January Cook at Home [Archive] - Simple Living Forums

TMC

1-1-13, 3:52pm

I'd like to join in. This challenge ties in nicely with my goal to eat down the freezer and pantry.

Breakfast was leftover Farmers Casserole, eggs, hash browns, green onions, pepper jack cheese and some diced ham.

Lunch was leftover frozen shrimp and raw veggies from our last nights home New Years Eve party, just the four of us had a picnic and watched the ball drop. My DD made it to midnight even though I didn't. :)

Dinner is ham glazed with a pineapple glaze DH and DS whipped up. I roasted a giant butternut squash two days ago and saved 3/4 cup of it to make fresh squash rolls for today. Will add potato pancakes (potatoes in the root cellar) and frozen carrots from the freezer to round it out. It will be a New Years day feast! The best part is days worth of leftovers.

TMC

1-3-13, 1:51pm

Boring day, need to jazz up my recipes but they are keeping everyone fed.

Breakfast was oatmeal and home canned peaches.
Lunch was a green salad and tuna fish sandwich on home made rolls.
Dinner is chicken pot pie.

Another day that I avoided the call of a restaurant. On the flip side between the exercising I'm doing and the eating good basic foods at home, my pants fit a little better. ;)

Kat

1-3-13, 3:41pm

Well, on New Year's Day, we celebrated with kid food--spaghettios and chicken nuggets and such. We don't usually eat that kind of junk, but we thought it would be fun for DD, and it was. Yesterday I made a huge bowl of lobster salad. Tons of leftovers (which is kind of a bummer, because we didn't end up liking it that much!). This morning I threw some cube steak in the crock pot and made a mushroom gravy for it. I'll make mashed potatoes and a side salad to round out supper. Should be plenty leftover.

leslieann

1-3-13, 4:24pm

Pulled pork in the crock pot for tonight: roasting sweet potatoes and a pumpkin for later. I think we'll have rice, broccoli, and maybe peas or carrots....I have a real desire to see both green and orange veg on my plate regularly. Too bad those sweets won't be ready for a long time....and I finished off the buttercup squash leftover from Boxing Day. That was the day I cooked three buttercup squashes and also eight sweet potatoes and the sweets got eaten. Most people don't have my preference for orange veggies, I guess!

Cooking at home saves me so much. I only realize it on the odd occasion when we go out. We made a plan to try a local new restaurant over the holiday and we did; it costs us $70 for dinner with a glass of wine each, no appetizer or dessert....it was delicious and a planned purchase so I am okay with that but I also appreciate that we don't do it often!

Rosemary

1-3-13, 5:36pm

re: cost savings. while we were at my MIL's house DD was looking for something to do. I handed her the grocery ads and asked her to plan a meal and tell me how much it would cost. I told her the basics of what we needed (e.g. quantities - the rest was up to her). The meal cost something like $1.25 per person and we talked about how much the same meal would cost in a restaurant (at least $12/person with tax+tip).

SteveinMN

1-3-13, 7:40pm

Tonight's dinner (and probably lunch tomorrow): beef and bean burritos. Some sirloin, pinto beans, some sauteed onion, garlic, some more "poor-blano" pepper (almost used that up), and some cilantro. Tortillas (found some low-carb ones in the grocery store), some leftover sour cream, and salsa (always on hand). Nutritious, not hugely expensive (about six ounces of beef for six tortillas), and frugal because all of it was already in the house.

Now to find something to do with the rest of the beef (already frozen once; don't want to freeze the rest).

Kat

1-4-13, 5:51am

Leftover cube steak for lunch today. Lemon chicken and roasted butternut squash tonight with a side salad tonight. I am thinking about making a big pan of lasagna later this weekend. Hmmm...

SteveinMN

1-4-13, 11:10pm

Now to find something to do with the rest of the beef
And this is what I did: landbraten. We had every single ingredient already in the house. Served it on whole-wheat spaghetti (finished out the box) and with frozen green beans (finished out the bag). We're already looking forward to leftovers.

http://i45.tinypic.com/6p4v7m.jpg

(please pardon the just-awful cell-phone shot; it's just so much easier than taking a picture with the "real" camera)

lhamo

1-4-13, 11:39pm

I was up at 3am this morning (still jetlagged) so I cleaned out the freezer. Threw out some frozen pumpkin that had been there at least two years. Almost threw out some fish we bought several months ago because it was majorly freezerburned, but decided to try to salvage it for lunch -- glad I did because it turned out great! More on that below. While sorting through stuff I discovered two separate containers of leftover roasted cauliflower, so decided I will make cream of cauliflower soup for dinner -- had been planning to make clam or seafood chowder, but better to use up the cauliflower first and free up more space. I resorted everything in a way that made better use of the space, and there is actually quite a bit of room now in spite of my cheese stash! Pulled out the remainder of a package of parmesan cheese to use in making breakfast, which was....

Sausage and veg fritatta. Turnd out great. DS and I each had a large piece, and I still have 4 more pieces which I will eat for breakfast over the next few days.

For lunch I made DD's favorite baked chicken dish, plus fish baked in foil with vegetables -- varied the recipe in How to Cook Everything just a little bit by adding some dill, which turned out nice. I was surprised at how well the fish turned out given the sad state it was in when I took it out of the freezer. It generated a lot of liquid, which I skimmed off and will probably throw in the clam chowder when I make it (probably next week). I think the tomatoes, onions, olives and dill with the fish will probably taste even better cold, so I may make another batch of it -- DS wants tacos tomorrow, so I may just make mine fish and olive tacos (I have some low carb tortillas I brought back from the US that I need to use up anyway).

So, plans for the rest of the week are:

Cream of cauliflower soup for dinner. DD will probalby have leftover chicken but I think DS will eat the soup. I may make him a toasted cheese sandwich to go with it.

Fritatta leftovers for breakfast, with fruit on the side.

Tacos for lunch tomorrow -- may make more of the baked fish for me, and will use leftover chicken for the kids.

Beef stew for dinner tomorrow. Will probably make the red cabbage salad to go with that.

I'm also going to boil up chicken bones now for another batch of stock. I want to make more soups for my lunches this winter, and you can never have enough stock! I'm using up two batches this weekend as it is (one for the cauliflower soup, one for the beef stew tomorrow), so the freezer will still not be overstuffed.

Oh, I also cleaned out the spice/staple drawer and got rid of some stuff that had expired/was past its prime.

lhamo

Rosemary

1-5-13, 7:59am

dinner at our friends' was cancelled last night, so we had the chili from the freezer a night early, along with salad.
DD and DH have requested pasta w/ meat sauce and the local natural foods store has everything 10% off today so I will go get a pound of grass-fed ground beef and make that for them tonight, and then freeze the extra sauce. I'll have salad and roasted eggplant.

TMC

1-5-13, 4:13pm

Breakfast was quick and on the run, fried egg sandwich on homemade squash rolls I made yesterday.

Lunch was a pleasure, we had gift cards to a local Mexican place and I found some coupons so the four of us ate lunch and will have enough on the gift cards to eat out another day.

Dinner will be something light to combat the tacos from lunch.:). Probably have green salad and grilled cheese sandwiiches and sliced pears. Pears are so good right now.

bunnys

1-5-13, 5:34pm

Breakie: Piece of apple crisp I made last weekend.

Lunch: Burrito of the .90 batch I made last weekend and froze.

Dinner: Out at Chili's. It's gonna be tough. They have virtually nothing on their menu that's vegetarian--and even less that's vegan.

Also, made a loaf of bread in the bread machine today. So cheap and so good.

Rosemary

1-5-13, 8:25pm

Made the bolognese sauce for DH and DD, alongside pasta. 1# grass fed ground beef, resulting in at least 12 servings of sauce. Really good sauce, too - I sampled a tablespoon of it on the eggplant I roasted today (since I can't eat very acidic foods in any quantity). I had a big salad for dinner. Made a curried red lentil/carrot soup with coconut milk for lunch today, received good reviews all around.

Tomorrow's dinner will probably be a repeat of today's because I spent the entire afternoon cooking and am pretty much worn out. In addition to roasting the eggplant and making the sauce, I roasted some mushrooms, made 2 zucchini, pepper, spinach & goat cheese frittatas (one for friends who just had a baby and one for our freezer, for DD and her babysitter to have for dinner next weekend), a batch of muffins for the friends with new baby, and also roasted some sweet potato for breakfasts. The fridge is full of food that is ready to eat.

TMC

1-6-13, 7:11pm

Been cooking at home a lot and really happy about it. The weekends are our problem area for sure with eating put. We did do lunch out yesterday but it was planned with coupons and a gift card we received as a gift.

Breakfast today was egg sandwiches with home made sourdough english muffins, egg whites, spinach and a little pepper jack cheese.

Lunch was a great soup out of Stanley Tuccis new cookbook, I think it was called Layered Chicken and Cheese soup. Oh my it is good. Those of use watching our weight skipped the cheesy part and just stuck to the broth full of escarole and chicken meatballs.

Dinner was cabbage and potatoes in the slow cooker with the last little bit of ham, finishing up our half ham this week. I'm happy it's gone, I'm so sick of ham. :)

Rosemary

1-7-13, 6:07pm

Just planned the menu for the rest of the week. Tonight we finish the weekend's leftovers. The red lentil/carrot coconut curry soup was even better reheated.
Tomorrow: Thai chicken/coconut curry soup with bean thread noodles and vegetables. Have to use up that can of coconut milk.
Wednesday: bean burritos for DH and DD, refried beans and salad for me. Using up tortillas and the cilantro that I need to buy for Tuesday's soup.
Thursday: leftovers. Will be out of tortillas so will do something creative with remaining home-cooked beans.
Friday: tofu bibim bap. Need to look up recipe to make something like gochu jang sauce from ingredients I have.
Saturday: date night for me and DH. Already made a frittata for DD and babysitter and they can reheat the frozen slices along with some green beans.

Florence

1-7-13, 7:14pm

This weeks dinners:
Monday- baked fish, corn on the cob, oven roasted carrots w/ thyme
Tuesday-oven BBQ chicken, leftover corn on the cob, baked beans
Wednesday-Spaghetti & meatballs
Thursday-veggie soup

The rest of the week is YOYO (You're On Your Own).

TMC

1-8-13, 5:23pm

Frugal victory today...thought about lunch with DH after some appointments but we managed to be strong and came home instead. Dinner is homemade pizza, crust is rising, sausage browned. Yummy

Rosemary

1-8-13, 8:57pm

The Thai chicken/coconut curry soup was excellent. Added carrots and brussels sprouts, and all the cilantro stems, which add great flavor to soup when cooked, unlike the leaves, which are best added at the end of cooking. DD and I will have some for lunch tomorrow. I have about 5 more stalks of lemongrass from my garden in the freezer, and will definitely make this again, with variations depending on what I have in the fridge.

treehugger

1-8-13, 9:14pm

Friday I made cottage pie with ground beef from the freezer (I buy whatever is on sale and then grind it myself) and CSA potatoes that were a little past their prime, plus CSA carrots and celery. It was a little too saucy (my fault, for winging it), but still tasty and made a good dinner on a cold night.

Made butternut squash and sage lasagna (http://www.marthastewart.com/314642/butternut-squash-and-sage-lasagna) Sunday afternoon. Had "Christmas dinner" at inlaws that night, so ate our lasagna for dinner last night, and wow, that was yummy! Used CSA squash, backyard sage, and ricotta that I made from a failed batch of yogurt. Seriously delicious.

With the oven hot for the lasagna, I also roasted some CSA sweet potatoes and beets. The sweet potatoes are nice in burritos with black beans. The beets are good all on their own.

Pizza on the menu some day this week. Need to remember to make the dough, since I like it "aged" a few days.

Kara

Rosemary

1-13-13, 2:19pm

The tofu bibim bap was excellent. I used forbidden rice, kale, carrots, and cucumber. Quick-pickled some julienned carrots, and steamed some. For the gochu jang substitute I used homemade peach jam, tamari, miso, and some chili-garlic paste.

Had a lot of leftover rice, so for lunch yesterday DH and DD had tomato-rice soup with some of Thursday's polenta cubes. I had the remaining kale and carrots.
For lunch today I turned the last of the rice and last night's dinner leftovers (zucchini frittata & steamed green beans) into fried rice.

Tonight for dinner, vegetarian chili and salad. There will be leftovers that DD can take in her lunch for a couple of days, too.

JaneV2.0

1-13-13, 2:33pm

I'm going to experiment with pork ribs and Asian-inspired sweet and sour marinade/sauce. I did something similar once before and it worked out pretty well, but I have no idea what I did--and the ribs were baby back ones that time.
Lord help me. :~)

I also have a recipe for flax meal focaccia I'm thinking of fiddling with:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/breads/r/flaxbasicfoc.htm

Kat

1-13-13, 8:30pm

Been eating leftovers along with cereal and bologna and cheese sandwiches (we had the flu so were shooting for quick and easy). I did turn the leftover lemon chicken into lemon salad, though, and used some for topping on a nice green salad. Found an avocado to add, too. It was really good! Also made a batch of homemade mac n cheese with hot dogs. I really do need to make that lasagna. Maybe this coming week I'll get that done!

Blackdog Lin

1-13-13, 9:31pm

Even though I can't really join in the challenge, as we don't eat out much at all, I sure do enjoy reading everyone's menus. Ideas and inspiration!

Tonight is chicken spaghetti (a new casserole recipe, terribly unhealthy but it sounded oh so good), and tomorrow is beef-broccoli-zucchini etc stir-fry over brown rice. The leftovers ought to carry us over through Tuesday. And I took a fridge inventory tonight, and need to create something involving 1 c. leftover rice, 4 oz. or so bulk sausage, and the last 4 romaine leaves (which have amazingly stayed crisp for over a week. I tried a Pinterest tip for putting a paper towel in with the lettuce, and darned if it didn't work!) I'm thinking some sort of oriental sausage-rice-cuke (there's a cucumber in the crisper) roll-it-up-in-romaine rollup thing. Perfect for tomorrow night, if I can make it work. There's also 2 lone potato patties in there - they may just have to go to the chickens. No ideas.....

Loving your menus and creativity.

Tiam

1-13-13, 9:56pm

lhamo

1-13-13, 11:21pm

Agreed to get pizza for the kids on Saturday (I had one piece, plus caesar salad), but otherwise did pretty good with eating at home. Air quality in Beijing was at historically bad levels so we didnt feel like going out. I actually seemed to time my grocery shopping trip for the lowest dip in pollution levels over the weekend -- that was fortunate!

Ate up the last of the Dave's 21 grain bread I brought back from the US for breakfast on Saturday -- if anyone knows a good recipe to replicate Dave's breads, I'd love a pointer to it. Kids had quesadillas.

Pizza/salad for lunch Saturday (delivery, not made at home).

Made pasta for me and DS for dinner Saturday. Had the burner on too high and the sauce got burned, but DS still liked it. Didn't use the whole package, but still had enough leftovers for one lunch (which I ate today)

Made pancakes for the kids for Sunday breakfast. I had the last bagel we brought back from the US.

Lunch Sunday was baked chicken for DD/baked salmon for me and DS and roasted broccoli. I improvised with the baked salmon and tried to recreate the sauce they had on the prepared salmon we got at Costco in the US. Coated the baking tray with butter instead of olive oil, and then made a butter topping with garlic, fresh dill, salt and pepper. DS declared it better than the Costco sauce -- yay!

Dinner sunday was clam chowder for me and DS and leftover chicken for DD.

I thought about making another frittata for my breakfasts this week, but realized we had some ham in the fridge that needed using up so I'll save the fritatta for next week.

lhamo

ApatheticNoMore

1-14-13, 2:16am

Got ambitious and did my cooking for the week, for the most part: cream of salmon and potato soup, cauliflower with cheese and tomato sauce (I consider it a main dish as it has cheese), made homemade salsa (the plan is if/when I run out of food, thaw some frozen chicken legs/thighs from the freezer and cook in homemade salsa). All the same old recipes around here.

Also pre-chopped some sweet onion (the plan is later in the week to make a salad I often make for lunch: canned tuna (or salmon) and garbanzos, sweet onion, parsley, olive oil, vinegar). Two TJ's vegetarian salads for the rest of the lunches - I usually use my own dressing with them, but they satisfy me in a way none of my own veggie salads have yet so yea giving into lazy.

Haven't really been good at the cooking at home thing lately, been out of it for the holidays, depressed afterward etc.. Food would spoil in the fridge, I ate homemade nachos much of last week for dinner (!) etc.. This week nothing should spoil though (except maybe an old head of romaine lettuce, I really should do something with ... and might), at worst I freeze some extras.

Rosemary

1-14-13, 8:40am

The veg chili made enough for DH & DD's lunches today plus dinner tomorrow when DD has a late afternoon activity.
Today I'll roast a small piece of pork loin in the slow cooker along with some carrots and potatoes, and we'll have salad. We'll have tacos on Wednesday with the leftover meat (and probably Thursday as well - after all the chopping that goes into tacos, we usually have 2 meals of food).

treehugger

1-14-13, 11:38am

Yesterday, we had a small party (just his three parents) for DH's birthday. The meal I made, at his request: achiote pork tacos with homemade corn tortillas, pickled onions (red onion from CSA box), and cilantro; rice made with salsa and homemade "refried" beans (they weren't actually fried) on the side. For dessert, the traditional Thunder & Lightning birthday cake.

Plenty of leftovers for the week, along with other miscellaneous things in the fridge (roasted sweet potatoes and beets, spinach, artichokes that I need to steam). We took a month off from our CSA, so I am really looking forward to picking up our box tomorrow.

Kara

Kat

1-15-13, 8:35am

Leftover chicken salad and the last of the mac n cheese for lunch yesterday. I had planned on making sloppy joes for dinner, but DH's parents invited us over, so we went there. DH requested beans and weenies and cornbread tonight, so that is what we'll be having. The sloppy joes will come next or maybe the lasagna. DH keeps asking for stuff after I already take what I need for something else out of the freezer. Pretty soon I am going to just have to say, "Nope, sorry. Lasagna tonight." ;-)

Kat

1-16-13, 9:39am

The beans and weenies went over really well! Both DH and DD loved them, and there was enough left over for lunches today. Tonight is turkey sloppy joes (with lots of veggies hidden inside) and roasted zucchini. Milk to drink, maybe a sliced apple for dessert! :-)

SteveinMN

1-16-13, 9:57am

Kind of a fractured week, with DW doing lots of things after work several days. I don't tend to cook much for just myself. But I did make a bean stew with celery, onions, kale, and a smoked pork hock. It's maybe the second time in my life that I've soaked dried beans for later cooking and the first time I've ever used mayacoba (yellow) beans. It's all turned out quite successfully, though. I'm going to enjoy this stew after freezing some of it for another week.

treehugger

1-16-13, 12:53pm

Picked up the CSA box yesterday. It had even-more-gorgeous-than-usual chard, plus adorable tiny yellow potatoes, plump carrots, and prickly artichokes. Dunno what I am going to make tonight, but it will be delicious! :)

Kara

KayLR

1-16-13, 4:30pm

Over the weekend we went to the coast and before coming home, stopped and bought a pint of fresh oysters, right out of the bay. Last night I made oyster stew and it really hit the spot on a cold winter day! And I felt good that it featured a mostly local (state, at least) product.

Florence

1-16-13, 5:16pm

I am making a pork tenderloin, baked sweet potatoes, and cabbage for dinner tonight. Yesterday I made a big pot of veggie soup. So between the soup and the pork, we will be eating leftovers and my cooking is done for this week.

leslieann

1-16-13, 7:35pm

Hooray for leftovers. I got a big chicken and roasted it on Monday; we have chicken! Our schedules have gotten a little out of control, at least the supper part, so having good leftovers is important. Otherwise people here will end up eating cheese and crackers every night. So having that chicken, plus cooked carrots and beets in the fridge, has been a good thing.

this is the best thread for getting dinner ideas, by the way.

treehugger

1-16-13, 8:05pm

So, I decided on this: skillet dinner of halved potatoes (from my CSA; they are tiny), chard (CSA), and chicken breast (from the freezer; defrosting now), simmer with some chicken broth (in the fridge; needs to be used up) and the very yummy Turkish seasoning from Penzeys (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysturkish.html) (always in the pantry; it is amazingly versatile).

And yes, Leslieann, leftovers are a cornerstone of my cook-all-meals-at-home strategy. I couldn't do it if I actually had to cook every single day. Luckily, thanks to my freezer, fridge, and microwave, I don't. :)

Kara

Blackdog Lin

1-16-13, 8:20pm

Monday: stir-fry, using up the broccoli and zucchini I bought specifically for that, and using up some of DH's jerky-making beef "leavings", over brown rice. Tuesday: a cheap small pork roast in the crockpot, cooked w/carrots, onions and a chunk of a head of cabbage, served with the rest of the brown rice, gravy made from the pork juice, and a bag of garden corn from the freezer on the side. Wednesday: sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches on toast, using up the rest of the sausage from Sunday's brunch, with fried garden okra from the freezer. Thursday (planned): tator tot casserole and cucumber salad. Just because it sounds good, and I need to use up the cuke in the fridge. Friday (planned): kitchen-sink beef stew, which will use more of DH's jerky beef leavings, the rest of the head of cabbage, the last of the 'tators in the house, and the small bowl of the pork-roast-dinner leftovers. And I have all the other necessary veggies in the house, carrots, celery, onions, corn etc.

Thinking about trying some taquitos for a Saturday night treat. I've never made them before. Maybe a simple ground beef-n-cheese thing, and brushing or spraying them w/oil so I can bake them instead of frying, to make them a little healthier. And we would dip them in our home-canned salsa. We'll see.

I'm having a good week with "use it up before it goes bad". Would t'were that I did this good every week.....

Rosemary

1-16-13, 8:32pm

Random taco leftovers will be rejuvenated with some pinto beans and a cornbread topping to make a 'tamale pie' type dish tomorrow night. That will probably last 2 nights. On Saturday, DD is having a sleepover and I'm making lasagna for everyone... I'll have a salad and whatever roasted veggies remain in the fridge by then.

Kat

1-17-13, 9:27am

Treehugger--Yum! My mouth is watering!

The "skinny" sloppy joes went over really well, and there were enough leftover for lunch today and tomorrow.

Tonight I am making chicken Caesar salad sandwiches in the crock pot. I have a lot of work to do today, and they are easy. They will also allow me to use up the rest of the sloppy joe buns before they go bad. I think I will just make some steamed veggies as a side and maybe cut up a red pepper for DH. He'll like that.

HomemadeChange

1-17-13, 10:31am

And yes, Leslieann, leftovers are a cornerstone of my cook-all-meals-at-home strategy. I couldn't do it if I actually had to cook every single day. Luckily, thanks to my freezer, fridge, and microwave, I don't. :)

Kara

100% agree! Leftovers makes staying on a budget and eating healthier possible in our household too :) And ALL of you are making me hungry :)

HomemadeChange

1-17-13, 10:44am

About 6 months ago we started a pretty tight budget. Every dollar has a name and only that name. We went through our grocery money a little more quickly than anticipated with the holidays (Now we know for next year :+1:) so I have been making what we call "Creative" meals. As some of you have mentioned, I assess what is in the pantry and freezer and go from there.

I had a HUGE frozen pork butt (there is probably a more appropriate name, but that is what we call them where I am from ;) that I cooked in the crock pot. I pulled it and used it for the following over 4 days:
Traditional BBQ sandwiches (twice)
Added it to a leftover homemade potato soup from the freezer
Pork tacos (DH asked for seconds on that one)
Breakfast mash (eggs, veggies, pork)
Open faced sandwhich with cheese and no sauce. MMMMMMM my personal favorite.

I still have some left over and am pretty "porked out" Any suggestions?

treehugger

1-17-13, 11:48am

I still have some left over and am pretty "porked out" Any suggestions?

Put it in the freezer and don't think about it for 2 months. By that time, you will ready to get porky again. :) Pork butt/shoulder (both names are correct, as far as I can tell) is usually the most economical cut of meat in the grocery store, so it's definitely a good choice on a budget. They are big, though, and you don't want to make yourself so tired of it you can't eat it again for a year.

Budget cooking? Yeah, I know all about that. We have been able to relax it this year, thank goodness, but we were on a $100 per month grocery budget for the past 2 years. In fact, I never ate pork before that (grew up not liking it), but taught myself to like it when I realized what a good value those hunks of shoulder were. And it turns out, I do like it. :)

Kara

HomemadeChange

1-17-13, 12:01pm

Put it in the freezer and don't think about it for 2 months. By that time, you will ready to get porky again. :)Kara

I think you are right :). Turns out you definitely can have too much of a good thing :~).

HomemadeChange

1-17-13, 12:13pm

treehugger

1-17-13, 12:49pm

Hit the button a little too quickly and tried to edit (unsuccessfully). KUDOS to you treehugger for $100 a month. WOW! I didn't eat pork or red meat for 13 years, but DH has made me quite the carnivore the past few years.

Honestly didn't post that figure to boast, just to show solidarity in budgeting. :) We didn't eat the healthiest diet on that amount of money (*lots* of beans and rice, filling up on [homemade] bread, etc.), but we survived, and now that we can spend more, we joined a CSA for wonderful, local fresh vegetables and fruit, and I am baking with more specialty whole grains, and we buy much higher quality meat (still keeping to the more inexpensive cuts like chicken legs and pork shoulder, but from better sources). It's great fun to have more room in the budget to experiment. Should the need arise, I know that we can go back to that number, but now that I am able, I willingly spend more in order to get more varied, higher quality nutrients into our diet.

Kara

Kat

1-18-13, 2:00pm

DH ended up having a business lunch yesterday, so we had leftover sloppy joes with steamed veggies for dinner last night and are having the chicken Caeser salad sandwiches today. Used up some bread heels by making toast for breakfast this morning, and DD had a leftover corn muffin as part of hers. DH has been wanting something sweet but is trying to lose a little weight, so I made some homemade jello pudding pops. They are fat free, so they aren't like "real" ice cream, but they are good and much cheaper than the Weight Watchers or Slim-a-Bear treats.

Rosemary

1-19-13, 7:07am

Broccoli/carrot/tofu stir-fry last night. Tonight making lasagna for everyone else - I'll eat the stir-fry leftovers as lasagna causes me serious stomach woes. For lunch today we have random leftovers to finish.

Kat

1-22-13, 8:15am

Kind of fell off the wagon this past weekend. We went out for Mexican and took DD to get a waffle. We stayed within our budgeted amount for eating out, though, so I guess it wasn't too terrible. We're back on track now, though! I made a big pan of lasagna for dinner last night. We will eat it again for lunch today and then freeze the rest. DH wants hot dogs tonight, so we'll have those with some macaroni and cheese and veggies. This will allow me to use use up an opened package of hot dogs/buns plus a bag of cheese from the freezer. I am also going to make some more pudding pops. I can use up the rest of the Cool Whip from last time and a package of pudding mix from the pantry.

Rosemary

1-22-13, 9:04am

I made a spanakopita-like dish last night, but with thinly-sliced potatoes for the top and bottom crust instead of a wheat-based crust. It worked out really well. Oh, and the filling used kale, not spinach. Last time I was at TJ's I bought a bag of their new chopped lacinato kale. I did not like this product - they included with the kale all the very thick stems, so I had to pick through it and pull out the pieces that would be too tough to eat. And the whole point of buying it in the bag was that it was supposedly ready for salad. Anyway, the spanakopita: DD and I each had a slice for breakfast this morning, and there is enough for us to all have for dinner tomorrow night.

Tonight is veg chili from the freezer and spinach salad. Quick and minimal-cleanup meal because DD has a choir concert and we have to leave the house at 6:15.

Kat

1-23-13, 12:06pm

Followed through with the mac n cheese, hot dogs, and pudding pops yesterday. Leftovers for lunch today. Tonight I am planning to make mini Mexican pizzas with Spanish rice and refried beans. DD LOVES rice and beans. Sometimes she asks for it for breakfast! I should probably take something out of the freezer now for dinner tomorrow, too. Thursday is my heavy work day, so I am thinking French dips made in the crock pot.

Rosemary

1-23-13, 12:13pm

Made a big batch of chicken-barley-veg stew for DD's lunches and an easy dinner one night next week. Put it outside to cool off in the free freezer, and will portion it into freezer containers in a couple of hours.
Yesterday I turned the rest of the veggies in the fridge into a mung bean curried soup (fennel, carrots, celery, etc... plus juice from a lime that was hanging out in the fridge as well). That is my lunch today and will be dinner for all of us tomorrow night.

Kat

1-24-13, 8:10am

I am really enjoying this thread. It keeps me accountable, and there are so many good ideas for meals!

DD and I will have the rest of the mac n cheese and hot dogs for lunch. DH took some of the leftover Mexican I made last night. I plan to get the roast for French dips in the crock pot while DD is eating breakfast. I will take the rolls out of the freezer to defrost then also. We'll have sandwiches tonight for dinner along with some baked chips. That should be easy enough.

Now I just need to look ahead to the weekend!

SteveinMN

1-24-13, 9:07am

Today I'm making a braised beef dish from a Piedmontese (Italian) recipe. We didn't have enough red wine for the recipe, so I (OBFrugal) walked to the liquor store three blocks away. I asked for direction to where I would find the variety of wine I needed and the woman behind the counter led me to that shelf. Several bottles of wine, maybe $8-12 each. But when I mentioned I was using it for cooking, she led me to an endcap display and handed me a bottle that cost all of $3.49. Sold! :cool:

treehugger

1-24-13, 12:00pm

Last night was stromboli (http://www.dinneralovestory.com/stromboli/)and it was easy and delicious and used ingredients I had on hand. Winner! The leftovers will be my lunch today, so tonight's dinner will be some sort of chicken (from the freezer), potato (from the CSA), mushroom (CSA), and onion (CSA) dish. I'm working at home today, so I will put some dried beans on to soak and then cook later, too, for a future meal.

Kara

Kat

1-25-13, 9:08am

The French dips last night were a success. DH took one for his lunch today; DD and I will probably have other leftovers (hot dogs, lasagna, etc.). I stayed up late last night working, and my back is really hurting, so I think I will do something easy for dinner tonight. Maybe eggs and pancakes? I am also thinking of making some apple oatmeal in the crock pot tonight for breakfast tomorrow.

Bootsie

1-25-13, 9:25am

Last night before bed I set up rice pudding in the crockpot for a hot breakfast this morning. Now, I'm tossing ingredients in the crockpot for a lentil stew for dinner. I'll be making date nut bread to go along with it.

Rosemary

1-27-13, 10:19am

An Indian friend of mine is showing me how to cook some simple dishes. Now, I can follow any kind of recipe easily and make Indian-style food at home at least monthly... but it is always missing something. When she cooks I can smell the aroma of the different spices as they hit the pan and identify those things that are missing when I cook at home. Now I know that a couple of things I thought I could skip, that aren't available at my usual shopping places that have a huge assortment of herbs/spices, are actually essential even though used in very small quantities.

Kat

1-27-13, 10:52am

DH really wanted pizza and beer Friday night, so we went out. We met up with his parents, though, and had a really nice time, so I am glad we did it. We took home some leftovers.

Yesterday was "EMG" at our house--Everything Must Go. Between the three of us, we ate up almost all of the leftovers over breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We will do the same for breakfast and lunch today, and then I will probably cook something for dinner tonight. Maybe chili cheesedog casserole.

SteveinMN

1-27-13, 1:51pm

When she cooks I can smell the aroma of the different spices as they hit the pan and identify those things that are missing when I cook at home.
Taking a couple of classes in Indian cooking taught me that spices have different flavors and properties depending whether they are "fresh" (raw), dried, pan-roasted before use, etc. I'd never given it any thought before but the concept is absolutely essential to Indian cooking. Coincidentally the instructor for both of these courses (Raghavan Iyer; he's written Indian cookbooks) also insisted that the best Indian food was to be found in homes, not restaurants. I wonder how many cuisines can say that?

Tonight's dinner here probably will be cheddar brats from the co-op. I was going to make American-style tacos, but DW may not be home in time for dinner and I'm too frugal with my energy (frugal = lazy here) to shred lettuce and cheese and chop tomatoes for just me. Tacos tomorrow...

treehugger

1-27-13, 3:32pm

Sunday is usually catch up on things day around here, which can mean different things depending on the week. This week, that means making 3 dozen apple-oat muffins (for the freezer), rye bread dough (to store in the fridge, to make loaves with in the coming week), and to do something with the tri tip I just took out of the freezer. Am also doing non-food related things, too, but they aren't relevant to this thread.

Kara

Kat

1-30-13, 2:40pm

We are finishing up chili cheese dog casserole and I have a big pot of beef stew simmering on the stove. I made some biscuits to go with, and I may make some pudding for a little dessert. I am also planning to make some seasoned pretzels to snack on this week.

treehugger

1-30-13, 2:49pm

Sunday's dinner ended up being steamed artichokes, sauteed chard with garlic, and tri tip marinated in a sauce I had in the fridge that needed to be used (soy sauce based). I also made a white bean and spinach spread/dip that has been turned into lunches this week, in a wrap with some sliced of the sliced tri tip.

I baked a loaf of whole grain rye and wheat bread last night (made the dough on Sunday). A new recipe from the Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes book. Had some for breakfast this morning with scrambled eggs. Very hearty and flavorful, with a nice crust.

Picked up a produce box last night, so have fresh mushrooms, cabbage, and carrots to use.

Kara

Kat

1-31-13, 9:52am

Well, Thursdays are my heavy days work-wise, so we will have leftovers for dinner tonight. DH took his lunch to work, and DD and I will have cheese, crackers, and fruit for ours. I do need to look again to tomorrow and decide what to make. I think I might take out some cube steak to defrost so I can toss it in the crock pot tomorrow. Maybe I will take out some chickens as well so I can make slow-roasted sticky chicken this weekend. One big batch of mashed potatoes should work for both meals.

Rosemary

1-31-13, 10:00am

Made potato soup last night, and DD & DH also had chicken sausage and green beans.

Our microwave is not working which makes my usual food shortcuts less effective - need a pot to heat everything, instead of putting the glass storage containers in the microwave. DH is attempting to repair the broken switch. In the summer this wouldn't bother me at all, but we eat a lot of soups and chilis in the winter, and often they are from the freezer or leftovers used for lunches or breakfasts.

Tonight I'm baking some pork chops with mushrooms, and we'll have roasted broccoli with it. It's a great day to use the oven, since it will be around 5 degrees F for a high.

lhamo

1-31-13, 3:21pm

Coincidentally the instructor for both of these courses (Raghavan Iyer; he's written Indian cookbooks) also insisted that the best Indian food was to be found in homes, not restaurants. I wonder how many cuisines can say that?

OMG -- he's the guy who wrote that huge curry cookbook, right? I'm so jealous....

I think there are probably a lot of cuisines where the best food is cooked at home.

treehugger

1-31-13, 9:08pm

Dinner tonight: chicken adobo, rice, sauteed cabbage.

DH IM'd me today that if I felt like cooking tonight, could we have sauteed cabbage. We got a big, gorgeous one in the produce box on Tuesday and it made him crave it. I got home and had more work to do so I wasn't really thinking about what to make. But suddenly it was 6 and I needed to come up with a plan. I opened the freezer, and there was a zip lock bag of organic chicken thighs I had put in adobo marinade. Score! So, chicken into microwave to thaw, then on to stove to simmer. Rice into rice cooker to steam (I often have cooked rice in the freezer, but I looked, and nope). Cabbage sliced and sauteeing in olive oil (low heat). Done. Back to work to wait for it all to finish cooking and DH to get home from work.

Kara