Ok, as I think I mentioned in an earlier post, I am getting tired of my habit of eating frozen dinners (i.e. Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.) and am really wanting to do more from scratch.
But . . . I'll use today at lunch as an example. I came home from work and was really hungry. I was out of cheese (because I foolishly left it out on the counter yesterday!) So, making a veggie turkey sandwich w/o cheese just didn't sound appealing. Neither did having a Boca burger plain. So, I ate my last Hot Pocket (broc & cheese).
I've got dried beans and dried lentils and vege burger mixes in my pantry. I've got tons of oatmeal, and a good amount of flour and cornmeal. I've got lots of different frozen veggies in my freezer. I also have a good number of canned soups and veggie chili. Not to mention my numerous frozen Morningstar/Boca products.
I'd like to try once-a-month cooking, or even twice a month. But the majority of the recipies I find for that (or for crockpot cooking) are either 1: Meat oriented or 2: Really cheesey or 3: High in sodium or some combination of the 3.
A blogger mentioned something about freezing their oatmeal??? That would be great for breakfast in the morning - but how exactly do you do it?
I'm really trying to eat more healthfully and am working on losing weight (34lbs gone so far since May!) I'm also really wanting to keep my grocery expenses low.
For awhile there I was eating a lot of Yoplait Yogurt, but then I read the label and figured out why I had finally found a yogurt I liked - the sugar content and that ingredient Dr. Oz on Oprah warns about in foods (Hydro something or other). I eat a banana for breakfast pretty much everyday, and have 2 servings of veggies for dinner most nights.
I'm really coming up on a blank. Apparentally the computer program Mastercook also comes up on a blank when trying to figure out recipies using my pantry list. Arghh!!
I refuse to buy any more boxed meals (with the exception of Morningstar/Boca etc.) ! For awhile when Healthy Choice had a $1/4 coupon I was buying 4-8 boxes of their Manicotti w/broccoli each week. I just finished the last box of that a few days ago.
I want to reduce the amount of trash I produce.
So . . . anyone? Suggestions/advice please???
Condensed points:
1. Want to stop buying premade frozen meals.
2. Want to reduce amount of trash.
3. Want to have foods that are easy to pop in the microwave for a quick lunch/dinner/breakfast.
4. Want foods that are meatless (cheese,eggs, milk, butter, ok.)
5. Want foods that are low in sodium and not *too* high in fat.
6. Want foods that are not difficult or overly time consuming to prepare - or to make enough to freeze.
7. Want to keep my grocery bill low.
_________
Spending report:
Tuesday - none
Wednesday: $32.11 (Cable Bill x 2 -- am planning on canceling this at the end of December - same time my Tivo 1-yr gift sub runs out. Just can't see paying $16+/mo for Tivo + 13/mo for cable. Just not necessary.)
How do I do it? Really?
November 30th, 2006 at 04:13 am
November 30th, 2006 at 04:53 am 1164862429
http://www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/oamc/vegweek.html
This one may not be quite as helpful but its something.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980702d.cfm
November 30th, 2006 at 11:06 am 1164884768
November 30th, 2006 at 01:57 pm 1164895041
--plain yogurt (ingredients are milk and pectin with live cultures which are good for your digestive tract). Anyway, to this yogurt you can add fresh fruit, granola, or make a smoothie (put yogurt, ice, fruit, fruit juice and a little milk in a blender). Also, you can take a strainer, put a paper coffee filter in it then add a cup or two of yogurt. Let the liquid drain out overnight and you can use the "yogurt cheese" like sour cream (for baked potatoes, dips, as a sandwich spread, etc)
--Super Fast Chili: one can diced tomatoes, 1 can pinto beans rinsed, half a chopped onion, a couple cloves of minced garlic then season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. It takes about 5 minutes to put into a pan and when you get home from work. Heat on medium for about a half hour and instant chili! I like mine over rice --Granola: Mix together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup maple syrup (the real kind), 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 3/4 tsp salt. Add to this mixture 4 cups of rolled oats (not the instant kind) and 1 cup of nuts (put them in a ziploc bag then use a hammer to crush them into tiny pieces) and stir well. Bake granola in a sheet pan at 250 degrees for about an hour stirring every 15 minutes.
--Multi Use Bean Dip: In a pie plate layer a can of refried beans and grated cheese. Microwave on high til heated. Add chopped onions, chopped tomatoes and salsa. Can be use as a dip for tortilla chips, rolled in a tortilla, etc.
You can also check out the health food section of a good grocery store. Many evenings I eat a pre-packaged salad and a bowl of organic soup. Simple.
November 30th, 2006 at 03:00 pm 1164898805
November 30th, 2006 at 05:18 pm 1164907088
November 30th, 2006 at 05:39 pm 1164908379
I get some great oatmeal at Trader Joe's, but it takes 30 minutes to cook. You could cook it night while you're doing your dinner, then stick it in the fridge and in the a.m. you can just zap it in the microwave.
November 30th, 2006 at 09:29 pm 1164922159
December 1st, 2006 at 04:06 am 1164946019