Shopping for the family

So, it's Sunday and thus the shopping/planning day. Sometimes I just plan today and shop on Monday, sometimes I do both on Sunday. It is better to do it today so that there are no kids with me, unless it is my oldest because she is helpful instead of hindering - anyone who has gone grocery shopping with a child under the age of 10 can attest. Planning consists of using the internet to find the sale items and match them up with the coupons and making your menu for the week based on these two factors. Plus, about once a month, I will shop for meat at Costco because I can buy large quantities and freeze it in smaller sizes to use throughout the month.

I have a few rules of thumb that I have come to rely on with regards to my shopping. Sticking with these rules help us stay within the budget and make things easier during our crazy week. With kids coming and going from 3:15pm until 9pm and trying to have a semblance of a family dinner (sans one or two members), "the plan" is "the bible" (so to speak :)). Rule #1: I incorporate one egg dish and/or one vegetarian dish as a main meal every week. Whether this be "Southern Veggie" night complete with homemade cornbread (a particular favorite) or hash brown frittata with a side salad (or both on different nights), sticking to "no meat" nights a few times greatly reduces the grocery cost by allowing you to spread your meat budget further.

Rule #2: Thursday nights = Soup and Sandwich night. I have discovered that PTA and other similar school functions LOVE to schedule their meetings on either Tuesdays or Thursdays with the latter being the night of choice in most instances. When the entire family is rushing to get the 4th grader to the recorder concert at 6:30, and some of the others are either coming home from swim or going to swim, a traditional sit down dinner just isn't feasible. Hence the birth of "soup and sandwich night". By far, the most favored, most revered, most requested soup in our household is the famous Noodle Soup. This is something I invented many years ago when I was homeschooling my oldest child (many, many years ago) because it is relatively healthy, cheap, easy, and tastes good. It also appeals to most children because of the noodles. Basically it is fine egg noodles boiled in water with a Knorr chicken bouillon cube. Sometimes I add thinly sliced carrots for color and a vegetable. Pair it with a grilled cheese and kids are happy! Another favorite soup is Sausage and Kale soup; it is perfect for fall dinners and very healthy. I'll give the recipe for that in another post. Any kind of leftover or canned/frozen meal is also offered as an option for dinner on Thursdays.

Rule #3: I try very hard to never cook too much. This is much easier said than done. Fickle children and husbands like one thing the first time and hate it the next time I make it, plus, I have mentioned before my husband is not the leftover sort of guy. A family of my size requires somewhere between 2 and 2 1/4 lb. of meat when it is presented in solid form, like a roast, chops or kielbasa sausage, etc. When I can put the meat in something, like ham or sausage in mac and cheese, or ground beef in spaghetti or tacos, I can get away with much less; sometimes 2 chicken breasts (depending on the size) will make enough enchiladas to stretch to all 9 people when served with side items. I always, always opt on the "chintzy" side of this unless it is something I am SURE will be eaten leftover should there be any.

So, it is with this armor that I go forth to do battle with the grocery stores. What's for dinner tonight you ask? Hmm, what's on sale? ...K