My favorite Day of the Month!

Today was it. It’s not my favorite day of the month just because it is pay day, although that helps, but it’s really more what pay day triggers for me that makes me happy. Today is:

1) Pay day which means budget allocation day & bill paying day (which used to be my LEAST favorite day before I budgeted)
2) The beginning of my two day monthly grocery shopping
3) Monthly grocery shopping means huge Sam’s shopping trip where I “play the game”

I won the game today by the way. I add everything up in my head as I go through Sam’s Club and have the kids help me remember numbers as we get distracted. The bigger the number and the closer I am to the total at check out the giddier I get. I often do a mid-month Sam’s Club run but it’s the first on of the month that is always a pricey run because I get all of my grocery items that will last throughout the month in one trip. For this trip I was really out of a lot of meats and I have committed to a shrimp dish for my Freezer Friends group so it was a big number. Being the dork that I am I really like to tell the cashier my estimate before the total is rung up. Today I said $332 and it came up at $329 and change and she said, “you won!”
My poor husband has to hear about this for a couple days at least. Now if I had guessed $329 he would be hearing about it for at least a week so he should be ok with just a couple days. He tries to be a good sport but really he just rolls his eyes and by the 10th time I tell him how superbly wonderful his wife is at budgeting and totaling groceries and such he’s had it and must ask me, “how much longer are you going to go on about it this time?”

So anyway, I also hit Walmart today and tomorrow hopefully I’ll hit Aldi’s and then Giant Eagle (compare to Stop & Shop, Piggly Wiggly or Krogers). I keep a price book which I will share at some point where I have compared prices of various items that I purchase on a regular basis. In general I have found that I get the most for my money buying bulk at Sam’s (even better than sale prices at Giant Eagle) and then the best bargains are found at Aldi’s and then Giant Eagle (especially with coupons which I am trying to be better at). So I shop the stores in that order, generally. So whatever I did not find at Sam’s will be bought at Aldi’s and whatever I don’t find at Aldi’s I get at Giant Eagle. That leaves me with nothing but produce runs at a much smaller local store, Heinen’s, which has wonderful produce and a great lunch meat that we like in our house ($5.99/lb or $4.99 on sale), milk runs at Aldi’s ($2.39-$2.69/gallon whole milk), and the bread outlet twice a month ($1.29 loaf or $1.03 on sale). Trader Joes is right by my gym and there are a few things I get there exclusively. It is easy for me to stop in at Trader Joes after the gym but it isn’t a regular monthly stop. It sounds like a lot of trips but I swear to you it isn’t. Before I monthly meal planned I felt like I was always running to the main store, Giant Eagle, and I was paying more than necessary if I had consolidated my trips to other stores and I would swear about the produce quality regularly.

My budget/”envelope system” has been in place for nearly a year and a half now and it feels so good to deposit little bits of money into my pretend envelopes and see goals get nearer and nearer each pay period. Budgeting the money for what we really need it for truly is a better feeling than going out and replacing our broken DVD player without having saved for it first or having a new sweater. I am a simple nerdy budget person and I love it! So happy budget day to any budgeters out there.

Damn the woman who gave me this recipe!

Ok, not really Barb. But the next time I freak out over how yummy something is and demand the recipe, if it is not made of just healthy veggies or something alike, then don't give me the recipe.

Hi, My name is Jenn, I am a sugar addict and my latest serious sugar doses have come from pumpkin cookies with browned butter frosting. Ahhhhhhhhh. Today was my THIRD double batch of these in 2 weeks. At least it is a whole foods recipe (except the white flour, hmm, maybe whole wheat flour would work and I could call them "healthy" -- ha, too much sugar) and involves a vegetable, right?





Here it is, be careful with this recipe and remember what my grandma Pat always said, "a moment on the lips, forever on the hips." It doesn't stop me though. Oh, sorry I must have scanned this in from my recipe book at some point, it's all crooked and what-not but I'm too tired to re-scan it pretty.

Healthy(ish) Quick Breakfast Ideas

Ok, so I'm looking for some, got any? We have children that do not eat eggs. My husband and I eat eggs every day. I'm hoping that one day our egg habit will rub off on the kids. Until then I will continue to occassionally put egg on their breakfast plate in the hopes it enters their bodies. If it's never on their plate then it has NO chance, right? So here are some of our regular breakfast entrees that I think are somewhat healthy, minus the syrup we put on the pancakes:

1) Pumpkin Pancakes http://www.marthastewart.com/article/pumpkin-pancakes?autonomy_kw=pumpkin%20pancake&rsc=image_1
2) Oatmeal Pancakes http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oatmeal-Pancakes-II/Detail.aspx
3) "Muscle Pancakes" - loaded with protein http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oatmeal-Pancake/Detail.aspx
4) Breakfast smoothies - blended frozen bananas, frozen berries, yogurt, OJ & protein powder
5) Banana slices with peanut butter on top
6) Turkey Sausages
7) Granola cereal (homemade, any recipe will do it - nuts & craisins/raisins)
8) Popsicles made out of leftover smoothies frozen in popsicle molds
9) French toast (at least I get eggs in them this way)
10) Oatmeal with a sprinkle of brown sugar & raisins or mashed banana & splash of milk
11) Bran muffins w/ raisins or blueberries http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Low-Fat-Blueberry-Bran-Muffins/Detail.aspx

Lately I've really been at a loss for breakfast so I'm looking to branch out. I'll let you know what I come up with. My preference is to stay away from cold cereals. You can choose a healthy cereal but they are just so expensive.

Why I Refuse to Do “Kid Friendly Meals”

I see this terminology used all the time, even on foodie blogs. I can understand and appreciate that the short people who live in my house have immature taste buds. However, I refuse to make mac-n-cheese, hot dogs or PBJs for dinner just because they might prefer blandness over the “foodie” preferences of their mother. This refusal actually has little to do with my desire for yummy food, instead it has to do with more with my theory of parenting. Now raise your right hand and place your left hand over your heart and repeat after me, “I believe that a nutritious diet filled with variety of whole foods and flavors is what is best for my children.” I truly believe it is our duty as parents to feed our children healthy food that is within our capabilities and budgetary constraints. If we are smart and not lazy then our capabilities are nearly endless so really there is no excuse, right? Now no one can ONLY give their children HEALTHY food. To not indulge a sweet tooth or whatever craving here and there would mean overindulgence whenever one could get away with it But if the core of a child’s diet is healthy and they are continuously exposed to new healthy flavorful foods, then shouldn’t these individuals grow into strong healthy adults with good eating habits? This is my hope.

In our house supplying kids with healthy food is a basic requirement to raising kids. It is as important as providing them with shelter, clothing, opportunity for physical activity and love. It does not make us good parents, it just means that we meet their basic needs.

Ok, so assuming that we all agree that providing a child with a healthy diet is important, I haven’t necessarily said why I will not do Kid Friendly Meals because I can hear someone reading this saying, “kid friendly meals can be healthy.” I agree. My kids generally do get Kid Friendly Meals for breakfast and lunch because the foods that my husband and I eat for those meals happen to be kid friendly. For one meal each day I think it is important that they are exposed to flavorful and healthy foods that are often new to them and sometimes even to us. I want them to know that mommy and daddy enjoy trying new foods too. It’s not only healthy, it is fun so we enjoy doing it. In my father’s house when I was growing up it was equivalent to swearing if you said, “I don’t like it” before trying it. To this day I can not stand hearing anyone say that when they haven’t even tried a food. It’s a terrible terrible habit to get into that some people carry into adulthood. To give a healthy food no chance to ever nourish your body based upon looks, smells or one disliked ingredient is a crime. If we do not expose our kids to normal non-kid friendly meals then how will they learn to eat healthy?

I don’t get the Kid Friendly Meal approach to feeding a kid. Why waste away 3 opportunities a day to expose them to a variety of healthy foods? The more often you expose a child to something that you want them to learn the quicker they will master it. So why slow down this food acceptance process by filling them up with buttered noodles 3 days a week till they are 12. I don’t have a 12 year old but I bet it is much more difficult to get a 12 year old who has eaten “Kid Friendly Meals” for half his life to try Moo Shoo Pork than it is a 4 year old who has been trying new Non-Kid Friendly Meals every day since she starting eating solid food.

Spreadable Butter that is actually Butter

Up until a few years ago we used to use margarine. As we gradually shifted to a more whole food diet this was one of the first things to go. I know there are “healthy spreads” but being the skeptic I am cautious to the fact that most things advertised as “healthy” usually isn’t. My husband’s favorite latest example of this is the new “Super Donut” marketed as a healthy donut. So one thing I know for sure is that butter is butter and it doesn’t have any weird ingredients I can not pronounce and have to research. I also know that Canola oil is low in bad fat and high in good fat, so this has been our butter spread for the last several years.

1 lb butter, softened
1 ½ Cups Canola Oil

Blend two ingredients together with a hand mixer. Refrigerate.

I have had a store bought margarine and spreadable butter type products since becoming accustomed to our butter recipe and I have to say that they do not compare. The margarines taste like spreadable plastic in comparison. You will never go back once you use real butter for a while.

The Top Ten Most Significant Things that Make My Household of 5 Tick

This list may change from time to time but for the moment this is the list that appeals to me at the moment:

10.Feeding my Sugar/Caffeine Addiction
9. Working out at 5:30 am
8. Laundry Daily
7. Day(s)-Before Meal Planning (I will explain in another post)
6. Simple Dinnertime Rules
5. Monthly Grocery Shopping
4. Budgeting
3. Monthly Meal Planning
2. Freezer Inventory

The Number One Item on the Top 10 List:
1. Freezer Real Estate

Bread Outlet Stores Rock!

Our household consists of a 6 year old, 4 year old, 18 month old, me and a husband who eats like a teenager. We go through exactly 1 loaf of bread each day. At our local supermarket a good brand name whole grain loaf costs around $2.69 not on sale (I’m sure that has increased like everything else since the last time I checked) and $1.99 when on sale. There are two different bread outlets in our area. One sells whole grain loaves for .89 each (up from .79 a year ago) and the local Pepperidge Farms outlet sells their loaves for $1.29 each. Pepperidge Farm has a “customer appreciation day” on a Saturday about once a month which offers a 20% discount bringing each loaf down to $1.03. Unfortunately the cheaper bread outlet (Schwebels) is a bit of a drive for me and when gas prices skyrocketed I could no longer justify the trip although I honestly never sat down and did the gas/mileage calculation. So let’s say I buy all my bread at the more expensive outlet and I can’t get there on the 20% discount day so I pay $1.29 per loaf. In one month I save $42. I know 42 bucks means different things to different people but that’s real money in this house. That’s $504 a year. Keep in mind that is a minimum savings. Occasionally when gas prices drop and I find the time or if we happen to be near the Schwebels outlet I always make sure I stop in and I also try to hit the 20% sale at Pepperidge Farms least every other month and I just know that the bread has to be closer to $2.89 at the grocer now.

$504 = > 1/2 a terrificly fabulous Christmas budget
More than enough to justify the occassional beer purchase on sale or at wholesale club.
More than enough to justify occassional wine purchases at Trader Joes.
More than enough to justify occassional soda purchase at Aldi's.
The list could go on . . . .

What allows me to fit a bread store run into my hectic three rug rat life is the less frequent grocery store trips that I make due to my monthly meal planning which would have to rank as the second biggest convenience that makes my family life easier and saves our household the most money. I feel a top 10 list coming on soon . . .

Freezer Real Estate

Having substantial freezer real estate must be the number one ultimate convenience that makes my family life easier and saves our household the most money. Before I had an extra freezer in the basement I read up on the savings and preparedness a freezer can bring to one’s life so I put out word to everyone I knew that I was looking to buy a second hand freezer. Of course I didn’t want a very old one or it would suck the savings out of my electrical outlet. I am not a patient person but when I got serious about budgeting I knew that if I was patient I would come across a freezer for the right price. After 9 months of waiting I just happened to be at the right place at the right time and I snagged a 3 year old upright at a tag sale for $50! It has more than paid for itself just in the bread outlet loaves I have socked away in it over the last year and a half.

So, as ridiculous as it may seem to a non-freezer person I have three freezers now. I have a freezer attached to my fridge in my kitchen as most people do, I also have a side-by-side fridge & freezer in the basement that was in our kitchen when we bought our house and to keep it company I now have my $50 upright freezer down there also. With all the freezing I do it really is necessary for me to keep a freezer inventory list (yes I know I’m a dork but it makes me happy). Every three months I empty out each freezer, wipe out the freezers and quickly jot everything down as I put the items back. Some rearranging is always necessary of course but the job gets done rather quickly. Even after I sit down at my computer to update my word document I doubt I spend more than 20 minutes from start to finish if I hustle. The joy my freezer inventory brings me never ceases. I keep it on the back of one of my kitchen cupboards and I cross off things as I use them and I write in items on the blank spaces as I add to the freezers. When I sit down to make my monthly menus I make sure to incorporate the meats and dinners that I already have and save frozen dinners for the times they will be needed the most.

One of my favorite things to do that my freezer inventory list allows me to do is easily provide a meal to my mom friends who have just had a new baby. Friends who know me well know about my inventory so I think they enjoy it when either
before their due date or immediately after having the baby I rattle off all the meals that are already made in my freezer and they get to pick what sounds good to them. This also allows me to be the first one in someone’s house with a hot meal ready to go. I never thought I would be one of those “newborn baby sniffers” but being able to provide a meal to friends with a 2 day old kind of sucked me in.

So here is my latest inventory. I generally keep meats in my side-by-side freezer, meals and bread in the upright, breakfast items and fruits/veggies in the upstairs kitchen freezer.

Homemade Lunch Snacks

This is the first school year that I have had to pack a lunch for one of my kids. My oldest, Carter, has entered the halls of first grade at a parochial school that does not serve lunch so everyone must bring a packed lunch. Being the food Nazi that I am I was determined to provide a healthy homemade desirable lunch snack that would not leave my son feeling deprived and longing for all the other pre-packaged chemical laden foods that I know that other kids will be eating right in front of him. So in late August I set out making 4 different recipes of sweet delectable treats and froze them in individual servings. They were a hit! Of course I am sure that the previous 6 ½ years of brainwashing him that EVERYTHING homemade is better than store bought pre-made junk helped.

We just finished off those 4 recipes that were stashed away and made 3 more batches of similar snacks. We probably went through them faster than necessary because my daughter could not understand that the snacks were for her big brother’s lunches and that I could whip up other things for her at home. So my 4 year old Vivian consumed some of the snacks and if the littlest one, 18 month old Dillon, saw her nibbling on one then of course he had to have one also . . .but overall I think 4 batches that lasted us from the beginning of the school year to October 20th is pretty good.

The adjective “healthy” is used loosely here. I really should describe these snacks as “slightly better than a cookie” and of course everything homemade is way better than store bought, right?

1) Rice Krispie treats made with whole grain Cheerios (generic brand of course) instead of Rice Krispies
2) Playgroup Granola Bars http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Playgroup-Granola-Bars/Detail.aspx -- I don’t think these are great but the kids love them. Healthy qualities include wheat germ and raisins.
3) Chewy Granola Bars http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chewy-Granola-Bars/Detail.aspx -- Made with rolled oats. Carter does not eat oatmeal so I like that a lot of these bars are made with old fashioned/rolled oats. Fiber anyone?
4) No bake cereal bars. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Bake-Cereal-Bars/Detail.aspx Ok this is one that I kept eating. A little too close to candy really to be considered “healthy” but it does have that protein packed peanut butter in it and whole grain cheerios. J
5) Granola Cereal Bars - crunchy http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Granola-Cereal-Bars/Detail.aspx I was surprised that this one was also a favorite with the kids. Oats and peanut butter are the pluses for this one.
6) Peatnuty Caramel Bars http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peanutty-Caramel-Bars/Detail.aspx Ok, this one is also way too close to candy and I kept sneaking them. I gave this one out only once a week or less as a treat but at least it has peanuts in it which I can not get Carter to eat otherwise.


It was funny and horrifying to hear my son report on what other kids brought for their lunches. It was his favorite thing to tell me about school the first couple weeks. I’m glad to hear that the kid who brought a sprite every day the first week has been told that soda is not permissible. I would love to know which girl is bringing a salad and bacon every day. Some girl was apparently making the moves on my Carter because she gave him a little Debbie treat but the school started enforcing their “no sharing or trading” lunch policy.

How Budgeting Can Be Fun!

I love to budget because I no longer stress about how I'm going to pay for things like pool passes or license plate renewals and such but I know I am a rare bird. Most people that hear "budget" used as a verb wince in pain. Here is a a way I recently starting really making my budget fun.

We have all heard financial savvy people spout off numbers with regard to our lackadaisical spending habits with quotes like this, "you know, if you took that $3 you spend on your daily coffee at Starbucks and put it in the bank every day instead for the next 5 years and let it grow you would have $1.2 million dollars by the time your retire." We all stop and nod and say "wow" while we clutch our Starbucks coffee so no one takes it away from us. My father recently said I would really have some extra cash once I get my youngest out of diapers. I agreed thinking that I really NEED that money for other things so I know that "extra cash" post diaper life isn't likely.

So I got to thinking about this diaper thing and how I could really put the savings to work when Dillon is out of diapers. So here's what I did. I created another category or "envelope" in my budget account (see "Sample Budget Jenn's way") and I called it "Things I Did Not Buy." In that envelope I am going to put all the things that I really really wanted and might have bought but for the fact that I was disciplined and my budget is too tight to justify. For instance, I really want a new sweater. I even shopped for a new sweater. Do I NEED a new sweater? No, I have other clothes, they are just few in number and I'm tired of them. Does my budget say that I can afford a new sweater? Well with only $45 in my clothing envelope and 3 kids that keep growing feet and a husband who often needs new work clothes, no I can not afford a sweater that I WANT but do not NEED at the moment. Sure, I could squeeze it out of my budget somehow if I really wanted to. I could get the sweater and leave only $10 in my clothing account and build it up again by cutting back on something else and I have done such dumb undisciplined things in the past.

Knowing that I have done this in the past and that I could make it work I went ahead and didn't buy it. Instead, I pretended I bought it and I took out $35 from my clothing envelope and put it in my "Things I Did Not Buy" envelope. Afterall, if I really needed to get that $35 back for clothing I could just take it back from my Things I Did Not Buy envelope. That got me to thinking of all the other things I often buy that I shouldn't. The next day I drove into my driveway and noticed that our yard needed to be mowed. I so very much wanted to call the neighbor boy to mow it because I knew my husband would be busy working over the weekend. But I didn't. Instead I took out the $20 from my Home Maintenance envelope and put it in my "Things I Did Not Buy" envelope. A week later I really really wanted mums at a garden center for $15. My husband asked if those flowers "were the kind that died and never came back" which was his way of gently telling me that it was not a smart purchase with my budgetary constraints. I went home and put the $15 from my Home Maintenance Envelope (I know it isn't maintenance but I have squeezed this kind of purchase from there before) and put it in my "Things I Did Not Buy" envelope. I quickly had $70 that I could live without. So my diaper plan is to save my receipts to find out exactly how much I spend on diapers per month and instead of absorbing it other places I'm going to put that money in my "Things I Did Not Buy" envelope and for every $100 I collect from myself I'm going to transfer it to a CD and watch the millions grow through to my retirement years. :) I am very motivated to potty train now but maybe 18 months old is a bit early.

"Yuck!"

Dinner time can be a bear for those of us with children if we as the parent are hell bent on giving our children a well-rounded diet and want to regularly introduce new foods. I am not qualified to give advice on many child behaviors, what is age appropriate, child discipline, sleep issues, and certainly not on potty training but I do have this food battle figured out in my house. Actually it isn't a battle. It is easy for me to dish out mealtime advice because I am a food Nazi and have been from the day my first son was born. No, I am not kidding. I could tell you about all my breastfeeding struggles but this is not what this blog is about and it would be way TMI. So it's easy for me because my kids do not know anything different. Other than a weird toddler phase when my firstborn only ate 5 things at age 1, I have always put dinner in front of them and that was dinner, period. Absolutely no special meals. My food Nazism has been passed on to me from my father, who grew up under extremely poor conditions in a house of 7 kids where if you didn't eat fast, you didn't get to fill your belly because it would be gone. Don't worry, my dad is the oldest so his belly is plenty big. He still eats too fast and says that he just can't break the habit.

If you are trying to implement food Nazi rules with older children who are used to having a PBJ made for them on the side I can imagine itmust be quite difficult. It will be a battle of wills and you can not win unless you are unrelenting, deteremined and do not go back to your PJB ways. Keep reminding yourself that nutrition is important and establishing good eating habits is worth the battle. If you do not believe in your core that it is important then you will lose. If you stick to it, surely they will be hungry enough to put some food in their bellies at some point.

There are simple rules in our house that make our mealtime less of a hassle than it otherwise could be. Here they are:

1) Any negative comment about dinner results in being sent to your room for the remainder of the meal. (You may come down only after apologizing to the cook and you get another opportunity to eat what was on your plate but you will be sitting at the table by yourself.)

2) No one is going to force you onto the ground, hold your nose and make you eat what is in front of you so no complaining is necessary. (Keep in mind that the next meal is breakfast.)

3) If you would like dessert then we will tell you when you have eaten enough to earn dessert.

Before I had a first grader that came home starving at 4 pm I used to have a no snack rule past 2:00 which increased the chances that food (even if they didn't like it) entered their bellies at dinner time. Now my first grader can eat the remainder of his lunch that he didn't eat at school (because he was goofing off with the boys at school) when he gets home starving at 4 pm. I'm not sure that he could do his homework in the state that he comes home in without food so for now I allow that 4 pm snack and have pushed back our 5 pm dinner to 6 pm and it's still going pretty well. Snacks in our house are usually the fruit on the fruit stand. Don't want an apple, banana, carrot or orange? Then you must not really be hungry.

I hope this food Nazism won't come back to smack me in the face, only time will tell. Jim grew up with fruit and veggies as snacks and he assures me that it is perfectly fine. Our pediatrician says that kids don't need snacks at all. We have PLENTY of treats in this house believe me, we are not lacking for those things, but when the treat is given, it is made known that it is a treat and not the expected norm.

My friend Barb has instilled most of these mealtime rules but also has her kids say when they are finished with their meal, "Thank you for this delicious meal, may I please be excused." I have not implemented this but I think it is a wonderful way to teach gratitude and manners at the same time.

Freezer Friends

Over the last two fall & winter seasons I have participated in a group I called "Freezer Friends." For anyone looking to get started in freezing meals this might be something to try.

The first season I participated with my long-time playgroup friends and the second season I got a whole new group of women together. There were five women in each group and we each "owed" the other four women a frozen meal at the end of each month accompanied with thawing and cooking instructions and the recipe of course. One gal was very clever and saved up all of her meals for after her baby was born. She is a terrific planner and I know she had many of her own doubled/tripled meals frozen for that purpose too. I wonder how old that baby was before she started cooking again.

It was easiest to have a meeting place and time set for the "due date" so that everyone could exchange meals but if someone couldn't make the meeting then they just made arrangements to drop off their meal and pick up their meals from the person's home that held the meeting.

Any allergies or severe food dislikes need to be shared before-hand for a good Freezer Friends group to work. It is best to email everyone what you plan to make so that anyone that needs to be accommodated for allergies or the like can be or can decide to opt out of meal. This season the second group I participated with is itching to do it again and they have picked up another group member so I suppose we'll give it another round. I just asked that no one repeat a meal. It is so awesome not just to have the meals prepared and ready to go, but to have a different meal that maybe you would not have otherwise made yourself is so fun and surprisingly delicious. You have a new recipe to add to your regular meal plan for years to come. Everyone seems to save their best freezer friendly meals for Freezer Friends so I have yet to be disappointed.

Sample Budget Jenn's Way

Ok, I have shared some pretty major menu planning and grocery shopping plans with you. None of this can be done without talking money and budget. A huge part of the menu/grocery planning is shopping less. The less you shop, the more time you have and the less money you spend because studies show that every trip you make into a store is another opportunity to spend money on things you do not need. Come on, we have all done it. We run into the store for three things but leave with three bags full. I think budgeting for groceries is an important and related topic to meal planning so here it goes.

More than one person has told me that they would be unable to buy all the groceries that I do at one time. I do not have a load of extra cash sitting around. I am not rich (well as far as money goes anyway). It is mere organization that allows me to do the grocery shopping and planning that I do. I can not seem to attach a word document to this blog so I have scanned in the pages of a "Sample Budget." Don't worry, I'm not using my real numbers or any one's real numbers but it is set up as close to a real life scenario as possible so that it can be examined and questioned and hopefully understood. Being the nerd that I am I came up with this system by conducting some research at my local library (see budgeting books that I have listed on the side) and by consulting a wise friend.

The less money you have the more imperative it is to budget. For instance, if you have little incoming funds and you do not budget how do you pay for things like a $200 family pool pass for the summer? Or $150 for three kids playing soccer in the spring? What if your washing machine breaks unexpectedly? If you live paycheck to paycheck the only way to purchase these items is to reach for the credit card. I know because I used to do it.

Remember when we grew up and there were no credit cards? Many thrifty well planning mothers used the old fashioned "Envelope Budgeting System" which I still believe is the best way to approach a household budget. For instance, my friend Amy's mom and my wise mother-in-law used to put a specific amount of money in an Envelope labeled "Christmas" every pay starting in January and they never touched that money until they started their Christmas shopping (on a budget) in November. They knew that if they dipped into that envelope there would be no Christmas. They had other envelopes for many other things and tucked them away until the goal was met and the purchase was made or the bill was paid. What an awesome visual lesson Amy received from her mother. Amy still budgets and is my "go to" friend for my budgeting sound board. She can easily tell me how I don't "need" something that I just think I have to have. She is my confidant who knows my numbers and will tell me straight out when I can't afford something that I really really want but do not need. She really ought to start a budgeting business so if you are interested in her services I can hook you up with her.

Fortunately we now have computers and debit cards to ensure that our "envelopes" do not get lost. So I have simply taken the old fashioned Envelope Budgeting System and put it on paper. I allocate every penny for every paycheck before the paycheck comes in. I have an "Idealish" allocation but for each individual paycheck I copy and paste the "Idealish" table and put in what actually happens because "ideal rarely happens" (advice taken from book author Dave Ramsey). A bill may be lower or higher than expected or there could be several unexpected things happen that affects my ideal plan. But starting with an Ideal and sticking as close to it as possible is the goal. I keep check registers for all my "envelopes." Basically the check registers are what I would write on the outside of my envelope to keep track of how much was in there if I was actually using envelopes. I keep my budgeted account money separate from my "primary account" (the account I use for groceries, gas, necessities, tithing) so that my groceries or other gas expenditures which occur very frequently do not mess up my "budgeted plan." I move money back and forth online with my bank as much as I need to in order to keep everything . . . in order.

I think this budgeting system is pretty simple but I can imagine that it may be confusing to someone the first time you are looking at it. What my system allows me to do, which could be a problem if I was not disciplined, is to be in the negative on my envelopes if necessary. So this is how I purchase so many groceries at the beginning of the month: I buy everything that will not go bad for an entire month on the 1st of the month. We get paid twice a month so let's say I budget $350 per paycheck for groceries. If I spend $500 the first of the month I'm still on budget because I know that when I get paid on the 15th I am not going to spend the allocated $350 since I already bought my meat, canned goods, dairy, etc. to last the month. So when I only spend $200 from the paycheck of the 15th it evens out. I also try to keep a little grocery "surplus" going because I want to be in a position to take advantage of a great sale or deal by stocking up on a nonperishable. This may become more clear if you look at my Grocery Surplus Envelope on page 3.

PS I'm adding this comment weeks after posting this, I realized that I forgot to put a "Savings" envelope on this sample budget. But hopefully you get the idea. You can create whatever "envelopes" you want.

November Menu

Printing tip: For calendar & grocery list, click on the image, go to File, Page Set up, Select Landscape. If you have too much trouble I can email it to you.




Does anyone know why my grocery list doesn't scan in color? Hmm

November Recipes

1st: 3 Envelope Roast

1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix

1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix

1 envelope dry brown gravy mix

1 beef roast

Carrots

Potatoes

Onions quartered

Place roast in bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle dry mixes over roast. Pour 1 cup water into bottomof crockpot. Top with Veggies. Cover; cook on low for 7 hours. Thicken juices as needed for gravy.

This is a favorite in my house but I'm not so proud of it due to the premixed envelopes. If you notice, I don't normally use those kind of ingredients b/c I am too lazy to read up on all the ingredients that I can't pronounce to figure out if they are healthy or not. I try to cook all whole foods, so this one doesn't fit that bill, but we love it.

2nd: Pacific Chicken over Rice

Ok, this has the potential to be good but with a few changes. As is, it is COMPLETELY too salty b/c it's WAY too much soy sauce. I will make this again but cut the soy sauce by 1/2 or more and make up the difference with chicken broth. Right before we ate I turned the crock off and threw some frozen pea pods in there and let them steam for a few minutes. It seemed too weird w/o any veggies. We had a salad on the side.

3rd: Fish Tacos http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fish-Tacos/Detail.aspx

This was a fun dish. Next time I'll need to plan a better side.

4th: Pasta w/ meatballs from freezer (or multiply x3 to freeze if you have none)

5th: Brined Pork Roast w/ onion compote & mashed potatoes & side veggie

Go ahead and get that 8 lb monsterous loin at Cosco or Sam's (1.99/lb) and brine the whole thing. Just freeze meal sized portions after brining. It keeps the flavor beautifully. This is my all time favorite roast so I don't need to review it. Jim gets tired of hearing me say how delicious this as I'm eating it.

Brine

Makes 8 servings.
8 cups water

1/2 cup coarse salt

1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

1 center-cut boneless pork loin roast (about 4 pounds)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp dried

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried

2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram or 1 tsp dried

Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy large pot.
Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Transfer brine to very large bowl. Add pork (weight pork with plate to keep below surface). Cover; refrigerate over-night. Drain pork. Return pork to bowl; cover with water (weight pork with plate). Soak at room temperature 2 hours.
Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Drain pork. Pat dry. Transfer to rack set in large roasting pan (I don’t have a rack and it comes out great). Rub pork all over with oil. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, pressing to adhere. Sprinkle with pepper. Roast fat side up for about 30 mins. Turn fat side down adn roast until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 150°F, about 1 additional hour. Transfer pork to cutting board; tent with foil. Let stand 10 minutes.
Cut pork into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Serve with Onion Compote (and mashed potatoes).

Onion Compote
1 pound + pearl onions
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

24 garlic cloves, peeled

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups tawny Port (I use chicken broth and it’s great)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

4 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or ¾ tsp dried

Bring large saucepan of water to boil. Add onions. Boil 2 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Peel onions. Trim root end slightly, leaving root base intact. It is tedious but worth it. I just squeeze the onion out of the peel, it wastes some onion, but the job gets done faster. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and bay leaf. Sauté until garlic is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add Port, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Simmer 8 minutes. Add onions and raisins. Simmer until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in thyme. Discard bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.) Serve warm.

8th: Moroccan Beef Stew x3 to freeze

This recipe is courtesy Katy of my FF. It was excellent when she made it last year. I am going to halve the 6 portion recipe for 3. We'll see how it goes.

This is a keeper. It was gobbled up by all, especially my 1 year old. I only got 2 meals out of what should have been 3 but I chalk that up to it's popularity. I'll make the 6 portions next time. Yum.

9th: Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry or "Lighter Sesame Chicken" http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/lighter-sesame-chicken?autonomy_kw=lighter%20seseame%20chicken&rsc=header_3

We have had this before. It's simple and pretty good. Not spectacular, but it's good and I think it's reasonable to expect that some broccoli will enter my kids little bodies if honey is in the dish.

10th: Puttanesca Sauce over pasta w/ Shrimp

12th: Turkey chili w/ Corn bread http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lauras-Quick-Slow-Cooker-Turkey-Chili/Detail.aspx (I will use diced tomatoes instead of the tomato soup.)

This was a good comfort meal. It was a bit bland. I will probably repeat this after doing some research and tweaking it to give it some kick next time.

14th: Split pea soup w/ hearty bread or grilled cheese

Jodi turned me onto Split Pea Soup last year. I dont' know that I would have made it if I hadn't fallen in love with it when she brought it over for lunch one day. I immediately had to have more! This is the first time trying it in a slow cooker. Hopefully it's just as good.

My mom picked up a bread machine at a garage sale last year ($5 I think?) and every now and then we break it out and make some fresh bread for stews and soups. Yummy and smells wonderful. Thanks mom!

Ok, this was ok but I had to add tons of salt it seemed. I also remember Jodi's soup of last winter (over the stove) being much better. No one in my house touches this soup but me so I froze it in Jenn sized portions for lunches. Hopefully I can get at least one of my in-laws to have this with me when they visit in December.

15th: Lasagne x2 to freeze

This is the real deal lasagne. It's heavy and it's awesome. One recipe makes 2 meals for any family.

courtesy: Barb of FF

16th: Orange Garlic Chicken

17th: Roasted Salmon brushed w/ limejuice w/ spinach and feta saute

I think this is the Salmon recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/roasted-salmon-with-lime-and-cilantro?autonomy_kw=roasted%20salmon&rsc=header_2

19th: Thai chicken/veggie curry

For this (Jim's favorite dish but he doesn't know it has coconut milk in it) I just loosely follow a recipe on the jar of red curry paste.
Use any veggies you like. I use onion, carrots, peppers, zucchini and sometimes mushrooms and always peas (but add frozen peas at the end).
So what I do is throw in some Olive oil in the pan and let it heat up, then spoon approx 1 ½ T of curry paste till fragrant. Then add your veggies & chicken (diced) in cooking order then add a can of coconut oil and some chicken broth. Stir 1 T corn starch w/ 1 T chicken broth and add to thicken. Sometimes I add a can of diced tomatoes. Peas at the end. Serve over rice. It’s a general recipe and it’s different every time but that’s about how I make it. I have purchased red curry paste in a large can at the Asian market and I just freeze the remaining paste in ice cube trays and then put into a freezer bag for later use. The jar that you can purchase at Giant Eagle is fine to just keep in the jar at room temp for several months.
*FYI: Trader Joes has the best price on coconut milk @ .99 cents/can.

21st: Curried Butternut Squash & Apple Soup w/ hearty bread

I don't know whose recipe this is. I got it at Sue Orr's recipe exchange/Pampered Chef party. Doesn't it look interesting?

22nd: Cheddar-topped Shepherd's pie x2 to freeze

23rd: Chicken Tortillas Soup w/ corn muffins http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homesteader-Cornbread/Detail.aspx

Chicken Tortilla Soup -- Pampered Chef Recipe:

4 (6") corn tortillas

1/2 C onion, chopped

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 garlic clove

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

2 cans (14.5 oz each) Chicken broth

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, undrained

4 tsp. fresh cilantro, snipped

2 oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 C)

4 thick slices fresh lime (optional)

*I add frozen corn at the end.

1.) Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut tortillas into 1/2" strips using Kitchen Shears. Place on flat Baking Stone . Bake 7-8 minutes or until crisp. (I usually skip this and it never seems to matter.)

2.) Meanwhile, chop onion using Food Chopper. Cut chicken into 1/2" pieces using 8" Chef's Knife . Heat Generation II 4 Qt Casserole over medium-high heat. Spray with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Add chicken; cook and stir 3 minutes. (I put frozen chicken breast in the oven at 380 degrees for about 35 min and shred with 2 forks.) Add onion, garlic pressed with Garlic Press , chili powder and cumin. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes and chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

3.) Snip cilantro using Kitchen Shears . (I have never used cilantro.) Divide tortilla strips among 4 bowls. Ladle soup over totillas using Nylon Ladle . Shred cheese over top with Deluxe Cheese Grater . Sprinkle soup with cilantro. Garnish each bowl with lime slice to squeeze juice into soup, if desired. (This freezes well even with teh tortillas in it. DO NOT USE FLOUR TORTILLAS or they just puff up and get huge. You must use corn. Don't make the mistake I did.)

24th: Shrimp and Cabbage lo mein

25th: Pasta w/ meat sauce

26th: Chicken Tex Mex Burritos -- yum! http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/slow-cooked-tex-mex-chicken-and-beans?autonomy_kw=tex%20mex&rsc=header_9 You must have the chipotle chilis. Freeze unused chili's by 2s for later use.

THANKSGIVING MENU TO COME

30th: French Dips w/ crispy potatoes & salad

French Dips courtesy Barb & Taste of Home
3# beef chuck roast, trimmed
2c. water
1/2c. soy sauce
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
3-4 peppercorns

8 french rolls, split
sauteed onions
swiss cheese

Place roast in slow cooker. Add water, soy sauce and seasonings. Cover & cook on high for 5-6 hours or until beef is tender. Remove meat from broth. Shred with forks and keep warm. Strain broth and skim off fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping. serve with sauteed onions and swiss on hoagies (we sometimes broil for a minute to melt the swiss). Serves 8

*Barb says that she halves this recipe a lot.

October 2008 Menu

October Recipes

1st: Poppy Turkey





















A regular fav.

3rd: White Chicken Chili
Courtesy: Ann Shenk

Chicken Breasts

Great Northern Beans
Chicken Broth
White Onion

Green Chilies

salt

cumin

cayenne pepper
garlic
white cheese
sour cream

corn muffins

Saute white onion in olive oil in a large pot. Add cooked diced chicken. Add Great Northern Beans, chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Let simmer for about an hour. Depending on the consistency you prefer, you can add more beans and chicken to make it thick, or more broth if you want more of a soup. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, white cheese, and corn muffins. Excellent favorite despite not having measurements.

4th: Tangy Sirloin Strips (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tangy-Sirloin-Strips/Detail.aspx) w/ salad & pesto pasta Pretty good, family approved, will repeat.

5th: Pineapple Stuffed Jerk Chicken (http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pineapple-stuffed-jerk-chicken?autonomy_kw=pineapple%20stuffed%20jerk&rsc=header_1) w/ sesame salted rice (rice w/ sesame salt sprinkled on top -- found at Asian markets, I found mine on Lorain & Columbia) & veggie Good find, kids liked, will repeat. Heck, even Hope Crisafi told me she like this so it's definitely a keeper!

6th: Bucatini w/ pancetta, tomatoes & onion (http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/bucatini-with-pancetta-tomatoes-and-onion?autonomy_kw=bucatini%20with%20pancetta&rsc=header_1) & garlic toast Nothing special, will not repeat.

7th: Momwiches w/ fries & salad (use more ground beef (1 1/5 lbs+) or it will be too sweet, freezes well if you made too much)

A Crane Favorite.

8th: Huli-Huli Pork grilled http://www.bhg.com/recipe/poultry/huli-huli-pork/ w/ pineapple rice http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pacific-pork-kebabs-with-pineapple-rice?autonomy_kw=pineapple%20rice&rsc=header_1 & green beans (blanched, drained, olive oil, salt & pepper)
Tastey, will repeat.

10th: Caprese Pizza

11th: Meatloaf from freezer, mashed potatoes & corn

12th: Maple Glazed Chicken w/ sauteed brussels w/ raisins http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/sauteed-brussels-sprouts-with-raisins?autonomy_kw=brussel%20raisin&rsc=header_1 & leftover mashed potatoes

14th: Fish Sticks, fries & salad

Use 3 dredging bowls for fish. I used Tilapia and cut it into thick strips.

1st dip into flour

2nd dip into whisked eggs

3rd dip into mixture of bread crumbs, parmesean, paprika, garlic powder

Drizzle each with olive oil.

Bake on greased, foiled, casserole dish for approx 10 min, turning once, @ 450.

Kids & I enjoyed, will repeat.

15th: Roast Pork Loin w/ pancetta & sage http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/roast-pork-loin-with-pancetta-and-sage?autonomy_kw=roast%20pork%20pancetta&rsc=header_1 w/ mashed potatoes, gravy & veg

Thankfully I used a brined pork loin, otherwise too blah. Definitely not worth the cost of the pancetta. I now see that I repeated mashed potatoes too much this month. Oops.

17th: Eggplant Parm w/ garlic toast

Olive Oil

One eggplant

3 eggs

Bread Crumbs

Red Sauce

Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Oregano

Salt

Slice eggplant into thin slices. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Dip eggplant slices in whipped egg and then dip in breadcrumbs. Place the eggplant in skillet and cook for about ten minutes on both sides. Slices should be brown on both sides and soft in the middle.Cover the bottom of baking dish with sauce, and layer eggplant mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and oregano. Bake at 350 degrees for forty minutes. Enjoy!

I HATED making this. You get burnt crumbs in the pan and then for the 2nd & 3rd rounds you have to clean out the pans and it's a PITA. However, it is delicious! Definitely will do in a couple years and will always at least triple to get the most out of a laborous task.

18th: Gingered Flank Steak w/ rice noodle salad & sugar snap peas

19th: Chicken Fried Rice http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-fried-rice?autonomy_kw=chicken%20fried%20rice&rsc=header_1

Easy & fast healthy fav.

20th: Stuffed Shells w/ salad

Sauce
2 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs oil
½ # chopped mushrooms
2 29-oz cans tomato puree
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 c. water
1 ½ tsp. basil
2 tsp. oregano
1# hot Italian sausage
1 box large shells

Filling
12 oz mozz. Cheese, diced
2 15-oz containers ricotta cheese
4 eggs
6 tbs. parm. Cheese
2 tbs. parsley
2 tbs. chives
Onion salt or salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Romano cheese, grated

Sauce
Saute onions, pepper and garlic in oil for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes more. Stir in tomato puree, paste, water and spices. Cook and crumble sausage in a separate pan. Drain off fat. Add to sauce and summer about 3 hours. Add more water if sauce gets too thick. Shortly before assemblage, cook shells according to directions; drain.

Filling and Assembly
Combine all ingredients except Romano cheese. Spoon into shells. If mixture is too thin, add more parmesan. Spoon some sauce into bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Lay stuffed shells in pan. Pour on additional sauce. Sprinkle with Romano. Bake at 325 for 30 min. Serves 12

21st: BBQ Roasted Salmon w/ pesto pasta & veggie

Barbecue Roasted Salmon
From Cooking Light

Ingredients
1/4 cup pineapple juice 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets 2 tablespoons brown sugar 4 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Cooking spray Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Remove fish from bag; discard marinade. Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients (sugar through cinnamon) in a bowl. Rub over fish; place in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with lemon, if desired.
Yield
4 servings

This was wonderful and kids approved. Definitely a keeper.

22nd: Moo Shu Pork

24th: Veggie Stir Fry

I just throw it together. Loads of veggies, soy sauce, teriyaki, corn starch to thicken, fresh ginger * garlic go in at the end and served over rice.

I just realized that I had 2 stir fries in one week along with Moo Shu pork. Oh well. I've got 3 kids. I am not perfect but will try to do better at not repeating too similar dishes so close together.
Ok, so my 6 year old who would swear that he does NOT like mushrooms, cabbage or eggs LOVED the Moo Shu and had TWO tortillas full and would have had a THIRD but he was just too darned full.

25th: Beef Enchiladas http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/tex-mex-beef-enchiladas?autonomy_kw=beef%20enchiladas&rsc=header_1 (the Chipotle chili makes this recipe so do no omit it but do NOT use more than the recipe calls for!) & poor man's caviar http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Poor-Mans-Caviar/Detail.aspx

26th Chicken Curry over rice http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/favorite-chicken-curry?autonomy_kw=chicken%20curry&rsc=header_1 This picture looks like it needs to have peas or carrots or some other veggie added.

27th: Veggie & Meatball Pasta

Every pasta day I throw things together. I do not use a recipe other than for the meatballs. I start with olive oil, add some red pepper flakes, then throw in veggies of choice (onion, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, then cans of plain tomato sauce & diced tomatoes, splash of white vinegar and pinch of sugar (don't tell my hsuband) add basil, onion powder, garlic salt and at the very end as much garlic as you like. V8 always tastes great and I add it whenever I happen to have some. Sometimes I'll add a little left over beef or chicken broth if left over from another dish.

Barb Cashmere’s Meatball Recipe (The only one I have found that really stays together. I roll mine up and freeze them for about 30 min on a cookie sheet before rolling them round again and bagging them to freeze.)

2 1/2 # ground beef
8 slices white bread, soaked in milk for 1 min., then wrung out tightly
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. marjoram (I never use)
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. oregano.

Hand mix all ingredients. Bake on cookie sheet at 350 for 15 min.

28th: Bay Scallop Stir-fry

29th: BBQ Pork Burgers w/ fries http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/barbecue-pork-burgers?autonomy_kw=barbecue%20pork%20burgers&rsc=header_1 and salad

Yuck. A definite no-go. But hey, they can't all be good, right? And you don't know if it's good till you try it sometimes. Don't bother with this recipe, I put it right in the trash. Although on the plus side my 6 year old ate most of the scallops declaring a few times, "I just LOVE scallops." Yea!

30th: Stuffed Jack-o-Lantern Peppers

These are just stuffed peppers that I carve out with jack-o-lantern faces for halloween every October 30th.

Here is Ann Shenk's recipe, I just add a plain tomato sauce on top with parm cheese.

4 Bell peppers, any color

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces ground beef

onion

thyme

cooked rice

garlic

basil

Worcestershire sauce

salt

Sauté onion in olive oil, cook ground beef thoroughly. Add both to boll and add the remaining ingredients. Stuff cored peppers and cook for one hour at 350 degrees.

Pour tomato sauce over stuffed peppers and top with parmesan cheese if desired.
*I use lots of veggies, whatever I have on hand, mushrooms, lots of onion, diced zucchini, anything.