Meal Planning with Allrecipes.com

One of the best ways to save money is by making sure that you put together weekly meal plans. But it's so easy to get caught up with life to not have the time to be able to do just that.  Sometimes we need the additional help to be able to not only do the work but come up with the ideas.  I can't tell you how many times I sat down to actually plan out my meals and I just couldn't think about what to cook.  We all go through that and so it is helpful to have different tools to assist us during those times.  One new tool that Allrecipes.com came up with is a meal planner. The meal planner allows you to pick and choose the recipes you want and then puts together a shopping list for you.  And with their incredible and extensive library of recipes it is so easy to be able to quickly put together even more then a weeks worth of meal plans.  I personally love to search for recipes using their ingredients search feature, especially when I am looking for inspiration so that I can make sure that I am properly utilizing all of the fresh ingredients that I buy.  Because there is nothing more wasteful then buying something for one meal and then allowing the rest of it go to waste because you didn't know what else to do with it.  Once you have select the your meals Allrecipes then puts together the grocery list you would need for those recipes and then you are done.  And the best thing about it is it isn't expensive, it is a feature that is only offered through their paid membership but their memberships start off at just $4 a month.  And right now they are offering special introductory rates at only $1 a month.  It is a great option to have, especially when you are struggling finding the time to put together menus and shopping lists.

Now the key to always remember about working with a scheduled weekly meal plan is that not everything works out perfectly.  I have had very few weeks where we have followed my meal plans 100% but it is important to not beat yourself up about it and just give up.  By creating a meal plan not only will you find that you significantly cut your spending and your waste but you will find that meal time is a little less stressful because you don't have to go through that struggle at the end of the day trying to figure out what on earth you are going to make.  Find the 20 minutes to sit yourself down once a week before you do your shopping and put together a plan, it doesn't even have to be an actual daily schedule, it could be as simple as you come up with 5 meal ideas and cater your shopping and cooking around those certain ingredients.  It isn't so much as making sure that you adhere to a strict schedule as is is making sure that you think ahead a time about your meal ideas so that you can make your life easier. 

Cooking Pizza alternative style

Dealing with the Texas summer can be a frustrating battle in many ways but the one that has been effecting me the most lately is our food budget. We live in an old house that is very poorly insulated so my air conditioning unit can't keep the house below 83 during the day and turning our gas stove has just become not even an option. So we have been eating out more often then I can remember us ever doing. So I have had to get creative. Our charcoal grill has become my kitchen and I have tried to find unique ways to use it.

So I had this idea of making a pizza on the grill, on first thought it seemed rather original but after a quick browse on the internet I found that not to be so. But that is the beauty of the internet we read about other people's experiences and we try and take from it and learn. So I set about creating my grilled pizza.

The dough: Well for me that was the easy part because I had a favorite whole wheat pizza dough recipe from Beth Hensperger's book The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook.  I altered the recipe to accommodate those without a bread machine.

Southwest Turkey Chili

One of the biggest budget killers is eating out. We try not to do it but there are days that you just don't feel like cooking. Maybe you had a bad day or you are just exhausted, what ever the reason on those days it is really easy to convince yourself to go out. I know I am guilty of that and so today I am trying to find ways to plan for those days. The biggest thing is making sure that you have items in the house that are easy to throw together so they don't take much effort. I might have a meal plan for the week already but I don't know ahead of time how the day is going to be. And sometimes what was planned for would take way more effort that I can put into. So this afternoon I created a backup plan, Southwest Turkey Chili. You see the great thing about chili is that it freezes really well. This recipe is so easy and once it is done I simply let it cool and put portions in freezer bags and wallah, dinner for those dreaded lazy days.

Spicy lamb-filled pancakes served with a Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Well it is Pancake day and in honor of that I decided to do something special for dinner. While pancakes in the States are traditionally made from a thick batter in England the batter is thinner, more like a crepe. I went for a savory meal tonight and am pleased to share my adventure of making my first ever savory English pancake meal

For the pancakes:

3/4 c. plain flour
Pinch salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
5 tbps cold water
3 tbps butter, melted
olive oil for frying

For the filling:

2 tbsp olive oil
half a pound of lamb mince
1 onion, peeled, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato purée
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup of polenta
1 eggs, beaten, for egg wash



1. For the filling, heat two tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the lamb mince and fry, turning regularly, for 4-5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside on a warm plate.



2. Add the onion, garlic and chillies to the pan the lamb mince was cooked in and fry for 5-8 minutes, or until softened.


3. Return the lamb to the pan, then add the paprika and tomato purée and stir well. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to cook the filling mixture over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, then set aside to cool.

4. For the pancakes: sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using your finger, make a hole in the center of the flour mixture and break the eggs into it. Fold the eggs into the flour until well combined. Gradually fold in the milk and water, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring continuously, until the mixture is completely smooth and all of the liquid has been incorporated. Add the melted butter and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Remember the batter not meant to be thick.

5.Add about 4 tbsp of the pancake batter to a hot, oiled pan, swirling the mixture till the batter coats the bottom of the pan evenly. Fry for 30-40 seconds, then turn over and continue to cook the pancake for a further 20-30 seconds, or until pale golden-brown. Place the cooked pancake onto a warm plate and cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Repeat the process with the remaining oil and the remaining batter mixture, until all of the batter has been used up and you have a stack of pancakes. Keep warm.

6. Place one of the pancakes onto a clean work surface. Take the beaten egg and lightly coat one side of the pancake, then turn it over. Spoon a line of the filling mixture down the middle of the pancake, leaving the edges free. Roll the pancake up using your hands, folding it in at the edges to form a parcel. Repeat the process with the remaining pancakes and the remaining filling mixture.

7. Dip the parcels into the polenta and then transfer them to a an oil filled frying pan. Make sure you place the parcel gently with the folded ends first so the frying process seals it shut. Fry for about 5-6 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining oil and the remaining filled pancakes.



My recipe for Mediterranean Couscous is an adaptation from a recipe on wonderful blog called MediterrAsian Cooking

Mediterranean Couscous:

 1/4 cup lemon juice
 2 tbps olive oil
 3 tbps tahini paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
 salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup roasted pine nuts

1. Make a dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, tahini paste, tomato purée and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Combine the water with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir the couscous into the water; cover for 10 minutes.

3. Take diced peppers, tomatoes and pine nuts and place on a lightly oiled roasting pan and roast veggies until tender. I put them in the oven at 400° F for about 10 minutes. Place the couscous in a large bowl; add chickpeas, roasted vegetables and pine nuts into the couscous. While stirring, slowly pour the dressing into the mixture.


While it took some effort it was all worth it, a delicious treat for a delicious holiday.

Portion control: Good for the waist and the wallet

When it comes to helping your budget I can't help but mention helping your waist line. You see that is what started most of this journey for me. My husband and I started gaining weight and we decided that enough was enough we had to change our lifestyle. It was also around the same time that things went, well not so well with me with work. So budgeting was first most in my mind. So I started first looking at what we were consuming and what we were throwing away and there is something that I have noticed that has changed the way I cook. You see there is a time and a place for leftovers and what I have discovered is that it is not in every meal. Yeah when you make that soup or chili it is hard if not impossible to make enough to span several meals and that is okay. You see a dish like that is meant to be enjoyed over time. You are more likely to eat leftover soup then you are to eat the leftover casserole. You might love it the first time around but there are very few dishes that are that good the second time around.