Cheap ideas for food?, I don't want to do grocery shopping...

[Hillbilly Housewife]

I haven't shopped for groceries in 3 weeks. Which is great for us, because we usually spend 100-300$ EVERY WEEK. We've been trying to cut down on costs - so far so good!

We're trying to use up most of what we have before going out and getting more food. Of course, we go every once in a while for the usual stuff like juice, milk, bread and eggs....but not really anything else.

I have tons of pasta, rice, leftover turkey meat from the big turkey I cooked last weekend, frozen veggies, boxes of Hamburger helper and Tuna helper, Kraft dinner bozes, Ramen Noodles packages. We also have lots of homemade turnover dough.

We also have lots of stuff that we hardly, if eer, bother to use, such as cans of tomato soup, spaghetti sauce, cans of gravy, a couple cans of beans, some cans of corn.

Does anyone have quick and easy things to make which include the ingredients above, but not too many other ones?

We're really trying to make our goal to show once a month, and we only have about 1 week to go.

[Hillbilly Housewife]

For example - last night, we had some turkey fried in a pan. I put a can of cream of celery soup mixed in with the turkey. Then I cooked some minute rice - so we had plain rice, with a creamy celery/turkey toping. Pretty good, and it only took about 10 minutes to make!!

It didn't cost anything - it was all stuff we already had, we didn't need to buy anything, and it was yummy!

[Hillbilly Housewife]

Tonight for dinner, we're having Kraft dinner - except that we also mix in some ground beef and some chopped onion. It's a little different, and gives it a more substantial feel.

[maliksmommy]

I've got a recipe for you that it looks like you have everything for. It's shepherds pie I think I make it a little different then some people but I love it!

1 lb ground beef
1 can of tomato soup
1 can of green beans
4-5 potatoes

Turn oven to 350. Brown your hamburger and then spread in a 13x9 pan. then you spread your can of green beans over the hamburger and then the tomato soup. While you are doing all of this you should be boiling your potatos so you can mash them and put them on the very top. I put cheese slices on top of the potatos, you can use velveeta also:) I then cook it for about 20-30 minutes. I watch the cheese and when it's good and melted I know it's done.

Hope this helps

[supermom]

you said pasta - how about turkey tetrazzini <sp?>

Reposted in it's own thread....

[MommyToAshley]

QUOTE (maliksmommy @ Apr 16 2003, 01:29 PM)

I've got a recipe for you that it looks like you have everything for. It's shepherds pie I think I make it a little different then some people but I love it! 1 lb ground beef 1 can of tomato soup 1 can of green beans 4-5 potatoes Turn oven to 350. Brown your hamburger and then spread in a 13x9 pan. then you spread your can of green beans over the hamburger and then the tomato soup. While you are doing all of this you should be boiling your potatos so you can mash them and put them on the very top. I put cheese slices on top of the potatos, you can use velveeta also:) I then cook it for about 20-30 minutes. I watch the cheese and when it's good and melted I know it's done. Hope this helps

Mmmmm...that sounds good. Belly is grummbling now!

[supermom]

We wanna Recipe Forum - We wanna Recipe Forum - We wanna Recipe Forum - We wanna Recipe Forum !!

[MommyToAshley]

QUOTE (supermom @ Apr 16 2003, 01:44 PM)

We wanna Recipe Forum - We wanna Recipe Forum - We wanna Recipe Forum - We wanna Recipe Forum !!

Hmm, TLCDad I think Supermom is hinting at something but she is being so suptle about it that I am not sure what it is. Do you?

[Hillbilly Housewife]

QUOTE (supermom @ Apr 16 2003, 01:33 PM)

Sorry, didn't convert it to metric for ya!

That's perfect.... only the "old school" Canadians use metric anyways...

(that I know of...everyone I know uses the cup measurment... unless it's like 1 tablespoon or a teaspoon... using mililetres and quarts and etc?? Pfft I don't even know how much a quart is!! rofl!!)

[Hillbilly Housewife]

QUOTE (maliksmommy @ Apr 16 2003, 01:29 PM)

I've got a recipe for you that it looks like you have everything for. It's shepherds pie I think I make it a little different then some people but I love it! 1 lb ground beef 1 can of tomato soup 1 can of green beans 4-5 potatoes Turn oven to 350. Brown your hamburger and then spread in a 13x9 pan. then you spread your can of green beans over the hamburger and then the tomato soup. While you are doing all of this you should be boiling your potatos so you can mash them and put them on the very top. I put cheese slices on top of the potatos, you can use velveeta also:) I then cook it for about 20-30 minutes. I watch the cheese and when it's good and melted I know it's done. Hope this helps

Mmm Yum! you do make it diferrently than me...but it sure sounds yummy!!

This is how I normally make it:

Ground beef on the bottom - mixed with a can of any kind of cream soup - celery, or chicken, or mushroom... anyone works really

Corn in the middle, but I also add some chopped up frozen veggies, or some mushrooms and green peppers

Mashed potatoes on top - Occasionally I mash in some cooked carrots too - my DH doesn't eat carrots, but he does if it's mashed along with potatoes! I put also garlic powder in the potatoes - yum!

Topping - I put grated gheddar cheese on top on one side. I like it with cheese, DH does not. Very yummy!!

[booey2]

Hi, I rarely cook from recipe but if you go to htpp://www.kraft.ca and register, there is a tool there where you enter up to 3 ingredients and they will give you some recipes. Hope this helps.

[booey2]

QUOTE (booey2 @ Apr 16 2003, 02:20 PM)

htpp://www.kraft.ca and register

The address should read http://www.kraft.ca not what is written above.
Ooops

[Hillbilly Housewife]

QUOTE (booey2 @ Apr 16 2003, 02:22 PM)

QUOTE (booey2 @ Apr 16 2003, 02:20 PM) htpp://www.kraft.ca and register The address should read http://www.kraft.ca not what is written above. Ooops

lol thanks, I,ll have to check it out!! I used to go to www.allrecipies.com for recipies, but they got a little too complicated with the ingredients I have... lol

Maybe after I do some shopping!

[TLCDad]

LOL, ok ok I get the hint! Expect something in the next few days.

Should there be anything else combined with this forum or make it stricty Recipes?

[Hillbilly Housewife]

I htink anything to do with food is good.... recipies... critics of recipies... cheap foods...

We can also just rename threads that way....

[supermom]

QUOTE (~*~Zach's Mom~*~ @ Apr 16 2003, 07:21 PM)

I htink anything to do with food is good.... recipies... critics of recipies... cheap foods... We can also just rename threads that way....

That sounds good - and the "critics" can post after the recipe they tried whether it's good or not.....

And as far as renaming the whole recipe thread, if I am recalling what TLCDad said, is that all of the recipes will need to be reposted with individual titles to them??? I volunteered to help moderate for a while until all are reposted and then we can delete them from the "original" as we go ...... Just a thought.

Maybe also include a thread with links to recipe sites, like the kraft one someone posted, and also the allrecipes one and I've got a few bookmarked too that I would be willing to add.....

[TLCDad]

I don't think I will ask everyone to repost their recipies. I will move the thread, if anyone wants to repost that is fine. I will also move all threads in regards to food, dinner, etc.. Its really up to you all. If you think reposting all recipes would be best we can do that too.

Speaking of moderator. Shelrae, since you were to first to recommend a recipie board, did you want to moderate it? If not I think jdkjd wanted the job... just let me know by this weekend. Thanks

[MommyToAshley]

We had a volunteer!!! Feel free to repost the recipes Supermom! TIA!!!!

As for moderators, I think we could use two moderators if both are interested!

[Insanemomof3]

Chili dogs! All you need is hot dogs, chili (mild of course) buns or bread and cheese! Tristan loves them. Makes a huge mess, but absolutely loves it. Just an idea.

Denise

[MommyToAshley]

MMMMMMM...chillie dogs. I suddenly have an urge for chillie dogs at 8 am!

[supermom]

QUOTE (TLCDad @ Apr 16 2003, 09:09 PM)

If you think reposting all recipes would be best we can do that too.

That is the only way to get them into individual threads, correct, with the correct titles, because if you move something, it's gotta be the whole thread and there isn't any other way to spilt it out into individual posts??

I don't have any problem doing it, it's easy - open up two browser windows, copy from one and paste to the other - viola!

[Hillbilly Housewife]

QUOTE (MommyToAshley @ Apr 17 2003, 08:07 AM)

MMMMMMM...chillie dogs. I suddenly have an urge for chillie dogs at 8 am!

Mmm... I second that!!!

[mikivanmom]

If you are still looking - just try combining whatever ingredients you have - instead of "recipes" think - IDEAS - some of my kids favorites are stuff I threw together on one of those "clean out the cupboards" weeks. You can make a killer pot pie - pie crust - filled with meat (cooked), veggies, and gravy - top it with the other crust and bake it till the crust is cooked. You can change the flavor by changing the ingredients - ie - beef w/ brown gravy, turkey w/ turkey or chicken gravy....
throw some pasta, meat, and gravy together and add some veggies (or have them on the side).
To really cut down on your grocery bill - eliminate the "junk" - quit buying hamburger helper, tuna helper, boxed mac and cheese, ramen, etc... buy flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and some seasonings... have you checked the ingredients in those things anyway - mostly chemicals! ((Not what I want to feed my kids every night)) Pasta and rice are way cheaper - buy a huge bag of whole grain rice - we are talking like maybe $8 for like 20 pounds!!! Biscuits cost pennies to make from scratch and only take about 5 minutes. If you buy quality ingredients instead of "cheap fillers" you will be amazed at how much less you spend and how much better you will feel!!! If you have an easy bread recipe - try making the dough, and then flattening it and putting a filling down the middle (ham and cheese - for 1 idea) -- then make slits in the sides of the dough and "braiding" it over the filling (criss crossing) - bake and serve sliced.

[MommyToAshley]

Thanks for the ideas... I am soo bad with stuff like that. Do you have some easy recipes for bread, crust, biscuits, etc? I am guilty of the hamburger helper stuff and DH doesn't care too much for it anyways!

Ashley isn't eating our meals yet, but it won't be long. I would rather feed her healthy food.

[Hillbilly Housewife]

QUOTE (mikivanmom @ Apr 19 2003, 10:22 AM)

If you are still looking - just try combining whatever ingredients you have - instead of "recipes" think - IDEAS - some of my kids favorites are stuff I threw together on one of those "clean out the cupboards" weeks. You can make a killer pot pie - pie crust - filled with meat (cooked), veggies, and gravy - top it with the other crust and bake it till the crust is cooked. You can change the flavor by changing the ingredients - ie - beef w/ brown gravy, turkey w/ turkey or chicken gravy.... throw some pasta, meat, and gravy together and add some veggies (or have them on the side). To really cut down on your grocery bill - eliminate the "junk" - quit buying hamburger helper, tuna helper, boxed mac and cheese, ramen, etc... buy flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and some seasonings... have you checked the ingredients in those things anyway - mostly chemicals! ((Not what I want to feed my kids every night)) Pasta and rice are way cheaper - buy a huge bag of whole grain rice - we are talking like maybe $8 for like 20 pounds!!! Biscuits cost pennies to make from scratch and only take about 5 minutes. If you buy quality ingredients instead of "cheap fillers" you will be amazed at how much less you spend and how much better you will feel!!! If you have an easy bread recipe - try making the dough, and then flattening it and putting a filling down the middle (ham and cheese - for 1 idea) -- then make slits in the sides of the dough and "braiding" it over the filling (criss crossing) - bake and serve sliced.

lol!! You jsut told me to get rid of everything in my cupboards!!! rofl!!!

Seriously though, I would LOVE to make biscuits and stuff from scratch. Are they freezable? I'd love to make a bunch and freeze them for easy access, take out a few at a time. I do buy lots of rice - but I'm lazy, I buy the minute rice.

That braided bread recipe with the ham and cheese sounds delicious!!! Do I need a bread maker? Or do I just make it and bake it? (I feel like such a twit.,... lol)

I have this wonderful turnover recipe, but I haven't actually made it yet. I've tasted the reslutls, with spinach and goat cheese in it. Yum!

I love making things from scratch when I have the time. While I was pregnant with Zach, I must have spent every Saturday making food. I had so much, we were using 1/4 of my mom's big freezer in her basement, on top of our own freezer!

I always try to make more food than I need to, because I freeze the leftovers for another day, when it's just wither DH or me eating, it's enough for a plate. BUT....lately, anything I make too much of, DH thinks it's his responsibility to *finish* off the leftovers, even if he's not hungry. So I haven't gotten any extra food lately left over to freeze....

I want a whole day to myself just to cook! rofl!