Pre-Ideas

Ground Meat(Turkey or Beef) From this ingredients you may ask what could I make?

Taco Meat

• Tacos
• Taco Cups (using cheap 46 cent canned buscuit place in a muffin ungreased muffin cup top with taco meat and cheese. Bake 400 for 15 mins top before serving top with salsa or sour cream etc)
  
• Taco Salad ( Broken up tortilla chips, Lettuce, Taco Meat, Green onions, etc Serve)
• Taco Pizza (1 loaf of French Bread cut in 1/2 top with taco meat, cheese add extras like olives green onions)
• Wonton Taco Wraps (roll taco meat and cheese in 2 wonton wraps deep fry serve with rice, beans, salsa)
• Taco Meat and Lentil Tacos use 1/2 and 1/2 to cut down on $$
• Taco Meat over Potatoes with cheese and toppings
• Taco Meat over nachos :)

Sloppy Joes on buns or Taco shells

Hamburgers

Meatloaf

MeatBalls

Spaghitti Sauce with ground meat or Meat balls

• Baked Ziti
  
• Lasagna
• Spaghitti
• Meatball Sandwich

Make dinner fun check out a few family websites for ideas. Remember Ants on a Log someone just got creative and you loved it as a kid so bring these ideas back to dinner

Prices and Tips I have used along the way

I try to create meal plans around what I can find a the store as well as what sounds good.

I also purchase food at Dollar Stores, Walmart, Asian/Middle Eastern Market and a regular store chains.The biggest thing for me is budgeting and trying my best to stick to it does it work every time NO!! I have the I want this and that issue just like every family out there but I just have to try harder next time. I also need to start using coupons. $2.00 for a Sunday Paper.

1. First our Walmart will add match other local stores prices on sale items so that helps me from going to 1 or 2 extra stores. So I use this website to view ads each week http://www.sundaysaver.com/
   
2. I pick up sale items as needed, seperate and freeze as needed but more important I add it to my master list of food inventory. ( I use my computer to type and change as needed) That way I can take the list with me when I go shopping ( ok I try to remember it)
3. I also pick up Milk when on sale and cheese. I also pick up a medium size box of powdered milk ( mix 1 qt at a time in the refig and use in recipes as well as I mix 1/2 c reg and 1/2 powdered milk to drink with chocolate syrup been using this with my picky kid for years:)
4. I also have a list of all the foods we like to eat. ( Sorta a Menu)
5. My new goal is to take and create list of the foods I purchase be it Toothpaste to Turkey and create a master list so I can price match quicker for shopping I will always know 8 oz tomato sauce cans are 50 cents/30 cent and 79 cents at these 5 stores if I create a list plus it helps budgetting.
6. Recently I have notice a trend here in AZ that the stores are trying to get you in to shop by special ads be it a 3 day sale or a $1.00 sale but you must remember a few tips 1 are you going to use that item, 2 can you make it cheaper, 3 how many do you already have and 4 do you have a coupon?
7. I recently found this past weekend Rice a Roni on sale for $1.00 a box. I also have a recipe to make homemade Mexican rice so the bag of rice which I already had ( $2.99 for 10 lbs) plus chicken broth ( $1.00 box at the dollar store already had) El Pato Sauce ($1.00 already had) ($5.99 total already purchased on hand ) I made a double batch and I am getting ready to make another tonight and it was free :)
8. I also have been using homemade mixes in place of bottled condiments or dressing (When I make enchilada sauce ($1.00 packet) will make 3 cups. I find that from time to time the local stores will have 2 for 88 cents or 2 for a $1.00 I will stock up. This past weekend I purchased a generic ranch packet (.79 cents) Mixed with items already had in the house 1/2 sour cream 1/2 mayo and 1 cup milk and had dressing all weekend for 79 cents.Plus tasted better. Purchased a four packet box of the same mix for $1.99 to keep on hand.

OAMC

I still have lots of things to use up around the house. I have picked up few treat dinners for the new oven but will get back on track soon. I wanted to share how I would have had to pay $75.30 but paid only $41.02 saved $34.28. Well I could have saved more had I used coupons which I need to get into that as well.

I went to Fry's (Krogers) and purchased

4 (16 oz) Strawberries for $.77 regularly $3.99 saved $12.71 plus tax

2 (5.6 oz) Blackberries for $1.00 regularly $3.99 saved $12.71 plus tax

1 gallon Milk 2% for 99 cents regularly $3.99 saved $3.00 plus tax

4 large Jello Puddings Mixes $1.00 regularly $1.69 saved $2.76 plus tax

2 large Bags of Cereal for $2.50 egularly $3.39 saved $1.78 plus tax

1 Can Comstock Cherry Pie Filling $2.99 egularly $4.49 saved $1.50 plus tax

2 Pkgs Taco Mix 2 for 88 cents regularly $ 1.58 saved $.70 cents plus tax

1 bottle Lawrys Marinade $1.00 reguarly $3.49 saved 2.49 cents plus tax

10 Chicken Thighs $ .77 cents lbs paid $ 2.80 reguarly $4.32 saved $1.52 plus tax

few other items that were not on sale. I think I did well :)

Jokes

Glossary for Computer Lover's Recipes #1

1. ACCELERATOR: Microwave 2. ACCESS DENIED: Diet Time 3. ALT: As in "alt and pepper to taste" 4. ASCII: Callii Tech Support 5. AUTOEXEC.BAT: Cookies in your boss' car 6. BACKSLASH: Do to piecrust before cooking 7. BACKUP: Leftovers 8. BASIC: PBJ Sandwich 9. BATCH: Mess o' 10. BINARY: Buy nary, eat nary 11. BLOCK: Cake baked with no eggs 12. BOOT: Heat your oven 13. CACHE: Do when egg is rolling off counter 14. CAD: Someone who promises to cook, then doesn't 15. CD: When you don't core apples before baking 16. CLUSTER: Kitchen advisors 17. COMMAND: Tell someone else to cook 18. COMPRESS: Knead 19. CONFIG.SYS: Have your sister figure it out 20. COPY: Double recipe 21. CRASH: Drop main course at big dinner party 22. CTRL: What you lose after crashing 23. CURSOR: Who you are after crashing 24. CUSTOMIZE: Add sprinkles 25. DATA: Sort-a like-a fig-a 26. DEBUG: Check the flour before using 27. DIP-SWITCH: What you do when you're out of salsa 28. DIRECTORY: De place where de priest lives 29. DOCUMENT: Small, after-dinner candy 30. DOS: Dine Or Starve 31. DOT MATRIX: Dorothy's mother 32. DOWNLOAD: Pour batter into pan 33. DOWNTIME: Time while brownies are baking 34. DRAG: Time while brownies are baking

Beginning Tips to Once a Month Cooking.

These are the tips I found that helped me.

1. Get a blank calendar (under my file share I post a quick one that you can use)
2. Do a food inventory of all food in the house and there locate ( freezer, 1 st cabinet etc ) this will help you use up food you already have first as you plan the other meals.
3. Decide what meals your family likes to eat that you can freeze. (7-10 recipes) Examples : Tacos, Lasagna, Hamburgers, Meatloaf, Baked Ziti, etc
4. Then create a shopping list that works for you. (Mine I break down Wal-Mart and Dollar Store I go to Wal-Mart first then to the Dollar Store I pretty much purchase the same items every shopping trip so I have that worked out.)
5. Pick a day to go shopping by your self, then set your prep day next then your cook day with no family in the way just you baking and dinner being ordered.
6. The first time I did this I only used a Toaster oven, Crockpot, Skillet, Food Processor so you can do it better and quicker then I did .
7. Figure out which recipe you may need to cook in the crockpot ( 10 chicken breast for 4 meals using shredded chicken)
8. Review some of the websites I have listed hit the local Libraries for books
9. Variety so we decide the night before what meal will be thawed the for dinner the next day
   
10. You will also stretch your budget some if you decide once a week to eat out you will still have 4 meals extra :) or if you planned to have Taco's and went to your friends BBQ now you have an extra meal.
11. See Sample Menu this may assist you understanding (under my file share)
12. Don't stress when your first meal plan goes haywire or a meal you planned didn't work as planned trial and error that is why do meals you like and know and maybe 1 meal a week can be a New Recipe Trial & Error Night not 7 nights of that.:)

REMEMBER: STRESSED SPELLED BACKWARDS IS DESSERTS.

THIS MADE ME LAUGH FOUND IT AT http://www.e-cookbooks.net/humor.htm#Pickup

DIET FOR STRESS: This diet is designed to help you cope with the
stress that builds up during the day.

Breakfast:

1/2 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
8 oz. skim milk

Lunch:
4 oz. lean broiled chicken breast
1 cup steamed spinach
1 cup herb tea
1 Oreo cookie

Mid-Afternoon snack:
The rest of Oreos in the package
2 pints Rocky Road ice cream, nuts, cherries and whipped cream
1 jar hot fudge sauce

Dinner:

2 loaves garlic bread
4 cans or 1 large pitcher Coke
1 large sausage, mushroom, and cheese pizza
3 Snickers bars

Late Evening Snack:
Entire frozen Sara Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from freezer)

Additional Rules for this Diet:
1. If you eat something and no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.
2. When you eat with someone else, calories don't count if you do
not eat more than they do.
3. Food used for medicinal purposes NEVER count, such as hot chocolate,
brandy, toast and Sara Lee Cheesecake.
4. If you fatten up everyone else around you, then you look thinner.
5. Things licked off knives and spoons have no calories if you
are in the process of preparing something.
6. Anything consumed while standing has no calories. This is due
to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.
7. Anything consumed from someone else's plate has no calories
since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and
will cling to his/her plate.

REMEMBER: STRESSED SPELLED BACKWARDS IS DESSERTS.

French Bread Pizza

Here is the first meal I made and have many more in my mind.

Tomorrow night is Taco in a Cup. Making them with full size biscuits.

I just can't wait :)

Foot Long Carrot

My carrot I purchased to make a nice quick carrot cake what you think?

It is over a foot long ;)

THANK YOU " AR MEMBERS"

I just wanted to take the time to thank any and all AR members for putting up with me for over the last year trying to cook with out working oven and trying to assist with new SKILLET, CROCKPOT and YES my Fave the Toaster Oven. 

I will have to learn to recook in an oven that is set for the right temp my toaster oven poor thing..only goes to 350*F on a good day :) I will miss him dearly but will look for a new Toaster oven at the thirft store in the weeks to come right now I can't wait to try out my new toy.But it is 1921 ( 7PM) here) and I am off to bed soon.

Plus just think about the quicker meal prep now for OAMC cooking:)

Kitchen Remodel

Update on the KItchen Remodel

Well we cut the counter top took out the extra gas line.

Cut the cabinet and now we have to put a few repairs ( build a few braces to keep a few things in place so the whole counter doesn't fall down.

Then comes putting then new stove /oven in . I can't wait the have a new oven.

I want to be able to save even more $$$$$$ being able to bake cookies, brownies, pizzas etc quicker /Larger quanities and just plan be able to..

I will miss the creativity of having to cook only with my Crockpot, Stove top and the toaster oven.

Wish me luck...

Home Life

Well things went semi ok with OAMC cooking however I still went for random things. But I need to get a better plan this time around :) Plus hopefully by monday I will have my new stove/oven and I can really bake now I am so looking forward to this.

Home Life

Well my home life got crazy on Thursday. Decided to buy a pizzas with breadsticks ( $14) and I had earlier in the week purchased a can of pizza sauce for this day which cost was pretty good for a 28 oz can $1.30.

That all went well except I got sick a few hours later went to bed at 5 PM and slept like a baby until I got up at 2 am to go to work.I think my not sleeping enough caught up with me. I work 40 a week getting up at 2 in the morning and going to bed at night at 8 PM. You see I take care of my daughter who is currently staying at Grandma's house due to a surgery on her foot she was born 17 years ago with a birth defect called Bilateral club feet as most know from AR she just had surgery in Jan 09 to starting the last I hope phrase of surgeries to correct the issue we had to wait until her feet stop growing to do the surgery. I will listed a link that explains her birth defect and shows pictures of kids with it. So I have been working very hard being a mother :) . Guess what she plans to come home for a few days this weekend and I needed to get the house cleaned ( floors etc) for her Germ free zone so I had to clean her room which was teenager nightmare got to love teenager rooms, clean the walk ways and bathroom and kitchen the common areas she will be in alot over the weekend. Plus fold like 10 loads of laundry, cook and take her to the Dr office Friday ( yesterday) for an update on the foot. Good News it is finally healing as it had not been. So last night had to pick up all the stuff at grandma's including , wheelchair, walker, crutches and kid stuff to bring her home :) Plus get this I forgot about dinner Yes dinner!!

So my plan was Taco Salad I just had to pick up 2 ingredients Turkey meat and Catalina dressing. So I ran in the store and bought one and not the other left the parking lot and remebered had to turn around go back. Got to love when you forget :)

Dinner Life

Monday- Left over chicken made 2 casserole enchiladas one green Chile for me and one red for him.

Tuesday and Wednesday- OAMC meatloaf /OAMC Baked Ziti/ Salad with a 46 cent can of biscuits fixed up dipped in butter sprinkled with spices and dressed to show with mozzarella cheese.

I stopped in at Smart and Final to check prices and purchased a few items that I need for the

upcoming month since it was payday.

• 10 lbs of rice $3.99
  
• 5 lbs of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese placed 1/2 in the freezer get this $7.99
• 32 oz can of pizza sauce for $1.29 to use for dipping bread sticks in :)
• 3 lb bag of Salad for $ 1.99

Dinner Time For Saturday & Sunday

Well I decided to use the pre-cooked chicken and make BBQ chicken for Saturday. It was really good just heated the chcken in the skillet poured in a bottle of BBQ from the pantry ( still trying to use pantry items to clean it out NOT doing so well since I went shopping and seen a few extra specials and bought more items lol) the since I had small tortillas laying around so I used those and rolled the BBQ in them. I made homemade mexican rice and used that as a side dish. It took less then 30 mins. Quick and Simple.

Sunday I had still left over pre-cooked chicken so I made Red Chile Chicken enchildas for Fiance' in a 8 X 8 pan and for me I decided to go crazy and do Sour Cream Green Chlile Chicken enchildas. Both of these took 30 mins a piece to cook and look good. Served with the left over homemade mexican rice. 

Guess what I have leftover's  for dinner tomorrow night as well :) So I am doing really good :)

OAMC TIPS

I just went exploring today at Smart & Final store to do some price checking..

These are the things I found.. to help me cut some prices out of things.

1. 1 gallon for dish soap for under $5.00
2. 3 lbs of pre-chopped onions for $3.89 but no tears !!
3. 6lbs can of spaghetti sauce for $5.50
4. 6lbs can of Tomato Sauce/Tomatoe Puree/Crushed Tomatoes for under $3.00 a can
   

FAMILY LIFE

This week was slow. Plus even thou I had meals in the freezer. Just nothing sounded good. Weird huh. I have about 25 meals left until I need to cook again. Which to me sounds and looks great. I am so addicted to this new meal idea that I have been reading books at the library and surfing the net to get as many meal ideas as I can so I can precook for 1- 2 months and not have to worry about the what is for dinner game any more when my daughter returns home again. This will make daily meal time even more less stressful for everyone. Plus we don't have to worry about running to the store ever night. Got to love that..

Fiance' Strikes Again

Well my Oamc cooking was going well until my dear Fiancé forgot to pull out the frozen dinner. So I need to stop at the store anyway to pick up lettuce anda few other items and found Boneless, skinless chicken breast big pieces for 5 breasts

for $5.43. (1.97lbs) Great deal at Fresh and Easy a local store that has food on

clearance/marked down when it is close To expire. However these packages of chicken are good until

April 8th next week. Plus there weekly chicken special on the breast were posted

as 2.67 lbs so I got it cheaperThere chicken is my fave it is large, moist and 1 breast and

feed my and my Fiancé a nice dinner usually they are so big.Can't wait to Crockpot them tomorrow to chop/shredded and

pre cook a few Oamc meals.Tomorrow after work. Now I have to find a few recipes to

make.