What's a Mom To Do?

I got back from the grocery store after a week long vacation, having to replenish some basics  and get a leg up on my menu planning and I spent $160!  I did break one of my cardinal rules and went to the store without my  shopping list, but I did have a good breakfast before I went, so impulse buying was at a minimum.

I needed some fresh fruits and vegetables, some "proteins" for a couple of nights' dinners and a few other things to round out the menus for a few days.  There were berries, a zucchini, an eggplant, some asparagus, corn on the cob, cucumbers and scotch bonnet peppers.  I picked up some mint, cilantro and a bag of baby spinach.  I picked up  a half gallon of skim milk, some sliced cheeses, a baguette, a hunk of Irish Cheddar and some melba toast rounds (for snacking).  There was a piece of tuna, some fresh shrimp, a couple of chicken sausages and 2 center cut pork chops.  My big indulgence was some dark cherry preserves to enjoy with the cheese and bread or maybe as a glaze for the pork...but that is pretty much it!   One hundred and sixty bucks!

In a day or two, my adult children will be descending upon the old homestead...one for the summer, the other for a long weekend visit...and I will have to grocery shop for four adults instead of two.  Oh, la, la!  I will be sure to make a list, collect my coupons and peruse the store circulars for best buys and sales.  But, the shopping list almost always begins with a weekly menu framework...and I fill in or substitute the framework based on what's in season, what's on sale and special requests from the family.  For example, Emily loves marinated chicken wings and rice...her vegetable of choice, roasted carrots...so that or some close iteration will be on thise week's menu.  Carrie loves vegetables, so we'll have some sort of pasta prima vera with loads of grilled veggies...I think I'll set aside that Italian eggplant that I bought for just such a purpose. 

Another strategy for surviving sticker shock at the store is to plan multiple meals using key menu components.  For example, I'll buy a larger roaster chicken and prepare that early in the week.  Between the four of us, we'll eat about half the chicken.  I'll save half for another meal or two later in the week.  I'll use the chicken carcass for soup stock.  Any leftover veggies from our roast chicken dinner, let's say, fresh English spring peas and carrots can go into the stock with a cup of chopped left over chicken...add some onion, celery and some left over rice from Emily's favorite meal, and ta dah, we have soup for Soup Supper on Dad's gym night!  With the remaining chicken, I can make a chunky chicken salad, that is all the rage now.  I toss the remaining chicken that I've cubed with 2 green apples, cored and cut up into bite sized chunks, a 1/3 cup of dried cranberries, 2 ribs of celery, diced into pieces about the same size as the chicken and apples, 1/3 cup of toasted pecans, rough chopped, some fresh parsley and a light dressing made of 1/4 cup light mayo, 2 tablespoons apple or cranberry juice, 1 tbsp of cider or white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, sugar and white pepper.  I'll serve this salad in lettuce cups...I like Boston or Iceberg lettuce for this...so there you go...3 pretty easy meals based on one chicken which tends to be on sale somewhere each week!

If you are crazy like me, build out your menu framework as far out as you can with your basic pantry items....so, things like  pasta, potatoes, root vegetables, can be plugged in over the course of a month...this way you'll get a sense of how many onions and carrots you'll need in a month, and these  are usually a good way to buy in bulk and save some money.  Unless you have a large freezer, it is usually better to by your fresh produce and meats a couple of times a week.  It use to amaze me how much food I used to toss in the compost pile because I went shopping twice a month rather than twice a week.  I'd think I was saving money because I picked up two quarts of strawberries (buy one get one free...) but unless I had a specific plan for them...I often found myself pickin' fuzzy berries out f the carton and in the end just chucking them, because I didn't plan to usee them or worse, didn't know how to store for the long term those precious perishables.  Let's stick with the strawberries as an example...these days, when I know strawberries are in season, I keep in mind the many different ways I can use them in sweet and savory applications.  I also stock up in freezer bags.  If you quickly rinse and dry the whole strawberries (remove the leaves and inner hull), you can place the berries in a single layer in a freezer bag and lay them flat in your freezer for future use...I have kept them for up to four months in the freezer and they are great to add to strawberry sauce for shortcakes or add them to your breakfast smoothies....they are great additions to a mixed berry muffin in the winter time!  I'd say the point here is, it isn't a great savings or even free if you wind up throwing food away because you didn't plan...buy what you need in season and when possible can or freeze for the off season...a visit to the library for books on food presevation is a wise use of time.

I've mentioned this menu framework without much description...sorry!  I print off a monthly calendar page and I literally fill in the blanks with dinner ideas (1 portion meat/protien, 2-3 portions of veg, 1 fruit and sometimes 1 starch)...I first block off any nights I know when we have other plans away from home and then I try to plan red meat for dinner once a week, pasta once a week, fish twice a week, chicken or pork once or twice a week...we eat soup and salad once a week on the nights we are at the gym...it is just easier to prepare and not so filling as to undo all the hard work with the trainer!  I also add in a pizza or take-out night every once in a while in the month...if you add it to your menu plan, you can save up for it.  When mapping out the month this way, it is easier to see the opportunities for stretching a main protien item, like the roast chicken suggestion above. Menu planning this way also builds a grocery list before your eyes!  It affords you the chance to store/freeze/pre-cook anything from your recent grocery trip that may not have made the menu...I forgot about dinner out with friends, so the chops have been wrapped and are in the freezer for next week!

This week's menu  for us looks like this...Sunday:  Grilled Chicken Sausage "sub" with carmelized onions in piece of baguette, grilled asparagus, spinach, goat cheese and strawberry salad with balsamic dressing  Monday: Celtics Game  Tuesday:  Grilled Tuna Ceviche in Endive leaves and Multigrain Tortilla Chips, Spicy Pickled Cucumber Salad  Wednesday:  Grilled Asparagus Soup with Cheesy Baguette Croutons and Grilled Shrimp Skewers  Thursday:  Israeli Couscous with Grilled Zucchini, Fresh Corn off the Cob,  Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Applewood Smoked Bacon.  Friday:  Dinner  out with Friends   Saturday:  Chicken Wings and Thighs, Wild and Brown Rice, Roasted Carrots and Sauteed Spinach and Homemade Applesauce.  Sunday: Pasta Primavera with eggplant, asparagus, zucchini and roasted tomatoes.

My little indulgence isn't listed...I plan on having a slice or two of baguette with some light, sliced Swiss cheese, toasted and topped with a dollop of the cherry preserve...unusual but tasty.

So my strategic ideas for saving $$$:

• Menu plan
• Buy seasonal foods and locally
• Make a list using coupons and store sale circulars
• Portion control
• Multi-task your menu elements to stretch meals throughout the week
• Properly store food you cannot eat immediately
• Do NOT shop hungry!

Please let me know what you think of the tips...and feel free to pass along via the comments any ideas you have for stretching your food budget!  Thanks for reading!