Just so you know, it's hillbilly hummus because I adapted the recipe from a friend. Lol
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lemon juice and zest
1 tsp ground red pepper
t Tbsp cumin
3 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
Wash the cilantro and divide the bunch in half. Let dry on paper towel while you drain and rinse the chick peas. Cut the half of a bunch of cilantro into 3 pieces. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and just run it until everything is creamy. I usually stop when everything is smooth but there are tiny pieces of cilantro still visible.
Put it into a bowl and refridgerate until it's eaten.
It usually lasts about 3 days here and that is only because I hide it when I first make it. We don't like the store bought hummus and this costs about 1/4 of the store bought stuff.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Grocery Day
Today was grocery day, so I thought I would share my thoughts on grocery shopping. I plan my meals for everyday. When I have enough left overs then we have a left over night. Usually once a week. Then I have one extra meal "in the poke", so to speak. After a few weeks I can use these extra meals to shorten my grocery list. This is the week that I buy staples, seasonings etc. and put the meals back in my meal plan. I did this a lot and we had the really cheaper meals a couple of times a week for a couple of months to be able to build up a "pantry" for emergencies. I haven't added to it lately. . .I need to do that.
Staples: Things you always have on hand and use regularly.
My staples are pretty standard stuff. The list does change a bit depending on the season, ie. colder vs warmer weather. I have a few things that I use that only certain brands will do. For example, I can not stand the store brand sandwich cheese. It's like eating wax on bread! I also budget for this. This isn't one of those just buy the cheapest brand and use that things. If you don't like it or won't eat it then it's a waste of money no matter how good the deal! I also think it's a shame to look at food in a way that makes you feel "poor". I really don't know how to explain that other than to say your food budget shouldn't make you feel like you are so broke you can't afford to eat decent food. Sometimes you have to shop around and see how much things cost at different places to get a good deal.
Staples:
All purpose (plain) Flour 25 lb bag from Sams
Baking Powder Also from Sams (costco type store)
Dry beans 10 lb bag of pintos at Sams all others from the dollar store (cheaper)
Corn Meal 5 lb bag from grocery outlet or dollar store
Sugar 4 lb bag from grocery outlet
Shortening Yeah I use it for biscuits
Milk We use about 2 gallons a week
Buttermilk 1/2 gallon a week
Elbow Macaroni
Potatoes
Rice 20 lb bag from Sams
COFFEE We don't compromise on this one, we just buy it in on sale often
Butter
Oatmeal
Grits
Eggs
Onions
Garlic
Seasonings: I have 2 shelves full of spices. There are a few that I use a lot. I will only list those.
Seasoning salt - Mostly Lawreys, There is one brand of soul food seasoning that I like-ONLY ONE! Most of the others that I've tried have been too salty.
Cumin
Granulated Garlic
Mrs. Dash
Black Pepper
Fresh Cilantro - you can use the dry cilantro in a jar but it just isn't the same
Vegetables change depending on what is in season. What I can get fresh at a good price or grow is used as much as possible. Winter usually brings less fresh vegies and more frozen vegetables. I grow as much as I can during the warm months and I can or preserve stuff too. The end of the summer is a crazy busy time around here.
Staples: Things you always have on hand and use regularly.
My staples are pretty standard stuff. The list does change a bit depending on the season, ie. colder vs warmer weather. I have a few things that I use that only certain brands will do. For example, I can not stand the store brand sandwich cheese. It's like eating wax on bread! I also budget for this. This isn't one of those just buy the cheapest brand and use that things. If you don't like it or won't eat it then it's a waste of money no matter how good the deal! I also think it's a shame to look at food in a way that makes you feel "poor". I really don't know how to explain that other than to say your food budget shouldn't make you feel like you are so broke you can't afford to eat decent food. Sometimes you have to shop around and see how much things cost at different places to get a good deal.
Staples:
All purpose (plain) Flour 25 lb bag from Sams
Baking Powder Also from Sams (costco type store)
Dry beans 10 lb bag of pintos at Sams all others from the dollar store (cheaper)
Corn Meal 5 lb bag from grocery outlet or dollar store
Sugar 4 lb bag from grocery outlet
Shortening Yeah I use it for biscuits
Milk We use about 2 gallons a week
Buttermilk 1/2 gallon a week
Elbow Macaroni
Potatoes
Rice 20 lb bag from Sams
COFFEE We don't compromise on this one, we just buy it in on sale often
Butter
Oatmeal
Grits
Eggs
Onions
Garlic
Seasonings: I have 2 shelves full of spices. There are a few that I use a lot. I will only list those.
Seasoning salt - Mostly Lawreys, There is one brand of soul food seasoning that I like-ONLY ONE! Most of the others that I've tried have been too salty.
Cumin
Granulated Garlic
Mrs. Dash
Black Pepper
Fresh Cilantro - you can use the dry cilantro in a jar but it just isn't the same
Vegetables change depending on what is in season. What I can get fresh at a good price or grow is used as much as possible. Winter usually brings less fresh vegies and more frozen vegetables. I grow as much as I can during the warm months and I can or preserve stuff too. The end of the summer is a crazy busy time around here.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
New Adventure
I thought I'd start this new way of adding stuff here by putting some things that I do to save money on groceries.
My weekly food budget is $100.00 for 6 people. (I find that $100.00 is more than enough and I can buy extras in case we are short on money one week) I don't shop all over town. I'm not wasting the time and gas. I do live in a good area for groceries. I'm not in the city but within 2 miles of my home is an Aldi, Ingles, Sam's, Dollar General, Family Dollar and a grocery outlet. I always start at the grocery outlet. There is no consistency with this store-just what they can get their hands on. I always get good deals and buy what ever is the best deal. Sometimes you can get a good deal on meat but their produce is what I buy most. Then I go to Aldi, always consistent merchandise. I get a lot of things here at a good price. I get most of my dry beans at the Dollar General Store and Sam's. Better prices! IF there is anything else that I need then I go to Ingles, the major grocery store. I read somewhere to keep a notebook with the prices of what you normally buy at different stores. I found this to be cumbersome. I tend to know what I get at what price and where I get it.
Walmart has a spice brand that I can get really cheap but since it is across town I keep one ahead so I can wait until I go to pick up my husbands medications to get it. Family Dollar also has an inexpensive spice brand that I get sometimes. Most of my spices come from Sam's though. I can get large containers that last a long time of the brands and types of stuff I want and need. Some spices I don't use a lot of are bought at walmart or the dollar store.
I buy what is on sale and create my menus based on what I have on hand and what I found on sale. I don't make my menu and then shop according to it. I would spend more money that way. Groceries I buy this week are more than likely for next week. That way I can plan according to what I have. I also found that if I have a menu posted it keeps me from procrastinating until the last minute to decide what I'm cooking for dinner. That way I don't give up and run to the store for a last minute purchase on convenience foods. (or order a pizza! lol)
Meat is quite expensive so I only buy meat that is way on sale. Except for Chicken, it has to be on sale for at least $1 off their normal price. No exceptions. Sams tends to have the best deal on chicken but not any other meat. Go figure!
With all that said, any menus or meal plans etc. will be based on what I found on sale. I'm working on creating a pocket menu planner so I can just put my regular menu items on cards and drop them in the clear pockets rather than writing it out every week. If I ever get that done I'll post pictures. I thought about getting the pocket organizers at the teachers store but I know I can make one I like much cheaper. lol My menu planner has all 3 meals on it but I tend to use the ones for breakfast and lunch as an idea board rather than going down day by day and making what's on the menu. I do follow the dinner menu.
Once a meal is prepared, I figure the amount it cost to make the meal. Any left overs are freebies because the cost of the food is included in the first meal. Most of my meals are between 6 and 8 dollars. We do have at least one cheaper meal a week to allow for a more costly meal during the week if we choose to have one.
I have a standard list of "staples" that we always have on hand so that when I open the last one it goes on the shopping list. There are just certain things that I use consistently and help me to be able to whip something up at the drop of a hat. More on that next time.
Have a blessed day!
My weekly food budget is $100.00 for 6 people. (I find that $100.00 is more than enough and I can buy extras in case we are short on money one week) I don't shop all over town. I'm not wasting the time and gas. I do live in a good area for groceries. I'm not in the city but within 2 miles of my home is an Aldi, Ingles, Sam's, Dollar General, Family Dollar and a grocery outlet. I always start at the grocery outlet. There is no consistency with this store-just what they can get their hands on. I always get good deals and buy what ever is the best deal. Sometimes you can get a good deal on meat but their produce is what I buy most. Then I go to Aldi, always consistent merchandise. I get a lot of things here at a good price. I get most of my dry beans at the Dollar General Store and Sam's. Better prices! IF there is anything else that I need then I go to Ingles, the major grocery store. I read somewhere to keep a notebook with the prices of what you normally buy at different stores. I found this to be cumbersome. I tend to know what I get at what price and where I get it.
Walmart has a spice brand that I can get really cheap but since it is across town I keep one ahead so I can wait until I go to pick up my husbands medications to get it. Family Dollar also has an inexpensive spice brand that I get sometimes. Most of my spices come from Sam's though. I can get large containers that last a long time of the brands and types of stuff I want and need. Some spices I don't use a lot of are bought at walmart or the dollar store.
I buy what is on sale and create my menus based on what I have on hand and what I found on sale. I don't make my menu and then shop according to it. I would spend more money that way. Groceries I buy this week are more than likely for next week. That way I can plan according to what I have. I also found that if I have a menu posted it keeps me from procrastinating until the last minute to decide what I'm cooking for dinner. That way I don't give up and run to the store for a last minute purchase on convenience foods. (or order a pizza! lol)
Meat is quite expensive so I only buy meat that is way on sale. Except for Chicken, it has to be on sale for at least $1 off their normal price. No exceptions. Sams tends to have the best deal on chicken but not any other meat. Go figure!
With all that said, any menus or meal plans etc. will be based on what I found on sale. I'm working on creating a pocket menu planner so I can just put my regular menu items on cards and drop them in the clear pockets rather than writing it out every week. If I ever get that done I'll post pictures. I thought about getting the pocket organizers at the teachers store but I know I can make one I like much cheaper. lol My menu planner has all 3 meals on it but I tend to use the ones for breakfast and lunch as an idea board rather than going down day by day and making what's on the menu. I do follow the dinner menu.
Once a meal is prepared, I figure the amount it cost to make the meal. Any left overs are freebies because the cost of the food is included in the first meal. Most of my meals are between 6 and 8 dollars. We do have at least one cheaper meal a week to allow for a more costly meal during the week if we choose to have one.
I have a standard list of "staples" that we always have on hand so that when I open the last one it goes on the shopping list. There are just certain things that I use consistently and help me to be able to whip something up at the drop of a hat. More on that next time.
Have a blessed day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
