To blsdmama about your cutting grocery reply

[momee]

I appreciated many many things in your saving money post.

 

Here's a ? though -

what does this look like exactly...

"Cereal - Don't buy it. Instead think whole grains - steel cut oats, rice, quinoa, barley, etc for breakfast.

Lunch - simple, light, protein.

Supper - Remember vegetables with meat on the side not the other way 'round."

 

I don't know how to do quinoa or barley for breakfast though I have both on hand and do know how to cook them in a grain salad. Also, what is a simple light protein (and served on what if we're not doing alot of bread) and how 'bout some examples of those veggies with meat on the side?

 

I ask because this is exactly what I've been moving towards and while it has been saving money, I find myself behind the eight ball if I don't plan WAY ahead. You can't just run to the local Food Lion around here and pick up some quinoa, kwim?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

I also appreciate the kick in the pants attitude you bring it all with. Spending my husbands money in a wasteful way is a sin I'm very aware of and trying to stop :)

 

Care to share more specifics on what you are feeding your family? I'm very interested.

[rookie]

I appreciated many many things in your saving money post.

 

Here's a ? though -

what does this look like exactly...

"Cereal - Don't buy it. Instead think whole grains - steel cut oats, rice, quinoa, barley, etc for breakfast.

Lunch - simple, light, protein.

Supper - Remember vegetables with meat on the side not the other way 'round."

 

I don't know how to do quinoa or barley for breakfast though I have both on hand and do know how to cook them in a grain salad. Also, what is a simple light protein (and served on what if we're not doing alot of bread) and how 'bout some examples of those veggies with meat on the side?

 

I ask because this is exactly what I've been moving towards and while it has been saving money, I find myself behind the eight ball if I don't plan WAY ahead. You can't just run to the local Food Lion around here and pick up some quinoa, kwim?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

I also appreciate the kick in the pants attitude you bring it all with. Spending my husbands money in a wasteful way is a sin I'm very aware of and trying to stop :)

 

Care to share more specifics on what you are feeding your family? I'm very interested.

 

 

No advice on quinoa. Just wondering about the bolded sentence. Why is it your husband's money? Isn't it money for the family to be used for the family's needs? I have never heard this before.

 

I am all for not being wasteful of any resource.

[Mejane]

Not blsdmama, but you can take any grain and make it sweet instead of savory just by adding a sugar and/or a sweet fruit. I also assumed she meant something light (like a salad or pita chips or crackers, etc.) with a protein for lunch. I roll tuna up in romaine lettuce leaves. For dinner, roasted vegs are so easy: cut up just about anything - potatoes (white or sweet), carrots, eggplant, brussel sprouts - add some evoo and bake until soft. The other day, I steamed cauliflower, pureed it and added a smidge of parmesan - it tasted like cheesy mashed potatoes - so good!

[5wolfcubs]

Care to share more specifics on what you are feeding your family? I'm very interested.

:iagree: Just had a financial bummer. Two actually.

 

No advice on quinoa. Just wondering about the bolded sentence. Why is it your husband's money? Isn't it money for the family to be used for the family's needs? I have never heard this before.

 

I am all for not being wasteful of any resource.

 

I imagine she meant she wants to be a better steward of "the money my husband worked hard to earn at a job he hates to provide for our family in this dismal economy" -- or something along those lines!

[kmacnchs]

I make our bread products (which makes it really healthy and REALLY cheap) so we do sandwiches for lunch - I guess I'm no help there.

 

For breakfast, we do grain, fruit, and protein - keeps them satisfied for WAAY longer than cereal and WAAY cheaper: oatmeal & applesauce & eggs, boiled egg w/fruit & muffin (we make them ahead, freeze, pop in microwave 25 sec - tastes just like out of the oven), yogurt w/granola & fruit (made ahead & frozen to keep fresh), pancakes & eggs, etc...I know NOTHING about cooking other grains like you suggested but would LOVE to learn!

[Pretty in Pink]

Just prepare your whole grains and dress them like oatmeal - pour a bit of milk over it and stir in some cinnamon & sugar, maple syrup, chopped nuts, seeds, chopped or dried fruit, etc. Yum!

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Quinoa is great for cereal. Be sure to rinse throughly before cooking. If you don't then it will taste bad. I don't add salt for cereal. I just add milk and sugar and fruit perhaps:). It is also high in protein.

 

 

http://www.allergy-details.com/food-allergy/cooking-quinoa/

[momee]

Exactly what I meant...

 

"I imagine she meant she wants to be a better steward of "the money my husband worked hard to earn at a job he hates to provide for our family in this dismal economy" -- or something along those lines! "

[LisaKinVA]

I make our bread products (which makes it really healthy and REALLY cheap) so we do sandwiches for lunch - I guess I'm no help there.

 

I can't seem to make bread cheap. Decent flour costs .25 a cup -- and that's not the really good stuff. A loaf of bread uses 4 cups (that's $1.00, not including time, and other ingredients), and I can pick up whole grain bread at the bread store for .75 a loaf

 

Now, I like the flavor of homemade better... but I'd hardly call it cheaper (at least for us) ;)

[Cinder]

I have nothing to add. I just saw the thread title and thought someone had made a cutting grocery reply rather than a cutting grocery reply.

 

:tongue_smilie:

 

Cinder

[6packofun]

That's what I thought, too, and I'd already popped my popcorn to view the fireworks! LOL

[easygoer]

Of all things, the book Super Baby Food is a nice little tutorial on grains for porridge. She's really into her 'super porriage' idea, which I take some leave some, but she got me trying various grains and grain combinations to eat for breakfast and they were great. Off the top of my head, I think my favorite was quinoa or oatmeal with millet about 4:1 (millet being the 1.) I ground them up, cooked them on the stove, and then put a dollop of whatever you like (nut butter, yogurt, I liked a heaping tablespoon of applesauce or pear sauce.)

 

She had a whole system, though, in terms of storage/prep/saving leftovers. I'm sure it's something you could get from the library.

[kmacnchs]

I can't seem to make bread cheap. Decent flour costs .25 a cup -- and that's not the really good stuff. A loaf of bread uses 4 cups (that's $1.00, not including time, and other ingredients), and I can pick up whole grain bread at the bread store for .75 a loaf

 

Now, I like the flavor of homemade better... but I'd hardly call it cheaper (at least for us) ;)

 

75c a loaf?!?!?! How? Where? Please share!!!

[LisaKinVA]

It's the wonder bakery -- they sell their day-old breads there. I shop the clearance rack, and put it in the freezer (usually no more than a week's worth at a time), get it out as needed, and still soft and ready. Cash only, but it's worth it. My normal day is Wednesday, but if I need Texas Toast to make a freezer full of French Toast, I have to go early on Monday or Thursday to get it... or the restaurants buy it out.

 

They have whole wheat, white whole wheat and whole grain... and much, much more. I just don't buy the Twinkies ;-)

[joannqn]

I can't seem to make bread cheap. Decent flour costs .25 a cup -- and that's not the really good stuff. A loaf of bread uses 4 cups (that's $1.00, not including time, and other ingredients), and I can pick up whole grain bread at the bread store for .75 a loaf

 

Now, I like the flavor of homemade better... but I'd hardly call it cheaper (at least for us) ;)

 

Really? Whole wheat bread made without high fructose corn syrup here runs me $4.49 a loaf.

 

When I'm doing well, a good healthy dinner is exactly what she described. Imagine a garden salad taking up 1/4 of the plate, a cooked vegetable taking up 1/4 of the plate, a side taking up 1/4 of the plate, and a small 3-4 oz serving of meat.

[LisaKinVA]

Really? Whole wheat bread made without high fructose corn syrup here runs me $4.49 a loaf.

 

Costco here even sells whole wheat bread w/o HFCS for $1.75 a loaf (you purchase 2 for $3.49). Nature's Own (national brand) is made without HFCS -- I know there are others too, but that's the brand that comes immediately to mind. Now, Nature's Own is the "light-as-air" whole wheat, to get whole grain is more expensive all the way around, Whole grain Whole Wheat will still cost me close to $2.00 to make (the whole grains aren't cheap).

 

When I bake bread, I do it because it tastes better... fresher, and doesn't have extra preservatives. When I need "cheap" -- I go another route.