*it was overcast when I took these photos!
Even though I am not publishing menus anymore, I am still feeding myself at home. I'm still not all that jazzed about cooking, but I know that it is the best way for me to get the nutrition I need and not spend a fortune. This particular week, I spent $80 for the next two weeks. On grocery days, I start out by cleaning the inside of the fridge to freshen it up.
Then I might start a crockpot to make dinner easy. (today it was some ribs I had in the freezer) I hit some markdowns at HEB and used my partner card (Son #2 works in their bakery). I think I did fairly well and I have a collection of things to pull out for dinners and lunches.
I bought a package of 5 lemon pepper chicken quarters for $3.89 total out of pocket. They went right into the oven as soon as I got home. Once they cooled, I was able to shred the meat into 5 ziploc bags for a total of 78 cents a portion. The bones went right into a small pot on the stove to simmer for stock.
I poured it into small jars, just right for one person.
While the chicken was cooking I made taco meat with lean ground turkey I got for $5.39 total. Not as great a deal as the chicken, but with my own seasonings and a little time, it ended up being 4 freezer portions at $1.35 each. Once it is cooled, I portion it out and place all the small bags into big freezer ziploc and I can easily grab one to add to a salad or other meal. Taco meat is good in quesadillas or heated up over a baked sweet potato. A very easy way to feed myself when I don't feel like cooking.
I also snagged a package of chuck for $3.94 and that got divided up and frozen. These baskets in my freezer aren't Pinterest-worthy, but they help organize the cooked items from the uncooked. I label the bags so I can see what I might be getting low on. And I usually look at the menus the night before, so I can toss something into the fridge to thaw. All told, I spent $13.22 and got 13 portions of protein.
Once I had the meats sorted, I pulled out some things from the fridge and freezer to make breakfast tacos for work days. I had 8 tortillas leftover from a week or so ago, so I combined them with 8 breakfast links, 8 eggs, and a sliced red bell pepper. I roll each one in a foil sheet and store them in a gallon size freezer ziploc. Then on work mornings, I will toss one into the oven on low while I get ready for work. The taco usually stays warm in my tote bag until I eat, around 8 a.m. I usually alternate tacos with oatmeal so I don't eat the same breakfast all three days.
The rest of that dozen of eggs went onto the stove for boiled eggs to keep in the fridge. These are good for a protein snack or to slice into a salad.
I also loaded up my fruit bowl and keep it front and center in my kitchen to encourage me to eat more fruit. I quit buying waffles, so I eat granola and yogurt during the week for breakfast (or a small bit of leftover dinner with a fried egg!) Lately I am leaning into sardines once a week, lots of salads with added protein, or a sandwich for lunch. In this way, I can keep the eating out down to once a week. What are some routines you use to help feed yourself? I'm all ears!
Gina
Impressive! I'm so not organized myself.
ReplyDeleteI think you are doing a great job. I don't do that much prep but do try to keep cut up raw veggies in the frig for an easy lunch or snack nutrition boost.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am still feeding a whole family each night I still enjoy batch cooking/preparing foods to cut down on daily food prep.
ReplyDeleteI used to enjoy eating out, and did so with frequency. These days, I’m kind of creeped out about the quality of food that they’re serving in restaurants, the dubious ways in which it’s prepared, not to mention the ridiculously high prices. So, I cook at home. Generally, that means I will eat the same thing two or three days running, but it’s tasty, so it doesn’t bother me and I live alone. No one around to complain.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great system! I'm not nearly as organized about it these days. But I've turned my lack of ability to cook in small batches into a meal or two for the freezer for another time.
ReplyDeleteWow - kudos to you! Not only for having a really good grocery budget..and making it work. And also for all the prep work. I know that pays off later in the week/month, but I am so lazy about doing so. Happy eating!
ReplyDeleteYou are amazingly organized and efficient. The list of foods I don't like is long and gets longer all the time. This makes planning ahead a problem but obviously I'm managing to eat well enough so I stay healthy.
ReplyDeleteWell done !
ReplyDeleteNicely done. While I am not that organized I do have a meal plan and instead of letting leftover rot in the fridge I try to divide them into single portion sizes and freeze them for easy lunch options.
ReplyDeleteGreat job! We don't like to eat out much anymore because of the quality of food at too many places, so I do all of our cooking. Batch cooking and planned overs work great. It's always nice to pull something out of the freezer that you made yourself for a quick meal at home or to take to work.
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