tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49970482447284808612024-03-05T16:20:01.197-06:00Feeding a Family of Five for Under $300Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-81379568872003141042011-09-14T12:31:00.002-05:002011-09-14T12:31:31.281-05:00HiatusAs you have seen I haven't posted in a while. Due to recent time contraints, I need to take a break from many things and focus more on myself and my family. <br />
<br />
I will still be trying to keep my budget under $300 and will post new things that I learn along the way. There just won't be the weekly posting of menus and lists.<br />
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I hope to pick back up in the near future when life slows down a little bit.<br />
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Thanks for following.Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-27470885928628493552011-09-07T19:18:00.000-05:002011-09-07T19:18:56.391-05:00So cool!So we all have moments/days/weeks/months where we are short on food money or don't have time to grocery shop. <br />
<br />
I came across this awesome site. I am incredibly excited about it. <a href="http://www.supercook.com/">Supercook</a><br />
<br />
All you have to is enter the ingredients that you have and it gives you a list of recipes. Viola, dinner!Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-28693235672952334932011-09-07T12:55:00.000-05:002011-09-07T12:55:07.997-05:00Rising Food PricesThis article was on Yahoo News. <a href="http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113449-10939-1-4-rising-food-costs-that-will-hurt-your-wallet?ywaad=ad0035&nc">4 Rising Food Costs That Will Hurt Your Wallet</a><br />
<br />
I was suprised to see that milk wasn't on list, but maybe they are considering that to go under beef. <br />
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The "sweets" don't really bother me so much as I mostly bake my own. The upside for me is maybe they will reduce the amount of items that contain high fructose corn syrup.Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-35872539280691743842011-09-07T12:48:00.000-05:002011-09-07T12:48:34.829-05:00Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q68Ni_iWuxjeh6UhynUt_OjMuJOrIY1HN6Uii0FFbt8B0Zlk24A7LYOsOW-Ufyye7-IQGRolnWeLEHOu7Y7iwxKoF-0UW5FmpB_zYNvl25BxAIMKQnW4D5_snZZA20g7ZwijeOX0wIoe/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q68Ni_iWuxjeh6UhynUt_OjMuJOrIY1HN6Uii0FFbt8B0Zlk24A7LYOsOW-Ufyye7-IQGRolnWeLEHOu7Y7iwxKoF-0UW5FmpB_zYNvl25BxAIMKQnW4D5_snZZA20g7ZwijeOX0wIoe/s320/048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I have a zucchini bread that I have been using for quite some time and it is great! I wondered if I could alter it to make easier single servings. aka: muffins. <br />
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Here is the recipe for the bread:<br />
<br />
Zucchini bread<br />
<br />
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour <br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon <br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda <br />
1/2 teaspoon salt <br />
1/4 teaspoon baking powder <br />
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg <br />
1 egg, beaten <br />
1 cup sugar <br />
1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini <br />
1/4 cup cooking oil <br />
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (I again use chocolate chips because I love chocolate)<br />
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<br />
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and 12 inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside. <br />
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In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, shredded zucchini, and oil. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan. <br />
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Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. I put foil on the top for the last 10-15 minutes to keep the top from getting too dark. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.<br />
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And here is what I did to make muffins:<br />
<br />
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"> I quadrupled the recipe (then used 2 tbs cinnamon instead of 4 tsp) and filled muffin cups 3/4 full baked at 400° for 18 minutes. They are awesome. Not fluffy like a blueberry muffin, but more dense. </span>Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-40946036140888255152011-09-04T12:49:00.000-05:002011-09-04T12:49:42.550-05:00Kids Eat Free (or cheap)I found this great site. It's called <a href="http://www.kidseatfreesunday.com/">Kids Eat Free Sunday</a>. You can type in your zipcode and the day of the week and see what restaurants your kids can eat free.Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-52198362135531340502011-09-02T20:45:00.000-05:002011-09-02T20:45:35.575-05:00Always watch the register<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrnrMI_ETDK1ipKTMWPIEaCfCiTDVd-DAQG8WJjYQ7ZIJxex7k_St89m_CpkEAkHpb0f0PbTM_X9NPAnUry2Hjr_nCGHQfFodDFzhE0a2LoE-M8vBm53RMk4tXQHjCfpPmsAvsJi-p8Wv/s1600/Month+2+week+1+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrnrMI_ETDK1ipKTMWPIEaCfCiTDVd-DAQG8WJjYQ7ZIJxex7k_St89m_CpkEAkHpb0f0PbTM_X9NPAnUry2Hjr_nCGHQfFodDFzhE0a2LoE-M8vBm53RMk4tXQHjCfpPmsAvsJi-p8Wv/s320/Month+2+week+1+%25283%2529.jpg" width="232" xaa="true" /></a></div>1) We had pizza night. I had a great coupon for "buy a large get a medium for free".<br />
<br />
2) Lesson learned. I will admit, I never watch my items being rung up at the register. I do look at my receipt when I get home. I was excited when I went to HyVee to get a Pork Shoulder, it was on sale for $1.99/ lb. Gotta love an unexpected savings! Well, when I got home I realized they rung me up at the full price of $2.99/lb. Ugh! Well, don't worry, I made a phone call and made sure I would get my money back. So my sweet husband went back to HyVee to get my $3.50 and to get my <a href="http://feedingafamilyof5forunder300.blogspot.com/2011/08/hyvee-ground-beef-179lb.html">roll of hamburger</a>, while the girls were at their dance class. Ugh! part deux. The rolls of hamburger we all gone! But thanks to my hubby, I got a rain check. So I still get my 5 lbs of beef. (Please note: I didn't spend extra gas to get my savings. He went to the HyVee next to their dance studio and I will cash in my raincheck tomorrow when I do my regular grocery shopping.)Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-35964835880643118242011-09-02T20:11:00.001-05:002011-09-02T20:14:51.960-05:00Feeling the Price ChangeI updated the prices on my spreadsheet tonight. It hurt. Almost everything that I updated went up 10¢-20¢! This makes an already very tight budget, tighter. Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-61067265025530861762011-08-31T10:11:00.000-05:002011-08-31T10:11:23.042-05:00HyVee Ground Beef $1.79/lbOur local HyVee is having a One Day Sale on September 1st. You can get 80% ground beef for $1.79/lb. It is sold in a 5lb roll for $8.95. <br />
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I paid $2.79/lb at Aldi's last week for 80% Ground Beef.<br />
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You can check your local ad <a href="http://hy-vee.gsnrecipes.com/Shop/WeeklyAd.aspx">here</a>.Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-68544894111568487322011-08-28T14:29:00.002-05:002011-09-02T20:19:53.915-05:00Shopping Trip Month 2 - Week 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSV9-3g16xKVzxrhLW6U9hDgrErJMgCZ7DI5ZSgCpbg8CyvTXHxDyzAQJcbP4J3nyBPajziMQi8fXT8sz-kzbJT_ZXY3fjTSeJ8DfF47Yw9a8RCjp9ffA4OG8az84TNIRWy-0wqmc48Cc/s1600/recepit+month2+week1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSV9-3g16xKVzxrhLW6U9hDgrErJMgCZ7DI5ZSgCpbg8CyvTXHxDyzAQJcbP4J3nyBPajziMQi8fXT8sz-kzbJT_ZXY3fjTSeJ8DfF47Yw9a8RCjp9ffA4OG8az84TNIRWy-0wqmc48Cc/s320/recepit+month2+week1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3eLxuOxNiqWQBdxCR2cCrRewRUyx-DQYSZFnN6MGskQ_qTI_F5Y0ATlakMyWCVJJl3YX_N4Nc2_hLcBm2qmZ9P2r8U1TsLaNlPeqv4ox4-FImwimxtGwAprpCx-_7KNjJWDKQKWWltRb/s1600/receipt+month2+week1+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3eLxuOxNiqWQBdxCR2cCrRewRUyx-DQYSZFnN6MGskQ_qTI_F5Y0ATlakMyWCVJJl3YX_N4Nc2_hLcBm2qmZ9P2r8U1TsLaNlPeqv4ox4-FImwimxtGwAprpCx-_7KNjJWDKQKWWltRb/s320/receipt+month2+week1+%25282%2529.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br />
Total Spent $135.43<br />
Left to Spend $164.57<br />
<br />
I spent A LOT this week. I did have my son's birthday party to buy for, but a budget is a budget and if you only have $300 to spend then that must include feeding others. <br />
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The upside is I did get a huge 10lb bag of leg quarters for 3.90! That is 39¢ / lb!<br />
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Somethings that I am doing this month to reduce cost is to buy less "snacks" and make more. I am going to bake. I love to bake and can bake things a lot cheaper myself. Breads, cookies, muffins, oh my!<br />
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Today I made a huge bowl popcorn & raisins with cinnamon & sugar. I made 3 bags for today and later in the week. That mix averages 3¢ per cup.<br />
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I love this from <a href="http://gomestic.com/homemaking/secrets-of-a-frugal-grocery-shopper/">gomestic.com</a>. "Extend times between grocery shopping as much as possible. If you go every week, make it ten days, then twelve days. Push it as far as you can. Each day you don't buy food reduces your overall expense."<br />
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I am also going to try to reduce the amount of milk used by drinking more water. This is my biggest expense. We eat a lot of yogurt and cheese, so I am sure we get more than enough calcium in our diets. Two meals with milk, one with water. <br />
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Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-8781551428019393792011-08-28T13:04:00.000-05:002011-08-28T13:04:57.885-05:00Month 2 - Week 1 MenuFor lunches please see the <a href="http://feedingafamilyof5forunder300.blogspot.com/2011/08/5-week-rotating-lunch-menu.html">5 week rotating menu</a>. I am on week 2.<br />
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I do want to add that for me the menu is flexible. Other than Taco Tuesday, the meal can change to a different day depending on time and if we feel like having that particular meal. <br />
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Thursday: Pizza <br />
Friday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup<br />
Saturday: BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, peas, grapes<br />
Sunday: Pizza Meatloaf Cups, carrots, apple slices, biscuits<br />
Monday: Crunchy Onion Chicken, green beans, mixed fruit<br />
Tuesday: Taco, red beans and rice, corn, strawberries, refried beans & tortilla chips<br />
Wednesday: Beef Bourginion, rolls, peaches<br />
Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-82900282775704103142011-08-28T12:52:00.001-05:002011-08-28T12:54:30.825-05:005 Week Rotating Lunch MenuThis is my at home lunch menu. I rotate it every five weeks. Sometimes what I have changes based on if we need to use up some leftovers in the fridge or freezer. <br />
At some point I am going to sit down and write up a rotating school lunch menu so I can stop planning them as I am packing them. <br />
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<br />
<b>Wk 1 </b> <br />
Monday: Cheeseburger on a bun, Green beans, Peaches <br />
Tuesday: Chicken nugget, Peas, Pears, Biscuit <br />
Wednesday: Bean and cheese quesadilla, Corn, Applesauce <br />
Thursday: Spaghetti w/ hamburger, Grapes, Breadstick <br />
Friday: Pizza, Carrots, Blueberries <br />
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<b>Wk 2 </b> <br />
Monday: Coldmeat sandwich, Pineapple, Beans <br />
Tuesday: Pancake, Grape, Eggs <br />
Wednesday: Chicken patty on a bun, Broccoli, Apple <br />
Thursday: Porcupine meatball, Mashed potato, Peaches, Roll <br />
Friday: Fishsticks, California veggies, Banana <br />
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<b>Wk 3 </b> <br />
Monday: Mac & cheese w/ hot dogs, Green beans, blueberries <br />
Tuesday: Tuna casserole, Peas, Peaches, Biscuit <br />
Wednesday: Meatloaf, Mashed potato, Strawberry, Sliced bread <br />
Thursday: Grilled cheese, Broccoli, Pears, Cottage cheese <br />
Friday: Ham & beans, Carrots, grapes, Cornbread <br />
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<b>Wk 4 </b> <br />
Monday: Chicken salad sandwich, Applesauce, Beans <br />
Tuesday: Ground beef & biscuit casserole, Grapes <br />
Wednesday: Chicken & rice, Green bean, Oranges <br />
Thursday: Ham a cheese roll up, Corn, Strawberry <br />
Friday: Beef stew, Pears, Roll<br />
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<b>Wk 5</b> <br />
Monday: Corn dog, Peas & carrots, Applesauce <br />
Tuesday: Sloppy joe sandwich, Mixed veggie, Peaches <br />
Wednesday: Chicken fettucine, Broccoli, Oranges Roll <br />
Thursday: Tuna sandwich, Cucumbers, Strawberry <br />
Friday: Goulash, California veggies, applesauce <br />
Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-63134773509832790012011-08-28T12:42:00.001-05:002011-08-28T12:53:17.443-05:00Grocery List- Month 2 - Week 1<iframe width='500' height='300' frameborder='0' src='https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0ArgeyFJTnMHcdGwwUmNIU25xbHhFX1JLbmJZemdrSXc&output=html&widget=true'></iframe>Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-76351650898147202232011-08-24T22:39:00.001-05:002011-08-24T22:40:04.685-05:00End of Month / 4 WeeksTonight I end my first set of 4 week. <br />
<br />
My end of the month spending is $368.62<br />
I spent $68.62 more than my allotted budget. <br />
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One thing that really hurt the budget was the eating out. I need to stick to packing meals for trips and eating out cheap if necessary. <br />
Another thing I am going to watch this month is wasting of milk. I have made myself aware this week of the amount of milk that goes down the drain. <br />
<br />
Here's to month # 2!Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-29897703961302539192011-08-22T14:08:00.002-05:002011-08-22T14:09:44.005-05:00Why I love freezer meals and Menu-Week 4This menu will only be three days long. Today through Wednesday. I will not be going to the grocery store this week (unless I run out of milk). This week will end my 4 weeks.<br />
Since I am not going to the store, I will using what I have in my house. This is why I love freezer meals. Whether you just don't feel like going to the store, you are too busy, or have run out of grocery money; you will still have good food to eat.<br />
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Monday-<br />
<br />
Lunch: <br />
home- beans, rice, and meat burritos, peas, apple/banana yogurt<br />
school- caramel rice cake, blueberry greek yogurt, black olives, apple slices<br />
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Dinner:<br />
Spaghetti, dinner rolls, peaches<br />
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<br />
Tuesday-<br />
<br />
Lunch:<br />
home- fishsticks, carrots, pears<br />
school- graham crackers with pb & cinnamon, mash up, apple banana yogurt<br />
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Dinner:<br />
Balsamic Roasted Chicken Thighs, brown rice ( <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-Herb-Rice/Detail.aspx?k=1&rcp=1">I am going to try this recipe</a>), garden green beans, apple slices<br />
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Wednesday-<br />
<br />
Lunch:<br />
home- pb&j, green beans, peaches<br />
school- pb&j, peaches, pretzels<br />
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Dinner:<br />
Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, pears<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuVfedm3npTBsOS3faaNAdZKAiP5BdoRB7Zrx1vP3cyHR6u8jtM6IBkdy6XwQABXev2f-3RnlHyDqfi0U8kN8CM2LkTlg9HGO2E7K9ecF7jyvuzOq8_p2axlYKr69XzQblcZYjSLA_8_U/s1600/Salisbury+Steak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuVfedm3npTBsOS3faaNAdZKAiP5BdoRB7Zrx1vP3cyHR6u8jtM6IBkdy6XwQABXev2f-3RnlHyDqfi0U8kN8CM2LkTlg9HGO2E7K9ecF7jyvuzOq8_p2axlYKr69XzQblcZYjSLA_8_U/s320/Salisbury+Steak.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br />
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Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-81514554780883187432011-08-22T07:14:00.000-05:002011-08-22T07:14:06.878-05:00Thursday Meals, Friday Meals, and McDonaldsThursday-<br />
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Lunch:<br />
Home- spaghettti, peas & carrots, peaches<br />
School- pb & j, mashup, greek honey yogurt, apple slices<br />
<br />
Dinner-<br />
<a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Chicken-Club-Casseroles">Chicken Club Casserole</a> <br />
peaches<br />
<br />
The casserole was a dish from the freezer. This meal for me was big! It has tomatoes & spinach and my husband still loved it. The mayo is an unhealthy part of the casserole and I read that you can substitue plain yogurt for mayo in casseroles and salads, but I haven't tried it. Has anybody tried this? I just can't bring myself to ruin an entire meal if it tasted weird.<br />
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Friday-<br />
<br />
Lunch:<br />
Home- grilled cheese, broccoli, pears, cottage cheese<br />
School- graham crackers, honey yogurt (used plain yogurt and added honey), peaches & pears, cheese stick<br />
<br />
Dinner:<br />
Coldmeat sandwiches, applesauce, yogurt, chips<br />
(I packed this meal for our trip. Score for not catching fast food on our way out)<br />
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<br />
<br />
And then...<br />
<br />
We got a late start on our way back home and we were all hungry so we stopped at McDonalds. We managed to stick to the dollar menu, except for the dollar menu because they aren't on there. <br />
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Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-70095311897985780562011-08-18T12:28:00.000-05:002011-08-18T12:28:05.592-05:00Wednesday MealsLunch-<br />
School- caramel rice cake, vanilla greek yogurt, carrot sticks, mandarin oranges<br />
Home- Eggs, Ham, toast, mandaring oranges<br />
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Dinner- Due to last week's lack of grocery shopping. I am pulling things together. I am scouring the freezer. <br />
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I found 4 hamburger patties and about a half bag chicken nuggets. So I combined them.<br />
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Hamburgers (with lettuce, garden tomatoes, and pickles), chicken nuggets, peas, and apples slices.<br />
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Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-60163846264944186982011-08-17T14:53:00.000-05:002011-08-17T14:53:46.880-05:00Tuesday MealsLunch-<br />
Home- Cheese, Apples, Toast<br />
School- Wheat Crackers, tuna, black olives, fruit strip, applesauce.<br />
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The <a href="http://aldi.us/us/html/offers/2867_10809_ENU_HTML.htm">fruit strips</a> that we are have are Fit & Active from Aldi. We love them.<br />
I have also found <a href="http://www.glad.com/products/food-storage/containers/mini-round/">these little containers</a> to work very well for us. The Glad mini round containers are the perfect helping size for my girls. They are dishwasher safe and can be used over and over. I can buy applesauce, olives, tuna, yogurt, etc in the big containers that I have always bought them in and save money. <br />
<br />
Convenience sizes are almost always more expensive.<br />
For example: Great Value (Walmart brand) Natural Applesauce no sugar added {ingredients are apples, water, absorbic acid( to maintain color)}. <br />
46 oz jar = $1.68 = 4¢ per ounce<br />
6-4oz containers = 24 oz total = $1.50 = 6¢ per ounce<br />
2¢ may not seem like a lot, but if you take that times all the single serving food purchased, it can really add up.<br />
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Dinner- <br />
Taco Tuesday! Hard and soft shell tacos with meat, lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes; Beans and rice; Tortilla chips with refried beans; Corn; and Mandarin oranges. Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-39255169502633859922011-08-16T12:09:00.001-05:002011-08-16T12:10:38.024-05:00Monday MealsThe weekdays meals are going to be a bit different now. I am going to add what I send in my girls' lunch boxes. This will be a challenge for myself to find healthy foods for my picky eater to eat.<br />
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Lunch:<br />
At home- turkey sandwich, carrots, strawberries<br />
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School- pb & j, mash up, greek yogurt with honey (their favorite way to eat yogurt), and a zucchini cookie<br />
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My downfall to pb & j is that it really isn't that healthy. I buy Jif Natural (because it tastes better, I think) and Fit & Active Strawberry Fruit Spread from Aldi. It does have 8g of sugar, but no high fructose corn syrup and no dye. I am not sure how much sugar is too much. I have searched and searched and it seems nobody (in cyber world) really knows. It always just says "eat in moderation". <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/281435-smuckers-strawberry-jelly-nutritional-facts/">Smuckers</a> strawberry jelly has 12 g of sugar and <a href="http://www.welchs.com/products/jams-jellies-and-spreads/jams,-jellies-and-spreads/strawberry-spreads">Welch's</a> has 13g of sugar, so I think 8g is doing pretty good. <br />
As far as peanut butter, I figure unless the only ingredient is peanuts then it probably isn't that great. Jif Natural contains 90% peanuts. The other 10% not so great. So after reading <a href="http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/natural-peanut-butter-ingredie/">this</a> I learned about <a href="http://www.krema.com/Creamy-Peanut-Butter-16-oz-Jar/productinfo/PBCRE1/">Krema</a> peanut butter. It has 100% peanuts ! Now how much is this 100% peanuts peanut butter going to cost me and where do I find it. I spend $3.18 for a 28 oz jar of Jif Natural. The Krema is $3.59 for 16 oz. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but we eat a lot of peanut butter. That is 11¢ per oz vs 22¢ per oz! So now I have to make the decision of whether the cost is worth the healthier product. Some would say "yes, absolutely!" but I have to watch my budget. As far as where to find it, there is no location finder on the website, but some of the comments on the snack girl blog said they found it at Walmart. Maybe I will give it a whirl. I let you know how it turns out.<br />
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Dinner- Breakfast for Dinner!!!! Waffles, Ham steak, eggs, and apples.<br />
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I make my waffles from scratch and I (almost) always have those ingredients on hand. The ham steak was in my freezer from an earlier meal.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pancakes-waffles/waffles/">Here</a> is the recipe for the waffles. I always do the buttermilk recipe. I use butter instead of oil. A quick and easy way to make buttermilk is to put 1Tbs lemon juice into a measuring cup and add milk till it is at one cup. The total amount of liquid is one cup.<br />
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Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-15347514164490786482011-08-15T13:01:00.000-05:002011-08-15T13:01:05.077-05:00Sunday MenuSunday was food wise, a little different. I mean that in we kinda forgot about lunch. We were crazy busy and nobody stopped to say "Hey, mom, I'm hungry", so we skipped it. Don't worry my kids didn't starve they had a snack one hour before dinner when they all realized they were famished. Dinner was great though. Since we didn't have lunch I went all out. The best part. The whole meal except for the fruit came from either the garden or freezer.<br />
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Dinner: Asian Flank Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Veggies, and Fruit Salad <br />
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The Asian Flank Steak is one of my freezer meals and a favorite for Jim, Warren, and I. (I would say the girls, but they had peanut butter sandwiches).<br />
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This recipe comes from "Don't Panic, Dinners in the Freezer"<br />
One great part about this is a Flank Steak is one of the cheaper cuts of meat, but because it marinade and is thinly sliced you can't tell. (let me know if you can't read the recipe and I will type it out.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJrytFD5AhLWJhTBLQFso57AEJ993qmEHc3fbbAGpsO3ufFGZs6yoBcjI_ajJjowmm-VKzxMY7kR4iLfbvie__SoV7InqczA-j0iauUE2OukZ0dnZD1f8pYDSMh2SJXy5VVAslKH-BLS0/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJrytFD5AhLWJhTBLQFso57AEJ993qmEHc3fbbAGpsO3ufFGZs6yoBcjI_ajJjowmm-VKzxMY7kR4iLfbvie__SoV7InqczA-j0iauUE2OukZ0dnZD1f8pYDSMh2SJXy5VVAslKH-BLS0/s320/001.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I freeze mashed potatoes. I buy a big 5 pound bag of potatoes. Jim peels them for me because he's awesome like that. I boil and mash them all and put them in several quart size freezer bags (a good size for my family). Now when I want mashed potatoes, I just get them out of the freezer, heat them in the microwave, and fluff them with a fork. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The roasted veggies was just random veggies that I had on hand from the garden. I used squash, zucchini, tomotoes, and green peppers. I sliced them and put them in a bowl. I added olive oil, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, thyme, and parsley. I don't have measurements as I just eye balled everything. To roast them, place aluminum foil on a shallow pan and add veggies. Make sure to not have anything on top of another because this will cause them to steam. Set oven to 400°, place pan in oven for 10 minutes, gently rotate and then cook for another ten minutes. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The fruit salad is what I do when I have have a small amount of several different types of fruit. We had bananas, stawberries,and blueberries.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-82367158605211682222011-08-14T17:10:00.001-05:002011-08-14T17:16:39.947-05:00Saturday MealsSaturday: <br />
lunch: leftovers from the fridge <br />
dinner: Casey's pizza, pork tenderloin, spaghettios, and greek yogurt<br />
<br />
The pizza, as you can see, was FREE! At Caseys, when you buy ten larges you get the 11th free. We are feeding 3 adults and 3 children at the moment, so we added tenderloins, spaghettios, and yogurt. Not the healthiest of meals, but hey, I was tired, so the easiest meal on the face of the planet seemd like such a great idea.<br />
The spaghettios aren't great but a very big treat for my daughter. The kicker is the sodium at 550mg. Still less than the name brand spaghettios at 600mg. I did make <a href="http://ovenlove.blogspot.com/2009/04/homemade-spaghetti-os.html">this</a> once. Homemade spaghettios! I let Breanna pick out the noodles and she picked "flowers" aka fiori pasta. They made the texture a bit funny. I was unable to find the little circle shapes, but I will look again.Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-86550865240896289572011-08-14T17:00:00.000-05:002011-08-14T17:00:35.221-05:00Shopping Trip Week 3As you may notice this week does not have a menu. <br />
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I didn't do a menu this week. The only menu item will be Taco Tuesday because I would be in big trouble with my kids if we missed that. <br />
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This week will be more eating things that we have. So instead of a menu this week. I will post what we have daily. <br />
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I did do a bit of grocery shopping for Taco Tuesday, milk, fresh produce, and to supplement some meals I have in mind.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62KWkbH043GeXUXiGGB9q9Adhq9OEwa3Ve5-lLMXnvHwvmNUIrJcdAncHLuo7-V0EmzrRzTiTGy397R2O0wn728WuYA7ckuM7kSPmSj-O-7mbM1Ef-RgR3tzkIR29-X1gUV5NU0gBx2mZ/s1600/Grocery+week+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62KWkbH043GeXUXiGGB9q9Adhq9OEwa3Ve5-lLMXnvHwvmNUIrJcdAncHLuo7-V0EmzrRzTiTGy397R2O0wn728WuYA7ckuM7kSPmSj-O-7mbM1Ef-RgR3tzkIR29-X1gUV5NU0gBx2mZ/s320/Grocery+week+3.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACWnPf4h6gzxdOyalBUkECRwjweYGdDdI-nXfzdSRfV42qhb0kd05eBowX3XNoCf7ZnLfJRqxjpzGXW6Z3DDVwgl3zcHOikCgXE051cyaEHL1jTnEqSLA49_HV0bcjnlXj0EunNJLBoo9/s1600/grocery+week+3+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACWnPf4h6gzxdOyalBUkECRwjweYGdDdI-nXfzdSRfV42qhb0kd05eBowX3XNoCf7ZnLfJRqxjpzGXW6Z3DDVwgl3zcHOikCgXE051cyaEHL1jTnEqSLA49_HV0bcjnlXj0EunNJLBoo9/s320/grocery+week+3+%25282%2529.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br />
Total Spent: 66.10<br />
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Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-21147594877422419992011-08-14T16:38:00.001-05:002011-08-14T16:41:12.213-05:00Month One Continues- Week 2- Tentative $So I have decided to keep going with Month 1. I am going to see how far over my $300 I end up going. I will use this as a learning lesson as to what I need to do next month to lesson my spending.<br />
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<iframe width='500' height='300' frameborder='0' src='https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0ArgeyFJTnMHcdEt2MHp4M3BhQ29fZTFHOWZ2RWdnT0E&output=html&widget=true'></iframe><br />
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Total = 40.35Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-32631563296213143652011-08-12T07:36:00.000-05:002011-08-12T07:36:34.427-05:00DebatingOK, readers, I obviously failed this months goal. I still have $10.20 left to spend for two weeks. I spend more than that on milk for one week. <br />
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So I have been debating. Should I just start over with a new week 1 or continue on for the next two weeks and see how far over the $300 budget I go?<br />
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Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-81345714915661922412011-08-09T09:02:00.000-05:002011-08-09T09:02:59.034-05:00Shopping Trip Week 2This week I spent a bit over board on my total this week. I am shopping for 1 extra adult this week. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGE4jAhKVW6FXg03qzGAtMera9DkzH8PyVsYS-LZtOuPwgGzsQPmiND2Y-87uMwngI-CJ3X-_ek5jFM-Uoe8MoCtKVgSWtOkdWtodAl4s0pYIwcCfEquJoqgfTSZSzXtGk52picMIkX07/s1600/receipts+week+2+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGE4jAhKVW6FXg03qzGAtMera9DkzH8PyVsYS-LZtOuPwgGzsQPmiND2Y-87uMwngI-CJ3X-_ek5jFM-Uoe8MoCtKVgSWtOkdWtodAl4s0pYIwcCfEquJoqgfTSZSzXtGk52picMIkX07/s320/receipts+week+2+%25281%2529.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX4obqrm5qIUQHPLObFm-g0uq71ZLLWKj48XxBZR6bjFvz_A6-SYWAnAt1sAgpX4e4P_lX_83FinbPpfBf8q8bau9uZDcLIuwdRQRfUU78WfSWZtZKLRZVF1R5IvctyVHXwENhrPyqNXR/s1600/week+2+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFX4obqrm5qIUQHPLObFm-g0uq71ZLLWKj48XxBZR6bjFvz_A6-SYWAnAt1sAgpX4e4P_lX_83FinbPpfBf8q8bau9uZDcLIuwdRQRfUU78WfSWZtZKLRZVF1R5IvctyVHXwENhrPyqNXR/s320/week+2+%25282%2529.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Total - $ 134.43<br />
Left to spend- $10.20<br />
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I fear that this month isn't going to be under $300, but I will keep trying. This is definitely a learning experience. More pantry and freezer shopping than grocery shopping for the next two weeks.Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997048244728480861.post-53326244376041295152011-08-09T08:09:00.002-05:002011-08-09T08:26:20.544-05:00Week 2 - Tentative $Shopping template week 2. You can click on each tab to see the different stores.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0ArgeyFJTnMHcdHRHeTVXZldWR05GaEFIdlpZd1l3WkE&output=html&widget=true" width="500"></iframe>Feeding My Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671946084959016695noreply@blogger.com0