Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Think you're hungry? Grab some water.

My body will get what it needs, or it will keep trying and keep trying.  I have come to realize that at least some of my weight has gone on in my bodies daily quest for the hydration, minerals, or vitamins that my body needs.  Not most, not even a lot.  Just some of it.

It has taken me months to get into this habit.  When I think I am hungry, I will go and grab a 16oz glass of water and drink it down.  I have a plastic measuring cup that measures out 20 oz, so I just fill that every morning.  So, I guess I drink 20 oz.  But, I digress...back to topic!  I have never been in the habit of drinking plain water.  On the plus side is the fact that I am also not in the habit of drinking soda.  I do not like the way that it fizzes in my mouth.  It is an uncomfortable feeling to me.  So, that has been a plus in my life.  I do not have the soda cravings that I have heard other people complaining about when they start Paleo - bonus.  I also am not a big consumer of liquids, and historically have never been.

I think that a small (very small) amount of my weight issues can be traced to the fact that I have never given my body enough water, and so my body has figured out to give me the "I'm hungry" signal in order to get food from which it can draw water.  Of course, a food that it is easy for your body to draw water from is carbohydrates.  I am coming to realize that my body, rather then being a crazed entity that loves to store fat, is a wondrously efficient machine that has had to constantly create "work arounds" for my nutritional idiocy.

I started by filling up a 2 liter pitcher with water, and making sure that I drank it all. That guaranteed the "8 cup minimum" - using quotes because of the many theories out there about how much, or how little, water any one person must ingest for healthful benefits- and, for me, that helped to decrease my urge to snack, nibble, eat, or graze my way through my day.

Now, when I get an urge to snack, I will go and get a big glass of water, drink it, and then wait 10 minutes.  If I am still hungry, I will get a snack.  I am surprised by how often the urge to graze goes away simply with water.






Thursday, January 24, 2013

Groceries 1/17/2013 and Bacon BBQ Shrimp

Aldi's wound up with $270.00 of our grocery budget in one fell swoop this time.  It has been a while since I have spent that amount in one trip, but after putting it all away, I felt a nice sense of accomplishment knowing that I would only need to go to the store to grab almond milk for the next couple of weeks.

While at the store, I spotted some dried Ancho Peppers, and some dried Arbol Peppers.  By some moment of serendipity, I had just watched this video on Paleo Nick...  http://www.paleonick.com/articles/Salsa-Chipotle  So, I am going to try my hand at making some home-made salsa from the dried peppers.  Wish me luck!

Back on the 17th, I made a run to Aldi's.  My grocery purchases still include some fiber bars (low glycemic) and whole wheat breads, which the girls still eat, although not as much as they used to.  I am becoming less and less comfortable about feeding the girls cereals and breads.  I am trying to wean them off regular consumption of grain based carbs.  So far, they have not really noticed much of a difference.  Thing1 likes lettuce wraps in her lunch box, so that is good.  Thing2 continues to dislike anything that I provide for her in the way of sustenance, but she has recently been more open to trying new things - YAY!

Fiber Bars 36 boxes at 1.89                                                                                        $68.04
EZ Peel Shrimp - medium.  3@ 4.99                                                                           $14.97
Flat leaf spinach 9oz bag 6 @ .99                                                                                $  5.94
Tilapia Fillets 16oz (1lb)  2 @ 3.99                                                                              $  7.98
Pure Vanilla                                                                                                                 $  1.99
Whole Almonds 12oz bag 3 @ 3.99                                                                            $ 11.97
Turkey Bacon  5@ 2.19                                                                                              $ 10.95
Hot dogs  5@.75                                                                                                         $  3.75
Chunk tuna canned in water 8 @ .69                                                                            $  5.52
Dried Chili Peppers (2 ancho, 1 Arbol) @ 1.49                                                            $  4.47
Onions 3 lb bag                                                                                                            $  1.69
Sweet Potatoes 3 lb bags 3 @ 1.49                                                                              $  4.47
Mushrooms 8oz clamshell 4 @ 1.49                                                                              $  5.96
Bananas 25.886 lbs @ .44 per lb                                                                                  $11.39
Broccoli Crowns 1lb                                                                                                      $   .99
Clover Honey 2 @ 4.49                                                                                                $  8.98
Diced Tomatoes 24 @ .59                                                                                            $ 14.16
Avocados 3 @ .39                                                                                                        $  1.17
Roma Tomatoes 1 lb trays 3@.99                                                                                 $  2.97
Canned Sauerkraut 8@.65                                                                                            $  5.20
Butter quarters 2@ 2.29                                                                                                $  4.58
Ground Turkey 1lb package 12 @ 1.69                                                                         $ 20.28
Split top wheat bread 2@.99                                                                                          $  1.98
Eggs 7 @ 1.49                                                                                                               $ 10.43
Paper towels 4@ .69                                                                                                      $  2.76
Granny Smith Apples 3lb bag                                                                                          $  3.49
Gala Apples 3lb bag                                                                                                       $  3.49
Almond Milk 4@ 2.49                                                                                                   $  9.96
Homogenized milk                                                                                                          $  3.08
                                                                                                                 Total =        $252.61
                                                                                                                                     plus tax

Last night, I made a recipe from Hungry Girl that is very Paleo friendly.  I tweaked it just a little bit by replacing the brown sugar in the BBQ sauce with Molasses. Oh, and I omitted the catsup completely. http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/edible-idols-bacon-and-peanut-butter-bacon-bundled-bbq-shrimp-recipe
Also, I was out of tomato sauce, so I put a can of diced tomatoes in my magic bullet, and made some saucy tomatoes out of them.  :-)  It was not as think as tomato sauce, but it worked adequately well for the recipe in a pinch.

I made a spinach salad with some mushrooms and tomatoes, then topped it with the shrimp, and it tasted VERY GOOD!!!  Husband and Thing1 really liked it. Of course, Thing 2 did not like the meal, but she did gamely do her 2 bites.  She has been much better about the 2 bite rule lately, and that has been very nice.

I finally remembered to take a picture during seconds.

Dinner cost breakdown:
I made a double batch of the shrimp, specifically to have some leftover for snacking.  Husband and Thing1 will eat their weight in these little shrimp snackers, and I do not feel too awfully bad about indulging them in this every once in a while.

2 bags medium EZ peel shrimp                                                                             $ 9.98
2 Turkey Bacon                                                                                                   $ 4.38
1 can of diced tomatoes (BBQ Sauce)                                                                  $   .59
Molasses, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, molasses (BBQ sauce)                    $   .20
                                                                                                         Total =        $15.15

1 bag spinach                                                                                                         $  .99
1/2 clamshell mushrooms (4oz)                                                                               $  .75
2 Roma Tomatoes                                                                                                  $  .25
1 Avocado                                                                                                             $  .39
Sprinkle of balsamic vinegar                                                                                    $  .15
                                                                                                            Total =       $2.53

This is the most that I have spent on any one dinner in quite some time, but $17.68 is still less than I would have been able to feed my family on at a casual eatery, and it is on par with the cost of any meal that we could have had at any drive through chain - AND IT WAS SO MUCH BETTER FOR US.

t

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Cheap tomatoes...

Harps, the grocers closest to my home, has a markdown section for older foods, and this includes vegetables.  I love me some orange manager's "reduced for quick sale" tags!  Every time I go, I always check the reduced produce section.

Last week, I lucked out in finding a pound and a half of tomatoes for 58 cents. 58 CENTS!!



I also saw 2 sad looking cantaloupes for $2.99 each.  I was not about to pay that price for produce that was visibly dimpled all over, so I went to the manager and asked if he could let me have them for a buck each.  I am perfectly prepared to chance a buck on a cantaloupe that I might not be able to use, but I am not going to chance 3 bucks each.  He agreed, and I paid $1.00 each, and they both turned out to be lovely; and we enjoyed them very much.  I have also purchased carrots that were starting to go soft for 25 cents for a 1 lb bag, and they went into soup.

Paleo is more expensive than the average American diet.  Quality costs.  I would exhort you to see if your local market has a markdown area for produce.  These marked down items can be incorporated into stews, soups, curries and braises to help keep the costs down.  If you cannot make it to a farmers market, or of the farmers market in your area is spring and summer only, see if your local grocer has a marked down area on their produce.  Find out when they rotate their produce and go on those days.  Let the produce manager know that you are open to buying some not so perfect looking produce, and more than likely, you can get your in season fruits and vegetables at even better prices than just buying in season.

t

Saturday, January 12, 2013

semi spectacular failure and pie

I love The Paleo Secret's website.  I pretty much lifted my Thanksgiving menu directly from their site.  I saw their recipe for Biscuits and squash butter.  http://www.thepaleosecret.com/2012/09/20/biscuits-and-squash-butter/

It looked delicious!  I finally had time after the holidays to try this recipe.  I loved the squash spread recipe.  It was a flavorful spread.  The texture of the biscuits was good, but the flavor was very flat.  Maybe I did something wrong, but they just did not taste good.  The next time I make them, I am definitely going to tinker with the recipe.  So, I wound up with something that looked like it was supposed to...


But tasted flat.  Nobody wanted to eat more than a serving, myself included.

BISCUITS
6 egg whites                                                                                           $  .84
1/4 cup coconut flour                                                                              $  .75
3/4 cup almond flour                                                                               $ 1.00
1tsp baking powder                                                                                $   .05
1 1/2 tbsp grass fed butter                                                                       $  .15
dash salt                                                                                                  $  .05
                                                                                            Total =        $2.84
SQUASH SPREAD
1 baked butternut squash                                                                          $ 3.85
3 tbsp grass few butter                                                                              $  .30
1 tsp cinnamon/ pinch salt                                                                          $  .05
                                                                                              Total =       $4.20

To prepare butternut squash, bisect the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and bake on a cookie sheet (open face down) at 400 for 30 minutes.  Let cool, then scoop out flesh and mash with other ingredients...

But, all was not lost.  While I did not have time to try my hand at making another batch of biscuits, I did not want the Butternut Squash Spread to go to waste.  Enter the quick and easy Paleo Butternut Squash Pie!

I made a quick paleo pie crust (LOVE the simplicity of that recipe!!!) and while it was cooking in the oven, I mixed 2 eggs,a healthy squirt of honey, a tbsp of vanilla extract, a tablespoon of baking powder, and some cinnamon and nutmeg in with the butternut squash.  Poured into the finished pie crust, I baked it at 350 for  an hour.

PIE FILLING
Squash spread                                                                                         $4.20
2 eggs                                                                                                      $  .28
honey/vanilla/baking powder/spices                                                          $  .75
                                                                                         Total =           $5.23

PIE CRUST
1 1/2 cups nut flour                                                                                $1.50
4 tbsp grass fed butter                                                                            $ .70
                                                                                               Total =   $2.20 + $5.23 = $7.43 per pie




I forgot to take an after picture, but it was a very pretty pie, I promise.  :-)

t


Friday, January 11, 2013

Behold the power of the lettuce wrap

When we first started this journey a few months ago, I missed sandwiches the most.  Slapping meat and veggies between two slices of whole wheat bread is simplicity itself, and was either the basis or the totality of many lunches of mine.  A sandwich and some mac and cheese?  Mmmm, I thought that was great.  Now, not so much.  But, back to topic.

Of all the things I shifted away from in this life change, the ease of a sandwich, and sandwich fillings have been heartily missed by me.

I had been making Melissa D'arabian's turkey lettuce wraps for the longest time, but it never occurred to me to make lettuce wraps a regular thing in our house.
( http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/turkey-lettuce-wraps-recipe/index.html  )

 1 lb ground turkey                                                                   $1.69
molasses                                                                                  $  .10
can of sliced water chestnuts (diced)                                         $  .89
White Mushrooms                                                                    $1.49
2 cloves garlic - pressed                                                           $  .10
rice wine vinegar                                                                       $  .10
1 head ice burg lettuce                                                              $1.59
2 carrots - grated                                                                      $  .50
Spinach leaves                                                                           $  .25
Bell pepper - sliced                                                                    $  .79
                                                                         Total            = $ 7.50                  

Lettuce wraps as a regular thing had never occurred to me that is, until the other day; when I made just a touch too much egg salad, and a container that would have made three sandwiches was in the refrigerator.

This was the day after I made some turkey lettuce wraps, and I had some lettuce leaves left over.  I slapped the egg salad into the lettuce cups, and voila! A paleo friendly luncheon in about a minute and a half...

2 eggs @ 14 cents each                                                   $  .28
mayo                                                                               $  .05
mustard                                                                           $  .05
Worscheshire sauce, garlic & onion powder, s&p            $  .10
Lettuce (cost already tallied above)                                  $ zero
                                                                   Total =        $  .48 



I have also put some of our chicken salad into lettuce cups for luncheon since then, and paired them with some tomato soup.  The crunch of the lettuce gives added texture to the meal.  I like it, and I am sure you will too.  Plus, it is inexpensive!

t

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Skinny Soup

At least that is what my grandmother used to call it.  It is that great poor person meal known as Cabbage Soup!

In college, I got a copy of "The Cabbage Soup Diet" by Margaret Danbrot.  I would occasionally make a big pot of soup, but did not make it a regular thing until recently.  In 2010, my New Year's resolution was to learn to make soups well.  I learned cream soups, and broth soups.  To the point that I feel pretty comfortable with an ability to go into almost any kitchen and make a flavorful soup out of just about any odds and ends available to me.  I like to keep some soup in the fridge for quick snacks, and cabbage soup is an easy put together for me.

I start out with my trusty stock pot.  I chop up a head of cabbage, add a can or two of diced tomatoes with their juice, and go through my vegetable crisper to see what is starting to go limp or have some questionable spots.  Cut out the soft spots, and dice up those flexible veggies and dump them in.  Top with water, then simmer.  For spices, I add a bay leaf, red pepper flakes, herbs de provence, and salt and pepper.

The batch that I currently have in my refrigerator has...

1 head cabbage                                                                                                      $  1.29
Previously mentioned spices                                                                                    $   .10
1 zucchini                                                                                                               $   .40
1 can diced tomatoes un drained                                                                             $  .59
I carrot, grated                                                                                                       $  .15
3 stalks celery, diced                                                                                              $  .35
1 onion, diced                                                                                                        $  .20
2 cloves garlic, pressed                                                                                          $  .10
                                                                                                            Total  =    $ 3.18

I would say that I have a gallon and a half or two gallons of soup for that amount.  For me, that equates to 15 - 20 bowlsful (depending on enormity of serving) so let's call it 20 cents per bowl, shall we?  Husband and I both like the texture of the soup after it has been blended, so I blend the soup in batches (after fishing out the bay leaf!) and store most of the soup in ziplock freezer bags for consumption later.


 I will keep a large tupperware container in the refrigerator most of the time.

One of my quick dinner hacks is to put some of the soup on the stove, and wait until it is nice and bubbling.  Then, I will crack an egg directly into it and turn the heat down to a simmer.  Wait for the egg to poach in the soup, then serve.  Oh!  I put a pat of butter into the soup as I re-heat it for some richness.  I could also add some raw grated cheese or sour cream to give an extra dimension and smoothness.   

So, a huge bowl of "skinny soup", with an egg to make it a complete meal with protein, and all for under a buck.  Even with my beloved free range eggs at $3.50 per dozen, each egg is only 29.1 cents.   If made with Aldi's eggs, each egg is 14 cents.

Free Range eggs....                                   Aldi eggs
Soup =  20cents                                       Soup  = 20 cents
Egg   =  29 cents                                      Egg    = 14 cents
Total =  49 cents                                      Total  = 34 cents



I can add a super simple spinach side salad for about a buck.  That gives me an entire meal along Paleo guidelines, all for between $1.34 to $1.49, and it is bountiful amounts of healthy foods that will nourish my body the way that it needs to be nourished; in addition to filling me to full.



Monday, January 7, 2013

Paleo Waffles!! and Tikka Masala

A family favorite has always been pancakes or waffles in the mornings.  As stated before, Thing2 loves all things carb and breadlike.  In looking for a youtube clip that I had previously seen on how to make primal ho-ho's I found a recipe for primal waffles!!  I already have all of the ingredients on hand to make them, and I believe that the family would like to have them as a good start this morning.  Today is the first day of school after the Christmas and New Year school break, and I think that the kids will like an extra special breakfast.

Here is the clip...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oogSgJMCP-4
(waffle recipe starts at 2 minutes 33 seconds)


Of course, I added some goodies of my own to it.  I added a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a drizzle of molasses.







In case you do not feel like watching the video, get out two bowls.  Separate your eggs.  Into the bowl with the egg yolks, put one tsp of coconut flour per egg yolk, drizzle in some honey or molasses, and shake in some cinnamon and nutmeg, or any other seasonings that you like. Take your hand mixer and whip your egg whites into stiff peaks.  Then, mix the yolks with the ingredients in their bowl.  When the yolks are well blended, dump your egg whites in and fold them into the mix.  I cheat, and set my hand mixer to the lowest setting, and blend them quickly with the yolk mixture.  Only for a couple of seconds, because I do not want to make the mix "flat".  I have a waffle iron that makes 4 medium sized waffles, and three eggs will fill my waffle iron once.
 
6 eggs, separated                                                                                                             $  .90
6 tsp coconut flour                                                                                                           $  .50
Molasses and cinnamon                                                                                                   $  .15
                                                                                                                          Total =  $1.55 

Add a dollar for butter and real maple syrup, 50 cents for almond butter and 2.19 for a rasher of turkey bacon, and everyone was full of Paleo goodness for 5 dollars and 24 cents!          Breakfast total = $5.24!! For 4 people!!

To keep it simple, I did a teaspoon of coconut flour for each egg, and that worked very well for me this morning.  This recipe is versatile too.  I used the unsweet version to make some bread for dinner.

I used it in place of naan bread recipe, because I noticed during waffles this morning that the texture was very similar to the naan bread that I shared from southern girl goes paleo's blog.  Without the cinnamon and molasses, the flavor was almost dead on too.  I thought this morning that it might work as an accompaniment to dinner, and I was right.  I love it when a plan comes together! :-) 

For dinner, I made Tikka Masala with chicken and cauliflower, with panckaes made from the same recipe as this morning's waffles.

1 head cauliflower                                                                                                     $  .89
2 chicken breasts                                                                                                      $ 2.18
Tikka Masala sauce; gift from my foodie uncle - gluten free,  price looked up on line    $ 4.25
Thin cakes  (minus molasses and cinnamon)                                                              $ 1.40
                                                                                                                Total =    $ 8.72

t

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Chicken salad

Aldi's had a 10 lb bag of chicken leg quarters for $6.99 per bag.  I went and bought 10 bags.  Yes, siree.  100 lbs of chicken for just $69.90.  I think that should keep me until summer when free range/organic chickens are at lower prices, so I can buy some serious volume  in better quality meats.

I baked up about 20 lbs for quick snacking, but I overdid it a bit and the chicken wound up kind of dry.  Hard to do with legs and thighs, I know.  What can I say, I am talented.  :-)

So, what do you do with 20 lbs of slightly dry chicken legs and thighs?  You make chicken salad, of course!  I mashed the chicken until pulpy with my hands, grated 2 peeled granny smith apples into the bowl with the chicken, then mixed in some mustard, mayonnaise, a sprinkle of garlic powder, a dash of paprika, a drizzle of worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

It is even better if you make your own mayo.  I used the recipe I got off Paleo Nick's site.    http://www.paleonick.com/articles/5-5-5-Mayo-For-All

20 lbs chicken @ .70 per lb. (round up for 69.9)                                                       $14.00
4 apples                                                                                                                    $  1.00
2 or 2 1/2 cups mayo (depending on taste)                                                                $  2.50
Mustard                                                                                                                    $    .20
Worcestershire sauce                                                                                                $    .15 
Spices                                                                                                                       $    .20
                                                                                                            Total             $18.05

That is a heck of a lot of chicken salad for just over 18 bucks!  And, you can then top some greens with it to make a super-good tasting lunch!






For several weeks, I had kind of despaired about finding a commercially made paleo salad dressing.  If you look at the ingredients on any store bought dressing (at least the ones I was checking out at the grocery store) one of the first ingredients is soybean oil.  Then, the other day, I decided to try a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on my salad.  The first attempt was kind of pungent, and I had to add more salad to my bowl to back off the flavor, but I decided pretty quickly that I like the taste quite a lot.  I think that I am going to try a spritz of apple cider vinegar on my next salad and see how that works. 

t

Update:  Checking in the fridge, I saw that a few of the containers of chicken salad have gone missing.  I mentioned it to Husband, and he told me "Well, it is the crack cocaine of chicken salad."  Awwww, how sweet that is!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Ridiculously simple

For lunch, I just grabbed a couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves, tossed them in a bowl, diced half a leftover chicken breast, cut up the other half of a cucumber from the other night's dinner salad, a handful of grape tomatoes-halved, 2 mushrooms-sliced, and drizzled a little balsamic vinegar over it.  YUMMY!  Be aware that balsamic vinegar is a very strong flavor, and be sparing with it. 


1/2 bag spinach                                      90 cents
1/2 a cucumber                                       25 cents
1/2 chicken breast                                   50 cents
tomatoes                                                 20 cents
mushrooms                                             20 cents
Balsamic vinegar                                     15 cents
                                            Total        $ 2.20

A great lunch for 2 bucks, and totally Paleo. :-) 

Changing my mindset about what a "convenience" food is has taken some time.  A granola bar, while easy and giving the illusion of something healthy, does not hold a candle to the ease or the nutritional punch of a carrot.  Grab a carrot, wash it off, and dig in.  A carrot gives you Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Potassium and Copper, and is a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Manganese.  Carrots do have lots of natural sugars in them, but much less than anything that I was feeding my body as a "healthy alternative" before.

I find that I am eating raw more than before, and I like that.  It is easier to toss together a meal without cooking it, and the vitamins are in full force. That being said, I love cooking meals for my family.  The time, planning, and thought that I put into feeding my family gives me all sorts of warm fuzzies.

This evolution that I am on, that is making me more aware of what I am feeding my family, is a good one.

I did make the Sweet Potatoes Anna from Paleo Nick's website...  http://paleonick.com/articles/Sweet-Potatoes-Anna   and, they were GREAT!!  After the first batch, I was on the phone with my friend, who is coincidentally named Anna, telling her about the recipe, and she said "I wonder how that would work with sliced apples mixed in."  Curious, I decided to try it.


IT WAS A CULINARY REVELATION!!!  Layer of sliced sweet potatoes, drizzle of butter, sprinkle of cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, layer of apples, drizzle of butter.  Repeat until all ingredients are gone.The layering will look something like this...


  Bake at 400 degrees.  For plain sweet potatoes, bake for 60 minutes.  For the sweet potato/apple mix bake for 45 minutes.  I think it is because the apple imbues the recipe with more sugars, and it caramelizes faster.

Sweet Potatoes                                                                      $ 1.78
2 apples                                                                                 $   .50
Butter                                                                                     $  .50
Cinnamon and Nutmeg                                                           $   .10
                                                                             Total        $ 2.88    (for a huge amount)

Finished product...


Not too shabby for a first attempt, if I do say so myself.  :-)


Thing2 loves both versions, and Husband declared them a couple of his favorite of my culinary experiments.

t

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Last grocery trip of 2012 and upcoming menus

Life has been busy but happy in my neck of the woods over this Christmas season.  We go to Branson to visit family every year.  As with Thanksgiving, I also maintained Paleo over Christmas Dinner - Yay!  We covered the sides, which worked well for us.  Main entree of Prime Rib was provided by the elders.  I made the Paleo Pork Stuffing from Thanksgiving.  I love that stuff.  Have I mentioned that I love that recipe? MMmmmmm.....

In addition to the stuffing, we also had mashed sweet potatoes, asparagus, mashed potatoes with gravy, and crescent rolls. Plenty of options for everyone.

I tucked my receipts from the trip away, but now I cannot fine either one of them.  Yep, I managed to go to the grocers 2 separate times in one week.  It felt very strange.  The girls even mentioned it when we were at the store the second time.  Pretty bad when you pull up in front of Wal-Mart, and Thing2 wants to know why we need to go shopping already "We were just here the other day!"  I had to chuckle.   

I have noticed, and Husband commented, that we have been eating more rich foods lately.  With the holidays and festive meals, I have been making some pretty large and heavy meals lately.  We have had so many containers of leftovers that on more than one occasion, I have just warmed them up and used them to feed the family.  Husband has specifically requested more salads.  I never really thought I would see the day when Husband asked for more salads.  It is nice, and just re-enforces to me that we have made the right decision to change our ways of eating.  When my husband is craving green, leafy veggies; it's a good thing!

With that in mind, I made a trip to Aldi's.  My last grocery trip of the year...

2 dozen eggs @ 1.68 each                                                                                 $  3.36
grape tomatoes 10 oz clamshells @ .69 each x 4                                                $  2.76
Flat leaf spinach bags @ 1.79 x 2                                                                      $  3.58
10 heads of cauliflower @ .89 each                                                                   $  8.90
2 heads cabbage @ 1.29 each                                                                           $  2.58
Mushrooms x 3 @ 1.49                                                                                     $  4.47
Diced Tomatoes 4 cans @ .59                                                                           $  2.36
Tomato paste 4 @ .39                                                                                       $  1.56
Almond Milk 2 @ 2.49                                                                                      $  4.98
Ketchup 20oz bottle                                                                                           $  1.49
Hot dogs 4 x .75                                                                                                $  3.00
Turkey bacon 2@ 2.19                                                                                      $  4.38
40 oz of catsup                                                                                                   $  1.49
                                                                                            Total                      $ 44.91

Meals that I plan to make in the coming week...

Paleo cabbage rolls from the blog "They've Gone Paleo"  http://theyvegonepaleo.blogspot.com/2012/03/cabbage-rolls.html

This will be my first time to make the paleo cabbage rolls, and I will post about the process when it is done.

Last night, I made Chicken Stroganoff over spaghetti squash, and it turned out very well!  I took my Chicken Stroganoff recipe off of the 99 cent chef's site...  http://www.the99centchef.blogspot.com/search?q=stroganoff

2 chicken breasts                                                                                       $ 2.89
2 onions                                                                                                     $  .40
Mushrooms (minus 3 to go into salad)                                                         $ 1.49
Bone Broth                                                                                                $   .80
Dijon Mustard                                                                                            $  .15
Sour Cream                                                                                                $  .50
Spaghetti Squash                                                                                        $ 4.87
                                                                                               Total          $11.10

Side Salad of 1/2 bag of Spinach     90 cents
1/2 container grape tomatoes           35 cents
1/2 a cucumber at 2 for a buck        25 cents
1 carrot, grated                               30 cents
3 mushrooms                                  price included above
                                          Total  $ 1.80

Last night yielded enough leftovers for 2 more luncheon meals, and fed the whole family for $12.90.  Not too bad, I think.

I have a few pounds of leftover sweet potatoes that I want to make up into stuff.  I was going to make mashed sweet potatoes, but then Paleo Nick posted a video on how to make sweet potatoes Anna   http://www.paleonick.com/articles/Sweet-Potatoes-Anna  and I have decided to try that later today.

I have historically been a very visual learner, and prefer watching cooking shows to really see how the prep needs to happen.  Youtube has been a great thing for me, and when we got rid of Dish Network, the only shows that I really missed were "10 Dollar Dinners" and "Good Eats" from the Food Network.  (Well, also anything with Samantha Brown, Andrew Zimmern or Anthony Bourdain from The Travel Channel.  But, this is about the food, right?)  :-)

Paleo Nick's site has wonderfully instructional videos, and his approach is very low key and relatable.  I have definitely picked up some great menu ideas from watching.  In addition, he is not militant about Paleo, so he includes Paleo adjacent recipes too, which is kind of nice.   I think that my annual fee is money well invested!

I will also be making lettuce wraps later in the week, and chicken curry is on the menu for tonight.

Chicken breasts (2 in a pack)                                                                              $ 3.11
1/2 jar of Rogan Josh sauce                                                                                 $ 1.80
4 cloves pressed garlic                                                                                         $  .35
1 can diced tomatoes                                                                                           $  .59
4 stalks celery - diced                                                                                          $  .55
2 onions                                                                                                               $  .40
large carrot                                                                                                          $  .15
1 head cauliflower, diced                                                                                      $  .89
bone broth                                                                                                           $  .50
                                                                                                         Total          $8.34

We are eating it like a stew, because I am kind of running out of ideas about what to put things over.  I do not want to burn the family out on spaghetti squash, but mashed parsnips are too much like putting curry over mashed potatoes.  The texture is just wrong.  I will keep working on it, and will write about ideas in further posts.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
t