Meals For The Next 2 Weeks

M.O.M. ~ Mom On a Mission – One mom’s mission to feed healthy foods to a family of four for under $400 a month. Can it be done? Let’s find out!

 

   Payday time again. That means it’s time to plan out dinners and write up the grocery list again.

   When making up the menus, I was trying to keep in mind what I already had in my pantry and freezer to keep costs low. Here’s what I came up with:

Freezer Cooking on a Budget with a Small Freezer...

*Warning – This is a long post but seriously chocked full of good recipes and such. It’s totally worth reading all the way through!...despite the lack of pictures. J *

Have you been on Pinterest lately? There have been a good number of posts about freezer cooking and budget meal planning.  (I’m guessing it has to do with the start of the New Year and lots of resolutions to eat healthier and save money.) If you’re like me, you pin these things (and let’s face it, a ton of other things too) and they are never to be seen again.

But then I found a really cool blog through a post abouthomemade bread. I have really enjoyed reading through Andrea’s blog Pennies & Pancakes. Her angle seems to be making things yourself that you normally buy at the store either because it’s healthier that way or it saves you money or even both. I love this point of view and happen to completely agree with her. The first post I read was about making homemade bread – get this – without a bread maker! Woah now. I only ever make quick breads (like pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, banana bread, etc) and have never ventured anywhere near other breads because I thought you needed a bread maker…which I don’t have. This lady not only makes it without a bread maker, but she completely took away the intimidation factor. I’ll do a post on this later as I’m planning on tackling her homemade granola bars next. J  (But spoiler alert: The bread is delicious!!)

Maybe it was because I was feeling unstoppable after successfully making this bread (twice) that I felt I could attempt freezer cooking and a better budget meal plan. I feel I should take a moment to explain that I’ve read posts, lots of posts, about freezer cooking and how fantabulous it is. But these people have very nice very large freezers. They have room to prep 30-some meals in one afternoon and then freeze it all. I live in an apartment and barely have room for my usual freezer stuff. So after reading how awesome freezer cooking is, I move on without giving it any serious thought. And as for budgeting the meals – well, I do have a twice-a-month budget I have to stick to. And I did do a few posts about meal planning and all that. But then it fell to the wayside.

Football & Sunday Chili

     Ahh football. For most people, football is a sign that fall is near with its cooler weather and colorful leaves and lots and lots of pumpkins. In our house, football means that and something else. Chili. Every Sunday my wonderful husband makes his chili. I don’t think it is ever the same twice. J It would probably help if we actually wrote it down as he puts it together…but we never do. We are two peas in a pod…I never write down what goes into my dinners as I’m making them in case we want to have it again. Ya know… now that I’m thinking about it, I really doubt that we have ever had the exact same thing twice. Wow, that’s kind of funny when you think about how many meals I’ve made and no two are exactly the same. J

Anyway, I’ve gotten off topic. I was talking about my hubby’s soul-warming chili on this chilly rainy day. :-p 

Most of what he needed was purchased either Friday or Saturday (as listed in my previous post) and the rest we already had in my pantry.

Sunday Chili   makes 6 servings, cook on low for 6 ½ hours

1 small can of tomato paste 2 cans of chili beans, drained 1 can diced tomatoes, drained 2 lbs ground beef 1 onion, chopped Most of a yellow bell pepper, chopped 1 cubanelle pepper, chopped ½ can black olives, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 Tbsp chili powder ½ Tbsp garlic powder 1 tsp mustard powder 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp dried oregano ½ Tbsp salt Salt and pepper

 

1.       In a pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper.

2.       Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients into the CrockPot.

3.       When the beef is completely browned, add that to the slow cooker as well.

4.       Cover and cook on low heat for 6 ½ hours.

5.       When you are ready to eat, ladle the chili into bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. *We use a low-fat cheddar cheese and a light sour cream.*

6.       We also like to eat ours with some Fritos crunched up on top of it all. The Fritos scoops are really good too, and you won’t need a spoon! A couple less things to wash never hurt! J

 

 

 

Part of the Mom On a Mission Meals

CrockPot Tuesdays: February 22nd

Today I'm not at home so I'm not able to do a Crock Pot dinner. However, I didn't want to leave anyone hanging so I asked my Mom if she knew of anything off hand I could use for today. So today's recipe is courtesy of my Mom. (No pictures this week though. Sorry guys! I'll make it up you, I promise!!)

Mama's Crock Chicken


Frozen chicken breasts
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 chopped onion
3 sliced up carrots


    If you have some potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, or celery hanging around, you can toss any of those in, too! Toss everything in the Crock Pot together. Cover, and let it go! The timing depends on your individual slow cooker, but a good range on low is about 6 to 8 hours. Check on it at about the 6 hour mark. Make sure the chicken is fully cooked. I think this sounds good over a nice pile of brown rice. Hope y'all enjoy!

CrockPot Tuesdays: February 15th

    Growing up my favorite meal was my Mom's Shepherd's Pie. It is still my favorite comfort food and has become one of my step-dad's favorites, too. While I enjoy making it for myself, I don't get to make it too often (I'm the only one that eats it in my family). I thought maybe by making it a different way, I could entice my little ones to eat it. Without any further ado, 


Crock Pot Shepherd's Pie.


1 lb lean ground turkey
1 small onion
2 cans white cream corn
1 can yellow cream corn
5 potatoes, peeled & cubed
3-4 carrots, peeled & sliced
finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika

Here we've got one can of the white cream corn (I used 2) and one can of the regular yellow cream corn.

Into the Crock Pot goes the chopped up potatoes and carrots, the browned meat, sauteed onions with mined garlic, the chopped fresh parsley, as well as the other spices.

Then it is time to add in all three cans of cream corn. Set on low and let it go! Mine cooked for about 6 hours; you are looking for the potatoes and carrots to be tender. It is good served with a dollop of ketchup, too! :)


This is a comfort food that will not disappoint! Whether on a cold day, or even a warmer one, this is a surefire hit!

CrockPot Tuesday: February 1st

Have I ever told you about my green kitchen notebook? 


No, huh?


Okay, so awhile back I got the brilliant idea to use one of my old notebooks for a "kitchen organizer". (Remember my inner nerd that loves organizing and notebooks and such.) It came to me after finding recipes written on loose-leaf notebook paper here and there and in random places. So I went to Target and got some fun colored dividers with pockets and set out organizing. I had forgotten this phase I went through where I would check out a ton of cookbooks from the library, scour the pages and write down recipes that appealed to me. I went through so many books and wrote down countless recipes during that phase, that it was more than enough to fill this notebook. 


   I bring this up because I wanted some new inspiration for CrockPot Tuesdays. The first recipe staring up at me when I flipped to the 'Recipes' section of my green kitchen notebook was one for a Crock Pot Pea Soup. It is from a cookbook that helps the chef cook what is in season, thereby cutting down some food costs. The recipe itself was written down for my hubby. Nate loves Split Pea Soup and in all the time we have been together, I have never made it! This is crazy because of some other outrageous things I've tried in the kitchen, why skip out on a down-home comfort food as simple as Split Pea Soup? Especially since that is one of the things Nate likes to ask for. So I did it. I followed this recipe, mostly, well, maybe just using it as a guideline since this is something I've never tried out before. I now have a CrockPot Pea Soup cooking away as I write this. 


   On a thrifty note: While I am a lover of fresh produce, I also value my time. I have such an appreciation for convenience items such as frozen chopped onions, frozen slice carrots, and so on. It may seem more expensive to you to do it this way, but I watch for the bags to go on sale at Kroger for $1 a piece and grab some. Convenient, thrifty, and I don't have to worry about crying when I chop up the onions. :) Oh, and I prefer frozen to cans because of the nutritional content. Frozen keeps more nutrition and they can still be steamed, saving even more of the good stuff.

CrockPot Pea Soup

adapted from In Season Cooking

48 oz water

1 lb dried split peas, rinsed
6 cups hot water
6 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 cup frozen chopped onions
1/2 cup frozen sliced carrots
4 tsp minced garlic, going for 2 cloves here
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything but the salt and pepper into the slow cooker, cover and turn it on. It is that simple! Traditional Split Pea Soups have ham bone in it while it cooks or diced ham added near the end. I don't have either of these on hand, so I'm using the chicken granules instead. 

If you have 8-10 hours, let it cook on low. If, like me, you don't have 8 hours, turn the heat on high and cook for around 4 to 5 hours. What we are looking for at the end of cooking time is for the dried split peas to be very tender.

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   So I wasn't able to take a picture before my husband grabbed a bowl, and then another. :) So the soup was a success! The peas were very tender, and some had "mushed up" so the soup was creamy and thick. Before it was time to eat, don't forget to add the salt and pepper! My husband declared this much awaited Pea Soup a success and, while there are a few tweaks I'd like to make, he has forbidden any changes be made to this because it is just that good. :) I'll try to get a picture of one of the leftover bowls before it's gone. Enjoy!!

Yumm!!

CrockPot Tuesday: January 25th

I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that today is Tuesday, not Monday. We were lucky enough to have a three-day weekend with the hubby. It started off that he was just going to be going into work late so that he could come to the Parent-Teacher Conference Monday morning, but then he decided to make a whole day of it! What a treat!! It's funny, playing "hookie" for a day makes the time more special compared to the weekend when things sometimes just feel more stressful. Is it just me? Oh well.


Anyway, we had a pretty good weekend, too. Saturday the girls had a birthday party to attend, which was held at Monkey Joe's. Kyleigh and the birthday girl, as well as the other party attendees, had a great time. Abigail was somewhat unsure of the big inflatable bounce houses and preferred to stay in the party room playing with spoons. :) Sunday we hung out at Nate's parents' house, watched some football, and ate pizza. Yes, it was a good day. :) Monday, after the Parent-Teacher Conference, we went to the park to let the girls run around for a few minutes. Yes, it was cold outside but that is what coats and hats and gloves are for. Besides, just because it is cold out doesn't mean one doesn't need fresh air. Then grabbed some McDonald's for lunch (a rarity I assure you) at Nate's request and then down for naps. We topped the day off with going to a frozen yogurt bar in celebration of Kyleigh being dry two nights in a row! Then it was home and to bed...the girls were pretty tired out. It was a really great three-day weekend! :)


Which explains why today felt like Monday. Nate was home yesterday. So. Tuesday. Crock Pot day!! The last three or so weeks I've done stews. While it has been nice to have soul-warming stew, the girls have yet to actually eat their dinners on Tuesdays. Now I don't have a whole lot to throw into the slow cooker, so I decided to try my hand at some homemade baked beans. I'm still undecided as to whether or not I'll cut up some leftover hot dogs we have to give it more 'kid appeal' and I've also been considering adding a bit of rice to it...I'll let ya know.


Thing2 has woken up quite early from her nap and Thing1 has decided to not nap at all. It'll be a rocky afternoon/evening if they don't get back to sleep. *Fingers crossed* Besides, they get up now and I won't be able to finish this post till later tonight. I really enjoy naptimes for 2 reasons: 1)it is quiet; 2) I get to blog and check out foodie sites. So yes, major bummer that nobody is napping.

Homemade Baked Beans

or we could even go with Baked Bean "Stew"...but then I feel like I'm doing the same thing week after week.

We begin by preparing the dried cranberry beans. In a large pot, bring the beans to a boil in no less than 8 cups of water. Boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat and cover. Let it stand for one hour before use.


Now that the beans have sat, drain and rinse them and then add them to the CrockPot. 

Add in 1 small can of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/4-1/3 cup molasses and 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion.

I had wanted to add in vegetable broth but I didn't have any, so I went with chicken broth. I used 3 cups of hot water with 3 teaspoons of chicken bouillon granules. Pour over the ingredients already in the CrockPot.
Now add in 1/4 cup cider vinegar. Followed by 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp parsley.

Stir it all up, turn it on to low heat, cover, and let it go!

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Here it is with about 90 minutes left before being done. It started out soupy, but cooked well to become thicker like baked beans should be.

Since we had leftover hot dogs in the fridge that weren't enough to be a meal unto themselves, I decided to slice them up and toss 'em in. They were in there for the remaining 90 minutes.

Now, what to do with those hot dog buns? Which, might I add, there were fewer buns left than there were hot dogs. How about using them for dipping sticks? Brilliant!

Slice them up, put them on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil.

Now sprinkle on some kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley. Let it sit a bit before putting it into the oven to let the bread soak up the olive oil. Once you are ready, put the sheet into a preheated oven set at 300 degrees F and let them crisp up for about 10 minutes; longer if you want them crispier, more like giant croutons.

And dinner is served! Top each bowl with a dollop of Greek yogurt, shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and a little more parsley. Serve with a side of the dipping sticks and enjoy! Yumm!!

Oh that's right! I can't believe I forgot! I have an alligator problem in my kitchen!!! haha 

CrockPot Tuesdays: January 18th

    While walking up and down the many aisles of the grocery store on Friday, one of the many things that was on my list were dried beans. While looking for dried garbanzo beans, something else caught my eye--cranberry beans. I chuckled to myself then asked my four-year-old if we should give them a try. Of course she said no and of course they got tossed in the cart anyway. I'm not calling myself an all-knowing expert in the food world but I am familiar with a lot of the ingredients. Cranberry beans? Really? Since it is something I've never heard of, I did a little research courtesy of Google.


    First of all, in Italy they are called borlotti while New Englanders refer to them as shell beans. In the US, the beans are a fall crop, but are available most of the year as dried beans. The taste of the cranberry bean doesn't at all come close to its namesake. The flavor they hold is actually mild and chestnut-like. The beans are brown with cranberry-colored markings and tend to turn a light brown after being cooked--so if color is what you are looking for, you'd be better off with kidney beans. The cranberry bean is a great choice for recipes that call for legumes. Adding this bean provides great nutrition and extra protein. Using the label off of the bag of dried cranberry beans I used today, I found that per 1/4 cup of dry beans provides 9 grams of dietary fiber (which is 35% of your daily value), 8 grams of protein and 10% of your daily value of iron. That is all from only a quarter cup of dry beans! We can eat that in one bowl of soup! So let's add the whole bag to today's CrockPot!

I'll admit, I forgot to prep the beans last night before heading to bed. Luckily for me, and all other procrastinators out there, there is a "quick soak" technique that can be done about 90 minutes before it is time to add the beans to whichever recipe you may be using.

Rinse the beans and add them to 8 cups of water. Bring the pot to a rapid boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. When the hour is up, drain the water from the pot and rinse beans again. 

Add them to the CrockPot.

Next comes two cans of broth. I used beef broth because I didn't have enough vegetable broth and didn't want to use chicken again. Next is the can of petite diced tomatoes, a can of Campbell's Bean with Bacon condensed soup, and about 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots. Stir it all together. Set the CrockPot insert back into the cooker and turn heat on to low. 

Now let's add in more flavor. 

Stir in about 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.

Cover and let it go!


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    So of course everything can't always be a success. While this is not by any means a failure, I feel it is not a complete success since it is in need of further tweaking. So what is it about this stew that I am not completely happy with? I'm glad you asked. There weren't really any "mouth-popping" flavors that would make this dish stand out compared to others. There was a subtle smokey after taste thanks to the can of Campbell's Bean with Bacon condensed soup. The cranberry beans held up nicely in the 8 hours of cooking and had a nice bite to them. I could taste the tomatoes only because I knew they were there and thus looking for them. All-in-all the stew came together well, it is just in need of a little more TLC.

    What will I do differently next time? Thank you for asking! Let's see, next time I make this stew, I will first use 2 cans of diced tomatoes but NOT petite. Then I think I'll add a little extra of the veggie mix. The biggest change will come with the flavors: perhaps 1 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 3/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and finally 1 tsp ground nutmeg. Hopefully that will pack more of a punch! :)

CrockPot Tuesdays: January 11th

Let's go vegetarian today, shall we? Oh yes, let's.

White Bean with Rice Stew

We'll begin with a can of chickpeas. Drain the can and rinse the beans, and because of personal preference, I shelled them. After that, they went into the CrockPot. Next came a can of Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, followed by 2 cans of vegetable broth, 1/2 cup frozen chopped onions, 


3 peeled and cubed russet potatoes,
























and 1 can drained and rinsed great white northern beans.


















 Now it is time for some more flavors. Tossed in is: (all measurements are approximate because I don't really measure when I'm cooking) 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp rubbed sage, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp minced garlic, and 1 tsp lemon juice. 

With about 3 hours to go, I stirred in about a cup of cooked rice. 

 
After cooking on low heat for roughly 6 hours, now it is ready to eat! 

We added a dollop of Greek yogurt (yeah, I know, I seem obsessed with adding the yogurt to just about anything and everything) 

and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. 

Yumm!! Enjoy!

CrockPot Tuesday: January 4th

To utilize my slow cooker more, I have decided to devote every Tuesday to making a CrockPot dinner. A new year, a new challenge! 

   As you know by now, when it comes to cooking up dinners, I like to go into the kitchen without a plan--just an idea. Last night, I was looking for a recipe for inspiration or even to follow (hey, I didn't say I never use a recipe) but nothing was working for me. So when I went into the kitchen this morning while the girlies played together, all I knew was that I planned on using the beef that has been in my freezer for quite some time. 

   I started by drizzling some Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing in the bottom of a pan (that has a lid) over medium heat. I then dumped the frozen chuck beef in the pan and sprinkled kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder over top. Then it was covered and left to cook up for a bit. I returned about 15 minutes later, flipped it over and replaced the lid. This time it probably went about 20 minutes, with me checking it occasionally. I was satisfied with how it looked after that; it was closer to being medium-rare. 
   When the beef was finished cooking, I turned it out onto the cutting board. Starting by cutting it into thick slices, I proceeded to cube it--still in large pieces. The juices on the board were tinged red so I left the juices on the board and placed the cubed beef in the CrockPot. The juices in the pan were a nice brown so I poured that into the CrockPot over the beef. 
   Now it is time to add the can of diced tomatoes, the can of chili beans, the can of vegetable broth, and about a cup of frozen peas and carrots. 

I diced up three peeled Russet potatoes and added those in as well. Set the CrockPot at low heat and stir up the contents, cover and let it go!

   With three hours to go, I decided to toss in about 1 cup of cooked rice. 

Now to cover it back up and let it finish for 6 o'clock dinnertime!

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    While this goodness slow-cooks up, let's look into what defines soup and stew, courtesy of an awesome Christmas present from my mother-in-law. The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion, written by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst, is a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. For a bookworm and foodie, this is a fabulous gift! 

    Okay, getting back to comparing soup and stew. Reading in the Food Lover's Companion, soup is defined as "any combination of vegetables, meat or fish cooked in a liquid". There is no consistency or temperature that makes a soup, well, a soup. The flavor of soup can be enhanced by making it a day ahead and letting it refrigerate overnight, or adding a garnish before serving. So the term 'soup' could really be applied to most liquid-y things.

    Now we shall examine 'stew'. The basic gist of it is a soup that is cooked (or "stewed") for a long period of time. This allows tough meats to become tender and allows the flavors to become more enhanced and blended together.

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Final update: I'm sure you are all wondering how this turned out and how my picky eaters received it.

    It was fabulous! I loved it! My hubby loved it! My picky 4 year old actually asked for bites of it! (she was eating something else at the time) My 18-month old wanted the beans and peas from it! It was a huge success (yes, that is considered a success in my house, haha) and my husband loved it so much that he's having it for lunch after having it for dinner the night before! 

    Okay, so Kyleigh and I made whole wheat biscuits to go with the stew and they were finished and ready to consume at about 6 o'clock pm. The total cooking time for the beef stew was approximately from 10 o'clock that morning till 6 o'clock that evening, about 8 hours. After putting our servings into bowls, I topped each with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

    This was a wonderful, stick-to-your-ribs, warm-you-up-from-the-inside kind of meal. Very savory and comforting and all-around delish!

    I hope you will try this recipe, it is just that good!

Nearly done with the fantastic beef stew and biscuits!

Whole Wheat Biscuits

     3/4 cup butter, room temperature

     1 cup whole wheat flour

     2 cup white wheat flour

     2 tsp kosher salt

     3/4 tsp cream of tartar

     1 Tbsp baking powder

     1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

     1 1/2 tsp onion powder

     1 1/2 cup milk

     1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin tins and set aside.

  Slice the butter into pats and place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. (Or, put the sliced butter into a mixing bowl; proceed.)

  Add in the remaining ingredients except for the milk and cheese. 

  If using a stand mixer, beat the ingredients in the bowl together. As everything is coming together, beat the milk in a little at a time. Once all milk is incorporated, stir in the cheese. (If not using a stand mixer, use a pastry blender or two knives to cut butter up into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then stir in the milk and cheese.)

  Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough into the prepared muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack until cool enough to handle. Place on a serving plate and enjoy!