Eat at home

[DawnM]

Last night:

marinated chicken
rice
and my sorry attempt to make Lo Mein!

I will keep trying!

 

[APB513]

This is a great thread and I'm glad I found out. I have spent so much money on eating out that it makes me sick to think about it.

I am challenging myself to not eat out for 30 days. I am doing this for two reasons - to save money and to lose weight. I'm hoping that once I get through the first 30 days, that I can make this a part of my routine.

Part of the reason that I eat out is because I have not done any meal planning. And the main reason I don't meal plan is that I am tired of cooking the same things over and over again.

I just bought two cookbooks so now I am working on a menu plan. I also plan to read this entire thread to see all of the great recipes other DISers have posted.

 

[CherylA]

I put the famous black bean chicken in the crockpot Tuesday morning and didn't realize until 1:30 that although I had turned it on I had not plugged it in. I pluged it in and turned it to high but by 6:00 when I got home from work the chicken was still raw in the middle (the chicken had been frozen to start with)

Hubby asked if I wanted him to go get a pizza but I went into NO EATING OUT survival mode and pulled a box of angel hair pasta and a bag of frozen brocolli out. 10 minutes later I was putting pasta with brocolli and garlic into everyone's dish. This has always been my emergency go to dish but the angel hair made it quicker than usual.

For anyone interested I sautee 3-4 cloves of garlic (push though garlic press) in 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/4 stick of butter then I add chopped cooked brocolli (I buy the steam in bag I think they are 10 oz). When the pasta is done I drain it and add the brocolli/garlic to it. I moisten it with a little chicken broth (usually a chicken bullion cube thats been melted in 1/2 cup hot water) We sprinkle with parmesean cheese and it's really yummy.

 

[lillygator]

we're still sticking to eating at home....we feasted on left overs last night and still have some. This coming week I am going to make lots of crockpot meals...seems to warm the house up.

 

[Mickeyherewecome123]

I'm loving this thread! We booked our November trip today
I do love to menu plan, but my problem is that I spend waaay too much money
eating out and on fast food. The idea of cooking everyday is scarry, but it will totally be worth it!

Heres my menu for the week
Thurs-pasta, homemade meatballs, steamed broccoli
Fri-frozen pizza
Sat-turkey divan, mashed potatoes
Sun-Goooo Bears!! mini burgers, chili cheese fries, roasted cauliflower
Mon-meatball sammies
Tues-lemon chicken in crock pot, rice, italian style green beans
Wed-southwest pork chops, lemon cilantro rice, roasted brussell sprouts

Looking forward to saving lots of $$ while eating at home with my sweet family.
Fran

 

[Mickeyherewecome123]

For anyone interested I sautee 3-4 cloves of garlic (push though garlic press) in 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/4 stick of butter then I add chopped cooked brocolli (I buy the steam in bag I think they are 10 oz). When the pasta is done I drain it and add the brocolli/garlic to it. I moisten it with a little chicken broth (usually a chicken bullion cube thats been melted in 1/2 cup hot water) We sprinkle with parmesean cheese and it's really yummy.

I make this exact dish too. We love it!!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I put the famous black bean chicken in the crockpot Tuesday morning and didn't realize until 1:30 that although I had turned it on I had not plugged it in. I pluged it in and turned it to high but by 6:00 when I got home from work the chicken was still raw in the middle (the chicken had been frozen to start with)

Hubby asked if I wanted him to go get a pizza but I went into NO EATING OUT survival mode and pulled a box of angel hair pasta and a bag of frozen brocolli out. 10 minutes later I was putting pasta with brocolli and garlic into everyone's dish. This has always been my emergency go to dish but the angel hair made it quicker than usual.

For anyone interested I sautee 3-4 cloves of garlic (push though garlic press) in 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/4 stick of butter then I add chopped cooked brocolli (I buy the steam in bag I think they are 10 oz). When the pasta is done I drain it and add the brocolli/garlic to it. I moisten it with a little chicken broth (usually a chicken bullion cube thats been melted in 1/2 cup hot water) We sprinkle with parmesean cheese and it's really yummy.

This sounds YUMMY. Now I just need to go buy a garlic press!

 

[CherylA]

I make this exact dish too. We love it!!

This sounds YUMMY. Now I just need to go buy a garlic press!

Awesome quick meal right! If you don't have a garlic press you can crush the garlic by banging it with something (even crush it using the flat side of the knife and pressing your weight on it using your hand) then remove the peel and chop it. I do think a good garlic press it nice to have though. Mine is the pampered chef one and I wouldn't use any other kind, it works incredibly!

 

[Welivefordisney]

I am so proud of my family. We have made menu plans for the last 2 weeks and we have stuck to it. The budget is happy and I am not as stressed! LOVE this board! Now to figure out the next 2 weeks....... any ideas for hamburger and chicken breasts.... I need to plan better for using left over cooked meats..... if that makes sense

 

[figment3258]

This is a great thread and I'm glad I found out. I have spent so much money on eating out that it makes me sick to think about it.

I am challenging myself to not eat out for 30 days. I am doing this for two reasons - to save money and to lose weight. I'm hoping that once I get through the first 30 days, that I can make this a part of my routine.

Part of the reason that I eat out is because I have not done any meal planning. And the main reason I don't meal plan is that I am tired of cooking the same things over and over again.

I just bought two cookbooks so now I am working on a menu plan. I also plan to read this entire thread to see all of the great recipes other DISers have posted.

Welcome aboard!

 

[figment3258]

I have to confess we have not been doing well. If we make a diner we would eat out at lunch or breakfast and it has to stop. Today is day 2 of not eating out. Andso far it was hard today with lunch. My oldest dd was sick so she just had soup my hubby made the same for him. I found some frozen Periogies and tried to cook them they were just not good anymore so instead of going out to grab some reallygross fast food I re heated tomato soup and put some cheese on it. Not too bad I saved myself I k ow that it gets easier after a week or so but getting there stinks. So here is to day 2/30

Good luck to everyone else! Keep up the great work!

 

[charming23]

I have to confess we have not been doing well. If we make a diner we would eat out at lunch or breakfast and it has to stop. Today is day 2 of not eating out. Andso far it was hard today with lunch. My oldest dd was sick so she just had soup my hubby made the same for him. I found some frozen Periogies and tried to cook them they were just not good anymore so instead of going out to grab some reallygross fast food I re heated tomato soup and put some cheese on it. Not too bad I saved myself I k ow that it gets easier after a week or so but getting there stinks. So here is to day 2/30

Good luck to everyone else! Keep up the great work!

Don't beat yourself up about it. We all have our good and bad days. I had the same problem when I first started because I ate out at lunch at lot more after I started cooking more dinners. I have found that eating leftovers works well for us.

Tonight we are having lemon chicken over rice with glazed carrots. It was not on the original menu for the week but we have everything in the house and we bought a new rice cooker yesterday that I want to try out. We also have a big pot of Cincinnatti chili cooking on the stove using the reduced ground beef we got on sale yesterday. We are going to have it tomorrow over baked potatoes.

 

[Jerseyguy's Wife]

We are also going to stop eating out. It's a budget thing, but it's also a health thing. My DH is now on a salt restricted (read: as little as possible) diet due to a kidney disorder. This has been terribly hard for us. We used to eat out about once every week or two, but now, we really can't. It is good for our budget, but sends me into fits. I'm working on recipes to accommodate this new diet of his, so if I list something that sounds odd, I probably just made it up! Here goes:

1/13: Pizza made with tomato slices and fresh mozzarella
1/14: Whole grain spaghetti with homemade sauce
1/15: Lilo Pork ribs, Black beans and rice, broccoli, salad (DH found the 'Ohana dressing recipe)
1/16: Grilled chicken salads
1/17: Chicken Stir-fry with steamed rice (thank God for our rice cooker)
1/18: Grilled Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Veggie Medley, Salad
1/19: Chicken "Mess" with whole grain spaghetti
1/20: Pasta Pomodoro, Salad

That's all I've got for now. Let's do this thing!!!

 

[MacFam4]

We have surprisingly been REALLY good at eating at home!!! I didn't know how well it would work out, but since I quite working back in October I actually have time to prepare some very tasty meals. Plus we just don't have the extra money to eat out. I LOVE my crock pot, so many of the meals I fix are in it. Here's what I've got going on:

Thursday: taco soup
Friday: Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches, Sun chips (crockpot)
Saturday: homemade pizzas
Sunday: grilled flounder, macaroni and cheese and spinach salad
Monday: spicy Italian sandwiches (crockpot) with sweet potato fries
Tuesday: Chicken roll ups (crockpot), spanish rice
Wed: lasagna, french bread, salad
Thurs: honey mustard chicken (crockpot), broccoli and cheese, rice
Fri: steak fajitas (crockpot), rice
Sat: Cheesy mexican chicken, veggies
Sun:white bean and green chilie soup (crockpot), cornbread
Mon: Ritzy chicken, green beans, corn on cob
Tues: chicken enchiladas

I also found something that works really well for us to keep from eating out...always have stuff on hand for sandwiches, canned soup, and I usually keep taco fixin's available. That way, if something comes up and I can't "make" dinner, atleast we have something quick and easy, like grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. These are also great for lunch on the weekends.

 

[figment3258]

Thanks for the support it really helps tonight is beef bake already in the oven it's all in one dish Donita nice and easy. Tomorrow is homemade Mac and cheese

 

[edk35]

Thanks for the support it really helps tonight is beef bake already in the oven it's all in one dish Donita nice and easy. Tomorrow is homemade Mac and cheese

What is beef bake?

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Would love the beef bake and homemade mac & cheese recipes!

 

[figment3258]

Beef bake

1lb stew beef cut into cubes
one can mushroom gravy
One can water
12oz tomato juice
One package onion soup mix
Potatos peeled and cut in half
Carrots cut into big pieces

Brown beef in oil add salt and pepper to taste drain and set aside
In a sauce pan mix juice,water,gravy, and onion soup mix bring to a boil and simmer 5 mins add beef take off heat

Spray a 13 by 9 baking dish with non stick spray place potatoes to cover the pan add carrots pour beef mixture on top cover with tin foil and bake for two ours in a 350 oven

Enjoy!

 

[APB513]

Welcome aboard!

Thanks!

OK, so I am slowly getting on board. I am home for the next couple days so I plan to experiment with some recipes.

Here's a recipe that I tried today for lunch - quick, easy and delicious!

Bacon and Potato Chowder
Serves 6

Ingredients
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped carrots
1 package Simply Potatoes® Diced Potatoes with Onions
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk


Instructions:
1. Cook bacon in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until crisp; drain grease. Add carrots. Continue cooking 2 minutes or until crisp tender. Stir in Simply Potatoes and flour.

2. Slowly stir in broth and water. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low, cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Season with salt and pepper.

It was the perfect hearty lunch for a cold, dreary day

 

[LilyWDW]

So, I have cleaned out the freezer so far today. Found some questionable meat in the back (I don't think that beef should be that color...) and found some pork tenderloin I forgot I had. I also made a list of the meat that I have up there so we can hopefully eat through that instead of buying more. There are a few staples I need to pick up when we head to Sams tomorrow (salmon, steaks, and chicken breasts/thighs). I also would like some frozen fruit for smoothies and oatmeal.

I also hope to get through the pantry today, also making a list of what I have in there to tape to the inside of the door. This way I stop buying canned corn or honey when I have a few in the pantry. This should really help with saving money and give me more ideas of "unplanned" sides.

This is all the start of getting things figured out so we eat healthier. I am getting rid of the stuff we shouldn't have in the house so that we have room to buy what we need and should have. Also, when you don't have as much random stuff sitting around, it is a lot easier to FIND the healthy stuff to eat it! I didn't know I had a box of popcorn up in the cabinet until I had to dig for something else! Plus, but getting rid of things, I have room to stock the healthier stuff (plain oatmeal instead of the flavored stuff).

Who knew that eating healthy took so much work! Heck, I am getting a work out from this!