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    shellyjo68's Avatar
    shellyjo68 Posts: 100, Reputation: 11
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    #1

    Apr 18, 2008, 05:55 PM
    Economic menu suggestions
    We have some fun things we want to do this summer and that means cutting back. One thing we have gotten really bad about over the last few years is eating economically. Any menu suggestions?
    kp2171's Avatar
    kp2171 Posts: 5,318, Reputation: 1612
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    #2

    Apr 19, 2008, 01:57 PM
    first thing we did was look at portion control, both for keeping calories down, and also extending meals to a second sitting. We are both active, but found just by cutting back portions by a fourth or a third we still were getting satiated, and often had food left for at least lunch, if not another dinner. Making sure we add fruits and veggies doesn't take a lot of money and is good as well. Canned peaches and pears are good to have around. Sams club pineapples are cheap and big. Actually, with my buying fresh pinapples from sams almost weekly, my cash savings from pineapple, milk, flowers for my wife, and rotisserie chicken alone over the course of the year pays for the membership. Its mad, but true.

    I try to either make enough of a meal to get at least one leftover night out of it, or prep a meat that can be split into more than one meal.

    get a family size (3-5lbs) pack of hamburger and brown.

    throw one lb in with sauteed onion and garlic, add a big jar of pasta red sauce, some seasonings. My wife's italian so I don't throw this at her much, she prefers my from scratch recipe (much better, ill post if you want, but more time to make), but it's a way to add some protein to a pasta dish fast. You can also add instead browned stew meat cut into small pieces and the flavor is different. Simmer for at least an hour... even better, double batch it and throw peeled carrots in the sauce. Takes about 3 hours to soften them with simmering, and again, it changes the flavor. Take out carrots when cooked for a side. Serve sauce with rigatoni, ziti, or spaghetti straight or baked in the oven with cheese.

    take another lb and make taco meat. Store bought seasoning (prefer chi-chis) and a little refried beans added in the meat. Use in tacos or even better in the summer, a taco salad, with corn chips in a bowl, lettuce, meat, cheese, tomato, sour cream, etc... actually, this tends to go so fast ill make 2lbs often, or more and freeze what's not used. Easy to feed a bunch of people without spending a lot of money or time.

    take another lb and make enchilladas with seasoned meat, spanish rice, cheese, and a little enchillada sauce. Baked with sauce and shredded cheese over the top. Not authentic, I don't care. Change ingredients by subbing leftover fried hash browns from breakfast instead of rice, or black beans, etc.

    love to grill in the summer, and it's a good way to cook food without the fat of frying, the cleanup of pots and pans, and many meats just need to be well seasoned and not overcooked. Pepper, salt, garlic salt on steaks. Lemon pepper and salt and pepper on chicken. Lemon pepper and paprika on fish. Olive oil to coat all just before grilling.

    grill a big flank steak seasoned well with salt and pepper. Can't tell you the lbs I buy... some stores sell smaller cuts. I buy the biggest flank steak I can get, as I again want to use as much as I can in other dishes. It never goes to waste and can be made into several dishes.

    straight up the steak is good. Baked potato (half really). Fresh green beans with olive oil and garlic. Asparagus can be great and less than half the normal cost when in season, and the season is extended now with south and central american imports. This meal one is just several pieces of sliced flank steak with the carb, fruit, veggie sides. Corn, zucchini, green beans, potatoes... all are cheap.

    with leftover steak you can do a lot. An omelette with leftover steak and leftover asparagus, with maybe some hashbrown potatoes, browned onions, and a sharp cheese like feta or gogonzola is killer great. If we get steak out, well always bring some home for this.

    more with the steak. Make a sandwich with thin slices. Good cheese, a dark, leafy lettuce or arugula, roasted red peppers or tomato (cheaper), condiment of mayo, ground pepper, balsamic vinegar, and mustard all mixed together to taste. Serve with the other half of the potato reheated. Fruit, veggies. Again... if the steak is made, the other items are likely in your house or can be substituted for.

    easy side is a potato casserole made with 1.5 bags frozen hash browns, a can of cream of chicken soup mixed with a container of flavored sour cream, salt, pepper, shredded cheese, baked in the oven. Used a lot to feed groups here.

    this steak goes great into fajitas. Its good for a snack with a good cheese on good crackers (like bistro's corn bread crackers)

    uhm... rotisserie chicken can go a long way. Sams club is best for the dollar. Pull the chix apart. You can simmer the carcass in chix broth for stock. You'll have enough chicken for probably two meals. Chicken pot pie. Chicken salad. Chicken with mashed potatoes.

    grilled chicken with lemon pepper is again good alone. You can slice it thin for sandwiches. Throw into a chefs salad.

    chicken thighs are cheap. Use this for a few indian dishes and also for the pot pie meat.

    we have big family/friend meals almost once a month, where anywhere from 8-20 people can come by. If I'm doing most of the buying and cooking the meals I make most are the pasta dishes (usually homemade, ill give you that recipe if you want it), fajitas (grilled steak or chicken) with spanish rice, or the normal summer fare of burgers/brats/grilled chix. Oven roasted red potatoes are cheap and easy. Steamed broccoli is cheap and easy.

    watch to see if you are throwing food out. Some things freeze well like taco meat, pasta sauce, pot pie filling... so if you double batch you are "ahead" of cooking and you might be able to work an extra week or so of prepped food into the freezer, esp if you have a separate freezer.

    not so "summery" but chili, potato soups are cheap and good still if the temps drop in the spring.

    honestly, we cut a lot of costs just my doing simple seasonings. Sure I can make a killer chicken picatta, and it's a good reason to open a bottle of vino, but between the cost and the calories, its just not OK to do too often. Thank God grilling weather is here.

    I'm not a big coupon clipper, but I do watch for meat sales.. the x% off all you can get in the bag sales... and I tend to buy and freeze as much as I can budget. It makes a difference.

    all I can think of off the top of my head. Post is long enough. If you need recipes just ask. I have recipes for everything I mentioned. Good food and good recipes are meant to be shared.
    shellyjo68's Avatar
    shellyjo68 Posts: 100, Reputation: 11
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    #3

    Apr 20, 2008, 06:03 AM
    Thank you. I love the idea of the carrots cooked in the sauce. Really that is how we used to eat but at some point (daughter got older and busier) we opted for more expensive prepared foods and eating out a lot. Then it got so we would bring the left overs home from out and be too LAZY to eat that an go out again. As we started looking at ways to cut back to afford a new motorcycle and still go on vacation with it we realized how bad we had gotten--financially and nutrition. Then all of a sudden I am trying to come up with meal plans and I have totally lost the talent. Must admit spent only $25 on groceries this week and when we did have to go out to eat for funds raiser deal my husband and I split a sandwich which held us over just fine until we got home.
    kp2171's Avatar
    kp2171 Posts: 5,318, Reputation: 1612
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    #4

    Apr 20, 2008, 03:29 PM
    Been there done that myself.

    Its easy to blow money on food. And some of the food I love to cook, takes more money than we'd like to spend. And, we love to entertain friends and family, so the dollars go quickly if we aren't careful.

    Completely agree on splitting meals when dining out... we do this a lot now... splitting a brisket sandwich at famous daves is more than enough food. Likewise, leaving food on the plate to take home, maybe for lunch, has been good.

    Another thing we've done was inspired by a restaurant that served small plates or tapas... basically, we'll order an appetizer to split and tell the waiter or waitress we are going to work through a few appetizers... take your time... then order something different... by the time you are done you might spend 1/2 to 2/3 of what you would have, and you are full.

    $25 on groceries for a week rocks. I'm thrilled if I can swing 40-60, and even then, its usually tight.

    But its worth it for vacation and toys. My wife just bought a honda nighthawk 650 today. There's a spring in her step, as she's wanted one for years.

    Celebrating with cajun shrimp fettuchini and a nice glass of white wine. Not the most economical, but once in a while its good to indulge too.
    lovelesspa's Avatar
    lovelesspa Posts: 1,019, Reputation: 127
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    #5

    May 10, 2008, 10:59 AM
    I agree with the buying in larger quantities and then making severals meals out of it. Chicken is still a good buy and again buy the family size packages. If you like fish, this is also still priced reasonably and can make more then one meal. Or buy a fryer and cut it up yourself. And the portion control is the key to it, make smaller portions of meals, it's healthier and makes most products last a bit long. Locally grown veggies or fruits, if your lucky enough are always a better deal, also check on frozen veggies and fruits in the larger sized bags. When veggies like peppers or onions are a good price, but a large portion and freeze them. Beans and lentils, are great meat substitiutes as well as meal extenders. And rice it makes great casseroles and is healthy and filling
    spinphoto's Avatar
    spinphoto Posts: 125, Reputation: 7
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    #6

    May 23, 2008, 08:59 AM
    I don't know if any one has suggested this yet, but it's very important to eat locally.. and if you miss seasonal veggies and fruit, get in to canning...
    twinkiedooter's Avatar
    twinkiedooter Posts: 12,172, Reputation: 1054
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    #7

    May 23, 2008, 04:26 PM
    I buy strawberries when they are $1 a pint or less. I wash then, cut them up, put a dash of sugar and freeze them in quart baggies. I have strawberries for months on end doing this. It is labor intensive though. Last year I cut up 4 big flats as I got a great deal buying that much and it took me several hours. I had strawberries until Xmas. Yum.

    Also, I make soup in my crock pot and freeze portions of it and have soup several nights a week. I also make beef in the crock pot and freeze portions of that as well and heat it up and serve with frozen veggies. Quick meal and instant portion control.

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