Whats For Dinner Tonight

[marvholly]

AND what did it cost per serving?

Background:
I do meal plan – in pencil cause I do change a LOT

Basic plan is:
2 chicken
1 ground meat
1 red meat
2 fish
2 vegetarian (usually 1 pasta meal & 1 soup, salad plate, tofu or beans/lentils)
I try to eat healthy so my meals generally have fruit, veg and/or salad side(s)
I often have eggs or cottage cheese for 1 meal/day
I don’t like standard breakfast foods

Today I plan to watch the Rose Bowl parade while preparing a new veggie recipe that I got off $5 dinners.  I did cost it out and it is less than $1/serving. 

[olderburgher]

Today since it is January 1st, it is:  Pork and Sour Kraut (homemade) for good luck in 2014, mashed potatoes, peas and homemade applesuace.

[Deleted]

Pork and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes ..

[The Captain]

marvholly I love threads like this!  Will you please post the recipe you're trying?

For us it's Minestrone soup.

1 can red kidney beans .62
1 bunch lacinato Kale .99
2 onions - .89
5 carrots - .33
6 ribs celery - .50
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes .99
1 pound frozen green beans .99
2 fresh zucchini .90
Chicken stock - 2.00
garlic, olive oil, herbs - say 1.00
1 pound small seashell pasta - .89

So around $10 for 10-12 servings.  Maybe a bit more once you put fresh grated parmesan on top.  I have a loaf of Italian-French bread to go with it that was 1.69.  

[grits]

Steamed yellow squash. Roasted sweet potatoes. Beef roast. Baked apples. The total for one person would be..... $1.79.

[KaraBoo]

Tonight we're having chili that I made in bulk and froze:

6 lbs lean ground beef - $18.00
1 very large can crushed tomatoes - $4.00
1 bag dried kidney beans - $0.50
Seasoning -  maybe $3.00 worth?

So - approximate total - $25.50 for a total of 4 meals, plus left overs, that feeds 6 people.  

Whatever chili is leftover tonight will either be a lunch meal or will be used for chili cheese hotdogs on Friday night (maybe both if there is enough).

[chiver78]

tonight's dinner is the frozen pizza I bought last night at Wegmans. not really what I was in the mood for, but it involved the least amount of work. I'm kind of in a funk today. I added some cheese and veggies I already had on hand, and some oregano for the top.

$5 chicken and pesto pizza
$.25 shredded mozzarella
$.15 baby spinach
$.25 button mushroom

so - $5.65 for the whole thing. I start a weight loss challenge tomorrow, and the pizza isn't all that tasty anyway, so I'll be tossing whatever's left.

[swamp]

I cooked a turkey breast, mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli, and home made banana bread. I have no idea what it costs. I don't care. 

[chiver78]

I wish I lived closer to swamp. I'd have brought wine as I invited myself over for dinner.

[swamp]

Jan 1, 2014 19:32:23 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I wish I lived closer to swamp. I'd have brought wine as I invited myself over for dinner.

You are more than welcome.  Fair warning, DD will ask you to play barbies with her. And DS will tell you all about Mario and luigi. 

[chiver78]

Jan 1, 2014 19:40:46 GMT -5 swamp said:

Jan 1, 2014 19:32:23 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I wish I lived closer to swamp. I'd have brought wine as I invited myself over for dinner.

You are more than welcome.  Fair warning, DD will ask you to play barbies with her. And DS will tell you all about Mario and luigi. 

haha, awesome. I remember being huge fans of all of the above

how are you feeling, btw?

[coffeegrl]

I had a pork roast that was in the freezer, opened a can of green beans, and made a package of instant mashed potatoes (smoked applewood bacon flavor).  I'll have the same tomorrow night (it's just me).  Friday, I am going to a game night, so we'll order pizza or bring snacks/finger foods to share.  After work on Friday, I'll stop off at the store and grab a bottle of bbq sauce and a pound of potato salad from the deli.  Then Saturday, I'll chop up some of the pork roast and let it simmer on the stove with the bbq sauce.  I have bread in the freezer.  I don't like frozen bread for a regular sandwich, but it's fine when I toast it. So I'll make a bbq sandwich for Saturday, have some of the potato salad, and possibly some salad.  Need to remember to grab a bag of salad at the grocery store on Friday.  I'll have the same again on Sunday and then probably Monday too.  I have a women's get-together at church Tuesday night, so probably just something light, maybe the rest of the salad with some tuna or hard boiled egg in it, because there will be munchies at the get-together/prayer/discussion group.

How much does it cost?  Not sure.  I'm sure the pork roast was the most expensive thing there.  But it's gotta be cheaper than eating out/grabbing fast food all those days.  My goal for January is to track every penny spent so I have an idea of where all my money is going, then actually try to put together a budget for February.  I have frozen chicken breasts in the freezer too. Might thaw one of those and fix it Monday instead of having pork again that day.  

Oh wait.  You wanted to know what was for dinner TONIGHT right, not the next 6 or 7 days.  Sorry!

[swamp]

Jan 1, 2014 19:56:01 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Jan 1, 2014 19:40:46 GMT -5 swamp said:

You are more than welcome.  Fair warning, DD will ask you to play barbies with her. And DS will tell you all about Mario and luigi. 

haha, awesome. I remember being huge fans of all of the above

how are you feeling, btw?

Much better. Was able to do a Zumba class tonight. 

[chiver78]

yay! that's progress

[wvugurl26]

Glad you are feeling better swamp.

Dinner was roasted pork loin roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, black eyed peas and sauteed cabbage.

Pork roast was $8.58 at Wegman's and the most expensive part. I packed up leftovers for my lunch tomorrow. I'll make bbq sandwiches and potato cakes tomorrow night for dinner.

[Malarky]

I made soup

Turkey stock from thanksgiving.

Onions, celery and carrots sautéed in butter.

Chicken breasts that I had cooked and frozen previously.

Noodles.

Four servings probably cost me $3 total.  Everything was left over from a previous dinner.  

[Deleted]

One pork chop, which DH and I shared and still didn't finish. They sell pork chops here that are way too big for one person. Mashed potatoes (DH made from scratch) with sauerkraut- old German custom for New Year's Day. And a salad. No idea what it all cost, but not much with the possible exception of the salad- fresh veggies are expensive this time of year.

Bonus: we made soup stock from a large plastic bag full of the ends and other bits of vegetables such as celery greens that most people throw out but that we accumulate in the freezer, so that was practically free. The whole house smelled delicious.

[coffeegrl]

Jan 1, 2014 20:15:05 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I'll make bbq sandwiches and potato cakes tomorrow night for dinner.

Ooooo......potato cakes!  I hadn't thought of those!  Think I'll be using the leftover instant potatoes to make a few of those instead of buying potato salad to go with my bbq sandwiches too.  

[Artemis Windsong]

Spaghetti with turkey meat balls.  One crescent roll with garlic hummus.

Hummus for the black-eyed pea tradition for good luck in the new year. 

[marvholly]

Captain
I was not happy w/the recipe I made yesterday. I have already changed it from mexican to italian. Actually it made 4 servings so cost less than $0.50/serving. Turns out that, like chili, soup or stew, it tastes better the next day.

Today will be sauted talapia. A local market sells individual portions (4 oz) of talapia and salmon for $1. Will add some fresh broccoli and ? making the total about $1.50.

[Deleted]

  I'm sorry. Maybe I'm a snob, but I have to ask where fish comes from, particularly salmon, that sells for 4$ a pound.... 

You know Atlantic farmed salmon is not good for you...

[The Captain]

Jan 2, 2014 6:12:58 GMT -5 marvholly said:

Captain
I was not happy w/the recipe I made yesterday. I have already changed it from mexican to italian. Actually it made 4 servings so cost less than $0.50/serving. Turns out that, like chili, soup or stew, it tastes better the next day.

Today will be sauted talapia. A local market sells individual portions (4 oz) of talapia and salmon for $1. Will add some fresh broccoli and ? making the total about $1.50.

Sorry to hear that.  I'm always on the lookout for tasty new vegetarian meals.

I also have to second what another poster said about "cheap" fish.  I've look up fish farming practices and in some countries it's downright scary.  I only buy wild caught fish and try really hard to stick with stuff that's sourced from the US.  The level of contaminates in some farmed fish far outweigh any health benefits you may have received from eating fish. (Off my lecture box now)

[constanz22]

I am supposed to be back on WW, but I am really struggling this time.  I can't get motivated or think of "good" stuff to eat, besides the fact I absolutely HATE cooking for one person.  I have bananas thawing out to bake some banana bread to hopefully warm up the house a bit.  It's very cold here today and will be even worse tomorrow.

I have a b/s chicken breast thawed out, guess I could do something with that, just not sure what...

[Iggy aka IG]

I generally follow a low carb lifestyle.

Tonight will be smoked sausage (on sale w/ a coup), served in a hoagie bun (will go to the discount bin tonight) for DH
Sides:  Okra ($1 frozen bag), cucumber (on sale for .88), and pork rinds for me ($2/bag) in lieu of chips

[Deleted]

I'm going to do baked chicken and potatoes with honeyed carrots.

[swamp]

Jan 2, 2014 11:35:58 GMT -5 constanz22 said:

I am supposed to be back on WW, but I am really struggling this time.  I can't get motivated or think of "good" stuff to eat, besides the fact I absolutely HATE cooking for one person.  I have bananas thawing out to bake some banana bread to hopefully warm up the house a bit.  It's very cold here today and will be even worse tomorrow.

I have a b/s chicken breast thawed out, guess I could do something with that, just not sure what...

do you use my fitness pal? I find that much easier than weight watchers. and free.

[chiver78]

I have a black peppercorn-marinated pork tenderloin that I need to portion out for the freezer. I will likely grill one portion tonight and slice it over some salad greens.

$1    pork - I'll cut 4 portions out of a 1.33lb t-loin, which was $4
$.75  salad greens - blend from two bags, baby spinach and an Italian escarole salad
$.10  vinaigrette

dinner for under $2

[MonicaLee5186]

Made a big pot of homemade veggie soup today -- no idea what the cost is.   I plan on adding a can of beans when it's almost done.

We are starting the big snowstorm here now so a nice warm soup dinner is right up my alley!

[constanz22]

Jan 2, 2014 14:41:54 GMT -5 swamp said:

Jan 2, 2014 11:35:58 GMT -5 constanz22 said:

I am supposed to be back on WW, but I am really struggling this time.  I can't get motivated or think of "good" stuff to eat, besides the fact I absolutely HATE cooking for one person.  I have bananas thawing out to bake some banana bread to hopefully warm up the house a bit.  It's very cold here today and will be even worse tomorrow.

I have a b/s chicken breast thawed out, guess I could do something with that, just not sure what...

do you use my fitness pal? I find that much easier than weight watchers. and free.

I had an account there and tried it for a bit.  I didn't stick with it though.  I don't remember why.  I'm actually a lifetime member at WW, so as soon as I get down to within 2 pounds of my goal (again) I won't have to pay anymore.  I'm just having a really hard time this time.

[constanz22]

I used my chicken breast for lunch.  I just sautéed it with some frozen broccoli and teriaki sauce and threw it over some brown rice.  Tasty and pretty WW friendly.  Decided to cook some stuff out of the freezer, 1. To keep the house warm since it's freezing here and 2. Just cuz my freezers are packed!  But, I ended up throwing it all in the trash...well, at least I got the house warmed up.  Maybe I'll open a can of soup or make a grilled cheese later