I find I eat pretty much the same foods consistantly. I continue to eat my pumpkin bread for breakfast. Today I had brown rice with brocolli , mushrooms and gravy. The brocolli was $1.00 a # the mushrooms were free. I also picked up two sacks of potatoes' 4# each @ .97 per bag. I purchased 2 # of asparagus again @ $1. a # I got some coupons for Dole salad mix $1. off per 2 bags and coupons for free banana's up to $1.75 if you purchase 2 bags of Dole salad mix. I've been eating a lot of salads. The coupons make it $1.00 for 2 bags of salad mix and 2 1/3 # of banana's. I'm eating mostly from my storage of beans and rice. I did make a nice whole wheat spegetti last week adding the rest of the spinach, a couple tomatoes that were going soft and a zuchini I got for free. I added black pepper and parmesan cheese. I liked it and had it for several meals. I don't think it cost much as it was 1/2 # of spegetti that I got for .50 cents a #. The spinach was probably about .75 cents worth and the other vegies were free. Probably about .50 cents worth of cheese. I also made the enchilada caserole with the rest of the homemade cream of asparagus soup made from the last batch of asparagus stems. I added a can of cream of celery soup and a can of green enchilada sauce. The corn tortea's were free and I used some cheese and frozen ground turkey that I got awhile back. Cheese was $2.00 a # and I used about 1/4 # in the recipe. That lasted me for a couple days as well and I froze half the sauce for the next enchilada caserole.
Tomorrow is Wednesday so there will be new sales to see what else I can stock up on.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Salads
Today I had a nice big salad about noon. Very fresh and tasty.
The thrifty, simple, mostly vegitarian diet I've been eating is paying off. My doctor
told me this morning my blood work is perfect as is my blood pressure. I have also
lost weight. This is all good news for a 70 year old.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Simple foods
Today it was my usual pumpkin toast and 1/2 banana with a bit of peanut butter for breakfast. This really sticks with me and it was about 1 p.m. when I started feeling hungry. I heated up some of my cabbage vegie soup. It has whole wheat spegetti in it and brown rice. That kept me full until this evening when I had a plate of cold asparagus and sliced pear with granola on it.
My morning was spent outside raking the horse corral and hauling the rakings to various spots to either plant grass or fertilize the garden. I took a long walk in the evening with my dog out the back way . It was a beautiful day.
My morning was spent outside raking the horse corral and hauling the rakings to various spots to either plant grass or fertilize the garden. I took a long walk in the evening with my dog out the back way . It was a beautiful day.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Shopping plan for week
This morning I got up and looked over this weeks grocery ads. I ordered coupons for Express Salad $1.00 off one as Safeway has Fresh Express Salad for $1.00. Cottage cheese is on sale at Smith's for $1.00 and fuji apples and oranges are both under $1.00 a # I purchased three bags of apples two weeks ago when they were 1.00 for 3# and still have quit a few apples. I have 1 or 2 oranges and 1 grapefruit so I'll see what's up for free at the little shop down the road before I purchase.
I will consider these things but I don't really need anything except cottage cheese. I'll share the Express Salad coupons with my daughter. The salad will be . 35 cents a bag with coupon.
Today, I'm going to make asparagus soup out of the stems from the asparagus I cooked yesterday. I'll put it in the blender , strain it and then add a basic cream soup base mix to it made from powdered milk and whole wheat flour. I'll had the cooking water to the mix and whalla , cream of asparagus soup. I could add a few chunks of the more tender heads and stems that I cooked yesterday too.
I'm going to make my cabbage soup today too and boil up some eggs for snacks and t0 shred or slice on salads.
A friend sent me a new blog that is interesting it's ; http://www.livingon1500foroneyear.blogspot.com
This family of four is trying to make this years budget $1500. That includes gas and oil changes, haircuts and household expenses. She's been couponing and stockpiling since July 2008. It will be interesting to watch their progress. She has some recipes on her site and her shopping.
Guess that's it for today.
I will consider these things but I don't really need anything except cottage cheese. I'll share the Express Salad coupons with my daughter. The salad will be . 35 cents a bag with coupon.
Today, I'm going to make asparagus soup out of the stems from the asparagus I cooked yesterday. I'll put it in the blender , strain it and then add a basic cream soup base mix to it made from powdered milk and whole wheat flour. I'll had the cooking water to the mix and whalla , cream of asparagus soup. I could add a few chunks of the more tender heads and stems that I cooked yesterday too.
I'm going to make my cabbage soup today too and boil up some eggs for snacks and t0 shred or slice on salads.
A friend sent me a new blog that is interesting it's ; http://www.livingon1500foroneyear.blogspot.com
This family of four is trying to make this years budget $1500. That includes gas and oil changes, haircuts and household expenses. She's been couponing and stockpiling since July 2008. It will be interesting to watch their progress. She has some recipes on her site and her shopping.
Guess that's it for today.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A new week
I've been cleaning up leftovers this past week and eating from some of the canned goods I purchased this past month. Last week was full of other chores and obligations. From the little place that picks up Grocery stores day olds I got pears, banana's, avacados, some corn tortilla's, and bread. Safeway had asparagus for $1.00 a bunch and so I got three nice bunches plus a bag of their shredded cheese for $4.99 for 2 #'s.
Today I cooked up the asparagus and put it in the frig after having a nice plate of it. For dinner today I'm having spinach burrito's on corn tortilla's (free) with an egg and some shredded cheese. My breakfast was my usual, toasted pumpkin bread with peanut butter and 1/2 banana.
Last night I made up my brocolli, mushroom gravy mix and had it over brown rice. I really like it a lot. I probably could eat it every day.
Those are my healthy economical meals these past two days.
I used 3, $2.00 off coupons for 3 shampoos. I bought 9 bottles of shampoo for $3.00. I have all the shampoo I will need for the year and I still have a few coupons left.
This past week I've had a lot of free meals such as avacodo on toast and sliced pears with a little granola on top. I've had my .30 cent a can ravioli and chili a couple times too. It's been pretty cheap eating for the past week. I did eat out once this week at Subway. Got the sandwich of the day with drink so it was under $5.
That's the roundup. I'm saving money on chicken food by letting my chickens out during the day to free range and only feeding after they are penned so the pidgeons can't get the chicken feed. The mustang and burro aren't eating as much as there is grass in the pasture. I cooked up a bunch of kidneys and rice for my dog. The kidneys cost about .75 cents a package. I also add a few vegitables too.
Today I cooked up the asparagus and put it in the frig after having a nice plate of it. For dinner today I'm having spinach burrito's on corn tortilla's (free) with an egg and some shredded cheese. My breakfast was my usual, toasted pumpkin bread with peanut butter and 1/2 banana.
Last night I made up my brocolli, mushroom gravy mix and had it over brown rice. I really like it a lot. I probably could eat it every day.
Those are my healthy economical meals these past two days.
I used 3, $2.00 off coupons for 3 shampoos. I bought 9 bottles of shampoo for $3.00. I have all the shampoo I will need for the year and I still have a few coupons left.
This past week I've had a lot of free meals such as avacodo on toast and sliced pears with a little granola on top. I've had my .30 cent a can ravioli and chili a couple times too. It's been pretty cheap eating for the past week. I did eat out once this week at Subway. Got the sandwich of the day with drink so it was under $5.
That's the roundup. I'm saving money on chicken food by letting my chickens out during the day to free range and only feeding after they are penned so the pidgeons can't get the chicken feed. The mustang and burro aren't eating as much as there is grass in the pasture. I cooked up a bunch of kidneys and rice for my dog. The kidneys cost about .75 cents a package. I also add a few vegitables too.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Cooking Today
It's a rainy day all socked in. I baked my pumpkin bread today even though I have a couple more slices still in the freezer. That feels good as I'm set for another week at least. This is really a healthy inexpensive food.
Then I made a brocolli salad: Simple recipe
2 cups bitesize brocolli flowerettes.
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup craisens( cranberry raisens)
2TBS mayonaise
1TBS red wine vinegar
1 packet of substitute sugar
I don't know how to calculate the cost but I'm guessing about $2. for 3 - 4 servings. I had one serving and then later I had a nice helping of my brown rice with brocolli, vegie and brown gravy dish I made the other day. I still have two more servings of that. These are highly healthy foods at budget prices. I don't think I'm eating for $1.00 a day probably closer to $2.00 but the foods I'm eating are natural and not prepackage junk.
I wish I could be accurate about the cost factor but it is very hard to price all items. For instance I purchased the huge package of brocolli flowerettes for $3.99 I have used about 1/2 in the vegie dish and the salad. That would be $2.00 worth of brocolli. I used 1/4 package of a very large pack of fresh mushrooms for the dish as well. It cost $2.99 . That is about .75 cents worth of mushrooms. I have had 4 meals of this dish so far and think I have two more meals to go. I cooked 2 cups of rice and there was 1 onion and 1/2# of spinach in the dish as well. The brown gravy was maybe .15 cents for 2 cups and I'm still using. I'm thinking outloud here. Ill see if I can figure the cost per serving. Ah ha the vegie, mushroom rice dish is about .80 cents a serving. Not bad for a very healthy , delicious and filling dish.
Then I made a brocolli salad: Simple recipe
2 cups bitesize brocolli flowerettes.
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup craisens( cranberry raisens)
2TBS mayonaise
1TBS red wine vinegar
1 packet of substitute sugar
I don't know how to calculate the cost but I'm guessing about $2. for 3 - 4 servings. I had one serving and then later I had a nice helping of my brown rice with brocolli, vegie and brown gravy dish I made the other day. I still have two more servings of that. These are highly healthy foods at budget prices. I don't think I'm eating for $1.00 a day probably closer to $2.00 but the foods I'm eating are natural and not prepackage junk.
I wish I could be accurate about the cost factor but it is very hard to price all items. For instance I purchased the huge package of brocolli flowerettes for $3.99 I have used about 1/2 in the vegie dish and the salad. That would be $2.00 worth of brocolli. I used 1/4 package of a very large pack of fresh mushrooms for the dish as well. It cost $2.99 . That is about .75 cents worth of mushrooms. I have had 4 meals of this dish so far and think I have two more meals to go. I cooked 2 cups of rice and there was 1 onion and 1/2# of spinach in the dish as well. The brown gravy was maybe .15 cents for 2 cups and I'm still using. I'm thinking outloud here. Ill see if I can figure the cost per serving. Ah ha the vegie, mushroom rice dish is about .80 cents a serving. Not bad for a very healthy , delicious and filling dish.
The Price of Hunger
I've been looking at the food stamp challenge. Often what I see in peoples food baskets is not the best food for a $21. a week diet. I hope this blog will give people some idea of what they can eat for $3.00 or less a day.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Yesterdays Cooking
I had my usual pumpkin bread, peanut butter and banana breakfast only half a portion of the bread and peanut butter.
For lunch I stuffed the last turkey meat ball crushed with the leftover rice and tomato sauce into a bell pepper that looked a bit wilted in the frig drawer. I baked it and that made a very good lunch.
Dinners recipe:
Make your favorite brown gravy.
In a large wok pot chop an onion and brown with a little oil while you cut up 1 cup of fresh mushrooms. Add mushrooms to onions and brocolli heads, about bite sized. Cover and steam till both are almost tender, stirring occasionally, then add 1 cup fresh spinach, cover and steam some more until all are tender. Put your vegie mix on top of cooked brown rice and pour gravy over. Yum! and healthy. I forgot to mention that I also added 1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked chick peas. I keep brown rice and one kind of bean cooked all the time. I like humus so I cook chick peas in the crockpot, make humus and usually have enough for a chickpea stew .
Sam's Club has a very large bag of fresh brocolli heads for $3.99. I will be eating lots of brocolli until it is gone.
For lunch I stuffed the last turkey meat ball crushed with the leftover rice and tomato sauce into a bell pepper that looked a bit wilted in the frig drawer. I baked it and that made a very good lunch.
Dinners recipe:
Make your favorite brown gravy.
In a large wok pot chop an onion and brown with a little oil while you cut up 1 cup of fresh mushrooms. Add mushrooms to onions and brocolli heads, about bite sized. Cover and steam till both are almost tender, stirring occasionally, then add 1 cup fresh spinach, cover and steam some more until all are tender. Put your vegie mix on top of cooked brown rice and pour gravy over. Yum! and healthy. I forgot to mention that I also added 1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked chick peas. I keep brown rice and one kind of bean cooked all the time. I like humus so I cook chick peas in the crockpot, make humus and usually have enough for a chickpea stew .
Sam's Club has a very large bag of fresh brocolli heads for $3.99. I will be eating lots of brocolli until it is gone.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Meanderings
Yesterday was good for planting. I got 16 brocolli plants planted in cinder block holes. I'm setting up a raised bed for my asparagus. I decided to set up cinder blocks and then put the asparagus on the ground and cover the roots with dirt. Cinderblocks have very nice planting holes in them so in went my brocolli plants. There are still 3 plants left in the so called 6 pack. Very good deal. Once they were watered I left them to do their thing. I also scattered bird seed which is mostly millet out in the pasture. I'm sure many birds will get some but there may be enough to grow to produce a crop. We're supposed to get a very good rain this weekend. I also planted some fava beans my friend sent me.
I did a little math today. I'm setting up a book on calorie count and cost. Brown rice is about .30 cents for 960 calories. That would be 2 cups uncooked, 6 cups cooked. With some greens from the garden that would be pretty thrifty eating . An egg is about 100 calories and has lots of protein. Since I have chickens that added to rice with greens I grow could really pare my food budget. Perhaps 2 or three days a week I'll do a rice day with eggs and vegies. Those should be about . 50 cents a day and 1200 calories.
I did a little math today. I'm setting up a book on calorie count and cost. Brown rice is about .30 cents for 960 calories. That would be 2 cups uncooked, 6 cups cooked. With some greens from the garden that would be pretty thrifty eating . An egg is about 100 calories and has lots of protein. Since I have chickens that added to rice with greens I grow could really pare my food budget. Perhaps 2 or three days a week I'll do a rice day with eggs and vegies. Those should be about . 50 cents a day and 1200 calories.
Calorie Restriction CBS4
Interesting video about calorie restriction. I just read this morning that a person could also improve their health with very short bursts of exercise. Maybe like dancing like crazy. These bursts are said to protect against type 2 diabetes and lowering the blood pressure.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Catching up
On Tuesday I had to drive to Henderson, about 90 miles, for business. I ate twice out. I purchased a salad at Trader Joes for lunch and later just before heading home I had a slice of pizza with drink at Sam's Club in Bullhead City. About $6 for both.
Before I left I put in the crock pot some split peas, carrot, onion and celery stalks with chili pods and lots of water to cook up some split pea soup or dahl if you will. I let that cook all day while I was gone.
This week I purchased with my coupons 40 cans of hormel chili and 20 bags of Nabisco whole grain crackers. The 40 cans of chili cost $9. with sale and coupons. The crackers were .75 cents a box. Yesterday, I reorganized my food storage and got the shelves all lined up and filled in. I'm feeling very good about my food storage.
Yesterday, I checked the sales and saw that one of the local grocery stores is having $5 off chef boyardee pasta when you buy 10 cans. I got on line and purchased 20 coupons for $2.00 of chef boyardee pasta $1.00 off 3 cans. I will purchase 30 cans of pasta for $8.00 for my food storage with these coupons this week. I think this is as good as money in the bank.
I purchased a 6 pack of tomato plants and 2 , 9 packs of brocolli plants for $10. This will jump start my garden as these plants will be ahead of the seeds I've planted. The brocolli had at least 12 plants in each pack. I love brocolli and the leaves are edible too for greens. Today I want to get them planted before the rain comes this weekend.
At the supermarket I looked on a 1# bag of rice and found that my rice that I buy in bulk costs me .15 cents per cup of uncooked rice. That makes it .15 cents for 3 cups cooked brown rice. Very thrifty. Yesterday, I had a cup of brown rice with dahl on top for lunch and then a large salad later with steamed brocolli and carrots for dinner. I feel quit full with the 1 slice of pumpkin bread. OH, and I learned that canned pumpkin is now selling for over $2. a can. I'm so glad I have quit a few cans still in food storage that I got for about $1. each. Next year I will either grow them or buy a bunch when Walmart has them for sale at Halloween for $1.00 a pumpkin.
Got to get out and do the planting.
Before I left I put in the crock pot some split peas, carrot, onion and celery stalks with chili pods and lots of water to cook up some split pea soup or dahl if you will. I let that cook all day while I was gone.
This week I purchased with my coupons 40 cans of hormel chili and 20 bags of Nabisco whole grain crackers. The 40 cans of chili cost $9. with sale and coupons. The crackers were .75 cents a box. Yesterday, I reorganized my food storage and got the shelves all lined up and filled in. I'm feeling very good about my food storage.
Yesterday, I checked the sales and saw that one of the local grocery stores is having $5 off chef boyardee pasta when you buy 10 cans. I got on line and purchased 20 coupons for $2.00 of chef boyardee pasta $1.00 off 3 cans. I will purchase 30 cans of pasta for $8.00 for my food storage with these coupons this week. I think this is as good as money in the bank.
I purchased a 6 pack of tomato plants and 2 , 9 packs of brocolli plants for $10. This will jump start my garden as these plants will be ahead of the seeds I've planted. The brocolli had at least 12 plants in each pack. I love brocolli and the leaves are edible too for greens. Today I want to get them planted before the rain comes this weekend.
At the supermarket I looked on a 1# bag of rice and found that my rice that I buy in bulk costs me .15 cents per cup of uncooked rice. That makes it .15 cents for 3 cups cooked brown rice. Very thrifty. Yesterday, I had a cup of brown rice with dahl on top for lunch and then a large salad later with steamed brocolli and carrots for dinner. I feel quit full with the 1 slice of pumpkin bread. OH, and I learned that canned pumpkin is now selling for over $2. a can. I'm so glad I have quit a few cans still in food storage that I got for about $1. each. Next year I will either grow them or buy a bunch when Walmart has them for sale at Halloween for $1.00 a pumpkin.
Got to get out and do the planting.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Other nations
Last night I was watching Youtube. There was one on the poor in Afghanastan. A mother with her children cook over an open fire in the shelter. The fire was fueled mostly by plastic. Imagine those fumes. Their diet consisted of dahl and a flat bread much like tortillas cooked over the fire. They'd dip their flat bread in the dahl. I'm sure their dahl and flat bread cost less than a dollar a day.
Another Youtube told about the reduced calorie diet and how this man was in very good health because he ate a diet based on the maximim nutricion from the minimum of calories. There was also another Youtube on the Okinawans who live much longer healthier lives. One of their rules is to leave the table 80% full. Never stuff yourself. They also eat whole grains and a lot of vegitables fresh from the garden.
This morning on tv there was a short segment about reducing our belly fat. It was basically the same eat small amounts of nutritionally dense foods 6 times a day rather than large meals.
I think I am going to eat only half of the pumpkin bread I eat now. That means half a slice instead of two half slices. I feel very full after eating the two slices. I'll keep you posted on how this goes and I will be posting some of the Youtubes on this blog.
Yesterdays menu
Same as the past two days. Pumpkin bread and peanut butter. .25 cents
snack free orange .00
lunch brown rice and porcupines in tomato sauce .50
dinner brown rice and porcupines in tomato sauce .50
chocolate pudding with blueberries and granola .50
Total 1.75
No recipe today.
Another Youtube told about the reduced calorie diet and how this man was in very good health because he ate a diet based on the maximim nutricion from the minimum of calories. There was also another Youtube on the Okinawans who live much longer healthier lives. One of their rules is to leave the table 80% full. Never stuff yourself. They also eat whole grains and a lot of vegitables fresh from the garden.
This morning on tv there was a short segment about reducing our belly fat. It was basically the same eat small amounts of nutritionally dense foods 6 times a day rather than large meals.
I think I am going to eat only half of the pumpkin bread I eat now. That means half a slice instead of two half slices. I feel very full after eating the two slices. I'll keep you posted on how this goes and I will be posting some of the Youtubes on this blog.
Yesterdays menu
Same as the past two days. Pumpkin bread and peanut butter. .25 cents
snack free orange .00
lunch brown rice and porcupines in tomato sauce .50
dinner brown rice and porcupines in tomato sauce .50
chocolate pudding with blueberries and granola .50
Total 1.75
No recipe today.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Gardening is a good way to add to your food supply. Yesterday , I started my tomato plants, planted some potatoes', peas, greens and radishes. The young almond trees are just starting to get buds , a sign that the season has turned and Spring is on it's way. I also noticed a few new leaves on the pomegranates. Waiting on trees is a long haul but each year I get more fruit and the trees get bigger. I planted a green gage plum this week. It was bare root.
I have been having about two salads a week from my mesculin growing in an old freezer full of dirt.
Todays Recipe:
Enchilada Caserole:
This is as I made it this week.
12 corn tortilla's torn into pieces
3/4 cup browned ground turkey ( You could use tvp)
1/2 can olives sliced
3/4 cup monterey jack cheese cut in 1/2 inch squares
home made chile verde sauce/ or canned
1 can cream of celery soup/ or homemade
Mix chili verde and cream of celery soup till well mixed . Mix all ingredients in caserole until all ingredients are well covered with sauce. Bake until bubbly in 350 degree oven about 20 minutes. Or divide into individual baking dishes and freeze extra's and bake one at a time.
tortilla's .45
ground turkey .20
olives .50
chili verde sauce .05
celery soup .40
cheese . 50
= 2.10
4 - 6 servings
Yesterdays Menu:
two slices of pumpkin bread
1 Tbs peanut butter
1/2 banana .25 cents
enchilada caserole .50 cents
porcupines on brown rice.50 cents
chocolate pudding with pear and granola
.25 cents
total: 1.50
I have been having about two salads a week from my mesculin growing in an old freezer full of dirt.
Todays Recipe:
Enchilada Caserole:
This is as I made it this week.
12 corn tortilla's torn into pieces
3/4 cup browned ground turkey ( You could use tvp)
1/2 can olives sliced
3/4 cup monterey jack cheese cut in 1/2 inch squares
home made chile verde sauce/ or canned
1 can cream of celery soup/ or homemade
Mix chili verde and cream of celery soup till well mixed . Mix all ingredients in caserole until all ingredients are well covered with sauce. Bake until bubbly in 350 degree oven about 20 minutes. Or divide into individual baking dishes and freeze extra's and bake one at a time.
tortilla's .45
ground turkey .20
olives .50
chili verde sauce .05
celery soup .40
cheese . 50
= 2.10
4 - 6 servings
Yesterdays Menu:
two slices of pumpkin bread
1 Tbs peanut butter
1/2 banana .25 cents
enchilada caserole .50 cents
porcupines on brown rice.50 cents
chocolate pudding with pear and granola
.25 cents
total: 1.50
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Watching movies and tv on your computer?
Food is one way to save money. Another blog, the lazy vegan at blogspot tells of eating without being hungry on $1. a day. I hope to learn from her what works.
Another way I'm looking to cut back is my dish network account. Right now I'm paying for a $60 a month package but there are only a few stations I actually watch. More and more I'm hearing about watching tv and movies from your pc. A friend just let me know that she has a netflix account where she pays about $14.00 a month and can not only receive movies to watch but download movies and tv shows on her computer. I have also checked out some of the major networks and they have episodes you can download and watch from their websites.
I also watched an early morning show this week that showed a couple who had a large screen tv that they attached a little box to, that cost about $100., that let them watch tv on the tv screen from their computer. I am also told by another friend that some of the new tv's are computer ready. You can just hook your computer up to the tv screen and watch from your computer. That way you can sit in your living room or family room with your keyboard instead of remote and watch tv like you would normally do .
I'm feeling very inclined now to join up with netflix and see how this works. As time goes on I will put in more information about tv on the computer and let you know how it is working out. If anyone else has had success doing this I would love to hear more.
Yesterdays menu:
two slices pumpking bread with 1/2 banana and 1 TBS peanut butter . 25
1 pear with granola sprinkled on top ( free pear) . 05
chili verde burrito's . 75
chocolate pudding with free peach slices and granola .25
salmon patty with beet greens (free) .25
total for today: 1.55
Today's recipe: whole wheat flatbread or tortillas
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp baking powder.
Mix water and oil into dry ingredients. kneed and form into a roll. You can keep this in the frig until you want a tortilla or two. Slice off in 1/6 portions, roll out on floured board and place on heated griddle. Let brown on bubble on one side and flip over. Eat hot with butter,refried beans or roll into burritos with favorite filling. .08 cents a serving.
Another way I'm looking to cut back is my dish network account. Right now I'm paying for a $60 a month package but there are only a few stations I actually watch. More and more I'm hearing about watching tv and movies from your pc. A friend just let me know that she has a netflix account where she pays about $14.00 a month and can not only receive movies to watch but download movies and tv shows on her computer. I have also checked out some of the major networks and they have episodes you can download and watch from their websites.
I also watched an early morning show this week that showed a couple who had a large screen tv that they attached a little box to, that cost about $100., that let them watch tv on the tv screen from their computer. I am also told by another friend that some of the new tv's are computer ready. You can just hook your computer up to the tv screen and watch from your computer. That way you can sit in your living room or family room with your keyboard instead of remote and watch tv like you would normally do .
I'm feeling very inclined now to join up with netflix and see how this works. As time goes on I will put in more information about tv on the computer and let you know how it is working out. If anyone else has had success doing this I would love to hear more.
Yesterdays menu:
two slices pumpking bread with 1/2 banana and 1 TBS peanut butter . 25
1 pear with granola sprinkled on top ( free pear) . 05
chili verde burrito's . 75
chocolate pudding with free peach slices and granola .25
salmon patty with beet greens (free) .25
total for today: 1.55
Today's recipe: whole wheat flatbread or tortillas
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp baking powder.
Mix water and oil into dry ingredients. kneed and form into a roll. You can keep this in the frig until you want a tortilla or two. Slice off in 1/6 portions, roll out on floured board and place on heated griddle. Let brown on bubble on one side and flip over. Eat hot with butter,refried beans or roll into burritos with favorite filling. .08 cents a serving.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Freebies/ Pumpkin Bread
There are people called Freegans. On Youtube you can find many videos on how to dumpster dive. Some of these people are professionals and others who don't need freebies but they do it
to keep perfectly good food from going into the dumpster/landfill. Some of these groups prepare meals and give them to those who have little or nothing to live on. I have not dumpster
dived except once or twice pulling something out of the dumpster when I was there to toss
something. Last summer I got a box of banana's and organic plums from a dumpster. I froze the bananas and made plum rice pudding with the plums. I have asked at local grocery stores
about the cast offs because I have chickens but the answer is always "no" .
In this small country community there is a little lady who has a second hand store and she has
organized drivers who will go to the nearby town and pick up the day old bread and produce
cast offs. She calls it a food bank because that is the only place these stores will give to. Every
day about 12:30 you can go behind her store and the truck unloads whatever they have gleaned and whoever is there can pick up whatever. The only rule is not to be greedy and let everyone there have their share. I think that is a good rule. Although I don't consider myself living in poverty, I do see this as an opportunity to pick up rejects that the store won't give me personally. I also wanted to subject myself to whatever is required to survive if you are below
the poverty line. They always have lots of bread which I use some and dry some for birds and chickens. I also give some to other families who have to watch their budget. Periodically I bag up some beans and rice from my supplies and take it in for whoever wants some. I also contribute to the gas money. I go about twice a week and the last two weeks I have been able
to pick up enough bananas not to have to buy any for my morning toast. I also get other tidbits. Like last week I picked up two green chili's and two tomatillo's. I put them in the crockpot with porkchops that had been marked down to half price. The porkchops were $4.00 for 4 very thick cut chops that had one very small bone in them. I kept one out for a baked porkchop and baked potato, the rest cooked in the chili verde sauce. I had one serving over rice and the rest I chopped up for burritos and packaged them for freezing. The left over gravy I used for green sauce in an enchilada casserole that had ground turkey, corn torteas, and cheese. I had some of that last night but have several servings left of the enchilada casserole that went into the freezer.
The last time I went they had some sweet potato's and some sad looking pears. I steamed the sweetpotato slices and they make a great snack whenever I get a little hungry. After peeling the pears they were beautiful. I sliced them and put them in a dish with a bit of my homemade granola on top. Yum.
Pumpkin bread:
I have adapted the recipe for pumpkin bread from the peterpumpkin squares listed on
http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/
Here is my recipe for the pumpkin bread I eat everymorning with half a banana and peanut butter.
In a bowl put 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats. I then add 1/2 cup of sour milk if I have it or milk mixed with cottage cheese. Let this sit while you mix the other dry ingredients.
In another bowl add 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour.
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBS cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup of wheat germ
4 1 serving packs of artificial sweetener
Stir well
Add 4 eggs in a small bowl and stir well
Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to eggs
Add 2 TBS molasses to egg mixture
Add 15 oz size pumpkin from can to egg mix
Stir well
Mix the egg mixture into the oats and then gradually add dry mix to wet mix. Mix very well till all dry mix is well dampened.
Preheat oven to 3.50 degrees . put mix in 8 x 8 pan that has been oiled and flour powdered. Bake 20-30 minutes until it tests done by feel in toothpick.
Remove from pan and let cool. Cut down the middle then slice. Package and freeze slices to prevent it from drying out and portion control. This loaf is under $3.00 to make. I have many dented cans of pumpkin that I got for .60 cents each. From the store shelf they run about $1.20
a can. I like this toasted for breakfast as it has oatmeal, eggs, pumpkin and is a very nourishing meal that stays with me till noon.
to keep perfectly good food from going into the dumpster/landfill. Some of these groups prepare meals and give them to those who have little or nothing to live on. I have not dumpster
dived except once or twice pulling something out of the dumpster when I was there to toss
something. Last summer I got a box of banana's and organic plums from a dumpster. I froze the bananas and made plum rice pudding with the plums. I have asked at local grocery stores
about the cast offs because I have chickens but the answer is always "no" .
In this small country community there is a little lady who has a second hand store and she has
organized drivers who will go to the nearby town and pick up the day old bread and produce
cast offs. She calls it a food bank because that is the only place these stores will give to. Every
day about 12:30 you can go behind her store and the truck unloads whatever they have gleaned and whoever is there can pick up whatever. The only rule is not to be greedy and let everyone there have their share. I think that is a good rule. Although I don't consider myself living in poverty, I do see this as an opportunity to pick up rejects that the store won't give me personally. I also wanted to subject myself to whatever is required to survive if you are below
the poverty line. They always have lots of bread which I use some and dry some for birds and chickens. I also give some to other families who have to watch their budget. Periodically I bag up some beans and rice from my supplies and take it in for whoever wants some. I also contribute to the gas money. I go about twice a week and the last two weeks I have been able
to pick up enough bananas not to have to buy any for my morning toast. I also get other tidbits. Like last week I picked up two green chili's and two tomatillo's. I put them in the crockpot with porkchops that had been marked down to half price. The porkchops were $4.00 for 4 very thick cut chops that had one very small bone in them. I kept one out for a baked porkchop and baked potato, the rest cooked in the chili verde sauce. I had one serving over rice and the rest I chopped up for burritos and packaged them for freezing. The left over gravy I used for green sauce in an enchilada casserole that had ground turkey, corn torteas, and cheese. I had some of that last night but have several servings left of the enchilada casserole that went into the freezer.
The last time I went they had some sweet potato's and some sad looking pears. I steamed the sweetpotato slices and they make a great snack whenever I get a little hungry. After peeling the pears they were beautiful. I sliced them and put them in a dish with a bit of my homemade granola on top. Yum.
Pumpkin bread:
I have adapted the recipe for pumpkin bread from the peterpumpkin squares listed on
http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/
Here is my recipe for the pumpkin bread I eat everymorning with half a banana and peanut butter.
In a bowl put 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats. I then add 1/2 cup of sour milk if I have it or milk mixed with cottage cheese. Let this sit while you mix the other dry ingredients.
In another bowl add 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour.
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBS cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup of wheat germ
4 1 serving packs of artificial sweetener
Stir well
Add 4 eggs in a small bowl and stir well
Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to eggs
Add 2 TBS molasses to egg mixture
Add 15 oz size pumpkin from can to egg mix
Stir well
Mix the egg mixture into the oats and then gradually add dry mix to wet mix. Mix very well till all dry mix is well dampened.
Preheat oven to 3.50 degrees . put mix in 8 x 8 pan that has been oiled and flour powdered. Bake 20-30 minutes until it tests done by feel in toothpick.
Remove from pan and let cool. Cut down the middle then slice. Package and freeze slices to prevent it from drying out and portion control. This loaf is under $3.00 to make. I have many dented cans of pumpkin that I got for .60 cents each. From the store shelf they run about $1.20
a can. I like this toasted for breakfast as it has oatmeal, eggs, pumpkin and is a very nourishing meal that stays with me till noon.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Dollar a Day?
I have been intriqued by a couple of blogs about eating on a dollar a day. Their motives are to save money but also to understand the meaning of poverty. They each have rules they have to live by on their 30 day challenge. You can access both of these blogs by going to
http://www.theresacooks.blogspot.com and going to her January 2 , 2009 post entitled , A dollars worth of food.
I don't think we can get the true meaning of poverty through this challenge but it gives a person an idea of what it's all about. I want to be more compassionate but I'm also interested in getting by on as little money as possible. I'm eying the dollar a day diet for the purpose of saving. Think! $365. a year for food. That's pretty thrifty. I'm thinking that if one has started out with food storage and then went into the dollar a day diet it would be much easier than starting from scratch. This is one dollar a day per person, not per family. I do remember reading about the Baskin Robbins heir who took his family to the woods to live and their yearly budget for food was about $350 - $450 for the year. They used a lot of grains and beans and hunted and gardened.
I always enjoyed The Tightwad Gazzette and the breakdown of costs she used. I enjoy reading about it but I don't know how good I am at it. I am going to try to break things down and give an account here of my food budget . What I'm spending and what I'm using each day and how much it costs.
I'm not making the same rules that the others have. I will use coupons and freebees when I can.
Last week I purchased 2 packages of Jenny-0 ground turkey breast. It was two packages for $7.00. I had a coupon for $5.00 off which made it $2.00. With one package I made porcupine meatballs. I cooked half in 1 can of tomatoes and 1 can of tomato sauce. They cost .50 cents each. That made that half $2.00. I got three meals out of half of the meatballs. With another helping of rice that is about .70 a meal. These porcupine meatballs were made from the same 1 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice that I added to the dinner with the gravy over. That's a little higher than I would like. My breakfast for the last two weeks has been my homemade pumpkin bread which I calculated at .25 cents a serving. I toast it and spread a TBS of peanut butter on it and have 1/2 banana on it. The bananas are free and the peanut butter was gotten for .68 cents on a coupon deal. There are 32 TBS per jar@ 12.1 cents per TBS. That makes me over the one dollar a day as I also have 1 or 2 cups of my homemade chicken vegie soup. Here is the breakdown on that. Ground turkey, .25 cents 1/2 head of cabbage @ .38 cents a # about .40 cents, 1 celery @ 1.00, chicken bouilion, .15 cents, other spices, .15 cents. 1 # mixed frozen vegies @.90 cents. = 2.85 for about 2 gal soup. I'll say .20 cents a cup as I also added some leftover cooked black beans and brown rice.
Breakfast: .37 cents
Lunch: . .40 cents
Dinner: .70 cents
Snack: .50 cents Total: 1.97
Not a dollar a day but decent.
http://www.theresacooks.blogspot.com and going to her January 2 , 2009 post entitled , A dollars worth of food.
I don't think we can get the true meaning of poverty through this challenge but it gives a person an idea of what it's all about. I want to be more compassionate but I'm also interested in getting by on as little money as possible. I'm eying the dollar a day diet for the purpose of saving. Think! $365. a year for food. That's pretty thrifty. I'm thinking that if one has started out with food storage and then went into the dollar a day diet it would be much easier than starting from scratch. This is one dollar a day per person, not per family. I do remember reading about the Baskin Robbins heir who took his family to the woods to live and their yearly budget for food was about $350 - $450 for the year. They used a lot of grains and beans and hunted and gardened.
I always enjoyed The Tightwad Gazzette and the breakdown of costs she used. I enjoy reading about it but I don't know how good I am at it. I am going to try to break things down and give an account here of my food budget . What I'm spending and what I'm using each day and how much it costs.
I'm not making the same rules that the others have. I will use coupons and freebees when I can.
Last week I purchased 2 packages of Jenny-0 ground turkey breast. It was two packages for $7.00. I had a coupon for $5.00 off which made it $2.00. With one package I made porcupine meatballs. I cooked half in 1 can of tomatoes and 1 can of tomato sauce. They cost .50 cents each. That made that half $2.00. I got three meals out of half of the meatballs. With another helping of rice that is about .70 a meal. These porcupine meatballs were made from the same 1 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice that I added to the dinner with the gravy over. That's a little higher than I would like. My breakfast for the last two weeks has been my homemade pumpkin bread which I calculated at .25 cents a serving. I toast it and spread a TBS of peanut butter on it and have 1/2 banana on it. The bananas are free and the peanut butter was gotten for .68 cents on a coupon deal. There are 32 TBS per jar@ 12.1 cents per TBS. That makes me over the one dollar a day as I also have 1 or 2 cups of my homemade chicken vegie soup. Here is the breakdown on that. Ground turkey, .25 cents 1/2 head of cabbage @ .38 cents a # about .40 cents, 1 celery @ 1.00, chicken bouilion, .15 cents, other spices, .15 cents. 1 # mixed frozen vegies @.90 cents. = 2.85 for about 2 gal soup. I'll say .20 cents a cup as I also added some leftover cooked black beans and brown rice.
Breakfast: .37 cents
Lunch: . .40 cents
Dinner: .70 cents
Snack: .50 cents Total: 1.97
Not a dollar a day but decent.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Coupon Deals
I just recently learned that I could buy coupons from ebay. I now have a strategy that I'm using.
On Wednesday morning I check http://www.dealcatcher.com by clicking on the Sunday Ads. There are many stores listed but I check the ones we have here locally. If there is something I need on sale I go to ebay and order coupons for the item. There are usually 10 or 20 coupons in a package. If I order Wednesday morning the coupons are usually in my mail by Saturday.
Last week I purchased a years supply of toothpaste for .35 cents each. and a years supply of shampoo for .35 cents per bottle. I also had a Jenny-0 turkey breast coupon for $5.00 off. One store had a special for two packs of ground turkey breast for $7.00. I purchased them for $2.00. I made turkey cabbage soup which I'm still eating and made porcupine meatballs. I still have enough to make a meatloaf and I have the extra porcupine meatballs in the freezer.
This week Safeway has Nabisco crackers and baked chips for $1.68 each. I went to ebay and purchased coupons that are $2.00 off for 2 boxes. I think they will be about .75 cents a box after all expenses. I plan on buying 10 boxes. Safeway also has Johnsville bratwurst for $1.99 a package. There are about 6 sausages per package. I went to ebay and found coupons for $5.00 off on 4 packages. I will pay $3. dollars for 4 packages of bratwurst. Another good freezer deal.
At Smith's they have Hormel turkey chili 98% fat free at .50 cents a can. I purchased from ebay a packet of 20 coupons for hormel chili products for .55 cents off on 2 . I plan on buying 20 cans at about .27 cents each. These will be a good emergency supply ready on the pantry shelf. They also have rotel tomatoes for .49 cents a can, I will purchase at least 10 of these .
I will also purchase 6# of apples for 2.50 and 2 bunches each of green onions and radishes for $2.00 and that will do it for this week. I am keeping my shelves well supplied and I have large amounts of brown rice, black beans and oatmeal.
On Wednesday morning I check http://www.dealcatcher.com by clicking on the Sunday Ads. There are many stores listed but I check the ones we have here locally. If there is something I need on sale I go to ebay and order coupons for the item. There are usually 10 or 20 coupons in a package. If I order Wednesday morning the coupons are usually in my mail by Saturday.
Last week I purchased a years supply of toothpaste for .35 cents each. and a years supply of shampoo for .35 cents per bottle. I also had a Jenny-0 turkey breast coupon for $5.00 off. One store had a special for two packs of ground turkey breast for $7.00. I purchased them for $2.00. I made turkey cabbage soup which I'm still eating and made porcupine meatballs. I still have enough to make a meatloaf and I have the extra porcupine meatballs in the freezer.
This week Safeway has Nabisco crackers and baked chips for $1.68 each. I went to ebay and purchased coupons that are $2.00 off for 2 boxes. I think they will be about .75 cents a box after all expenses. I plan on buying 10 boxes. Safeway also has Johnsville bratwurst for $1.99 a package. There are about 6 sausages per package. I went to ebay and found coupons for $5.00 off on 4 packages. I will pay $3. dollars for 4 packages of bratwurst. Another good freezer deal.
At Smith's they have Hormel turkey chili 98% fat free at .50 cents a can. I purchased from ebay a packet of 20 coupons for hormel chili products for .55 cents off on 2 . I plan on buying 20 cans at about .27 cents each. These will be a good emergency supply ready on the pantry shelf. They also have rotel tomatoes for .49 cents a can, I will purchase at least 10 of these .
I will also purchase 6# of apples for 2.50 and 2 bunches each of green onions and radishes for $2.00 and that will do it for this week. I am keeping my shelves well supplied and I have large amounts of brown rice, black beans and oatmeal.
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