Ground Beef & TVP

I won't bog us down on this blog with the debate on health properties of TVP or other soy based products. I will simply say soy based products (in my view) are wayyy better than the dollar menu items, and generally exceedingly better than your average hamburger meat found at a local grocer. 

So, I ordered a case of Bobs Red Mill TVP from Amazon. We have used textured vegetable protein over the years on a small scale. But, wanting to eat better on a smaller budget brought us to looking closer at TVP. 

I need to share with you my thoughts on *most* ground beef. NASTY. I saw the pink slime news article. Ewwww! I know that I am not a fan of it. I bought high dollar organic beef locally at a grocery store. I bought a lot of it in my zeal one day. The texture and appearance was awful. NASTY, again. I think getting a piece of gristle is nasty, and the same goes for bone. Yuck-o. I will also say the treatment of the animals, the hormones and medications all make me weary of a lot of meats, too. 

Quality beef is out there........

 I do drive to Whole Foods (~1.5 hours away one way) to stock up because I very, very, very much like their meats,and how they package them in reasonable sized packages that I can easily thaw. I stand firm in saying their prices are very fair for the high quality you get. I love the choices in "grades" of animal treatment you can choose from Whole Foods. However it is just not always feasible to get down there to do that. (I have only a small freezer atop my fridge, so I can only store so much frozen food)

So, my options aside from continuing to consume a ground meat product that was both unhealthy, unpleasant,& overpriced, was grinding my own meats or going beef-less. I decided I don't mind at all grinding my own meats for special meals like hamburgers or things where the meat would be the "star" but what about lunches and dinners I needed to be done ASAP? My answer...TVP! 

Here it is dry.....

It cooks very, very quickly. It takes on flavor very well. It is neutral in flavor before seasoned, sort of like oatmeal or tofu. 

Yesterday for lunch we had tacos. I made the "filling" out of tvp and taco seasoning. I also added in beef bullion. My kids really liked it!!! Some of them dislike "non standard stuff" but they ate, ate, and ate these! 

Today my son wanted pasta. So I made a crazy fast sauce using TVP...they all liked it, too!

The texture cooked is soft, yet firm...akin to ground beef. It does not get gelatinous like oats. 

It does not have to be refrigerated prior to cooking, so it is easy to store. (I do store my Bobs Red Mill goods in my fridge as space allows for longevity)

So I am thrilled to have found new uses for this inexpensive yet good product. I look forward to finding more ways for use in quick meals. 

Wheat perfected....

This has been one of my most enjoyable new menu additions over the last months. It is bulgur wheat, lime juice, tomatoes, cukes or peppers as I have them, seasonings, olive oil, and chopped parsley. It is so addictive. And yummy. And healthy. And filling. And refreshing in the hot weather.And it keeps really well!!! Does it get better than that? 

I grow my own parsley. It has done very well. Then we had a, uhm, a cluster, a colony, a flock...well I don't know what a group of caterpillars is called, but we had one. We keep the parsley on the deck, so I was surprised they found it....here they are....they left nothing but stubs basically! It grew back rather fast, I was munching on some recently.

Grocery shopping checkout surprise!

Today was my "big" grocery shop for the month. I went with my list (prior post) and stuck to it for the most part. 

I had budgeted $260-ish pre tax.There were some things the store did not have, or was out of stock on. I did buy a thing or two that was not on the list, and two of my kids bought candy, which they will pay me back for (I try to detour them from candy purchases too often, but it's their money and I do allow it about once a month...so they stock up!!) But I did not really expect this.....

I was excited!!!! Every coupon listed there I found in the store. We do tip the baggers at our store because they offer full carry out service. Today I paid them $5. 

Good food, fast and for about $5!

Today was grocery shopping day. It was not fully planned. Yesterday I thought we would go. Everyone ate and had full tummies. Then we ended up not going. Today, we ended up going on "empty" stomachs. But with list in hand, we made it with no "hunger" shopping impulse purchases!!! 

Anyhow, I was going to get us a snack at the drive thru on the way home. We just didn't stop...no one asked, so I just went home. Well, by this time I was Hungry! In about 30/45 min I made this fast, cheap, and good meal. And there was hardly any clean up....a big time good thing! 

A pre scliced ham, homemade Mac and cheese, and corn. 

I first boiled the noodles, then made a base with butter and flour....

Then I added cold milk.....and stirred over low heat till thickened....

Then I added cheeses.....

Then added back in the cooked noodles....

Yummy, and by making a base, your cheese goes a long way and is creamy and gooey!

The ham went into the microwave....

Then the corn had a warming season...

I had lettuce, too. I had thought I was craving iceberg and purchased some today. Incorrect! I remember now why we prefer darker salads! But I am thankful to have had it. 

So, in a short time, with just 3 dirty bowls, we had a meal that left all with full tummies. The cost was around $5 for everything (I made a pound of dry noodles). Not too bad and much better than the drive thru! 

How I grocery shop

Warm welcomes to you. You might have landed here because you are curious how others food shop. I have read a bit over the years about how others shop on a budget. From coupon queens to fly-by-the-seat-of-your- pants, there are many methods for how folks shop. I find that generally those on strict budgets, and especially those with larger families on budgets, tend to plan much better. 

I have to admit, I went years with the unbridled shopping method. I went,I saw, I bought. Then I would get home, and though the deals I got were splendid often and had made me swoon in the store, I would still find gaps in the items I needed vs what I had purchased. So a other trip to the store would usually follow a " big" grocery shop. It was fun, but not a great use of time and money.

Now, with so many goals....budget, homemade, good for you....I have returned to list shopping. 

Fear not to those who,like me, are not desiring to be burdened by a list. Though it takes planning, and a dose of self control in the store, it is very liberating in the end!! I tried it out a few months ago. I typically spent over $200 each "big" trip to the store I would say. Followed by several smaller,yet expensive trips during the week. But this time I took my well thought out list and I left with most all I needed for $130-ish if I recall correctly. 

Our total budget for food this month, hopefully we can do it!

Of all the things I have seem on how people plan, I have not seen this method to my knowledge...maybe I should take a hint on why this is not a popular method, lol!!!! But it works for me.

I make a list based on the sections of the store we shop...this is dairy.I have an idea of how much these items typically cost at my regular store. For example, I don't budget HOW much butter I need, I budget how MUCH I can spend on it. I know I am likely to have enough at $5,but if it is on sale I get to either stock up or save. But I know that $5 is my limit. I can choose the best price in store on that day of any brand I like. 

 I don't shop sales for things I would not generally buy, usually. For example, Hamburger Helper is not something I use because I can make it so much healthier and cheaper from scratch. So I don't care if it's on sale. I try to shop staples that are at a lowest or good price.  So, I am not reliant on sales as much for the bulk of my list thus lessening my time spent on planning and shopping. This is allowing me a semi-regular cost each trip. In fairness, I do like sales and coupons and will use them,but never want to be bound to them to make it thru the month if possible. (We move a lot, and have lived from the east to west coasts, FYI).

  

I want to shop "big" once a month, just getting fresh fruits and veggies between. However, my freezer does not allow me that luxury, and the space for another freezer is just not available currently. (I had a beauty of a stand up freezer in my past....I miss it!) So I highlight the things I can only get half of for this trip. This (ABOVE)  is my entire "big shop" list for all but produce, milk, and things I list as "optional" for the month. I allotted about $220 this month.

This (below) is my veggie/ optional  list for about 2 weeks. That brings me to about $266 for the 

month. I also have budgeted for additional things like more milk,lots more veggies, etc ( I have a cucumber addict in my home, as well as monkeys that eat tons of bananas!!!) Then lastly I keep some that is not firmly budgeted....to stock up on things I find at a super good value, or things I buy from Amazon (bobs red mill oats, tvp, etc). Plus we can use that to eat out a quick cheapie meal should the "need" arise.

 

To note,this list makes it low stress and easy as pie to shop. My son {All 4 of my kids go with me to the grocery store 99.98% of the time...it's always been that way...since pregnancy!..Sometimes my older children just wait on me, but we often all go in as a heard! How will kids learn great shopping skills if they don't see us doing it?!? :) } will often carry the list. He tells me how much I have to spend on an item. Then after it is in the cart, it gets crossed off. I have big no surprises at the register usually, and I have plenty of food for delicious, yummy meals!

Happy shopping! 

On hand.....

Having things on hand is, well handy! But it's also important to be able to make do with what you have (assuming your plight is not so harsh as there is nothing left to make do with.)

This weekend we had sleepover. So I had 6 kids to feed,three teens~tweens. Usually I am worn out and prefer to get the cheap-o pizzas that are hot and ready when we have loud late nights. But my budget was so limited, I knew that would not be a good use of my dollars So I looked at what we had...I shopped in my own kitchen! I found pepperoni, carrots, cukes, hotdogs, and chocolate chips. Oh, and Gatorade powder, milk, and popcorn. 

I made homemade pizza pockets. They were so wildly consumed, I made a pizza pie also for those that were hungry. I made chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal peanut-butter carrot chocolate chip cookies. And I also found a recipe  for a corn-dog muffin to use the hotdogs in. I made a veggie plate and then popped some popcorn to leave out because kids stay hungry and like to graze.

I spent far less than getting cheap-o pizzas & sodas. I had cookies left to take to church Sunday to share. Plus I froze some for when our sweet tooth strikes. We had some leftover pizza pie too for lunch yesterday! 

It was encouraging to be able to make a meal for the children that they enjoyed and that stayed on our budget. 

My guess is this....the pioneer people (and many earlier people groups in various nations) did not forgo company (generally) because they did not have a nice "spread", rather they made use of two things....skill and circumstances. And I bet they had wonderful times with friends! 

The Complete Pantry

This week I realized that if you have a pantry with the basics, you can make just about anything within reason whenever it suits your fancy.

We needed snacks this week. I wanted to make cheese it type crackers.....it only takes 3 things to make cheese crackers! We also enjoy bread and cookies to munch on.  It brought home how easy it is to make just about anything so very inexpensively <and much better for you> and so very quickly when you are well prepared. (List follows pictures)

Here is what I consider a well stocked,useful pantry for those on a tight budget...quantities would vary depending on budget, space, and other factors. But if you just had enough for a week, it would afford you a lot of options for meals. The list looks long, but it can be purchased for much less money for your yield than boxed meals,or prepacked items. 

Flour
Yeast
Salt

Baking soda
Oil
Dried beans
Rice
Pasta
Dried milk

Several types of canned vegetables

Canned tomatoes

Sugar

Bullion

Gravy mixes

Raisins or dried cranberries

Oats

Tomato paste

Pepperoni

Chocolate chips or cocoa powder (some say this is not for a budget! I say sometimes you need to allow yourself something enjoyable to help lift your spirit)

Canned variety of fruits 

TVP

(Cold pantry staples)

Butter

Cheese (Parmesan is a good choice to add a lot of flavor, too)

Frozen veggies, assorted

Frozen meats, assorted

Eggs

Yogurt (just one small tub....for a starter)

This if your budget permits more...what my pantry is stocked with currently...in addition to above:

Honey

Brown Sugars

Freeze dried fruits

Dehydrated vegetables

Canned soups

Instant potatoes

Peanutbutter

Bran

Coconut

Agave

Flax

Shortening

Coconut oil

Jam

Baking spray

Baby foods (to add to baked goods for added moisture and nutrition)

Gatorade

Tea

Goya seasonings 

Knorr bullions

Flavored TVP

Frozen bananas (I buy and freeze when they are marked down)

Various condiments

Powdered sugar

Molasses

Various spices and extracts

Perishables:

Sour cream

Cream cheese

Fresh fruits 

Carrots, onions, potatoes, and celery

Orange juice