January Menu Plan and Recipes

The stretch between Christmas and the end of January is always a little long for a teacher, at least in NC. We get paid before school lets out for the holidays, which is nice for last minute shopping, but that check has to last until the end of January, meaning that sometimes it's more like 5-6 weeks between checks, rather than just four. Thankfully, this is usually not a problem for us, as we always have a well stocked freezer and pantry, and usually have some leftover Christmas food bounty to get us through. So, this post is all about making the most of the holiday leftovers and our pantry/freezer so that grocery trips are minimal, but the menu is varied and enjoyable. I'm also including a few recipes to share with you so that you have some new ways to use up those holiday leftovers, without getting bored.

Holiday leftovers on hand: sliced ham, ham bone, turkey carcass, smoked turkey breast (since we didn't do most of our holiday eating here, there is no stuffing/mashed potatoes or gravy for a turkey casserole--but we did manage to scavenge the ham bone and turkey carcass, as well as sweet-talking my grill master uncle into smoking a turkey breast for us)

Pantry/freezer staples on hand: tortillas, cheese, pasta, rice, dried beans/split peas, canned tomatoes, canned potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, newly stocked spices/herbs (thanks so Santa), frozen veggies, frozen meat (ground beef and sausage) sundried tomatoes, dried mushrooms, basic baking supplies, home canned veggies gifted by a coworker, eggs, canned salmon

Breads to bake (with aid of bread machine): whole wheat burger buns, pumpernickel bread, breakfast bread suitable for jam/peanut butter

Week 1: ham/turkey melts on pumpernickel bread, chickpea burgers with lemon aiole sauce (using dried chickpeas prepared in crock pot), split pea soup (using ham bone and pantry staples), supper club swap
items to purchase for week 1: whole wheat flour, 2 green peppers (chop all and freeze half for week 3)

Week 2: barbecue turkey burritos with beans and sour cream (shred the turkey and saute with cumin and onion, then mix in homemade or prepared barbecue sauce and the black beans to create the filling for the burritos), wild rice and mushroom pilaf, breakfast casserole with sun dried tomatoes, ham, and mushrooms
items to purchase for week 2: sour cream, can of black beans, organic milk

Week 3: ship wreck (everyone calls this something different--it's that casserole with potatoes, canned tomatoes, ground beef, onion, and pepper), salmon patties on a spinach salad with mandarin oranges, pecans, and homemade croutons, fill in w/ canned soup if needed, supper club swap
items to purchase for week 3: organic baby spinach

Week 4: vegetable soup using 1/2 lb. ground beef, freezer/canned veggies, and onion/garlic on hand, jambalaya, bread for sopping up soup broth
items to purchase for week 4: organic milk

Breakfasts will consist of cereal and milk, toast with jam/peanut butter, or yogurt with frozen berries. Snacks will be nuts from the pantry, Ches mix (gifted by Benny's mom), or trail mix from dried fruit and cereal. We are really trying to cut down on sweets, so we will limit desserts to a piece of chocolate from the stocking loot, or our small group gatherings. Lunches will be the usual leftovers from dinners during the week.

As you can see, there's not much to purchase this month, and if we stick to the plan, we shouldn't spend more than about $30 on groceries for this month, which will help us to stretch that paycheck as far as it can go. This will also hopefully help us to save a bit more this month, which will be a good boost for our emergency fund.

Below, you'll find my loose variation on my grandmother's split pea soup. It's not at all what you think of as that army green mush, so give it a shot if you've got a ham bone leftover from the holiday festivities.

Split Pea Soup (in the crock pot)

6 c homemade or store-bought veggie/chicken stock
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
3-4 carrots, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
1 package split peas, sorted and rinsed
1 ham bone, with some bits left on for flavor and added meat, add additional chopped ham if desired

Seasonings: salt, pepper, bay leaf, oregano (all to taste)

Combine all ingredients and cook on low in the crock pot for 6-8 hours, until peas are done and tender, but not mushy. Serve with quality bread or a sandwich (we like a ham melt with pumpernickel and brown mustard).

Let me know if you like the recipes, or if you have any other favorites to use up holiday leftovers! I'd love to hear from you!

Holiday Blog Slacker

So, I totally slacked on the blog during the holidays. It's not that I didn't have stuff to post about, I was just so busy doing, traveling, and visiting, that the blog just went to the bottom of the priority list. That, and I generally avoid the internet during holidays, mostly to dedicate time to family and friends. So, I hope you understand (and I'm sure you do, because visiting with family is hopefully as important to you as it is to me).

I'm catching up on posts today, including Benny's long awaited guest post, so check things out. There will be some upcycling/decor related ideas, menu planning, and holiday gift ideas for you to save for next year.

Happy New Year, all!

Holiday Favorites for 2010

We finally got the tree totally up and decorated this weekend and tidied the house on Sunday, so it looks a little less like the evergreen explosion in our home, and more like Christmas. Since I've had a few snow days on my hands this week (it started snowing on Saturday and is still coming down in small flakes today), I've had some time to blog hop, along with the beginnings of some holiday baking and online window shopping. Here's a short list of favorites:

1. A good book and a cup of hot chocolate: Who doesn't love this on a snowy day? Or maybe you're more of a movie person... either way, here's my short list of holiday reading picks.

• The Chronicles of Narnia (we love it so much we have the whole series on CD)
• The Polar Express (it's our Christmas Eve tradition to snuggle under the covers and read this one together)
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (I loved it this summer and am going back to reread parts--I want to try my hand at making some homemade mozzarella on a snowy winter day)
• Any good cookbook, especially those by Cook's Illustrated, since they're full of good factoids and how-to's.

2. Snuggly hats and scarves: I love to crochet, so I have a thing for scarves. I have them in all colors and styles. But this year, I'm noticing some super cute hats out, including this super cute one wool beret from Target, among others. There were also some fun felted wool ones in other styles in the store. Hats are a really fun way to express a sense of style without sinking a ton of cash into something that you might want to change out next year.

3. Gorgeous holiday decorations: I've been inspired this year to add to our Christmas decorations by decorating the mantle. Ours is interesting to decorate, since the TV sits in a nook above the mantle, making adding some height from candles, etc. a little interesting. But I've found this inspiring one and want to try to whip up something similar with some antique candle sticks and the PB inspired sheet music candles I'm seeing all over the blogosphere. And, I'm still working on getting that clothespin wreath just the way I want before I take a pic of it for the blog. (Right now, I'm having trouble finding all of my holiday decorating stash... does that happen to anyone else?)

4. Homebaked goodies: Inevitably, our holiday gift giving list grows each year, which means I try to find a new recipe or two to introduce into the mix. This year, it's jam thumbprint cookies and homemade peppermint hot chocolate mix. I have also been known to put a few of the slice and bake varieties on a cookie platter if I'm in a pinch for time (shh... it'll be our little secret). However, usually, we try to get most of our baking done ahead of time, and we include some chocolate dipped things (pretzels, coconut, chow mein noodles) that last for a while, so we can make them well in advance. Homemade jam is also a nice thing to add to a goodie basket, or as a small gift for a coworker or acquaintance.

5. Christmas cards in the mail: I love getting holiday cards in the mail... it's just so much more exciting than the junk we usually get, and it's fun to hear what friends and family have been up to throughout the year. We're generally slackers and don't get many cards sent out, but I think we might do an e-card this year, just to continue the sentiment. I also like to use the old Christmas cards as gift tags, so it's always fun to see what the pictures are on the front, so that I can match them up with the wrapping (is that just me being a nerd... or do other people think about that too?). Plus, it gives the card one more "life" and you know I'm all about reusing.

So, what are your holiday favorites? Do you have some new ones to add to your list this year? I'd love to hear from you! Check it out later this week and there will be a guest post on saving a bundle on a phone.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

This morning, we awoke to a dusting of snow and blustery weather... the perfect way to begin December. We've made it through the Thanksgiving food rush (and learned that baking soda, vinegar, and a little liquid soap make a great cleaning agent for the oven), and have had our fill of winter squash and pumpkin pies and cupcakes.

So, now we're in the throes of getting the house ready for Christmas and it looks like Santa's workshop has exploded all over the living room. The artificial tree is halfway up, with lights on part of it; the Christmas wreath will go on the front door this afternoon; and the Christmas goodie list is being made and we're stocking up on flour, sugar, and all the other baking necessities. The Christmas wrapping station has not been put up yet, but I'll showcase some of those packages for you to give you some creative ideas for wrapping your own gifts.

The holiday projects, outside of baking, include staining the handrail for the stairs (which we've put off for two years... it just hasn't been at the top of the priority list) before decorating it with garland, lights, and bows. I also started a wreath last year with antique clothes pins (hurray for reuse), but I have to figure out what kind of embelishments I want to add to that. I've already spray painted it silver, so I'm thinking I might go with a teal and green theme for that wreath, since those are the colors in our living room and kitchen. (These might come from the holiday wrapping stash.) I'm also wanting to put together our cork board to put by the back door, so that we can post a calendar and not forget all of our holiday parties or committments.

So, what about you? Have the elves already been at work at your house, or are you fitting it around the edges of a hectic schedule? What are the projects you want to get done before December 25? How about that holiday goodie list... are you trying something new this year? I'd love to hear from you!

6pm Shoe Blowout

If you haven't checked out 6pm.com lately, you should! They've got some great deals on shoes for $9.95 or less, in some really cute styles. These would make a great treat for yourself around the holidays, or a gift for someone special.

Enjoy the browsing!

Couponing Deals at HT and a dent in the freezer

This past week, we had some fabulous grocery shopping deals at Harris Teeter, thanks to Super Doubles (where they double coupons up to $1.98 value, meaning that your $1.50 coupon now gets you $3 off). We ended up going twice, since the HT coupon policy states that you can only double 20 coupons per day (24 hour period).

Some of the deals we scored were $0.13 cartons of yogurt, $0.80 for a dozen eggs, free refrigerated cinnamon rolls, and $1.14 bags of Craisin trail mix. We were also able to stock up on some free rice and cheap name brand flour for the baking season ahead. All in all, I think this week's grocery savings were about 65% off the retail price... not too shabby!

Later this week, I found a $4 coupon for Wholly Guacamole, which meant that it was free. So, we made a run to HT today while we were doing our other errands (which included a free drink and sandwich at Chick-Fil-A, thanks to coupons) to pick that up. Benny found a peelie coupon on one of the Wholly products, but the store didn't have the free item on the coupon in stock, so we just got the guacamole. It will be tasty with the black beans, cheese, and sour cream we already have to load into a tortilla.

This week, we also managed to whittle down some of the freezer stash. We cooked some chicken in the crock pot for quick casseroles and stock, and then made some turkey soup with leftover turkey pieces we had saved in the freezer. It came together quickly with the free rice we had, the seasoning package from the rice, and some chopped celery, onion, and carrot. Tonight, we're going to make some homemade mac and cheese with broccoli stirred in, so that will free up a little more freezer space.

Recently, I found this post on The Frugal Find about couponing. It's a very well done video tutorial and has challenged me to tackle the drug store couponing game once again. I hope you find it helpful as well.

Did anyone else have a fabulous run with HT super doubles? I'd love to hear about it!

Autumn Pantry and Freezer Meals

Lately, we've been making do with a good bit that's in our pantry and freezer. Not only does this mean that we're not spending as much at the grocery store, but it also means that we're not using that fuel to go to the store. (We're also trying really hard to stick to that $100-150 a month grocery budget so that we can add more to savings.) Since we're avid couponers and sale shoppers, and have never met a freebie we weren't willing to try, our pantry and freezer are stocked with homemade or rock bottom staples to make almost any meal happen.

Last week, I found myself coming home with about a dozen butternut and acorn squash. (The kids harvested the seeds for a lab, but no one wanted the squash. Who was I to turn down free food?) So, I brought them home and cooked and pureed them. (You can cook them in the microwave, after you've seeded them, for about 15 minutes, or leave them whole and cook them in the crockpot for 6-8 hours. Then, just scoop the meat out with a large spoon.) Some of the puree I made into a butternut squash soup (evaporated milk, chicken stock, nutmeg, salt and pepper--no measuring). I spread the puree onto tortillas and made burritos with black beans, rice, and chicken/barbecue... add some sour cream and hot sauce and it's a tasty meal in a jiffy. Some of the puree was frozen for later use in chili as a thickener. I think some of the rest of it might substitute for canned pumpkin in some recipes, since the flavor and texture is almost identical. Do you have any suggestions for using up the rest? We're thinking of experimenting with mixing it with sour cream for a pasta sauce with cheese and keilbasa.

I found this recipe for a quick cream soup mix in Miserly Moms, which turned out to be a great base for tuna casserole for our supper club. It made a large batch, so as long as it's in an airtight container, it's great for soups and casseroles later. (Plus, it doesn't have all the preservatives that are in regular canned soups.)

We're trying to use up some stuff in the freezer so that we have room for a turkey when they go on sale in a few weeks. So, we've made many meals with sausage, which always seems to be a staple in our freezer, and are trying to use more of the homemade stock that's in the freezer. The frozen pizzas are regulars on Friday nights, and I've been making more homemade breads and muffins with the berries we gathered this summer that are in the freezer.

Here are some of our favorites to use up pantry and freezer finds:

• Chili with beans (use dried beans for biggest savings and home-canned salsa or diced tomatoes)
• Vegetable and rice/pasta soup (great use up for canned veggies and homemade stock)
• Minestrone soup (use dried beans and ingredients above)
• Chicken/turkey soup with rice (cook the carcass in the crockpot with celery, onion, and carrot... then shred the meat from the bones and add quick cooking wild rice at the end for about 20 minutes or until rice is done)
  
• Baked potato night (add sauted veggies, leftover lunch meat or chicken, beans, cheese, or any combo)
• Jazzy mac and cheese (add sauted veggies or sausage/meat; make it from scratch for best flavor and use whole wheat pasta)
• Pasta with tomato sauce base (add any variety of veggies and/or meat to the can of tomato sauce for a quick meal)
• Pizza night (use homemade crust and add your own veggies/meat/cheese for a fun dinner)
• Stir fry (make your favorite stir fry sauce or buy a jar, then just saute the frozen veggies/meat and serve over cooked rice--we use brown rice for greater nutritional value)
  
• Berry bread/pancakes (add frozen berries to bread, muffins, or pancakes for added nutrition and flavor)
• Berry syrup (cook any mix of berries with some sugar and cinnamon for a quick pancake or icecream syrup)

What about you? How do you make meals out of your pantry and freezer to keep from having to go to the store or spend the cash? Does your family have any favorites? I'd love to hear from you!