Top ways to save money & time this holiday season with your grocery bill - leaving more money for holiday gifts and more time for activities.
1.) Watch the grocery sales flyers and stock up on neccesary items. You can often find turkey, ham, stuffing, cool whip, canned pumpkin etc. at exceptionally low prices this time of year. Calculate what you will need and if it can be frozen or is a dry food item, stock up while it is on sale - not last minute the day before Christmas when it isn’t on sale and the store shelves are empty.
2.) With the holiday rush, you might find yourself eating out more frequently. If at all possible try to eat at home before you go out on your shopping trip or evening activity - it’s cheaper, healthier and really won’t take extra time if you follow our the next tip. If you are going to be gone for quite awhile, take a protein bar or other healthy snack along with you.
3.) When you are home for an evening prepare a meal that can be frozen. Either make an extra pan of what you are making for supper (for example if you are making a casserole or lasagna, make an extra and pop it in the freezer all ready to cook on a busy day) or if you are making soup or chicken breasts make extra and freeze them in individual or family size portions. You can then pull these items out when you’re in a time crunch.
4.) Enjoy Potlucks. If you are in charge of hosting a holiday gathering, make it a potluck. Most people enjoy sharing their favorite holiday recipe with others and having others pitch in with the food will most certainly help with the budget and time management.
5.) Make a menu for the week, make a grocery list and stick with it. If you go to the grocery store without a plan, you generally will purchase more than you need. Grab your sales flyer of the store you frequent, plan a menu around the items that are on sale, make a grocery list and stick with it. You will spend less then you would if you went in without a plan and you also will save time each evening as you already know what you are cooking and you for sure have all the necessary ingredients on hand.
My mom is a 5th grade teacher in Moses Lake, WA and they are trying to get as many visitors from as many different places as possible to their website. The website is: http://www.swiftclassroom.com/longview/nhanson/index.php All you have to do is visit real quick and you will get a little dot on their map. THANKS!
I wanted to take a moment to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! If you are cruising the net after your Thanksgiving Turkey I invite you to visit my latest new blog - www.dinewithoutwhine.com/blog. I’ll be posting a Thanksgiving / Black Friday Sale there as well.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Christine
“The Menu Mom”
My friend Jenni over at Snacks For Toddlers is giving away a 3 month subscrption to Dine Without Whine! All you need to do is go to her blog and follow her instructions on what to leave in the comment box in order to enter. Simple as that… and so far… no one has commented (and trust me it is easy). So your chances are pretty good! Have fun!
One of my subscribers, Marilyn, shared these with me and I thought I would pass them on. ENJOY - they look yummy!
Southwest Cornbread Stuffing
1 1/2 cup whole-grain yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg, large
4 medium carrot(s), cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3 medium celery, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 large onion(s), cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 medium jalapeno pepper(s), seeded and minced 10 oz Green Giant Niblets Corn, Frozen, thawed
14 1/2 oz fat-free chicken broth
Prepare Corn Bread: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish.
In medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With fork, mix buttermilk, melted margarine or butter, and egg into cornmeal mixture just until blended. Spoon batter into baking dish (batter will be very thick); with moistened fingertips, pat batter to an even thickness.
Bake corn bread 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. (If not making stuffing right away, cover and reserve corn bread up to 2 days.) Prepare Vegetable Mix: Turn oven control to 325 degrees F. In 12-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon margarine or butter over medium heat. Add carrots and celery, and cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer vegetables to large bowl.
In same skillet, melt remaining 2 tablespoons margarine or butter over medium heat; add onions and jalapeos, and cook 10 minutes or until tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn, chicken broth, and 1/3 cup water; heat to boiling, stirring. Transfer onion mixture to bowl with vegetables. Crumble corn bread into vegetable mixture; toss gently to mix well.
Spoon stuffing into 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish; cover with foil and bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 12 1-cup servings.
Apple Salad
4 sm. apples, ch. 20oz. can cr. pineapple, undr.
8oz. tub Free Cool Whip 1 sm. box diet white choc. inst.
1c. mini marshmallows pudding.
Mix & chill. ½ c. = 2 pts.
Cauliflower Broccoli Raisin Salad
2 1/4 cups fresh cauliflower florets
2 1/4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons Bacon Bits
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Sugar substitute to equal 2 tablespoons sugar
In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, broccoli, onion, raisins, and bacon bits. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar substitute. Pour mayonnaise mixture over vegetable mixture. Mix well to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Gently stir again just before serving.
Serves 8 Per serving: 81 Cal, 1g Fat, 1g Fiber
Green Bean Casserole:
Serves 12 – ½ c. = 1 pt.1 16oz. pkg. frozen cut green beans ½# fresh mushrooms, ch. 1 t. red.-Na soy sauce
1 med. Onion, ch. 12oz. can fat-free evap. Milk ½ t. salt
1 cl. Garlic, minced ¼ c. flour ¼ t. poultry season
1 t. butter or marg. ½ c. fat-free milk 1/8-1/4 t. pepper
Topping: 2 c. sl. Onions 1 t. butter or marg. ½ c. soft breadcrumbs
Place beans in dish, cover & microwave on H 7-9 min.; drain. In nonstick skillet, cook onion & garlic in butter over med. Heat til tender, about 4 min. Add mushrooms; cook til softened. Reduce heat to ML; grad. Stir in evap. Milk. Comb. flour & milk til smooth; stir into mushroom mix. Add last 4 ingred. Bring to boil; cook & stir 2 min. or til thickened. Stir in beans. Transfer to 2 qt. baking dish coated w/Pam. Bake, uncovered 15 min. at 375. Topping: In lg. nonstick skillet, cook onions in butter over ML heat til golden brown. Add breadcrumbs; cook til dry & golden brown. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake 7-10 min. longer or til heated thru & topping is browned.
Strawberry “Pie”
1 sm. box diet vanilla cook & serve pudding
1 sm. box diet strawberry jello
2 c. water
1 qt. sl. strawberries
Mix pudding mix & water in pan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat; add jello. Stir. Cool. Blend strawberries into jello/pudding mix. Pour into 9″ pie plate. Chill at least 3 hrs. Cut into 8 sl. May top w/2 T. Cool Whip. 1 sl. = 1 point
