Ingles 4 Under $40 - Thanksgiving2012

Yay for a week (mostly) back to normal. Of course, normal for us means still in the throes of a den renovation (I’ll post pics later) and laundry piles up to my ears, but we are home and we are blessed. I look forward to Thanksgiving more and more every year. It’s such a peaceful time for us to reflect and celebrate Christ, and all he has graciously chosen to bless us with. But, I still have a family to feed. (Unfortunately they’re going to want to eat more often this week than only Thursday.) So here’s an easy 4 Under $40 to get you through the chaos!

Monday

Make a big pot of chili tonight. Use the ground beef that may or may not still be in your freezer and the beans that you may or may not have picked up on previous store excursions. If there’s no beef on ice, go with extra beans or add in some rice (brown even) to make it plenty filling with less fat and more fiber. Thanks to the sales last month this meal for me is $0 out of my pocket this week. Keep what you buy under $10 and you’re good to go.

Tuesday

I found this Sausage Cheddar Quiche recipe and thought it look amazing. Since nearly every single ingredient is on sale I figured we should give it a shot.

9in Pastry Crust (Sure, make your own if you want. I will buy the pre-packaged suckers for $2 – Pillsbury)

1 lb pork sausage (Jimmy Dean $2.50/lb – I like it “Hot”)

4oz can of sliced mushrooms (entirely optional)

½ c chopped onion

¼ c chopped green pepper (if you buy a small bunch you’ll use them tonight and tomorrow)

½ t dried basil (Ok, the small “t” is teaspoon; the capital “T” is Tablespoon)

1 ½ c sharp cheddar cheese – shredded

2 eggs beaten

1 c milk

Paprika

1.    Prick the pie crust with a fork and bake at 400° for 3 min. Remove, re-prick, and bake another 5 min.

2.    Brown and drain sausage then mix with mushrooms, onion, pepper, and basil and spoon into pie crust. Sprinkle cheese on top.

3.    Combine eggs and milk and pour into pie crust and sprinkle with paprika.

4.    Bake at 350° for 50 min or until set. Let stand 10 min before slicing.

Voila! You may end up with this meal for $5 or less if you have what you need on hand. If not it should still be under $10.

Wednesday

I’m thinking “light” tonight since tomorrow will be a throw-down (at least it is at the THREE family events we will have). Boneless/skinless chicken is $1.98/lb so if you don’t have some in the freezer grab a small package (<$4) and cook it however you prefer. Throw it in a bowl with some sliced green grapes ($2.98/lb), spinach (+/- $3), celery ($.88 ea), one box spiral pasta ($.88 ea DaVinci - cooked per package directions), one jar ¼ marinated artichoke hearts ($3 +/-), 3 green onions chopped, and a large can of mandarin oranges ($.98 ea – Laura Lynn). For the dressing mix ½ c EVOO, ¼ c sugar, 2 T white vinegar, 1 t salt, ½ dried onion, 1t lemon juice, and 2 T parsley.  If you don’t have most of this on hand you’ll pay more than $10, but it might be worth it. Of course have fun substituting what you do have for some of these recommended ingredients. What what’s in my stash I’ll probably pay about $5 for this one.

Thursday

Enjoy Thanksgiving with your family. Post in “Comments” the things for which you are thankful. I’d love to see what you have to say! This year I am thankful for this blog, poor though it is, for helping me develop discipline and to feed my family well without spending lots of money.

Friday

Easy-peasy is the plan for Friday. (That and lots of fiber!) It’s about time for black-eyed peas ($1 lb) and greens ($2.50 bunch) around here. (Of course, for the same $5 I may grab a can of Glory Seasoned greens and save myself the trouble of making my own!) We’ll have a bit of corn bread too, but this meal will pack a punch at under $5. Depending on what leftovers you may have, soup is a great option too. Of course, you may not need to make a meal at all depending on the leftovers at hand. $6

Conclusion

There’s this week’s 4 Under $40. Make sure you don’t miss out on the free turkey from Ingles if you have 6 or more “Turkey Points” (I’ll be grabbing mine tomorrow). This is also a great time of year to stock up on pantry staples as LOTS of great stuff is on sale (sugar, flour, spices, etc.). Check the sale paper for more awesome ideas. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

~Megan

4 Under $40 - 5Nov2012

So Tuesday is still not Monday, but it's a sight better than Thursday! Grab your boots and here we go . . .

Day 1 - Veggie Soup
With the Green Giant canned goods at $0.60/ea this week go for 5 or 6 and make some yummy veggie soup. A bonus: for every 5 you purchase Ingles will donate 1 to Manna Food Bank.  If you like it a little spicier, add a can Rotel (those have been only $1ea.) I like to pour in V8 juice (2/$4) and delve into the fridge for the frozen ground beef you should have in there if you want a "meatier" soup. Total: $8.

Day 2 - Baby Back Ribs
Baby back ribs (which I like better than country ribs) are on sale again for $3.48/lb. You'll probably get at least 2.5 lbs in a package so this will be close to $8. Put 'em in the crock pot with your bbq sauce of choice (we make our own) and slow cook 'em all afternoon. A bag of slaw and some bakery bread would be enough to round out this meal for us. Total: +/- $10.

Day 3 - Roasted Chicken Legs
Roasted chicken legs are a favorite around here.  Grab a family size package of leg quarters ($0.78/lb) add salt & pepper and put them into a dutch oven. Bake uncovered at 375 for 45 minutes. In a small bowl melt 1/4c butter. Add to it 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) and 1t dried thyme. Mix well. Removed chicken from oven and turn. Throw in potatoes, onions and carrots  and pour the butter mix over it all. Bake another hour until its all done. You may need to add a little more s&p to taste. This is a Hatchett Family Favorite for under $5! Deli bread is good, but if Pilsbury is more your suite you can grab a can of biscuits for a dollar.

Day 4 - Taco/Pasta Night
I know you may get really tired of the same old change from tacos to pasta. But, we don't. My family could eat Mexican or Italian foods nearly every night of the week. This makes my week easier and hey, the cost is so fabulous you can't go wrong. If you have a better idea for a mid-week meal cheapie then please let me know. Otherwise we'll be doing the taco or pasta thing for about $5. 

Conclusion
Ribs are always a budget buster, but they are a yummy change from the ordinary. We're a lot closer to $40 than we normally are, but it'll be worth it. To eat cheaper make some more chicken noodle soup with the leg quarters or just toss an extra package or two in the freezer so we can eat on those another week. Have a wonderful week and don't forget to be an active participant in this lovely republic we call America - that means VOTE! ;o)

~Megan

4 Under $40 for 30 Sept 2012

Confession – I got a bit ambitious with my plans for this week. Now, my totals for the meals as I had planned is still only $47.55, but that is not less than 4 for $40 so I'm going to take a do-over and change the schedule. The ribs have to go. Though on sale, the $11.22/rack and sides was just more than this budget could handle.

Monday
Stay with the Shepherd's Pie today. It will be a super warming meal on this yucky, rainy day we've had. If you are still eating through the 10 lb bag of potatoes from 2 weeks ago you've brought your total even lower. If not, go for the 5# bag of golden potatoes for $2.50 and save the rest for an amazing Leek and Potato Soup next week.

Tuesday
My family loves chicken legs and though I don't love the way they taste I LOVE the way they are often priced. The $0.98/lb price is on the smaller packages so you'll probably need 2. And with this recipe you have a (nearly) 1 dish meal. (We leave mushrooms out of recipes around here so they were not included in my pricing.) If you have rice and cream of mushroom soup in your stash then you save money. If not, go for the Success Rice. At $1.78/box it's a steal and your rice will be finished and fluffy in under 10 minutes. Success Rice also makes a brown rice if you want to up the health/fiber factor. Laura Lynn Cream of . . . Soups are priced at $0.75 ea so stock up on these while you can.

Wednesday
!!Church!!

Thursday
Salmon and Thai Rice Noodles is tonight's dish. Now, if your family doesn't love Asian cuisine then you might want to use some of your extra ground beef and go for the Sloppy Joe's or Chili. Use what should be in your pantry from the last couple of weeks and you eat for the cost of a pound of beef only - $2.48lb this week! Otherwise here is a fabulously delicious and healthy recipe with extra veggies and it's one of my favorites –
Prepare 1 box of Thai Rice Noodles ($2.38) per box directions. Sprinkle with sesame oil so they won't be sticky and set aside.
In a small bowl wisk together 4T honey and 4T soy sauce. Put 1 lb salmon filet ($4.98) into dish with honey and soy sauce, flip to coat and let sit 5 min. Broil in an oiled baking dish for 6-7 min. Retain remaining sauce.
In a large skillet over med/high heat toast 2T sesame seeds until golden brown. (Watch closely!) Place into separate bowl. Into skillet place 2T coconut oil, 6 sliced green onions ($1), 2 chopped red bell peppers ($3) and 2 cups spinach ($2.84). Saute 3-4 min. Add noodles and remaining honey/soy sauce. Toss until heated through. Serve with salmon sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Like I said, this is a favorite and super yummy. Let me know what you think. Even if you don't go with the noodles and veggies the simple honey/soy sauce is great for a quick salmon broil.

Friday
Tonight, take advantage of the DiGiorno Advantage Deal and eat for $4.98. You can use some of the spinach you didn't use last night and serve the pizza with a salad or just eat the pizza alone. I noticed that Jell-O and Jell-O puddings are on sale for ($0.75) so grab a box and even have dessert.

 
Conclusion
While I am sorely disappointed about the ribs I'll be more careful next time. At only $7 over budget I was tempted to go for it anyway, but a $40 budget is a $40 budget. Besides, if you decide to do the salmon and need new pantry staples like Sesame Oil or Coconut Oil those will run you from about $6 to $9 per bottle/jar. Soy sauce is on sale in several different brands/sizes. $1.88 for 10 oz was the best deal I found. Don't miss out on the ground beef sale and buy extra before it goes back up to over $3/lb. (Ew.)
Below is the Grocery List. Enjoy!

 
~Megan

Meat	Per Lb Price	Quantity	Total
Ground Beef	$2.48	1#	$2.48
Salmon	$4.98	1#	$4.98
Chicken Legs	$0.98	3#	$2.94
Produce	Price	Quantity
Gold Potatoes	$2.50	5#	$2.50
Onions	$1.50	3#	$1.50
Green Onions	$1.00	2	$2.00
Red Bell Peppers	$3.00	2	$3.00
Fresh Express Spinach	$2.84	1	$2.84
Dairy	Price	Quantity
LL Sour Cream	$1.34	1	$1.33
LL Cheese	$1.67	2	$3.34
Freezer
DiGiorno Pizza	$4.48	1	$4.48
Grocery	Price	Quantity
DelMonte Green Beans	$0.70	1	$0.70
LL Cream of . . . Soup	$0.75	1	$0.75
Success Rice	$1.78	1	$1.78
Thai Rice Noodles	$2.38	1	$2.38
Kraft BBQ Sauce	$0.98	1	$0.98
Grand Total			$37.98

This week at Ingles . . .

Dinner time is a stressor for me. I find that as 4:30 rolls around around every day, I am in a panic, searching my kitchen for something "appropriate" to feed my family. If I am not prepared then I succumb to the delicacies of corn dogs and peanut butter sandwiches. In my effort to become more disciplined I am undertaking renovations of family dinner time. Now, I used to be a couponer, but since my coupon buddy went back to work full-time over a year ago, couponing has lost it's joy and become a burden for me. However, I am still a money-saving-mama and find that if I spend some quality time on Sunday night with the Ingles' sale paper I am in a great position to save money AND provide my family a much more healthy dinner than would otherwise be the case.

So, here's the Hatchett Family Meal Plan for this week:

Monday - Spaghetti 

You know how to do this. Shake it up by using pasta in a fun or different shape.
Barilla pasta = 4/$5
Classico Sauce = 2/$4
Fresh Express Salad = 2/$4
-without bread your total meal for a family of 4 or 5 is $5.25. That's barely a dollar per person!

Tuesday - Mexican Chicken 

Pop your chicken breasts in the your crock, cover them with the Rotel and cook until done. Just make sure you carefully remove the chicken when complete to make sure there are no small bones that come dislodged and remain in your chicken.
Bone-in-Breast = $0.98/lb or about $2.94 for 3 lbs.
Rotel Tomatoes = 10/$10
Zatarain's Rice (Spanish) = 10/$10
-before adding in tortillas this meal comes to $4.94!

Wednesday - 

Thank Goodness for Wednesday night meals at church. This is a blessing to Mom's everywhere. If your kiddos are not involved in a Wednesday night children's program then the mere fact that most serve dinner is reason enough to get them there!! One day I will write "An Ode to the Wednesday Night Meal." Thank you.

Thursday - Pork Chops

This one is the budget buster for the week, but in my house Thursday is usually the night I can go all-out in the kitchen. I try to do my Beloved a big favor and fix him something really nice. I'll most likely do this one in the crock as well. Dust chops with a mesquite seasoning and put into the crock. Add potatoes and onions and cook until done. Fresh veggies on the side and VOILA!
Chops = $2.98/lb or $8.94 for 3 lbs.
McCormick Seasoning Packets = 10/$10
Potatoes = 10 lbs for $2.98 is about $0.90 for this meal
Onions = $0.78 per lb and about $1.56 for this meal
Bird's Eye Steam Fresh Veggie = 5/$10
Total for this meal is $14.40. A bit more than I like to spend for the other meals during the week, but still a good sight less than what we'd get a heart-attack in a bag for elsewhere. And even though you can steam these veggies in the bag, I generally opt for a glass bowl in the microwave or a quick spin on the stove-top. Fewer creepy plastic parts sealed into my otherwise healthy veggies that way.

Friday - Football Night Manwich

My crew likes to go to the local high school football games (and pray) so I try to have something quick and easy to clean. Thankfully, my Beloved likes Manwich so this is a super easy choice for us.
Manwich = 10/$10
LL Pretzles = 10/$10
Grapes = $1.68/lb so about $3.36
Buns and ground beef were not listed in the paper this week so I'll have to price them in a bit, but thus far you're looking at $5.36. Choose a fruit other than grapes and you may be looking at less. Either way, this price still won't be near Thursday night's total.

If you go into Ingles with only this plan today, you'll spend less than $40 for 4 nights of food for your family. Not too shabby on the pocket book and you aren't slacking in the substance of meals here either. 

LUNCHES

I am looking at the Progresso 10/$10 soups and deli turkey on sale for $4.98/lb as likely lunch candidates this week along with left overs. With an extra bag of salad you can turn Tuesday's chicken into a spicy lunch salad for Wednesday. There are also good deals on cheese sticks and apples (both organic and non) to keep on hand for snack time.

OTHER
There are some GREAT 10/$10 deals at Ingles this week so also look at stocking up while there. I like to keep a stash of the McCormick seasoning packets for chili and pot roast and whatever else I see they are offering. (I love little helps that make my job easy.) My baseball players are always in need of sunflower seeds and at 10/$10 I'll be stocking up on those this week too. It's a good time to add extra spaghetti fixings to the pantry stash for a quick meal in another week or so. And I always look for the family deals in the meat department. It's often much cheaper to buy several pounds of ground beef or a big package of chicken legs (organic is on sale too and I will be buying to freeze until next week) than smaller servings. Better to divide and freeze than spend your extra money on something as unexciting as dead animals. ;o)

Have a Wonderful Week!
Megan
*Follow the Ingles link to their weekly sale page and make/print your list from there.

UPDATE: Including the $11 worth of ground beef, my meal total this week was $40.95 (including tax - even though I'm still not sure how grocery tax works). That just leaves one problem - the other $100 I spent NOT on meals for this week! How on earth did that happen?!?! LOL The story of my life.