Dec 31, 2012 |
I went to Winco this afternoon. Not gonna lie… so very glad my Mom wanted to go shopping, too. This was my first time back since September’s Stalking incident. With my mom and iPhone, today was a much better shopping experience.
Winco Win
I kept to my January Meal Plan. If it wasn’t on the list, it wasn’t in the cart. This was a little tricky, because I only wrote “lunch/bento” on the Grocery List. As you can translate, I wasn’t sure until I arrived at the store exactly what our January lunches would consist of.
The first item I picked up was the Eggplant for my Slow Cooker Ratatouille. It was so big yet inexpensive, I instantly opted to double my meal. I can easily cook twice as much and freeze half of it for later in the month, which means a second Frittata as well. Eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, green pepper, tomatoes and fresh garlic.
Look at the size of that Eggplant!
I had budgeted $10 for one batch; yet will be able to make two for $8.90. Already I saved $3.10, and have extra garlic, onion, and 1/2 green pepper.
For the Ratatouille Pizza, I bought 4-Cheese Spaghetti Sauce and 4-Cheese blend of shredded cheese. While I budgeted $7 for these two items, it cost only $2.89. Bam! $4.11 saved here, folks! And there will be leftover sauce and cheese as well.
Now I’ve got almost all the ingredients for my Baked Frittata (vegetables, cheese). To make sure I had enough, I bought fresh eggs and milk. I planned on $6. I spent $5.75, saving a quarter. Of course, I won’t use all the eggs and milk for Frittata, so a little here goes a long way there!
Frittata Necessities
Then I choose an assortment of beans and vegetables for my Slow Cooker Turkey Chili. I found this great Jennie-O Taco Seasoned Ground Turkey. Can you imagine the flavor that’s going to add?
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Even with the more expensive ground turkey, I saved $1.03 off my proposed $8.
For my Potato Chip Casserole, I didn’t have the Cream soups in my pantry, so I needed to buy those. But the canned chicken was half the expected price, which led me to buy enough for two casseroles. I planned on $5, but spent $9.32 over, for a total of $14.32. For twice the food, $4.66 extra per casserole isn’t bad.
Potato Chip Casserole
I planned to spend just $4 for my Texas Hash, but needed to get a can of tomatoes in addition to the ground beef. The total of $4.92 was less than a dollar more than expected.
Texas Hash
Because the tomatoes also have diced green pepper mixed in, that extra 1/2 green pepper from the Ratatouille will be more than enough.
The breakfast budget was $6.02 less than planned. The oatmeal is less expensive, and I didn’t get any yogurt. For $6.98, these three boxes will give us quite a nutritional start to our days!
Breakfast on a Budget
We still have a few oatmeal packets and Malt-o-Meal at home. These additions, with the extra eggs, should be all the breakfast we need for the month.
Now we come to the lunch selections.
January Lunches
Since Dot’s on winter break, I wanted to give her a variety. She loves the frozen burritos and Dinty Moore Stews, so those were easy choices. Basic peanut butter sandwiches will be complimented with the variety of jams, jellies and preserves already in our pantry.
I love the healthy choices of fresh vegetables, spinach wraps, and yogurt sticks. For those cold days, a cup of soup. And for that little extra touch, a variety of Jell-O.
My $50 lunch budget came to $32.41… a savings of $17.59.
The best part? Treating myself to my favorite fast meal, and another pantry staple.
January Extras
Let’s recap, shall we? I planned 12 dinners, 30 breakfasts, and around 20 lunches for $103. I ended up with over 25 dinners (double the Ratatouille and Potato Chip Casserole, plus extra leftovers), 30+ breakfasts, and at least 20 lunches for $91.78.
Oh, and I saved $0.24 for using my four recyclable, reusable grocery totes… making the grand total $91.54.
Now that’s some tasty savings, dontcha think?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
[To pre-order your copy of The Unemployment Cookbook, click here.]
Dec 29, 2012 |
I received a gift card for Christmas. I’m so very excited. Some people think gift cards are impersonal. I think gift cards are Potential. I plan to use this one for my January grocery budget.
The Unemployment Cookbook by Molly Jo Realy
I’m on a mission to save money and still feed my family well. I’m taking a page from my Cookbook, and starting with the recipe that started it all: Slow Cooker Ratatouille.
For just around $10, I’ll get the vegetables I need. I always keep olive oil and seasonings in the pantry.
Jan. 1: The Ratatouille will feed myself and Dot for two dinners.
Jan. 3: Drain the liquids and put half of the remaining seasoned vegetables on top a pizza crust. I always keep a frozen crust, so I’ll only need sauce and shredded cheese, about $7. This will feed us two dinners.
Jan. 5: Add the rest of the Ratatouille to my Baked Frittata. I usually keep eggs and milk in the house, but when I need to buy them, it costs close to $6 for both. I’ll already have shredded cheese from the pizza. The Frittata will feed us brunch and dinner for Saturday, and breakfast leftovers on Sunday.
Frittata
Jan. 6: My Slow Cooker Turkey Chili. I’ll need to buy just one pound of ground turkey, two cans of beans, and three cans of vegetables, near $8. I keep spices and onions in my pantry. This will feed us for three dinners, and I can take a serving for lunch.
Jan. 9: Potato Chip Casserole. I’ll need to buy the chips and chicken, approximately $5. I always keep milk and cream soups in my fridge and pantry. This goes fast, usually allowing for just one dinner and lunch leftovers.
Jan. 10: Texas Hash. I have all the ingredients except ground beef, average $4.I usually also need a green pepper. But I’ll have an extra pepper from the Ratatouille ingredients. I’ll use my FoodSaver to keep it fresh until I need it. Texas Hash will feed us at least three dinners.
And there I’ve scheduled 12 days of dinners for less than $40.00. Feeding two, sometimes three, adults. That’s less than $1.50 per person per meal.
For breakfasts, one box of Malt-o-Meal ($4), two boxes of instant oatmeal ($2 each), and a few yogurts (10 at $0.50 each). $13 total for a month of breakfasts.
I’m going to try new Bento lunch ideas (send some thoughts my way, Rachel!). Dot is on winter break for the month, so I’ll have some sandwich fixin’s for her, too. Each Bento averages $2. Lunches for the month should run us close to $50.
And that’s my Mojo Meal Plan for the first part of January, and then some. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 14, 2012
I’ve been promoting my Kickstarter Campaign in various formats on various platforms. And I have to say, while it doesn’t look like I’ll reach my goal [although never-say-never; there’s over two weeks left (nudge, nudge!)], I’ve been having fun drafting the “commercial” and creating some photo art to help spread the word.
From a purely creative standpoint, I’m rather proud of the following efforts:
*I created a Facebook Event for my personal friends to check status updates.
*My YouTube video will be a basic commercial that I can use even after the Kickstarter Campaign ends.
*I’m discovering how to use social media to my benefit, without drowning my Friends and Followers in a barrage of BUYTHIS marketing.
*I pinned the Campaign to Pinterest with many hashtags. This was the creative result of realizing my most popular post resulted from a Pin. It was for a Wilton’s contest many months ago. But just in the past week it has blazed like a wildflower. I thought, if a Pin can do that for chocolate, it can do that for my Pre-Orders!
Mostly, I had fun putting this together:
Instagram Advertising
I like keeping my social media social. But every now and then, just for the Muse in me that’s screaming to get noticed… I gotta give my Inner Cook a shout-out.
We now return you to your regular scheduled program.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 9, 2012
Pretty, isn’t it? That’s the cover to The Unemployment Cookbook, First Edition. Only I didn’t know at the time it was First Edition. Now I’m taking pre-orders for the Second Edition, and it’s just as exciting!
I had no idea when I started my Kickstarter campaign to sell pre-orders and raise funds for publication, how entirely nerve-wracking and roller-coastery it would be. (Is roller-coastery a word? It is now!)
It’s so delightful to hear from people who tell me how excited they are for this Project. Easy, inexpensive menus. Full, hearty flavors.
And while I’m trying not to push this in front of people’s faces, the truth is, Word-of-Mouth advertising is what’s getting me funded. And so, if you’ll indulge me for this post, I’d like to market my Cookbook.
From the back cover:
Sometimes it’s hard to make ends meet. Food shouldn’t be a sacrifice. The Unemployment Cookbook is a collection of recipes for eating abundantly on a frugal income. As with any great recipe, it’s my desire that you and those you feed enjoy the flavors and versatility of the recipes in this cookbook. But more importantly, I hope it inspires you in the kitchen, at the table, and with your family. Happy eating!
The Unemployment Cookbook is my first publication. It’s my Project. My baby. And, because times are still tough, it’s my Go-To Guide in the kitchen.
With over 100 pages of family- and wallet-friendly recipes in the first, and even more in the Second Edition, this is a Project I believe in. I realize my promotional video may seem low-key to many. I did that on purpose. Why should a no-frills Cookbook be advertised with glitz and glam?
Not here. This Cookbook was written and designed with frugality in mind. Sure, someday I’d love to have other cookbooks. Full-page color photography. Delectable, hard-to-find ingredients. Exquisite, one-of-a-kind, never-before-tried-in-the-kitchen recipes.
And some day I will.
But right now, people need to feed their families. And they need to do it well and on a budget.
These recipes cost less than a pizza (unless you use the Slow Cooker Ratatouille for your own veggie-pizza topping!), offer fresh, healthy ingredients, and many of them give you the opportunity to change them to suit your family’s tastes.
Hungry for more information? Click on over to my Kickstarter Campaign and pre-order yours now.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Oct 8, 2012
October is “Clean Out The Fridge” Month… at least it is at Bedford Manor.
The busyness of the holidays is almost upon us. And for me, well, it’s already begun: craft projects, product reviews, new recipes to create…
I look forward to cooking, shopping, decorating, cleaning, and spending time with Out-Of-Towners. In November, Dot will turn 18. I recently re-enrolled (again!) at Institute of Children’s Literature. I’ve been actively working on a big writing project as well as preparing for The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition.
Yeah. There’s a lot on our plates.
But we’re not special. Ask around, and everyone’s gearing up for the year-end expenses. Gift giving. Party attending.Traveling. And feeding family and friends. It can get pretty costly to put food on the table!
So this month, I’ve decided to low-key it in the kitchen. I’ve taken stock of what I have in my fridge, freezer, and pantries; and I’m working my menu around it. Granted, there will be days that call for that extra touch or a Little Caesar Meal Deal. I know I’ll have to buy foods like milk, eggs, butter, and cheese. But overall, I’ve got a plan and I’m sticking to it!
We’ve enjoyed putting together a meal, instead of reheating something from the frozen dinner selections. We sit at the table and talk with each other. Of course, the best moments are Dot saying, “Can I help with that?” and “Mom! This is really good!”
Because there’s just the two of us, it’s easier to plan “meals”. And with my Aroma Rice Cooker, I haven’t had to heat up the oven as often. I also enjoy my toaster oven. It’s the perfect size for a Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza, garlic toast, or even small roasted potatoes.
It’s been fun on the wallet, too. One box of Shake n’ Bake Chicken to go with the frozen chicken already in the freezer, and a side of baked potato or a can of vegetables? Delicious. And with leftovers.
Last night we steamed salmon over rice, and enjoyed a cup of yogurt for dessert. Today, I put together a great chicken and bean soup using the stock and frozen meat from my Stock Recipe. Dot chopped up the vegetables. It was a delectable blend.
The best part for us? Having my Mom come over to enjoy it with us, and having leftovers enough for all of us!
So it’s not dinner at the Ritz-Carlton. It’s dinner at Bedford Manor. And I can afford that.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
