DAY 18 - PORK CARNITAS

OH. MY. GOODNESS!

This is too good!!!!  I found mini tortillas and we made tacos.  I can't believe how good this was, as good (or better than) Chipotle's carnitas!

PORK CARNITAS recipe from PaleoBetty.com

2 1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cubed into 1 1/2 in. pieces

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 t. dried Mexican oregano

1 t. ground cumin

1 T. sherry vinegar (I used mirin)

2 t. kosher salt

freshly ground pepper (several twists)

1 yellow onion, quartered

3-4 bay leaves

Place the pork in the crock pot and add the garlic, oregano, cumin, sherry vinegar (or mirin), salt & pepper.  Stir to coat all the pieces.  Then place the onion and bay leaves on the top.  Cook on Low for 6 hours. (mine was probably done just after 5 hours)  I pulled the onions out and served them on the side.  Shred the meat and you are ready to eat!  I also set out colby jack & pepper jack cheese and pico de gallo for our tacos.

My 31 days started here

Fellow 31 dayers here

DAY 17 - WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE ABOUT COOKING

I didn't realize it would be so good!  I prefer my teriyaki chicken to any restaurant....same with my lettuce wraps, honey bourbon chicken, soups, etc.  I also find it enjoyable to make food I didn't think I could.  Recently I made pretzel dogs and was so impressed with myself.  They tasted so good.  I've discovered I love being creative with what's in my fridge.  I try to have plans in advance for dinner, but lunchtime is a great time for that creativity.  I look through the fridge and see what components I have, then come up with something yummy.  Like this hash - diced potatoes, mushrooms, spinach and an egg on top.

 or Peaches Foster over French Toast

Pizza for dinner, then open-faced pizza sandwich for lunch!

 Now I'm getting hungry!  I'm so excited for the recipe I'm trying tomorrow - slow cooker pork carnitas.

Happy Cooking.

My 31 days started here

Fellow 31 dayers here

DAY 16 - WHERE I SHOP

No matter what my budget, I've always shopped at different stores.   I look through the grocery ads and shop the best sales.  Some weeks I just need a few items to get by and may only visit a store or two.  Other weeks I may be running low on lots of items and need to stock up at different stores.  Here are some of my regular stops.

REGULAR GROCERY STORES

(Fry's, Safeway, Albertson's, Bashas', Fresh & Easy)

I generally shop the sales and only what I need for my menu plan.  If I'm short on time, I can pick one store and just get my shopping done quick.

COSTCO

Yes, I realize that it costs $55/year to shop here, but I think it's worth it.  Not only do I buy groceries here, but we buy gasoline, eyeglasses, Christmas gifts, clothes, and books.  (Plus - food samples....my kids really love these!)  These are my regular buys:  2 lb. block of cheese (cheddar and mozzerella), turkey bacon or breakfast sausage, 6 lbs. tortilla chips (3 - 2lb. bags), 5 dozen eggs (local), 2.5 lb. spinach or 3 lb. broccoli, and Kirkland's mayo.  Plus, my family loves to eat lunch or dinner here. 

PRO'S RANCH MARKET

I come to this Mexican market for all my tortillas - corn and flour.  You won't get a fresher tortilla and they have great prices.  They also have great weekly sales on lots of produce like cilantro, avocados, tomatoes, limes, green onions, and tomatillos.

LEELEE'S  INTERNATIONAL MARKET

I buy my soy sauce, veggies, rice noodles, rice paper wrappers and produce here. 

 

SPROUTS

I love their selection and sale prices on their fruits and veggies and they have double ad Wednesdays!  Their bulk bins have been a lifesaver for me!  Occasionally I want to try a new recipe, but it may have a more expensive ingredient.  Taking just what I need from the bins has saved me money and allowed me to explore other recipes that I wouldn't be able to if I had to buy a larger portion of that ingredient.  It's also allowed me to spoil my kids with a portion of their favorite treat.  Everyone gets what they want and I didn't break the bank.

 SUPERSTITION RANCH MARKET
Tons of fruits and veggies at incredible prices!  If you live in the east valley in Arizona, I recommend going.

WINCO 

They just opened up in the east valley a couple of weeks ago.  I'm not sure how often I'll go, but I do love all their bins!  It's fun to see what they have and to be able to buy in any portion I want.  My best buy was bay leaves.  I put about 20-25 bay leaves from the bin section into a small bag, it cost me $0.04!!!  LOVE!

Happy Shopping!

My 31 days started here

Fellow 31 dayers here

MENU IN REVIEW - Oct. 8 - Oct. 14

Mon. 
Simple Spaghetti with Garlic Bread 
Tues. 
Cheese Crisps 
Wed.
Take out (it's fall break!) 
Thurs.
Take out (fall break....still) 
Fri. 
Pizza 
Sat.
We ate apples and buttermilk syrup today....heaven! 
Sun.
Family get together to celebrate Asher's birthday - Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Crinkle Cut Fries, & Steamed Broccoli

Boy....this was not a very budget minded week!  It's a good thing we could add to the budget during fall break.  School starts back on Wednesday, we'll be back to a good schedule this week.

DAY 15 - PLANNING YOUR MENU

(pork roast and roasted potatoes)

I've already talked about my theme nights and given lots of recipes.  Today it's all about finalizing your menu for the week.  Here are some guidelines I use:
Look to the grocery ads.  For example, 10 lb. bag of potatoes for $0.99, guess what will be on our menu!  Recently there was a sale on different cuts of meat for $1.99/lb and I stocked up - as much as I can.
What does your week look like?  Busy week ahead, you probably need to use the crock pot more, have much simpler meals like sandwiches or cook during the day and reheat at dinner time.  Another solution would be to cook a lot on one day and have foods ready to go in the fridge.  For example, cook up a lot of chicken or ground beef, then package in the fridge and put dinner together quickly through the week with the pre-cooked ingredient.
The weather or the seasons.  A cold, rainy day = Grilled Cheese and Soup.  Hot summer day = A Salad and lots of cold Watermelon.  Fall = Pumpkin anything!  Just as we generally make turkey on Thanksgiving, we generally have favorite meals/foods to go with the weather/seasons.  Embrace the weather, embrace the holidays and embrace what's growing in each season!
Cravings or family's requests.   This is easy enough.  Hopefully, the craving/request is something you can afford that week. 
Try a new recipe.  Sometimes I just look at the week ahead and don't feel inspired.  Finding a new recipe to try out is just what I need.  The best part is when it's successful.  I even have a board labeled Pinterest Success.  It holds all the recipes I've tried and were a success for our family.  I mean, who couldn't use another recipe in their repertoire.  Don't know where to find a new recipe....go here for some inspiration.
Remember - Flexibility!  The best plans get interrupted by many things - sickness, car troubles, school projects, losing track of time while visiting with friends, etc.  The way to not stress when these things happen, having at least one good back-up plan.  My go-to-last-minute meal is Breakfast for Dinner. (or as it was called on Scrubs - Brinner!)  It's easy, it's quick and inexpensive.  We generally make waffles or pancakes and eggs, occasionally turkey bacon.  Of course, you could opt for just eggs and toast.  Another quick, easy and inexpensive meal is spaghetti - a package of noodles and a bottle of sauce.  Simple, simple, simple.  If you have the time/money, add a loaf of bread and a small salad. 

(Chocolate Chip Pancakes)
My 31 days started here

Fellow 31 dayers here

DAY 14 - MY SECRET INGREDIENT

 

I've learned many things from the past 2 1/2 years and gratitude is at the top of the list.  I'm grateful that we have a grocery budget, even if it is small.  I'm grateful that I know how to cook.  I'm grateful that I have lots of kitchen appliances/tools to play work with.  I'm grateful that my family doesn't have food allergies.

   

No matter what we've had, it's always been enough.  Just when I needed a little give in my budget, something would always give.  These are some of the blessings we've experienced at those times:

sudden invitation to a friend's for dinner

dinner at a church activity

a family was moving out of state, didn't want to pack their food, it came to us

my cousin received a turkey from work, knew she wouldn't make it, 

passed it on to us

major sale at the grocery store

my mom asked me to make the Thanksgiving dinner and bought the groceries

I've found temporary work at times to help fill in gaps

 

 I've loved finding these statistics.  I've told my children countless times that have more than the majority of the people on the planet.  If you have running water and more than one food to eat every day, you are living in luxury.

 

 Not everyone is dealing with a minimal budget, there are so many difficulties in life.  No matter what we are facing, I'm convinced that gratitude can bless our lives.  It has for me.  It puts whatever I'm facing into perspective.  No matter what is going on in your life...

I truly believe this.

What in your life could benefit from a little gratitude?

My 31 days started here

Fellow 31 dayers here

DAY 13 - RECIPE RESOURCES

(my cabbage salad, little bit of cottage cheese and two slices of oat bran bread - YUM)

It's not hard to find recipes today.  You can search the internet for a specific recipe and many options are at your fingertips.  You can also type in a specific food.  For example, I had some red cabbage in my fridge and didn't know what I was going to make.  I searched red cabbage recipes and found many different recipes.  Then I let my preference (and ingredients on hand) that day dictate what recipe I would try - the Tassajara Warm Red Cabbage Salad.  (it was delicious by the way)  What if you're new to cooking, where do you begin?  I'll tell you how I evolved in my cooking skills.  I didn't know how to cook when I was first married.  One of the first recipes I felt confident with was BBQ Chicken Drumsticks - Drumsticks in a casserole dish, pour BBQ sauce on them, bake.  Even that simple recipe was stressful in the beginning.  I don't think I would have dared trying a recipe out of a magazine back then.  Forward a couple of years later, I would meet the women at church monthly for dinner and mini classes.  The best part was they handed out the recipes for the meal we ate.  It was just the boost my cooking needed.  I knew I liked the food and what it should look like, I felt confident I could be successful....and I was!  Soon I was venturing out to "unknown" recipes, taking chances.  This led to sharing more recipes with friends and family, attending cooking classes, going to a cooking club, watching Food Network and reading cookbooks. 

(I still can't believe I made this!  Rosemary Potato Pizza - DELICIOUS!)

 My favorite resources for recipes:
Family & Friends!
Church Cookbooks - any church.  They are the best cookbooks and I have a handful of them.  If your church doesn't have one, ask your friends or go to a used bookstore - they have lots of them.
Cooking Magazines - lots to choose from.  Pick one that interests you or visit their website.
Cooking Shows - they're everywhere.  Network TV, PBS, Food Network, etc. 
Food Blogs and Pinterest
Borrow Cookbooks at the Library - great resource!
Have fun and happy cooking!

My 31 days started here

Fellow 31 dayers here