Menu Plan 2/1/10

Breakfasts:

Orange Cranberry Muffins (I have a bunch of cranberries in my freezer that were on clearance for like 30 cents a bag after Thanksgiving.)

Soaked Oatmeal with Bananas

Oranges

Milk

Lunches:

PB&J Sandwiches

Raw Carrots, Celery, & Squash with Dip

Apples, Pears

Granola Bars

Dinners:

Monday - Mushroom-Pepperjack Chicken, Oven Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans

Tuesday - Paninis with the leftovers, Yam Wedges

Wednesday - Homemade Macaroni & Cheese (with squash puree), Broccolini

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - BBQ Beef (recipe below) on Wheat Buns, Cucumbers, Salad

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - party, making Corn Dip

Snacks:

Popcorn with Parmesan

BBQ Beef

I got this recipe from a "6 Ingredients or Less" cookbook from a moms' group... it's so easy!

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup ketchup

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. sugar

1 T. vinegar

1 T. prepared yellow mustard

Serve on buns.

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

Groceries for February

Hey! I am back to holding myself accountable to the budget and wholesome cooking by documenting our grocery purchases.
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Wow, this was quite the grocery shopping week. I took advantage of my 2 year old napping at a friend's house (!) and hit 3 stores on Wednesday with just my infant in tow. That was bliss. Last weekend, I stopped by Target and Walgreen's with just my two year old. It is amazing the difference between shopping with one child and with two. I actually had room in my cart! My trip to Hy-Vee with both was not as enjoyable. Apologies to anyone who was on aisle 1 with us :)

Most of the food is for February meals, so I am counting this in the February budget. We were underbudget in January (yay) and I am using that extra for a special purchase.

Totals are pre-tax and rounded to the nearest dollar.

Target $26 & Walgreens $10 (That doesn't look like much for $36, does it!?)

Deal: The baby cereal was marked down a bit, so I got some for the future.

Hy-Vee $28 (last weekend, not pictured: 1 more roll of ground chicken)

Deals: The peanut butter was 98 cents, limit 2, the apple juice was 98 cents, for smoothies, the pop was 68 cents, for my husband, the shapmpoo was 88 cents, the frozen peas were 99 cents, and the tostitos scoops were $1.88 a piece, for the bowl game party.

Whole Foods $53 (not pictured: 2 gallons organic 2% milk, $5.29 apiece)

Deals of note: The yogurts were 2/$1 (half off), the chicken was $1.50 off/lb. (next time I will buy the organic whole chickens at Costco, though, because I found them!), and the 2 lb. Tillamook cheddar was on a 1 day sale for $4.99 (I think that's half off). And since I bought a family pack of beef it was 50 cents off/lb. Altogether, I saved $21.

Coscto $39

Sinful conveniences: tortillas, fish sticks. I usually don't buy toothpaste at Costco but with an instant rebate it was less than $2 per 8 oz. tube and we were in need.

Aldi $24 (not pictured: fresh mushrooms)
Just some pantry items.

Grand Total: $180 ($194 with tax)

I feel like my pictures are deceiving - it really is a large amount of food!

This (in addition to items already in the pantry) should supply what we need for our dinners for the month of February. After $65 for 2 produce orders, there will be $41 left (out of $300) for the rest of the month for restocking on milk, peanut butter, bread, bananas, and perhaps some more beef if it goes on sale. Think we'll make it? I hope so!

This post is part of Super Savings Saturday.

February Dinner Ideas

Main Dishes:
Baked Salmon Cakes
Homemade Pizza (x2*)
Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Dish (x2)
BBQ Meatballs (x2)
Homemade Chicken Strips (x2)
Black Bean Quesadillas
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (x2)
Fish Sticks (x2)
Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup (x2)
BBQ Beef on Buns (x2)
Nachos
Waffles with Homemade Syrup
Cinnamon Rolls and Scrambled Eggs
Mushroom-Pepperjack Chicken
Paninis
Soft Tacos (x2)
Cheesy Chicken & Rice
Spinach & Rice Bake
Vegetable Beef Soup

*The x2 doesn't mean I will make it twice. It just means that hopefully it is enough to last us for one night plus another night of leftovers.

Sides:
Fresh Organic Veggies
Organic Salad Greens
Frozen Organic Green Beans
Frozen Peas
Cornbread

Bowl Game Party:
Corn Dip with Chips (new to us)

Treats/Desserts:
Applesauce Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (with chocolate chips in them, too)
Zuchinni Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adaptable Granola Bars (new to us, thanks Hannah!)

Something with Rhubarb...

I've decided that at this stage in family life, I like to look over the entire month of meals ahead of time. So I made myself make this list a week ago. Then I made 3 trips to 5 stores this past week to get what was needed. I'd rather run around a lot for one week and be done with it than spread major shopping out over the whole month.

Tomorrow: the photos from my shopping trips and "deal" highlights.

Healthier Breakfast Muffins

I used to not like making muffins because to me, they were the same as cake, and making a cake in a 9x13 pan was easier. But now that I have some yummy recipes for wholesome breakfast muffins (that actually have some nutrition in them, unlike sugar-laden, almost-like-cupcake-muffins), I like to make them about once a week. I usually make a double batch. Muffins are a cinch to freeze, too! I also used to hate cleaning the muffin tin or having to buy paper liners just to have half the muffins stick to them. But now that I use a silicone muffin pan, I don't have to grease the pan or use liners, and they pop right out. They bake faster in it, too. The weird material used to freak me out, but now I am okay with it.

Here's the reference list of our favorites so far. This is for my benefit, too :)

• Apple Cinnamon Muffins (want to try these soon)
• Carrot Cake Muffins (omit frosting)
• Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins (we soak the oats overnight at room temperature and omit the raisins)
• Blueberry Crumb Muffins (follow the instructions for blueberry)
• Cranberry Orange Muffins
• Yogurt Coffee Cake Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Feel free to suggest links to any others we all might enjoy!

Food Revamp

Well, since I tend to write a lot about food on this blog, and from what I can tell, that is what some of you are interested in when you visit here, I'll just go ahead and give you my thoughts. I confess I feel a bit frivolous putting such thought into such a basic thing (food) that we take for granted when so many are without... so I have been trying to not obsess. I guess it is just kind of my hobby of mine to learn about healthy eating and trying to be a good budget-er at the same time. Not that we are unhappy with how we are eating or anything, but I just feel like we are at a point to reassess things with the new year and all. OK, enough with the rambling disclaimers.

Milk
My raw milk idea is a no-go. The one dairy close by that sells raw milk is completely booked with shares. They even have a completely full waiting list. Must be good stuff! I was kind of bummed because I had figured out (on paper) how to fit it into the budget. My husband was relieved though. He was not into it. So the next best alternative is organic milk that is pasteurized, but not ultra-high pasteurized. I am checking prices on this... I think it might be Whole Foods store brand? There has been much drama in the organic milk business these past few years I have learned after a little (OK, a lot) of googling. I can't explain it all here, but basically, there has been some fraud regarding which suppliers are adhering the the organic standards. So I don't think I will be buying Horizon or Costco brand "organic" milk.

Organic Produce
I am going back to Door to Door Organics on a biweekly basis (we had quit for the winter). I just love their company. It will be a challenge with this back in the budget, but having the delivery come every 2 weeks instead every week will keep it $65 per month cheaper, though. (We wanting to stick with the $300/month grocery budget for now. That may increase when our baby boy starts eating food in these next few months. I'll keep you posted.) On the in between weeks I plan to fill in with frozen organic fruits in smoothies, bananas from Costco or Aldi, local fruit when in season, and organic salad and frozen vegetables from Costco. I am freshly motivated to stick with organic produce since I plan to make some homemade baby food from it. (If you are a local friend and want to try Door to Door, email me and I will give you a coupon code for $5 off.)

Meat
I am going to continue buying beef and any pork from Whole Foods. It is just so much better, in my opinion. And if it is $3/lb. instead of $1.50/lb. (my old target price for beef), that is only a difference of about $6 - $10 a month which I think I can swing. I want to look for the whole organic chickens at Costco... I don't know if they carry them in our part of the country?? I found some Smart Chicken ground chicken on sale for half price at HyVee today, so I snatched up two packages . I've never used ground chicken before, but I am guessing it is similar to ground turkey?

Egg & Cheese
We have not gone organic here, yet. I would like to know from anyone who has tried it, is there a big difference in the eggs? Aldi eggs are hormone free and pretty inexpensive, so I usually buy those. But we don't eat a TON of eggs, it seems to go in phases, so I would be willing to try some more expensive ones. I just don't know that it would make a huge difference when that main thing we use them for is baking. And cheese? Yikes. We eat a lot of cheese. Organic cheese seems SOOO expensive. Any recommendations there?

OK, I don't care if you aren't interested in organic foods. I still have some more questions about things myself ... I'll save those for another day. I just get into it because I feel like it is an area where I feel like I can make choices that make a difference for my family and for others. Stewardship.

Thanks for humoring me.


Oh, and one more thing:
Personal Care
Any easy/affordable tips in this area would be appreciated.
Is there a natural soap or shampoo out there that works? As in, soap that cuts the man stink and shampoo that lathers? I used to love the reasonably priced Whole Foods store brand stuff but they have changed it some, I think, and it is just not effective anymore. Lately, I have been buying the cheapo toxic antibacterial stuff from Wal-Mart because I don't care, B.O. is not acceptable. We are sweaters and require something strong. I have done some research and read the best review on Burt's Bees Men's Body Wash so we will try that next. I love the Burt's Bees Baby wash for our kids. Don't worry, I am sticking with conventional antiperspirant/deodorant. I will not take that risk. And I think we'll go back to conventional shampoo because that doesn't concern me as much since it doesn't sit on your skin.

Menu Plan 1/25/10

Breakfasts:
Whipped Banana Oatmeal
Cranberry Orange Muffins

Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches
Pears, Apples
Organic Yogurt

Dinners:
(Monday & Tuesday - Babysitting, will eat with them.)
Wednesday - Homemade Cheese Pizza (with Pioneer Woman's pizza dough)
Thursday - Black Bean & Cheese Quesadillas
Friday - Liza's Chicken, Peas
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Leftovers

Dessert/Snacks:
Smoothies
Crackers & Cheese
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Safe Sippy for Older Toddlers

I was looking for a new cup for my girl. I love her Klean Kanteen sippy, but she no longer needs to drink out of a baby sippy spout. She can handle a regular cup. But I want something spill proof since she walks around with her drinks a lot and also has them in the car.

I could get a sport cap for her Klean Kanteen to replace the Avent sippy spout that it currently has, or get her a kid's Sigg, but those aren't spill proof, and I can just imagine her playing with the spout and the water or milk going everywhere. We will soon use the Klean Kanteen for her baby brother, anyways.

Reading Z Recs reviews on cups for toddler to pre-k led me to check out the Playtex Coolster Tumbler.

Plastic? Yes. BPA-free? Yes. Spillproof? Yes, if you use the valve (optional). Looks more grown-up? Yes. Inexpensive? Yes. At just $4 a pop and easily available at Target or Babies R Us, I don't have to feel a great loss if we lose it or leave it somewhere.

Why did I want to ditch the sippy spout? I don't know if this is true, but I have heard that a more natural drinking motion is better for speech muscle development. I am no specialist, but I would think that it has got to be better for teeth, too.

Plus, using the "sparkly purple big-girl cup" was good motivation for her learning to go #2 in the potty! :)

Still Here!

Waiting on a new power cord for my laptop... but all is well and I have lots of ideas for new posts coming soon! Happy Friday :)

Menu Plan 1/11/10

It will be a busy week! I am cooking dinner for my Bible study group on Wednesday, but I think I better make enough to leave some for the hubs at home. I tried to pick something to make that would be fun and tasty that could mostly be prepared ahead of time.

Breakfasts:

Organic Raisin Bran with Milk

Cranberry Orange Muffins (new)

Bananas

Lunches:

PB&J Sandwiches

Carrot Sticks

Clementines

Dessert

Dinners:

Monday - Egg & Cheese on English Muffins, Smoothies

Tuesday - Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

Wednesday - Chicken Chimichangas*, Black Bean Salsa & Tortilla Chips, Toffee

Thursday - Baked Ziti, Green Beans, Bread

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - ??

Snacks:

Popcorn

Dessert:

Cupcakes

*When I make these chimichangas (which I've tried with beef, gound turkey, shredded turkey, and chopped chicken, each being good,) I use one cup of salsa in replacement of the 1/2 c. taco sauce + 1/2 c. green chilis. Simpler and less to buy at the store. Also, I use about 1/2 the amount of butter called for and I don't dip the tortillas. I put some melted butter in the bottom of the pan, place the rolled chimichangas in, and then bush butter generously on the tops of the tortillas. They still turn out plenty crunchy and yummy.

I am getting excited about cooking again. I've been thinking about the grocery budget and what my purchases may look like this spring/summer. We'll have another person eating solids, soon! Will the budget change? What do I want to buy organic? What baby food do I want to make and what baby food do I want to buy? How am I going to fit feeding another mouth in our already rushed morning routine? Fun stuff! Really, I mean it.

Have a good week!

P.S. Need some menu inspiration? Check this out. Holy cow! And I thought I was a planner.

Handmade Highlights

My children were blessed with a variety of fun stuff from family and friends this past Chistmas... I am thankful for it all, both storebought and homemade, because they are enjoying every bit of it with smiles on their faces.

Here are a couple pics of the unique, handmade items that I thought you might enjoy seeing.

Apron for my 2 year old, made by her grandma, with mini oven mitts to match (not shown).

Decorated onesie and matching soft, cloth shoes for my 5 month old from So Sweet Baby.

Adorable!

Real Milk

After reading Real Food, I have been curious about real (raw: unpasturized) milk. I want to try it. Why?

Pros:

• more nutritious
• more natural (fewer additives and sketchy stuff)

Cons:

• pricey
• more calories
• would have to cut back on milk consumption (we LOVE milk) because of the previous 2 reasons. ***Thought: Could I water it down, or would that totally ruin it?
• inconvenient (would add another errand: stopping at the local farm to pick it up)

If you are new to the real milk idea, find more information here.

Has anyone tried raw milk? What are your thoughts? Am I crazy?

Homemade BabyLegs

I love babylegs (leg warmers), especially now that my daughter is working on using the potty by herself. Much easier than tights! We have a cute printed pair, but I wanted some more that she could wear with her patterned dresses.

When I found socks for $1 at Target, I decided to make some, and bought 2 pairs of solid gray women's ankle socks. (That was all that was left that would go with the dresses I had in mind.) Now, if I'd used knee socks, this would have been much easier - just cut off the foot, hem that end, and you're done. But I decided to make do with the ankle socks.


There are some crooked seams and unfinished edges, but I think it will be fine because they won't really show too much when she wears them with dresses and her suede boots.

A semi fun project on a snowy day inside.

As usual, I didn't follow a pattern. Here's a brief rundown of what I did if you are interested. Took 2 socks. Turned them inside out - maybe not necessary. Cut off the toes. Cut a triangle out of each heel so that the cuff (at the top of each sock) was partially loose and could be reattached in a straight line. Did that to each sock. Then sewed the open toe end of one sock to the open toe end of the other sock to form a long tube. There's one leg warmer. Repeat with 2 more socks for the second leg warmer. Use 4 socks total. Not glamorous, but does the job.

Milton's Multi-Grain Crackers

Here they are.

I think they are like $7-$8 at Costco. There are 4 big trays inside.

Not too bad, in my opinion, as far as crackers go. Here's the company that bakes them.

They are substantial crackers.

We need snacks, and I'm just not making everything from scratch! :)

Instead of Resolutions...

Consider making a Stop Doing List.

While I love to-do lists to help keep me focused, the idea of a stop-doing list feels refreshing.

The above link is to an article by Jim Collins. I think it can be taken a number of ways, but here is how I summarize it: It is about your time. Evaluating, streamlining, disciplining. Investing what you have on what is important to you.

It is good food for thought.

Menu Plan 1/4/10

Welcome 2010.

Here's what we have planned for the week after a Costco trip to restock.

Breakfasts:

Organic Raisin Bran

Waffles with Syrup

Bananas

Orange Juice

Lunches:
PB&Honey Sandwiches*

Yogurt or Cheese

Clementines

Dinners:

Monday - Leftovers, Cherry Crisp

Tuesday - Stromboli (with nitrate free sausage), Salad

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Shepherd's Pie, Salad, Cornbread

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Chicken with Sauteed Mushrooms and Cheese, Green Beans

Sunday - Quesadillas with the leftovers, Salad

Snacks: Crackers** and Cheese

* We've started using a new kind of bread. My husband was really unhappy with the whole-wheat bread I was buying from Costco, and my daughter wasn't eating it very well anymore, either. It was just too heavy for them. So, I started buying their white-wheat bread, instead. It is not as filling nor healthy, but at least it contains some whole grains (65%) and no high fructose corn syrup. And, hey, it is cheaper! (Under $3 for 2 loaves.)

**I will soon share about my current favorite crackers in the world. They are from Costco, and they are the most delicious and healthiest I have found.

Happy cooking! Have a great week!