YNAB You Need A Budget

[Maggie Magpie]

Now that I've found our budgeting rhythm on YNAB and saving, I decided to see where I could trim up the grocery bill whilst simplifying my life re meal time. I usually drag in around 6 p.m. after a draining day and stand staring at my hungry family and the fridge. Or, I'll drag something out of the freezer in the morning, but have no imagination left at the end of the day to figure out what to do that would pack punch with a piece of chicken or a chop. My husband gets home almost 3 hours ahead of me and doesn't mind making dinner, as long as he knows what's "for dinner". After homework and bathing the kids, remembering to leaf through a cook book is the last thing I want to do in preparation for the next day. Out of thousands of choices, I end up putting the cookbook away. So I was just googling around regarding weekly meal menus and found a number of websites that help re easy, cheap menus along with the applicable grocery list.

Has anyone tried any of these services? There's one that provides 60 meals divided into weeks along with all the bells and whistles for less then a dollar a week ($52 subscription for the year). Now that YNAB has made me cheaper then dirt, I don't like the idea of paying for something that I could sit down and do on my own (though it would take me a few hours), I got thinking that paying less then a buck might not only save time, but it would save my soul from grabbing stuff I don't need when I go to the grocery store (more $$ saved). Even though I always take a grocery list, my lists really don't have any "plan" (after the basics, milk, bread, vegetables etc.). So here are a couple of the many websites out there. Let me know what you think, or please tell me what y'all do re meals.

www.mealmixer.com
www.savingdinner.com

[Tanikova]

I have used her service before the savingdinner site.... I had found it with the flylady site.... the recipes can be good and gets you out of a rut.... which I think a lot of us are guilty of at times.. I liked the fact that she had menu plans for lots of different situations, low carb, diabetic, weight loss, once a month cooking, etc.....

I think paying someone a small fee to save you time and energy which are valuable and from what you seem to be indicating can be in short supply in your life is not a bad thing.... worse come to worse you won't like the service but will have several new recipes your family likes,..... but then you can start a menu list of recipes that your family likes and start a rotation amoung those items...

I have a basic list of recipes that I do only on weekends and try to rotate over 2-3 months... others that are easy weekday meals and others that are super simple when life gets more complicated... I also have things I make in bulk and put into the freezer and such so hubby can pull out and eat when he is in the mood

examples of each are

weekend - Roasts, lasagna, & enchiladas

weekday - salsa chicken, soy chicken, chicken brocolli scampi, spaghetti and meat sauce, cheesy beef

super simple - hot dogs and baked beans, grilled cheese and soup

bulk - chili or chicken corn chowder

Salsa chicken is on of those recipes that I just threw together one night that my family loves

I slice chicken breasts into strips for fast cooking... sautee it with a little olive oil and garlic.... poor salsa over that, throw in some green olives and top with taco cheese when hot,...

serve with either white rice or spanish rice... and a veggie though lots of tomotes already in this dish.... usually done in less then a half hour and the longest part is making rice which we use the regular cooking not instant varieties

[Sairey724Gamp]

After homework and bathing the kids, remembering to leaf through a cook book is the last thing I want to do in preparation for the next day.

Leafing through a cook book is something I reserve for downtime. Most of its use is for reference when I don't want to have to think (how-to directions, not making plans).

I discovered that my family likes to be somewhat stuck in a rut and rebels against too many "creative menu" nights anyway. So, sometime when I did have time to think, I sat down and listed the main dishes I knew were a hit. Next I listed "go-withs" to convert those into nutritious and satisfying meals. What I discovered for my family was a list of 20 or so favorites that they want at least once a month anyway, a few special occasion favorites, and a dozen or so alternatives that they would eat once in a while, maybe. From there it was a relatively simple matter to come up with a 5-6-week rotation list. It has a blank or two to include a New Recipe night, and it's always okay to select something else from the list if a particular dish doesn't work on a given day.

But now all my planning is already done, and each week I simply follow the list (more or less). It's easy to see what I need as I plan a trip to the grocery store, and it's easy to switch things around to take advantage of sales and in-season produce. I keep a calendar where I fill in the upcoming week, so any member of the family can take over just by looking at the calendar and starting to cook.

Whether or not you want to pay someone to provide this service is up to you. But at least consider whether it would work okay to DIY if you did the planning on your own schedule. Separating the thinking from the cooking was the key for me.

Sairey

[Maggie Magpie]

Very well said Sairey....I love how you say "...separating the "thinking" from the "cooking". You know.......I joined one of the services yesterday.....the one with a "free trial". It took me about 2 hours of sorting through their service to realize EXACTLY what you're saying in your response. As soon as I saw "fennel bulb" on their grocery list (what the heck is fennel bulb for crying out loud? see: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/equivalent ... =F&tid=565 )....

So as you say.....I got thinking that I would reserve my "planning" for down time.....and then I got thinking.........get this......I could incorporate it on the list of "quality time" spent discussing with my husband!! Just like I do when we look at our budget and YNAB etc.

So I canceled the meal service subscription and as you say here, decided to work through a list of "hits", followed by a list of "basic---'will do for tonight'", followed by a list of miscellaneous.......all I need is 30'ish (+/-) meals......salads are easy and can be easily incorporated as meals (meat laden salads), or as a side dish......

I've spent so much time planning my finances using YNAB......and enjoyed the journey. I view my budget every other day like an art master views their work.

So now that my finances are "on a plan", I've decided to "get a journey" going and enjoy putting a meal plan together!

[microzoa]

I don't mind the thinking/cooking thing, it gives me something else to focus on other than work. Recently, for my birthday - a friend gave me a slow cooker cookbook. It's great and produces not only healthy meals, but meals we can cook in bulk, to take to work or to eat during the week.

[Maggie Magpie]

I agree, Microzoa, with the cooking/thinking.......but the thinking I find therapeutic is when I already know what I'm going to cook, so after getting all the ingredients out and when I start cooking, I then start thinking.....but not about my cooking.....more about life.....it's a time when I can process and sythesize life, work, family, future plans. I don't want to be so focused on the recipe, that I'm starting to get stressed. I thoroughly enjoy cooking when all the ingredients are there and I know exactly what I'm going to cook. I think where Sairey and I agree is when you're tired and drained at the end of the day.......and you're standing there looking at a medley of food items in your pantry/fridge......where do you begin to know what to cook? I'm not even that hungry half the time because my metabolism is still wound up from a full day of craziness....but I have a family who looks to me like I'm The Madonna at dinner.

Your suggestion re slow cooker recipes is definitely something I could "plan". You're right....there's so much you can do with a slow cooker. Like the YNAB budget, I need to "plan" my meals in advance so I can enjoy preparing them as I wind down from my day and not have to think through a menu. Also, what I like about slow cooker recipes (and most recipes I use), is that I don't have to "measure" (unlike baking).....I'm actually a pretty good cook (when I don't have a million other things to balance).....my favorite thing to do on the weekend is to pour a nice glass of merlot and make really nice meals on a Saturday and Sunday.....right down to homemade salad dressings. I make a ceasar salad that would make you cry for your Mamma! (the secret ingredient in the ceasar is twice the fresh garlic cloves and a teaspoon [+/-] of dry mustard powder). I'll go on the internet or leaf through a few recipe books and take the best of all recipes and make up my own concoction.

But slow cooker recipes.....I think that's where I need to initially focus. Thanks!

[microzoa]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm definitely a weekend warrior. My wife cooks during the weekdays generally, as I tend to get home late and I take over on the weekends. My favourite is a Thai Green curry - I make the curry from scratch with a mortar and pestle, so it's quite a process. It doesn't happen a lot but when it does it's heaven!!

[Maggie Magpie]

I LOVE making the hot green curry on noodles with chicken. But I sure don't make the curry myself. You're good! And I am definitely a mortar and pestle girl!!! I wish I was more off-the-cuff during the week, though. Again.....two words for me......SLOW COOKER.

[jrg24]

Chocolate Milk
1 cup milk (i used skim milk)
2/3 cups banana diced*
2 teaspoons stevia powder**
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract***

put all into a blender and let it blend until well mixed.

* i used banana becuase the recipe i read called for it, but it seemed like it would taste great without it.
**I use stevia because it is low calorie and natural and because i grow my own. i am sure artificial sweeteners or sugar could also be used (sugar may not dissolve well in the cool liquid, though.
*** recipe called for vanilla extract but i didnt have any and i thought it still tasted great.

I really enjoyed this stuff. following the ingredients above the following nutrition info is as follows:
Total calories: 203
calories from fat: 11
fat: 1g
Total Carbs: 39g
sugars: 13g
Protien: 12g

It is a little higher on the sugars than i like, but at least those are coming from the lactose and the banana and not refined sugar. I will definitely be making this on a regular basis. Tonight i am gonna make some up and then use it to cook me some oatmeal for dinner without the banana in it. it should be good!

I hope you enjoy it as much as i did!

[jrg24]

I made this tonight just for something different. i have never had lentils before so i bought some from the store to try. I found this recipe, and with as much as i like tex mex style food, i will definitely be eating this on a regular basis. i found this on recipezaar listed as "Easy, inexpensive lentil tacos"

Ingredients:
.75 cups lentils, dry
.75 cups brown rice, dry
4 cups beef stock
4 tsp chili powder
1tsp ground cumin
2 tsp onion powder
.5 tsp garlic powder
Makes roughly 4 servings
bring the stock to a boil, add all the ingredients and return to boil. reduce heat to a simmer and cook until done. It cant get much cheaper and easier than this. i served this by itself topped with a few shreds of cheddar cheese, fresh homemade pico de gallo, and fat free greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Is also good as a "taco" salad as well. I have always been a taco bell junkie, but i think this may cure me of that habit. oh, and it is relatively healthy for you too.
Calories: 300
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 531 mg---this is a little high for me so i might go half and half stock and water next time
Carbs: 54g
Fiber: 13g
sugars: 5g
Protien: 17g

[malisab]

This sounds really good. (And healthy, and cheap.)

Sodium: 531 mg---this is a little high for me so i might go half and half stock and water next time

That would make it cheaper too.

How big was the serving? I see that it says four servings, but what did 1/4 of the batch look like? Size of a tennis ball? Softball?

I'm really bad figuring out how much something will make when it's dried stuff like that that fluffs up. So I either don't make enough or I make a ton. One serving for dh is invariably 3 times as large as a serving for me. A real serving size is usually between the two of us somewhere.

Thanks.

[jrg24]

the whole recipe yielded about the same as making taco meat out of a pound of ground beef....maybe just a little bit more

[Patzer]

I'm always on the lookout for something easy to make for one or two servings, so I tried cutting this one in half and fitting to my style of pantry. That means no fresh produce, nothing like beef stock that depends on my having fixed something else than I'm not going to do. So, the modified recipe looks like:

2 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
heaping 1/3 cup dry lentils
heaping 1/3 cup brown rice
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder (I misread the original recipe; half should be 1 tsp)
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Boil bouillon cubes and water to produce beef broth. Add other ingredients, reduce heat, simmer 45 minutes.

The result was a hearty soup that tasted kind of like chili. Halfway through the first bowl, I thought to add a bit of Taco Bell hot sauce that I had left from my last experiment making burritos and enchiladas; that added a hint of tomato and a hint of jalapeno, which was quite nice. It still wasn't as hot as I would make taco meat (1 lb. 95% lean ground beef, sprinkled onion salt, 1.5 tsp garlic powder, 1.5 tsp cumin, 1.5 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp red pepper), but it was a respectable soup.

The second serving is still in the refrigerator. I'll have to see whether the lentils absorb enough moisture so that it's more of a taco filler than a soup.

In any case, it was cheap. $0.98 for a 1 lb. bag of lentils, $1.84 for a jar of onion powder, lots of both of those left over, and I had everything else on hand. I'll have to play with this one a bit and see what minor changes make it fit my lifestyle best.

In exchange for the taco filler/lentil chili, I'll offer up:

oriental rice & shrimp

1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/3 cup brown rice
1/4 tsp cilantro
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp orange peel
1/4 oz dried shrimp (about half of a 1/2 oz package)

Put all ingredients in a 1 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer 45 minutes. Makes 2 or 3 servings (depending on how large you like your servings) that can be used as a simple meal or as a side dish with chicken breast baked with lemon pepper or other compatible entree.

People who deal better with fresh produce than I do might want to use real chicken broth, chop their own cilantro, and/or use lime juice instead of orange peel.

Unfortunately, I'm not seeing dried shrimp on the shelf at Walmart any more. I don't know whether it was permanently discontinued or it was a seasonal item and it's out of season. The amount of protein added by the shrimp is negligible, but it definitely changes the flavor of the dish.

Patzer

[seeinggreen]

Fixed this one for dinner last evening and it was GOOD! Even my 3 1/2 year old liked it.

Crispy Orange Beef

* 3 cups rice
* 1 1/4 pounds beef chuck steak
* 1/2 cup canola oil
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 3/4 cup orange marmalade
* 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
* 2 tablespoons white vinegar
* 1 tablespoon peeled and chopped ginger
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/2 cup orange juice
* 1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stems sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

Directions

Cook the white rice according to package directions.

Thinly slice the chuck steak, about 1/4-inch thick, across the grain. Cut the slices into 3-inch long strips.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Toss the beef in the cornstarch and shake off excess. Fry the beef in 2 batches in the hot oil, turning once, until crispy and golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside on paper towel lined plate. Carefully drain the oil from the wok or skillet.

In a medium bowl add the marmalade, garlic, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce and orange juice and whisk until well combined. Add to the wok, over high heat, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broccoli and cook the broccoli until slightly tender and the sauce is thick, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the beef, then transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately with rice.

[ladywolfkc]

Pork Shoulder is usually cheaper than hamburger, and when it goes on sale, it can even be cheaper than beans! I paid 89 cents a pound for boneless pork shoulder last time, and the dried beans I bought for my red beans and rice were 95 cents a pound...

Crockpot Braised Pork Shoulder

pork shoulder, trimmed of thick layer of outside fat
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup apple juice or white wine
1/2 cup brown sugar
salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne
2 Tbsp vegetable/canola oil

Make a rub of the brown sugar, and salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne as desired. Massage all over the outside of your pork. Heat oil in cast iron pan. Sear pork shoulder over medium-high heat on all sides.

Put onions in crockpot. Top with the pork. Pour the juice/wine in over everything. Turn crockpot on low and ignore for 8-10 hours.

Last time I had a 7 lb pork shoulder. First meal I took some of the juices and some cornstarch and made a pan gravy, and served it with baked potatoes and asparagus. Then we had 2 meals where I shredded it and reheated it in bbq sauce and put on a bun. Then we ate it in a taco salad with black beans, corn and salsa. Finally dbf used the last of it in spaghetti sauce, some of which we ate, some of which we froze. I love easy, cheap, versatile food.