Eat at home

[tinkerbelletreasure]

I thought I'd share my meatloaf break through. My family doesn't really like traditional meat loaf, so someone suggested I start making "meat muffins" in a muffin pan. Then I went and exchanged tomato sauce for salsa and my family LOVES it! It is a moist meatloaf instead of the really dried out kind. Here is my basic recipe( I don't usually measure, so I'll approximate)
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1 small diced onion
6-8 crumbled saltines
1/4 cup salsa or picante sauce, as mild or hot as you like
salt and pepper to taste
couple dash's of Worschestershire sauce

Mix it together and distribute evenly into a muffin pan, spoon a small amount of salsa on top of each one.
Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

[dislvr74]

I've always made a weekly menu, but recently started looking at the sales before I plan our dinners. I'm now spending about $80/week on food instead of $125. I also started using coupons. Anyway, I now shop on Tuesday nights because that is when my sales start. Today I got $120 worth of food for $75. I was pretty impressed with myself!

Tuesday (today): stouffers beef stew and couscous (I generally avoid processed food, but this was free after coupons and I thought we would give it a try)

Wednesday: taco salad, I have ground beef, taco seasoning, and cheese because it was on sale last week. Lettuce, tomatoes, and salad dressing were on sale this week.

Thursday: Italian chicken pasta (from Kraft website), chicken and pasta sauce are on sale this week. I already have pasta and the other ingredients needed for this.

Friday: frozen pizzas, this is normally a night that we eat out, but I got two Fruschetta pizzas for 2.99 each

Saturday: stove top chicken bake (from Kraft website), chicken is on sale and I already have a box of stove top

Sunday: beef and macaroni bake (again, from Kraft), using more ground beef from last week and already have the other ingredients

Monday: leftovers

We usually have frozen veggies with our meals. I think they are just as good as fresh, but they are a lot cheaper!

The Kraft website has a helpful feature that allows you to enter three ingredients and it will suggest recipes based on what you enter. I often use this to enter items that are on sale or that I already have stocked up.

 

[figment3258]

I've always made a weekly menu, but recently started looking at the sales before I plan our dinners. I'm now spending about $80/week on food instead of $125. I also started using coupons. Anyway, I now shop on Tuesday nights because that is when my sales start. Today I got $120 worth of food for $75. I was pretty impressed with myself!

Tuesday (today): stouffers beef stew and couscous (I generally avoid processed food, but this was free after coupons and I thought we would give it a try)

Wednesday: taco salad, I have ground beef, taco seasoning, and cheese because it was on sale last week. Lettuce, tomatoes, and salad dressing were on sale this week.

Thursday: Italian chicken pasta (from Kraft website), chicken and pasta sauce are on sale this week. I already have pasta and the other ingredients needed for this.

Friday: frozen pizzas, this is normally a night that we eat out, but I got two Fruschetta pizzas for 2.99 each

Saturday: stove top chicken bake (from Kraft website), chicken is on sale and I already have a box of stove top

Sunday: beef and macaroni bake (again, from Kraft), using more ground beef from last week and already have the other ingredients

Monday: leftovers

We usually have frozen veggies with our meals. I think they are just as good as fresh, but they are a lot cheaper!

The Kraft website has a helpful feature that allows you to enter three ingredients and it will suggest recipes based on what you enter. I often use this to enter items that are on sale or that I already have stocked up.

I will have to check out the kraft web site. Thanks!

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

We used to eat almost every meal at home...but now with everybody's crazy schedules we eat out lots more. So far this week we have had 2 meals at home.

Sunday: Roast w/ taters, onions & carrots, fried okra & biscuits w/ jellys for dessert.
Monday: We had company so I had chicken fried deer steak, gravy, mashed taters, corn & garlic cheese biscuits. Made Mississippi mud cake for dessert.
Tonight everybody has different places to be so is fast food.
Wed: Choice of sandwiches or leftovers before Church.
Thursday: Woodchuck on chow-mein noodles.
Friday ???

 

[momandkidslovedisney]

Well timed thread! I'm making my shopping list right now Count us in as spending WAY too much on take-out/eating out. I make sure I buy a few pre-made dinner options at Trader Joes to keep in the freezer, just in case. That way, when I'm pooped or too busy, I just pull it out and warm it up instead of getting take-out.

My favorites are Mandarin-Orange Chicken w/ Rice and veggie, Enchiladas with rice and corn, Chimichurri salmon with Mashed potatoes and green beans....

This/Next week we're having:

Tues: Quinoa w/Black Beans & Cilantro with Tamales and Corn

Wed: Ribs and Cheddar Corn Chowder

Thurs: Bruschetta w/leftover soup

Fri.- Sun. We'll be gone for a wedding, HAVE to eat out.

Mon: Artichoke and Tuna Panini's w/ Garbanzo bean spread and Chips

Tues: Coconut Chicken with Strawberry-Spinach Salad

Wed: Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Green beans w/Caramelized Onions

Thurs: Ratatouille w/ Garlic Bread and Marinated Mozzarella

Fri: Homemade Pizza (TJ's ingredients, YUM!!) and Carrots/Broccoli w/ Ranch

Your menu looks awesome!!!

 

[Tiana]

Your menu looks awesome!!!

Thanks!!! I have a several cookbooks, but I subscribe to Bon Appetit and Eating Well magazine (used to get Gourmet too) and just rip pages out and stick them in plastic pages which I put in binders I also print out tons of them from foodnetwork.com, so I have TONS of recipes.

My most used cookbooks are Julia's Child's and one by Giada de Laurentiis

 

[mrsklamc]

I'm on a diet right now for a medical test which involves ABSOLUTELY no eating food prepared outside our home for 17 days (plus a bunch of other restrictions). It stinks. BUT, one thing that has helped has been 'clone' or 'copycat' recipes. In my case we used them for simple things like pace salsa or french's mustard but if you google them there are lots of similar recipes for restaurant food, if you are trying to eat at home but craving a specific meal.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

Our grocery store steams shrimp for 7.99 a pound.With a salad, corn on the cob and rolls, it's one of our favorite weekend dinners. While the shrimp steams I make a salad and grab the rolls. It's nice to drink our own beer or wine and more relaxing than waiting in a restaurant. If the shrimp is on sale I buy extra and we have shrimp salad for lunch. Even a rotisserie chicken with your vegetables and corn muffins is cheaper than fast food. There are also some frozen pizzas we like (California Kitchen, Primo Thin Crust) with a salad for easy weekend dinners. If I have some easy options I'm not as tempted to eat out!

your food ideas sound awesome! I'll have to look into those frozen pizza's and compare it to my homemade price. My homemade cheese pizza I make for about $5.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Sorry, didn't have time to read all the pages of this thread (plan to do so; lots of good info, I'm sure). So, don't know if this has been mentioned, but I have a cooking day as needed & that stops a lot of eating out & spending more money on food. I fix BIG batches of one or more meals. Then, I freeze individual portions in cottage cheese containers (we eat a lot of low fat cottage cheese). With a felt tip pen, I mark the contents on the lids.

Our favorites are chicken & noodles, chicken, sausage, & veggie stew, chili, white and/or pinto beans w/a meat, beef stew, and chicken & rice with cheese & curry flavoring. Italian meals are good for this too. And, of course, there are a lot of other meals that can be frozen. Thawing & heating can be in the microwave, in a pan on the stove, or in the oven - fast, convenient, & cheaper.

These individual servings are handy when only some members are home, or only some are hungry, or when each wants something different. I find that home cooked meals are preferred, just not the trouble to cook them each evening. Plus, I concentrate on lowering the calories & fat content; much better than a frozen pizza!

I've also switched from meat ladened meals to more vegetables with smaller portions of meat, & to combined content meals (stews, casseroles, soups, etc) rather than the typical piece of meat, starch, veggie (not always, of course). It's healthier, cheaper, & no one notices the smaller portion of meat, IF the meal is flavored well & there is plenty of it!

I also use frozen veggies (no additives such as butter, sauces, etc) - cheaper & don't have to worry about fresh ones spoiling before I find time to cook.

For my chicken meals, I watch for a sale on rotisserie chickens (when they are cheaper than fresh chickens) & buy many & have a chicken cooking day. Out of 1 chicken I filled 8 large cottage cheese containers of chicken & noodles. Out of 1 chicken I filled 10 large cottage cheese containers of chicken & veggie stew. Sometimes 1 container is enough for 2 people, or I use the frozen meals with other sides, such as, a freshly fixed sandwich, or mac & cheese, etc.

Hope my ideas help someone. I got lots of good info from the rest of you; thanks! Good thread.

Julie

 

[hmdavid]

This thread inspired me to sit down with my kids today and plan a menu for the rest of the month! And write the shopping list, which is really amazing for me! Thanks! Here is how our week looks for next week...

Sunday- grilled chicken, new potatoes and green beans
Monday- chicken quesadilla's, rice
Tuesday- pasta bake and garlic bread
Wednesday- pulled pork on buns, pasta salad, veggies w/ ranch
Thursday- meatloaf, baked potatoes, brocoli
Friday- homemade pizza, veggies w/ranch
Saturday- grill steaks, potato packets, asparagus
Sunday- brats & hot dogs

Most nights I serve a green salad as well. Hubby takes leftovers to work the next day for lunch.

 

[LilyWDW]

I do most of the cooking at home, though it depends on if I will be here or not that night. This week has been hard though as I am home every night (except Saturday) and, due to watching a friend's child after they get home from school, I can't really do any of my BIG meals. So this week is sort of blah...

yesterday we had deli sandwiches with deli salads
Today was tacos with rice and refried beans

Then for the next few days I have:
Asian Salmon with rice and asparagus
Breakfast with eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, and toast
Brats and Italian Sausage with fries

Usually there is more variety, but I just don't have the time or energy this week.

 

[bigmama67]

Subbing - I LOVE this thread!

Whenever we are home we do "breakfast for dinner" on Saturdays. Sundays we will do a crockpot dish or something more involved as we don't have time during the week.

I actually am trying to start stockpiling and I have a freezer full of chicken and turkey (I don't eat pork or beef, and DH hates seafood). I actually planned out the meals up until our vacation (we leave on the 28th). Here is this week:

Monday - turkey tenderloin, green beans, couscous
Tuesday - pasta (I made my own tomato sauce for the heck of it) and carrots
Wednesday - quesadillas (ours are made with Perdue Short Cuts, refried beans and cheese; the kids just have cheese)
Thursday - I have a meeting; I'm picking up a Costco chicken for DH and the kids
Friday - DH is going away for the weekend so the kids and I will have a "picnic" with macaroni and cheese and broccoli; we'll eat on the living room floor on a blanket
Saturday - DS is having a friend sleep over; we will do make-your-own pizza
Sunday - barbecue chicken cutlets in the slow cooker

We always have lots of frozen veggies on hand and also do salads sometimes.

This will be a great resource!

 

[figment3258]

This thread inspired me to sit down with my kids today and plan a menu for the rest of the month! And write the shopping list, which is really amazing for me! Thanks! Here is how our week looks for next week...

Sunday- grilled chicken, new potatoes and green beans
Monday- chicken quesadilla's, rice
Tuesday- pasta bake and garlic bread
Wednesday- pulled pork on buns, pasta salad, veggies w/ ranch
Thursday- meatloaf, baked potatoes, brocoli
Friday- homemade pizza, veggies w/ranch
Saturday- grill steaks, potato packets, asparagus
Sunday- brats & hot dogs

Most nights I serve a green salad as well. Hubby takes leftovers to work the next day for lunch.

I am so glad this thread is helping others as well! How do you do your pulled pork?

 

[hmdavid]

I am so glad this thread is helping others as well! How do you do your pulled pork?

It is sooooo easy. I just put a pork roast in the crock pot with a bottle of BBQ sauce and about 1/2 cup water, let it cook all day. It falls apart and shreds so easily. Really easy, really good and the best part is that my DD's LOVE it!

 

[figment3258]

I was thinking this morning that sometimes i feel that eating out is like an addiction. I crave it so much. Anyone else feel this way?

So we are doing well

Monday we had hot dogs and corn on the cob
Yesterday we had meatball subs which were quite good. Some meatballs leftover too

Today we are having a pot roast with carrots and potatoes all done in the crock pot already

tomorrow chicken bake which is easy chicken pasta cheese and sauce all in one dish

Friday is mac and cheese i bought this new Kraft mac and cheese diner in a bag had a coupon will see how it tastes

Saturday i am thinking breakfast for diner

Sunday meatloaf

 

[figment3258]

It is sooooo easy. I just put a pork roast in the crock pot with a bottle of BBQ sauce and about 1/2 cup water, let it cook all day. It falls apart and shreds so easily. Really easy, really good and the best part is that my DD's LOVE it!

Yum! thanks!

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

The other great thing about the porkloin bbq is that it has practically no fat. I can't eat real bbq without getting sick, a lot of the time due to the greasiness.

 

[thej]

We too have been trying to eat at home more, but with school and activities ramping back up, its going to get harder. Meals for us can been a bit wierd since DW is pregnant, and she often doesn't feel like much at dinner right now. She may have some of what I make, or find something else that appeals to her, or she may wait to eat late when she feels better. DS is fairly picky, which doesn't help.

Last Night - Left over Pasta Carbonera & Grean Beans
Tonite - Pan fried pork chops, french bread, peas(?)
Thurs - Pot Roast in the Crockpot with carrots & celery over cous-cous
Fri - Pasta w/marinara & a salad
Sat - Probably Skirt Steak with bread and a veg, but maybe Fajitas if we decide to put in the effort.

At that point we need to go shopping again, but if not

Sun - Grilled Hot Dogs, baked beans or corn & chips

 

[TwoAtDisney]

When my children were young & at home, they loved our "hamburger things"! Best part - no dishes to wash!

hamburger pattie for each person
thinly sliced potatoes for each person
couple large spoons of a good juicy canned chili beans
salt & pepper to taste
optional - seasonings to taste, cheese at last minute

Wrap all in aluminum foil with potatoes on bottom, hamburger next, then beans. Season potatoes & meat as stack them. The thinner the potatoes, the faster it bakes. Bake at 400 degrees until the potatoes are done - usually, at least an hour.

Was convenient to take care of homework & other duties while dinner cooked without the need of someone working over the stove.

Obviously can be served with salad, side veggies, etc., if desired.

Julie

 

[beansmom]

We are currently living in a hotel, waiting to move into our house once our ship comes with our household goods. Anyway, we don't have an oven, just microwave and burners, plus a gas grill shared among the hotel dwellers. I have been cooking, but it is challenging, and we are eating out too much.
Onto the meal planning!
Tonight, smothered chicken, green beans and new potatoes, strawberries

Rest of the week, in no particular order......
Grilled pork chops, watermelon, corn


Good luck to all!
Katy

i'm kinda nosy but...with Qatar being a predominantly Muslim country, how do you acquire pork chops? Just curious.