Welcome to Frugal Workshop where every Monday I share the simple strategies used to save money over the past week, along with the meals that made it to our dinner table. You'll find practical tips on how we saved money on food hopefully to inspire your own meal planning using the foods you have in your own pantry.
My Frugal Week
One way we save money in the kitchen is by steering clear of processed foods for the most part and purchasing only the ingredients needed to prepare meals from scratch. For example, I am shocked at some of the prices of things like chips and know that potatoes are definitely cheaper.
The soup beans I made last weekend turned up in lunches for several days at the beginning of the week and tasted better every day as the flavor deepened. Beans are such a humble, money saving food that I could eat everyday and not get tired.
On Saturday I was straightening out the freezer and took some items to the downstairs freezer to make room upstairs. It really helps me to know what is in the freezer for this week's dinners and what to save for later on down the road, which can go in the downstairs freezer.
On Sunday I worked on straightening canned goods with like items and moving some from upstairs to downstairs to replenish my stock upstairs. I culled some items I plan on donating since we have not used these items this winter.
I also made a bean salad on Sunday to have with dinners this week. It's one of my easiest side dishes to make, lasts all week long with the vinegar, and we really enjoy having it, and it's convenient to pull out of the fridge for dinner.
What’s for Dinner
Monday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl, Soup Beans, and Baked Apples.
I thawed a package of sausage from the freezer to make this egg roll in a bowl and I had a package of cole slaw mix in the refrigerator that I used along with an onion, garlic, and ginger. The apples were some that needed using, so nothing wasted, everything being used up in a good way.
Tuesday ~ Leftovers
Wednesday ~ Rotisserie Chicken, Broccoli, and Soup Beans.
The rotisserie chicken was one I bought from Sam's Club that day for $4.98. The soup beans were the last of them I had made on Sunday, which we finished.
Thursday ~ Chicken Tacos, Corn, and Strawberries.
Using the last of the rotisserie chicken, I added an onion and spices to a skillet to heat it up for chicken tacos. I served it along with corn and strawberries on the side.
Friday ~ Baked Chicken Tenders, Strawberries, and Steamed Broccoli.
I was tired from being out all day, so made something simple for dinner. I served the chicken with honey mustard, which was a big hit.
Saturday ~ BBQ Pork Chops, Sliced Tomatoes, Strawberries.
I was cleaning out my freezer on Saturday morning and found these BBQ Pork chops, so I pulled them out to thaw for dinner. I also sliced two fresh Roma tomatoes I had on hand along with the last of the strawberries.
Sunday ~ Salmon Patties, Butternut Squash, Green Beans with Onions.
For this dinner I was able to use up two bottles of tartar sauce, by cutting the bottles in half, to get the last little bit out of the bottles. This always yields a lot more tartar sauce, enough for more than a meals worth, so it’s worth the process. I have a new bottle, but rather than let these almost empty bottles go to waste, I wanted to use them.
The butternut squash was one that was given to us by a friend. I simply baked it in the oven for one hour, scooped out the seeds, and then mashed the inner squash. I had cinnamon on the table for anyone who wanted to add that to it , but it's so delicious to me it needs nothing added.
What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?
Belinda
Homemaker at Heart
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