#and the soup i wanted was only 1.99 instead of 2 something | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

benjamingarden · 4 years ago

Text

Monthly Meal Plan + Grocery Haul: January 2021

The new year has finally arrived! I'm not sure what grocery shopping looks like in your neck of the woods now that there's yet another rise in COVID cases, but it's actually not too bad in ours. For the most part you can select curbside pick-up or delivery if you desire. And lately I desire.

The photo above and info below outline our monthly grocery shopping. We will need a few additional items: milk comes from our farmers market as does coffee for Jay (probably another $20.00 total for the month), and I may get some fresh greens in another 1-2 weeks (less then $10.00).

Our groceries for January came from BJ's and Healthy Living, a local health food store. Typically we would also do a Hannaford order or a trip to the commissary, however, we are really well stocked on pantry and freezer items. You'll notice there is no meat purchased. Our freezers are fairly well stocked and we will actually be bartering with a farmer friend - our products for some of his chicken and pork, this weekend. We are finally (FINALLY) getting eggs from the Coop Girls, and as you know, we put up a lot of veggies in the freezer from the summer garden.

I don't plan on returning to Healthy Living until March so I stocked up with that in mind. We will probably place another BJ's order mid February-ish.

The total spent for January is anticipated to be $439.41 or just over $100.00/week.

$269.41 (groceries already purchased) + $140.00 (bartered meat) + $30.00 (coffee, milk & greens anticipated to purchase throughout the month) = $439.41. Our January purchases are partly for January and partly for the months to come.

Healthy Living - $174.84 (almost half of this amount is from 2 items....the dandy blend and the goji berries)

BJ's - $94.57

More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Our Groceries:

Healthy Living:

The Dandy Blend Herbal Coffee Alternative is AMAZINGLY good. I absolutely love it for iced or hot "coffee". It's kind of expensive and a bit of a splurge. I purchased 2 bags which will last me through April or so. The 14 oz bags cost $22.49 each. I've looked on Amazon and they sell a slightly smaller (11 oz) bag for around the same price so this seems to be the best deal.

The Goji Berries are added to a trail mix (we already have the other ingredients on hand) for Jay that he eats daily. Macular degeneration runs in his family and goji berries have been shown to help prevent this. Plus they are high in antioxidants so we decided it was worth it regardless of whether or not it works to prevent M.D.. These bags are 8 ounces and $12.49 each. I should have bought them at Amazon because I'm pretty sure I could have gotten them cheaper. I'll research it and purchase them there going forward if it makes sense to do so. The 2 bags should last him just about 2 months.

I know there are cheaper dairy alternatives then Oatly ($4.99/carton) but I really love Oatly. I prefer the lowfat version but they were out of everything except for these 4 cartons.

We bought 12 pounds of mixed yukon & red potatoes ($1.99/lb) and 5 pounds of sweet potatoes (I splurged and bought my FAVORITE Japanese Sweet Potatoes at $2.99/lb - I call them "cake sweet potatoes" because they are soooo sweet). Oliver and I are on the last of the sweet potatoes that we harvested and stored in the fall. I can't believe they are almost gone!!! We go through a moderate amount of potatoes and only purchase them organic, and the absolute best ones we've found are at Healthy Living. This is easily a 2 month supply of each.

I have a few apples and mandarin oranges left for fruit but Jay prefers grapes so I bought a bag of grapes ($2.99/lb) and I treated myself to a couple of grapefruit ($1.49/lb). I typically try to only buy fruit that is $1.99 or less per pound (exception being the frozen berries & cherries), but that definitely didn't happen this month.

Que Pasa is our new favorite brand of tortilla chips. They are organic, non-GMO, and reduced sodium. We very rarely have chips but when we do it's tortilla for the win. They were on sale (although I'm wondering if this is a permanent sale because they were on the same sale a few months ago when I last bought them...) at $2.99/bag.

I usually make my own bread and tortillas but I like to have a bit of each in the freezer just in case. I've used up my freezer stash of both so I purchased a loaf of Dave's bread and a pack of limited ingredient corn tortillas and whole wheat flour tortillas for the freezer.

BJ's:

Not shown in the photo, we also bought a bag of frozen organic sweet cherries and a bag of frozen organic blueberries (3 lb bags for $13.99/ea.). We have 2 bags of each in the freezer already. We each eat a 1/2 cup of a mix of the two every single day so we should be good for a couple months. I also bought Kiwi (3 lbs for $6.49) as yet another splurge because we haven't had them in forever and one bunch of organic bananas (2 lbs for $1.59). We've found that our very favorite bananas are organic Chiquita. They seem to be the creamiest. I have no idea why, but the non-organic Chiquita's and other brands organic and non-organic just aren't the same. Strange....

I keep riced cauliflower on hand in the freezer because it's one of the cheapest ways to buy cauliflower off season. (I roast it from frozen in the oven to use as a veggie side) I wanted to make some buffalo cauliflower though for veggie tacos, and I need pieces instead of having it riced so I bought a bag (2 lbs for $4.29). Jay likes cooked cauliflower with cheese sauce so he'll have that as a side a few times too.

We eat a lot of mushrooms and BJ's seems to have the best price on them so I bought 2 which will get us through a few weeks. (24 oz containers for $4.99/ea.)

Pom Juice was a special request by the husband. We don't usually buy juice but he requested it last month for the first time in a long time and has been enjoying it. (48oz bottle $8.99) I'm running low on frozen peas and frozen corn and BJ's carries the organic at a reasonable cost (each is 4 lbs for $6.99) so I stocked up. I'm low on carrots too and their price isn't bad (5 lbs organic for $3.99). Also not shown is a 3-pack of frozen pizza. We keep a couple vegan frozen pizzas and a couple meat/cheese frozen pizzas on hand all of the time for the days we need something quick. We still have 2 of the vegan so we just stocked up on the meat version (3 pack DiGiornio $13.99).

January's Meal Plan

My goal was to start posting our meal plans again, per request from many of you, but to also add photos of some of the meals this time around. Unfortunately, I have yet to get in the habit of photographing dinner before it's served. I hope to add this to the posts as I remember.

A Note About Our Meal Plans

I create monthly meal plans because it's what I've found to be easiest for me. There may be some change but usually not much. Changing works because I rotate the same 30+ meals so we would use the ingredients at some point over the next 30-45 days. If we have perishables that need to be used up then that becomes priority and I may make changes to avoid food waste.

I usually make 2 separate meals - Jay and I eat completely different at this point. He used to be willing to eat what I eat as his side but not so much anymore. He's not a fan of whole grains and can only tolerate one type of veggie per meal. So.....you can see that I tend to eat the same thing multiple nights because it's easy and I don't mind at all. Where there's only one meal noted, I make a meat & cheese version for him and a vegan version for me. Where there's no veggie side noted for him I use whatever I've got that needs using up or I select a frozen veggie.

You will notice that for Jays meals there are a few noticeable rotations.

In general, chicken meals are Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Pork is Tuesdays. And Beef is Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. This is in part due to the fact that he tells me it's illegal to serve chicken 2 days in a row. (insert eye roll)

Also, other then the occasional new recipe that I try, his meals rotate about every month and a half (a different rotation will show up for summer).

Our Sundays rotate around the same 5 meals (Tamales, Tacos, Homemade Pizza, Pot Roast, and Meatballs) because it's our farmers market day which means I want something super simple to make. I do not make the tamales, we love those by Tucson Tamale (not an affiliate link). Around us we can find a small variety at Healthy Living. Tucson Tamale offers meat, vegetarian, and vegan varieties and they are sooooo delicious. They do use oil in all of their tamales so if you are completely oil-free this is unfortunately not an option for you.

Recipe Links:

If I have posted the recipe or use a recipe posted by someone else this month then I will link to it below. If there's a meal you'd like to see the recipe for let me know!

Quick & Easy Chicken Parm

Homemade Pizza - this is the pizza dough recipe we use

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta (Budget Bytes)

Apple & Stuffing Stuffed Pork Chops (Betty Crocker)

Oven-Baked BBQ Pork Ribs

Hamburger Potato Casserole (You Tube - The Hillbilly Kitchen)

Chicken Pot Pie Muffins (You Tube - The Hillbilly Kitchen) *I used this as a guide - I use my pie crust recipe and my pot pie recipe and bake it as muffins as shown in the vlog)

Honey Mustard Chicken (Bowl Of Delicious)

Bourbon Dijon Ham Steak (Martha Stewart - is delicious without the bourbon as well)

Mac & Cheese

Easy Weeknight Chicken Cordon Bleu

Scallops Gratin (Food Network - Ina Garten) - I use this recipe without the alcohol

Slow-Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

Veggie Stew with Black Pepper Biscuits (vegan) (Vegan Richa)

Split Pea Soup (Vegan) (Simple Veganista)

What about you? Do you have favorite meals that you rotate? Do you have to cook multiple meals for different eaters?

Monthly Meal Plan + Grocery Haul: January 2021 was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

0 notes

tyleroakley-obsessed · 6 years ago

Quote

Ed. Note: If you’re looking for healthy food in Memphis, contributor Stacey has started a list of places to eat healthy, with a focus on salads that aren’t boring, that are filling, and most importantly, delicious. This isn’t everywhere to get a great salad, of course. If you have favorites, please put them in the comments! I like to think of salads as nachos made with lettuce instead of chips. Doesn’t that sound nice? But really, I could – and should — eat a salad every day, and I almost always end up wracking my brain trying to remember who has a good one. Now I’ve made this lovely list of my tried-and-true go-to salads, so all of us to can refer to it as needed. Chicken Salad Salad at Edge Alley Edge Alley is one of my favorite places to get a salad. They have several good ones to choose from, they have awesome window seating and best of all, I get to have a second coffee of the day. (Carbonated cold brew FTW.) I really like the Shrimp Cobb (below) but lately the Chicken Salad Salad ($8) has been my go to. It’s a tad heartier and has great flavor. All of the salads are made with arugula so they don’t feel massive. Made with local chicken, mango, peanuts, tomato, onion, and radish, the Chicken Salad Salad is a winner. Also very important to note: You can add bacon, avocado and/or a fried egg to anything for $2 each. Read more about Edge Alley here. Gaspacho Salad at Maciel’s Look, I know it’s hard to bypass the taco menu at Maciel’s, but they have what is probably my very most favorite salad ever – the Gaspacho Salad ($7.75!!!). I really don’t understand the name as it has nothing to do with cold tomato soup, so just put that out of your mind. It’s a heaping portion of grilled steak, diced mango, chopped cilantro, tomatoes, onion, sliced avocado and shredded lettuce. It’s served with chipotle dressing and you can spice it up with one of the other house made sauces if you like. Ok, sure, the shredded lettuce is not providing the highest nutritional content a salad has ever offered, but it’s not a fried tortilla, right? And yes, the other salads at Maciel’s are pretty freaking good too. Read more about Maciel’s here. The Memphis Cobb at Carolina Watershed Pulled pork on a salad? Yes, please. According to the menu, the Memphis Cobb ($12.50) includes a nice serving of pulled pork, Carolina Watershed smoked applewood bacon, blue cheese crumbles, roasted cherry tomatoes, sweet onions and avocado. Our version also featured grilled corn, pickled onions, a hardboiled egg and a nice toast…your mileage may vary. Still a very solid choice. Be the Chef at Cheffie’s For those of you who like your salad the way you like it, then Cheffie’s is for you. (They have several signature salads to choose from if you don’t want to do the hard work of deciding too.) For $9.95 you can create your own masterpiece from a choice of greens (romaine, baby spinach, kale, or mixed greens), proteins (chicken, turkey, ham, roast beef, pimento cheese, tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad), and more cheeses, fruit & veggie toppings, crunchies and dressings than I can list here. A basic bowl comes with one of everything, except toppings—you can choose up to four of those. There’s a small charge for double meat and any extras if you do not want to be constrained by any rules. The key at Cheffie’s, no matter what you get, is to let them CHOP IT ALL UP for you. It’s just somehow better that way. Shawerma Salad at Casablanca The Shawerma Salad ($10) is another one of my very most favorite salads, and I am amazed every time when I order it because it means I had the willpower to forgo the delicious falafel, hummus and pita. I do not pass up the tea though. I’m not completely crazy! Now, I do need to state for the record that there are two ways to get the Shawerma Salad. One is to just order it off the menu. The other way is to order a small Greek Salad ($5) and add lamb ($7). What’s the difference? The latter option gets you feta cheese and banana peppers. Both are key in my opinion and only the Greek has them. Lettuce, tomato, onion, black olives and cucumbers are on both. There’s also more meat options if you go with the Greek. It can be complicated, if you want it to be. Ha! Grille 901 (http://bit.ly/2F5fXSH) also has a fairly good approximation of this for $8.98 ($5.99 Greek Salad plus $1.99 for lamb) if you want a grab and go option, or something a little more casual. Get in the Chopper at City Silo Table + Pantry I want to eat EVERYTHING at City Silo. I love it so much. I wish it was in Midtown or Downtown. The Buffalo Tempeh and Sesame Cauliflower Bowl is my boyfriend, but sometimes I cheat on him with a salad. The Get in the Chopper ($11) is the most popular, and yes, it’s all chopped up and easy to eat. It features arugula, quinoa, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, roasted pepitas, raisins, balsamic, pink salt, parmesan (if you want) and comes with cashew basil aioli. I add tempeh ($1.50), because where else can you add tempeh? You can also add avocado, egg, and/or chicken. Live it up! Memphis Belle at Tamp & Tap Tamp & Tap has overhauled their menu to give it a fresher, healthier feel. There are several new salads and The Memphis Belle ($9) makes a great lunch. The base is fresh spinach and the toppings are top notch –strawberries, feta, pickled onions, candied pecans, HALF an avocado, and in this case, grilled chicken (add $2). The chicken was served warm and gave the whole salad a really nourishing feel. The balsamic vinaigrette was the perfect final note. This seemingly simple salad will surprise you. This is also another great spot to sneak in a second coffee. Read more about Tamp & Tap. Beef Salad at Bhan Thai The Beef Salad ($11.25) at Bhan Thai hits all of the right notes and lights up your mouth. Tender filets of beef are doused in a spicy mixture of lime, onions, and roasted chili pepper sauce; garnished with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers; and served atop a bed of fresh greens. Simple and delicious and you don’t miss having rice. Read more about Bhan Thai. Portabella Salad at Central Barbecue For some it may seem blasphemous to go to Central and not get barbecue, but the salads at Central are worth a trip of their own, and they also provide an option for any vegetarians visiting Memphis who want to experience this local favorite restaurant. Central’s salads all build off of the basic House Salad ($5.25) which is romaine lettuce, carrots & red cabbage, served in a sun-dried tomato-basil tortilla bowl, topped with shredded colby-jack, tomatoes & pepperoncini peppers. If you want to add meat, it’s called a BBQ Chef Salad ($9.99). And if you want to add a portabella, and trust me, you do, it’s simply called the Portabella Salad ($7.35). Central grills the 7-8″ portabella mushrooms and marinates them in balsamic vinegar, olive oil & spices and makes them taste SO good. Grilled Salmon Nicoise at Majestic Grill If you are looking for a salad to fill you up, then the Grilled Salmon Nicoise ($11) is the ticket. A really nice serving of perfectly cooked salmon rests on a bed of greens and is surrounded by an amazing supporting cast – a hardboiled egg, artichoke hearts, black olives, green beans and tomatoes. Not surprisingly, this is one of many fine salads on the menu. You could spend a work week trying them all – the Majestic Cobb, The Seared Tuna, The Chophouse Salad, and The Old Post Office Waldorf are all just as worthy of their own starring role. Shrimp Salad at The Cove For a dive bar that specializes in oysters, the Cove has a pretty nice selection of salads. There’s the Classic Caesar, the Mermaid (a wedge), the Port (featuring a portabella mushroom) and my pick, the Shrimp Salad ($12). It’s basic, but the five large seasoned grilled shrimp are flavorful and not too filling. Placed atop romaine lettuce and decorated with grape tomatoes, goat cheese and purple onion, the whole thing is lightly tossed with house made garlic lemon vinaigrette and topped with croutons. Goes great with a nice can of Wiseacre or one of their signature cocktails. And gives you a great excuse (“You had a healthy dinner”) to order Not Wings or Stoner Pie later in the evening! Field Trip Greens at Lunchbox Eats I’m not going to lie. The Field Trip Greens Salad ($10) with avocado ($4) and fried tenders ($4) may be the most expensive salad I’ve ever eaten ($18). And, I’m hoping I went on a day that they accidentally only put the teeniest amount of chicken tenders on my salad (accident?) But, having said that, this salad has good bones. There are homemade pickles, a tasty corn muffin, grilled corn, roasted peppers, and fun crunchies. I say no avocado is worth $4, but advocate for a nice serving of tenders and absolutely get a giant tumbler of lemonade. Made fresh each day, it’ll put a smile on your face no matter what happens to your salad! Holly here. Stacey and I had a few more we wanted to add in… Make Your Own Salad at Pyro’s Pyro’s is a local chain that is all about fast and affordable. Most people know them for their fast pizzas that you build yourself by choosing proteins, veggies, and other toppings. But, I actually love them for their salads, which are similarly constructed to order. It it my number one go-to when I’m in a hurry and need something filling and healthy. I get a large salad topped with shredded Cajun chicken, marinated zucchini and peppers, sliced almonds, feta, broccoli, and poppy seed dressing on the side. (The photo here is a slightly different version, also Pyro’s bread is now served in little rolls rather than like what’s pictured.) Mama’s Real Greek Salad at Rendezvous Another salad from a barbecue restaurant?! Yep, I’m going to tell you the truth: the Greek salad from the Rendezvous is underrated. It’s colorful and fresh, with cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, olives, red onions, pepperoncinis, and feta, all tossed in some kind of magical Greek-seasoned vinaigrette. I’d eat it by itself, or with a side of brisket. Build Your Own Salad at Wild Beet Salad Co. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wild Beet Salad Company (@wildbeetsaladco) on Dec 8, 2017 at 9:35am PST Wild Beet (originally known as Lettuce Eat) is a make-your-own salad place where you go down the line and have the attendants build you a delicious meal with the ingredients that you choose. They have a huge selection of options for proteins, including shrimp, quinoa, chicken, turkey, and more, plus just about every vegetable or other topping you can think of. Plus, this one from McEwen’s: View this post on Instagram Late lunch … but a good one! Jungle of Greens Salad with Seared Salmon at @mcewensmemphis ! One of my fav salads in town. #lunch #salad #wearememphisfood #salmon #eatseafood2xwk #healthy #yum A post shared by Jennifer Chandler (@cookwjennifer) on Dec 3, 2018 at 12:24pm PST Got more salads to add? Leave ’em in the comments. About The Author Stacey Greenberg is a freelance writer who lives in Cooper Young with her two teenaged sons. She’s a contributor to Thrillist.com, Edible Memphis, I Love Memphis, and Memphis Travel. She’s also the author of the award winning blog, Dining with Monkeys (diningwithmonkeys.com). A lifelong Memphian, she loves the fact that she’s never met a stranger here. Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout http://bit.ly/1B5z3Pc

http://ilovememphisblog.com/2019/01/go-green-guide-to-the-best-salads-in-memphis/

#I Love Memphis

0 notes

planthiseatthat · 7 years ago

Text

How Do I Pick My Meals?

I am a person who loves to cook and is absolutely crazy for food. There are lots of people in this world who hate cooking, and there are also people in this world who only eat for sustenance; food just isn’t their jam (pun 10000% intended). That’s a perfectly fine experience, it just happens not to be mine. I am constantly thinking about my next meal with great anticipation. For me, this is all part of the fun and enjoyment, which is why the system works for me. Your mileage will vary! No judgement!

My own personal guidance system, listed in no particular order...

What part of the production process is this?

I read an article in the New York Times Health section a couple of years ago about the effect that eating within a 12-hour window has on the metabolism, and after some obviously-not-very-scientific experimentation, discovered that it really works for me when it comes to maintaining or losing weight, and inversely, can really directly contribute to my own weight gain. As with everything, this may not be true for you. Don’t @me with your well-actuallys... do what feels right for you.

When I’m in rehearsal mode, I am up at 6:45am, out the door at 8:15am, at the rehearsal studio by 9am, breaking for lunch at ~2pm, leaving the studio by 7pm, and home by 8pm. If I eat breakfast at 7:30am, that means a couple of things... I will have to go probably 6½ hours between full meals, and I will automatically be breaking my own 12-hour window rule by eating dinner after I get home. This means that I’m going to plan for a protein-heavy breakfast, a substantial morning snack, a delicious lunch that will be the heaviest meal I’ll eat all day, a quality afternoon snack, and a very, very, very light dinner; I can’t go to bed with an empty stomach, so I’ll prepare something with high-impact flavor and texture but a low calorie/sugar count.

When I’m in 10-out-of-12 mode, I am usually up before dawn, home after midnight, and on my feet for most of the day, so all caloric and 12-hour window bets are off, but I try to focus on big flavors, filling food with a high protein content. I do also try to stop eating by 9pm because otherwise sleep can be elusive, no matter how tired I may be. I’ll be eating breakfast at home, but snacks, lunch, and dinner are all at the theater.

When I’m in show mode, I can sleep 'til 9:30am on a matinee or rehearsal day, and not set an alarm on a one evening show day! I’m out the door at 11 or 11:30am depending on my call time for the former, and sometime between 4-5:30pm depending on my call time for the latter. So it’s sometimes lunch and dinner at the theater, sometimes just lunch, and sometimes just dinner. No matter what, I'm able to cook a fresh hot breakfast once I’m in show mode, and I may not need to pre-prepare any snacks. I try to make a dinner that can be eaten early-ish and sustain me late so that I can avoid snacking when I get home sometime between 11:30pm and midnight. (But, in all honesty, I usually snack when I get home.)

I’m lactose intolerant!

Fun fact: lactose-intolerance can look like many things. To get graphic for a minute: it gives me the most painful diarrhea imaginable (I say this having had salmonella). But it could be worse, because I’m also the kind of lactose intolerant person that has a decent-ish lactose limit, so I can handle hard cheeses, certain processed ricottas, certain yogurts, commercially-produced ice cream, and so on. I cook with Lactaid products, but I don't depend on the pills because it feels too risky. I know what brand and style of sour cream works with my tummy chemistry. I eat soft cheeses in the comfort and privacy of my own home. Etc. The last thing I need is a digestive emergency at work; believe me... it has happened, it was mortifying, and it still haunts me.

Vitamins, minerals, and protein!

Am I eating enough fruits and vegetables? Am I getting enough calcium? (My mom has osteoarthritis, plus I have a pin in my heel holding a fracture together, so this is a real thing I think about constantly.) Am I close to my period, so does my body want extra iron? My brain seems to work faster when I'm eating a lot of protein... am I getting enough of that?

Do I love this food?

I love most food, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE soup, vinegar, hot sauce, cheese (I KNOW!), fennel, dark chocolate, citrus, basil, brussels sprouts, and mushrooms, to name of few of my favorite things. Obviously, a recipe that includes any or ideally several of any of these favorite things is going to be of very high value for me.

Calorie content!

I have a Fitbit (see? new tools are great to add to the overall arsenal!), and use the Fitbit Food Log tools fairly religiously. Within the desktop dashboard interface, I use the “create a meal” feature to input the ingredients of any new-to-me recipe that I’m considering adding to my meal prep routine and use that nutritional info to determine how many meals it breaks down to in a calorically responsible way, and whether that’s workable for my needs. If it’s something I want to make but it’s too much or too little food, I’ll look into freezing some portions for a later date, or scaling it.

Am I going to get bored?

I’ve figured out that 4 times in a single week, a lunch or full dinner (in 10 out of 12s, or show mode) won’t bore me, but 6 times in a single week, it will. I can eat the same breakfast or light dinner (in rehearsal mode) for a week, but then I can’t repeat it for at least a couple of weeks without ruining the experience for myself. I also avoid repeating main ingredients in any given week. This is the version of variety that is, for me, indefinitely sustainable in a manageable way.

Is there a fridge? Is there a microwave?

Some studios have neither. Some studios have one but not both of the above. Sometimes the line for the microwave is going to be half an hour long; sometimes I discover I'll have it all to myself. Some theaters only have a mini fridge for props. These are two big variables to have to factor into my planning. If needed, I can prep all meals that are stable for a while unrefrigerated (or with an icepack in my lunch bag) and are damn tasty at room temperature.

How complicated is the recipe?

In rehearsal mode, I can make soups, calzones, casseroles, braises, fresh bread, etc and still have time left in the day for the other necessary chores plus cuddle time with my dog who has patiently pined for my company all week, as I have for his. In 10 out of 12 mode, I am probably bringing work home on the day off, or sometimes going two weeks without a day off, so I’ll be leaning on previously-frozen food and quickly prepped things like kitchen-sink salads, grain bowls, and sandwiches. In show mode, I can make things like fresh pasta, macarons, and seafood because I have the time for a multi-step process that doesn't allow multitasking, plus I’ll be eating some of my full lunches or dinners at home on real dishes - luxury!

Speaking of seafood... does my food stink?

There is a human decency factor! A person can’t just go heating up seafood, broccoli, or cabbage in a shared space! I’m not a monster!

What do I have lying around?

Bulk buying is cheap buying. For example, it’s obviously more cost effective to buy the bunch of parsley for $1.99 instead of the single serving container of it for $1.50... that’s good home economics. But to make it actually worth my while instead of wasteful, I keep track of the stuff that’s sitting in the fridge and plan to use it up before it spoils. I can keep herbs alive for 2 or 3 weeks (depending on how fresh they were when I bought them). Cheese can sit for a couple of weeks when wrapped properly. Lactaid milk is actually good for a month after opening (joke’s on you, regular milk drinkers!). And so on. Plus, I generally scale pasta recipes so that I’m eating at most 2-3oz of dry pasta per meal, which means I’m often checking my cupboard and saying to myself “hey, use up that macaroni before you go buying penne.” A lot of my recipe modifications involve using what I have on hand, instead of buying something else.

What time of year is it?

I have long-ago stopped being surprised when my “on this day” memories on Facebook tell me that on this date sometime in my posting history, I made the exact dish that I also made two days ago. My cravings cycle seasonally, and if I’m going to enjoy my food, it of course has to feed those cravings. Winters are for chili, soup, and braised things. Summers are for vegetable risotto and things on the grill. You get it.

Finally, a note on where I’m looking for recipes:

I look everywhere. Occasionally, I make something up but more often I'm modifying someone else's recipe in a way that works better for me for any number of reasons. I’m a member of a couple of recipe exchange groups with friends on Facebook. I poke my friends who post great photos of great food on Instagram and ask them for the recipe. I subscribe to Food & Wine as an actual physical magazine that comes in the mail. I subscribe to the RSS feeds for Food52.com, SeriousEats.com, SmittenKitchen.com (she is amazing!), and the New York Times Health and Food sections; sometimes the RSS articles expire after 30 days before I get to them, but they’re there for me when I have time for them. I have the Epicurious, Food Network, and All Recipes apps on my phone, plus Food52’s (Not)Recipe app, which I regularly look to for inspiration. I talk to people in my real life!! Plus, I have a library of actual physical cookbooks! I used to travel with most of them when I was on tour (my roadbox was heavy); halfway through my time on the road, I got my first Kindle, scanned all of my favorite recipes, shipped my cookbooks home, and loaded up that first generation Kindle with over one thousand PDFs. Now, I have all of those PDFs plus about a thousand more in Dropbox folder organized by chef/source, so that it’s searchable and accessible from whatever device I prefer in the moment.

0 notes

benjamingarden · 4 years ago

Text

Monthly Meal Plan + Grocery Haul: January 2021

I don't plan on returning to Healthy Living until March so I stocked up with that in mind. We will probably place another BJ's order mid February-ish.

The total spent for January is anticipated to be $439.41 or just over $100.00/week.

Healthy Living - $174.84 (almost half of this amount is from 2 items....the dandy blend and the goji berries)

BJ's - $94.57

More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Our Groceries:

Healthy Living:

I know there are cheaper dairy alternatives then Oatly ($4.99/carton) but I really love Oatly. I prefer the lowfat version but they were out of everything except for these 4 cartons.

BJ's:

We eat a lot of mushrooms and BJ's seems to have the best price on them so I bought 2 which will get us through a few weeks. (24 oz containers for $4.99/ea.)

January's Meal Plan

A Note About Our Meal Plans

You will notice that for Jays meals there are a few noticeable rotations.

Also, other then the occasional new recipe that I try, his meals rotate about every month and a half (a different rotation will show up for summer).

Recipe Links:

If I have posted the recipe or use a recipe posted by someone else this month then I will link to it below. If there's a meal you'd like to see the recipe for let me know!

Quick & Easy Chicken Parm

Homemade Pizza - this is the pizza dough recipe we use

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta (Budget Bytes)

Apple & Stuffing Stuffed Pork Chops (Betty Crocker)

Oven-Baked BBQ Pork Ribs

Hamburger Potato Casserole (You Tube - The Hillbilly Kitchen)

Chicken Pot Pie Muffins (You Tube - The Hillbilly Kitchen) *I used this as a guide - I use my pie crust recipe and my pot pie recipe and bake it as muffins as shown in the vlog)

Honey Mustard Chicken (Bowl Of Delicious)

Bourbon Dijon Ham Steak (Martha Stewart - is delicious without the bourbon as well)

Mac & Cheese

Easy Weeknight Chicken Cordon Bleu

Scallops Gratin (Food Network - Ina Garten) - I use this recipe without the alcohol

Slow-Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

Veggie Stew with Black Pepper Biscuits (vegan) (Vegan Richa)

Split Pea Soup (Vegan) (Simple Veganista)

What about you? Do you have favorite meals that you rotate? Do you have to cook multiple meals for different eaters?

Monthly Meal Plan + Grocery Haul: January 2021 was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

0 notes