Ingles 4 Under $40

I love how 4 Under $40 just comes together every week. The more I practice making reasonable, mostly healthy inexpensive food choices for my family from only the sale papers, the easier the job becomes! And you are going to be SHOCKED when you see how "little" you can eat well on!

Monday – Nachos $11.48

Brown and season ground beef according to seasoning packet directions. Assemble nachos however your little heart desires. We like ours with salsa and lettuce and sour cream.

NOTE: If you want the LL Stadium Style or Salsa con Queso cheese then it comes in a nice, neat jar. A healthier option is to buy the big bag of LL Shredded Cheddar cheese on sale and use it here and later in the week (and you’ll still have plenty left over!). You can also trade out regular LL Sour Cream for LL Plain Yogurt. You get the same effect, but a bit less fat and better stuff for your tummy.

Tuesday – Kielbasa Roast $5.21

I listed this recipe several weeks ago and had never before tried it. Turns out it was super-yummy and a great alternative to the more expensive beef roast.

Cube potatoes (6 or 7) & Kielbasa sausage. Chop carrots (recipe calls for 4, but these are a fav, so I usually use the whole pound) and quarter 2 medium onions. Place into a greased 9x13in baking dish. Season with salt & pepper as desired. Cover tightly with foil and bake 1 hour at 400 degrees.

Wednesday – Church 

Thursday – Chicken Pot Pie $5.24

There are a million different ways to do chicken pot pie. I prefer my MaMac’s, but the Ingles’ paper had this recipe listed. I like to top mine with “whop” biscuits (from a can), but you can spring for the Bisquick if you’ll use it for other things. ( I think it’s kind of a budget buster for this one meal.) I listed 3 different chicken options depending on your time and how much effort you want to put forth pre-cooking the chicken. And also swapping the frozen veggies for a can of Vegall is an option if you already have that on your shelf.

Mix 1c chicken, frozen veggies and 1 can (regular) cream of chicken soup. Place into well-greased 2-qt baking dish. Mix 1c of Bisquick with 1/2c milk and 1 egg. Top chicken mixture with Bisquick mixture or flattened canned biscuits. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min until golden brown. Vary baking time as needed for canned biscuits.

Friday – Quiche $7.88

I know, quiche sounds terrible. But, it’s really not! AND it’s a great way to incorporate lots of fun veggies into a healthy dinner. I will definitely be adding red peppers since they’re on sale. You can add or subtract whatever else you think your crew might eat. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain frozen spinach well and press dry between paper towels. Brown LL Sausage and diced onion. Drain and set aside. If you decide to use fresh spinach cook it well at this point. Lay crust over pie or quiche dish and poke hole in the bottom of crust with a fork. Prebake for 10 minutes. In separate bowl mix 4 eggs, cheeses (3/4c shredded cheddar and 3oz cream cheese), sausage and onions. Pour into finished crust and bake 30 minutes. Now, the recipe I have says remove and stir gently with a fork after 30 min to ensure even baking - just don't stir the crust. (News to me.) But, if you do that, bake it 10+/- more minutes for a total of about 40 minutes – until golden brown.

How does 4 UNDER $30 suit you?!?!?

~Megan

Nachos		11.48
Ground Beef	2.98lb	2.98
LL Taco Seasoning	3/$2	0.67
LL Tortilla Chips	3/$5	1.67
LL Salsa con Queso		2.38*
LL Cheddar Cheese	2#/$6.48	.5#/1.62
LL Salsa (16oz)		1.98*
Lettuce		1.58
LL Sour Cream (8oz)		0.98
LL Yogurt (Plain 32oz)		1.98*
Kielbasa Roast		5.21
Smithfield Kielbasa	2/$5	2.50
Idaho Potatoes	5#/$1.98	0.80
Carrots	.98lb	0.98
Yellow Onions	.98lb	0.93
Chicken Pot Pie		5.24
Tyson Trimmed & Ready Breasts	2.98#	2.98*
Harvest Farms Bone-in Breasts	1.98#	1.98
Hormel Canned Chicken	2/$5	5*
LL Frozen Mixed Veggies (16oz)	32oz/$3	1.50
Vegall Canned Veggies (29oz)		2.08*
LL Cream Of Chicken Soup (reg)		1.08
Bisquick	3.28/box	*
LL Canned Biscuits	2.08/4-pack	0.52
milk	1/2 cup
egg	1	.21(6ct)* or .16(doz)
Quiche		7.88
LL Frozen Pie Crust	1.98 (2ct)	0.99
Onion	.98#	0.47
LL Sausage	2/$5	2.50
LL Frozen Chopped Spinach		0.98
LL 3oz Cream Cheese	8oz/1.84	0.69
LL Shredded Cheddar Cheese	2#/$6.48	1.62
eggs	4	.83(6ct)* or .63(doz)
*indicates NOT added into meal total
	Grand Total:	29.81

The Most Disturbing Verse in Scripture

The Most Disturbing Verse in Scripture

I'm sure most of you have been there at least once. You're up early reading your Bible and hoping God has something to reveal to you about himself, and you run across that verse. You know the one: Man, how did that get there? Surely God doesn't mean that? Yep, I've had those moments and I've wrestled and thought and prayed and fought in an attempt to better understand a God who does not do the understandable.

But this week's not-so-fun verse reared its head in Sunday School. This preacher's wife was doing what she's supposed to do, filling the seat she's supposed to fill, adding witty and poignant remarks to the biblical conversation (ha) and Romans chapter 9 verse 3 shows up:

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers,my kinsmen according to the flesh.

Um, excuse me? You have GOT to be kidding. Now I am well aware of John 15's verse, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." And I even kind of get that. That sacrifice might even be relatively easy considering that there is Heaven to gain the moment this life is complete. I could come up with a list of people, of friends, for whom this sacrifice would be no question - My Beloved, my babies, family - the list can go on. But do not miss the fact that Paul is not repeating John 15:13. Oh no, he is going further. Frankly, he is going way further than I am comfortable even desiring to understand.

Suddenly I'm sitting in Sunday School losing my composure. Tears are falling and I'm trying desperately to hold myself together. I'm overwhelmed alright, but I'm overwhelmed withanger. I mean, WHO DOES THIS? What kind of bizarre-o freak is writing these words? What born again child of the Most High loves anyone with this kind of love? Sure, I know some good people, but this is not even in the ballpark of good. Yeah, Jesus can do this. In fact he did do this. He gave himself for vile, wicked people who did not even want him. But, He is GOD. I know NO ONE who loves like this. Does this disturbing verse mean that He desires I become so much like him I am willing to agonize for all of Tallapoosa (or America or the World) to the point I'm willing to sacrifice my very salvation? Paul is wishing himself an anathema - willing to lose his salvation and spend eternity subjected to God's wrath - so the entirety of the Jewish nation would come to know Christ. And oh yeah, check out verses one and two, he really means this.

Here I am 36 hours later and my heart is still restless and aching. If this is the kind of love that is required of those who follow Jesus then I am just not sure I am up to the challenge. You see, I like my life the way it is. I don't even mind not liking the people who don't like me. But, God has called me to a love that hurts. I don't want to hurt. I want to live a happy, pain-free existence. But God has called me to death. Period. And killing self on a daily and even moment by moment basis is not what I thought I signed up for. I would much rather quote Sunday School clichés like, "God First. Others Second. Self Last." live my best life now and be done with the whole thing. But that won't help me really BE like Christ. I said a few weeks ago that "Blessed are the meek" doesn't come without scars, but really Blessedness itself is what brings the wounds and the pain and the tears.

All in all I trust the One True God to reveal himself to me and show me where to find peace amid this aching. I serve a God who is big enough to take my fear of pain and grow that puny seed into more faith. I am trusting Him to continue to show me what it means to follow him - especially the parts I don't like. Because the truth is, the parts that are appealing are more like me and less like Him and probably need to be changed anyway. Oh I am disturbed - desperately - and I don't know how this tale ends. But if God is worth serving then He is worth serving on His terms alone. And am I willing to risk this life I have always wanted for the life He desires to give?

Morning Reflections

Yesterday I was buying soup. You know, the great deal Ingles had on those giant cans of "Cream of  . . . " soup. Yeah, I forgot to grab them the first time so I ran back into the store. At the checkout in a hurry and distracted the girl says, "I just have to say that you are beautiful." Huh? I take a quick right and left look and realize with a strange look on my face that she's speaking to me! "I mean, I love your hair and all. It's so beautiful. Well, I'm just saying I think you're beautiful."

My word. I think this gal has lost her mind and I know you don't tip cashiers. Right? I utter a confused "Thank you," and get back to my more important business of the day. I ignore it and move on.

Last night at church I receive another sincere compliment from a very dear friend. This one makes me grin, but, just like before I ignore it and move on.

When I relay to The Preacher what had happened earlier in the day he responds appropriately and I reply with sarcasm, "It's a good thing that y'all drink the same water." And I ignore his compliment and move on.

This morning I get this text:

I do think you're beautiful . . . even fresh out of the bed in your robe.

What more can I do? I am humbled and reply:

thank you. <3

I could not move on. Because in that moment God revealed something to me, something BIG. Something me, and Ann Voskamp, and a hundred-thousand other ladies in the western world are trying to understand and comprehend and internalize . . .

It's not being beautiful that makes you loved. It's being truly loved that makes you beautiful.

Simple.

Hard.

We settle so often for counterfeits that we can't know or believe the real thing when it comes along. I wish I'd known and I would have shared the secret with the Ingles checkout girl. Today, I will share the secret with myself again and again and again.

The money and the clothes and the makeup and the gym and the education - they don't work.

It's not a what that makes you beautiful. It's a WHO.

It's a HIM.

4 Under $40

Can I tell you a secret before we get started today? I'm getting really hooked on this 4 Under $40 stuff. I love it. In fact, after shopping this morning my family went to lunch at a local restaurant. The total for our meal was nearly what I can feed this crew for in a week! Yep, almost $40 . . . for lunch! So, I'm extra glad that I can look at this plan today and make up for my momentary lapse of sanity this early in the month. Here's to home cooked meals for the rest of the month. (Insert clapping and cheering here.)

Monday - Chicken Enchiladas

Easy peasy one-dish meal that makes all my crew happy. This replaces "Taco Tuesday," but when I buy something like a deli chicken I prefer to use it early in the week.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Debone rotisserie chicken, shred and place about 31/2 cups into large bowl (store remaining chicken for another meal). Add 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend. 1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained. 1 can corn, drained. 1 can black beans, drained. 1/2 can enchilada sauce. (From here you can add or subtract whatever you want, if you like it hotter, add more chilies. Want more veggies? Put them in here. Just finish per your family's taste.) Spoon about 1/2 c chicken mixture into each tortilla, roll, and place into lightly greased baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and 1 c cheese. Bake covered for 20 min and uncovered for 10 min or until cheese nice and melted and browning.

FYI - when comparing the nutritional facts of "Flour Tortillas" to the "Whole Wheat" variety, the flour tends to be as healthy so don't feel the need to splurge to make these "better" for your fam. Just add more veggies into the mix!

Tuesday - Breakfast for Dinner

The Butterball Turkey Links just looked so yummy in the poultry cooler I couldn't resist. I grabbed them and box of just add water pancake mix. (If it makes you feel better I did grab the box of "Wheat Blend." lol) Of course, you can go the "Add milk, and egg, and oil" route, too, but why go to all the trouble?!? The fact is that we love pancakes and I'm not so great at getting up and making it every morning. So, when I can make it for dinner, my crew is still happy and satisfied with cereal in the am! 

Butterball Turkey Links - pan fried

Eggs - cooked to your preference (the fam likes scrambled, I'm an "over well" gal myself)

Pancakes - per box directions or you can find a basic, homemade recipe here. But the box is what's included in this week's totals.

Wednesday - Church

Thursday - Croissant Chicken

Yes, I totally realize that I have royally messed up . . . unless, of course, your family only prefers chicken an doesn't like to eat red meat or pork or anything else. Yes, It's a chicken week here at 4 Under $40, but I do apologize and, like I tell my kiddos, you get what you get and you don't pitch a fit. I'll do better next week!

Boil your split breasts (I like to get them all done and put the extra in the fridge/freezer for later. You only need 3 for this meal - they are HUGE) and remove from bones. Retain 1/2c broth for this meal and 4c for tomorrow. (If there's more keep that too.) Cut each breast into halves or thirds and roll into crescent roll. Place into lightly greased baking dish (9x13"). In medium saucepan melt 1/2 stick (4T) butter. Add soup, 1/2c milk, and broth. Mix well adding cheese (1c) when well combined. Stir until melted. Pour mixture over chicken and bake 35min. Serve over rice. I also like to add a side of broccoli. 

Friday - Leek and Potato Soup

It's been a few weeks since I recommended this dish for a few reasons. #1 - I've been blender-less since the summer and became the proud owner of a NINJA (kitchen system - he he) over Christmas. #2 - leeks have been a bit scarce in the produce dept, but I found them today so here you have it! Besides, we're due for a vegetarian dinner anyway.

Here is the recipe from an earlier post.

BONUS: Before I post the final list let me add one more thing. It's looking like the Grand Total is $36.94. For an extra meal that will barely put you over $40 add one of the DiGiorno Pizza & Sides for $5.98. It's a full meal for just under $6 allowing you to get 5 meals for $42.92. Not too shabby!

~Meg

Monday		13.48
Rotisserie Chicken		4.99
8in Burito		2.18
Borden Mexican Blend Cheese	2/$4	2	1
La Preferida Enchilada Sauce		1.51	2
LL Diced Tomatoes with Chiles	5/$3	1.20	2
LL Corn		.80(+/-)
Bush's Black Beans	5/$4	0.80	1
Tuesday		6.97
LL Eggs	1.88/doz	0.94	6
Hungry Jack Pan Cake Mix		3.28
Butterball Turkey Sausage Links		2.75
Thursday		8.79
Tyson Split Breast Chicken	.98/lb	1.96	2 lb
Immaculate Crescent Roll		1.50
Borden Shredded Cheddar Cheese	2/$4	2	1 cup
LL Cream of Chicken Soup		1.08	1
LL Rice		1(+/-)
Green Giant Box Veggies	8/$10	1.25	1
Friday		7.70
Leeks	1.98/bunch	1.98
Onion	1.28/lb	0.69	1
Garlic	4/$1	0.25	1
Yukon Gold Potatoes	5#	3.98	3#
Bush's Great Northern Beans	5/$4	0.80	1
Borden Shredded Cheddar Cheese			1/2 c
	Grand Total:	$36.94