My Nutrition Journey

Always learning...

2009-10-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I was pretty frugal until I started reading what other frugal people have to say! I just read Amy Dacyczyn's The Complete Tightwad Gazette. I've also been reading this blog called Under $1000 a Month. Wow. I know I don't want to take the time to do everything they do, nor do I want to cut out many of my luxuries (like a washing machine and cable t.v.), but they made me really think about what more I could do to make our savings account bigger and our household spending smaller.
This is probably not the right place to start, but I am currently thinking about the challenges I will have to overcome to accomplish this feat.

First, is restaurants. We became accustomed to eating out frequently when we were both working, and two and a half years later, we still haven't completely kicked the habit. What is funny about this is that every time we eat out, I am quite disappointed in the quality of the food! I find myself thinking, "If I'm paying this much money, it had better be spectacular." And it never is! I can cook far better tasting and more nutritious foods at home. This is leading me to more carefully plan out our family meals so that I have a Plan B available if Plan A is not going to work out.

Second, is my husband's addiction to processed foods. He simply refuses to avail himself of the whole foods in the house for his work lunches or snacks. He does not have access to a microwave at work, so leftovers are out. Here are the things he wants me to buy him: individual yogurt and pudding cups. Chips. Granola and cereal bars. Deli meat and cheese (no American slices for him, NO WAY!). Packaged cheese and crackers.
Frozen Pizza snacks and Soft Pretzels.
He will not bring veggies if I cut them up, package them, and prepare little cups of ranch dressing. He will not bring canned fruits, which can be purchased or home canned cheaply and put into tupperware. I think about 1/3 of our grocery budget goes to satisfy his junk food cravings.
If I go a week without buying garbage, he will wander the kitchen, opening and closing the fridge, freezer, and cupboards, sighing and giving me puppy dog eyes. It makes me crazy to spend so much on stuff that is probably killing him!

So, I'll post about it if I find a solution to my biggest budget buster and if I find other ways to trim our spending.
Sorry to those of you who might come here looking for solutions, this is really an account of my family's JOURNEY toward frugality and healthy living. It is also a tool to help me learn how to make a blog because I am quite computer illiterate. But, if you happen to see something interesting or have a suggestion, I am all ears!

Spinach Casserole

2009-10-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

I learned this recipe from my mother in law. It has a ton of spinach in it, but can be high in fat because of the dairy, so either serve smaller portions, or buy reduced fat cheese...sometimes you can find it for as little as $2 a pound, so load up when you do!
This will serve 4 adults with a salad or more if your family needs meat at every meal :)

8 oz dry spaghetti
16 oz frozen spinach
1/4 cup skim milk
1 cup shredded cheese
salt and pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray.
Put spinach in the microwave on defrost for 5 minutes...or, to be more frugal about it, leave it in the fridge over night. Squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
In the pasta pot, stir together mushroom soup and milk and add salt and pepper to taste.
In the casserole dish, layer spinach and pasta. Pour the soup mixture over and spread it with a spoon to help it cover the whole casserole. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Cut into portions and serve.

Cheddar bacon trio

2009-09-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my mom. I'm sure she cut it out of a magazine, so it is definitely not my own recipe! It serves 4 adults with a salad and should provide enough for 1 persons lunch the next day!

Ingredients
12 oz rainbow rotini
4 oz shredded colby or cheddar cheese
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 lb turkey bacon cut into small pieces
3 scallions, chopped
2 c milk
1 T trans fat free margarine
2 T flour
salt and pepper

Method
Cook and drain pasta according to directions on the box. Meanwhile, fry the bacon over medium heat for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan. Put margarine into the pan and once it is melted, stir in the flour and some salt and pepper to make a roux. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute and remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes and heat through. Stir in hot pasta and scallions and serve immediately.

Spaghetti

2009-09-19T05:02:00.000-07:00

I make versions of this with and without meat. I use the smaller amounts of vegetables shown when I make it with meat, and the larger amount of vegetables when I make it without meat.

Ingredients
1 lb dry spaghetti
1 lb ground turkey (optional)
1-2 medium zucchini--there are frozen versions available, chopped
8-16 oz mushrooms, chopped
2 carrots, shredded*
1 onion, chopped
olive oil
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce.
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Method
Cook and drain spaghetti according to package directions (salt the water before adding pasta).
Begin browning turkey if you are using it. In a separate skillet, heat olive oil over medium high and add onions, zucchini, and carrots. Saute until vegetables are softened.** Near the end, add the mushrooms and brown them. Combine meat and vegetables. Pour in spaghetti sauce and bring to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Toss spaghetti with a little olive oil. Serve sauce over the pasta with Parmesan cheese if desired.

*If you are really ambitious, or your family does not like the texture of carrots in the sauce, you can make a puree to keep on hand for sauces. Just chop and steam the carrots and put them in a blender. Add the steaming water and puree until smooth. I've done this with zucchini, too.
**The zucchini absorb the olive oil, which may cause the carrots to start browning before they are soft enough. If this starts to happen, you can lower the heat and cover the whole pan. This will cause the vegetables to cook quickly by steaming them without taking away the nice sauteed texture.

Black Bean Quesadillas

2009-09-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

Recipe serves 4 adults with leftovers or 6 adults with a side of taco rice.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1- 10 oz box of frozen spinach
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic or 1 tsp dried garlic
1 T olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz shredded colby jack cheese (reduced fat)
10 tortillas
salsa and reduced fat sour cream to garnish

Method
Defrost spinach in microwave for 5 minutes and squeeze out all the water.
Saute onion and mushrooms in oil until onion is soft and translucent. Add spinach, black beans, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Mix and heat through.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
Lay out a tortilla and sprinkle cheese lightly over one half. Top with black bean mixture and some more cheese. Fold tortilla over and place in pan. Brown lightly and flip.
Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve with sour cream and salsa.