Did quite well at using garden preserves this week but a little surprised at the cost of one dinner.
Thursday we had Swiss Steak (that is what my Mom called it but really braised cube steak with onions), boiled potatoes and canned carrots from the garden. $3.46. Cubed steak was a managers special and was marked down over $1 a pound. This was a meal for two.
Friday night was the kicker. Dinner for 2 Chili and Johnny Cake. Used green peppers from the freezer and home canned tomatoes. Total cost of the chili was $5.13. Total cost of the meal $6.45.
Saturday night dinner for 4 Chicken, biscuits and gravy and Broccoli in Cheese sauce. Unfortunately absolutely nothing from the garden. Total price $6.88.
Sunday dinner for 2. Chili and Johnny Cake. Free. Also 3 individual meals of Chili went into the freezer.
Monday Dinner for 1 Chicken Biscuit and Gravy and left over carrots from Thursday. Free. Also got 2 quarts of Chicken Stock canned and 5 oz. of chicken fat in freezer.
Tuesday dinner for 2 made calzones and marinara sauce. Green peppers and basil from the freezer and home canned tomatoes. Total cost $2.37
Wednesday dinner for 1 Calzone with Marinara sauce and romaine with blue cheese dressing . Total cost $.44.
All in all less than $20 for the week spent on Dinner. DB ate Johnny Cake or Biscuits very morning for breakfast.
Made an apple cobbler this week with canned apple pie filling that I did about 3 years ago.
Apple Cobbler
1Qt. Apple Pie Filling
1 C Flour Sifted
1/2 C Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C milk
1/4 C soft butter.
Sift dry ingredients together. Add milk and butter at once and beat until smooth. Pour over apple filling in an 8" round cake pan. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon if desired and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Be sure to visit our host for Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard at The Gardener of Eden and see what others used from their cupboard or put in their cupboard from their garden.
Now that's a thrifty food bill if I ever saw one. I hate to admit it, but my favorite dish was the biscuits and broccoli dish that didn't come from the garden.
ReplyDeleteYou are really inspirational with how well you manage your pantry and food budget. Your meals sound very good and they certainly result in a low impact to your budget. Good work!
ReplyDeletegreat work this week! The cobbler sounds yummy!
ReplyDeleteGood job Wilderness! Boy, I could go for some Apple Cobbler right now...actually any kind of cobbler! I'm in a no dessert mode right now until I loose my Holiday fat!
ReplyDeleteI agree -you are very inspirational with your food budget, yet you always cook things that sound so yummy!
ReplyDeleteJody, It may have been a thrifty week as far as preparing food but on Wednesday I finally went shopping since there are some things that must come from the store and the cupboard was bare. It cost me about $100 but I won't do that for another month. I do use portion control to some extend but neither DB or I go away from the table hungry. Actually we could both stand to eat a little less. This week however my grocery bill was a gallon of milk.
ReplyDeleteLaura, anyone can eat well if you stick to the simple life of starch, protein and vegetable that we have most every night. I am not a fruit eater, it doesn't agree with me but DB has fruit for a snack most every day. The biggest savings is to make everything from scratch that you possible can.
MP, I love that cobbler. One of the few ways I can eat fruit so I indulge myself once in a while.
Robin, it is very unusual that I make any kind of dessert. I do make sugar freeze frozen yogurt or ice cream for DB as he is like a child mentally and sweets are a big thing. Also do cookies sugar free for him also. I don't eat them.
HG thanks. I love to cook and I try to feed us balanced meals that will keep us healthy and not break the checking account. I have 2 demands in life no matter how little money I have. I will be warm and I will eat well. No I don't turn my heat down to 65. That is not warm to me.
You are doing so well with your challenge to yourself keeping those meal costs down. I congratulate you.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you've built a following on your blog too! Way to go!
Thanks Marcia. Am working at it. Need to do some shopping today and just went through the sales for the week and could kick myself as I missed butter on Monday at less than $2 a pound. What I hate is the expense of things other than food like paper products. I try not to use too many but some just seem to be necessary.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is such an inspiration to me. Since I've been learning to garden, I can't stay out of the dirt!! I have garlic, onions and leeks growing right now. Leeks look a bit puny but maybe they'll have a growth spurt in the Spring. I live alone but haven't done a lot of cooking lately (it's more fun to cook for someone else). Reading your blog made me put a roast, carrots, onions and new potatoes in the oven and then start looking for some kind of dessert to make ...(maybe apple pie?)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the SEED STARTING info! I have my seeds on hand; my "grow-lite" ready and will use a heating pad to warm the seeds. I have a unheated sunroom with south facing windows that I think will work for seed starting.
I plan on getting a dehydrator before my "anticipated" harvest and wondered what kind you use.
Also,will you share your Apple Pie Filling recipe? I have about 20 cups of apples in the freezer I could use. Do you think that I could thaw these, make the filling and THEN can them?? .... and still another request .... how do you can your stock? Pressure canner or waterbath?
My Goodness! Apparently I've been "storing" up questions for you!! Thanks in advance for any info and have a blessed weekend.
I love cobblers. Yum.
ReplyDeleteDirtdabber, glad you enjoyed reading the blog. Where are you from and how does one get to your blog?
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have your garden for this year off to a good start.
My dehydrator is a very old Ronco slow but steady as they say. The new ones that have the fans in them are much faster. I am in no hurry as long as it works. You can spend anywhere from $25 to $100s on one today.
As far as a recipe for my apple pie filling, I guess I don't have one. I peel, core and slice my apples, add sugar and cinnamon to taste (I am not fond of sweet) add a little water and heat until the apples and sugar make a liquid. If I am canning them I use clear gel rather than flour for a little thickener as it withstand the heat of canning better, put it in jars and water bath process for 20 minutes. I wouldn't can apples that are all ready frozen.
Daphne, I don't make many sweets as I don't need them to begin with and only have a craving for something sweet once in a while. I make cobblers because I can't make pie crust. I can make puff pastry and all sorts of other thing that are much harder but not pie crust. This I am missing the pie crust gene.
WILDERNESS, thank you for your quick reply. My computer was down for a couple of days or I would have thanked you sooner. It's 61 degrees here in E.TN today ... Spring is just around the corner!! I found a Nesco dehydrator with a fan in it and I'll buy that a bit later in the season. I appreciate the advice about the frozen apples. Actually, the apples were an unexpected bonus ... I planted 3 ornamental trees about 3 years ago and the tags on the trees said they wouldn't bear fruit. (HA HA!)When they started leafing out last spring the leaves had "rust" spots and not really knowing what to do about the rust, I mixed a solution of water and Dawn liquid soap and sprayed the leaves and blossoms. So, who Knows? maybe it was the right thing to do. Anyway, the apple harvest was small, delicious, and not a worm in sight!
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