No excuses for no veggies - Ziploc Steam Bags

Like many of you, I'm a busy girl. I'm a mom, teach part time, consult part time, am launching a new business and busy with ranch/farm work. So dinner prep and cook time is limited. I've gotten creative to help this situation: weekly meal planning, crockpot meals, one pot dinners, etc. But this year I rediscovered the Ziplock Zip and Steam bag, and I'm crazy about it.

Note: I swear ziplock hasn't paid me or given me anything (but I would love more bags in more sizes should they want to send me something :) )

They are SO simple to use and steaming veggies takes less than 5 minutes. Load the bag up with veggies and stick it in the microwave. The bag suggests a cooking time, usually 2 - 3 minutes. Done. Some people use them for meat too and people also add seasonings. I do mine plain. I even buy pre-cut and rinsed veggies to make it super simple.

I love them so much that since my local stores don't carry them, I buy them online and pay for shipping. If you know me and know how cheap I am, you know that says something.

The finished product is perfectly steamed and ready to eat. Seriously these bags have been my secret to making sure we have fresh veggies with every meal. I love them! Try them out, I bet you will love them too!

6 tips to save money on meat

If you are looking to save money on your grocery bill, sometimes you will find people encouraging you to eat less meat. In my household we love our veggies, but we don't sacrifice the meat. Here are a few suggestions to make the most out of the meat in your grocery budget.

1. Labels - This is the first place to start with almost any food. Note that the dates on packages are usually sell by dates not "use by" dates. The butcher will mark down meat that is close to the sell by date, usually noted with an extra sticker on the package. Grab up these reduced price packages! Either cook with them right away or package them up for your freezer.
   
2. Lower priced cuts - If you are working on cutting down your grocery bill you can often do that by changing the cuts of beef that you purchase. Skip the steaks and look for roasts. Roasts are suited for cooking low and slow. Ideally the crock pot (for maximum energy savings) for several hours with some liquid (broth or wine), onions and any seasonings you like. If you are new to roasts start with the chuck roast, one of my personal favorites and so easy to use.
3. Don't fear big roasts - Bring home a big roast for the crock pot and make it into a new meal the second day. The first night enjoy pot roast and the second night shred the leftovers and make a new dinner. My favorite second day roast meals are pulled sandwiches and enchiladas. Saves you time and stretches your meat dollar.
4. Buy in bulk - Don't be afraid of the large packages to get better savings. Divide them up into portions that fit your family and freeze them. Use good quality freezer bags to prevent freezer burn and label your bags for organization.
5. Buy a half or quarter of a cow - This is a great way to buy in bulk and get it direct from the farmer. There are a few things to consider so check out this previous post on buying beef in bulk - http://houseagbuilt.blogspot.com/2012/03/so-you-want-to-buy-half-cow.html.
6. Talk to the butcher - Don't be afraid to talk to your butcher. Ask for their suggestions of inexpensive cuts. You might hear about the flat iron steak or cross rib steaks which are some of my favorite budget friendly steaks. You may also get some new ideas on cooking or tips about cuts that are on sale.

Hope you enjoyed these quick tips on stretching your grocery dollar at the meat counter! Feel free to share your ideas too!

Meal Planning

I am a planner.  Almost every weekend I sit down with my calendar and plan what we will have for dinner each night.  I do this because I was tired of asking Michael what he wanted for dinner and getting the same reply every time; I don't care.  Then I would say ok, how about ___?  No, not that.  Then, how about ___?This would go on a few times and I would wait a while until I was really hungry and we would end up eat something unhealthy that I may or may not have had to make a trip to the store for.  So, I decided to plan it all out on the weekend, get everything we needed and be set for the week.  One less thing to worry about when we both get home exhausted from work!

I write on a calendar what we plan to have for dinner on each night. 

Make the grocery list to go with the recipes.

Get out the coupons I need and go to the store. 

The idea of scheduling what we have for dinner each night may sound a little crazy to you but I love it because I don't have to think about it after work.  Michael doesn't complain about what is for dinner and we eat a healthy meal each night.  I also don't have to go to the store in the evening to pick stuff up for dinner.  If we really don't feel like having mac and cheese on Thursday then we don't have to - we can switch it with another night or go with something different we have in the freezer.  But, usually we stick with the plan and I LOVE it!!

How do you plan weeknight meals?