Two points if you can spot the child’s hand that snuck in this picture.
I have many categories of favorite foods. Favorite snack foods, favorite breakfast foods, favorite cheese foods. I have my favorite foods to cook and I have my favorite foods to eat. And then there is the most exclusive group of favorites: my favorite meals to cook AND eat.
Because if I am being honest, my favorite meals to cook are either quick’n’easy, or a recipe I have perfected over a long period of time and cooking it is just like singing a favorite song. My favorite meals to eat are delicious, but a pain in the butt on either the preparation or cleanup end. I love my homemade chicken tender recipe but the prep time is an hour, the cook time is two hours, and the cleanup is all the rest of the hours.
So the Favorites to Cook AND Eat are a very select few because the criteria is strict. The prep time is manageable, the cook time is manageable, the clean up time is manageable, and the taste is beyond manageable.
Last week was all about discovery and branching out from your comfort zone. This week is all about hunkering down in that comfort zone and waiting out the rest of winter.
Which wasn’t even a conscious choice on my part. Remember, I am purchasing and meal planning to the sale, because I am sticking with my Grocery Resolutions. Scout’s honor. It just so happened that all the things I really love to cook and I really, really love to eat were on sale. What are the odds?
It has been a cold winter in the Midwest, so all I want to do is curl up with a bowl of Turkey Chocolate Chili. But I could not because Turkey was like $4 a pound, and I don’t have that kind of cash. Lucky for me this week, the ground turkey was a much more reasonable $3 a pound. This isn’t the kind of price that makes me yee-haw and throw my hat in the air while stockpiling turkey. But it was good enough to get a few pounds to cure that chili craving.
Quite possibly my most favorite meal to both cook and eat is Jambalaya. My recipe uses chicken, shrimp, and sausage but for some reason this winter, I have never found all three at a good price. But you know me, I like to plan for a rainy day. Since roughly November there has been sausage and chicken in my freezer, just waiting for the day when they would be united with reasonably priced shrimp. Friends, today was that day.
The chicken will be split two ways for my two fave chicken meals: Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas and Chicken Parmesan. The steak (fancy Angus steak, check that out) will also be split, making steak taco bowls and steak quesadillas.
I talk a lot about getting in food ruts, or meal planning ruts, and that is a real thing. Sticking with the same ingredients, the same flavor profiles, the same exact meal because it is easy or comfortable. But there is a big difference between making the same meals every day and indulging in your favorites now and again. For me, many of my favorites involve more expensive proteins. This is because, as I am sure you know, I am very fancy. Even as you explore new foods and meal options for your family, it’s okay to check back in with your tried and true favorites, when the savings fairies present the opportunity.
PS: Big thank you to all the people who did not buy shrimp or steak on Valentine’s Day, causing my store to mark it down. You folks are the real heroes.
- Bananas, 2.61 lb-$1.54.
- Boar’s Head Honey Maple Turkey, .75 lb-$7.39.
- Boar’s Head Sandwich Pepperoni,.5 lb-$4.72.
- Clementines, 5 lbs-$4.88.
- Creamette Pasta (4)-$2. In store sale for 4/$4, stacked with a *Digital Coupon* for $2 off. Even better, stacked with Ibotta offers to make the pasta freeeee!
- Double Stuf Oreos-$1.49. Originally $2.99, down to $1.49 with *Digital Coupon*.
- Dutch Gouda Block-$1.68
- Heritage Farm Chicken Breasts, 5.06 lbs-$10.07.
- Kroger Ground Turkey 2 lbs-$5.98.
- Kroger Rice-$1.49.
- Mangoes (2)-$1.98.
- Piave Cheese-$2.24.
- Private Selection Ice Cream, pint (3)-$4.50. In store sale 3/$5, stacked with *Digital Coupon* for $.50 off.
- Private Selection Whole Wheat Bread-$1.99.
- Private Selection Angus Steak, 2.28 lbs-$11.38.
- Red Bell Pepper (2)-$3.
- Red Leaf Lettuce, .60 lb-$1.01.
- Simple Truth Almond Milk-$2.50.
- Strawberries, 3 lbs-$5.
- Vidal Onions, 2.56 lbs-$2.53.
- Welsh Cheddar-$2.16.
- White Shrimp, 1.25 lbs-$7.48.
- Apps I’ll submit to: Fetch Rewards, Ibotta ($.25 off Any Item, $1 off Creamette Thick & Hearty Pasta (2x), $.50 for any 2 Creamette Pastas)
Total Budget: $92.65
Total Spent: $87.55
Total Saved: $32.45
Rolled Over to Next Trip: $5.10
What is your favorite meal to cook? What is your favorite meal to eat? What is your favorite meal to eat AND cook? Inspire me in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!