Week 1 has come and gone (I'm behind on my posting if you hadn't noticed) and it was definitely a learning experience. An emotional, time strapped, circus of a learning experience.
Everything started out great. Monday the weather had cooled down a little and I made veggie beef soup as scheduled. It was yummy and we had tons of left overs. Tuesday was our anniversary, so the in-laws took the kids and we went out to dinner. (This was a planned exception, included in the budget ahead of time).
Wednesday, I was still on top of things. Boiled the pasta early in the day so it could cool and had all my ingredients ready and dinner went off without a hitch. Thursday... another easy day. Poached the chicken and put bread in the bread maker during my lunch break and everything was ready right on time.
Friday was kind of a cheat day since we had a ton of left over ribs, baked potatoes and corn on the cob from my parent house. Saturday was busy busy busy. Woke up, showered, picked up the house and had just enough time to put the beans and sausage in the crock pot before rushing out the door for the next 7 hours. But by the time I got home, the whole house smelled delicious, add some rice and DONE.
Then there was Sunday. Oh Sunday, what happened to us? We used to be such good friends. It was the day we spent time together as a family, got errands run and focused on preparing for the week ahead. Sunday and me.. we was like peas and carrots. But those days are gone.
Even God rested on the Sabbath... and boy did I need to follow His lead, but instead my day started out with my kids getting up at 7am. Then there was the design disaster that had me texting "HELP" to my fellow seamstress at 9am. After losing all of Saturday to other activities I was trying to make up for lost time and work on the wedding dress I'm making for my sister in law before she came over for a fitting that afternoon. (Disclaimer: she has come up with a beautiful design... I was just having trouble making it a reality). Then came The Great Wardrobe Debate of 2012. My 7 year old always wants to wear her sequins and lace when riding her bike or going to play at the park. Then when it comes time to get dressed for church she comes out in denim shorts, an orange t-shirt with a turkey face appliqued on it and pink flip flops. And where is my dear sweet husband during all of this... yep, sleeping. WHAT THE POO MAN!
Church done, we are back home and my bestest friend/ fellow seamstress has agreed to come over to be my wedding dress design cheerleader, fitting is scheduled at 3pm, put dear sweet husband in charge of lunch for the kiddos, I make a mental note to defrost the ham and make pie crust this afternoon for dinner. After an hour or so of fighting with satin and lace we end up ordering a pizza for the adults lunch. Downed a couple pieces then its back to Project Runway: The Home Edition and dear sweet husband informs me he has to run an errand. Sister in-law and niece show up for dress fitting, make another mental note to defrost the ham and make pie crust as soon as the fitting is done. In the midst of the fitting my 3 year old doesn't quite make it to the potty and I find her half naked standing in a puddle in the middle of the bathroom, right after discovering that I have cut the wedding dress bodice nearly 4 inches to narrow and have to start over. By this time I need to just get away so sis in-law and I go to Joann's to buy fabric for the kids flower girl dresses (which I will also be making). We get there and I realize I never did defrost the ham or make the pie crust for dinner and it's already almost 6pm. I call home and instruct dear sweet husband to feed the kids left over pizza and I'll be home after my scheduled Sunday night grocery shopping trip. Down an entire package of Rolo's on the way to grocery shop and try to enjoy the few minutes of peace, quiet and alone time. Cart loaded, was able to find everything I need and in record time, so I swing past the deli and give dear sweet husband a call and this is how our conversation goes.....
Me: (in a hopeful tone) Hey almost done getting groceries, how does a rotisserie chicken, french bread and green beans sound for dinner
DSH: It sounds like to much work and to much money. What about your meal plan. You're the one who had this master plan and keeps saying we can't spend money. We'll just eat left overs.
Me: I Know I Know! Whatever.
Click.
Thanks to a diet of sugar and grease, an overloaded plate of activities, my house resembling grand central station and my hormones disrupted by a glitch in my birth control prescription, I lost it. And there I was standing in the produce section of Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market crying because he said not to buy the chicken. And all I wanted was chicken.
After moping the whole way home over the loss of the chicken, I proceeded to yell at the kids over the mess I came home to, cry while doing the dishes, cry while picking up the house again and yell at the kids again.
The night concluded with dear sweet husband buying me Chicken Express for dinner and us vegging out in front of the TV.
Chaos: 1
Meal Plan: 0
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Pantry Raid: Week 1 Grocery Shopping
Any wife and/or mom can attest grocery shopping is one of those necessary evils you just can't escape. Unless somehow you can convince your family to fast in support of starving people in third world countries at some point you will have to grocery shop. No matter how much time you don't have, or how much money you don't have, your family has to eat.
This fact leads me to the inevitable **** WARNING. RANT AHEAD****
... F**K YOU Martha Stewart, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Better Homes and Gardens, (and I hate to add this one) and Rachel Ray! You post/publish/pin/show us all what you claim are "cheap" and "easy" recipes for our oh so busy weeknight dinners... but guess what THEY'RE NOT! They are NOT CHEAP, they are NOT EASY, and sorry Rache they are NOT done in 30 MINUTES!
Here's a thought Martha... instead of titling your steak and shrimp dinner segment "Dinner on the Cheap" how bout calling it what it really is.... "Dinner I can afford and you can't, but I think it's cheap cause I live in a delusional fairy land"
And this wouldn't be a proper grocery/budget related rant with out a special shout out to that B***H Melissa D"Arabian. $10 Dinners????... Come on Melissa! Let me shed a little light on your $10 Dinners for you...
#1. They cost more than $10, even when shopping at Wal-Mart
#2. They only feed 4 people.... 4 people for $10!!! Yeah that's a deal if you're eating out and someone else is preparing your meal and cleaning it up but...
#3. Do the math, $10 per dinner for 30 days (1month) = $300!! Just for dinners. That does not include any other grocery items needed for breakfasts, lunches and snacks.
According to www.census.org in 2010 the median income (by state average) in America was $50,102 annually. Now lets also consider that in a document published by the Department of Commerce Middle Class Task Force in 2010 they defined the median "middle class" income as $80K+. And no I didn't make that up, apparently there is a group of people going around calling themselves the "Middle Class Task Force". I can just see it now, a group of men and women in their late 30's early 40's living in the burbs, driving SUV's, shopping at Target and doing it all in full tactical gear. But I digress... the point of the statistics lesson is that according to this information 50% of Americans make less than the middle of the middle class. Which would place them in the lower middle to lower class.
If we assume that Mrs. d'Arabian's $300/month dinner budget is roughly 1/2 of the families grocery (food only) budget, then we get a monthly food budget of $600, or %15 of the median annual income. Based on recommended percentages %15 is the maximum recommended amount for groceries. Well isn't that just a slap in the face... so what these people are calling "CHEAP" is the maximum that us "average" people should be spending.
You want "Dinner on the Cheap".. give me some good ideas for 80/20 ground beef. How bout "Beans and Rice 50 ways", or some new ideas on making canned veggies not taste canned. And how about considering the undeveloped taste buds kids who think bubble gum flavored tooth paste tastes good. These aren't folks that are going to jump at the chance to try herb crusted tilapia with mango chimichurri, cucumber gazpacho, or kale.
GET REAL PEOPLE!
***** Rant concluded *****
Below is Week 1's Shopping list complete with actual prices and total.
This fact leads me to the inevitable **** WARNING. RANT AHEAD****
... F**K YOU Martha Stewart, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Better Homes and Gardens, (and I hate to add this one) and Rachel Ray! You post/publish/pin/show us all what you claim are "cheap" and "easy" recipes for our oh so busy weeknight dinners... but guess what THEY'RE NOT! They are NOT CHEAP, they are NOT EASY, and sorry Rache they are NOT done in 30 MINUTES!
Here's a thought Martha... instead of titling your steak and shrimp dinner segment "Dinner on the Cheap" how bout calling it what it really is.... "Dinner I can afford and you can't, but I think it's cheap cause I live in a delusional fairy land"
And this wouldn't be a proper grocery/budget related rant with out a special shout out to that B***H Melissa D"Arabian. $10 Dinners????... Come on Melissa! Let me shed a little light on your $10 Dinners for you...
#1. They cost more than $10, even when shopping at Wal-Mart
#2. They only feed 4 people.... 4 people for $10!!! Yeah that's a deal if you're eating out and someone else is preparing your meal and cleaning it up but...
#3. Do the math, $10 per dinner for 30 days (1month) = $300!! Just for dinners. That does not include any other grocery items needed for breakfasts, lunches and snacks.
According to www.census.org in 2010 the median income (by state average) in America was $50,102 annually. Now lets also consider that in a document published by the Department of Commerce Middle Class Task Force in 2010 they defined the median "middle class" income as $80K+. And no I didn't make that up, apparently there is a group of people going around calling themselves the "Middle Class Task Force". I can just see it now, a group of men and women in their late 30's early 40's living in the burbs, driving SUV's, shopping at Target and doing it all in full tactical gear. But I digress... the point of the statistics lesson is that according to this information 50% of Americans make less than the middle of the middle class. Which would place them in the lower middle to lower class.
If we assume that Mrs. d'Arabian's $300/month dinner budget is roughly 1/2 of the families grocery (food only) budget, then we get a monthly food budget of $600, or %15 of the median annual income. Based on recommended percentages %15 is the maximum recommended amount for groceries. Well isn't that just a slap in the face... so what these people are calling "CHEAP" is the maximum that us "average" people should be spending.
You want "Dinner on the Cheap".. give me some good ideas for 80/20 ground beef. How bout "Beans and Rice 50 ways", or some new ideas on making canned veggies not taste canned. And how about considering the undeveloped taste buds kids who think bubble gum flavored tooth paste tastes good. These aren't folks that are going to jump at the chance to try herb crusted tilapia with mango chimichurri, cucumber gazpacho, or kale.
GET REAL PEOPLE!
***** Rant concluded *****
Below is Week 1's Shopping list complete with actual prices and total.
| Week1 | |||
| Meal Plan Items | Item | Amount | Price |
| Shredded Cheese | 1 pkg | 1.79 | |
| Celery | 1 bunch | 0.88 | |
| Green Onion | 1 bunch | 0.5 | |
| Red Bell Pepper | 2 each | 0.66 | |
| Pepperoni | 1 pkg | 2.28 | |
| Zucchini | 1 each | 0.5 | |
| Red Beans | 1 lb | 1.08 | |
| Green Bell Pepper | 1 each | 0.68 | |
| Head of Lettuce | 1 each | 1.12 | |
| Staple Items | |||
| Milk | 1 gallon | 2.58 | |
| Total Week 1 | 12.07 | ||
| Grand Total | 12.07 |
Pantry Raid: The Plan
In the beginning there was a Meal Plan. And God said it was good.
When the going gets tough, the tough make a meal plan.
Meal Plan, it's whats for dinner.
It's not delivery, it's your Meal Plan
Yo Quiero Meal Plan
Ok. Ok. I'll stop. That last one was a pretty pathetic attempt anyways.
The meal plan is essential. It's the guide, the road map, the security blanket. It's the impenetrable shield against drive through windows, dollar menus and "super-sizing". It's the red caped super hero that swoops in and saves dinner time from the evils of nagging kids, unscheduled overtime, soccer practice, parent/teacher conferences, traffic jams and whatever else causes our evenings to spiral out of control and all of a sudden it's 7pm (or after) and you haven't stepped foot in the kitchen.
Luckily for me, Planning is my middle name. Ok, really it's Elizabeth, but it should have been Planning. On any given day I've got a plan for something (work, cleaning, crafting, errands). My plans have plans. My plans plans have back up plans. See where I'm going with this???
I've inventoried my pantry, freezer and fridge. I scoured my recipe box, pinterest, magazines, my cookbooks and my brain and the result is the following 4 week meal plan.
Meal Plan: Check!
Up Next: Grocery Shopping..... brace yourselves.
When the going gets tough, the tough make a meal plan.
Meal Plan, it's whats for dinner.
It's not delivery, it's your Meal Plan
Yo Quiero Meal Plan
Ok. Ok. I'll stop. That last one was a pretty pathetic attempt anyways.
The meal plan is essential. It's the guide, the road map, the security blanket. It's the impenetrable shield against drive through windows, dollar menus and "super-sizing". It's the red caped super hero that swoops in and saves dinner time from the evils of nagging kids, unscheduled overtime, soccer practice, parent/teacher conferences, traffic jams and whatever else causes our evenings to spiral out of control and all of a sudden it's 7pm (or after) and you haven't stepped foot in the kitchen.
Luckily for me, Planning is my middle name. Ok, really it's Elizabeth, but it should have been Planning. On any given day I've got a plan for something (work, cleaning, crafting, errands). My plans have plans. My plans plans have back up plans. See where I'm going with this???
I've inventoried my pantry, freezer and fridge. I scoured my recipe box, pinterest, magazines, my cookbooks and my brain and the result is the following 4 week meal plan.
| Week | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Week 1 | Veggie Beef Soup | Exception | Italian Pasta Salad | Chicken Salad Sammie | Left Overs | Red Beans and Rice | Ham & Cheese Quiche |
| Week 2 | Pasta w/ Garlic and Tomatoes | Taco Tuesday | Ham and Casserole | Chicken Nuggets | Dogs & Fries | Pork Tenderloin and Cabbage | Spaghetti |
| Week 3 | Breakfast for Dinner | Ham & Pepper Jack Sliders | Pulled Pork Tacos | Baked Potatoes | Burgers | Chicken Broccoli Pie | Chicken Nuggets |
| Week 4 | Asian Stir Fry | Ham and Taters | Sausage Rice & Beans | Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad | Corn Dog Muffins | Chicken & Dumplings | Breakfast for Dinner |
Meal Plan: Check!
Up Next: Grocery Shopping..... brace yourselves.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Pantry Raid: Step 1. Assess the Situation
Hehehe.. Dane Cook
Sorry, back on track
The first step to problem solving and crisis management is to assess the situation. In the case of meal planning this means taking an inventory. So I did.
Sorry, back on track
The first step to problem solving and crisis management is to assess the situation. In the case of meal planning this means taking an inventory. So I did.
Pantry Inventory
Freezer Inventory
| Item | Amount |
| Applesauce | 1 jar |
| Baking Supplies & Seasoning | Various |
| Bread/Bagel Thins | 1/2 bag |
| Burger Condiments | Various |
| Butter | 1 large tub |
| Cabbage | 1/2 head |
| Canned Biscuits | 1 - 8 ct |
| Carrots | 1/2 bag |
| Creole Seasoning | 1/2 jar |
| Dr. Pepper | 1 can |
| Eggs | 1/2 doz |
| Garlic - Minced | 1 jar |
| Left Over Sausage | 1/2 lb |
| Left Over Potatoes | 6 each |
| Left Over Corn on the Cob | 5 each |
| Mayo | 1/2 jar |
| Onion | 3 each |
| Poatoes | 6 each |
| Salad Dressing | 1 bottle |
| Sliced Cheese | 1 pkg |
Step 1 - Check!
Up Next: The Plan
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
An Experiment in Frugality - Pantry Raid
Welcome to Broke! Where uncertainty and stress wait impatiently to greet you each morning and anxiety tucks you in each night. You'll hear unwelcoming phrases like "No we can't afford it" and "it's just not in the budget". Your children will have their little hearts crushed each time you drive by a McDonald's or stroll past a toy aisle. You'll find your shelves and cupboards bare but your mailbox full as new bills appear everyday and paychecks do not. Broke, the place you never look for but always end up.
We inadvertently took a wrong turn somewhere at the crossroads of Budget and Savings and ended up at Broke. And in an effort to re-route and get back on track (and in preparation for the school year and fall schedules/cooking) I've decided to do a little experiment in frugality.
Purpose Statement
We will be eating out of the pantry and freezer for the next 4 weeks/28 days for all dinner, with minimal groceries purchased. An idea loosely based a recurring "Grocery Challenge" I've participated in on Dave Ramsey's MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com forums in the past. Goals of the experiment are
1. clean out pantry and freezer
2. Stop us from eating out so much
3. keep the grocery bill at a minimum.
2. Search family favs from Recipe Box and Pinterest Recipes that utilize Pantry and Freezer inventory
3. Create Meal plan for next 4 weeks/28 days
4. Create Grocery List for each week based on Meal Plan and stay within $25 average weekly
5. Follow Meal Plan for each day, prepping the next days meal ahead of time and grocery shopping on the weekend.
6. After 4 weeks/28 days analyze results to determine if experiment was successful.
We inadvertently took a wrong turn somewhere at the crossroads of Budget and Savings and ended up at Broke. And in an effort to re-route and get back on track (and in preparation for the school year and fall schedules/cooking) I've decided to do a little experiment in frugality.
Purpose Statement
We will be eating out of the pantry and freezer for the next 4 weeks/28 days for all dinner, with minimal groceries purchased. An idea loosely based a recurring "Grocery Challenge" I've participated in on Dave Ramsey's MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com forums in the past. Goals of the experiment are
1. clean out pantry and freezer
2. Stop us from eating out so much
3. keep the grocery bill at a minimum.
Materials List
Recipe Box
Pinterest Recipe Boards
Pantry Inventory
Freezer Inventory
Meal Plan
$25 Dollar Average Weekly Grocery Budget - for produce and additional needed ingredients
Procedure and Method
1. Take Pantry and Freezer Inventory2. Search family favs from Recipe Box and Pinterest Recipes that utilize Pantry and Freezer inventory
3. Create Meal plan for next 4 weeks/28 days
4. Create Grocery List for each week based on Meal Plan and stay within $25 average weekly
5. Follow Meal Plan for each day, prepping the next days meal ahead of time and grocery shopping on the weekend.
6. After 4 weeks/28 days analyze results to determine if experiment was successful.
Experiment Log
Weekly meal plan, grocery list, recipes and grocery bill tally will be posted.
Notes
* Posted grocery list and $25 budget include only items needed for dinners. Regular grocery items such as breakfasts, lunches, snacks, etc are not included in the experiment.
* Groceries will be bought at best local price at the time of purchase and coupon use is encouraged.
* Recipes and quantities are tailored to a family of 4.
* Attempt to insure each meal includes a protein, starch and vegetable or fruit.
* Experiment is not suggested for specialty diets (low fat, organic, vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free, high fiber, etc) AND NO I do not want your opinions or complaints about the menu, it's nutritional value or lack thereof.
Are ya'll ready......yeah me neither, but here we go anyway!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Update Day 28: Sunday 7.17.11
Well people its over. We did it. Pants Vs. Pie has ended. No more yoga at midnight just so I wont lose the challenge. And one way or another I'm gonna get some PIE.
Its been a long month, 28 days, 28 healthy choice, 28 opportunities to be a better me. So what have I learned? I've learned that I can do what I want to do, what I set my mind to do, for better or worse. I've learned that I like yoga. I've learned that a lot of the foods I thought were healthy, are liars. I learned I CAN live with out Diet Coke (but don't tell anyone that one). I learned I like blogging.
I also learned that there are alot of areas of my life where I need to do better. Kind of a depressing realization, especially for someone who thinks they really do know it all. It's difficult to admit that you don't actually have it all together, that despite what you try to make people think, you are really barely keeping all the flaming batons in the air --- even if you do make it look good ; )
But on the other hand.... there's hope. The realization that this isn't the best its gonna get. I can be better. I can be more, do more, love more. Looking forward to whatever is next for me and, of course to PIE!
Oh and for the record....I won the challenge. Which is good, since I've grown attached to my treadmill. 28 days of exercise and the measurements can speak for the rest.
Final Stats, Day 28
Exercise: Stayed up till 3:00am working on a bedding set for a local client
Healthy Choice: No Snacks
Weight Change: -4 (not a big change, but a change and that was the point)
Measurement Change:
Its been a long month, 28 days, 28 healthy choice, 28 opportunities to be a better me. So what have I learned? I've learned that I can do what I want to do, what I set my mind to do, for better or worse. I've learned that I like yoga. I've learned that a lot of the foods I thought were healthy, are liars. I learned I CAN live with out Diet Coke (but don't tell anyone that one). I learned I like blogging.
I also learned that there are alot of areas of my life where I need to do better. Kind of a depressing realization, especially for someone who thinks they really do know it all. It's difficult to admit that you don't actually have it all together, that despite what you try to make people think, you are really barely keeping all the flaming batons in the air --- even if you do make it look good ; )
But on the other hand.... there's hope. The realization that this isn't the best its gonna get. I can be better. I can be more, do more, love more. Looking forward to whatever is next for me and, of course to PIE!
Oh and for the record....I won the challenge. Which is good, since I've grown attached to my treadmill. 28 days of exercise and the measurements can speak for the rest.
Final Stats, Day 28
Exercise: Stayed up till 3:00am working on a bedding set for a local client
Healthy Choice: No Snacks
Weight Change: -4 (not a big change, but a change and that was the point)
Measurement Change:
- Waist = - 2 in
- Hip = -2 in
- Thigh = - 1 in
Update Day 27: Saturday 7.16.11
Spent the last few days self medicating with fried food and cheesecake. Probably not the wisest plan of action for someone whose one day away from the end of a public weight loss challenge. Oh well, sue me. I'm depressed, it won't bother me anyway.
Exercise: 10 minutes yoga. Hey at least I did something. What did you do today huh?!?!?
Healthy Choice: Steered clear of the candy and only had 1 cupcake at the birthday party I attended today
Weight Change: -4
Measurement Change:
Exercise: 10 minutes yoga. Hey at least I did something. What did you do today huh?!?!?
Healthy Choice: Steered clear of the candy and only had 1 cupcake at the birthday party I attended today
Weight Change: -4
Measurement Change:
- Waist = - 1 in
- Hip = -1 in
- Thigh = - 1/2 in
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