have to work and you can't do this step.) 

***This is a salty recipe so you don't need to salt the meat at all before cooking, but I would definitely add pepper to taste***

Yummy Cornbread Muffins-
I have been making cornbread from scratch for years...it is cheaper and tastier than the little blue boxes that they sell in the store.  When my sister saw me making them from scratch she said that she doesn't make cornbread (who knows why...she likes it) and added that if she did, she would just buy the little boxes.  I made a comment about preservatives that she didn't like that much, but that is how I see it these days...anyhow...my point is that during dinner, her husband made the comment that she needed this cornbread recipe! 

1. Line 2 (12 cup) muffin pans with 15 paper cups.
2. Preheat oven to 400

Ingredients-
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
4 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup milk

Directions-
1.  In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. (I really do dump all of the ingredients in at once and then mix with a whisk.)  Mix well until all ingredients are combined and the batter is thick and smooth. 

2.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill all of the muffin cups 3/4 of the way.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until the muffins have a slightly golden edge.  Serve warm. 

My kids love these the next day with a little bit of jam on them! 

Yummy! 

I know, now you have to go and get the ingredients for this fabulous meal and make it for yourself, I promise you won't be sorry! 

Blessings to All! 

Weekly Meal Plan and Shopping Trip #2

    
Okay, so I have one word to say that describes how I am feeling about Tuesday...FALL!!  Oh no, I just said a bad word, according to my summer loving husband!  I for one LOVE fall!  I love the trees changing colors, the smells and spices, and of course the food!  Who doesn't love pumpkins, squash, and apples, all paired with delicious, home cooked meals like pork roast and turkey!  Oh no, I said another bad word, turkey! 
     Fall of course is our last season of beauty before the dreaded winter...which in my husbands point of view, is the worst, most depressing time of the year.  Of course, fall also marks the beginning of another school year starting, and for me, this year is bittersweet because my youngest is off to UPK and I will have five mornings a week without a single child in my care.  I am also going back to work part time, and since I haven't had a job outside of my home in several years, I am sure there is going to be a period of adjustment. 
     In an effort to be completely organized (which is not a strong suit of mine), I am planning the meals a little further out than I normally do.  In addition, I have taken into account all of the items that I will need to have on hand to pack lunches for the kids. 
     Meal planning, as I have mentioned in the past, is something that I have to do in order to stay within the budgeted amount for groceries.  Sometimes it can be a real pain in the (well you know...) to sit down and actually think about meals that you won't be eating for two weeks, but after several meal planning sessions, it does become easier.  My purpose for sharing all of this with you is to help you either start the practice of meal planning, share budget friend meal ideas, and show you that living within a tight budget doesn't limit you to highly processed, unhealthy choices! 
     The plan for this week is to highlight all of the meals on our calendar with recipes, pictures, and a break down of the cost for each meal. I will be posting one meal each day with all of the details.  Below is an overview of the week along with my shopping list.  Everything that I purchased came from Aldi this week, I didn't have to go elsewhere!  Yay! 
    
Saturday 8/29- Chicken Pot Pie
Sunday 8/30- Breakfast- Cereal, banana, yogurt
                      Lunch- Ham or PB&J sandwiches, apple, and pretzels
                      Dinner- Ranch Pork Roast, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, applesauce & cornbread
Monday 8/31- Breakfast- Pancakes
                        Lunch- Left over pork roast on bread
                        Dinner- Chili  & leftover cornbread
Tuesday 9/1- Breakfast- yogurt, granola, & bananas
                      Lunch- ham or PB&J sandwiches, pretzels
                      Dinner- Parmesan crusted chicken tenders, French fries, & corn
Wednesday 9/2- Breakfast- cereal, bananas
                           Lunch- I'm taking a certification exam so the kids will be eating with a friend.
                           Dinner- dinner and a movie out with the kids to celebrate the end of summer!
Thursday 9/3- Breakfast- scrambled eggs, sausage, toast
                        Lunch- Macaroni and Cheese
                        Dinner- hot turkey sandwiches, sweet potatoes, and green beans
Friday 9/4- Camping!  Breakfast- Cereal, bananas, or yogurt
                                     Lunch- Tuna Salad Sandwiches with tomatoes
                                     Dinner- Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup
Saturday 9/5-Camping! Breakfast- eggs, bacon, toast
                                      Lunch- Ham or PB&J sandwiches
                                      Dinner- hamburgers, baked beans, and dilled tomato and cucumber salad
Sunday 9/6-Camping! Breakfast- French toast
                                    Lunch- Sandwiches and leftovers from dinner (Saturday)
                                    Dinner- marinated round steaks, baked potato, corn on the cob
Monday 9/7- Breakfast- cereal, fruit
                      Lunch- Sandwiches, fruit, yogurt
                      Dinner- BLT's, tater tots, and applesauce or cottage cheese
Tuesday 9/8- First day of school!! 
                      Breakfast- pancakes and sausage
                      Lunch- packed lunches!
                      Dinner- Chicken and wild rice soup, crusty bread, and salad
Wednesday 9/9- Breakfast- Cereal
                           Lunch- packed lunches!
                           Dinner- stuffed shells w/ Italian sausage
Thursday 9/10- Breakfast- Oatmeal, fruit
                         Lunch- packed lunches!
                         Dinner- pork chops, rice pilaf, broccoli.
Friday 9/11- Breakfast- cheese omelets, toast
                     Lunch- packed lunches!
                    Dinner- Salisbury steaks, cheesy potato bake, corn
Saturday 9/12- we are going to a birthday party so I won't have to feed the kids dinner at home. 
                         Breakfast- French toast bake with fruit salad
                         Lunch- leftovers from dinner
Sunday 9/13- First day of Sunday School!
                       Breakfast- Cereal, fruit or toast
                       Lunch- Sandwiches, fruit
                       Dinner- Roast Chicken, peas, mashed potatoes, and homemade biscuits.

Shopping List-
3 gallons of milk (I may need more than that, it depends on how much we go through in a week.)
3 pounds of butter (I won't use all of this in one week, but if I decide to bake, we will go through it)
2 dozen eggs
4 loaves of bread
3 boxes of cereal
2 boxes of yogurt sticks
1 pound of American Cheese
1 pound of cottage cheese
1 each- frozen corn, green beans, peas, mixed vegetables
1 each- Crinkle cut French fries, tater tots
3 pounds of apples
2 bags of baby carrots
2 5# bags of flour
1 bag of granulated sugar
2 cans of great northern beans
2 boxes of wild rice
4 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
2 cream of mushroom soup
2 cream of chicken soup            (restocking pantry items)
2 cream of celery soup
1 box of chicken broth
2 cans of beef broth
1 jar of jelly
10 # of white potatoes
2 bunches of bananas (I may need to purchase more)
1 pound of sour cream
2 bottles of coffee creamer
1 bag of French vanilla coffee (my weakness!)
1 bag of frozen, cubed hash browned potatoes
1 pound of shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package of boneless chicken thighs
1 turkey breast
1 package of the cheapest steak available (I found round)
1 family package of ground beef
1 package of pork chops ( I ended up with boneless spare ribs because they were cheaper)

My total bill at Aldi was 192.53 for everything that I needed.  I had some of the meat on hand already, so I didn't need to purchase the pork roast or the roasting chicken.  In addition, I didn't need to purchase the macaroni and cheese, the rice pilaf, or the shells for the stuffed pasta because they were in my pantry already. 

I hope that you found this helpful!  Make sure to pop back in to check out the recipes and photos for some of the meals listed throughout the week.

Are you a menu planner too?  What meals do you have on your list for the week?  We would love for you to share! 

I hope you all have a very blessed Sunday afternoon!

Blessings to All!

Baked Oatmeal Cups (Updated)

 

Wow!  This past year has been amazing for us as a family in so many ways!  Last year, during my summer hiatus from school, I started this blog.  I love helping people and I love to write, so combining the two seemed to be very natural and comforting to me.  When I first started, I only had a few visitors a day, which for me was fantastic!  I had never imagined that I would have readers that would come from all over the place to read what I was writing.  In fact, I told myself that my only readers were family members, which is why it seemed like it would be okay for me to put the blog on the back burner while I finished my degree.   
     Yesterday, while trying to figure out this whole Pinterest thing (which is still a work in progress), I came across some of the recipes that I had posted last year, pinned by some of my followers.  Some of you wrote some very nice things about my blog, you were sharing some of my recipes for others, and  you were encouraging them to check me out.  I was saddened as I read this because realized that I didn't hold up my end of the bargain.  I left everyone wondering if I would be returning to the blog, and that was wrong.  I hope that you will all forgive me, and I want to assure you that I am working on the blog and trying to come up with fresh, new ideas to share, every day! 

After looking at my stats, I realized that this recipe is the most popular recipe that I posted last year.  The link to this recipe was shared by my friend Maura at happydealhappyday.com (Please check her out!  She is amazing!!)  Along with the link is an article that I wrote for her detailing some of my tips for keeping my grocery shopping trips within a $75/week budget. 

Today, I am posting an updated version of this recipe, with pictures.  Thank you for keeping my blog alive while I was away!  All 5000+ page views!  I am humbled and grateful to you all! 

This recipe is well known and loved in our house!  I hope that your family enjoys them as much as we do! 

First, gather up all of your ingredients.  After looking at this picture, I realized that I forgot to photograph the eggs.  There are 2 eggs in this recipe.

Mix the dry ingredients and then add the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla.

 

Stir in the dried fruits or nuts, or both is you prefer.

Fill your muffin cups with a 1/4 cup measuring cup and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

I wish you could have been in my kitchen this morning as these beauty's were baking!  The house is so aromatic with the smell of cinnamon!   


Baked Oatmeal Cups (Makes 12)

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners, set aside.

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk
3/4 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, blueberries, or cherries) or nuts or both!

Directions-
1.  In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Stir until combined.  Add the eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla.  Stir well to combine completely (you can use a mixer, but I generally make this by hand.)  Add the fruit and mix well.  The batter will be wet. 

2.  Using a 1/4 measuring cup, fill the paper liners (go ahead and fill them to the top).  Bake for 15-20 at 350 until golden brown.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.  They can be eaten right away or stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for about 3 days. 

***They can be frozen as well, I would eat them within a month if you do.  To reheat, simply microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until it is warm all the way through. ***

If you have visited us before and have made this recipe, I would really love for you to share your experiences with us.

Thank you!

Blessings to All!

Fresh Zucchini Bread

Ah...fresh veggies!  It is August and I live in upstate NY, not downstate like Winchester County, upstate as in the Rochester area.  Living in farm country has always been a blessing for us.  No, we don't have a farm of our own, but I do grow a small vegetable garden, and I love having the opportunity to visit farm stands in our area.  Unfortunately, this year my garden isn't doing well at all, so that means more trips to the farm stand...which is working out well because the veggies they are offering are delicious!  How does visiting a farm stand fit into my weekly grocery budget?  Well, typically farmers have very good prices for their veggies.  For example, I was able to get each zucchini, at the farm closest to my house, for $0.75 each.  Each zucchini, when grated, was exactly 2 cups. 

This week, while shopping with my children, my son Ryan specifically asked for zucchini bread.  I really feel like I'm doing something right when my kids ask for something that has vegetables in it.  I know, zucchini bread is full of sugar and oil, so not necessarily the healthiest thing ever, but hey...I'll take what I can get!   Making snacks from scratch helps to reduce the amount of money that I am spending on processed foods at the grocery store.  To show you how much money I saved, I did a short cost analysis of this bread per slice.  The cost of making this recipe is very minimal.  With all of the ingredients, each loaf of zucchini bread for this recipe was about $0.93.  I can get 12 slices from one loaf, which makes this snack very budget friendly at $0.08/ serving.  Awesome right! 

This recipe is the one that I have used for years...I tried looking at Pinterest to see if there was anything that looked better, but I found this recipe to be pretty universal.  My kids have already devoured 3 loaves of this bread and are currently working on a forth!  If your family is like mine, storing it shouldn't be an issue for you, but if you want to save a loaf for later, it freezes beautifully! 

 

    In a mixing bowl, mix together the oil and the sugar, then add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well.  You will get a nice, sunny yellow mixture. 

 

 

Add the cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.  Mix well and then add the flour one cup at a time until all of the flour is added.  The batter will be thick. 

Add the zucchini and mix well.  Pour into two 8x4 inch bread pans that you have sprayed or greased. 

Bake the loaves at 350 for 50-60 minutes. 

This bread is delicious and easy! 

 

Zucchini Bread- Makes 2 loaves

Preheat oven to 350

 

1 cup of vegetable oil

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups of flour

2 cups grated zucchini (I grate mine with the skin on which gives the bread beautiful green specks.) 

 

Directions-

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil and sugar and mix well until smooth.  Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix until combined and the batter is a nice sunny yellow.

 

2.  Add the baking soda, powder, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla and mix well until well combined. 

 

3.  Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the batter is thick and smooth.  Add the zucchini and stir well. 

 

4.  Pour into 2 8x4 bread pans that have been greased.  Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes at 350.  When the bread is done, pull it from the oven and allow it to sit in the pan for 5 minutes.  Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze. 

 

This delicious bread is best when zucchini is plentiful and in season.  To enjoy this bread year round, simply grate zucchini and freeze it in quart size freezer bags in 2 cup increments.  Then all you have to do is pull it from the freezer, thaw, and make the bread.  It's that easy!

 

I hope that this recipe brings your family as much joy as it brings to mine!

 

Blessings to All!

 



Scrumptious Peanut Butter Cookies

Good golly!  Fall is just around the corner and I have been in total baking mode for days!  Baking for me is like a great yoga session for others, I feel so comfortable in my sweats covered in flour!  I love the smell of the goodies as it envelopes my entire house.  Today, a yummy batch of zucchini bread is baking (mouth watering blog post for tomorrow!) and later on this afternoon I will be making some snicker doodles.  The house is fragrant with the smell of cinnamon and that is how I like it!

I came across this recipe for peanut butter cookies back in June.  I was looking for cookie recipes to make for a camping trip and this was one that I came across.  Like most of the recipes that I find here and there, I did make a few changes to this one.  I added a little extra love by way of vanilla and of course a little salt, it helps to even out the sweetness.  Cookie recipes can be finicky, but not this one.  I love how easy they are to make and they come out perfect every time!  They are delicious warm and soft and chewy when they are cool.  They hold up really well and, although cookies don't last more than a few days in the house, they will keep for at least 4 days on the counter if kept in an air tight container. 

 

 

These cookies are so easy and they only have a few ingredients! 

 

 

Scrumptious Peanut Butter Cookies  (Makes 36) 

 

Preheat oven to 375

 

1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter.

1 egg

1/2 cup of butter (softened)

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup flour

 

Directions:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar.  Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat until completely combined, about 1 minute.  Add the vanilla and mix well.

 

2.  In a separate mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk with a fork until all of the ingredients are combined.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on med-low until completely combined, scrapping the sides of the bowl as needed. 

 

3.  Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 375 until they are lightly browned around the edges, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven to a cookie rack, cool completely before storing. 

 

This is the perfect cookie for kids just getting off the bus! 

 

I hope that you have a blessed day!