Made from Scratch

Let’s face it.  We can’t all cook like our granny, at least I can’t.  She could make a skillet of fried chicken and homemade chocolate syrup like it ain’t nobody’s business.  But did I inherit that?  No.  Not by long shot!  So you’re not Suzy Homemaker.  Neither am I!  But I think that with just a little extra time (just a little) in the kitchen, we can stretch our grocery budget.  Breakfast is a great place to start.  Making homemade pancakes or French toast are much tastier from Mom’s Skillet than they are Aunt Jemima’s box!  You can even freeze the leftovers to eliminate cooking time and grocery costs for the upcoming week.  Remember that basic ingredients like flour, sugar, baking soda, etc. are much less expensive than packaged items.  So get ready to dust off the crock pots, find your whisk, and get ready to create some homemade meals.  Find a good cookbook or a good website that has meals to suit your family, as each family unit has its own unique tastes and likes.  Our next series will cover cooking for busy moms, because I know that when you walk through your door at the end of a busy work day, the last thing you want to do is think about creating a meal.  So until next time, spend wisely!

This and other articles like it can be read weekly in the South Cheatham Advocate Newspaper or online at www.scadvocate.com.

HARPETH BAPTIST CHURCH
1011 Butterworth Road
Kingston Springs, TN 37082
615-378-1136

www.harpethbaptist.org

Making It Last

What item is it for you and your family that always needs a ‘trip to the store’ between shopping trips?  Milk?  Cereal?  Eggs?  This week we want to explore ways to make those things last and by getting creative if they do.  Trust me, with a three and six year old, we don’t fully promote the concept of rationing.  However, we do understand that when we ‘run out’ of an item, we won’t restock until our grocery day.  That calls for creativity, Kitchen Friends!  Here are some ways that I have learned to make our groceries last, and you may be implementing these things as well:

• Use extra hotdog and hamburger buns to make garlic bread or cheesy bread.
• Cook the items that are about to spoil-don’t let that grocery money be thrown out with yesterday’s garbage (literally)!
• Use shelf milk for recipes so that you can save the regular milk for drinking.
• Remember that if you meal plan, you will know exactly what you need and how much you will need-this will eliminate extra trips to the grocery store between shopping days.
• Have a running list of things you are low on BEFORE you go shopping-I know that personally, I am prone to forget those small items like baking powder and mustard if I don’t write it down beforehand.
• Keep a pantry stocked with basic staples-if you have the basics, you can create a ‘from scratch’ meal-and always try to stock up when those staple items are on sale!
• Egg salad sandwiches and boiled eggs-they might not be a favorite, but they make great lunches and breakfasts when you’ve run out of everything else.

These are just a few ways to make your food last and avoid the urge to make a midweek trip to the grocery store-where you will usually walk out with more than you came for…and is it really worth the gas money for that additional trip?  Next week we will toss out some ideas for ‘Made from Scratch’ cooking…who has the time, right?  Maybe it’s easier than you think.  Until then, spend wisely!

This and other articles like it can be read weekly in the South Cheatham Advocate Newspaper or online at www.scadvocate.com.

HARPETH BAPTIST CHURCH
1011 Butterworth Road
Kingston Springs, TN 37082
615-378-1136

www.harpethbaptist.org

What’s for Dinner?

This is almost a necessity when working with your grocery budget.  Having a meal plan will allow you to shop specifically on your next trip to the grocery store.  It can be as simple or extravagant as you want it to be, but I find that our family enjoys the same style meals on a regular basis.  We like to have a pizza night, a fish night, and a Mexican night on a weekly schedule, so I know when I go grocery shopping, I will need to buy items for those nights.  This will allow you to avoid ‘impulse’ spending (and yes, that can happen at the grocery store, especially if you take along your spouse or children)!  There are a number of resources out there with meal plan templates, so do a simple Google search to find one that works for you.  If all else fails, create your own!  Meal planning will allow you to see exactly what you need to buy.  Try starting this week’s meal plan building on the ingredients and items you have right now.  I find that when I don’t have a plan for my food (especially refrigerated items), many times things will spoil, which is money down the drain…NOT our goal, right?!  Next week we will look at ways to make your food stretch from one grocery trip to the next.  Until then, spend wisely!

This and other articles like it can be read weekly in the South Cheatham Advocate Newspaper or online at www.scadvocate.com.

HARPETH BAPTIST CHURCH
1011 Butterworth Road
Kingston Springs, TN 37082
615-378-1136

www.harpethbaptist.org

Reality Budgeting

I think the majority of us would say that we enjoy saving money.  However, the extreme couponing that is depicted on reality television is not, in fact, reality.  But there are some ways that you can reduce a grocery budget.  SIDE NOTE: Trying to cut your grocery bill by 50% your first week is just discouraging!  Take small steps to gradually reduce your grocery spending.  This week’s tip: Have a vegetable plate one night a week.  For those out there who are meat and potato people, this might not sound very appealing, but it carries a two-fold advantage in your grocery shopping.  First, meat rarely has a ‘coupon matchup,’ so it can take a chunk out of your grocery budget.  Second, it’s a healthy idea to eliminate meat from your diet on occasion.  A good substitute would be rice or beans.  They can give you that full feeling that typically comes from meat. For those of us here in Cheatham County (or neighboring Dickson County), we have two small grocery stores that offer Pick 5 for $19.99.  These portions can go along way with careful meal planning, which is the topic for next week.  Until then, spend wisely!

This and other articles like it can be read weekly in the South Cheatham Advocate Newspaper or online at www.scadvocate.com.

HARPETH BAPTIST CHURCH
1011 Butterworth Road
Kingston Springs, TN 37082
615-378-1136

www.harpethbaptist.org