I sort of fell off the wagon a bit. Obviously, I haven't posted in a while, but we also cut loose a little bit recently. But that's okay. There's no use in beating yourself up over something like that. You learn, regroup, and move forward. Life is about moving forward. :-)
So... Today we went grocery shopping. We have a trip coming up this weekend, but we still went shopping to stock up. My hope is that I can make a bunch of food for us to take with so we don't end up eating out or buying a ton of convenience foods. If nothing else, we can always freeze what I make and eat it next week.
Our total for this week, thus far, is $39.12.
This is what we bought:
1 box (12 packets) Yamamoto instant green tea*
1.42 lbs broccoli rabe
1.75 lbs broccoli crowns
3 cans pinto beans (15.5 oz each)
3 cans coconut milk (13.5 each)
1 jar thai chili mayonaise (12 oz)*
1 can chick peas (1 lb 13 oz)
1 container white mushrooms (10 oz)
1 bag whole frozen tilapia (3 lbs)
0.23 lb fiddlehead fern greens*
2.24 lbs large purple eggplants
1 bag masa harina (4.4 lbs)
1.95 lbs zucchini
*splurge purchases... but sometimes it's the small splurges like these that help keep us from eating out or buying junk food.
Doesn't sound like much but it's for one week of food. Not bad to be honest and it will definitely feed us. We have a bunch of stuff in our cabinets, freezer, and fridge that we need to use up too. There were some really good prices on meats at the market, but we really would prefer to wait on buying red meats and poultry until we are sure we don't have some sitting in the freezer. We also didn't dig through all the sales flyers that the various grocery stores around here have. Right now, we don't have much time. I figured that I have a general idea of what I want to cook (mainly sauted veggies and curries), so we might as well get ingredients that can be used in several ways and just be done with it. At least that will cut the temptation to buy convenience items or go out to a restaurant or fast food joint... which would be a sad waste of money.
This weekend we are going to Maryland to attend the Faery Festival and to see people we haven't seen in years. It will be interesting. We are checking on hotel costs and availability and will see if I can get an extra discount on the side. The first weekend of the month, my hubby and I (with baby in tow) helped my sister vend at Rakkasah Caravan, and my husband is planning to help her vend at another event that is taking place the last weekend of May. We also have our son's birthday coming up on thursday and the family celebration of his birthday next weekend. Mind you that my mother's birthday was also the same weekend as Rakkasah Caravan (she was helping us vend but my hubby and I got her a cake and gift, which we gave to her after we all returned) and mother's day was last weekend and her Cinco de Mayo family dinner!
May is and has been a busy month!
Showing posts with label grocery costs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grocery costs. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Corn Tortillas... and Grocery: Week Four
Nothing much to report here. We haven't gone grocery shopping since last week. We were going to pick up some food stuffs, but I don't think we actually did. I'll have to ask my husband. (And so parenthood-onset senility looms it's dreary head once again!) I really need to be more diligent in posting, especially grocery totals and such. It's been a hectic couple of weeks! Anyways...
Last week, I made some corn tortillas. What a thrill! No really, I was very excited by the results.
Gluten free corn tortillas have been increasingly hard to fine, especially ones that actually had a good taste and texture... and price. The corn tortillas I made are the best I've ever tasted. Great texture (almost like flour tortillas without being gummy), great flavor, and made for only a few cents. They were also incredibly easy and fast, especially when you get the hang of it. I was able to make my second batch after a long day at work, with my son clinging to me, without any difficulty.
Here's the recipe.
Ingredients
2 cups masa harina*
1.5 cups water**
1/8 tsp baking soda (optional)
Directions
Put masa harina in a bowl; mix in the baking soda, if using. Add water and mix for no less than three minutes. If the dough seems too dry, add some water. If too wet, add more masa harina.
Roll dough into balls, approximately golf ball sized. Press flat with a rolling pin, tortilla press***, or both. (I first use the tortilla press and then use a rolling pin to make them just a bit thinner. Takes just a few gentle swipes and very little time to do so.)
Heat a griddle or shallow pan to medium-high heat. (Don't add oil; don't grease the pan.) Add one tortilla and cook for 30 seconds. Flip and cook other side another 30 seconds. Flip and cook both sides 15 seconds longer. Take out of pan and place on a plate. Place paper towel over it to keep it warm. Repeat cooking procedure until all tortillas are cooked.
Once you get the hang of making these, you can really cut down the time. I cook a couple tortillas while pressing the next few to cook. Takes little time, little effort and the results are much better than the stuff you get at the store. These were bouncy, flexible... almost like flour tortillas without the gummy texture. What's better than tastier food that's healthier, better, and far less expensive than the store bought stuff?
*Masa harina is a very fine cornmeal that was treated with lime. You cannot substitute regular cornmeal, cornstarch, or corn flour for masa harina. You can find masa harina in grocery stores, though it is more available and better priced at ethnic food stores. (Make sure to follow the package cooking directions first, and then adjust the ingredients accordingly. I added baking soda the first time, but followed everything else. Adjustments to the package I used are already included the directions above.)
**Baking soda adds "bounce" to the tortillas. It is not required and may be left out.
***You can find tortilla presses in a number of grocery stores, though the best prices are found at ethnic food stores.
Last week, I made some corn tortillas. What a thrill! No really, I was very excited by the results.
Gluten free corn tortillas have been increasingly hard to fine, especially ones that actually had a good taste and texture... and price. The corn tortillas I made are the best I've ever tasted. Great texture (almost like flour tortillas without being gummy), great flavor, and made for only a few cents. They were also incredibly easy and fast, especially when you get the hang of it. I was able to make my second batch after a long day at work, with my son clinging to me, without any difficulty.
Here's the recipe.
Ingredients
2 cups masa harina*
1.5 cups water**
1/8 tsp baking soda (optional)
Directions
Put masa harina in a bowl; mix in the baking soda, if using. Add water and mix for no less than three minutes. If the dough seems too dry, add some water. If too wet, add more masa harina.
Roll dough into balls, approximately golf ball sized. Press flat with a rolling pin, tortilla press***, or both. (I first use the tortilla press and then use a rolling pin to make them just a bit thinner. Takes just a few gentle swipes and very little time to do so.)
Heat a griddle or shallow pan to medium-high heat. (Don't add oil; don't grease the pan.) Add one tortilla and cook for 30 seconds. Flip and cook other side another 30 seconds. Flip and cook both sides 15 seconds longer. Take out of pan and place on a plate. Place paper towel over it to keep it warm. Repeat cooking procedure until all tortillas are cooked.
Once you get the hang of making these, you can really cut down the time. I cook a couple tortillas while pressing the next few to cook. Takes little time, little effort and the results are much better than the stuff you get at the store. These were bouncy, flexible... almost like flour tortillas without the gummy texture. What's better than tastier food that's healthier, better, and far less expensive than the store bought stuff?
*Masa harina is a very fine cornmeal that was treated with lime. You cannot substitute regular cornmeal, cornstarch, or corn flour for masa harina. You can find masa harina in grocery stores, though it is more available and better priced at ethnic food stores. (Make sure to follow the package cooking directions first, and then adjust the ingredients accordingly. I added baking soda the first time, but followed everything else. Adjustments to the package I used are already included the directions above.)
**Baking soda adds "bounce" to the tortillas. It is not required and may be left out.
***You can find tortilla presses in a number of grocery stores, though the best prices are found at ethnic food stores.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Week Three: Grocery thoughts, costs, and cooking corned beef
We did some of our grocery shopping today. My meal plan? Wait... I'm supposed to have one, right?
We got a bunch of corned beef at $0.99 a pound and two heads of cabbage at $0.09 cents a pound. Now see, I see both and think, "Darn it! I need to stock up!" But the problem is that you don't want to get so much that you end up being wasteful. The corned beef we got on sale for $1.49/lb was much nicer in size and marbling and now we have a total of 4 or 5 heads of cabbage waiting to be made into something. No worries though. Cabbage stays good for a long time! (I guess I should move them to the fridge eventually...) We might go back and get more cabbage and corned beef (either the $0.99/lb or the $1.49/lb). Corned beef stays in the freezer for a long time. Also, cooked meats tend to handle being frozen better for longer periods of time, supposedly.
Normally, I try to have a general rule that I buy meat, fruits, or veggies for $0.99/lb or (preferably) less. If it's that price, then I jump on it. These days, that's so much more difficult. Sure, fresh produce will go down in price soon for a while, but who knows if they will hit that mark? Frozen store brands seem to stay pretty close. Knowing I can get chicken for $0.49 to $0.79 per pound is a comfort. The main thing there is being willing to do the extra work (deboning, making broth, etc) and not worry if you aren't getting a lot of white meat. When you aren't getting enough fat in your diet, having dark meat isn't such a bad thing! Also pork loin tends to be pretty inexpensive too and can be used as a substitute for chicken or beef in a number of recipes.
We spent about $15 on food for the next week (I'll give a proper total soon), and will be only picking up a few more things tonight or tomorrow. Cornmeal, butter, milk, onions, perhaps some frozen veggies, and maybe some eggs. I don't think we need anything else really.
As for the milk and butter: We were supposed to pick them up last week, but didn't. I decided we could just make due, and we did. We really didn't need either (and the one time I could have used butter, I used olive oil and was fine). With the milk, I might try a trick that some other people do, which is start drinking reconstituted powdered milk. Some people mix it with regular milk to stretch the milk while saving on cost, and I'm wondering how well that works. I'm not sure I'm ready to just go for drinking chilled reconstituted dry milk straightup. However, if it has the same nutrients, then I'm willing to work towards that. Normal milk would then be used for cooking.
I'm also trying to figure out how to cook lentils. They seem pretty easy. I used to love when my mother would make them with rice, but she used the prepackaged mixes. I have a bag of lentils. Just need to decide what to do with them.
Right now, I have a huge crockpot cooking a goodly amount of corned beef. It's one of the easiest thing to make, in my humble opinion. Lightly coat a pan with vegetable or olive oil and heat on medium to medium high. Take the corned beef, rinse it and pat it dry. Place in the pan and brown all sides. Turn off the stove. Put the corned beef into the crock pot; you may sprinkle in the seasoning, but it's not required. (Trust me, both ways taste great!) Add hot water to the pan (about 1 or 2 cups) and gently scrape the bottom of the pan. This is call deglazing the pan, which allows you to get all the nummy bits the meat left (with all the amazing flavors). Pour the liquid, with the bits of meat stickings, into the crock and add enough water to cover the meat. Cook on high for several hours, until the meat is done (I believe the meat should register 160+ degrees on a meat thermometer). Remove from the liquid, cut, and serve. You can use the leftover liquid from the crock as a base for soup or to cook cabbage and potatoes in. Both are delicious! Very easy, very tasty, and quick prep time. What more can you ask for?
We got a bunch of corned beef at $0.99 a pound and two heads of cabbage at $0.09 cents a pound. Now see, I see both and think, "Darn it! I need to stock up!" But the problem is that you don't want to get so much that you end up being wasteful. The corned beef we got on sale for $1.49/lb was much nicer in size and marbling and now we have a total of 4 or 5 heads of cabbage waiting to be made into something. No worries though. Cabbage stays good for a long time! (I guess I should move them to the fridge eventually...) We might go back and get more cabbage and corned beef (either the $0.99/lb or the $1.49/lb). Corned beef stays in the freezer for a long time. Also, cooked meats tend to handle being frozen better for longer periods of time, supposedly.
Normally, I try to have a general rule that I buy meat, fruits, or veggies for $0.99/lb or (preferably) less. If it's that price, then I jump on it. These days, that's so much more difficult. Sure, fresh produce will go down in price soon for a while, but who knows if they will hit that mark? Frozen store brands seem to stay pretty close. Knowing I can get chicken for $0.49 to $0.79 per pound is a comfort. The main thing there is being willing to do the extra work (deboning, making broth, etc) and not worry if you aren't getting a lot of white meat. When you aren't getting enough fat in your diet, having dark meat isn't such a bad thing! Also pork loin tends to be pretty inexpensive too and can be used as a substitute for chicken or beef in a number of recipes.
We spent about $15 on food for the next week (I'll give a proper total soon), and will be only picking up a few more things tonight or tomorrow. Cornmeal, butter, milk, onions, perhaps some frozen veggies, and maybe some eggs. I don't think we need anything else really.
As for the milk and butter: We were supposed to pick them up last week, but didn't. I decided we could just make due, and we did. We really didn't need either (and the one time I could have used butter, I used olive oil and was fine). With the milk, I might try a trick that some other people do, which is start drinking reconstituted powdered milk. Some people mix it with regular milk to stretch the milk while saving on cost, and I'm wondering how well that works. I'm not sure I'm ready to just go for drinking chilled reconstituted dry milk straightup. However, if it has the same nutrients, then I'm willing to work towards that. Normal milk would then be used for cooking.
I'm also trying to figure out how to cook lentils. They seem pretty easy. I used to love when my mother would make them with rice, but she used the prepackaged mixes. I have a bag of lentils. Just need to decide what to do with them.
Right now, I have a huge crockpot cooking a goodly amount of corned beef. It's one of the easiest thing to make, in my humble opinion. Lightly coat a pan with vegetable or olive oil and heat on medium to medium high. Take the corned beef, rinse it and pat it dry. Place in the pan and brown all sides. Turn off the stove. Put the corned beef into the crock pot; you may sprinkle in the seasoning, but it's not required. (Trust me, both ways taste great!) Add hot water to the pan (about 1 or 2 cups) and gently scrape the bottom of the pan. This is call deglazing the pan, which allows you to get all the nummy bits the meat left (with all the amazing flavors). Pour the liquid, with the bits of meat stickings, into the crock and add enough water to cover the meat. Cook on high for several hours, until the meat is done (I believe the meat should register 160+ degrees on a meat thermometer). Remove from the liquid, cut, and serve. You can use the leftover liquid from the crock as a base for soup or to cook cabbage and potatoes in. Both are delicious! Very easy, very tasty, and quick prep time. What more can you ask for?
Friday, March 6, 2009
Week One: End of week grocery total
Our final total for grocery shopping this week was $47.86. My dear, sweet husband noticed that there were gluten free noodles on sale at Foodtown. $1 a bag. That's a damned good price. We bought 6 bags total: 1 regular flat noodle, 1 thin flat noodle, 2 elbow noodle, and 2 spiral noodle. Some of these will be put to use this upcoming week. It was tempting to buy all the bags, to be honest, but that wouldn't have been very responsible. What if we don't like it? Besides, we lose nothing if we end up really liking them. They'd have just been an unexpected treat. Nothing wrong with that. (Of course, if we do like them and Foodtown still has a bunch, we will get more on next week's budget.)
I'm a recipe fiend. I love looking at them, reading over them, looking at the pretty pictures, and copying them down. I have a ton. My mother buys a bunch of magazines and such, so I tend to thumb through those and pick out the recipes I could see myself possibly making. I tend to write down more than I'll probably ever make, but that's okay. Libraries are also good sources, if you have the time to go. My office has a cubicle dedicated to books and magazines people bring in for others to look through or take home. I take full advantage of this (returning the items that I'm through with unless isn't an absolute keeper).
So I have a few recipes from one magazine my mother is loaning me that I might make this upcoming week. (The magazine is called "Simple and Delicious.") It's really dependent on what sales are going on and what we already have.
Well, it's late and I have a full work day tomorrow. Off to bed with me.
I'm a recipe fiend. I love looking at them, reading over them, looking at the pretty pictures, and copying them down. I have a ton. My mother buys a bunch of magazines and such, so I tend to thumb through those and pick out the recipes I could see myself possibly making. I tend to write down more than I'll probably ever make, but that's okay. Libraries are also good sources, if you have the time to go. My office has a cubicle dedicated to books and magazines people bring in for others to look through or take home. I take full advantage of this (returning the items that I'm through with unless isn't an absolute keeper).
So I have a few recipes from one magazine my mother is loaning me that I might make this upcoming week. (The magazine is called "Simple and Delicious.") It's really dependent on what sales are going on and what we already have.
Well, it's late and I have a full work day tomorrow. Off to bed with me.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Week 1
Last week was when I decided to have our family start a very strict budget for food. My thoughts are, I'd rather start too strict and adjust than be too lenient to begin with. This includes a number of other areas of our budgetting system we are setting up.
Last Saturday (2/28/09), we did our first grocery trip with these limitations. $50 for the week, to feed 2 adults and one baby.
Our total was $41.86.
This is what we bought:
1 (16 oz) bag frozen broccoli
2 (16 oz each) bags frozen mixed vegetables
2 bottles soy sauce
huge container ground coffee
2 small cans of tomato paste
2 large cans of whole tomatoes
a small amount of raw squid
1 large bag raw shrimp
2.5 lbs bananas
2 korean green peppers
4 lb bag oranges
10 lb bag potatoes
3 bunches scallions
2 hefty heads of cabbage
The main dishes we plan to make with these items are:
*Spicy shrimp bokkeum (stir fry) with a little squid for flavoring. (This is based off the Korean dish Ojinga Bokkeum)
*Shepherds Pie
*Tomato Soup
*Chili
Considering each of these makes quite a bit of food, and we have no problem eating leftovers, we should be set for the week. If not, we still have $8.14 dollars left for last minute supplies. Also, we have food in the freezer and cabinets that we can use from previous purchases. I don't consider this cheating since we all have to start somewhere and I'm not about to let those items go to waste. Also, since this isn't a short term 'experiment' (as in 1 month or so long), I don't see any reason to view anything of this sort as "cheating."
So far, we've made the Spicy Bokkeum (on Saturday night, still enough left for two meals) and the Shepherds Pie (last night, enough left for quite a few meals). We'll see how the rest of the week goes. It's very possible some of the entrees can be saved for next week.
Last Saturday (2/28/09), we did our first grocery trip with these limitations. $50 for the week, to feed 2 adults and one baby.
Our total was $41.86.
This is what we bought:
1 (16 oz) bag frozen broccoli
2 (16 oz each) bags frozen mixed vegetables
2 bottles soy sauce
huge container ground coffee
2 small cans of tomato paste
2 large cans of whole tomatoes
a small amount of raw squid
1 large bag raw shrimp
2.5 lbs bananas
2 korean green peppers
4 lb bag oranges
10 lb bag potatoes
3 bunches scallions
2 hefty heads of cabbage
The main dishes we plan to make with these items are:
*Spicy shrimp bokkeum (stir fry) with a little squid for flavoring. (This is based off the Korean dish Ojinga Bokkeum)
*Shepherds Pie
*Tomato Soup
*Chili
Considering each of these makes quite a bit of food, and we have no problem eating leftovers, we should be set for the week. If not, we still have $8.14 dollars left for last minute supplies. Also, we have food in the freezer and cabinets that we can use from previous purchases. I don't consider this cheating since we all have to start somewhere and I'm not about to let those items go to waste. Also, since this isn't a short term 'experiment' (as in 1 month or so long), I don't see any reason to view anything of this sort as "cheating."
So far, we've made the Spicy Bokkeum (on Saturday night, still enough left for two meals) and the Shepherds Pie (last night, enough left for quite a few meals). We'll see how the rest of the week goes. It's very possible some of the entrees can be saved for next week.
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