budget tip: eat-what-we've-got week

i think this will become a new standard for the last week of the month in our house - in an effort to cut down on the grocery bill (and to use up as much as possible before we go away), we decided to skip the regular monday grocery run and see if we could make a week's worth of meals on what we already had in the house.  it took a bit more thinking but it worked out pretty good!  we made one trip to the grocery store to replenish the fruit bowl and buy more milk, but other than that, every meal we prepared was with ingredients we already had.  here's what we ate this week:

• breakfasts were surprisingly varied, including the last of the cereal, eggs and toast, waffles (with peanut butter and honey since we're out of syrup and jam), and homemade granola with some frozen blueberries i dug out of the back of the freezer.  yum!
• lunches were mainly leftovers and soup, but there was the odd salmon or tuna melt in there too.
• pasta and sauce with cheese - can't have a "clean out the cupboards" week without expecting one spaghetti night in there.  good thing we love spaghetti.  :)
• black bean chili - i had a bag of dried black beans so i made a huge pot for potluck last weekend and a smaller pot for us.  i wasn't really in the mood for chili this week, but it was still good (and half of it will come on our trip with us).
• turkey barley soup - i made stock from frozen christmas turkey bones, and then soup from fresh stock, barley, and a few veggies (recipes below - some of this is coming with us too).
• chicken kabobs - these were so simple and so good!  frozen chicken breasts, some peppers, onion, and pineapple (which i had from the week before, intending to make these but never getting to them - recipe below)
• chick pea and coconut curry - this is a recipe i haven't made in years but it was so good and so simple!  a can of chick peas, a can of coconut milk, some spices and some rice.  we both loved it (i'll post the recipe next).
• veggie stir fry - the last of the peppers and snow peas with some carrots, onion, and garlic.  it made a strange plate companion to the curry, but it tasted delish.
• we snacked on fruit, chips and salsa, and fresh oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (because i reeeeally wanted some!)

the thing i'm most excited about is that i haven't thrown out one bit of rotten food!  usually there are a few things that get away from me - there always seems to be one container of leftovers that gets pushed back too far in the fridge and i can never use up a whole bunch of celery for some reason.  but when we leave tomorrow, we are leaving a head of garlic, half a bag of carrots, and two parsnips - and i'm pretty sure they'll all survive til we get back.  the bread is gone, our leftovers are eaten or frozen, and we have just enough milk and cream for breakfast.  i love it.  we're not wasting food, we're still eating pretty healthy (i had visions of being reduced to mr. noodles all week), and we saved a bit of cash.  win win win.  

of course, we'll have to shop like mad when we get home... but it's a step in the right direction.  ;)

leftover fruit salad

keeping more fresh fruit in the house means keeping up with eating it before it spoils.  i HATE throwing food away so i'm always trying to think of new ways to use up those last few pieces.  over ripe bananas go straight into the freezer for that magical day i decide to bake (obviously not all that often), and the husband loves to experiment with different fruit on the grill - we've had apples, peaches, pineapple, and kiwi so far, with overwhelming approval all around.

buy my favourite standby to deal with leftover bits of fruit is to whip up a fruit salad for breakfast.  i love fruit salad - you can put anything in it and it tastes great!  here's the one i made this morning:

Leftover Fruit Salad - serves 3-4
prep time: 5-10 mins

1 apple, cored and cut into bite sized pieces
1 orange, peeled and cut
1 banana, sliced
1 sad little severely over-ripe peach
1/3 cup frozen blueberries
1/3 cup (or less) almond slices
1 inch (or less) grated fresh ginger root

cut the fruit into a medium sized bowl (tip: to prevent browning, cut the juicy fruits first and then mix the apples and bananas into them).  stir in frozen blueberries.  grate ginger root over top and mix well.  garnish with almond slices (which i can't believe i forgot this morning!)

this is a great way to use up whatever leftover fruit you have - melons, grapes, berries, etc.  i keep a bag of frozen blueberries in the freezer for this very purpose (freeze your own when they're in season and reasonably priced).  you can also add canned fruit for a more juicy salad, but be careful of the added sugar.  you can add any kind of nut you like, raisins, dates, etc. - anything that suits your fancy!  the grated ginger is the real seller for me - it adds a fantastic little zip, even better if you let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.  YUM!

BUDGET TIP - FRESH GINGER:  if you like the flavour of ginger, start buying and experimenting with fresh ginger root (it packs more of a punch than powdered ginger).  cut and peel a small section and then slice, mince, or grate it to add to recipes.  i buy the tiniest piece i can find, which routinely costs me about $0.28, and grate it into salads, stir fries, and soups.  ginger tea (sliced ginger root boiled in water) is supposedly good for digestion.  or add lemon and honey to fresh ginger tea for a homemade cold remedy.  cheap and versatile, that's what we like!

what do you do with over-ripe fruit?  any other good ginger tips or ideas out there?

budget tip - a well stocked pantry

one of the best ways to save money when grocery shopping is PREPARATION.  too often lack of time and forethought leave us living on unhealthy convenience food.  but if you keep your fridge and cupboards full of some standard items, and learn how to use them, you'll be much better off in the long run.  you'll make less trips to the grocery store, you'll waste less food, and you'll always be ready to prepare a healthy meal at home.  

these are my staples:

canned:
diced tomatoes - low sodium if possible - good for soups, stews, chili, and pasta sauces
tomato paste - low sodium - good for chili and pasta sauce
beans - black, white, and kidney - for chili, soups, salads, etc.
fish - low sodium, packed in water - for soups, casseroles, and sandwiches
one generic pasta sauce - for a quick spaghetti dinner, or for adding to chili
chicken stock - low sodium - as a base for soups and used in many other recipes

dry:
rice, barley, and other whole grains - brown basmati is a current favourite
lentils, chick peas, and other beans - for soups, stews, chili, pasta sauce, salads, casseroles, anything!
oats - for cooking and baking
nuts - for snacks, salads, baking, or to add crunch to any dish that needs it
whole wheat pasta
dry cereal
baking supplies - flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, etc. (though i'm not much for baking...)

frozen:
vegetables - peas, corn, and broccoli - an easy side dish when we have nothing fresh left in the house
frozen spinach - one of the best things to keep in the freezer - adds a swift nutritional punch to homemade soups!
meat - chicken and hamburger are the most versatile
orange juice - shows up in more recipes than i thought, so i try to keep one on hand

fresh:
whole wheat bread
fruits - apples, oranges, and bananas
vegetables - carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers
garlic and ginger root
dairy - milk, cheese, and yogurt
lemon juice - for fish, salad dressings, etc.

spices, etc:
herbs - parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary - if you can grow and dry any of these yourself, that's even better (and send me some!)
seasonings - onion powder, garlic powder, ginger powder, curry, and pepper
vinegars - white, balsamic, and apple cider (can be a substitute for white wine vinegar) - to make my own salad dressings, rather than buying expensive bottled dressings
extra virgin olive oil
worcestershire sauce

if i have all of the above in my kitchen, i know i'm ready to make a whole host of easy meals - chili, pasta sauce, chicken soup, stir fries, tuna casserole, hamburgers, etc.  i still need to buy special ingredients from time to time, but i try to only buy them if i already have a recipe in mind to use them.  otherwise, they just end up as a rotten good intention.

make your list of staples around the things you and your family like to eat.  watch for case lots sales for canned goods and the bulk section for dry goods.  buy meat in bulk and separate into meal-sized portions in ziplock bags for freezing (then you're not stuck defrosting a club pack of hamburger for one pot of chili!).

what have i forgotten??  what are the staples you keep stocked in your house?

budget tip - compare prices

when i went to the grocery store to buy fish for white fish with dill sauce, i had no idea what to look for.  we don't have much of a fresh fish section in our store, so i checked frozen.  i found out i could buy two frozen fillets in a box (approx. 350g) on sale for $7 or a 650g bag of frozen fillets for less than $6!

learning how to check the net weight against the price is really helpful when you're shopping for the best deal.  often the label on the store shelf will have some sort of price per unit or per 100g in small print below the item price.  for instance, green lentils were about $0.50 per 100g in the package vs. $0.25 in bulk!

if you have a good bulk food section in your grocery store, it may be well worth your time to check the prices of things you buy regularly to find the best deal.  happy shopping!