Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Stretching Our Food Dollars

My Frugal Kitchen ~ Stretching Our Food Dollars

I'm back with Menu Plan Monday instead of including it in my Frugal Friday posts this week. 

One way I save money in my kitchen during these times of higher grocery prices, is to avoid making some of my more expensive recipes. We have multiple options available to us and the main dish does not have to be meat. Foods such as eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, and beans are all high in protein and inexpensive and sometimes healthier than meat.

If you want these hard financial times to have as minimal an impact on your grocery bill,  things need to change and the change has to come from you. We need to be prepared that these high prices might be here to stay.  So you can either absorb the extra cost into your household budget or you can change the way you shop.  

Sometimes our budgets can't absorb these extra costs. This is the time for us to be wise and think of what we can do with different ingredients by changing what we eat and adjusting what we spend. 

The grocery budget is one of the most flexible areas of the household budget.  We can pick and choose what to buy, which brands to buy and pick menus that are inexpensive for us to prepare.

Some things we do to save money on groceries include not stocking up on beef like we did in the days when it was more affordable. Ground beef is a dinner item we only indulge in occasionally now. And I stopped buying beef roasts years ago as I considered the price too high for my budget.

We don't need name band products and utilize generic brands when we can, although I do prefer Dawn dishwashing detergent. I'm fine with store brand tea bags, canned vegetables, generic ketchup (I used to only buy Heinz, not anymore). 

We also portion control our food since we have a dual purpose of fueling our bodies and losing weight. I first read about this tip from my late friend Barbara. She had made a roast in her crockpot and divided the meat into three ounce portions and froze them.  She was a single Mom on a budget, so I understand why she did that and we too have started portioning out our meals as it is so much healthier for us. 

This week I opened two of the 105 ounce cans, also known as a number 10 can, one was green chilies and the other was black olives. The green chilies were put into individual bowls and stored in the freezer while the black olives went into the refrigerator. 

Last Friday I made six sugar-free gelatin fruit cups. 

I also made an attempt at making my own yogurt again using this recipe. I forgot to add the yogurt starter until later and the yogurt didn't set up completely and I think that is the reason why. But, no worries, I will still use the thinner yogurt to make some ranch dressing and as a substitute for buttermilk in cornbread. Waste not,

want not.

How are you cutting back on your grocery bill?

The Dinner Menu

Saturday ~ A friend gifted me a zucchini this week, so I shredded it up and included it in my Fluffy Baked Omelet recipe. I also included some chopped tomatoes from the refrigerator. I served this with macaroni & cheese and  the last of this week's pinto beans. 

Souper Sunday ~ Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chris Hyde of Olympia, Washington had retired, but felt lonely and so he decided to make and give soup away for free to his neighbors. He is still going strong one year later and has created the Facebook group, Souper Sunday. I thought it as a neat project and decided to borrow his name and have Souper Sunday today. 

Monday ~ Chicken Teriyaki, Butter Beans, Steamed Broccoli.

Tuesday ~ October Beans, Collard Greens, & Cornbread.

Wednesday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl, Steamed Broccoli. 

Thursday ~ Chili in either Chili Tacos or Chili Mac. 

Friday ~ Salmon Patties, Potatoes, Green Beans & Onions.

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Recipe of The Week

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breast

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 - 15 ounce can corn

1 - 15 ounce can tomatoes 

1 - 15 ounce can pinto beans 

1- 4 ounce can green chiles

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

10 ounces enchilada sauce

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon pepper

Toppings (optional)

Tortilla strips

Shredded cheese

Sour cream

Directions:

Brown the chicken and then add to the slow cooker. 

Place chicken in a crockpot.

Sauté onions in the same skillet and add to crockpot. 

Add the remaining ingredients except the toppings. 

Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 6 hours. 

Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred. 

Place back into the slow cooker and stir. 

Serve and top with toppings of your choice.

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
How was your week? 
Did you manage your home, pantry or garden well this week? 

We would love to hear all about it in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27