The Proof is in the Planning

I LOVE to cook! I love the challenge of trying new recipes and ingredients.

BUT

I HATE asking "what's for dinner" - the question that plagues most households, especially now that our family contains a toddler who could give a flying fig about the new artisan cheeses at HEB.

So, together with a friend, I created a monthly menu plan. I planned a meal and side every day for four weeks. Like most of you, I don't cook every night so my planned week of seven meals gets me through a week and a half to two weeks. My month plan ends up lasting close to two months which saves me tons of time AND more importantly, money!!

The first time I did this, it took me a while because I created a spreadsheet for the menu so that I could see a month at a glance. Then, I had to pick the recipes to fill the menu. Finally, I created another spreadsheet (within the same workbook in Excel) for the shopping lists for each week. The planning, now that everything is set up, is much faster. I can get it done in less than two hours. That might sound like a lot to some of you, but remember this is for almost two months of meals!

Let me go into a bit more detail on the recipe selection. As I mentioned above, I enjoy trying out new recipes and have subscriptions to a couple of cooking magazines. I also watch Food Network a little more than I probably should (staying at home has its occasional privileges). Anytime a recipe catches my eye, I try to mark it in the magazine or bookmark it on my computer. Then, I scatter these throughout my month - typically three a week. I also put in a no-brainer for each week (think spaghetti, chicken and rice, steaks, meatloaf...) where I typically don't need a recipe. I also try to include one fish meal a week and the rest I balance between poultry, pork, red meat, and vegetarian.

Once I've gotten all my recipes compiled and chosen for particular days, I scan them all in and keep them saved in a folder (I'm on month three of doing this, so my most recent plan is titled plan three - creative, I know). I also print the recipes out and they are hole punched and put into a binder.

Finally, I create my shopping lists for each week. Each list is divided into categories like produce, dairy, meat... for quick shopping (remember that toddler). I print out each week's list and it goes in the binder along with the menu for the month.

The beauty of this plan is its flexibility. I rarely go in order that I've planned the meals for any given week, but rather pick what sounds good for that night (out of my seven choices). At the grocery store a few days ago, I purchased all of my shopping list items for week two. I spent $122 and that included wild salmon, specialty spices ($10), and a few other items not on the list. I feel pretty good that this will cover our dinners for around the next week and a half. If I'm cautious, I can easily spend $300 or less on our groceries for the month and know that those meals are balanced and nutritious.

The other great perk about having a monthly plan with the shopping lists is that you can buy all the non perishable items and meat that can be frozen for the whole month in just one shopping trip! This is such a great time saver! Even though you still have to get your fruits, vegetables, and other perishable items on a weekly basis, those trips take less time.

I love doing this because I NEVER ask "what's for dinner?" anymore! I feel more relaxed about meal times and have found that in a free minute I can chop some vegetables that I need for dinner in the next few nights or just prep a recipe (measuring out ingredients or just gathering what I'll need on the counter). Then, at 5:30 everything falls into place and I can pretend that I'm just that good!

Lunch on a dime

Take your lunch to work! Not only is it cheaper, it's generally more healthy for you. If morning time is a rush, then prepare the night before and just grab it on the way out.

10 alternatives to a sandwich and chips...

1. Tortilla wraps with grilled chicken/steak from the night before (toss in some bell peppers and avocado)
2. Greek style yogurt with honey, peanut butter, and mashed banana.
3. Homemade tomato soup with cheese and crackers
4. Tomato, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar salad
5. Homemade sushi rolls
6. Veggie burger with sweet potato chips
7. Quiche with shredded potatoes, veggies, and cheese
8. Pasta salad (I like orzo and grilled veggies with a pesto vinaigrette)
9. Hard boiled egg, veggie sticks, and a piece of fruit
10. Fruit with cottage cheese and english muffin with peanut butter

Most lunches could be made for $3 or less. If you go to a fast food joint and select a combo meal, you're looking at about $5-$6 a day. That's $25-$30 a week, $100 - $120 a month, and $1200 - $1440 a year! A $2 - $3 savings a day for a year adds up to $480 - $720!! That's a decent chunk of change! If you go out to eat every day for lunch, try to cut back to 2 days of eating out. Your budget will thank you!

What are your favorite lunches for work?

Good for the environment AND your wallet!

Like most of you, I don't really like the taste of tap water. But, I really didn't want to lug cases of bottled water from the grocery store to the house. I decided to try out the Brita water filter that attaches to your kitchen faucet. Took five minutes to read the instructions and "install" it on the faucet. I went with that instead of the Brita pitcher with the filter because it's a bit bulky for my fridge. I do have a smaller pitcher that I fill and keep in the fridge for when I want cold water.

I bought it about a month ago and the filter is still showing full green which means it's not near to replacement yet.

For on the go water, I have a couple of reusable bottles that I fill.

$19.99 for the filter and system and NO more plastic bottles! Sounds like a good deal to me!

The whole or the parts?

I wanted to get some chicken noodle soup for my husband who was sick over the weekend, but the canned variety didn't appeal to me (on a cost or taste level) and I didn't really want to chunk out the money for canned chicken broth (especially with all the sodium). So, I decided to step it up and get a whole chicken.

After a short youtube video on how to quarter a chicken, I set to work. In just a few minutes I had drumsticks, breasts, and a chunk to boil for some stock. The quartered pieces, sliced carrots, and one cubed potato were thrown into a baking dish and roasted. At the same time, the rest of the chicken was thrown into a pot with water to cover, a couple ribs of celery, onion, garlic, and a few old whole carrots.

The chicken in the oven roasted for around 30 minutes and the chicken in the pot a bit longer. I dumped the contents of the chicken in the pot into a strainer over a big bowl. I let all the liquid (my new stock) cool to room temperature and then placed it in the fridge to let the fat harden at the surface so it could be skimmed off.

I used about half of the stock (around 3 1/2 cups) to make the chicken noodle soup and half of the chicken that I roasted. I pulled the chicken apart and plopped it into the same pot I used to make the stock and then added all the roasted veggies.

I was able to freeze four cups of stock, half of the chicken that I roasted (that can be used in a casserole or other dish), and half of the soup (enough for two meals for two people). I had the veggies, garlic, noodles, and spices on hand, so I only paid $5 for the whole chicken.

Total time was about two hours. However, the active time was more like an hour. I know it seems a bit long (especially for those of you that are working all week), but with the items in the freezer, I will save time and money later on future meals using the stock, cooked chicken, and soup.

Sorry Campbells, I'm saving money and adding flavor by doing it myself!