So come August/September I know I will be tired. So very tired. I plan for the tired. Also adding the expenses of fall activities, I do this yearly challenge.
This summer wasn't much of a break for us between my writing up the book proposal and then deciding to move and list our house within a week. We are one tired family. Happy? Yes. But newborn parent tired.
Before I continue, let me tell you why I ended up at Whole Foods. You see, I was out of my Maca supplement (google it- amazing results are true go buy you some NOW) and I don't let myself not have at least 1.5 full bottles on hand. It helps with my stress level, hormones, etc. Please go buy some. (Of course check with your doctor first…)
I buy my Maca capsules at Whole Foods. I was tired. I didn't want to stop at the cheaper grocery store on the way home with my girls. SO I BOUGHT ALMOST ALL THE INGREDIENTS AT WHOLE FOODS. I was under the influence of organic hemp seed oil non-GMO extract. Or something like that. Continuing...
Even with my Maca, I always always plan on my September being filled with crockpot meals. But this year. This year I found a winning combo. I've made my own once a month cooking situations, using books from the library, and even have a whole board on Pinterest. But this time, I used two different sources, added in a breakfast casserole, and really really like what I found (and tasted so far!!):
Copy, paste and print the shopping list on the above link.
Click on each recipe on that page and print it. (printable version makes this easier but this is time consuming- just FYI.)
Shopping: Take a couple of days to shop so you have it all together. Have your husband/wife watch the kids. Remember you can sub out anything you need to! I used all organic chicken because I was feeling particularly expensive at the Whole Foods. Bulk shop at Costco. Use what you have in your pantry, if you can. Grate your own cheese. (It tastes better, too!)
There are two (three?) cans of things in this recipe. You can find fresh if you need to or just work around it. I also bought gluten free pasta, tortillas, bread, etc. With more time, I would buy my gf pasta at Trader Joes and priced my loot at other places. Again, your bill will most likely be cheaper than mine because of all that crazy!
Assembling: Get a mixing bowl to put the empty gallon-size ziploc in to fill. It will make filling it much less messy. There really is no order to this- take a recipe, do what it says, write on the bag with sharpie, seal it and freeze. Your kitchen will be a mess. This took me about 45 minutes plus cleanup.
****We have a family of four. These meals will be two night special for us!! So, 10 meals is really 20 dinners for us!!****
2. Paleo 10-lunch prep, I cannot find to save my life. So I will just get this together in a jiffy and take a little shot from the hip. It's a nice way to start eating less grains. A nice gentle way to eat Paleo and clean. And cheaper than eating out.
Add this to your shopping list from above: Rice, 2.5 lbs ground turkey, 1 medium red onion (I used shallots), 1 bunch of scallions (I omitted), garlic (I used Trader Joes crushed garlic), organic frozen pepper mix (you need half this bag for the breakfast casserole recipe below), bunch of cilantro, BPA-free entree containers
Ok, call the lazy police on me- I did in fact boil the rice on the stove (2.5 cups dry). BUT, I put the entire raw ground turkey, shallots, garlic, half bag of peppers, cilantro, in the crockpot and cooked 6 hours low while we were away. Stirred with a spoon and broke up the turkey. Done.
Take 1/2 cup of the rice, take some of that delish turkey mixture, and put both in those entree containers. Call that a healthy Paleo lunch friends. Husband ate that today and said it was awesome. And, nobody is judging if you eat this for dinner!
I had a pound of sausage in my freezer. This recipe sounded so good! AND IT IS!!
Add those ingredients to your main shopping list, too. You will not be disappointed. I baked this in a 9x12 casserole dish. So like 6-8 servings? We ate it for breakfast this morning, probably tomorrow morning, and I will freeze the rest in individual serving sizes:)
BREAKDOWN OF COSTS:
Whole Foods (minus the Maca supplement, with gluten free pasta, Against the Grain bread- amazing, but a treat for us, grain free tortillas- also a treat) $181.16
Harris Teeter (ground turkey, pork tenderloin, random spices I needed) : $48.72
Total Costs: $229.88 = 20 dinners, 10 Paleo lunches, Breakfast Casserole (6-8 servings)
And remember, I shopped at Whole Foods and Harris Teeter without coupons:)
PS: Ask any questions you have about all that, and I will be sure to answer them. I cooked the Sundried Tomato Chicken recipe today and it is so very good!! Get excited!
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