Aldi Challenge, First Recipe....

Yesterday I was hungry but didn't want to make a big mess.  Such is my life, being the messy chef that I am....

*Note to Self...copyright and pitch the show "The Messy Chef" to Food Network


Cue the one pot meals.  I love these kinds of meals.  Everything in one pot means less dishes that need to be cleaned and put away. 

I checked my fridge and my haul from Aldi's, and I found some ground beef and some beautiful looking green peppers.  I knew that I had some frozen peas, some onion, some pasta sauce and some quinoa (again, I could have purchased these at Aldi's but I didn't want to be wasteful).

 

The choice was obvious....


STUFFED PEPPERS!!!!!!

So here's what I did

Ingredients
Approximately 1 lb ground beef (I used 80/20)
1 cup frozen peas
1 small onion chopped
2 medium green peppers, sliced in halves
2 cups pasta sauce
11/2 cup quinoa
1 tbsp. butter
4 slices provolone cheese (optional)


Directions

1.  Cook quinoa according to package directions.  Set aside

2. Heat butter in a sauce pan.  Add onions and cook until translucent. 
3. Add ground beef and brown until done.  Drain off excess grease (optional)
4. Add pasta sauce and peas.  Simmer for approximately 10 minutes, stirring mixture.

5.  Combine quinoa and meat mixture.  Mix thoroughly.
6.  Spoon mixture into green peppers halves.  Transfer to a baking dish.  Add enough water to cover
     the bottoms of the peppers.
7.  Cook on 375 for approximately 45 minutes or until pepper is tender. 
8.  Add optional cheese to tops of peppers 10 minutes before removing from the oven.

 

 

This recipe gave me a TON of leftover mixture.  I froze half of what remained for another night.  The rest I gave to my kids, who do not enjoy eating peppers.  They chose to top their mixture with "Chinese cheese" which to the layman is grated parmesan in a shaker. 

It was super tasty and super filling.  Cost wise, here is the breakdown:

Ground Beef: $4.35 (but more like$2.20 because I had leftovers)
Green Peppers: 66 cents
Peas:  50 cents for a can (based off prices at Aldi)
Pasta Sauce: $1.50 (based off prices at Aldi)
Onion: 50 cents (based off prices at Aldi)


*The quinoa I used I could not find at my store.  I will have to look for it again on my next trip.  I paid approximately $10 for a 2 lb bag, of which I used approximately 1 cup, bringing my cost to roughly $2 for the quinoa.

That brings my grand total for this meal to $9.51, leaving off the provolone cheese (which I don't have a price for), which I will divide in half, since I have leftovers.  The total cost is $4.75.  That fed two hungry adults, and two not so hungry kiddos. 

WOW!  I can't believe how little it cost to make so much!  As you can see, one pepper half is enough for me.  My husband ate 2, and we had one half leftover.  The meal is full of vegetables (I count 4 different vegetables, which includes the tomato sauce), protein and vitamins and minerals.  It's quick and easy, and involves minimal dishes. 

Let me know what you think of the recipe! 

TOMORROW NIGHT:  Turkey kielbasa, sauerkraut and sautéed spinach, all purchased at Aldi

April is Aldi Month...

A few weeks (could it be months?) ago, I said that I would take on the challenge of shopping exclusively at Aldi for my families groceries.  Well ladies and gents, week one of that challenge has begun!

This Saturday, I spent a quick trip shopping at my local Aldi store, located in Plattsburgh, NY.  And by quick I mean run through the aisles with my ASD son in the cart hoping to get everything I needed.  Well, I did.  Almost.  The few things I left off the list I picked up today, bringing my grand total of shopping to just under $120.  For a family of five.  For a week. 

Now, I wanted to be as authentic as possible, so I bought things that I would need for the week even though they were already in my pantry; things such as cereal, some canned goods and other items.  I did NOT buy condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo) because those things have a shelf life and I didn't want to open a new container when I had one at home.  Same goes for some of the vegetables I already have in my crisper (Brussels sprouts for dinner tonight!)  Some items I could not purchase at Aldi, like the meal replacement shakes my husband and I enjoy for breakfast or the particular brand of yogurt I enjoy.  Those items I picked up at my usual place.  Just a caveat to my methods, friends.

What I DID buy is listed on my receipt:

But if you don't have magnifying spectacles, he's the rundown:

Meats/Dairy
     - 1 package of 16 ground beef hamburgers
     - 1 package of turkey kielbasa
     - 1 package of chicken breasts (3 breasts in pack)
     - 1 package of 80/20 ground beef (approximately 2.25 lbs)
     - 1 pack of turkey sausages
     - 1 16" cheese pizza
     - 1 package roast beef
     - 1 package shredded cheese
     - 1 package frozen chicken nuggets
     - 1 container Parmesan cheese

Fresh Vegetables/fruit
     - 6 bananas
     - 1 package mushrooms
     - 1 bag baby carrots
     - 1 package of green peppers (3 in pack)
     - 2 packages of zucchini (3 in each)
     - 1 package cucumbers (3 in pack)
     - 1 bag fresh spinach
     - 1 bag spring mix salad
     - 1 medium sized seedless watermelon
    
Canned Goods/Dried Goods
     - 1 can corn
     - 1 jar sauerkraut
     - 1 can tropical fruit salad
     - 1 can sliced beets
     - 1 bag dried lentils
     - 2 cans black beans
     - 1 package whole grain spaghetti
     - 2 cans chicken broth
     - 1 large can organic diced tomatoes

I was also able to purchase snack items for my children (to go in their lunches as well as eat at home) and myself and my husband.  Also, I purchased what I call go-along items for my meals: hamburger buns, taco seasoning.  Round the order out with a bottle of juice and that's what we got for our $120.

I was surprised that I spent that much money, but I had never purchased meats at Aldi before, so that is probably where most of my money went. 

It would have helped me to get to know the store before shopping, as I missed some of my essentials the first time around (couldn't find the tomatoes or chicken broth on the first go).

I would be open to switching brands of items I use (like the yogurt and shakes) as long as it was cost effective, which is really the basis behind this whole "challenge" (if you want to call it that).

I'm excited to see what I can do with these vittles this week.  I will post pictures and recipes for each dinner meal I make, complete with what I used. 

www.aldi.us has an AMAZING box of recipes.  I found a yummy zucchini roll up recipe online that I can't wait to try out. 

Wish  me luck friends!  Stay tuned for more!

Exercising your muscles not your credit cards...

While enjoying my Sunday paper this cloudy winter day, I noticed that most - if not all - of the sales revolved around weight loss equipment.  Sales on dumbells, kettlebells, ellipticals and scores of workout tapes.  A virtual cornucopia of products you NEED to buy if you want to get in shape. 

 

(Buy me!  cries the Total Gym, right before Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks you into submission.)

 

What these big stores DON'T want you to know is that you can do a lot of the exercises they are pushing WITHOUT the big equipment.

 

 

*******PLEASE NOTE:BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY NEW WORKOUT OR EXERCISE ROUTINE, SPEAK WITH YOUR DOCTOR*******

 

Got a second floor to your house or a set of basement stairs?  Perfect, my own private stairmaster awaits me in the comfort and privacy of my home.  I just turn on my MP3 player and my cardio is done for he day.

 

Have some heavy bottles, cans or boxes?  Free weights for free!  My personal favorite is using the bottle of pancake syrup as a free weight.  36 ounces of buttery muscle building.  When I'm comfortable, I plan to graduate to a 12 pack of soda cans. 

 

 

 

(Beefcaaaaaake!)

 

 

If you are like me, you like people yelling at you to "Keep moving!" and "Don't give up!"  Exercise tapes can be fun and help you be successful, but they can also be expensive!  Most retail somewhere in the $15 range, though some can go as high as $30.  I'm not looking to spend any money on anything, whether I use it every day or not.  My local library is a great resource for all things, including VHS (yes, I know it is 2015) and DVDs.  Borrowing tapes is free, plus I get a variety of different kinds of exercises.  Free is for me!

 

So, my loyal readers (and hopefully you are out there) save some cash this Winter, and get creative while you get in shape!

 

 

 

PS - Still in the market for some "new" equipment?  Check out these sites for some great at home fitness deals and tips for those on a budget

 

 

www.freecycle.com - here you can find exercise equipment and or videos that people are looking to GIVE away.  check here before spending any money in the stores.  but buyer beware, and be careful folks!

 

 

www.youtube.com - a plethora of at home workout videos abound on this free site.  pick and choose to make your perfect workout

 

*****ONCE AGAIN PLEASE CONSULT A DOCTOR BEFORE YOU BEGIN ANY EXERCISE ROUTINE******

Welcome Back!

Welcome to 2015!  The  year went by super fast, and I can't believe what has and, more importantly, hasn't been done by the Smith Family. 

The DH and I have been talking recently about plans for the year ahead, and the ones after that.  We've never really been "planners" in the sense of writing things down and sticking to them.  We've always just flown by the seat of our pants and gotten by, even if getting by meant using a credit card to get what we needed/wanted and worrying about the cost later.

We've decided that this year we are going to work toward solvency.  We've got a hefty credit card debt that I'd like to see vanish.  We're not behind on our bills or delinquent, but I'd still like to stop paying interest on a bed I purchased 3 years ago.

(PS - I despise that bed, so still having to pay for it makes me ANGRY!!!!)

 

 

So once again, I invite you to join us on this journey as we work toward getting a better grip on all things financial in our household.

 

Throughout the year you will see posts about saving money, changing spending habits, couponing, and much much more.  So welcome to The Penny Pinchers!

 

Afterthoughts...

I've had some time to digest what I learned from the challenge.  The last few days of the challenge I had to attempt on my own, since my husband and children fervently said "No." to finishing.

What did I learn?  I learned that I am spoiled.  Over the course of the five days, I went out to eat at least one meal on two separate occasions.  I learned that I am NOT as strong as I thought I was.  There were a few sneak cheats during the period, possible because I had not cleared my pantry out before starting the challenge.

There were some positive outcomes.  I learned that I COULD trim my family's food budget down, if I really wanted to do so.  Shopping smart is something that can easily be done if you watch for sales and know how to store food properly - either by freezing, canning or just stock piling.

But not everyone has access to storage, or refrigeration, or the Mega-Sales that I encountered during my LBtL challenge time period.  There are people, both in our own country and in others, that don't have access to any of this.

My goal over the next year is to trim my food budget.  Shop smarter while hopefully eating better.  Processed food is where most of your money goes in a supermarket - things like potato chips, cookies, juices, snack packs, sodas etc.  Those things - for our family - can either be eliminated or made at home for less money with better ingredients.  I'd like to take the money I save and buy some much needed food pantry items to donate to our local pantry.

The point of this challenge was awareness.  To become aware of what many other people in the world have to experience.  As the great Yoda might say, "Aware, I am.  Thoughtful, I must be."

Today was my first day going it alone.  And it is 4:27 and I'm starving.  So starving I just made a peanut butter sandwich.  Don't worry, I haven't gone over my amount today.
*Italics indicate food that was not consumed

Here's the original plan:
Breakfast
1 cup milk  $0.18
1 cup cereal $0.14

Lunch
1 egg $0.13
Mayo $0.05
2 slices bread (wheat) $0.10
1/2 Banana $0.12

Dinner
2 hot dogs $0.13 ($1.00 package divided by 8 = roughly $0.13 per dog)
rice and veg $0.25
corn $0.20

For a grand total of $1.35 for the day.

My plan:

I skipped breakfast, because I don't to eat in the morning, though I did steal about a handful of cheerios (the cereal that was purchased for the challenge) from my kids' bowls. 

For lunch, I didn't enjoy the banana, only eating the sandwich.  This left room for the PB sandwich I just ate.  I also had the milk that would have gone with the cereal with the sandwich.  The PB sandwich would cost me approximately $0.24, which is about what the cereal and banana would have cost me.  Dinner is still on track as is, so that should not change the outcome.

I do still have about $0.15 left if I get hungry.  Though I don't know what I could eat with that.  Maybe a slice of toast with some butter?  But I don't know.  Perhaps that 1/2 banana that I'm hiding away from my children...

I must say, my brain is not functioning.  Simple math problems that I could usually do in my head are harder, even after just one day.  Sad really, but the truth.  I'm very cranky and I've started to develop a migraine.  I also have no get up and go, which is why I chose PB as a snack, as it is a good source of protein. 

I've been drinking a ton of water to stay full, but it is repeating on my a bit.  Too much liquid, not enough solid I guess. 

Onward and upward, lovies!

Follow me on twitter @camp3082

Dissension in the ranks...

Over the weekend my family revolted on me.

While away on my weekly shopping trip, my husband was at home with the three kids.  He, during this time, had to change a messy diaper.  While he was doing this, he sent me a picture of the diaper and complained that the reason for the mess was because of the food we've been eating.  He also told me to bring home food.  Now.

So, as lofty as my ideals were, I've set them aside for my sanity.  I caved and brought home Taco Bell which was summarily devoured as we watched "The Great Muppet Caper" on VHS. 

I've decided to continue the experiment on my own.  I will eat on $1.50 a day for the next 2-3 days.  I'll see how long I can last. 

I will say that we have learned a lot in the few days that we've done this.  My husband constantly fighting back "But we're not poor!"  I've found that living in the US gives us an advantage.  We have access to clean, healthy food that often goes on sale.  We can have variety in our meals because of sales.  You CAN eat for a small amount each meal, day or week, as long as you have access to supermarkets with large variety and good sales. 

I went heavy on pasta products this week, thinking it would be a large amount of what we ate.  I could have saved a few of those dollars and gotten some meat or some fresh veggies. 

If nothing else, I've definitely learned to shop smarter for myself.  That smarter shopping will hopefully allow me the extra few dollars that I can then "pay forward" by donating to our local food shelf. 

So wish me luck, dear readers.  For I embark on the journey alone from here on out. 

Remember, follow me on twitter @camp3082 and keep reading!