Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

Strangely enough, I've missed blogging.  I've been asked more than once in the last week why I haven't blogged.  I would have thought that unemployment would be the perfect opportunity to update my blogs every day, or at least a few times a week.  Yet somehow, I haven’t updated this blog since December 2012.  It’s not because I’m not cooking, the opposite is true in fact.  I cook all the time, nearly every day.  I think it’s just a matter of adding blogging to my list of daily activities.  You know:

Wake up

Make coffee
Feed dog
Beg son to use the potty
Write blog
Etc…

Of course, in no particular order.  The daily activities always seem to be the same; the order however, leaves something to be desired on some days.

With all of this in mind and with no promises of the future of this blog, let’s talk food.

I have found that lately I have been the voice of the frugal meal maker.  Partly because of our situation with my unemployment, but partly because it’s easy and I have the time.  We have become pupils of the “all cash” budget with categories (ala Dave Ramsey) and I seem to really have this food thing for our family down to a science.  I budget $100/week for groceries and only $25/week in fast food.  I plan all of our meals on Saturday for the following week (Sunday – Saturday).  Sometimes, I even make multiple things on Sunday, and freeze or just store for that week in the fridge.  I like to think that these kinds of habits are very much needed for when I eventually find a job.  Besides being cost effective, we’re eating much healthier.  Note: I don’t always make the healthiest meal, but it’s got to be much healthier than take out/fast food?  Right?

I’m not a couponer, but I do look for deals.  And I don’t grocery shop with the husband or teenager.  They have a habit of making my bill higher than it needs to be.

This week’s menu:

Sunday: dinner @ mom’s

Monday: roasted chicken, veggies, potatoes
Tuesday: tostadas
Wednesday: chicken parm with pasta
Thursday: pork chops, veggies
Friday: sopes, rice
Saturday: hamburgers, pasta salad

And of course, that didn’t go as planned at all.  When I went to prepare the chicken for the slow cooker on Monday morning, the chicken was completely frozen, despite thawing in the fridge for 2 days!  So, I made tostadas on Monday.  Rice, tostada, beans, ground beef, cheese (the stinky feet crumbly kind), lettuce and homemade salsa:

 

Which means, I made the roasted chicken today, with a side of steamed broccoli and smashed potatoes:

 

This now means I’m not making chicken parm tomorrow, because I’m not a fan of having the same protein two days in a row.  So, maybe sopes tomorrow?  I have leftover rice from yesterday’s tostadas.  The beauty of making the menu is that even if I don’t follow it EXACTLY, I know that I have all of the ingredients necessary for each meal at my disposal.

It's worked out nicely since the beginning of the year.

Here some things I'm working on, and will hopefully update you all on:

Planting and growing our own veggies
Growing our own herbs
Mastering the art of sauces (I'm getting close, I can feel it!)
Organizing the freezer
Making more recipes that I've pinned on Pinterest!
Cake/Cupcake decorating

Until next time...