Six on Sunday: Time, Energy, & $$$ Saving Meal Tips

One of the things I strive for as a wife is to make delicious meals for Mr G. I'll admit we've resorted to Ramen Noodles many times for the sake of budget or time (and sometimes Mr G requests them!), but overall I like to cook as much from scratch as possible. It is a little difficult to accomplish this every day with our work schedules but, here are some time and energy saving tips I've learned that at least help make meal prep easier.

1. Have a plan: At the beginning of each week, take a few minutes and jot down menus, assigned to a specific day, based on your whatever your  upcoming schedule may look like. Then make your grocery list. This will save both time and money, since you won't wonder and wander at the grocery store. The easiest way to spend too much money is not having a focused list for very specific items.  
2. Prepare multiple meals: When cooking casseroles, meats (chicken & turkey work the best) soups, sauces or just about anything else that will freeze well, make two more meals at a time. My favorite is to make lasagna for dinner for tonight, then make another to put in the freezer for later. 
3. Freeze homemade baked goods: I make a huge batches of fully baked cookies, rolls, bread sticks and cinnamon rolls(these stay in dough form) every time I get the chance. It's just not worth it to take the time to make homemade yeast breads for 2 people, so the extras go in the freezer to later pull out to thaw in the microwave or oven when needed.
4. Pre-Chop your vegetables & fruit: This works well if you have your menu planned for the week since you will already know their uses. When you get home from the store, just chop what you can and put them in baggies for the weeks use. Just be careful with vegetables or fruits that brown easily. Those should always be chopped at the last minute.
5. Don't be afraid to buy in bulk: Even with only the two of us, it's still worth it to buy in bulk. Just utilize your freezer! It will save you time from the grocery store and can save you money if you buy things at the right price. If you are like me, I'd rather NOT spend my time in the grocery store.
6. Left overs are OK!: Yes, it's okay to pick one night per week that you eat up the remnants from your meals. You can either create something new with those leftovers, or just have samplings of each thing. The key to staying in budget is not to be wasteful!

Here is what our last week's menu looked like, so you get an idea how I used these tips.

Monday: Turkey Fettuccine Alfredo with Veggies, Homemade Bread Sticks :

I used fully cooked and chopped turkey from the freezer, and chopped broccoli and cauliflower from the fridge. I also made the bread sticks from scratch this time, but put 1 dozen extras in the freezer for later.

Tuesday: Taco Salad in Homemade Tortilla Cups : 

I used ground beef purchased in bulk 3 months ago!

Wednesday: Dinner at Family's

Thursday: Leftovers :

From Monday's meal and the previous weekend

Friday: BLTs on Homemade Rolls, Green Salad & Fresh Pineapple :
Used frozen dinner rolls from the freezer, and bacon that I had stocked up on 2 months ago.

What you'll currently find in my freezer:

Chili Verde Green Sauce

Enchilada Red Sauce

Alfredo Sauce

1 dozen Italian Breadsticks

1 pan of frozen Cinnamon Rolls (still in dough form)

1 dozen Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Stocked Ground Beef

Stocked Chicken Thighs

Frozen Egg Whites

Please comment and share your meal tips, I'd love to hear them!

Six on Sunday: List #1

1. I operate in lists. I have a list for any aspect of me: work lists, grocery lists, menu lists, chore lists. If there is something to do, it's probably on a list. That's why I heart Six on Sunday. It's easy and organized. 

2. Creative outlets overwhelm me. I get discouraged because I want to do it all, and do it all well. If I can't do it well, I end up nothing at all.

 If I didn't have anything else to do with my life besides creating, each day would have it's own creative assignment. My dream world would look a little like this:

Monday: Grace is photographer
Tuesday: Grace is graphic designer
Wednesday: Grace is baker and owner of Miss Gracie's Sweet Shoppe
Thursday: Grace is interior decorator 
Friday: Grace is barista at Miss Gracie's Sweet Shoppe
Saturday: Grace is Cleaning, budgeting, creating spreadsheets and overall being Type A
Sunday: Grace is TIRED

Well, I tried to make it through the week without letting the clean freak/nerd make it's way back into my life. But my sweet husband would remind me that Type A is WHO Grace is.

3. Lifehouse = best band ever. Right now I am listening to every last one of their songs on shuffle.

4. I am satisfied with a 1000 sq foot townhouse. Cleaning eats up my life as it is, why add to it?

5. My picture entry of one of our wedding photos made it as a finalist last Sunday. See it here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2011/03/sister-photo-finalists/. If you are looking for a wedding photographer, there is none other I would recommend than Jamie Hudson Photography.

6. I want a new dress for each day of the week. Nothing says spring to me like a fun flirty dress with flip flops.

Six on Sunday: Kitchen Gadgets I Wouldn't Cook Without

Chopping Mats

These are worth every penny of the whole $5.00 you will spend for 3-5 mats. Imagine chopping some onions,
picking up the mat, bending and letting the onions fall gracefully into your pot. No mess required. 

Bench Scraper

A bench scraper makes clean up pretty much as easy as it gets. Scrape up dough pieces that are stuck to the counter, excess flour and all, and dump into trash.

Kitchen-Aid Can Opener

You'd better believe I bought a brand name can opener. The $3 dollar cheapy I first bought at Wal Mart lasted about 3 weeks, and KILLED my hands & wrists every time I opened a measly aluminum can.

Rada Cook's Knife

Chopping with dull knifes?
Now you don't have to, because Rada Cutlery makes a really great product! I literally ordered a set of knifes
the day after we got home from our honeymoon. Good knifes make cooking so much better.

Oven Liner

BEEP BEEP BEEP. That's the sound of our smoke alarm going of because,
yes, 
the pie I baked last weekend 
ooed and gooed all over the bottom of my oven.
I don't have time to scrub my oven after every baking escapade, but this makes it so all you
have to do is remove the liner from the oven and gently wipe all the burnt particles into the trash.
Again, clean up made easy. 

A Good Whisk

You call that inflexible 3 wired thing a whisk??? Really?
I don't have ALL day to froth up my eggs for the ooey goodness of pastry cream. 

Six on Sunday: Blogging Rules

The first of the series begins with rules. MY blogging rules. If you ever suspect I've made an infraction on any or all, please notify the local authority... aka my softy husband.

1.  Personal devotion time must be completed.
If I'm not getting my Daily Bread, then how can I post the very convicting thoughts that God presses upon me?

2. In order to even sign onto blogger, our house must be clean. 

That's right, if you don't see me here often, it's 'cause our house is terribly messy. Or my OCD has kicked in again. You'll have to ask my husband which it really is. Poor guy was in for a little bit of shock after the honeymoon.

The BeAUTifUl flowers my husband surprised me with on V-Day.
 I told you he spoils me.

3. This is a journal, not a commitment.

Yeah, yeah, it's great to have 300 followers. And to write eloquently. Even post some pretty amazing photos. But in reality, this is just a place to record my thoughts and memories as a young wife. These days will never happen again and this is a place to look back and see the amazing work that God has done, and will continue to do in our lives. The day I start feeling a responsibility to blog, only because I haven't posted in a few weeks (or months) will be the day this blog shuts down. As God gives me time, I will talk of His unending mercies.

4.  Absolutely no complaining. 
 Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.


5. Relationships come first. 
Time with the husband... sisters.... my new baby nephew(coming soon, to a sister near me!).... or family.... these all get first priority over the ramblings of this blog. 

6. Whatever is true, noble, right, & pure...
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.