Friday, October 30, 2015

Explanation of recent posts

Now that the month is almost over and I have a little more time to put all of this on the blog, I will start sharing what I've learned and the spreadsheets I used to get ready for this month.

First of all, I spoke with everyone who lives here and got their input. Each person who was cooking - especially dinners - chose the meals they would prepare. I wanted to be sure everyone was on board with this.

Secondly, I started making my spreadsheets that I've just shared, getting exact amounts for each recipe and ingredient, and figuring out what I already had in stock. Then I moved on to putting my master shopping list together. This all took a lot longer than I anticipated, but now that it's done, I have it to refer to for the future (and so do you).

Because I have so much food storage already, I wasn't too concerned with running out of certain things - especially anything outside of the produce, meat and dairy categories. As you can see, I spent a lot on stocking up on those three categories just mentioned. I knew if there were complaints and feelings of shortage, it would land in one of those.

All in all, I'd call it a success; even though I got braces on a month earlier than anticipated, I've been able to enjoy meals with my family, get the veggies I need and help my family do the same.



What will I continue to do?

#1 - Freeze Dairy:
*  Keep 2 gallons of whole milk in the freezer and rotate them.
*  Keep a lb of butter and a lb of marg in freezer
*  Keep 2 - 8 oz cream cheese in the freezer
* Keep a 5 lb block of cheddar cheese in the freezer
These have been so easy to do and really would be a life saver if we ever have a break in services.

#2 - Shop less:
Now that I know I can shop on Monday, I'm feeling a little weird. I don't really want to. It seems like a lot of work to do this over again, but the benefits are huge. I don't plan on going without food shopping like this again for awhile, but I do want to put together a more exact menu like this.

#3 - Use more variety for Breakfast and Lunch:
Doing this month, I feel like I've expanded my options for breakfast and lunch and can go longer without shopping as well as bringing variety to those other meals. All positives in my book. I've done 3 weeks of dinner menus many times in the past. It's the other two meals that seem to get away from me and send me to the store more than 2x per month.

#4 - Continue to have others bake the fun, sugary snacks:
I really like not doing this; which surprises me. I feel like I have better control over my diet and am helping those that like certain treats learn how to make them themselves. When they see that I'm not going to do it, they will jump in.

#5 - Keep all of these recipes and menus in a binder, adding to it as I continue to learn more.

#6 - Buy a bunch of produce at the beginning of each month, then process some of it for later in the month. This can help not only in case of a break in services, but the more likely storm that may keep me from the grocery store in the winter months.
*  Make vegetable stock, then bottle or freeze
*  Make green juice and freeze in multiple 16-20 oz containers
*  Cook carrots and spinach, then freeze

Ingredients for Lunches to go

Lunches To go Perishable Freezer or
Ingredient Other 
 Breakdown Ingredients
5 PBJs 12 slices bread 6x
8 T jelly
6 T pb
Milk 24 oz 24 oz pwd milk 2x school milk
Apples 2
Carrots 4
Chips 1/2 bag
6 Tunafish 6 T mayo 4x
2 cans tuna
12 rolls
Mand OJ 1 can
Dried Apple Slices 4 oz
Carrots/Celery 3 ea
7 Hmde Lunchables 10 oz cheese 4x
40 crackers
10 oz ham
applesauce 1/2 container
carrot wedges 4 carrots
zucchini sticks 1/2 zucchini
Chicken Salad Sand 12 slices bread
8 1/2 c mayo 4x
4 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cans chicken from Costco
dill, garlic
Mand OJ 1 can
Dried Apple Slices 4 oz
Carrots/Celery 3 ea

Ingredients for Lunches to eat at home

Home Lunches
Perishable Freezer or
Ingredient Other 
 Breakdown Ingredients
1 Veg Soft Taco 2 c. Ref beans 3x
8 tortillas
10 oz cheddar cheese
16 oz sour cream
Apples 2
Carrots 4
Tortilla Chips 1/2 bag
Salsa 6 oz
2 Ramen 2 2x
Pear 2
Frozen Peas 1/2 bag
Canned Corn 1
3 Loaded Baked Potato 6 potatoes 3x
6 oz sour cream
8 oz cheese
4 oz butter
Brocolli (frozen) 1/2 bag
Pineapple 1 can
Carrots - cooked 4
1 T butter
1 T honey
4 Cream of Potato Soup 4 c potato flakes 3x
 1 T onion flakes
29 oz chicken broth
2 T olive oil
pwd milk
dill, salt, pepper
Peaches - canned 1 can
Frozen Peas 1/2 bag
Cornbread 1 egg 1 pwd egg
1 c pwd milk
1/4 c butter
cornmeal, sugar, flour
salt, bkg soda & pwd

Breakfast Ingredients and where to find recipes

Breakfasts
Perishable Freezer or
Ingredient Other 
 Breakdown Ingredients
1 Cold Cereal Cereal Box
Sausage 10 Sausage links
Milk 24 oz milk 24 oz pwd milk
2 Yogurt 1/2 gallon Milk
1/4 c. Yogurt
2 T jam
Deanna Granola 7 c. Oats
3/4 c Honey
1 c coconut
3/4 c coconut oil
1/2 c sliced almonds
cinnamon, salt, vanilla
zest of 2 oranges 
Oranges- sliced 2 oranges above
3 Waffles pwd milk, eggs
oil, vinegar
Syrup 2 c syrup
Milk 3 c 2 c pwd
4 Sausage 10 sausage links
Em's Choc Chip  2 pwd eggs
    Banana Muffins 1/2 c butter
1 c greek yogurt
bananas
1 c chocolate chips
5 Hashbrowns 1/2 bag frozen potatoes
3 T marg
Bagels 6 bagels
Cream Cheese 6 oz Cr Cheese
6 Fat Free Granola Oats
Honey
Brown Sugar
1/3 c apple concentrate
Brown Sugar Muffins (12) 1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c applesauce
1 c pwd milk
1 pwd egg
1 c brown sugar
flour, soda, salt, vanilla
Milk for cereal 10 oz milk 10 oz pwd milk
7 Eng Muffins 5 Eng Muffins
3 T butter
Scrambled Eggs 5 Eggs 2 pwd eggs
1/4 c. pwd milk
Apple Juice apple concentrate (remaining from ff granola)
8 Pancakes pwd milk+ eggs
oil, vinegar
Apple Pie Filling 1 can filling
Dream Whip 1/4 c. pwd milk
1 pkt Dream Whip
9 Oatmeal/Cheerios Oats
Cheerios
Milk 24 oz milk 24 oz pwd milk
Cinnamon Rolls 12 oz pwd milk
1/2 c oil
2 T yeast
brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger
salt, baking soda
5 c flour (1/2 and 1/2)
10 Make Ahead Breakfast Cake
2/3 c pwd milk
1/4 c shortening
1 pwd egg
flour, sugar, salt, spices
1/2 c oatmeal
4 T butter
Orange Delight 12 oz orange juice
1 c pwd milk
1 c sugar
vanilla, ice cubes
11 Black Bean Sausage 1 1/2 c ea: cooked black beans & rice
1/4 c oats
2 tsp whole fennel seeds
4 tsp ea: dried onion, sage
1 tsp ea: oregano, sea salt
1/2 tsp ea: onion pwd, garlic pwd, cayenne
1 T + 1 tsp canola oil
Biscuits see mixes
1/2 c pwd milk
Gravy Country mix + water

Master Shopping List

Grand
Item unit total # x needed Total Have Need
Sour Cream oz 46 2 92 40 -52
Cheese - cheddar oz 38 2 76 24 -52
Cheese - mozerrella oz 16 2 32 36 4
Cheese- Parm oz 8 2 16 8 -8
Cream Cheese oz 6 2 12 32 20
marg T 27 2 54 144 90
butter T 8 2 16 24 8
eggs ea 4 2 8 17 9
milk cups 2 2 4 80 76
0 0
Ham   1.5 lb (24) 0.3 2 0.6 1 0.4
Hotdogs ea 8 2 16 24 8
Hamburger lb 4.5 2 9 7 -2
Chicken (frozen) lb 3.75 2 7.5 9 1.5
Chicken (12.5 oz canned) ea 6 2 12 13 1
Chili (canned) ea 2 2 4 20 16
Pepperoni pkg 0.5 2 1 2 1
Bacon lb 0.5 2 1 0 -1
0 0
Frozen brocolli 10 oz pkg 2 2 4 0 -4
Frozen peas 10 oz pkg 1 2 2 0 -2
Frozen other veggies 10 oz pkg 1 2 2 0 -2
10 ct sausage 1 1 2 2 12 10
0 0
Potatoes ea 16 2 32 18 -14
Celery stalk 2 2 4 3 -1
Carrots ea 10 2 20 24 4
Bok Choy 1 head 0.5 2 1 0 -1
Green Onions 1 bunch 1 2 2 0 -2
Mushrooms 1 pkg 0.5 2 1 0 -1
0 0
Hamb buns 8 ct pkg 1 2 2 1.5 -0.5
Hot dog buns 8 ct pkg 1 2 2 1 -1
0 0
Stuffing box 2 2 4 3 -1
Rootbeer bottle 1 2 2 4 2
Fettuccini Noodles 16 oz 0.5 2 1 3 2
Bread slice 9 2 18 -18
Speghetti Sauce can/jar 0.5 2 1 12 11
Salsa 16 oz 1 2 2 4 2
Black Beans 15 o zcan 1 2 2 4 2
Tortilla Chips 6 c 2 2 4 4 0
Ref Beans 16 oz 1 2 2 20 18
Chinese Noodles 6 oz dry 2 2 4 5 1
Wheat Crackers box 0.25 2 0.5 3 2.5
Oyster Sauce 1/3 c 1 2 2 4 2
Chicken Broth 8 oz (1 c) 18 2 36 42 6
G Northern Beans (dry) lb 1 2 2 32 30
Mac & Cheese boxes ea 2 2 4 5 1
Already have in pantry/fridge
Rice
Biscuit Mix
herbs
oil
soy sauce
pwd milk
worch sauce
canned corn
oats vinegar
BBQ
dried onion
potato flakes
brown sugar

Dinners - ingredients and where to find recipes

Dinners
Perishable Freezer or
Ingredient Other 
 Breakdown Ingredients
1 Chili Potatoes 8 potatoes
2 can chili
14 oz sour cream
12 oz cheese
2 Cream of Brocolli Soup 2 - 10 oz fozen Brocolli
2 T marg
1 c milk 1 c pwd milk
3 c chicken broth
3 Hmde Fries 8 potatoes
1 qt oil for frying
Cheeseburgers 3 lb hamb
8 oz cheese
8 buns
ketchup, mustard
4 Hot dogs 8 dogs
8 buns
Mac & Cheese from box 2 boxes
1/2 c marg
1/4 c milk 1/4 c pwd milk
5 Ona Jean's Chicken 3 cans of  chicken
2 cans w chestnuts
1 c marg
2 pt sour cream
celery
4 c stuffing (2 boxes)
6 Chicken Stew w Dumplings 2/3 c pwd milk
BHG, 378 7 c chicken broth
canned chicken (2)
onions, basil, garlic, parlsey
                            see tab 2 c biscuit mix
2/3 c flour
frozen veggies 1- 10 oz pkg
7 Fettuccini Alfredo garlic, basil
6 oz milk 6 oz pwd milk
1/2 c  parm cheese
2 T cream cheese
4 oz butter
Fettuccini noodles
Chicken or Salmon 1 can chicken or 2 cans salmon
Pesto Bread Parsley Pesto
9 slices bread
8 Ham & Veg Fried Rice Rice
1/2 pk frozen peas
1/2 head bok choy
green onions
2 eggs
oil, soy sauce
8 oz ham
10 Pizza 10 ct. sausage
16 oz moz cheese
mushrooms
g onions
1/2 bottle speghetti sauce
1/2 bag pepperoni
Rootbeer 1 bottle
11 Chicken Bean & Rice Nachos 1 1/2 lb chicken
(2 hrs w/ cooked chicken) 16 oz jar salsa
15 oz cooked black beans
2 cans of corn
cream cheese
Rice
3/4 c cheese
6 c Tortilla Chips
12 Nachos 1/2 lb ground beef
BHG, 10 16 oz ref beans
1 1/2 c cheese
6 c Tortilla Chips
onion & garlic pwd
13 Lion House Meatballs 1 lb ground beef
3/4 c oats
2 eggs
1/2 c pwd milk
onion, worch sauce
             Sweet & Sour Sauce 1/4 c ea: BBQ, vinegar
1 tsp ea: prep mustard, worch
1/2 c b sugar
Rice Rice
14 Chinese Noodles 12 oz bean sprouts
FFC, 37 1/2 c green onions
1/2 c carrots
1 lb Chinese noodles
1/2 lb bacon
1/3 c oyster sauce
15 Baked Chicken McNuggets 75 wheat wafers
BHG, 303 5 T marg
3 lb chicken
1/2 c parm cheese
3 tsp worch sauce
Mashed Potato 3 c Instant Potato flakes
1/4 c butter
1 c pwd milk
16 White Chicken Chili I T olive oil
.75 lb chicken
1 lb dry great northern beans
overnight + 1.5 hours 4 - 14 oz  chicken broth
2 T ea: dry onion & minced garlic
sage, salt, pepper

Snacks - ingredients and where to find recipes

Snacks Perishable Freezer or
Ingredient Other 
 Breakdown Ingredients
Haupia 3 c coconut milk
FFC, 72 cornstarch, sugar, salt
No egg Choc Cake flour, sugar
FFC, 62 3 TB unswtnd cocoa
soda, salt, vanilla
cinnamon, nutmeg
6 T oil
1 T vinegar
Hummus 1/4 c yogurt
FFC, 48 olive oil, lemon juice
salt, paprika, pepper
14.5  oz garbonzo beans
2 cloves garlic
Parsley Pesto 4 c parsley
binder 1 c parm cheese
lemon - 1
garlic, salt, pepper
1 c. olive oil
Smoothie Green Delight spinach - 12 c
binder rasp guava juice
Makes 7 c & can be frozen 29 oz can pears
12 frozen strawberries
Fat free Brownies 2 eggs
binder 9 T applesauce
vanilla, salt
flour, sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
Ranch Snack Mix 2 1/2 c small pretzels
email opt: 2 1/2 c cheddar cheese crackers
3 T veg oil
8 c Crispix
1 oz Ranch seasoning mix
Parmesean Popcorn 1/2 c butter
binder, yellow pgs 1/3 c parm cheese
12 c popped corn
salt   
Carmel Corn 1 T butter
binder, yellow pgs 1/4 c corn syrup
1/3 c sweetened cond milk
12 c popped corn
salt, bkg soda
2/3 c  brown sugar
Oatmeal Cookies 1 c canola oil
binder vanilla, bkg soda
1 egg 1 pwd egg
2 c oat bran
1 c flour
2 c oats
1 1/2 c brown sugar
cloves, cinnamon
Peanut Butter Cookies 1/2 c olive oil
binder 1 c peanut butter
2 pwd eggs
1/2 c each sugar
2 c oat bran
1 c four
bkg pwd
Chocolate Chip Cookies 1/2 c marg
1 egg 1 pwd egg
1/2 c olive oil
3 c flour
1 1/2 c brown sugar
vanilla, soda, salt, pwd
cinnamon
2 c choc chips
Easy Fantasy Fudge 1 1/2 c marg
Favorite Holiday, 4 6 c sugar
1 1/3 c evap milk (pwd)
3 c choc chips
13 oz jar marsh creme
vanilla
                               opt toppings: nuts, crushed candy, coconut
Yeast Donuts 12 oz pwd milk
1/3 c shortening
2 eggs
sugar, salt, nutmeg
5 c flour
2 T yeast
1 1/2 gallons oil for frying
                        Decorating: 1 c pwd sugar
sprinkles
fudge sauce
Gingerbread House 1 egg
3 oz butter
6 oz pwd milk
1/2 c molasses
salt, soda
cinnamon, ginger
1 c brown sugar
5 c flour
                     Decorating/Frosting: candy treats
4 c pwd sugar
3 egg whites
cream of tartar
Cake Mixes (see mix for details) 2 eggs each
veg oil

Ingredients for Mixes & Where to find recipes

Mixes: (This is the list of ingredients, not all of the recipe info is here)

Pancacke Mix Base Dry 3 c whole wheat flour
3 c white flour
2 T brown sugar
2 c oats
6 tsp bkg pwd
3 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
opt: 1 c mixed bran & wheat germ
Makes 12 waffles dry 3 c mix
wet 3 T vinegar
1 c water
4 oz pwd egg + 12 oz water = 4 eggs
2 c pwd milk
3/4 c veg oil
Biscuit Mix dry 10 c flour (6 white, 4 wheat) 
BHG, 66 1/4 c sugar
1/3 c bkg pwd
2 c shortening
easy plain (8) dry 2 c mix
wet 1/2 c pwd milk
Cheese triangles (8) dry 1 c mix
wet 1/4 c shredded cheese
1/4 c milk
sour cream dry 2 c mix
pink pgs, binder wet 1/2 c melted butter
1 c sour cream
Cake Mix Yellow dry 3 c flour
BHG, 77 2 c sugar
1T bkg pwd
1/4 c pwd milk
wet  1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c marg
2 eggs
Spice dry 2 c flour
BHG, 78 1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp ea: bkg pwd & soda
1/6 c pwd milk
1/4 tsp ea: ginger, clovers, nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
wet 1 c water
1 T vinegar
1/4 c ea: short, marg
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
Chocolate dry 2 c flour
BHG, 81 2 c sugar
 (doubled)  2 tsp bkg pwd
1/2 tsp bkg soda
1/2 c unswt cocoa pwd
1/4 c pwd milk
wet 1 1/2 c water
1/2 c shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Hmde Syrup Nauvoo 1 c butter
Green Holiday, 19 1 c buttermilk
2 c sugar
1 tsp ea: vanilla, bkg soda, maple flavoring
Coconut 13.5 oz coconut milk
binder 2 T constarch
2 c lite corn syrup
1/2 c white sugar
opt: 1/2 c coconut flakes
Peach 1 can peaches
TB recipes, 2 2 T brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 T cornstarch + 1/4 c cold water
Sweetened Condensed Milk 1 c. pwd milk
1 c. sugar
1/2 c water

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