Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 HI Cheri, Things are tight here, too; I lost my job last month, so our income has been cut in half. I have several suggestions for you. First: before you go to the grocery store, write out your menus (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for the week. Check the pantry, refrigerator and freezer and write down what items you need for the weekly menus. Base your shopping list on the menus. I also keep a list on the refrigerator of staples that are running low, like flour and wax paper. Next, use coupons. There are many websites that have coupons, and many more that you can get in the mail. I occasionally buy Amy's coupons on ebay (be sure to check the expiration dates). Keep a small notebook for recording prices and stores; we discovered that sometimes the store " sale " prices are based on a higher than normal " regular " price and are not really a bargain. If you have a Costco, or other warehouse club nearby, find another family to share a membership and large items with. We would never use up four large cans of oatmeal before they expire (this is how they are packaged at Costco), so we split the case with another family. If you are not sure if this is right for you, you can get a pass to walk through the store so you can compare prices. Use dry beans instead of canned; these can be cooked and frozen in the same portions as canned. Use frozen veggies instead of fresh; they last longer and retain nutrition better. If buying organics for your family is important, follow the clean dozen/dirty dozen guidelines. Often ethic markets and fruit markets will have lower prices on produce, eggs, and milk (even organics) than large grocery stores; this is where your price notebook will come in handy. Good luck! Robin --- On Mon, 2/16/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Monday, February 16, 2009, 7:05 PM Hello everyone, Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now that we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there is meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the food boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a week at the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you do? I need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming in to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our income coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for a family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being able to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank you all in advance. Cheri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 We also make our own bread (I have a no knead recipe I got off of vegweb.com that I like, and use whole wheat flour and a variety of other grains - my current favorite is whole wheat, quinoa, oatmeal, garbanzo flour bread) I make a double batch, so I get 4 loaves (and freeze 2 before cooking) so I have a backup handy. We also shop more at places like local groceries, or smaller chains (Ultra Foods, Aldi, Super Tony's, Fair Share). It's a shock to go into our large chain stores to grab something because I think we spend 2-3x MORE at those stores for the same amount of stuff we get at the stores above. We also found that the produce from the smaller places is SO MUCH FRESHER than the larger grocery chains near us, mostly we find this to be true from Aldi's - my husband and my son can eat a box of their mushrooms just right out of the container, but the same kind from any other place isn't as fresh or as tasty. I think they get 2 deliveries a week on produce, but I could be wrong about the frequency. All but Aldi's also has organics, and soymilks and rice milks - both store brands in some cases and the national brands, too. We shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joes for only those things which we can not get anywhere else. I also joined a food buying club, so we can get things by the case, also tends to be stuff that we can't get elsewhere but we like. I try to not order every month if we don't need to, but sometimes it's a scant order, and sometimes it's because we have to stock up so it's tricky. Some stuff from the co-op is cheaper than it is at whole foods/TJ's (we get a discount as a club on the listed prices in the catalog from the wholesaler). I've also heard, but have not tried or put into practice (because it also depends on where you shop for things that determines your overall cost) that if you take out in cash whatever your budget is for that week, and then do not allow yourself to put anything over that amount onto your ATM card or bank/check card etc. You do have to keep a running tally on the stuff you do put into your cart, but It tends to help some folks manage it a little better, and forces you into 'do I really need...xyz' type of questions each week - especially if you have kids or you're used to getting to the store and deciding that whatever is on sale that you didn't know about (and don't need or wasn't on your list) forces you into a more concrete decision of not being able to buy it. I've heard it also help kids understand that you can't really just buy whatever because you have an actual set amount you can spend. I don't know if I explained that very well or not, but it's another way of budgeting grocery money, so you don't go over. Having a list and sticking to it will also help, and planning meals (breakfasts, lunches and dinners). Have more beans/rice or soup meals per week (or make and freeze half to keep a variety and to not get sick of the same thing week after week - and you will also have a nice meal on hand you don't have to cook - just take it out in the morning to defrost in the fridge). (I always try to make double and then freeze the extras for the next week - like pizza dough and bread dough, soups, or leftovers if there's too much of them) Hope something here helps you - I need to get a grip back on our groceries (i've been more lax about things when we go to the store), but I think that was the recent shock of walking to the closer (large chain) store to get a few things, and it cost more than if I got my whole list at another place, but further. For me it currently comes down to at which place I shop, and that depends on wether we have the IGo car, or walking/biking w/ or w/out our son. Good luck Missie On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 7:05 PM, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: > Hello everyone, > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now that > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there is > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the food > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a week at > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you do? I > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming in > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our income > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for a > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being able > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank you > all in advance. > > Cheri > > -- http://mszzzi.zoomshare.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/mszzzi/ ~~~~~(m-.-)m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi- You might also try looking on sacbee.com . We live here in Sacramento and the Sacramento Bee has been running a series of articles on how to save money- at the grocery store and beyond. I'm sure many other papers have been doing the same thing. Particularly helpful to me was the article re: grocery shopping; if you base your weekly menus on what's on sale (and yes, you'll have to keep a notebook or be able to remember relative prices, like Robin suggested), you can save a lot of money. You also have to shop with a list, and KEEP to the list. I have found this helpful, but it does take some extra time (going through the grocery ads, doing smaller shopping trips at more stores per week). I don't know if you have a Trader Joe's nearby, but I find myself getting 'dinner staples' there and other items at the other stores... --- On Tue, 2/17/09, robin koloms <rkoloms wrote: robin koloms <rkoloms Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 7:57 AM HI Cheri, Things are tight here, too; I lost my job last month, so our income has been cut in half. I have several suggestions for you. First: before you go to the grocery store, write out your menus (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for the week. Check the pantry, refrigerator and freezer and write down what items you need for the weekly menus. Base your shopping list on the menus. I also keep a list on the refrigerator of staples that are running low, like flour and wax paper. Next, use coupons. There are many websites that have coupons, and many more that you can get in the mail. I occasionally buy Amy's coupons on ebay (be sure to check the expiration dates). Keep a small notebook for recording prices and stores; we discovered that sometimes the store " sale " prices are based on a higher than normal " regular " price and are not really a bargain. If you have a Costco, or other warehouse club nearby, find another family to share a membership and large items with. We would never use up four large cans of oatmeal before they expire (this is how they are packaged at Costco), so we split the case with another family. If you are not sure if this is right for you, you can get a pass to walk through the store so you can compare prices. Use dry beans instead of canned; these can be cooked and frozen in the same portions as canned. Use frozen veggies instead of fresh; they last longer and retain nutrition better. If buying organics for your family is important, follow the clean dozen/dirty dozen guidelines. Often ethic markets and fruit markets will have lower prices on produce, eggs, and milk (even organics) than large grocery stores; this is where your price notebook will come in handy. Good luck! Robin --- On Mon, 2/16/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels@ > wrote: PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels@ > Question on cheaper vegetarian meals @gro ups.com Monday, February 16, 2009, 7:05 PM Hello everyone, Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now that we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there is meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the food boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a week at the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you do? I need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming in to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our income coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for a family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being able to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank you all in advance. Cheri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi Cheri, I second what everyone else has said: Trader Joe’s, Costco, keep a list and stick to it, etc. Also, I see in a quick google search that some Angel Food programs have a produce box and a “sides” box – if your program has those, you could get that and then just have to buy staples to go with it: pasta, rice, beans, milk, eggs, bread, cereal, tofu, soy milk, nuts, cheese, etc. We just keep those staples in stock here, and can throw together quite a few meals just from what’s in the fridge and pantry, usually. Also, you could check into free food boxes in your area – some areas have multiple pick-up spots for different things – one place gives out bread and bakery things, one place gives produce, one place gives canned foods – and some places have food pantries where you go to one spot for everything. Some of these food box places have requirements like you have to provide volunteer service in your community (babysitting the neighbor’s kids for a couple hours counts, or bringing the elderly neighbor’s mail and trash cans in). Some require that you attend a church meeting – I’m not so keen on those places since I think hunger and food provision crosses religious views and shouldn’t be linked. But, if you’re okay with that, it opens up other options. My brother-in-law gets all his food from these free food boxes lately. Another tip is to make large quantities of things that fill the tummy – homemade mac and cheese with tofu is one of our favorites, and veggie chili with tons of veggies. Also, look for cheaper veggies like cabbage and potatoes and find recipes that your family loves. :-) One super cheap meal I learned about in college is one cabbage, one package of ramen noodles, ½ bag of frozen peas, cook it all together and you have a filling Asian dish – now I’d add tofu and some basil and cilantro, too. :-) Oh, and we’ve been making our own yogurt lately – it ends up to be about 38 cents per cup, even using organic milk and expensive yogurt to start it, so I know you could do it for much less. You could also make huge batches of waffles and freeze some – very cheap way to have frozen waffles on hand all the time. And don’t forget about growing your own produce, if you are so inclined – a great way to get tons of veggies, herbs, fruit. Oh, and to second what others have said about buying clubs – we have a Frontier co-op and save tons on organic herbs, veggie burger mix, falafel mix, sauce and dip mixes, not to mention all our paper products, cleansers and toiletries. And you could see if there are other places you can cut back (and save more money for food) – put student loans on forebearance for a while, arrange for lower car payments for a while, cut back cable or cell phone services to the basic services that you use, stop newspaper subs, etc. Best of luck and know that you aren’t alone in this crazy economy! Lorraine On Behalf Of PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! Monday, February 16, 2009 5:06 PM Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Hello everyone, Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now that we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there is meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the food boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a week at the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you do? I need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming in to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our income coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for a family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being able to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank you all in advance. Cheri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Nope we dont have a Trader Joe's here. Sure wish we did. I hear everyone speaking so highly of this place. I usually look at my pantry see what we have on hand. Then use coupons also when we have them. There are a few sites I use to get coupons from. I do a menu and write out a shopping list. For some reason I am still coming in with $120 on groceries. I think with us being new vegetarians we have been trying all the new things. All the faux meats bocca and morning star has. Trying all these fancy recipes. We just need to get back down to basics. Just trying to come up what should be staples in the house. What are some basic meatless meals. I am sure we can do it. Thank you for all the ideas. These are all great things to keep an eye on and improve on. Cheri , " PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! " <warrensangels wrote: > > Hello everyone, > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now that > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there is > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the food > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a week at > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you do? I > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming in > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our income > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for a > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being able > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank you > all in advance. > > Cheri > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi Cheri, Oh, I remember spending so much money when we first started being vegetarians - to see what was out there, and because we were just so excited. Now, 20 years later, we're back down to basics - but we do about one meal a week with the fancy stuff/recipes. It's fun, and once a week can still be affordable. One other tip for making the grocery list - I organize it by food group, so I make sure we have grains (bread, rice, pasta, cereal, waffles), and protein (tofu, eggs, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, soy milk), and dairy, veggies, fruits, etc. I end up buying less stuff this way and we have a balance of foods in the house, and ingredients for many different meals. We get our produce from a CSA, if you have one in your area, that's a great way to save money and have fresh, local food. Oh, and with our CSA, if you volunteer to be a drop-off location for the boxes, you get a free box of produce each week! You could try that! Good luck! Lorraine On Behalf Of PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! Tuesday, February 17, 2009 10:07 AM Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Nope we dont have a Trader Joe's here. Sure wish we did. I hear everyone speaking so highly of this place. I usually look at my pantry see what we have on hand. Then use coupons also when we have them. There are a few sites I use to get coupons from. I do a menu and write out a shopping list. For some reason I am still coming in with $120 on groceries. I think with us being new vegetarians we have been trying all the new things. All the faux meats bocca and morning star has. Trying all these fancy recipes. We just need to get back down to basics. Just trying to come up what should be staples in the house. What are some basic meatless meals. I am sure we can do it. Thank you for all the ideas. These are all great things to keep an eye on and improve on. Cheri @gro <%40> ups.com, " PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! " <warrensangels wrote: > > Hello everyone, > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now that > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there is > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the food > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a week at > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you do? I > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming in > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our income > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for a > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being able > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank you > all in advance. > > Cheri > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 I think basic meals, and less 'prepared' foods will be a big money saver. Some of the more basic things we make: sandwiches (nut butter and fruit, hummus and veggie, mock tuna salad- chickpeas mixed with onion and relish) Chili and cornbread- I try to stock up on canned tomatoes and tomato sauces so that chili is always a good back up meal if we are tired of sandwiches. You can use different types of beans for the chili to get a little different taste. You can add frozen corn or other veggies too, to make it 'different'. I make it without beans, but with smart ground, for the kids- because they hate beans. Spaghetti- we buy a specific brand of jarred sauce that the kids love, but you can make your own sauce too. we've never added meat to our spaghetti, the kids never liked the texture. burritos- beans and rice. I have a rice maker that I love to use for rice, I can make a big batch and put the leftovers in the fridge and use them for stir fry or soup later in the week. I like to make spanish rice to go with our mexican dishes- I just put the rice and water in the rice maker, then add either some chopped tomatoes and onions and a dash of taco seasoning, or about 1/2 cup of salsa (from a bulk container). I love to buy the big cans (32oz) of vegetarian refried beans and add the salsa to those before I cook them. Sometimes I just add a small can of rotel, or a small can of tomatoes and half a packet of taco seasoning and freshly chopped onions. These are great with the spanish rice and some tortillas and sour cream. We like to put sliced cabbage in our taco salads sometimes, instead of lettuce. it's REALLY good with black beans and corn. You can have a meal of 'side dishes' with no 'main course'. If you still use cheese, try to use it sparingly and not as a main ingredient, cheese can be pretty expensive. You can do breakfast dinners, those are usually inexpensive. For snacks, my kids love fresh fruit, celery sticks (I cut them myself) with lemon juice on them and a dash of salt (I buy the Celtic Sea Salt and the Himalayan Sea Salt- they are actually good for you, unlike cheap table salt. They still have minerals in them.), other fresh veggie sticks/pieces- carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. with some sort of dip (or not). Hope something here helps you. Jenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 These are all wonderful ideas. I will have to check back into the Angel food. I know the one I use to go to did not have this. It has been some time since we used them. I will have to check into the free boxes in my local area. We also have a co-op in my area. I have never used one. So I was not sure of all the logistics of it. Or if it would even save us money. Maybe I will have to check into this for sure now. Thank you all for such wonderful support and great ideas. I will be implementing alot of these now. Cheri , " Lorraine " <ldemi wrote: > > Hi Cheri, > I second what everyone else has said: Trader Joe's, Costco, keep a list > and stick to it, etc. Also, I see in a quick google search that some > Angel Food programs have a produce box and a " sides " box – if your > program has those, you could get that and then just have to buy staples > to go with it: pasta, rice, beans, milk, eggs, bread, cereal, tofu, soy > milk, nuts, cheese, etc. We just keep those staples in stock here, and > can throw together quite a few meals just from what's in the fridge and > pantry, usually. > > Also, you could check into free food boxes in your area – some areas > have multiple pick-up spots for different things – one place gives out > bread and bakery things, one place gives produce, one place gives canned > foods – and some places have food pantries where you go to one spot for > everything. Some of these food box places have requirements like you > have to provide volunteer service in your community (babysitting the > neighbor's kids for a couple hours counts, or bringing the elderly > neighbor's mail and trash cans in). Some require that you attend a > church meeting – I'm not so keen on those places since I think hunger > and food provision crosses religious views and shouldn't be linked. > But, if you're okay with that, it opens up other options. My > brother-in-law gets all his food from these free food boxes lately. > > Another tip is to make large quantities of things that fill the tummy – > homemade mac and cheese with tofu is one of our favorites, and veggie > chili with tons of veggies. Also, look for cheaper veggies like cabbage > and potatoes and find recipes that your family loves. :-) One super > cheap meal I learned about in college is one cabbage, one package of > ramen noodles, ½ bag of frozen peas, cook it all together and you have a > filling Asian dish – now I'd add tofu and some basil and cilantro, too. > :-) Oh, and we've been making our own yogurt lately – it ends up to be > about 38 cents per cup, even using organic milk and expensive yogurt to > start it, so I know you could do it for much less. You could also make > huge batches of waffles and freeze some – very cheap way to have frozen > waffles on hand all the time. And don't forget about growing your own > produce, if you are so inclined – a great way to get tons of veggies, > herbs, fruit. > > Oh, and to second what others have said about buying clubs – we have a > Frontier co-op and save tons on organic herbs, veggie burger mix, > falafel mix, sauce and dip mixes, not to mention all our paper products, > cleansers and toiletries. And you could see if there are other places > you can cut back (and save more money for food) – put student loans on > forebearance for a while, arrange for lower car payments for a while, > cut back cable or cell phone services to the basic services that you > use, stop newspaper subs, etc. > > Best of luck and know that you aren't alone in this crazy economy! > Lorraine > > > On > Behalf Of PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! > Monday, February 16, 2009 5:06 PM > > Question on cheaper vegetarian meals > > Hello everyone, > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now that > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there is > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the food > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a week at > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you do? I > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming in > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our income > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for a > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being able > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank you > all in advance. > > Cheri > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Forgive this vegetarian newbie question>> LOL. What is a CSA? , " Lorraine " <ldemi wrote: > > Hi Cheri, > Oh, I remember spending so much money when we first started being > vegetarians - to see what was out there, and because we were just so > excited. Now, 20 years later, we're back down to basics - but we do > about one meal a week with the fancy stuff/recipes. It's fun, and once > a week can still be affordable. One other tip for making the grocery > list - I organize it by food group, so I make sure we have grains > (bread, rice, pasta, cereal, waffles), and protein (tofu, eggs, nuts, > seeds, peanut butter, soy milk), and dairy, veggies, fruits, etc. I end > up buying less stuff this way and we have a balance of foods in the > house, and ingredients for many different meals. We get our produce > from a CSA, if you have one in your area, that's a great way to save > money and have fresh, local food. Oh, and with our CSA, if you > volunteer to be a drop-off location for the boxes, you get a free box of > produce each week! You could try that! > Good luck! > Lorraine > > > On > Behalf Of PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! > Tuesday, February 17, 2009 10:07 AM > > Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals > > Nope we dont have a Trader Joe's here. Sure wish we did. I hear > everyone speaking so highly of this place. I usually look at my > pantry see what we have on hand. Then use coupons also when we have > them. There are a few sites I use to get coupons from. I do a menu > and write out a shopping list. For some reason I am still coming in > with $120 on groceries. I think with us being new vegetarians we have > been trying all the new things. All the faux meats bocca and morning > star has. Trying all these fancy recipes. We just need to get back > down to basics. Just trying to come up what should be staples in the > house. What are some basic meatless meals. I am sure we can do it. > Thank you for all the ideas. These are all great things to keep an > eye on and improve on. > > Cheri > > @gro <%40> > ups.com, " PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! " > <warrensangels@> wrote: > > > > Hello everyone, > > > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We > > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now > that > > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there > is > > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We > > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the > food > > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a > week at > > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you > do? I > > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming > in > > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for > > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our > income > > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for > a > > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being > able > > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank > you > > all in advance. > > > > Cheri > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 These are all wonderful ideas. We have a very small rice cooker. I want a bigger one. Thats ok it will work for us right now just making rice for meals when I need them. Love the burritoe ideas. You know we have never tried Hummus. It looks yummy. I will have to try this now. I will look into making some chili's too. We live in PA. It is cold, cold here. So a nice warm chili would be yumm. Thanks for the wonderful ideas. Cheri , Jenn <jenny.wren76 wrote: > > I think basic meals, and less 'prepared' foods will be a big money saver. > Some of the more basic things we make: > sandwiches (nut butter and fruit, hummus and veggie, mock tuna salad- > chickpeas mixed with onion and relish) > > Chili and cornbread- I try to stock up on canned tomatoes and tomato > sauces so that chili is always a good back up meal if we are tired of > sandwiches. You can use different types of beans for the chili to get > a little different taste. You can add frozen corn or other veggies > too, to make it 'different'. I make it without beans, but with smart > ground, for the kids- because they hate beans. > > Spaghetti- we buy a specific brand of jarred sauce that the kids love, > but you can make your own sauce too. we've never added meat to our > spaghetti, the kids never liked the texture. > > burritos- beans and rice. I have a rice maker that I love to use for > rice, I can make a big batch and put the leftovers in the fridge and > use them for stir fry or soup later in the week. I like to make > spanish rice to go with our mexican dishes- I just put the rice and > water in the rice maker, then add either some chopped tomatoes and > onions and a dash of taco seasoning, or about 1/2 cup of salsa (from a > bulk container). > > I love to buy the big cans (32oz) of vegetarian refried beans and add > the salsa to those before I cook them. Sometimes I just add a small > can of rotel, or a small can of tomatoes and half a packet of taco > seasoning and freshly chopped onions. These are great with the > spanish rice and some tortillas and sour cream. > > We like to put sliced cabbage in our taco salads sometimes, instead of > lettuce. it's REALLY good with black beans and corn. > > You can have a meal of 'side dishes' with no 'main course'. > > If you still use cheese, try to use it sparingly and not as a main > ingredient, cheese can be pretty expensive. > > You can do breakfast dinners, those are usually inexpensive. > > For snacks, my kids love fresh fruit, celery sticks (I cut them > myself) with lemon juice on them and a dash of salt (I buy the Celtic > Sea Salt and the Himalayan Sea Salt- they are actually good for you, > unlike cheap table salt. They still have minerals in them.), other > fresh veggie sticks/pieces- carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, > etc. with some sort of dip (or not). > > Hope something here helps you. > Jenn > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Another thought is to make your own cleaning products. I use a homemade cleaner for general house cleaning; many people make their own laundry and dish detergents. Robin --- On Tue, 2/17/09, Lorraine <ldemi wrote: Lorraine <ldemi RE: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 12:03 PM Hi Cheri, I second what everyone else has said: Trader Joe’s, Costco, keep a list and stick to it, etc. Also, I see in a quick google search that some Angel Food programs have a produce box and a “sides” box – if your program has those, you could get that and then just have to buy staples to go with it: pasta, rice, beans, milk, eggs, bread, cereal, tofu, soy milk, nuts, cheese, etc. We just keep those staples in stock here, and can throw together quite a few meals just from what’s in the fridge and pantry, usually. Also, you could check into free food boxes in your area – some areas have multiple pick-up spots for different things – one place gives out bread and bakery things, one place gives produce, one place gives canned foods – and some places have food pantries where you go to one spot for everything. Some of these food box places have requirements like you have to provide volunteer service in your community (babysitting the neighbor’s kids for a couple hours counts, or bringing the elderly neighbor’s mail and trash cans in). Some require that you attend a church meeting – I’m not so keen on those places since I think hunger and food provision crosses religious views and shouldn’t be linked. But, if you’re okay with that, it opens up other options. My brother-in-law gets all his food from these free food boxes lately. Another tip is to make large quantities of things that fill the tummy – homemade mac and cheese with tofu is one of our favorites, and veggie chili with tons of veggies. Also, look for cheaper veggies like cabbage and potatoes and find recipes that your family loves. :-) One super cheap meal I learned about in college is one cabbage, one package of ramen noodles, ½ bag of frozen peas, cook it all together and you have a filling Asian dish – now I’d add tofu and some basil and cilantro, too. :-) Oh, and we’ve been making our own yogurt lately – it ends up to be about 38 cents per cup, even using organic milk and expensive yogurt to start it, so I know you could do it for much less. You could also make huge batches of waffles and freeze some – very cheap way to have frozen waffles on hand all the time. And don’t forget about growing your own produce, if you are so inclined – a great way to get tons of veggies, herbs, fruit. Oh, and to second what others have said about buying clubs – we have a Frontier co-op and save tons on organic herbs, veggie burger mix, falafel mix, sauce and dip mixes, not to mention all our paper products, cleansers and toiletries. And you could see if there are other places you can cut back (and save more money for food) – put student loans on forebearance for a while, arrange for lower car payments for a while, cut back cable or cell phone services to the basic services that you use, stop newspaper subs, etc. Best of luck and know that you aren’t alone in this crazy economy! Lorraine @gro ups.com [@gro ups.com] On Behalf Of PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! Monday, February 16, 2009 5:06 PM @gro ups.com Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Hello everyone, Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now that we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there is meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the food boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a week at the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you do? I need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming in to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our income coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for a family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being able to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank you all in advance. Cheri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Definitely stay away from the faux meats; they are pretty pricey, even with coupons. Here are a couple of recipes that we like: Sloppy JoJos in the crockpot 1 tbsp. veg. oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 1 celery stalk diced 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 1 red or green pepper, seeded and diced 2 tsps. chili powder 1/2 tsp. allspice 1-1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed (not red lentils) 14-1/2 oz diced tomatoes (I use muir glen fire roasted, if I have them; they were on sale at Target a few weeks ago for $1.00 a can, and I had a couple of coupons that I found online for $1.00 off Muir Glen, so they were free) 3 cups water or vegetable broth 2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce or tamari or braggs 1 tbsp. prepared yellow or brown mustard 1 tbsp. sugar to cut the acid 1 tsp. salt or to taste and add at the end of cooking. Fresh pepper to taste (I use cayenne pepper) Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion, celery, jalapeno pepper, and red or green pepper and chili powder for a few minutes until onion and celery are tender but still firm. Transfer the mixture to the crockpot. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water, soy sauce, mustard and sugar. Add pepper. Stir. Add the salt at the end, this keeps the lentils from taking long to cook and becoming tough. Cover the crockpot, set it on low and cook for 7-8 hours. Or 1 hr on high and 6-7 on low. Serve on wheat buns and have a lot of napkins! This is a great curry; serve with brown rice for a really filling meal. The leftovers make a great lunch, as a cold wrap in a whole wheat tortilla: Cupid's Curry 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 1/2 cups chopped onions 2 large garlic cloves, minced finely 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 teaspoon turmeric Salt to taste 1 quart good-quality vegetable stock or water 1 cup red or brown lentils 2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced 4 carrots, diced 1/2 bunch broccoli, cut into small pieces 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and add onions, cooking over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown and sweetly caramelized. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and salt to taste. Saute for 3 more minutes, stirring frequently. Add stock or water and lentils, bring to a boil, an simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and continue to simmer around 10 more minutes until potatoes and lentils are tender. Add broccoli and chickpeas and cook 5 more minutes. Add pepper to taste and serve hot. Serves 4. Robin --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 12:07 PM Nope we dont have a Trader Joe's here. Sure wish we did. I hear everyone speaking so highly of this place. I usually look at my pantry see what we have on hand. Then use coupons also when we have them. There are a few sites I use to get coupons from. I do a menu and write out a shopping list. For some reason I am still coming in with $120 on groceries. I think with us being new vegetarians we have been trying all the new things. All the faux meats bocca and morning star has. Trying all these fancy recipes. We just need to get back down to basics. Just trying to come up what should be staples in the house. What are some basic meatless meals. I am sure we can do it. Thank you for all the ideas. These are all great things to keep an eye on and improve on. Cheri @gro ups.com, " PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! " <warrensangels@ ...> wrote: > > Hello everyone, > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now that > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there is > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the food > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a week at > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you do? I > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming in > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our income > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for a > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being able > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank you > all in advance. > > Cheri > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi Cheri, Oh, sorry not to explain that – CSA is Community Supported Agriculture. We buy a share from a local organic farm, pay quarterly, and then once a week, we go and pick up a huge box of fruits and veggies. Ours has also had honey and raisins and basil plants and other farm goodies in the past as occasional extras. It’s a bit tough sometimes when we forget to/can’t save up for that quarterly payment, but sooooo worth it to have what feels like free food, organic, fresh, local every week. Yumm! And you benefit from the farm’s influxes, too – so if they harvest tons of strawberries, we get tons of strawberries. (Conversely, last year, the squirrels ate all the corn and melons, so we got none. And last year when wild fires consumed ½ the farm and the farmer’s home, we missed a week of veggies while the farmer found a new place to live, etc.) And every now and then we’ll compare the cost of the CSA box to what we buy in the store – and it ends up being cheaper than the stores. Another big plus! And in response to your other e – co-ops are as different as each other. :-) I belong to some where it takes forever and 15 years to get a delivery (I exaggerate, but you get my point). :-) And I have my own Frontier account for my own buying club of family and friends (and sometimes an order just for us), and those deliver to my area in 5 business days, but would deliver to you in PA much faster (we’re in CA). And I know some co-ops are linked to stores or co-op facilitators who keep stock, and you can pick it up from their office if they are local. And we have a co-op grocery store here – if you have one of those, it’s another co-op way to save – membership is a few dollars a year ($15 or 25, can’t remember), and you save x% off every purchase, and they have some already really great sales and deals. Good luck and have fun!! Lorraine On Behalf Of PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! Tuesday, February 17, 2009 11:31 AM Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Forgive this vegetarian newbie question>> LOL. What is a CSA? @gro <%40> ups.com, " Lorraine " <ldemi wrote: > > Hi Cheri, > Oh, I remember spending so much money when we first started being > vegetarians - to see what was out there, and because we were just so > excited. Now, 20 years later, we're back down to basics - but we do > about one meal a week with the fancy stuff/recipes. It's fun, and once > a week can still be affordable. One other tip for making the grocery > list - I organize it by food group, so I make sure we have grains > (bread, rice, pasta, cereal, waffles), and protein (tofu, eggs, nuts, > seeds, peanut butter, soy milk), and dairy, veggies, fruits, etc. I end > up buying less stuff this way and we have a balance of foods in the > house, and ingredients for many different meals. We get our produce > from a CSA, if you have one in your area, that's a great way to save > money and have fresh, local food. Oh, and with our CSA, if you > volunteer to be a drop-off location for the boxes, you get a free box of > produce each week! You could try that! > Good luck! > Lorraine > > > @gro <%40> ups.com [@gro <%40> ups.com] On > Behalf Of PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! > Tuesday, February 17, 2009 10:07 AM > @gro <%40> ups.com > Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals > > Nope we dont have a Trader Joe's here. Sure wish we did. I hear > everyone speaking so highly of this place. I usually look at my > pantry see what we have on hand. Then use coupons also when we have > them. There are a few sites I use to get coupons from. I do a menu > and write out a shopping list. For some reason I am still coming in > with $120 on groceries. I think with us being new vegetarians we have > been trying all the new things. All the faux meats bocca and morning > star has. Trying all these fancy recipes. We just need to get back > down to basics. Just trying to come up what should be staples in the > house. What are some basic meatless meals. I am sure we can do it. > Thank you for all the ideas. These are all great things to keep an > eye on and improve on. > > Cheri > > @gro <%40> > ups.com, " PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! " > <warrensangels@> wrote: > > > > Hello everyone, > > > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We > > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now > that > > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there > is > > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We > > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the > food > > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a > week at > > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you > do? I > > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming > in > > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for > > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our > income > > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for > a > > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being > able > > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank > you > > all in advance. > > > > Cheri > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Here is another burrito idea: Sweet Potato Burritos 3 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups cooked kidney beans, or drained canned 2 cups water or vegetable broth 3 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 4 teaspoons prepared mustard 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste 3 tablespoons soy sauce 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes 12 (10 inch) tortillas, warmed 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic in until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water or vegetable broth, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve. --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 1:35 PM These are all wonderful ideas. We have a very small rice cooker. I want a bigger one. Thats ok it will work for us right now just making rice for meals when I need them. Love the burritoe ideas. You know we have never tried Hummus. It looks yummy. I will have to try this now. I will look into making some chili's too. We live in PA. It is cold, cold here. So a nice warm chili would be yumm. Thanks for the wonderful ideas. Cheri @gro ups.com, Jenn <jenny.wren76@ ...> wrote: > > I think basic meals, and less 'prepared' foods will be a big money saver. > Some of the more basic things we make: > sandwiches (nut butter and fruit, hummus and veggie, mock tuna salad- > chickpeas mixed with onion and relish) > > Chili and cornbread- I try to stock up on canned tomatoes and tomato > sauces so that chili is always a good back up meal if we are tired of > sandwiches. You can use different types of beans for the chili to get > a little different taste. You can add frozen corn or other veggies > too, to make it 'different'. I make it without beans, but with smart > ground, for the kids- because they hate beans. > > Spaghetti- we buy a specific brand of jarred sauce that the kids love, > but you can make your own sauce too. we've never added meat to our > spaghetti, the kids never liked the texture. > > burritos- beans and rice. I have a rice maker that I love to use for > rice, I can make a big batch and put the leftovers in the fridge and > use them for stir fry or soup later in the week. I like to make > spanish rice to go with our mexican dishes- I just put the rice and > water in the rice maker, then add either some chopped tomatoes and > onions and a dash of taco seasoning, or about 1/2 cup of salsa (from a > bulk container). > > I love to buy the big cans (32oz) of vegetarian refried beans and add > the salsa to those before I cook them. Sometimes I just add a small > can of rotel, or a small can of tomatoes and half a packet of taco > seasoning and freshly chopped onions. These are great with the > spanish rice and some tortillas and sour cream. > > We like to put sliced cabbage in our taco salads sometimes, instead of > lettuce. it's REALLY good with black beans and corn. > > You can have a meal of 'side dishes' with no 'main course'. > > If you still use cheese, try to use it sparingly and not as a main > ingredient, cheese can be pretty expensive. > > You can do breakfast dinners, those are usually inexpensive. > > For snacks, my kids love fresh fruit, celery sticks (I cut them > myself) with lemon juice on them and a dash of salt (I buy the Celtic > Sea Salt and the Himalayan Sea Salt- they are actually good for you, > unlike cheap table salt. They still have minerals in them.), other > fresh veggie sticks/pieces- carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, > etc. with some sort of dip (or not). > > Hope something here helps you. > Jenn > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 What great recipes. I will be printing these out and using them. Thank you so very much. Cheri , robin koloms <rkoloms wrote: > > > > Definitely stay away from the faux meats; they are pretty pricey, even with coupons. > > Here are a couple of recipes that we like: > > Sloppy JoJos in the crockpot > > 1 tbsp. veg. oil > 1 large yellow onion, diced > 1 celery stalk diced > 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped > 1 red or green pepper, seeded and diced > 2 tsps. chili powder > 1/2 tsp. allspice > 1-1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed (not red lentils) > 14-1/2 oz diced tomatoes (I use muir glen fire roasted, if I have them; they were on sale at Target a few weeks ago for $1.00 a can, and I had a couple of coupons that I found online for $1.00 off Muir Glen, so they were free) > 3 cups water or vegetable broth > 2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce or tamari or braggs > 1 tbsp. prepared yellow or brown mustard > 1 tbsp. sugar to cut the acid > 1 tsp. salt or to taste and add at the end of cooking. > Fresh pepper to taste (I use cayenne pepper) > > Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion, celery, jalapeno pepper, and red or green pepper and chili powder for a few minutes until onion and celery are tender but still firm. Transfer the mixture to the crockpot. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water, soy sauce, > mustard and sugar. Add pepper. Stir. Add the salt at the end, this keeps the lentils from taking long to cook and becoming tough. Cover the crockpot, set it on low and cook for 7-8 hours. Or 1 hr on high and 6-7 on low. Serve on wheat buns and have a lot of napkins! > > This is a great curry; serve with brown rice for a really filling meal. The leftovers make a great lunch, as a cold wrap in a whole wheat tortilla: > > Cupid's Curry > > 1 tablespoon olive oil > 2 1/2 cups chopped onions > 2 large garlic cloves, minced finely > 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger > 2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds > 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom > 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds > 1 teaspoon turmeric > Salt to taste > 1 quart good-quality vegetable stock or water > 1 cup red or brown lentils > 2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced > 4 carrots, diced > 1/2 bunch broccoli, cut into small pieces > 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas > Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste > > In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and add onions, cooking over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown and sweetly caramelized. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and salt to taste. Saute for 3 more > minutes, stirring frequently. Add stock or water and lentils, bring to a boil, an simmer for 10 > minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and continue to simmer around 10 more minutes until potatoes and lentils are tender. Add broccoli and chickpeas and cook 5 more minutes. Add pepper to taste and serve hot. Serves 4. > > Robin > > --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: > > PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels > Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals > > Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 12:07 PM Nope we dont have a Trader Joe's here. Sure wish we did. I hear > everyone speaking so highly of this place. I usually look at my > pantry see what we have on hand. Then use coupons also when we have > them. There are a few sites I use to get coupons from. I do a menu > and write out a shopping list. For some reason I am still coming in > with $120 on groceries. I think with us being new vegetarians we have > been trying all the new things. All the faux meats bocca and morning > star has. Trying all these fancy recipes. We just need to get back > down to basics. Just trying to come up what should be staples in the > house. What are some basic meatless meals. I am sure we can do it. > Thank you for all the ideas. These are all great things to keep an > eye on and improve on. > > Cheri > > @gro ups.com, " PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! " > <warrensangels@ ...> wrote: > > > > Hello everyone, > > > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We > > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now > that > > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there > is > > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We > > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the > food > > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a > week at > > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you > do? I > > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming > in > > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for > > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our > income > > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for > a > > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being > able > > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank > you > > all in advance. > > > > Cheri > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Those sound yummy. I have never had a sweet potato burrito. , robin koloms <rkoloms wrote: > > > Here is another burrito idea: > > Sweet Potato Burritos > > 3 teaspoons vegetable oil > 1 onion, chopped > 4 cloves garlic, minced > 6 cups cooked kidney beans, or drained canned > 2 cups water or vegetable broth > 3 tablespoons chili powder > 2 teaspoons ground cumin > 4 teaspoons prepared mustard > 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste > 3 tablespoons soy sauce > 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes > 12 (10 inch) tortillas, warmed > 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese > > Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic in until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water or vegetable broth, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour > tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve. > > --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: > > PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels > Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals > > Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 1:35 PM These are all wonderful ideas. We have a very small rice cooker. I > want a bigger one. Thats ok it will work for us right now just making > rice for meals when I need them. Love the burritoe ideas. You know we > have never tried Hummus. It looks yummy. I will have to try this now. > I will look into making some chili's too. We live in PA. It is cold, > cold here. So a nice warm chili would be yumm. Thanks for the > wonderful ideas. > > Cheri > > @gro ups.com, Jenn <jenny.wren76@ ...> wrote: > > > > I think basic meals, and less 'prepared' foods will be a big money > saver. > > Some of the more basic things we make: > > sandwiches (nut butter and fruit, hummus and veggie, mock tuna > salad- > > chickpeas mixed with onion and relish) > > > > Chili and cornbread- I try to stock up on canned tomatoes and tomato > > sauces so that chili is always a good back up meal if we are tired > of > > sandwiches. You can use different types of beans for the chili to > get > > a little different taste. You can add frozen corn or other veggies > > too, to make it 'different'. I make it without beans, but with > smart > > ground, for the kids- because they hate beans. > > > > Spaghetti- we buy a specific brand of jarred sauce that the kids > love, > > but you can make your own sauce too. we've never added meat to our > > spaghetti, the kids never liked the texture. > > > > burritos- beans and rice. I have a rice maker that I love to use > for > > rice, I can make a big batch and put the leftovers in the fridge and > > use them for stir fry or soup later in the week. I like to make > > spanish rice to go with our mexican dishes- I just put the rice and > > water in the rice maker, then add either some chopped tomatoes and > > onions and a dash of taco seasoning, or about 1/2 cup of salsa > (from a > > bulk container). > > > > I love to buy the big cans (32oz) of vegetarian refried beans and > add > > the salsa to those before I cook them. Sometimes I just add a small > > can of rotel, or a small can of tomatoes and half a packet of taco > > seasoning and freshly chopped onions. These are great with the > > spanish rice and some tortillas and sour cream. > > > > We like to put sliced cabbage in our taco salads sometimes, instead > of > > lettuce. it's REALLY good with black beans and corn. > > > > You can have a meal of 'side dishes' with no 'main course'. > > > > If you still use cheese, try to use it sparingly and not as a main > > ingredient, cheese can be pretty expensive. > > > > You can do breakfast dinners, those are usually inexpensive. > > > > For snacks, my kids love fresh fruit, celery sticks (I cut them > > myself) with lemon juice on them and a dash of salt (I buy the > Celtic > > Sea Salt and the Himalayan Sea Salt- they are actually good for you, > > unlike cheap table salt. They still have minerals in them.), other > > fresh veggie sticks/pieces- carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, > broccoli, > > etc. with some sort of dip (or not). > > > > Hope something here helps you. > > Jenn > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 This is my favorite thread in ages! Thanks Cheri for asking, and thanks to all who are helping those of us in trouble!! Ann > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 One last suggestion. I have a separate account for recipes; they never get lost and I don't waste paper. I have them catagorized by breakfast, soups, etc. Robin --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 7:59 PM What great recipes. I will be printing these out and using them. Thank you so very much. Cheri @gro ups.com, robin koloms <rkoloms > wrote: > > > > Definitely stay away from the faux meats; they are pretty pricey, even with coupons. > > Here are a couple of recipes that we like: > > Sloppy JoJos in the crockpot > > 1 tbsp. veg. oil > 1 large yellow onion, diced > 1 celery stalk diced > 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped > 1 red or green pepper, seeded and diced > 2 tsps. chili powder > 1/2 tsp. allspice > 1-1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed (not red lentils) > 14-1/2 oz diced tomatoes (I use muir glen fire roasted, if I have them; they were on sale at Target a few weeks ago for $1.00 a can, and I had a couple of coupons that I found online for $1.00 off Muir Glen, so they were free) > 3 cups water or vegetable broth > 2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce or tamari or braggs > 1 tbsp. prepared yellow or brown mustard > 1 tbsp. sugar to cut the acid > 1 tsp. salt or to taste and add at the end of cooking. > Fresh pepper to taste (I use cayenne pepper) > > Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion, celery, jalapeno pepper, and red or green pepper and chili powder for a few minutes until onion and celery are tender but still firm. Transfer the mixture to the crockpot. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water, soy sauce, > mustard and sugar. Add pepper. Stir. Add the salt at the end, this keeps the lentils from taking long to cook and becoming tough. Cover the crockpot, set it on low and cook for 7-8 hours. Or 1 hr on high and 6-7 on low. Serve on wheat buns and have a lot of napkins! > > This is a great curry; serve with brown rice for a really filling meal. The leftovers make a great lunch, as a cold wrap in a whole wheat tortilla: > > Cupid's Curry > > 1 tablespoon olive oil > 2 1/2 cups chopped onions > 2 large garlic cloves, minced finely > 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger > 2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds > 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom > 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds > 1 teaspoon turmeric > Salt to taste > 1 quart good-quality vegetable stock or water > 1 cup red or brown lentils > 2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced > 4 carrots, diced > 1/2 bunch broccoli, cut into small pieces > 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas > Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste > > In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and add onions, cooking over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown and sweetly caramelized. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and salt to taste. Saute for 3 more > minutes, stirring frequently. Add stock or water and lentils, bring to a boil, an simmer for 10 > minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and continue to simmer around 10 more minutes until potatoes and lentils are tender. Add broccoli and chickpeas and cook 5 more minutes. Add pepper to taste and serve hot. Serves 4. > > Robin > > --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels@ ...> wrote: > > PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels@ ...> > Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals > @gro ups.com > Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 12:07 PM Nope we dont have a Trader Joe's here. Sure wish we did. I hear > everyone speaking so highly of this place. I usually look at my > pantry see what we have on hand. Then use coupons also when we have > them. There are a few sites I use to get coupons from. I do a menu > and write out a shopping list. For some reason I am still coming in > with $120 on groceries. I think with us being new vegetarians we have > been trying all the new things. All the faux meats bocca and morning > star has. Trying all these fancy recipes. We just need to get back > down to basics. Just trying to come up what should be staples in the > house. What are some basic meatless meals. I am sure we can do it. > Thank you for all the ideas. These are all great things to keep an > eye on and improve on. > > Cheri > > @gro ups.com, " PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! " > <warrensangels@ ...> wrote: > > > > Hello everyone, > > > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. We > > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now > that > > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when there > is > > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. We > > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the > food > > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a > week at > > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you > do? I > > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income coming > in > > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way for > > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our > income > > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount for > a > > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being > able > > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank > you > > all in advance. > > > > Cheri > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 They are very yummy, and help get that daily rainbow of veggies into your family. There is no need to follow the recipe; you can season to your taste. --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 8:12 PM Those sound yummy. I have never had a sweet potato burrito. @gro ups.com, robin koloms <rkoloms > wrote: > > > Here is another burrito idea: > > Sweet Potato Burritos > > 3 teaspoons vegetable oil > 1 onion, chopped > 4 cloves garlic, minced > 6 cups cooked kidney beans, or drained canned > 2 cups water or vegetable broth > 3 tablespoons chili powder > 2 teaspoons ground cumin > 4 teaspoons prepared mustard > 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste > 3 tablespoons soy sauce > 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes > 12 (10 inch) tortillas, warmed > 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese > > Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic in until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water or vegetable broth, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour > tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve. > > --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels@ ...> wrote: > > PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels@ ...> > Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals > @gro ups.com > Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 1:35 PM These are all wonderful ideas. We have a very small rice cooker. I > want a bigger one. Thats ok it will work for us right now just making > rice for meals when I need them. Love the burritoe ideas. You know we > have never tried Hummus. It looks yummy. I will have to try this now. > I will look into making some chili's too. We live in PA. It is cold, > cold here. So a nice warm chili would be yumm. Thanks for the > wonderful ideas. > > Cheri > > @gro ups.com, Jenn <jenny.wren76@ ...> wrote: > > > > I think basic meals, and less 'prepared' foods will be a big money > saver. > > Some of the more basic things we make: > > sandwiches (nut butter and fruit, hummus and veggie, mock tuna > salad- > > chickpeas mixed with onion and relish) > > > > Chili and cornbread- I try to stock up on canned tomatoes and tomato > > sauces so that chili is always a good back up meal if we are tired > of > > sandwiches. You can use different types of beans for the chili to > get > > a little different taste. You can add frozen corn or other veggies > > too, to make it 'different'. I make it without beans, but with > smart > > ground, for the kids- because they hate beans. > > > > Spaghetti- we buy a specific brand of jarred sauce that the kids > love, > > but you can make your own sauce too. we've never added meat to our > > spaghetti, the kids never liked the texture. > > > > burritos- beans and rice. I have a rice maker that I love to use > for > > rice, I can make a big batch and put the leftovers in the fridge and > > use them for stir fry or soup later in the week. I like to make > > spanish rice to go with our mexican dishes- I just put the rice and > > water in the rice maker, then add either some chopped tomatoes and > > onions and a dash of taco seasoning, or about 1/2 cup of salsa > (from a > > bulk container). > > > > I love to buy the big cans (32oz) of vegetarian refried beans and > add > > the salsa to those before I cook them. Sometimes I just add a small > > can of rotel, or a small can of tomatoes and half a packet of taco > > seasoning and freshly chopped onions. These are great with the > > spanish rice and some tortillas and sour cream. > > > > We like to put sliced cabbage in our taco salads sometimes, instead > of > > lettuce. it's REALLY good with black beans and corn. > > > > You can have a meal of 'side dishes' with no 'main course'. > > > > If you still use cheese, try to use it sparingly and not as a main > > ingredient, cheese can be pretty expensive. > > > > You can do breakfast dinners, those are usually inexpensive. > > > > For snacks, my kids love fresh fruit, celery sticks (I cut them > > myself) with lemon juice on them and a dash of salt (I buy the > Celtic > > Sea Salt and the Himalayan Sea Salt- they are actually good for you, > > unlike cheap table salt. They still have minerals in them.), other > > fresh veggie sticks/pieces- carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, > broccoli, > > etc. with some sort of dip (or not). > > > > Hope something here helps you. > > Jenn > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Thats a really good idea. Thank you. , robin koloms <rkoloms wrote: > > One last suggestion. I have a separate account for recipes; they never get lost and I don't waste paper. I have them catagorized by breakfast, soups, etc. > > Robin > > --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: > > PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels > Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals > > Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 7:59 PM What great recipes. I will be printing these out and using them. > Thank you so very much. > > Cheri > > @gro ups.com, robin koloms <rkoloms@ > wrote: > > > > > > > > Definitely stay away from the faux meats; they are pretty pricey, > even with coupons. > > > > Here are a couple of recipes that we like: > > > > Sloppy JoJos in the crockpot > > > > 1 tbsp. veg. oil > > 1 large yellow onion, diced > > 1 celery stalk diced > > 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped > > 1 red or green pepper, seeded and diced > > 2 tsps. chili powder > > 1/2 tsp. allspice > > 1-1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed (not red lentils) > > 14-1/2 oz diced tomatoes (I use muir glen fire roasted, if I have > them; they were on sale at Target a few weeks ago for $1.00 a can, > and I had a couple of coupons that I found online for $1.00 off Muir > Glen, so they were free) > > 3 cups water or vegetable broth > > 2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce or tamari or braggs > > 1 tbsp. prepared yellow or brown mustard > > 1 tbsp. sugar to cut the acid > > 1 tsp. salt or to taste and add at the end of cooking. > > Fresh pepper to taste (I use cayenne pepper) > > > > Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion, celery, jalapeno > pepper, and red or green pepper and chili powder for a few minutes > until onion and celery are tender but still firm. Transfer the > mixture to the crockpot. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water, soy sauce, > > mustard and sugar. Add pepper. Stir. Add the salt at the end, this > keeps the lentils from taking long to cook and becoming tough. Cover > the crockpot, set it on low and cook for 7-8 hours. Or 1 hr on high > and 6-7 on low. Serve on wheat buns and have a lot of napkins! > > > > This is a great curry; serve with brown rice for a really filling > meal. The leftovers make a great lunch, as a cold wrap in a whole > wheat tortilla: > > > > Cupid's Curry > > > > 1 tablespoon olive oil > > 2 1/2 cups chopped onions > > 2 large garlic cloves, minced finely > > 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger > > 2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds > > 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom > > 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds > > 1 teaspoon turmeric > > Salt to taste > > 1 quart good-quality vegetable stock or water > > 1 cup red or brown lentils > > 2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced > > 4 carrots, diced > > 1/2 bunch broccoli, cut into small pieces > > 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas > > Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste > > > > In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and add onions, > cooking over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until > onions are brown and sweetly caramelized. Add garlic, ginger, > coriander, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and salt to taste. Saute for 3 > more > > minutes, stirring frequently. Add stock or water and lentils, bring > to a boil, an simmer for 10 > > minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and continue to simmer around 10 > more minutes until potatoes and lentils are tender. Add broccoli and > chickpeas and cook 5 more minutes. Add pepper to taste and serve hot. > Serves 4. > > > > Robin > > > > --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels@ ...> > wrote: > > > > PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels@ ...> > > Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals > > @gro ups.com > > Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 12:07 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Nope we dont have a Trader Joe's here. Sure wish we did. I hear > > everyone speaking so highly of this place. I usually look at my > > pantry see what we have on hand. Then use coupons also when we have > > them. There are a few sites I use to get coupons from. I do a menu > > and write out a shopping list. For some reason I am still coming in > > with $120 on groceries. I think with us being new vegetarians we > have > > been trying all the new things. All the faux meats bocca and > morning > > star has. Trying all these fancy recipes. We just need to get back > > down to basics. Just trying to come up what should be staples in > the > > house. What are some basic meatless meals. I am sure we can do it. > > Thank you for all the ideas. These are all great things to keep an > > eye on and improve on. > > > > Cheri > > > > @gro ups.com, " PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! " > > <warrensangels@ ...> wrote: > > > > > > Hello everyone, > > > > > > Not to get to personal here. To give a bit of why I am asking. My > > > husband was making plenty to cover our family expensives before. > We > > > were going through a certain food program called angel food. Now > > that > > > we are vegetarian. We do not want to buy the food boxes when > there > > is > > > meat in them. So we have been shopping at regualr grocery store. > We > > > were easily spending $180 a month for all our groceries with the > > food > > > boxes. Now we are finding ourselves easily spending $120-$150 a > > week at > > > the store. How do you make cheaper meals for your families if you > > do? I > > > need to get this cost down alot. My hubby is the only income > coming > > in > > > to our home. His hours have been cut now and will stay this way > for > > > some time. He is no longer getting incentive like he was. So our > > income > > > coming in has been cut about $600 a month. This is a big amount > for > > a > > > family of 4. Thank you for any advice or information. Love being > > able > > > to come to other parents who have same lifestyle as we do. Thank > > you > > > all in advance. > > > > > > Cheri > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Your welcome. I figured who better to ask than other parents who feed there children in the same way we do. I knew there was such a wonderful support here. I knew there was no better place to ask. Hope these ideas help others to who may be struggling right now with this economy. Cheri , " annsfarm4444 " <catlady4444 wrote: > > This is my favorite thread in ages! Thanks Cheri for asking, and > thanks to all who are helping those of us in trouble!! > Ann > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 This sounds awesome! I have a recipe similar to this for sweet potato quesodillas (you shred the sweet potatoes and onions/garlic and cook in a skillet, I think similar spices -cumin, corriander a little s & p and once it's done you get a skillet and put down a tortilla, add filling on half and some shredded 'cheeze' fold the top over and then brown the tortilla to melt the cheeze. They are amazingly good, so I'm guessing this one will be awesome as well! My son has been asking to have them a lot lately, so this will be a nice change from our regular stuff. Thanks! missie On Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 8:12 PM, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels wrote: > Those sound yummy. I have never had a sweet potato burrito. > > , robin koloms <rkoloms wrote: >> >> >> Here is another burrito idea: >> >> Sweet Potato Burritos >> >> 3 teaspoons vegetable oil >> 1 onion, chopped >> 4 cloves garlic, minced >> 6 cups cooked kidney beans, or drained canned >> 2 cups water or vegetable broth >> 3 tablespoons chili powder >> 2 teaspoons ground cumin >> 4 teaspoons prepared mustard >> 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste >> 3 tablespoons soy sauce >> 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes >> 12 (10 inch) tortillas, warmed >> 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese >> >> Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and > saute onion and garlic in until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. > Gradually stir in water or vegetable broth, and heat until warm. > Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, > cayenne pepper and soy sauce. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet > potatoes evenly between the warm flour >> tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style. Bake > for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve. >> >> --- On Tue, 2/17/09, PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels > wrote: >> >> PEBBLES N BAM-BAM!!!!! <warrensangels >> Re: Question on cheaper vegetarian meals >> >> Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 1:35 PM >> >> >> >> >> >> >> These are all wonderful ideas. We have a very small rice cooker. I >> want a bigger one. Thats ok it will work for us right now just > making >> rice for meals when I need them. Love the burritoe ideas. You know > we >> have never tried Hummus. It looks yummy. I will have to try this > now. >> I will look into making some chili's too. We live in PA. It is > cold, >> cold here. So a nice warm chili would be yumm. Thanks for the >> wonderful ideas. >> >> Cheri >> >> @gro ups.com, Jenn <jenny.wren76@ ...> wrote: >> > >> > I think basic meals, and less 'prepared' foods will be a big > money >> saver. >> > Some of the more basic things we make: >> > sandwiches (nut butter and fruit, hummus and veggie, mock tuna >> salad- >> > chickpeas mixed with onion and relish) >> > >> > Chili and cornbread- I try to stock up on canned tomatoes and > tomato >> > sauces so that chili is always a good back up meal if we are > tired >> of >> > sandwiches. You can use different types of beans for the chili to >> get >> > a little different taste. You can add frozen corn or other veggies >> > too, to make it 'different'. I make it without beans, but with >> smart >> > ground, for the kids- because they hate beans. >> > >> > Spaghetti- we buy a specific brand of jarred sauce that the kids >> love, >> > but you can make your own sauce too. we've never added meat to our >> > spaghetti, the kids never liked the texture. >> > >> > burritos- beans and rice. I have a rice maker that I love to use >> for >> > rice, I can make a big batch and put the leftovers in the fridge > and >> > use them for stir fry or soup later in the week. I like to make >> > spanish rice to go with our mexican dishes- I just put the rice > and >> > water in the rice maker, then add either some chopped tomatoes and >> > onions and a dash of taco seasoning, or about 1/2 cup of salsa >> (from a >> > bulk container). >> > >> > I love to buy the big cans (32oz) of vegetarian refried beans and >> add >> > the salsa to those before I cook them. Sometimes I just add a > small >> > can of rotel, or a small can of tomatoes and half a packet of taco >> > seasoning and freshly chopped onions. These are great with the >> > spanish rice and some tortillas and sour cream. >> > >> > We like to put sliced cabbage in our taco salads sometimes, > instead >> of >> > lettuce. it's REALLY good with black beans and corn. >> > >> > You can have a meal of 'side dishes' with no 'main course'. >> > >> > If you still use cheese, try to use it sparingly and not as a main >> > ingredient, cheese can be pretty expensive. >> > >> > You can do breakfast dinners, those are usually inexpensive. >> > >> > For snacks, my kids love fresh fruit, celery sticks (I cut them >> > myself) with lemon juice on them and a dash of salt (I buy the >> Celtic >> > Sea Salt and the Himalayan Sea Salt- they are actually good for > you, >> > unlike cheap table salt. They still have minerals in them.), other >> > fresh veggie sticks/pieces- carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, >> broccoli, >> > etc. with some sort of dip (or not). >> > >> > Hope something here helps you. >> > Jenn >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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