Weeks 13 AND 14 Meal Plan

It's something I have always wanted to do, but thought it was impossible. I admire other people who can successfully pull it off. But I finally did it, myself! I made a meal plan for two whole weeks! (Minus one day that we will be on the road, but I still planned to do a Double Dinner to take instead of buying food on the road)

Even better yet, my grocery bill was less than $90 with no couponing or waiting around for sales.

Here's what's for dinner for the next two weeks:

1. Squash soup with French bread
2. Poblano and corn quesadillas (with homemade tortillas)
3. Whole chicken in the Crockpot + homemade chicken broth
4. Lemon-garlic spaghetti (squash) with chicken sausage meatballs
5. BBQ chicken with leftover crockpot chicken
6. Maple-mustard pork chops with winter squash puree
7. Chicken and okra stew

1. Salmon cakes with green beans
2. Big Batch Tomato soup and grilled cheese
3. Chicken with lemon-leek linguine
4. Crockpot Beef vegetable stew
5. Chicken with olives and lemon and pea rice
6. Lemon and thyme stroganoff
7. Double Dinner poblano and corn quesadillas (on the road)

Bonus foods:

1. Whole wheat huckleberry pancakes
2. Pumpkin-zucchini bread
3. St. Wilfrid apple cake

A few key ways I saved money this time:

• I'm starting to plan a Double Dinner once a week. I'll make a large batch of dinner one night to freeze half for later, while one of my meals that week will come from the freezer. Essentially, I'm only buying for 6 meals per week then.
• I love making a Big Batch of something once or twice a year and then eating off of it until I can make more. For this week, I'm using one of several quarts of canned homemade tomato soup that I made from our garden tomatoes. Another meal I "don't have to buy."
• I'm still using veggies from the garden. I saved some of the spaghetti squash and zucchini in the pantry, which will last a long time in a cool, dark place. I also bought butternut and acorn squash when it was on sale to save for later. Finally, with temperatures flirting near freezing this week, I pulled all my unripe tomatoes, put them in a brown paper bag, and will be waiting for them to ripen.
• Similar to Big Batch meals, I also like to make specific ingredients ahead of time and in bulk. Specifically: chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and bread crumbs. Those things add up when you buy them frequently! So it's easier (and sometimes healthier) to make them at home and can or freeze for later.
• I bought cheaper cuts of chicken and did the preparations myself, rather than paying a higher price for that convenience. For instance this week, I needed 4 skinless leg quarters for a meal and 4 boneless/skinless thighs for another meal. Instead of looking for these specific items, I bought a family pack of 8 leg quarters. When my baby was napping, I took the skins off of them all and then separated the thigh and drumstick meat on 4 of them. I saved the skin and bones for the broth. A little prep work will save money twice and nothing goes to waste!

Paletta di Mandorla

I love traditions. I love other cultures. I love old family stories about gathering around meals and special foods for special occasions. I also love my Catholic faith above all.

I have a cookbook called "Cooking with the Saints" which is a collection of recipes for certain Saints which may be named after a Saint or is a traditional food made on that Saint's feast day in different countries around the world. I love this cookbook... can you see why?

Anyways, today, October 4, is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. That beloved, peaceful, animal Saint whom Pope Francis just happened to name himself after. My cookbook has two recipes for his feast day, so I chose one to make to celebrate his day!

I must say, I don't ever make a meal for a certain Saint or feast day without studying the purpose behind the celebration. Luckily, in this cookbook, there is a short bio on each Saint preceding the recipes, but that usually prompts me to do a little more research to learn even more.

The palette di mandorla (almond slices) that I made comes from the Umbria region of Italy (where St. Francis was born) and is traditionally served on his feast day. According to tradition, this recipe originated with St. Clare of Assisi and was one of the few foods that St. Francis let himself enjoy.

Either way, they were delicious, easy, and went well with my morning coffee. In some small way, my heart feels united with other Italians who may be enjoying these little treats today, too.

O beloved Saint Francis, gentle and poor, your obedience to God and your simple, deep love for all God's creatures led you to the heights of heavenly perfection and turned many hearts to follow God's will. Now, in our day, pray also for us, in our ministry to the many who come here searching for peace and intercede for us as we come before the Lord with our special requests.  

[Mention your special intention.] 

O blessed Saint of God, from your throne among the hosts of heaven present our petitions before our faithful Lord. May your prayers on our behalf be heard and may God grant us the grace to lead good and faithful lives. Amen.

Saint Francis of Assisi,
Pray for us. Amen.

Corn Chowder

This is the best corn chowder recipe, ever. What's better than curling up with a bowl of creamy, hearty soup on a cold day? I have adapted my recipe from Ree Drummond's original recipe, but mine is healthier without the butter and by using skim milk in place of heavy whipping cream. This can easily become a Double Dinner--just freeze half of it or make a slightly larger batch and freeze the excess for later!

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bacon, cut into pieces
• 1-1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cups frozen corn
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, finely diced
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
• 32 oz low sodium chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cup milk (skim milk works well)
• 4 tablespoons corn meal
• 1 cup potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:

1. Cook bacon in large pot or Dutch oven until crispy. Add onion and sauté 3-4 minutes.
2. Add corn and potatoes, stir and cook for a minute, then add chilies and stir well.
3. Add broth and milk and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
4. Carefully sprinkle corn meal into soup (trying to avoid lumping), stirring constantly until incorporated. Let simmer 15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked. If it still seems too runny, add more corn meal. Season with salt to taste.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

A staple at our home. This meal isn't for someone who can't handle a bit of heat. It's adapted from Rachael Ray's original recipe, which she actually made for Olympians. My version of the recipe won a small cooking contest. If you're not heavy-handed with the cheese, it's quite a healthy meal, even though it tastes so hearty. Best yet, this recipe makes a large batch of pasta--enough for a Double Dinner! Freeze half of this recipe and there will be plenty to go around twice!

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 box whole wheat pasta (like penne)
• 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce
• 1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey or Pepper Jack cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook pasta according to package. Drain pasta while it still has a little bit of a bite to it, as it will continue to cook in the meal. Draining pasta when it is fully cooked will result in it becoming over-cooked once added to the rest of the meal.
2. Put extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in skillet until done.
3. Add onion, celery, and carrots to the skillet and sautee until veggies are tender.
4. Add tomatoes and stir everything together. Turn heat down to low.
5. Add pasta to the skillet.
6. Add both hot sauces, using more or less depending on the level of heat desired.
7. Add shredded cheese and stir until all cheese is melted and well-blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Week 12 Dinners, Fall is here!

I went to college to study Meteorology, and in my former life before I became a stay at home Mom, I worked as a Meteorologist for 2 years. Weather is in my heart. This may be sort of nerdy, but I admit that I often plan my meals with the forecast in mind. It has been chilly off and on for the last few weeks, but this coming week will be consistently cool and fall-like. My heart is warmed with love for fall! So I'm starting to trickle out the recipes that will warm cold noses and that I have been waiting months to cook.

Last week, I drained the fridge and freezer of all of our meats, so I knew this week's grocery bill would be heavily influenced by re-stocking on meats. In order to balance the extra cost, I pulled two whole meals from the freezer. We are also experimenting with steel-cut oats or oatmeal for breakfast (a one-time bulk buy that lasts a couple weeks) rather than buying 2-4 boxes of cereal plus a gallon of milk every week, in order to save money. In all, I came a few dollars below my target (yay!).

Here's what's for dinner this week:

1. Big Batch Pierogis with roasted garden zucchini (a Big Batch meal from the freezer)
2. Shrimp jambalaya (for dinner on our meatless Friday night, but will add some chorizo for lunch on Saturday)
3. Corn chowder
4. Spanish stew chicken thighs
5. Green chili, white bean, chicken soup
6. Kielbasa n kraut
7. Buffalo chicken pasta (a Double Dinner meal from the freezer)

Saturday, October 4, is also the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, so I'll be making something special to enjoy on that day!