Thursday, April 29, 2010

Plan To Eat: Menu Planning Website

Once I get into a routine, it's very hard for me to change. Decorated a wall in the house? It will look just like that in 10 years unless we move. Clothes? Wear them until they are worn out, regardless if they have gone out of style. So, when Terry asked me to try a new menu planning website I was not excited. At. all. After all, I've been doing this for years and my way works just fine. (Not bitter. Much.)

But he persisted (as usual) and got me to give Plantoeat.com a shot for 30 days. I was mainly leery because it meant me inputting my recipes. Frankly, I have a lot of recipes all neatly organized in a binder with sheet protectors. Easy to flip through, add to or take out.

What I Love:
Drag and drop feature once I've inputted a recipe.
Auto shopping list based on meals I've planned and date range I've requested.
Ability to "follow" another subscriber and have access to their recipes.
It's just very visually appealing.
Auto updates to my Google Calendar.

Not My Favorite:
Inputting all of my recipes. However, once it's done, it's done.
It's not free. It is however only $5/month or $40 for the year if you pay up front.
Wish my Google Calendar would update to Plan To Eat.
I don't like change. But I guess that's not a really good reason.

So, I will be using Plan To Eat from this point forward. If you want to connect with me and share recipes, sign up and let me know! The first 30 days is free. If you don't like it, no loss.


Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Peanut Butter Squares

What I really want to call these are Peanut Butterscotch Squares of Delish. These are without a doubt the one cookie I will make again after the neighborhood cookie exchange. (I've also eaten all of the cookies my next door neighbor made, but I do not know if they are easy enough for this blog yet.)

1/2 C Butter
1 C Peanut Butter
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 bag mini-marshmallows

Melt butter, PB and butterscotch chips over hot water.
Cool.
Add marshmallows and stir until well coated.
Spread into greased 9x13 pan and chill. Cut into 1" squares.
Store in fridge until ready to serve!


Sunday, November 22, 2009

Menu Planning 101

I have gotten a lot of replies via twitter (a lot for me is 15 by the way) about my method of menu planning. And while I believe I have been successfully talked into providing a weekly menu and shopping list starting in January, I thought I'd give you a run down on how I get the job done. You know, just in case my menus don't work for your family of two or 15.

Our family includes four people. Two adults (one whom is a part time vegetarian) and two children (one of whom is often heard saying "I don't like that." no matter what I put on the table.) Obviously, cooking for 4 is easier than cooking for a whole bunch more. And when Terry and I are empty-nesters someday, you can expect us out to eat. A LOT. =)

The reason I plan a menu is quite simple: budget. I want to know how much money I can expect to spend at the grocery store and therefore how much money I will have extra to spend on fun stuff like gardening or decorating the house. Groceries first. Fun second.

Here we go: Menu Planning 101

1. Know Your Recipes: I happen to have a recipe binder in addition to my cookbooks. If there is a recipe I use frequently, I tear it out (esp. if I use the cookbook for hardly any other recipe) place it in one of those plastic sleeves, and into the recipe binder it goes. Behind the appropriate tab of course. The sleeves also come in handy when I tear a recipe out of a magazine or copy one down from a friend. If you have a pretty good idea of what is in your repertoire, menu planning becomes less time consuming. I've even gone so far as to make an index of our favorites. An index helps when I get stuck on occasion.

2. Try Something New: At least once a month try something new. Have a backup like a frozen pizza because it could be a total flop. Then you're out to eat spending more money than you wanted to. And make the something new healthy. I've been trying to weed out the cheese and butter laden recipes for years now. It's harder than you think if you don't have really good replacement meals.

3. Google Calendar: You can use any calendar and sometimes I go old school with a paper calendar, but I like to use Google Calendar to put things down. Check with your spouse and kids. Then mark off any days you don't need to cook/plan for. This doesn't necessarily mean not providing food, but if I can heat up a box of soup and serve it with grilled cheese (cheap and easy) then that is what I am doing. For example, I never plan real food for days Terry is out of town. My kids think Kid Cuisine or breakfast for dinner is a special treat, so I go with it. Also, the girls are at Konnect every Sunday night right at dinner time. Sundays are EMFH: Every Man for Himself. And some nights we just want to eat out. Doesn't happen that often.

4. Double Duty Meals: If you don't like leftovers, but want to stay on a tighter budget, you will have to get over one or the other. =) At least once a planning period (every 15 days for us) I make a double duty meal like Turkey Penne. This dish makes so much we can have our neighbors over AND eat it again one other night. Leftovers don't have to be the next night. Give your family a break, and stick a new meal in between days. It'll seem like new! Sort of. Ok, just look at the new rug you bought with all the money you are saving and they'll get over it. Ha ha!

5. Plan Your Meals!: At this point I just go through my index (if I need to) and write down one meal for each open calendar day.

Things to think about: Plan the recipes that utilize fresh ingredients first. There's nothing worse than your produce going bad before you actually get to make the meal. Then you are stuck with another trip to the grocery. If you enjoy entertaining, plan get togethers around recipes that make a boat load of food anyway. Then the only extra thing you are doing is setting the table for guests. You can always ask guests to bring a salad or dessert. They rarely mind and it's one less thing on your plate. Pun intended.

Also, special meals like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter require special care. Usually have a whole entire page for those. Lots to do and think about!

6. Make a Grocery List: As I am writing down or typing in the meal, I write down the ingredients on my list. My list is simply a blank piece of notebook paper with categories written at the top (Produce, Meat, Dairy, Frozen, Grocery, Misc.) This will save you time at the store as you won't see something on your list when you are getting milk that you needed to get while on isle 7.

Things to Think about: I keep a white board on the inside of my pantry door so I can write down staples as we run out of them. I always buy several frozen pizzas or a Stouffer's Lasagna for nights I want something easy and just don't feel like cooking. Also, don't be afraid of generic products, especially canned goods going in soups etc. NO ONE WILL KNOW. Not even you. But your pocketbook will notice. I don't do a lot of couponing. Generally we don't eat a lot of the things I get coupons for; if I have one, great! If not, I don't stress too much.

7. Go to the Grocery as Little as Possible: I always spend more money the more often I go shopping. Even if it's for one or two items. Even worse then because I feel like I'm not spending that much so it's okay to pick up a little of this or a little of that.


This is what I really do for each pay period. It takes me about 30 minutes or less to plan and write out a grocery list. I do intend on posting menus and grocery lists beginning in January, but for now, grab your cookbooks, a calendar and a pen (or your laptop) and get to it!!

Monday, November 16, 2009

About This Blog

If you are here and wondering why my husband wears a 'stache in November or what kinds of plants I like to tinker around with in my garden, then check out my other blog. It's all day to day stuff. (Speaking of day to day stuff. If you could hear the noises coming from my dogs stomach. Wow. I hope she ate lots of grass when she went out because this isn't going to be pretty coming out.) Where was I? Oh yea, THIS blog is about food.

I started out with all kinds of menus. Or really like two menus because it was a LOT of work. I plan by the pay period; so right before the first and the fifteenth, I get out a calendar and go at it with my recipe binder, any new magazines that have come my way, and the plethora of cook books at my disposal. It's great for our family, but what I've realized (from some comments I have gotten) is that moms really need good recipes that don't take forever, aren't covered in cheese and butter, and don't cost a blooming fortune. Hence the new tag line: Real Families, Real Budget and Real Time.

My intention is to update this blog when I find new recipes that fit the above criteria, and begin to add all the yummy ones I already have. I do not make my own recipes. I'm not that talented. But, I do have a knack for finding the good ones though!

Hope you enjoy!





Thursday, October 29, 2009

American Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

I saw this grilled cheese recipe in Cooking Light (one of my favorite magazines!) a while back. We love it here and it's become an easy weeknight meal. As an added bonus, it's a meal I've managed to make with 350 calories. My rear thanks me. Yours will thank you too. =)

American Grilled Cheese: Ingredients
Reduced Fat Sargento Provolone Cheese
Reduced Fat Sargento Colby Jack Cheese
45 Calorie sliced bread (Sara Lee)
light spreadable butter or margarine
sliced Roma tomatoes
fresh basil leaves

I'm wondering if I really need to type out how to make a grilled cheese sandwich? Ok, if I get one comment about needing directions, I will come back and edit this post with directions. =) But it goes butter, bread, provolone cheese, sliced Roma, basil leaves, Colby jack slice, bread, butter. Grill. If you use more than once slice of each cheese, it will be more than 350 calories.

Tomato Soup: Pacific Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato
Now, the soup. My favorite soup with this sandwich is Pacific Natural Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup. It's only $3.69 for 32 oz. We usually warm half and put the box in the fridge. It lasts for two meals since the girls won't eat it. As usual.

So, serve up the soup, top with a few croutons and some shredded Parmesan cheese (again, you will add a few extra calories there, too.)

So, cheap, easy, delicious. What more could you want?!




Thursday, October 22, 2009

Four Ingredient Breakfast Casserole

Giving Credit: This one is my mom's. I love that it's a) easy and b) only has four ingredients!

Ingredients:
1 package of pork sausage
2 packages of crescent rolls (dairy case)
1 box of cream cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Brown sausage in skillet breaking up into smaller pieces with back of spoon.

While browning sausage, unroll one pkg of crescent rolls and line bottom of 9x13 pan. I usually press to edge of pan and pinch seams to close up.

Drain sausage and return to skillet on low.

Cut cream cheese into cubes and melt in skillet mixing into the sausage.

Spread cream cheese/sausage mix onto crescent rolls in 9x13 pan.

Top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and cover with remaining can of crescent rolls.

Bake at 350 until crust is brown.

Slice and eat!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Easy Easy Chicken and Dumplings

I got this recipe from my friend Holly about 5 years ago. I love chicken and dumplings as a fall and winter meal, but was always intimidated by the trouble my mom went to in making this for her family. So, when I was introduced to this recipe and it tasted almost as good as Mom's, I was sold! Hope you like it.

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken
1 box of chicken stock (you can use broth, but it isn't nearly as good.)
2 cans cream of celery soup
1 12oz can of home style biscuits

Directions:
De bone chicken.
Add stock, celery soup, and chicken to stock pot. Heat through and salt/pepper to taste.
(I let it simmer for several hours, but it's fine if you only have about 30 min.)
Cut biscuits into small pieces (or the size you like your dumplings) and add to pot.
Cook an additional 7-10 min to allow biscuits to puff up.
Serve and enjoy!

**If you're feeling like giving it an even more homemade taste you can cut up some fresh celery and add that too.