November Results and a Happy Feast of Saint Nicholas Day

The November results are in and the grand total was.......are you ready?.........$439.35.  I was over, but only by about forty dollars and that was with Thanksgiving and the purchase of a turkey!  I am very pleased. 

I discovered several things this month.  It is amazing how your spending can change when you really look at everything....I mean every last detail.  I am pretty frugal, but I am still discovering new ways to save.  One of my biggest surprises came unexpectedly when I ran out of cumin.

 I usually just pick up a new jar.  I consider it a need and usually pick out the best deal I can find in the baking aisle.  Not anymore.  A jar can easily cost you five dollars.  This month I went to the bulk section.  I was able to refill my jar for 36 cents.  That is a big savings.

Now, I don't always recommend buying in bulk.  I have a couple of stores where I live that take precautions to avoid cross contamination.  One store even requires that you wear disposable gloves.  I always check and make sure the location of gluten containing items compared with gluten free is enough to avoid any possible contamination.  I also check to see if scoops can be used in other bins.  Still you may run a risk of contamination.  You have to judge for yourself if the savings are worth it.

My other cost effective discovery this month was making homemade chicken stock.  I roasted a whole chicken earlier in the month and threw the carcass and remaining scraps and leftover chicken into a bag and placed it in the freezer.  Later those leftovers and the carcass became 4 quarts of chicken broth and 12 servings of chicken noodle soup.  That was not the surprising part!  I was amazed at the savings.  I made 4 quarts of stock for 93 cents!  It costs $2.94 for 32 ounces of the brand I buy at the store.  It would cost me $11.76 for the same amount of broth!

I made chicken noodle soup using the broth.  Cinnamon thought it was so much more flavorful.  The soup made 12 servings for approximately 40 cents each!  Compare that with a can of soup and the savings are great.  I freeze my leftovers for lunches.  Since I have started this challenge, I no longer buy soup.  It is so much cheaper to make a large batch and then freeze it in individual containers.  I make several pots of soup each month with this in mind. 

CHICKEN STOCK:
2 large carrots chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
1 large onion chopped
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 chicken carcass
1 or 2 bay leaves
Salt and Pepper
Water

In a large pot, begin to cook vegetables over medium heat.  Add the carcass and enough water to cover it.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a medium simmer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Remove carcass saving any remaining meat.  Remove vegetables and discard.  Pour liquid through a strainer into a second pot.  Divide and freeze to use later or use immediately for chicken soup.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP:

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 large onion chopped

4 large carrots chopped

4 celery stalks, including leaves, chopped

2 T olive oil

4 quarts of  homemade chicken broth

Leftover chicken pieces (1-2 cups)

1 15 oz can of chicken broth + one can of water (if you want more soup.  I wanted to fill an 8 quart pot)

2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Italian seasonings to taste
1/2 to 1 package of gf noodles (I used spaghetti noodles because I had them and I used the whole package because     my family likes lots of noodles.  I broke mine into small pieces)

Cook garlic, onion, carrots, celery and leaves, in two tablespoons of olive oil until onions are fragrant and translucent.  Add chicken, chicken stock, and bay leaves.  Add seasonings to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer until vegetables are soft and your house is smelling delicious! I probably let mine simmer for an hour.  Increase heat.  When the soup boils, add noodles and cook until they are done. 

Now it is on to December which is crazy in my house!  I just seem to run and run. I promise Sarah, I will try and answer your questions in the next day or so and Erin, thanks for the Versatile Blog Award.  I am trying to figure out what exactly I am supposed to do :)

I wish you all well and leave you with some pictures from our celebration of the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas.

  Each year we open our stockings on this day!

It brings out the "kid" is all of us!

Even the 18 year old!

Is Less Really More?

I was on the computer today checking emails and looking up an order I placed with Amazon a few days ago to check on the arrival date.  In my order box, not yet shipped, was my next round of Subscribe and Save items just waiting to make their way to my house.  I thought I had better check out what other items were going to be shipped over the next few months.  Good thing I did!  After changing the order dates for many items, I got to thinking, is it really better to buy in bulk?

One of the items on my list was Glutino Pretzels.  They are a great deal on Amazon's Subscribe and Save.  They are $2.75 a bag compared with $5.00 or more at the grocery store.  I can save $27.00 by buying a pack of 12 online.  Seems like a good deal.  The Betty Crocker cake mix could save me $8.00 if I bought it online (a pack of 6)  for $19.86.  Each box is $3.31 compared with $4.79 at the store.  Good for the budget, right!  Everything I buy on Amazon is cheaper than I can get in the store!

So, what about other online stores.  I have been debating buying flour in bulk online.  I can buy rice flour in regular packaging at  the store for $2.29 a pound or I can buy it in bulk for $1.19 a pound, but if I buy a 25 pound bag online, it costs me 72 cents a pound!  The same with tapioca flour:  $5.98 a pound, $1.49 a pound if purchased in bulk, or 89 cents a pound online for 25 pounds!  Online seems like the way to go.

Of course there are other places besides online to buy in bulk.  Costco provides massive packages of just about anything and Cash and Carry can be a savers dream for many items in bulk.  Check out my latest find!  First, let me say, I love my morning coffee.  I love it with a splash of Silk Vanilla Creamer and a hint, okay maybe a heaping teaspoon, of chocolate.  I use this Torani Chocolate Sauce.

I can get it at the grocery store for around $5.00 or I can buy it online through Amazon's Subscribe and Save for $4.12!  You can imagine my excitement when I found a larger bottle for around $10.00 at Cash and Carry.

Did I mention it is more than twice the size!  A lot more than twice the size!  How about four times the size!  Wow, I just saved half!

All of this sounds great.  Absolutely fantastic!  Right?

Maybe not.

I took a look at the fifteen items on my subscribe and save account.  Fifteen is not that many items really.  They are all items I use, some more regularly than others, but all things I do buy.  All of them are significant deals.  So what is the problem then?  The cost of those 15 items comes to $330.89.  Not exactly budget friendly.  Add that to the online flour I was thinking of purchasing, the cost rises to $387.70.  That is almost my entire budget for a single month, which has been a real challenge to meet!

This budget challenge has really made me stop and think about those things I often take for granted.  I have spent considerably more time evaluating individual grocery items than I ever have before.  One thing I have discovered is that buying in bulk does not necessarily save you in the long run.  Here's why.  Have you ever noticed that when you have a large quantity of something, you use it up without thinking and evaluating how much, or if, you really need to use it?  I have.

I discovered this a while back with olives.  If I purchase a pack of eight cans of olives at Costco I often use them up before the end of the month. I discovered that if I purchased six cans at the grocery store, I was much more discerning and I also found I only needed to  purchase that number of cans every six weeks instead of four.  How does that translate into cash?  Well, buying olives at Costco each month would cost me $85.44 a year compared to $46.28 at the grocery store and that does not take in to account sales or coupons.  Two cans less and a slightly longer use period adds up to savings, just by discerning a bit more.

The same was true for microwave popcorn.  If I buy the huge box at Costco, my kids get into it almost daily, but if I buy a small box, they are much more selective, especially when it comes to the last one in the box. 

What about Amazon?  Take the pretzels, for example. My history shows that when I had them on hand, we went through a box of twelve bags every four months. That adds up to about a hundred dollars a year. Last month I bought a six bags on sale for $2.99 a bag. That was more than the Amazon cost. I still have four bags! At this rate I would only spend $35.88 a year. Even if I did not buy it on sale, I would still save $40.00 a year.

If this is true for these items, where else is it true?  After taking a look at my 15 items on Amazon and other bulk items I tend to buy,  I found that staple items like flour or sugar are a good bulk buy.  They are necessary items.  Other items like my pretzels or granola bars aren't really a need, but more of a want.  A want I can control.  I think it might be better in the long run to buy a more expensive item at the store in a limited quantity and make it a special treat, than to buy it in bulk and make it a staple.  That line in the sand is different for everyone.  Some may find that granola bars for the kids are a necessity, for others it is the convenience of a gluten-free box of mac-n-cheese.  As for me, I think I will spend some more time discerning how much I really need of any one thing.  I will spend more time evaluating the difference between a want and a need when it comes to bulk buying.  It is like the saying goes....sometimes less is more,

Except when it comes to chocolate!

October's Results

Well, the results are in.  October is finished and my first monthly challenge is in the books, so to speak.  The good news is that I cut my budget, but the bad news is that I did not reach my goal.  Grocery receipts totaled $516.00 this month which was a substantial cut.  Before the challenge I was spending my budget + cheating and it was costing around $1000.00.  So I was very pleased with the results on that level, but I was $116.00 over my planned amount.

I spent some time looking at where I went wrong and what things should remain the same or change for next month.  I came up with several observations. 

What Went Wrong:

I love to buy seasonal fruits and vegetables and preserve them.  I found great deals on fall fruits like apples and pears.  I like to dry them and put them away for quick snacks when they are no longer in season.  I didn't account for that in my budget and buying the extra added up quickly.

I found the same thing to be true when I found a great deal on Glutino Pretzel Sesame Rings.  The cheapest I have found them is on Amazon.  The Sesame Rings run  $4.58 a bag.  This month they were on sale at a local grocery store for $2.99.  I stocked up, but that left me short later on in the month.  I also stocked up on Rudi's Gluten Free Bread that was on sale for $3.99 for those times I need an emergency slice of bread and I haven't had time to make it.

The last thing that set my budget on a course for failure, was deciding to try baking new breads with new flours.  Instead of waiting, I dove into the project and purchased new flours and ingredients I needed.  Sometimes I lack a little patience!

The total cost of these choices:  $114.17.  Hmmm, seems a little close to that amount I went over.  Could that be the reason?

What Went Well:

I was very pleased with the menu for the month.  I worked very hard and stuck to my choices. When I wavered, Cinnamon was there to tell me, "You have to follow the menu, Mom!"  Keeping and following a menu was great and something I will continue.

Secondly, paying attention to the cost of things was key.  I guess I had never stopped to think about the cost of my meals and how adding an extra ingredient here or there just because I had it on hand could be sabotaging my budget.  Now I know a spaghetti dinner costs me around eleven dollars and I can plan appropriately.

What Needs to Change:

Although I started out with an envelope and cash, I reverted to old habits.  I need to either stick with an envelope system or have an exact tally of where my grocery dollars stand at all times.  I do this with a post it note I keep in my purse.   I also need to be stronger and say no to last minute inspirations and stick to the budget!

The other thing I plan on doing this next month is to plan for grocery items on sale or seasonal items I want to take advantage of and stockpile.  I plan on setting aside $50.00 out of the $400 budget and earmark it for these specific items.  If I don't spend the entire amount, I will roll it into the next month's account, but still earmark it for sales.  Hopefully, that account will build and allow me more flexibility.

All in all, I am happy with the results, but I am looking forward to finding more ways to cut the budget.   We will see how it goes next month!

The Perfect Autumn Day For Soup!

Today was your typical fall day.  The day started with very crisp air and a fine fog weaving its way through the pine trees.  The colors by mid-afternoon were vibrant against the monochromatic grey sky.  By evening the deer had gathered down the hill where I could see them from my kitchen window.  A mama and her fawn nosing through the yellowed grasses.  The smells of onions and garlic wafted through the air.  The perfect day for soup!

When I make soup, I make soup; lots of soup!  This is the perfect meal for batch cooking.   I usually make two different kinds at the same time.  Tonight I made a chicken vegetable rice in one pot and a vegetable beef in a second pot.  I figure since there are many ingredients that overlap, it is just easier to make two.  Clean up is easier too, especially since it is Allspice's night for dishes!

Tonight we had soup and biscuits.  The best part: after eating 10 bowls of soup, the rest is ladled into individual containers which I put in the freezer to use for lunches.

There are 17 lunches ready to place in the freezer!

 I have a hard time spending $2.00 or more for a can of soup when I can make homemade soup for so much cheaper.  Tonight's vegetable beef cost $10.50 and made the equivalent of 15 cans of soup.  That's 70 cents a serving!  The chicken vegetable rice cost $7.19 and made 12 servings.  Each serving is only 60 cents.  Good for you and the budget!

I hope you enjoy these recipes.  I do want to apologize though.  I am one of those cooks who tends to not measure things or just throws things in at the last minute.  Sometimes, in trying to write the recipe, it may reflect that a bit.  I don't follow a recipe when I make soup either.  Most of the time I make it from what I have on hand.  So with that, if you have any questions, let me know and I will try and clear it up!

CHICKEN VEGETABLE RICE SOUP:

1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbsp olive oil
4-5 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
2 medium carrots chopped
1/2 bag of frozen broccoli florets
1/2 bag of frozen peas
1 container (32 oz) chicken broth.  I use this kind.
1 can of chicken (12.5 oz) or 1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups of Minute Rice
Water
Bay leaf
Seasonings (I use salt, garlic pepper, basil, oregano, and Italian seasonings to taste)
 
In a large pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  Add celery and carrots.  Add broccoli and peas and continue to cook over medium heat until thawed.  Add chicken, broth, and rice.  Fill the rest of the pot with water.  Add bay leaf and seasonings to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down heat to simmer for approximately 20 minutes.  If two much evaporates during this stage you can always add more broth or water. I added both.

 My pot is not as big as I would like and so after we ate dinner I added more water and some seasonings to balance the ratio of liquid and solids in order to freeze it.

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP:

1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 1/2 to 2 lbs of hamburger
1 small can of mushrooms
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of kidney beans; drained and rinsed
1 can of black beans; drained and rinsed
2 cans of diced tomatoes with their juices
2 cans of tomato sauce
Water
Bay leaf
Seasonings to taste (I used salt and garlic pepper, basil, oregano, garlic salt)

Brown your hamburger along with the onions and minced garlic.  When the hamburger is cooked drain the meat.  Add frozen vegetables and mushrooms.  Stir in the tomato paste.  Add water to rinse the can.  Add kidney beans, black beans, and diced tomatoes.  Add tomato sauce.  I add water to rinse the cans.  Fill the remainder of the pot with water stirring to incorporate all ingredients.  Add your bay leaf and seasonings to taste.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

The Challenge

We have spent the last year discovering a new gluten-free lifestyle.  Cinnamon, Paprika, and myself are all gluten-free.  After going gluten-free, one of the greatest things was beginning to feel better, but I noticed something:  the more healthy we began feeling, the more unhealthy my wallet became!  Gluten-free stuff is EXPENSIVE!!!!!  Especially at the beginning when we didn't have a clue what to buy or how to eat.  Everything we bought was packaged.  I was trying to get used to a new lifestyle and making bread with flours I had never even heard of was too overwhelming!  A year later, I make my own bread, but it is still expensive.  That got me thinking....there has to be a better way. 

In this economy, extra expenses make it tough on a family budget.  My budget left no room for extras and every penny was counted, sometimes twice.  This year we were given the bad news that my husband would be taking a pay cut.  That may not seem like a lot, but when every cent is accounted for, it makes a huge difference.  Then we discovered Cinnamon needed a tooth implant and the entire procedure, start to finish, was going to cost us an extra 8000 dollars we didn't have!  I needed to look at our budget and find some answers. 

The food budget in our house was a likely place to start looking for those answers.  It looks pretty good on paper, 700 dollars a month for a family of five, except it is a cheater's paradise.   Let me explain.  First, I am almost always over-budget and am taking from other accounts to balance the budget.  Second, we raise two pigs each year, but I never take the meat costs out of the grocery budget.  Same with the chicken eggs.  The venison is never included.  See what I mean.  I cringed to even think about the "true" budget, but I knew I had to.  So, I took a closer look.  It was a little over 1000 a month and that did not include eating out.  The year before we became gluten-free the budget was 500 dollars.  It had doubled!!!

I look back on the last year and realize I have come so far.  I know so much more than I did a year ago about gluten-free products and recipes.  I know what tastes great and what tastes like cardboard.  I make my baked goods from scratch.  I know what is a good deal and when to stock up.  However,  I need to take it a step further,  to cut that budget.  So, I decided to challenge myself over the next year to cut my budget for a family of five back to 500 dollars a month.  I am not going to do this by purchasing the cheapest ingredients or living off beans and rice for the next twelve months.  The food has to be healthy and taste delicious!  We are a family who appreciates the beauty of taste, besides, the gluten-free fare must meet the very high expectations of my two non-gf eaters.  I will share my successes and failures with you along the way.

So, this is where my blog is born.  I hope to share delicious recipes and their costs, budget ideas, gf-family tips, savings ideas, great books, menu plans, and a look into what is special to me.  I hope you will join me on this adventure!

Look for these awesome Double Chocolate Donuts in an upcoming post!