Meal Planning Monday, Rationing, and Homemade Refried Beans

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 Last week we had featured meatless meals for the weekdays, saving meals with meat for the weekend to save some money. This week, I am continuing that trend. Not featuring any meat at all during the week was mostly successful. I did field more snack requests, but I was prepared for that, and served peanut butter crackers and raisins, leftovers that weren't planned for anything else and pb and j toast. Even with the extra snacks, we still spent less money than if we had purchased meat.

 The next most expensive ingredient in most of our meals is cheese. It seems if a recipe doesn't have meat, it usually has cheese somewhere. We have been fortunate to have shredded cheese stocked up in the freezer from when it was on sale. I ration this cheese out, not just letting everyone help themselves, because really, who doesn't want all the cheese you can get on something? Rationing, not war rationing, but self induced rationing, is one of the secrets of keeping food costs down. If a recipe tells me it has 6 servings, I try to make sure it gets portioned out into 6 helpings, then fill in with bread, biscuits, or a few crackers. I try to make sure we get the daily allotment of fruits and vegetables for sure too. By being pretty strict with plate portions, instead of eyeballing it, we eat less, but it's not very often that someone notices, where if I let the kids fill their plates themselves, they almost always take more than they can eat. And if I'm not strict with myself, I will finish something just because it is on my plate, not because I am actually hungry.

 I also leave the food in the kitchen. If someone truly is still a little hungry, they will be willing to get up and go get more, where sometimes we eat more of something because it is sitting there looking at us. Sometimes I feel like a meanie, but most of the time I'm right and what I put on their plates seems to be enough.

 Thinking of myself as diligent instead of strict helps me feel better about my choices. But I also try to be sensitive to the needs of my family. Teenage boys are bottomless pits. Some days we are more physical and need more to refuel, or are going to have a more physically demanding day and need a heartier breakfast. I try to take this into account when I'm menu planning and shopping. We always have saltine crackers and peanut butter. If you don't feel like having saltines and peanut butter, then you are not hungry enough, haha. 

 I hope this week holds opportunities for you to stop and enjoy the season, you have got this!

Here is a recipe for homemade refried beans, I make these quite often, they cost less than half of the canned version.

 Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Soak pinto beans overnight in a big bowl of cool water

Drain beans, add to slow cooker

Add 3 cups of water for each cup of beans

Cook on low 8 hours

Spoon out extra water and mash beans, adding water back if needed

Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of cumin, adjust to taste


 Here is this week's menu plan!

Monday-

Tuesday-

  • Breakfast- Eggs, toast, banana
  • Lunch-  Homemade microwave burritos, crackers, apple
  • Dinner- Scalloped Potatoes, baked beans, peas, garlic toast

Wednesday- 

  • Breakfast-  Oatmeal, cinnamon toast, banana
  • Lunch-  Leftovers, carrots and celery
  • Dinner- Vegetable soup, biscuits

Thursday-

  • Breakfast- egg, toast, banana
  • Lunch-  Homemade burritos, left over soup
  • Dinner- 10 Minute Cream Cheese Pasta doubled, roasted sweet potatoes, garlic toast

Friday-

Saturday-

Sunday-

 Have a good week!

~ Sarah

 

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