Weekly Column: 30 Minute Meals

30 minute meals

In keeping with last week’s topic, menu-planning for busy weeknights, it is helpful for busy parents to have a back-up plan for when find yourself unprepared. Although a menu-plan will help keep you organized, sometimes you will eat in one meal what you thought could stretch into two…sometimes company drops in, a child is home sick, or you will forget to thaw meat. These things happen. But how can you get everyone fed without resorting to the most expensive alternatives: drive thru or take out?

Stockpile some quick fixes

Whenever you have small portions leftover, consider freezing them for quick weeknight meals. For example, a cup of leftover rice might be frozen then later combined with leftover beans, some seasoning, and reheated to make burritos or enchiladas. Toss together a quick salad and you have created a quick, balanced meal that costs virtually nothing extra. Compare this to a $40-50 take-out meal. If you can reduce the number of times you eat out, you will be doing your budget a real favour.

Some other quick fix ideas include keeping Ziploc bags marked in the freezer for different kids of soups. Rather than throwing out portions of mashed potatoes and vegetables, save them for hearty weeknight soups. Do the same with leftover meat, and be sure to incorporate soups into your regular menu-plan to avoid overwhelming your freezer.

The incredible, edible egg

Breakfast for supper is an affordable option that can be written into a weekly menu-plan, anytime. Even if you haven’t planned on it, breakfast-type meals can bail you out when you find yourself stuck with no supper prepared. Bacon, ham or sausage thaws quickly in the microwave while omelettes can use up odds and ends from the fridge. Pancakes or French toast are ready in minutes and can be served with a dish of fruit for fibre and nutrients. Leftover baked potatoes can be fried with omelette ingredients and topped with cheese all in the same pan for a delicious, low mess pan scrambler. When you find yourself in a rush for food, do a quick survey of what you have on hand and make the effort to feed your family at home.

Wraps, stir fries and buns

If you’ve kept some portions of leftover meat in your freezer you can quickly thaw them in the microwave to use in wraps, sandwiches or stir fries. Cans of ham, chicken, tuna and the like can also be mixed with mayo for a cheap and easy sandwich filling. If you’d rather go meatless, washing and slicing vegetables does not take long and can be done while rice or noodles cook. Quickly sliced French bread or buns baked with sauce, pepperoni and cheese make mini pizza the kids will love. You may prefer a meat and potatoes meal to end your day, but if you are out of time and ideas these options will get you through a hectic evening so you can try to do better tomorrow.

One Dish Wonders

It sure saves time if you can prepare a meal in one pot. If hamburger helper is not your thing, you can improvise with your own pasta creations. As your pasta cooks, add your preferred vegetables to the pot to cook. Drain when the pasta and vegetables are tender. At this point you can add whatever precooked meat, sauce or cheese you have on hand for an incredibly fast meal. The same can be done with rice.

Rely on yourself

There are dozens of other quick meal ideas out there, too many to list. Look online for meals that suit your taste. The point is not to tell people what they should be eating but rather to give them the confidence that they can throw together a meal that is not terribly unhealthy, does not cost much, and does not take much time or effort to prepare.

Everyone has those days where things didn’t go according to plan. Maybe you worked late, the game went into overtime, traffic was bad, you veered from your menu-plan, or the cows got out. The fact is, these things happen. When everyone arrives home, tired and hungry, there needs to be a way to feed them and get them to bed so you can do it all again tomorrow.

By keeping some emergency food on hand (preferably leftovers that might otherwise go to waste) you are enabling yourself to prepare quick meals on the go without ordering in. Some pantry staples like soup and stock, noodles, rice, tomato sauce and pasta will help you through busy evenings. Keep your fridge stocked with basics like eggs, milk, butter and cheese plus your preferred fruit and vegetables.

Keep some essentials on hand so that, even at your busiest, you can eat affordably at home.

Menu-Plan Series: 2 Hours of Cooking

I have sick kids today and, since I'm preparing for some busy weeknights through the winter, I took the opportunity to cook and freeze some meals ahead.

I started with two 2 lb packages of ground beef. This is meat I receive free from my parent's farm but for the sake of those interested in budgeting, I just checked my local Superstore flyer and lean ground beef is $3.77/lb. So for the purpose of this post I am starting out with 4 lbs of ground beef worth approximately $15.08.

2 lbs each of ground beef

For curiosity's sake, I took note of the time so I could show how long it took for me to cook several meals for my family. I began at 9:40 this morning, intending to bake and freeze 2 lb meatballs and make a lasagna and extra meat sauce to freeze.

On the left, scramble frying hamburger. In the bowl on the right,
preparing to mix up meatballs. It is 9:56.

 In the first 15 minutes I have 2 lbs hamburger fried and ready to be made into a basic meat sauce. I have also assembled what I need to make meatballs and set my kids up working in their little school workbooks at the coffee table. I think by this time O has lost interest and is running head first into the couch.

Fried beef is seasoned with fresh and powdered garlic and  dried oregano.
Meat mixture is ready to be rolled into balls, portioned into burgers or
pressed into a loaf pan for meatloaf. Today I choose meatballs.
Note that the oven is preheating.

 By 10:07 I have mixed up the meatballs with bread crumbs, 2 eggs mixed with onion soup mix, Worcestershire and homemade seasoning salt and a splash of milk.

Meat balls ready for the oven. 

 By 10:19 the meatballs are ready for the oven. My meat sauce will use up one large Ziploc bag of baked tomatoes from my garden. This homemade sauce included zucchini, celery, onion, garlic and peppers from my garden so I did not have to do any chopping of vegetables for today. I am glad to know my kids are getting an extra pop of garden vegetables with out realizing it ;)

Meatballs are in the oven.
To the right of the stove I have reserved a small amount of fried beef to season for taco salads.
Lasagna noodles are cooking and my cottage cheese filling awaits being layered into a lasagna.

 By 10:41 (one hour from when I started) I am assembling a lasagna to freeze and the meatballs are cooking in the oven. The kids have now moved onto the computer where J is working on his school literacy program.

At the last minute, I decide I will reserve some meat sauce to make chili.

 By 11:28, the lasagna is assembled and cooling on the counter along with a portion of taco meat for salads. I have reserved enough straight meat sauce to be served over spaghetti once Husband is home. There will likely be enough for a full supper plus lunch for myself and the kids. The meatballs are baked and cooling. I also have enough chili simmering to feed us two meals (we like it with fresh buns or over fries with cheese on top).

In one hour and 48 minutes, all of this food was prepared, cooked and cooling.
I then sat to have a bowl of chili and play crazy 8's with the kids. 

From top left: meat sauce (2 meals for 3-4 people),
lasagna (1 full meal for 4 plus a bit leftover, I'm guessing), meatballs
portioned into bags (2 meals for me and the kids, one for Husband, the kids and I),
2 full meals of chili,
one small portion of taco meat for a salad for myself and baked tacos for the kids.

 By 12:18 I had the dishes done, tea made and was sitting down to write this post. I am a fairly quick and organized cook as I have been cooking for many years and have always enjoyed it. Some might prepare this number of meals faster, some slower. The main thing is that the food is ready when I need it, as long as I am organized enough to remove it from the freezer the day before or morning of.

Cost Breakdown:
$15.08 meat
$1.50 can of 6 bean medley beans
$1 pork and beans
$1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 large plus 1 small bag homegrown baked tomatoes (priceless!)
$2 cottage cheese (guessing)
.50 cents -2 eggs (free from mom but probably .25 cents each?)
$2 mozzarella cheese (a high estimate)
$1 breadcrumbs and spices

I think I remembered everything I used, for a grand total of $24.08 for what I'm estimating will be 8 meals. This works out to $3.01 per meal for a family of 3 or 4 depending if Husband is home.

Admittedly, you would add a salad or garlic bread, fries or baked potatoes etc to your meals. Some fast options to go with meatballs are rice with roasted vegetables or a pasta with salad. So this would be a couple dollars more for that entire meal. Still...it seems likely that you could serve up a good home cooked meal in 20 minutes for around $6 or less. Compare that to being tired on your way home from work and spending $40-50 on a meal for four that does not even provide leftovers. I prepared 8 meals for under $25 in less than 2 hours this morning.

Now when I do up next week's menu-plan I have some ready-made meals to use on Monday and Wednesday, my busiest evenings. Also, if I run into trouble and need a quick meal at any time I won't give in to the urge to grab something quick for us to eat. Having these meals on hand saves us an incredible amount of money while ensuring we eat healthy even on busy nights.

I hope this example encourages you to give batch-cooking and menu-planning a try!

Menu-Plan Series: Writing the Plan

I have a reader request to do a few menu-plan ideas for busy weeknight schedules. The reality for many people is they are arriving home from work at meal time with kids in evening activities and no time to cook. So while in an ideal world there would be an adult home to prepare at least a few of these meal ideas fresh, I am planning a week's menu under the assumption that there is only one day to prepare most of what will be consumed.

Step One: Consult Your Grocery Flyer
Why not save as much as you can? I quickly browsed through my Superstore flyer online as though I would be shopping today for the week's groceries. (We are in a total ice storm at the moment so mama ain't going anywhere. But we can pretend!) The goal is to plan this week's meals around what is on special. I found:

• pork loins $1.87/lb (limit 4). This is a good price so I would buy 4.
• imperfect apples $5 for 8 lb bag. Compare at $5 for a 3 lb bag regular apples. Bring on the worm holes, people!
• beef roast $4/lb. This might seem costly. But compare to salmon at $12/lb or tilapia at $8/lb, or steak at $10/lb.
• bagels 2 bags of 6 for $3.
• PC frozen vegetables $2.50/bag.

Other things I would normally buy or have on hand is basmati rice, generic pasta, potatoes, fridge stocked with celery, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli along with fruit. If any of these are on special I buy extra. Likewise, if anything is suddenly too expensive we get more of something else and do without what has spiked in price. I can't stress it enough how you save by knowing the usual price of things!

As meat eaters I would also purchase lean ground beef and chicken legs or boneless thighs. These are generally the least costly cut of chicken but I do splurge on a box of frozen chicken breasts from time to time as well as bulk packaged wings. You will note that I buy most things in large quantities. I have a freezer and keep it stocked with frozen things I buy on special. We save a lot by purchasing ahead.

I am a fan of chickpeas instead of meat. I also use quinoa quite a bit but I'm thinking at the moment it is more expensive than steak. Feel free to substitute into the plan whatever you have on hand or is on special in your neighborhood. I apologize for the meat laden plan. If you can help me out with some vegetarian ideas please do! I will note in red what I will be doing each morning or evening to prepare food for the following day. Because I am a morning person I prefer to get up before the kids and do some prep work for the day. That way I know it is done in case I am too tired that night. For you night owls, it might be just as good to plan to do some precooking in the evenings while you do your nightly routines.

lasagna and chili, pre-made and ready for the freezer. Because they start out with the same basic
ingredients, these meals are ideal for preparation in a "batch" 

Step Two: Write the Plan

I will provide you with my schedule for the week and the pretend meals that I have come up with. You will need to tweak this according to your own needs but it is mainly to illustrate how to keep on top of meal prep during a hectic schedule.

• Sunday: PREP DAY

On Sundays or Mondays I usually do all my baking for the week and freeze it. You might rather put that time towards preparing meals. It may not be on Sunday, but you get the drift! 

If I was expecting a rushed Monday and Tuesday evening, I would divide my beef roast in 1/3 for stirfry (which I would slice and dice and put in a marinade in a bowl for Monday's quick supper. It is also an option to cook Monday's rice and eat some of it on Sunday with beans or curry. Leave the remaining 2/3 roast thawed to go in slow cooker or oven on Tuesday.

On a prep day I would divide my ground beef into portions for whatever I have planned that week: in this case I plan to make meatballs so would do that and possibly bake them before allowing to cool and freeze. Because my meatball and meatloaf recipe are the same, I could easily double the batch and freeze a meatloaf for another quick meal next week. If you start accumulating a lot of premade meals, make sure you mark them with the date and use the oldest first. It might also help to keep a little inventory list where you can see it for planning your menus. 

I would also scramble fry and season my meat for the coming Sunday's taco night--freeze this and remember to take it out of the freezer Saturday night. 

Freeze things like pork loin that you won't be using til later. Remember to leave yourself a note what day you need to thaw these for use (this week it will be Friday).

• Monday: NO SCHOOL, NO SKATING (depending on roads I'm not sure what day I will actually get to town for groceries)

BKFST: bagels, apple slices, yogurt

SNACK: fruit smoothy using frozen fruit, banana and skim milk

LUNCH: grilled cheese sandwiches, veggies and dip, salad for myself

SUPPER: Stir-fry beef and vegetables with rice. Fruit for dessert

Evening prep: douse your roast with whatever your prefered spices are, some Worcestershire sauce and brown each side in a frying pan. Transfer meat to slow cooker or roasting pan. Add a smidge of butter and a chopped onion to your drippings in the frying pan and brown. Add a cup of beef bouillon or onion soup mix and get all the goodies out of the pan. Add this to your roast and refrigerate until the next day when you either roast in oven or turn on your slow cooker before leaving for work. Also, chop up 2 days worth of salad fixins while your roast is browning.

• Tuesday: SCC Meeting at noon at school (It is looking like I'll go for groceries after the meeting)

BKFST: pancakes (make a double batch and freeze) fruit

SNACK: fruit smoothy as above

LUNCH: salads (make 2 days worth) and leftover stir-fry for O and myself (he is such a good eater!) Bagel and fruit in J's lunchbox

SUPPER: beef roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, salad and vegetables

• Wednesday: Playschool 9-11, Skating 4:30-5:30

This is the equivalent of hell day for me. Veteran moms will scoff at my weak knees. But I digress.

BKFST: toast and fruit, yogurt

SCHOOL LUNCHES: O only gets time for a wee snack of fruit and a treat then we come home for our dinner. I'm expecting we would have salad and a bun with a piece of meat each. J doesn't do meat, if he can help it. I will send him a cheese or jam bun.

SUPPER: leftovers that can be microwaved when we get home.

This is basically a night off from prep so be sure to do your dishes and leave your kitchen how you want to find it in the morning. That is the reward of menu-planning. While doing your dishes (or eating), simmer pot barley in 1-2 cups of water. Once your barley is tender add leftover gravy, meat and veg from your meal. Frozen veg like corn, carrots and peas also help "beef up" a soup. Add beef stock or seasoning to taste. Your soup should be finished by the time you are done in the kitchen for the day. Allow to cool and transfer to containers to take to work or leave it in the pot for tomorrow's lunch/supper. 

Remove meatballs from freezer for tomorrow.

• Thursday: O and I usually go to the farm for part of the day

BKFST: pancakes and apple slices

LUNCH: Leftovers made into soup, buns, salad

SUPPER: Pre-frozen meatballs with pasta and sauce (freeze leftovers in casserole for next Wednesday)

• Friday: hosting a playdate, will make pizza for kids, cauliflower pizza crust for myself

BKFST: Variation of things mentioned above

LUNCH: pizza

SUPPER: meatballs with rice (make enough for tomorrow too!), steamed or roasted vegetables

Take pork loin out of freezer to thaw.

• Saturday: NO SCHOOL

Unless you have a big pork loin, it is going to over cook all to heck in a slowcooker if left all day. I would cut into medallions and fry. This would take you literally only a few minutes, particularly if you have the rice and veg already cooked from the night before. 

BKFST: cereal or pancakes, if I'm running low make double batch and freeze

LUNCH: Grilled cheese sandwiches with assorted fruit, veggies and dip

SUPPER: pork loin with stir-fried rice and veggies leftover from Friday

Take taco meat out for tomorrow.

• Sunday: NO SCHOOL, PREP DAY 

BKFST: variation of above

LUNCH: clean out fridge, make soup etc

SUPPER: Taco night or some variation

Because this is prep day I would prepare my taco fixins (veg and salad) and make double for taco salads the next night.

If I feel there are too many beans for what I am making I freeze
what's left to be quickly added to a different meal.

Step Three: Prep Day

Depending on your schedule you may be getting your groceries on the same day you will prepare some meals. I am aware of how lucky I am not to have the double whammy of work outside the home to complicate my routine inside the home. Everyone's situation is different and take from this whatever will work for you and your family.

Whatever I am planning to make, I do ALL the chopping needed for ALL the dishes at once and divide into bowls or piles to save redoing the same job multiple times. If you are using baked chicken in several recipes, bake all of it at once. Divide after. This will get easier with practice. 

Do your dishes as you go. You will not have a major prep day more than once if you feel it leaves you with a mountain of unwashed dishes. The day before your prep day, do yourself a favour and run the dish washer and tidy up your kitchen before bed. You will not dread cooking as much if you can start out with a clean work area. Likewise, try to leave it that way for yourself afterwards, too. Enlist the help of all family members. I can't stress it enough that reducing the kitchen budget cannot fall on one person alone. The family needs to pitch in to make it work--get help unloading the groceries, clearing the mess, doing the dishes, send hubby to do the shopping, whatever is possible. If you are at this alone, make it more enjoyable for yourself with some favorite music, a favorite drink or the reward of a hot bath after. Try to make it enjoyable!

I feel fairly certain I've forgotten a bunch of ideas I had for this post, but I do plan to do a few more with simple, on-the-go recipes so I will elaborate then if need be. Let me know if any of these ideas help you with a busy week. Also, let me know your favorite meals and tricks to get meals on the table when you have a lot going on!

If serving chili a few days in a row I switch it up by serving it over fries with cheese, with rice,
alone with buttered buns, and transformed with some cabbage, carrot and beef stock to make
 a hearty soup. 

Weekly Menu-Plan Series

Now that I have kids in after-school activities, I am seeing a need to be more organized and prepare food ahead of time lest we fall into the costly and unhealthy habit of eating out. We live in a rural area so the options are slim. If I don't have supper planned and ready ahead it just means no one gets fed until late, which is hectic enough, but it also pushes back bedtime which will effect the next morning and behaviour for days to come. For myself, it also means I won't get the kitchen cleaned up that night and I will wake up to a mess which effects my mood and gets my day off on the wrong foot. So I know that I must be disciplined in order to keep things running smoothly.

I know that I am very fortunate to have the option to stay home while my kids are small. I choose to do this. If I had to, I would work out of the home and pay someone to look after my kids. But we aren't to that point yet and, for now, I feel that I can "save" our money just as efficiently as I could go out and earn more while incurring childcare costs to do so. That said, to each their own! We are in the midst of an economic crisis in this area. People are getting by however they have to, and more power to them :)

I have always been a fan of cooking in batches. In a couple hours I can prepare several different meals using similar ingredients, freeze most of it, and be prepared for busy evenings as they come. You can read more here and here and here.

You can also check out some sample menu-plans that I've used here, here and here.

Full Disclosure: I come from a family farm. I get my beef free from my parents--we are extremely lucky and grateful for this. While my meal plans might be heavy on the meat, particularly that of the red variety, my overall goal is to help people see how one meal can be planned with tomorrow's needs in mind. How can you plan your meal prep a day in advance to save time, lower stress, and prevent wasting food (and money!)?

There are an overwhelming number of menu-plan ideas on Pinterest. If you are interested in becoming more efficient in the kitchen it is a good starting point. Personally, I don't spend a lot of time looking at what other people do because I can use that time in the kitchen preparing food. I started cooking for a family of 7 when I was ten years old. Not everyone feels as proficient or creative, and that is positively okay! Take what helps and leave the rest.

In the weeks to come I plan to blog about the process of getting meals ready and using a menu-plan to simplify my week. If you have used a menu-plan please share your thoughts in the comments. I am always open to new ideas to save time and money!

Soup--the ultimate time and money saving meal!

Weekly Column: Convenience Costs

Convenience Costs

It seems that people are living at a faster pace these days. An interesting question might be: what came first, the hectic pace or the drive thru? Did we begin cramming more activities into our everyday lives and thus require a faster way to pump food into our bodies, or did the availability of cheap food-on-the-fly allow us more time for the things we want to do? While picking up take-out and hitting a drive thru have become a daily or weekly ritual for some, hopefully we can all remember a time when that wasn’t the case.

If fast food wasn’t an option

Imagine for a moment that grabbing supper on your way home was not an option. Or, if the only alternative to cooking was a sit-down restaurant meal that took an hour or more to prepare. Would it be more convenient to eat at home? If fast, ready to eat food did not exist would you make any changes to your schedule? Would you cut out a few activities that right now seem essential, or would you put more effort into preparing for the week?

Of course, fast food is here to stay and, likely, so is the busy lifestyle that most people have adopted. It is not easy to work all day, pick kids up from school or day care or sports and arrive home to a whole new set of chores and demands. If there is an evening every week where you work late, the kids have activities, or you have plans of your own, how do you prepare for this?

Beat the temptation to order in by cooking double batches and freezing portions for busy evenings. Thaw your supper while you are out, then reheat it when you arrive. But your kids are starving animals after sports? Let them eat some of their daily recommended servings of fruit and vegetables (which you prepared yourself, earlier) while they wait. Better yet, distract them with a few chores while supper cooks.

But what to make?

Mixing up a few pounds of hamburger does not take long and can yield several meals: freeze meatloaf and meat balls for later and BBQ some homemade hamburgers for a treat. While you are doing that you could also brown some hamburger to use in chili, lasagna, shepherd’s pie or other casseroles.

But meat is expensive, you say? Yes, it is. But if your back up plan to feed your family when you are tired is hitting the drive thru, you have probably become accustomed to spending around $40 per meal for a family of four. That $40 could feed your family home cooked meals for several days if you are organized and plan ahead. Saving $20-30 on a meal is like putting in more time at work—except that you can “earn” yourself that money from the comfort of home.

Fast meals like bacon and eggs, beans and toast or soup and sandwiches are no less healthy than drive thru. If you would rather some vegetarian options, or if going meatless is something you are interested in trying, there have never been more recipe ideas online. Start looking!

There must be a healthier way

If someone told you they could feed your family healthier food for a fraction of the cost, would you be interested? If they said that a time commitment of a couple hours per week would make you healthier, save money and possibly bring you closer as a family, could you find the time? Cooking at home is not necessarily a family activity but you can involve the kids by having them chop or wash veggies, set and clear the table, or even help with the cooking if they are old enough. When all members of a family are going in different directions it can be hard to connect with each other. Committing to eating together at a table as often as possible is good for your relationships as well as your budget.

It’s not a step back in time

It is no one particular member of the family’s responsibility to prepare the food. If you can eat you need to learn to feed yourself. If you are a parent and have your kids in activities to strengthen their bodies and people skills, consider this another opportunity for their growth. Teach them the difference in value (both nutritional and monetary) between a fast food meal and one you prepare and eat together. If you seriously do not have the time, ever, to prepare food for the work week it may be time to re-examine your schedule and priorities. There may be times you need a fast meal on the go, but hopefully you can find a way to slow down and eat at home more often. 

2015 Tally of Preserves

It has long been my goal to keep better records of what I grow (always too busy planting to keep track of what gets planted) and what I harvest (weighing what I bring in from the garden sounds simple until I am rushing out to pick greens and supper is late, blah, blah, blah). Maybe next year I will be more organized and keep a better record, but for this year I have concentrated on an overall tally of what I was able to preserve through canning and freezing.

I thought that I would include this spring's maple syrup, our first ever. Because it was a novelty to most of our friends we gave away several tiny taste-test size jars and had a couple of half-pints for the kids to have on pancakes and for me to use in bread. I saved 2 quarts in hopes that the weather will cooperate and we can do maple taffy in the snow at each of our son's birthday parties (January and March). Last year we had tobogganing and horse-drawn sleigh rides for both and the weather was nice. I hope we are as lucky this year :)

I was lucky to be invited to pick fruit with a friend in a lovely yard this summer. There we picked enough plums for good eating plus a bit of plum sauce (seriously, removing the pits was so time-consuming!).

My boys enjoyed pitting cherries, though, and were a great help. The wild saskatoons were wonderful this year and we discovered just how many grow right here in our yard.

My garden was a dismal failure by some standards. We had a drought until July and the scorching heat and my inconsistent watering did not enable much that I planted to germinate. Some things came later and I was surprised how much lettuce I ended up with. Pumpkins continued to bloom until frost without ever producing fruit larger than a golf ball--terribly disappointing because I successfully started the plants from seed! If anyone has pointers on growing pumpkins I would appreciate some advice!

Like most years, though, what my garden lacked was supplemented by the generosity of my mom and neighbours. A friend's mom gave me half a box of apples which I split with my mom and made apple pie filling with. I was given cucumbers and still managed to make enough pickles for our winter eating. My aunt gave us carrots and I saved enough to make a treat jar of pickled carrots for Husband to enjoy over the Christmas holidays. In many ways the scarcity of the pickles makes us savour them more and it is always a shame to throw out uneaten ones when you have gone to so much work.
Every year I plan to grow more tomatoes and more peppers for even more salsa, but like the pickles it is a shame to see it go to waste. So this year I have concentrated more on slow roasting and freezing for sauce and know that the salsa I have made for ourselves and as gifts will be all the more special because there is less of it.

So here it is, a tally of what I have "put up" from my garden, yard, and generous gifts from others:

2015 Preserves

2 qt saskatoon pie filling
2 x ziploc freezer bag of berries
2 qt rhubarb/saskatoon "fruit" for our elderly neighbour
3 qt cherries "fruit"
3 qt cherry pie filling
2 qt apple pie filling

2 pints pickled beets
1 quart dilly beans
5 pints hot chili chutney
3 1/2 pints raspberry jam
3 pints million dollar relish
5 1/2 quarts bread and butter pickles
2 qt + 1 pint sweet heat salsa plus 7 half pints of sweet heat salsa for gifts
4 qt hot salsa
6 qt canned whole tomatoes
1 qt dilled carrots
2 qt dill pickles
5 ziploc freezer bags of roasted tomatoes (so far). Tomatoes still ripening in the basement

1 laundry basket of potatoes minus what we ate fresh from the garden. Red potatoes were scabby but large, white potatoes were excellent.

Perhaps most exciting in this year's food production were the two apples that our 2 year old honeycrisp apple tree produced. The fruit was huge, crisp and juicy, and although there were only two apples we watched them grow and shared them as a family. We are very hopeful that the tree will provide us with plenty of beautiful apples in years to come.

Foraging in Our Backyard

Foraging for food is a concept that, to me, is becoming more trendy and mainstream these days. Even the term "foraging" is more stylish than "picking berries". When I was young it was something most farm women did out of necessity to keep sweet preserves throughout the winter months. We gorged on pies and bowls of fruit with cream and sugar before the long hot days of jam-making made the house too hot and the black flies insufferable. I should confess that I hated picking berries when I was young (much like I detested gardening....hmmm...perhaps my lifestyle is a return to the values my parents taught us back then). I am interested in learning to identify mushrooms so we can someday forage for them, but for now I'll settle for the saskatoon bushes we are lucky to have growing wild right here in our yard.

Saskatoon berries are similar to blueberries and this happens to be a great year for them. We are making the effort to freeze and preserve plenty so that we won't resort to buying blueberries fresh in the grocery store (they are tasteless anyways) or even the frozen bags that are trucked across the country. The few hours of work should save us money while also making use of wild, organic, local food that is literally on my doorstep.

So what to do when you have a glut of any particular crop? First I search through my granny's old recipe books, because they were compiled by prairie farm women who ate seasonally. A classic on the Canadian prairie is the Jean Pare Preserves cookbook, where I eventually chose the recipe for "fruit" as requested by our elderly neighbour. He described to me how his mother used to combine rhubarb and saskatoons in quart sealers.

I am not sure I got it right but I gave it a try and sent them over with Husband along with some saskatoon muffins (recipe adapted from my America's Test Kitchen Cookbook).

I also concocted a saskatoon berry syrup for the boys to have over pancakes.

I found a recipe for saskatoon sauce so I made that and froze the sauce to serve over cake this winter or use as pie filling or in muffins. All in all, I feel like we have made good use of the free wild berries on our land. I have 2 large ziplock bags of berries frozen already, and another 3 gallons of berries to do something with tomorrow. We haven't begun to put a dent in the berry supply, so I might do some jam for small gifts at Christmas. Have you got access to wild berries where you live? If so, what is your favourite way to preserve them?

Sugaring in Saskatchewan

When we planted trees on our acreage the year we had our house moved here, I purchased and planted over 100 Manitoba Maple trees with the intention that my sons could one day tap them and have a source of syrup, if they choose. Then this winter my brother mentioned he didn't think maple trees ran sap in our climate, so we discussed that possibility and he decided we should tap the maple trees at our parents' farm to find out.

A week ago my brother noticed sap leaking from where two limbs were removed from my mom's big old maple tree on her lawn. The following morning we tapped 21 of the maples in her hedge row using stainless steel tubing my brother had on hand. Although we only collected approximately 8 gallons of sap we wanted to boil it up before it spoiled.

There is A LOT of contradicting information online regarding maple sugaring. I recommend you do your research ahead of time using trusted sources (what makes for good photography on pinterest and some blogs may not be sound advice) and, if you have access to maple trees, give it a try. We only tapped about half of the trees available to us--next year we plan to tap all of the maples and purchase some spiles and a hydrometer if we can find them. Our product turned out a bit cloudy but tastes wonderful and the kids absolutely loved the experience of helping tap the trees, collect the sap, and participate in the boiling.

We ended up with about a pint of syrup this year so far--perhaps some might say that is not worth the effort and resources. For us, having the kids up and dressed and out in the fresh air every morning to do their "job" was wonderful and they are extremely proud of the part they played in making the the syrup. But, as my 5 year old pointed out, it's all thanks to the trees ;)

Make Your Own Gravy Mix

When I was growing up, we made all our gravy using the drippings from roast meat with some salt and pepper for flavour, the water from boiled potatoes/vegetables and some flour and water to thicken. At some point (enter Husband) I started trying to make a more restaurant-style brown gravy. Admittedly, it sure is good on fries and when there are no drippings provided by the cooking process (ie fish and chips) or just wanting to spruce up a bland au jus. Is it just me? I started buying those darned little packages of gravy mix back when they were around 65 cents each. The trouble is, they are now $1.65 on a good day and usually don't thicken. To add $1.65 to the cost of a meal when one is trying to cut expenses is counterproductive, particularly when it adds zero nutritional value and is exceptionally salty. Although we reduce salt in many areas of our diet, our kids don't like gravy so I haven't been as strict with it. However, I think that we are becoming sensitive to how salt affects our bodies and I have no desire to have swollen hands and feet at night! Basically, I would like to make a nice, tasty gravy for less, always have it on hand (soooo tired of not having the mixes!), and have some control over what is added.

Bless the world wide web! There were many recipes that were a variation of bouillon and flour, to which butter and water were added. But I also came across a site claiming to have hacked the KFC 11 herbs and spices recipe. Oh, I was all over it!

So thank you to Ron Douglas, said to have broke the code on the recipe, and "WonderHowTo" Food Hacks for making the intel available to "brilliantly lazy" home cooks like myself ;)

I happened to have both beef and chicken OXO on hand, and while I know there is nothing gourmet about it we are talking restaurant-burger-and-fries type gravy here. You can also adjust your salt content by adding less, which I might once I've had a chance to taste this a few times and tinker with it. But for anyone interested, here is how I combined a few different recipes to make a thick gravy without the use of drippings. 

Homemade Gravy Mix

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbsp cornstarch

3 Tbsp bouillon (I used 1 part beef, 2 parts chicken for more colour)

1 tsp each: oregano, chili powder, sage, basil, marjoram, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder

1/2 tsp each: mustard powder, celery seed

I actually didn't have basil and I ran out of paprika when I made a second batch to give away. What I like about this is I can adapt the spices and amount of bouillon over time. NOTE: I ground the herbs in my mortar and pestle for a smoother gravy. 

To Make The Gravy

In a saucepan, brown 2 Tbsp butter over low heat

Whisk in 2 Tbsp gravy mix to make a thick paste

Add one cup of water slowly, whisking out any lumps as gravy thickens

Enjoy!

We liked this gravy with homemade fries, and I used the gravy mix with extra flour and cornstarch to season and coat the chicken that I fried. We enjoyed it, and I hope that you do too! Have you ever tried  making your own sauces and seasonings?

How I Did: February 1-7

I enjoyed having a menu plan much more than I thought I would. I felt able to plan a day or two in advance, which left me with a bit of extra time for blogging and sewing (two of my goals this year). We are very flexible, which helps when you have children and live in the country--trips to town pop up and/or get delayed and it is best to just roll with it :) It is easy for me to say that because my kids are not in any extra activities, but that will change when they start swimming lessons in town on February 17. I may be whistling a different tune by then ;)

So how did last week's plan go?

Off the top, I posted the plan without consulting a calendar, so ended up with the wrong dates for the days of the week--off to a great start as usual! 

Sunday: I made 2 loaves of bread (froze 1). Made 2 dozen buns (froze 1 doz). I got company and forgot to make the pear crisp, so I made it Monday night instead. Used up the remainder of a bag of pears that would have been composted.

Monday: All went according to plan.

Tuesday: All went according to plan.

Wednesday: We made an unscheduled trip to town. I improvised a new recipe for fish cakes and used up leftovers from the fridge. I thawed the roast that I had planned to have Thursday, but because I bought some reduced avocados that needed eaten I switched to...

Thursday: Taco night. Also pre-roasted Friday night's roast and made buns for...

Friday: Pulled beef on homemade buns. Seriously, how have I never made this before? As the daughter of cattle ranchers, with limitless beef roasts over my lifetime...I shall be making up for lost time with this one. Really, really good. An upcoming post on this, I'm sure!

Saturday: While I had planned to use up some frozen drumsticks, I ended up adding some chicken breasts and hosting my parents' 45th anniversary supper. It was only 4 extra adults, and I did make too much, but homemade fries and pasta salad, plus a green salad, peas, and buns made for a finger lickin' good time ;)

I have found a new recipe for dinner rolls. I confess to being inept at rolling them into nice balls, hence the misshapen and odd-sized buns that we have been eating all these years. My stand mixer has made such a difference in my bread making endeavors. I stubbornly resisted buying one (cost and I really wanted to make the food my granny did with just her bare hands). Alas, they don't make 'em like they used to and I could never get it right. The mixer gets it right, though. Now to figure out how to make the rolls look purty....I'm getting better, but still a ways to go ;)

Most pictures of the food in my kitchen are from directly above--less clearing of counter tops necessary that way!

Good bye store-bought, expensive, disappointing gravy mixes! Growing up, flour and water was sufficient to thicken roast drippings into gravy. At some point we became hooked on adding a package of gravy mix, or to making gravy when there are no drippings (ie. fries, dressing and gravy mmmmm). A little digging around on the internet and I am now in business making my own self-thickening gravy mix. I'll post on it soon!

When I planned Saturday's meal, I meant to use up the cream cheese that is in my fridge in some kind of wonderful dessert. I forgot, but cream cheese never goes to waste (in fact, I can't believe it has survived til February...WTH?) This is a great recipe from America's Test Kitchen, a fluffy yellow cake with chocolate icing. I made it because the brother that came loves it; he ate so much supper he skipped dessert in spite of my encouragement...really, you better have a piece!

So that was the week. I feel happy with my results. I don't pressure myself to stick too rigidly to any kind of schedule. While my kids are young and free, we just roll with whatever is happening. At the same time, it is easy to have the day-to-day chores take up all of my day and I don't find the time for my own interests. I felt that the meal plan helped me accomplish extra baking/cooking on certain days which freed up time for some sewing and blogging, and of course more time playing with my kids. Have you tried anything new in the kitchen lately?

On Not Getting Derailed

I love to host gatherings. If we can manage as a family to tidy the house, subdue the dust bunnies and clear the clutter, I do love to cook a big meal and enjoy it with family or friends. I fear, though, that I tend to go overboard and throw in a fancier  more labor-intensive menu from time to time and it tends to take the fun out of it for me. I spend my time frantic in the kitchen rather than visiting, and beyond that it usually ends up being more expensive.

Last year my mom didn't want an anniversary supper-we had enjoyed several family gatherings in a row and it felt unnecessary. This year I suggested a meal, she has agreed, and besides my parents there will be two of my brothers. Nothing fancy, and I'm resisting the urge to make it a bigger deal than it needs to be.

Right away I was inclined to run to town for ribs for a special meal. But I have taken inventory and there are chicken breasts in my freezer, so I plan to do something with those. I also want to use up the lettuce and vegetables that I bought the other day so they don't go to waste, so there will be a couple salads. Potatoes or rice? Also I have cream cheese left from my Christmas groceries. We will do something with that for a nice dessert. I will have a think on it and post what I came up with--on hosting a dinner without buying anything special. By not getting derailed this week, I hope that sticking to a grocery budget is becoming second nature. Do you normally get special groceries when you are hosting a dinner?

Newfoundland-inspired Fish Cakes

I get an amazing amount of traffic looking for a Newfoundland Dressing recipe. Likewise, I've posted about another favorite of ours: Newfoundland Peas Pudding, and the Jiggs Dinner altogether. As a Saskatchewan gal with a farming background, I would never claim to do the food justice--but none of the Newfoundlanders who are "up away" and have eaten here have ever complained ;)

I'm on a mission to use up food that is languishing in our freezer and pantry. In my weekly plan I had intended to do homemade fish and chips--but on reflection the cheap store-bought cod fillets were just too wimpy to hold up to batter and frying. I wanted fish cakes, but nothing too fussy. The kids have been getting up at 5 am lately and I'm feeling the February blahs creeping in.

The kids love to help cut the potatoes with the fry maker I got for Christmas. So that part was easy. I cooked the fries with just a bit of oil in our actifry (last year's Christmas gift). I had made extra dressing a few weeks ago and froze it in a sandwich bag and happened to have leftover gravy from our roast beef supper the other night.

I had a basic idea of how I wanted to make the fish cakes, but googled some recipes for inspiration. I was really glad to come across a cooking site that I had never seen, and I'm happy to pass it on here. I am sure I will use RockRecipes.com often when looking for new recipes. I didn't follow the recipe, exactly, but rather took my inspiration and ran with it.

I basically steamed the fillets in just a bit of butter and their own juices, then sauted finely chopped onions in the same pan. After they had cooled slightly I flaked them apart gently with a fork and added the onion, an egg, about a Tbsp of store-bought tartar sauce, and about a Tbsp lemon juice. The secret ingredient that I had never thought to add before (which I found on RockRecipes) is mashed and cooled potatoes. I happened to have just the right amount leftover in the fridge, and the result was a very nice flakey fish cake. I rolled them in panko before frying them in a Tbsp butter and Tbsp canola oil. I made my own tartar sauce and a salad to accompany the meal. All in all, I used up some odds and ends in the fridge and freezer and made a quick tasty meal that we will definitely try again. Most importantly, I found a website to add to my favorites where I can learn more about Newfoundland culture and food. Do you like to find new recipes to use up leftovers?

A Swing and a Miss

You might recall I recently stated that "theoretically I may not need to get groceries this week". There were a few things that I forgot in my weekly groceries: namely water for the humans (our well is not potable so we refill 5 gallon jugs) and food for the dog and cats (we got a puppy at Christmas; he warrants his own post one of these days!).

We couldn't be out of water, nor food for the beasts, and the cost of buying such things in the next little town over is prohibitive. As much as I would like to support a local business, I can't justify $7 for the water that I would spend $3 on in town (also a local business). My 3 jugs were filled for $9, a savings of $4/jug or $12 altogether. That easily covered the drive to town (45kms, approx cost of $7 per round trip). I don't like to leave those types of purchases to the last minute in case there is a blizzard or extreme cold, a sick child, or even just not feeling like a trip to town. We have been about a week with out going anywhere; it was time to get out.

The things is, we never just run to town for one thing. While we were out we got our mail (the box is only a mile away, but I am expecting a parcel so if the parcel note had been in the mail I would have needed it to pick up the parcel in town at the post office). We also needed fuel (purchased where I can also collect air miles) and we grabbed some groceries. To the tune of $175.28. Cringe.

 All things conspired to send us to town today, and I am fine with that. My goal is to reduce what we waste and stick to my grocery list to spend less on food. In that sense, we are progressing.

I planned to watch for flour when it was on sale--today was the day at $5.98 for a 10 kg bag. I got two because I am baking more and have been caught buying flour sometimes for $11 or even $12/10 kg. I like it better this way.

My kids are usually good about not asking for things in stores. However, they were intent on a treat for the pup as we ran out of dentastix the other day. Because all things must be equal, J had to pick out a different treat for the dog because O was first to touch the dentastix. I can afford to choose my battles and the puppy pepperoni made it into the cart, but the pet food aisle is off limits until next time we run out of dog food.

I splurged on a bag of avocado for $3. They have been $1.48 each lately so we haven't had them in ages. I plan to do a bean salad and perhaps a taco night rather than the shepherd's pie I had planned. My potatoes that would have accompanied the hamburger in shepherd's pie will keep, but the avocado will not. Do you see where I am going with my menu-planning helping me reduce kitchen waste? The kids asked for strawberries, and I succumbed. Ditto the $3 bags of popcorn (1 each, because they were sold in pairs). All in all, I bought toilet paper, basmati rice, and sriracha sauce (saved 90 cents) which were also not on my list. I blew the budget by $46.14! I am already learning that my justifications while shopping (ie. it's on sale today, or I don't want to run out before our next shopping day) just would not fly if we were in a serious situation like being unemployed and living off savings. I don't feel that I bought (many) unnecessary items but I am realizing how reducing a monthly budget will be a challenge. 

Shopping Trips in February: 1

Total Spent:

• Groceries: $175.28
• Water: $9
• Fuel: $39. 26

Do you budget the money that you spend on food, or have an idea of what you usually spend? Do you notice prices going up and, if so, have you altered what you are buying?

Menu Plan January 31-February 7 2015

The end of January already? Yikes!

As I've mentioned, I have some beef roasts to use up. They will factor into this week's plan as will a bag of pears that I need to use up. I have a few things to consider, Husband's lunch for work being one of them. He got a heater that plugs into the lighter in his truck so he can now take leftovers (Yay!!) and I also like to send a variety of foods because after years of packed lunches it must be getting a little repetitive. There are also our lunches at home, which will be either leftovers (not my kids' favorite thing to eat but I shall prevail!) or simple fare complimented with fresh fruit and veggies. I won't bother listing our breakfasts because we are very predictable: toast and fruit for us at home and Husband leaves so early he does not bother eating.

Sunday Feb 1: 

• Husband lunch: leftover pizza, veggies, cookies, fruit cup
• kids' lunch: fruit/apple sauce, veggies, curly pasta
• Supper: 1/2 roast and all the trimmings, fresh buns (freeze some), pear crisp for dessert*

*although I rarely make desserts, we will use up our bag of pears in a pear crisp (recipe at end of post).

Monday Feb 2:

• H lunch: roast beef on a bun, veggies and fruit, pear crisp
• kids' lunch: buns, fruit and veg, and leftover pear crisp.
• Supper:  beef stew, buns 

Tuesday Feb 3:

• H lunch: leftover stew, veg and fruit
• kids' lunch: a pre-arranged pizza party at our house with friends. I will do fresh veggies and smoothies along with cookies 
• Supper: A huge sirloin steak (free from mom) will be used in beef stir fry, rice and noodles from my America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. Love it!

Wednesday Feb 4:

• H lunch: leftover pizza, veg and fruit, puddings that need used up
• kids' lunch: leftover pizza, veggies
• Supper: Shepherd's Pie and Salad

Thursday Feb 5:

• H lunch: Shepherd's Pie
• kids' lunch: grilled cheese, fruit and veg
• Supper: homemade fish and chips using fish that has been in the freezer awhile. Also Newfoundland Dressing and gravy (saved from the beef roast). *a note on making dressing: quite often when I make dressing, I make extra and freeze enough for another meal so we can have the special treat in a hurry!

Friday Feb 6:

• H lunch: frozen pizza pops that I bought for when I'm too lazy to make a lunch :)
• kids' lunch: leftover fish and chips
• Supper: pulled beef sandwiches on fresh buns using a recipe I found at addapinch.com

Saturday Feb 7:

• H lunch: pulled beef on buns
• kids' lunch: wraps and salad and veggies
• Supper: drumsticks in sauce with Rice and Green Beans from the garden (frozen)

And there you have it--a week of meals taken from the food available in my freezer and pantry.  I don't consider this a savings, because we are living off food that we have already paid for and that will be replaced. Where I feel I am succeeding is in that we are using up things that might otherwise go to waste--either through going past their expiration date, becoming freezer burnt or being tossed into the compost pit. Rather than using store-bought pork loin for pulled pork sandwiches, I am using meat that was available to us. Theoretically I should not have to buy groceries this week at all, unless eggs and milk run low. If need be, I can save money by not going to town for groceries (45 kms) and instead supporting a small town grocer that is closer. I have to go to that small town anyways so I can pick up any essentials then, but at the higher price anything that is not essential will have to wait for the week of Feb 8-14 to be bought in town.

Do you follow a menu plan, or how do you decide what you will cook during the week? Do you follow the specials or buy only what you have listed? 

Pear Crisp (adapted from my apple crisp recipe,
which came out of an old recipe book of my moms when I left home
a million or so years ago)

6 pears, peeled and sliced
6 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp sugar cinnamon my apologies to anyone who might've made this before I found my mistake!
3 Tbsp butter

-spread in small casserole dish and top with:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
8 Tbsp butter

-Bake at 350F for 15 minutes covered, 35 minutes uncovered.

Please Note: this is an old recipe and it is ALOT of sugar. I usually throw in extra apples or pears and reduce the amount of sugar (the original recipe actually calls for 1.5 cups brown sugar on top). This is just the recipe that I have, you really can't go wrong with sugar, fruit and cinnamon. But if you have a favorite recipe, adapt it to use up the fruit in your kitchen that is going to waste. The point for me is to not let the pears wind up in the compost. Enjoy!

The Grocery Plan

I just want to begin by saying that making frugal choices means different things for different people. I am extremely lucky and grateful to have the privileges and gifts that I do. In preparing to write this post I realized that I have more money invested in tea than many people can invest in their week's groceries. I would never want my posts to make anyone feel worse about their situation and I do not want to come across as superior. This is simply the tale of my family's journey towards smarter money management, trying to pay down debt faster, and creating less waste with our choices. I know that I am extremely lucky to be able to stay home with my kids everyday and I know that so many others cannot. I do not mean to patronize but rather start a conversation and encourage. 

I feel like I am always thinking about how I can reduce my grocery spending but I have not taken action. I have decided to challenge myself for the next few months to reduce my spending, reduce what gets wasted in my kitchen, and reduce the stockpiled food that we are not eating.

This is my pantry. Believe it or not, it has been recently organized. I'm the only one who uses it so if I know where things are that is all that matters, right? 

I have a drawer where I keep the flours and dry grains. One area I would like to increase my stockpile is buying more flour when it is on sale. I use it up quite quickly making all our bread, so might as well keep extra and save a bit of money.

The rest of the baking supplies are in a corner cupboard. I usually bake according to an informal rotation of recipes. Now that I am trying out new recipes, I experiment according to what ingredients I have on hand.

So Here Is THE PLAN:

Take Inventory: While I do believe a full pantry has its benefits, I dread wasting food and I need to do better at using up certain items before buying more. For instance, we have a lot of apple sauce. I need to use some up in pumpkin bread and feed the rest to the kids before it is outdated. My real challenge right now is to use up some beef roasts that my mom gave me when she was cleaning out her freezer. Over the next few weeks I will try to get creative with some recipes to use up the meat without getting sick of it! I also have green beans frozen from my garden that need used. Also this week I need to use up a bag of pears that are ripening too quickly. I'm thinking a pear crisp is in order for dessert!

Consult Flyers and Coupons: After taking inventory of what needs used up around here, it makes sense to check the flyers for anything I might need to complete my menu plan for the week. There are a few items that I plan to stockpile more of (flour, mostly) so I will watch for those going on sale as well.

Baking List and Menu Plan For The Week: I confess that I've never menu planned before. I mostly go by my gut, as it were. But I think it is time that I get more organized and more conscious of using what is on sale and what is at hand and needing used up. I hope that you will join me as I attempt to cut spending and reduce waste!