Well, time for another recipe...you might start to see a theme until I learn new recipes to be more creative.
Chicken Maranara
1lb bonesless, skinless chicken breasts (on sale $1.97 a lb)
1-26oz can Hunt's Garlic & Herb spaghetti sauce (on sale $0.89)
1-8ozcan Tomato Sauce (on sale $0.33)
1 package of Linguine pasta noodles (on sale $0.75)
1-15.25oz can of corn (free - given to us)
3 eggs (Food 4 Less = 60 for $6.99 = $0.12 for each egg)
2 cups Masa ($2.98 on sale for 5lb = 60 cups = $0.05 a cup)
1 tblspn of Seasoning Salt - Carne Asada (free came with roommate)
1 tblspn of pepper (on sale and with coupon = $1.00 for 4 oz = 60 tblspn servings = $0.02)
2 cups veggie oil (Oil on sale, cheap brand, $3.50 for the larger one = 50 1/4 cups = $0.07)
1 tblspn garlic powder (with coupon the Seasoning is $2.99 = 15 tblspns = $0.20)
1 tblsp of Mrs. Dash Garlic/Herb blend (with coupon the Seasoning is $2.99 = 15 tblspns = $0.20)
Butter (I use country crock but will be switching to cheaper - but on sale and with a coupon = $1.99 for 45oz = 100 meals = $0.02)
Total = $4.98
Servings = 6
My youngest daughter, Sierra, is 9 and she just big time wanted to help me with this. So I set-up my kitchen counter into stations so she could help. In a bowl I mixed the eggs together and in another bowl I mixed the masa, pepper, carne asada seasoning and garlic powder together. Start the water boiling for the noodles.
I added the two cups of oil to the pan and started to heat on low. I cut up the chicken into small pieces and Sierra then took the pieces, dipped then in the egg and then into the breading mix and then put into the pan. While waiting for these to cook a little I add the noodles to the water after washing my hands. This took us about 15 minutes to cook all the pieces of chicken and have the noodles ready.
I then clean out the pan to remove the oil and added the Hunt's Spaghetti sauce and the tomato sauce together with the chicken pieces and I stirred. We then added the Mrs. Dash and continued stirring until it boiled. While Sierra did that I added a tblspn of butter to the noodles so they would not stick.
Turn heat off and serve.
To make it an $8 day - try this.
Breakfast:
Pancakes - 3 each (Krutz Pancake Mix (Food 4 Less = $2.50 for 32 oz = 60 pancakes = $0.05)
Syrup (cheap brand and on sale for 60oz = $2.99 = 60 servings = $0.05)
Fresh squeezed orange juice (free from trees)
Total = $1.50
Servings = 5 people
Lunch:
Peanut Butter (store brand = $1.99 for 60 oz = 100 tblspn = $0.02)
Jelly (store brand = $1.99 for 43oz = 100 tblspn servings = $0.02)
Wheat Bread (store brand sale = $0.89 for 24 slices = $0.04)
Carrots (large carrot store brand bag = $1.99 = 50 pieces = $0.04) 5 pieces each person (these are fat carrots)
Total = $1.60
Servings = 5 people
Total for the Day = $8.08
Now you can do this cheaper depending on what the store sales are in your area and what coupons are available for you and how good you are a couponing. I will have more shortly!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Recipe from Dinner 6.26.11
Yes, I know I am a little late in posting this but thought I should at least share the recipe since it turned out very yummy and for little money.
My step mom taught me a recipe for 'The Poor Man's Meal' for gravy, rice and hamburger. But I wanted to put a twist on it and see if it would taste good and provide a little variety to 'The Poor Man's Meal'.
Poor Man's Dinner
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (when purchased on sale should be $1.97 a lb)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (when purchased on sale and cheap store brand - $.69 a can)
1 can Cream of Potato Soup (when purchased on sale and cheap store brand - $.69 a can)
1 can Green Beans (when purchased on sale and cheap store brand - $.50 a can)
4 cups of cooked rice (we have a rice cooker so it makes it easy, but rice on sale for $1.98 for 5lbs = 32 cups, so that is like $0.07 per cup - so this would be $0.28)
1 tblsp of Mrs. Dash Original blend (with coupon the Seasoning is $2.99 = 15 tblspns = $0.20)
1- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil to cook the chicken in (Oil on sale, cheap brand, $3.50 for the larger one = 50 1/4 cups = $0.07)
Serve in bowl = 6 servings
Total cost = $5.09
Total per Serving = $0.85
Now if I wanted to make this an $8 day for 5 people, here is what I would couple with this meal - granted I am new to this coupon thing, so I am sure if you are better at coupons you can get everything below a lot cheaper - plus these are Orange County, CA prices.
Eggs (Food 4 Less = 60 for $6.99 = $0.12 for each egg)
Krutz Pancake Mix (Food 4 Less = $2.50 for 32 oz = 60 pancakes = $0.05)
Tuna fish (on sale $.69 a can)
Best Foods Mayo ($1.50 on sale and with coupon = for 30oz = 25 servings = 0.06)
Dill Pickles (on sale and with a coupon = $1.25 = 10 pickles = $0.13 per pickle)
Butter (I use country crock but will be switching to cheaper - but on sale and with a coupon = $1.99 for 45oz = 100 meals = $0.02)
Syrup (cheap brand and on sale for 60oz = $2.99 = 60 servings = $0.05)
Mustard (on sale and with coupon 20oz = $1.00 = 60 servings = $0.02)
Pepper (on sale and with coupon = $1.00 for 4 oz = 60 tblspn servings = $0.02)
Cheap store brand bread on sale = $1.00 for 24 slices = $0.04
Milk (free with the purchase of 4 cereals)
Jelly (store brand = $1.99 for 43oz = 100 tblspn servings = $0.02)
Chips (22 individually packaged on sale for $3.99 with coupon = $0.18)
Oranges (free from my backyard)
Breakfast: 8 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk and a tblspn of pepper and 5 slices of bread with butter and jelly = $1.38
Lunch: tuna fish salad sandwiches with mayo, mustard, 1 pickle cut up, pepper and a bag of chips = $2.22
Snack: Orange or two = free since they are from our yard.
Total for the Day: $8.69 - so .69 over - but this can be taken away with coupons and better deals then what I got.
What to drink - well we drink a lot of water, tang and my hubby drinks one litter of Diet Mtn. Dew everyday. I am not factoring in these items but I can if you want.
My step mom taught me a recipe for 'The Poor Man's Meal' for gravy, rice and hamburger. But I wanted to put a twist on it and see if it would taste good and provide a little variety to 'The Poor Man's Meal'.
Poor Man's Dinner
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (when purchased on sale should be $1.97 a lb)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (when purchased on sale and cheap store brand - $.69 a can)
1 can Cream of Potato Soup (when purchased on sale and cheap store brand - $.69 a can)
1 can Green Beans (when purchased on sale and cheap store brand - $.50 a can)
4 cups of cooked rice (we have a rice cooker so it makes it easy, but rice on sale for $1.98 for 5lbs = 32 cups, so that is like $0.07 per cup - so this would be $0.28)
1 tblsp of Mrs. Dash Original blend (with coupon the Seasoning is $2.99 = 15 tblspns = $0.20)
1- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil to cook the chicken in (Oil on sale, cheap brand, $3.50 for the larger one = 50 1/4 cups = $0.07)
Serve in bowl = 6 servings
Total cost = $5.09
Total per Serving = $0.85
Now if I wanted to make this an $8 day for 5 people, here is what I would couple with this meal - granted I am new to this coupon thing, so I am sure if you are better at coupons you can get everything below a lot cheaper - plus these are Orange County, CA prices.
Eggs (Food 4 Less = 60 for $6.99 = $0.12 for each egg)
Krutz Pancake Mix (Food 4 Less = $2.50 for 32 oz = 60 pancakes = $0.05)
Tuna fish (on sale $.69 a can)
Best Foods Mayo ($1.50 on sale and with coupon = for 30oz = 25 servings = 0.06)
Dill Pickles (on sale and with a coupon = $1.25 = 10 pickles = $0.13 per pickle)
Butter (I use country crock but will be switching to cheaper - but on sale and with a coupon = $1.99 for 45oz = 100 meals = $0.02)
Syrup (cheap brand and on sale for 60oz = $2.99 = 60 servings = $0.05)
Mustard (on sale and with coupon 20oz = $1.00 = 60 servings = $0.02)
Pepper (on sale and with coupon = $1.00 for 4 oz = 60 tblspn servings = $0.02)
Cheap store brand bread on sale = $1.00 for 24 slices = $0.04
Milk (free with the purchase of 4 cereals)
Jelly (store brand = $1.99 for 43oz = 100 tblspn servings = $0.02)
Chips (22 individually packaged on sale for $3.99 with coupon = $0.18)
Oranges (free from my backyard)
Breakfast: 8 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk and a tblspn of pepper and 5 slices of bread with butter and jelly = $1.38
Lunch: tuna fish salad sandwiches with mayo, mustard, 1 pickle cut up, pepper and a bag of chips = $2.22
Snack: Orange or two = free since they are from our yard.
Total for the Day: $8.69 - so .69 over - but this can be taken away with coupons and better deals then what I got.
What to drink - well we drink a lot of water, tang and my hubby drinks one litter of Diet Mtn. Dew everyday. I am not factoring in these items but I can if you want.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Today...6.27.2011 - First steps
Welcome to our blog. Our goal here is to help those who are struggling with feeding their families healthy meals during this crazy economy. This all started because I was laid off from my job, lost our benefits and since I was already in school to improve our lives, we decided it would be worth it for me to focus on getting my education so I would not have to face another layoff. So far a positive benefit has been not only focusing on school and becoming a house mom, but being able to volunteer at my daughters schools. The hard part is that we live in Orange County, CA and the cost of living is high - trust me if we could move to another state and have a place to live and Zach would already have a job, we totally would. But for now, we have to make it here through this rough patch. So we have to be creative.
I am sure almost everyone has heard of the TV Show 'Extreme Couponing', if not has watched at least one episode. Well, that is where I started this journey, was to watch one or two episodes so I could learn how it works and I did. Where I live, we do not have those kinds of grocery stores or those kinds of deals on coupons but a lot of stores do help. The show itself has stir a huge community out there, though, where people are huge on saving money to help take care of their families. So this is my part of that journey.
Here were the steps I took to get started (and I am still working on finishing up all of this to post here):
1. Take an inventory of all the food I have in the house - this includes spices and items in the fridge and making sure I break down brands and types - (Better Crocker, Chocolate Cake mix; Duncan Hines, Dark Chocolate Cake Mix; etc.)
2. Create a list of items that we tend to eat or like to eat and then circle the items that are must haves in our house - the Staples....ketchup, butter, eggs, chicken, etc.
3. I am working on a spreadsheet that put those lists together along with a list of what coupons I currently have and when they expire.
4. I contacted all the companies that I shop at to find out what their rules are for coupons, printed coupons and rain checks.
5. A price list of the current sales for the week. Here I started looking on Yahoo! to see if someone else already started this and yes they did, so I downloaded it and found it was good but needed more for what I wanted to use it for. So I am in the process of redesigning it for our needs and added all my other lists so they are in one spot. Once I have this fixed, I will be sharing this with everyone - FREE.
After all of this, I forgot a key element - what is my monthly budget? So in our household, currently we only have a budget of $150 for four people. Our roommate is going to be pitching in and in exchange I will be preparing foods for him for an extra $100 a month. So that is $250 for 5 people. How in the world am I going to be able to do that when we are used to a budget of $600? My heart sank and I thought everything I had been working towards was about to fail. NOOOOOOOOO, I can not give up so easily. I will figure this out and make this work so we can have a better life. So I have to cook for 5 people on $8 a day!
You ready to join me on this journey...please feel free to share your ideas, recipes, and eventual a coupon swap. I know if I can do this, we will become healthy because we will be eating less (since all the adults are overweight - this is a great thing); a little healthier - hopefully; but most of all, I will be able to teach my kids how to survive this crazy world and give them the faith that they can beat any obstacle!
I am sure almost everyone has heard of the TV Show 'Extreme Couponing', if not has watched at least one episode. Well, that is where I started this journey, was to watch one or two episodes so I could learn how it works and I did. Where I live, we do not have those kinds of grocery stores or those kinds of deals on coupons but a lot of stores do help. The show itself has stir a huge community out there, though, where people are huge on saving money to help take care of their families. So this is my part of that journey.
Here were the steps I took to get started (and I am still working on finishing up all of this to post here):
1. Take an inventory of all the food I have in the house - this includes spices and items in the fridge and making sure I break down brands and types - (Better Crocker, Chocolate Cake mix; Duncan Hines, Dark Chocolate Cake Mix; etc.)
2. Create a list of items that we tend to eat or like to eat and then circle the items that are must haves in our house - the Staples....ketchup, butter, eggs, chicken, etc.
3. I am working on a spreadsheet that put those lists together along with a list of what coupons I currently have and when they expire.
4. I contacted all the companies that I shop at to find out what their rules are for coupons, printed coupons and rain checks.
5. A price list of the current sales for the week. Here I started looking on Yahoo! to see if someone else already started this and yes they did, so I downloaded it and found it was good but needed more for what I wanted to use it for. So I am in the process of redesigning it for our needs and added all my other lists so they are in one spot. Once I have this fixed, I will be sharing this with everyone - FREE.
After all of this, I forgot a key element - what is my monthly budget? So in our household, currently we only have a budget of $150 for four people. Our roommate is going to be pitching in and in exchange I will be preparing foods for him for an extra $100 a month. So that is $250 for 5 people. How in the world am I going to be able to do that when we are used to a budget of $600? My heart sank and I thought everything I had been working towards was about to fail. NOOOOOOOOO, I can not give up so easily. I will figure this out and make this work so we can have a better life. So I have to cook for 5 people on $8 a day!
You ready to join me on this journey...please feel free to share your ideas, recipes, and eventual a coupon swap. I know if I can do this, we will become healthy because we will be eating less (since all the adults are overweight - this is a great thing); a little healthier - hopefully; but most of all, I will be able to teach my kids how to survive this crazy world and give them the faith that they can beat any obstacle!
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