Tag: budget

How I Eat

How I Eat: Cooking on a Budget for an Easy to Please Husband and Two Picky Toddlers

Sarah

Welcome to How I Eat: Meal Planning for Normal People. (If you missed it, click over to read more about this series on The Pajama Chef.) This series is meant to inspire readers (and myself!) with tips and tricks for meal planning and getting dinner on the table. Whether you’re cooking for one or a crowd, I firmly believe that good food shouldn’t be sacrificed just because life is busy.

How I Eat, Morgan: Cooking on a Budget for an Easy to Please Husband and Two Picky Toddlers

Today’s feature on How I Eat is Morgan of My Confetti Life. Morgan lives in the Nashville area, and is a fellow contributor to Nashville Moms Blog. She’s also married to a Ben, her college sweetheart, and is mama to three cute kiddos. Through her blog she shares her life, family, food, faith, and more. It’s my pleasure to share her approach to meal planning today!

Tell us about yourself. Who are you cooking for? What else influences how you get meals on the table?

I am cooking for an easy to please husband and two picky toddlers, ages 3 and 5. My husband came from a family where his mom would fix a entrée and two or more sides and a dessert. Our weekly grocery budget does not allow for that, so I pick meals that have low cost ingredients or meals that I know we will have leftovers from. I am a stay at home mom and I love being in the kitchen so I do not mind a little prep work.

What meals do you plan?

  • Dinner
  • Snacks, Desserts, etc.

In a typical week, approximately how many meals per week do you plan to eat at home or prepare to take with you (e.g., to work or school)? No shame… curious minds want to know! For this, I would include any food purchased at the grocery store (e.g., rotisserie chicken, bagged salad mix, etc.) but not takeout.

  • 16-18: I eat out 3-5 times per week, maybe a few days for lunch or so.

What is your basic meal planning method?

I write down the days of the week. I fill in meals that we plan to eat out. I then scroll through my Pinterest for dinner ideas. I usually make 3 classic meals then try something new for the other 2 or 3.

What are your favorite weeknight meals?

What are your “no-brainer” meals? Or what meals do you make when there’s “nothing” to eat?

Grilled cheese! Sometimes with bacon.

Do you use any tools to help you create your meal plan and/or execute it?

  • Paper meal planner of some type

What is your best advice for someone who is just starting to meal plan?

Weekly meal planning is amazing, it takes a little effort to get the hang of it. I base the order of the meals we eat off of the produce and its shelf life.

Anything else you want to add?

Kroger ClickList is an awesome meal planning tool. I plan my meals and order the groceries all at the same time.

How I Eat: Meal Planning for Normal People - a new series on thepajamachef.com inspiring YOU in the weekly routine of meal planning!

Thank you, Morgan! I like your tip about planning menus while thinking of the produce/ingredient shelf life. For that reason I’ve lately been planning meals with frozen veggies for the end of the week, or choosing to have our weekly meal out on Friday night when we’re almost out of groceries. I also agree, ClickList is great! I don’t use it every week but occasionally it is a lifesaver. Great idea to plan and shop simultaneously! Thanks for sharing your strategies with us!!

Connect with Morgan for more inspiration on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!

How I Eat

How I Eat: Twin Mama with a Passion for Cooking Locally, Seasonally, and Frugally

Sarah

Welcome to How I Eat: Meal Planning for Normal People. (If you missed it, click over to read more about this series on The Pajama Chef.) This series is meant to inspire readers (and myself!) with tips and tricks for meal planning and getting dinner on the table. Whether you’re cooking for one or a crowd, I firmly believe that good food shouldn’t be sacrificed just because life is busy.

How I Eat, Amy: Twin Mama with a Passion for Cooking Locally, Seasonally, and Frugally

Today’s feature on How I Eat is Amy of Savory Moments. Amy loves food, as many food bloggers do, but her interest was sparked by a trip to Thailand! How cool is that? Currently Amy stays at home with her boy/girl twins, who are just a little younger than my son. It’s been so fun to get baby/toddler cooking ideas from Amy and chat online about kid stuff. Amy has lots of baby/toddler recipes on her blog and even started a Facebook group on this topic that I’ve found really helpful! Before kids, she worked in aquatic ecosystem restoration and science. I’ve been following Amy’s blog for awhile and have always been impressed with her interest in cooking seasonally, locally, and frugally.

Tell us about yourself. Who are you cooking for? What else influences how you get meals on the table?

I cook for my husband who has a crazy work schedule and our twin toddlers (and myself, of course!). I’m currently a SAHM, but with two rambunctious toddlers, kitchen time can be difficult to come by!

What meals do you plan?

  • Dinner

In a typical week, approximately how many meals per week do you plan to eat at home or prepare to take with you (e.g., to work or school)? No shame… curious minds want to know! For this, I would include any food purchased at the grocery store (e.g., rotisserie chicken, bagged salad mix, etc.) but not takeout.

  • 21: I make all my own food and very rarely eat out.

What is your basic meal planning method?

I look through the Aldi ad, scroll through Ibotta (editor’s note: that’s my [Sarah’s] referral code–you’ll get $10 for signing up and I’ll get $5… highly recommend this moneymaking app!) for good rebates, and check out our freezer white board (we buy some meat in bulk – for example a half pig each year from a local farmer, so I need to ensure we use it up), and go from there. I try to incorporate at least one vegetarian dinner per week and then mix up the rest – one chicken, one pasta, one beef, one pork. I’ve written about how and why I make our weekly menu before.

How I Eat, Amy: Twin Mama with a Passion for Cooking Locally, Seasonally, and Frugally

What are your favorite weeknight meals?

Anything that goes in the slow cooker is always a hit for me. I love to make things like salsa chicken (just chicken and salsa with maybe peppers + onions) cooked on low and then use it for tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, quesadillas, etc. I also love soups and chilis. Stir fries and fried rice are also my go-to meals, especially in the summer and fall when produce is abundant. I’ll throw together whatever odds and ends of vegetables we have around and use them up like that. Since I’m a food blogger, I tend to like to try something new each week, but I also fall back on a lot of staples and favorites that aren’t really “food blog” worthy type meals since they aren’t measured, etc. One pot skillet meals are also an easy weeknight choice like this Skillet Chicken and Summer Squash Quinoa or One Pan Stuffed Peppers Skillet (below).

How I Eat, Amy: Twin Mama with a Passion for Cooking Locally, Seasonally, and Frugally

What are your “no-brainer” meals? Or what meals do you make when there’s “nothing” to eat?

I always keep a frozen pizza on hand (no shame!) for those times when you just need one. Also, breakfast for dinner! Pancakes are always a hit with everyone, especially the twins, so they are something I’ll whip up and it makes everyone happy!

Do you use any tools to help you create your meal plan and/or execute it?

  • Meal planning whiteboard or chalkboard
  • Ads/sales

While I don’t “plan” breakfast and lunches, we do have a basic system down for those. Breakfast is generally oatmeal, scrambled eggs, or pancakes, and lunches are either leftovers or some sort of sandwich meal. Occasionally we change those up, but in general those are what we eat for those meals.

What is your best advice for someone who is just starting to meal plan?

Try not to get frustrated and give it some time. It can be hard to get into the habit of making and sticking to meal plans, but once you do it’s such a time and money saver. I hate having to think all day “what’s for dinner??”

How I Eat: Meal Planning for Normal People - a new series on thepajamachef.com inspiring YOU in the weekly routine of meal planning!

Thank you, Amy! I know you didn’t really talk about Aldi much, but I have to say… it’s been such a game-changer in my food budget lately. And the quality has vastly improved from what I remember even just a few years ago. If you have an Aldi around you, check it out! You may be pleasantly surprised. Amy’s advice to plan your meals around the store ads is relevant no matter where you shop. You can save so much money that way. Also, I like your formula-based approach for breakfast and lunch. I kind of do that as well, and it can simplify grocery shopping significantly if you aren’t trying to buy ingredients to make various recipes breakfast or lunch. Instead, you can just check the pantry and fridge to see whether you need more oatmeal, eggs, lunch meat, etc. Easy easy!

Connect with Amy on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more inspiration.

Beans, Main Dishes, Reviews

A Budget… and Perfect Black Beans

Sarah

So, once upon a time, after I graduated from college in 2007, I heard about a blog from a friend. She said Money Saving Mom was written by a young Christian woman named Crystal, and on it I could learn about how to get free toiletries at CVS through something called Extra Care Bucks. So even though I wasn’t a mom, I was just a wee bit intrigued… seeing as I was starting my first job and wasn’t anticipating having tons of money to blow. It wasn’t until 2008 that I really got into the drugstore game, as it’s called, and it wasn’t until Ben and I were married the following year where I really understood the benefits of being meticulous in rolling store rewards so as to stretch a budget as far as possible. I was hooked–and there was no turning back. Since 2008, I have hardly purchased any toiletries, dental care products, school supplies, or other drugstore items for full price [or even close to it]. Pretty crazy, huh?

The drugstore game takes so little work–just cutting coupons from the Sunday paper, and looking up deals that are posted on MSM’s blog, and going to the store of course–that to me, it is totally worth it. My frugality [and time spent] has allowed us to spend extra money on things that our grad school/young professional budget would otherwise not allow for: pricy Greek yogurt, extensive selection of herbs/spices, some organic foods, etc.

There are a lot of other great things posted on Crystal’s blog as well, including free samples you can sign up for, links to hot coupons, and series where she inspires readers to save money in many different ways. So when I heard that she was writing a book, The Money Saving Mom’s Budget, and offering copies to bloggers for review, I was psyched.

This book is not just a copy of her blog–though it does reiterate much of Crystal’s philosophy about spending, saving, and paying off debt. This book is a great mix of practical tips and inspiration to get out of debt [if you have it] or to work to avoid it by living a frugal lifestyle. Crystal does a great job of outlining specific steps to take to move towards a workable budget and providing reasons why this is important–even though this is not a belief many Americans have. One of my favorite chapters was chapter seven, where Crystal provides 25 tips for saving on groceries without using coupons. By teaching ourselves to use less than what the companies tell us we “need” to use, eat meatless more often, look for seasonal produce, and other strategies, grocery bills go down as habits change. So if you are looking to improve your finances in 2012, I highly suggest you check out Money Saving Mom’s blog and new book.

In order to go along with such a fabulous book, I thought it was only appropriate to share a frugal recipe… and what is more frugal than beans? Especially cooking dried beans? I mean, how perfect is this?

Perfect black beans... made in the oven! So easy! They're ready in 90 minutes & you don't even need to soak them. :) Though I do not necessarily put “beans and rice” on my menu plans, it’s honestly a meal we eat several times a week–for a quick work lunch, for a “leftover” night, for those nights where I just don’t feel like cooking. We usually make rice and beans bowls consisting of some combination of brown rice, black beans, some Mexican-style seasonings [garlic, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, cilantro], avocado, bell peppers, spinach, salsa, and cheese. It’s easy, filling, healthy, and inexpensive, and while it wasn’t a meal I grew up eating, it is now one that I love.

Perfect black beans... made in the oven! So easy! They're ready in 90 minutes & you don't even need to soak them. :) We used to make these bowls with canned black beans, but I had heard so many good things about the flavor of dried beans that I wanted to try them. The first time I made dried beans I tried the old “soak and cook on the stove f-o-r-eva] method. The second time, I knew there had to be a better way. So using the beauty of google, I found out that it was possible to cook black beans in the oven in hardly any time at all. It is so easy, and so tasty, that even though it isn’t much of a recipe [more like a cooking method], I just had to share it. I love making the beans en masse and then freezing some for the future. They taste so much better than the canned variety and contain much less sodium too. If you haven’t tried to make dried black beans before, or have had a lackluster experience, then try it this way–you won’t regret it.

Perfect Black Beans

  • Servings: 5 cups
  • Print

from The Kitchn

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound dried black beans
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt
  • cold water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Rinse and sort the black beans, picking out any pebbles or broken beans. Place beans in a 3+ quart Dutch oven or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1-2 teaspoons salt and then fill with cold water, covering the beans by one inch.

Place in oven and cook for 75 minutes, then remove and stir. If the beans are tender enough, they are done; if not, return to the oven [with the addition of some hot water if they seem to be drying out] for 15 minutes at a time until they are. This process should take no longer than 2 hours total.

Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to one week, freezing what you will not use. I usually freeze leftover black beans in quart size freezer bags by the 1 3/4 cup increments [approximately 15 ounces by volume] so that I can easily pull a bag from the freezer for recipes.