Finished my meal plan for February. And my budget.
Had my mom go shopping for me today- she was already going to Kroger and so she picked up things for me which are going into my budget of course.
Peanut butter 1.88
Cheese 3.29
Hot dogs 1.00
Saltines .88
Chips 1.00
Chili 2.00 ( 2 cans)
Bologna 1.00
Eggs 1.29
Tortilla's 1.00
Beans 1.00
Fries 2.00 (2 bags)
Spaghetti Sauce 2.00 ( 2 cans)
Hamburger buns 1.00
Hot dog buns 1.00
20.34 total so far for Feb.
Here's my meal plans for the month Days 1-28
Spaghetti
Lasagna (just need ricotta)
Burgers/fries
Hot dogs/fries
Beef and Rice
Veggie Pasta ( need some mixed veggies )
Soft tacos
Cheese omelets
Cheese pizza
Chili and hot dogs
Nachos
Manwhich ( need the sauce )
Soup and salad ( need salad )
Spaghetti
Burgers and fries
Lasgana ( need ricotta)
Soft tacos and rice
Grilled cheese
Baked potatoes ( need potatoes)
Nachos
Soup ( not sure what kind just yet)
Mac and Cheese and beef
Ramen noodles night
Chili frito pie ( need the fritos and another 2 cans of chili)
Pizza
Veggie pasta
Free night
Free Night
I dont need much left to get. I have not bought milk either. Which we will need. Im trying to use up some of the stuff we had in our deep freezer and pantry as sides or just whatever on whatever night.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Cheap veggie soup
Its a soup kinda week here. I have so much going on ( literally, I need 3 of me today alone) and decided this week would be soup week.
Easiest ( and cheap) Veggie Soup. You can add in ground beef and make it veggie beef soup if you want.
1 Can of V8 Juice ( or something similar)
1 can of diced tomatoes w/ the juice
2 cans of water ( after I emptied the V8 juice i used that can)
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 bag of frozen mixed veggies
1/3 box of elbow macaroni
salt
seasonings to your liking
Put everything BUT the macaroni into a big pot and let simmer for about an hour ( boil then turn it down to low to kinda meld the flavors together) then add the macaroni and let cook on med low ( stir occasionally so it doesnt stick to the bottom) till its cooked. Done
This made a HUGE pot for us. Dinner and lunch and dinner tomorrow. Or you can freeze it as well!
Cost- around 4 bucks total depending on how much you pay for your items. I had everything on hand and just purchased the V8 juice. But its very filling!
Easiest ( and cheap) Veggie Soup. You can add in ground beef and make it veggie beef soup if you want.
1 Can of V8 Juice ( or something similar)
1 can of diced tomatoes w/ the juice
2 cans of water ( after I emptied the V8 juice i used that can)
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 bag of frozen mixed veggies
1/3 box of elbow macaroni
salt
seasonings to your liking
Put everything BUT the macaroni into a big pot and let simmer for about an hour ( boil then turn it down to low to kinda meld the flavors together) then add the macaroni and let cook on med low ( stir occasionally so it doesnt stick to the bottom) till its cooked. Done
This made a HUGE pot for us. Dinner and lunch and dinner tomorrow. Or you can freeze it as well!
Cost- around 4 bucks total depending on how much you pay for your items. I had everything on hand and just purchased the V8 juice. But its very filling!
Ghetto Broke? Need Lunch? Here's one!
Yeah, I am in that period for lunches where I do not want to eat another pb and J but I do not want to spend any money ( mainly because I do not have it to spend) and I do not want to dig into my dinner stash of groceries. I usually drink a shake for lunch or have a tortilla w/ peanut butter. But today, I was just plain TIRED of the same thing.
I had 3 very small chicken breast pieces I had thawed out from the end of a large bag.
Some dehydrated onions from Thrive ( so good and so much easier then trying to chop real ones and dealing with the tears)
About a cup of spaghetti sauce left over that HAD to be used up.
And I had some elbow mac
So , put them all together in a pan, with some roasted garlic grapseed oil and a little water- voila pasta.
And oh my gosh it smells and looks amazing. And it tasted soooo good. Not bad for on the fly ( and this is usually stuff you have in your house already ) and great for a one person or two person meal ( just add more mac and more water )
I had 3 very small chicken breast pieces I had thawed out from the end of a large bag.
Some dehydrated onions from Thrive ( so good and so much easier then trying to chop real ones and dealing with the tears)
About a cup of spaghetti sauce left over that HAD to be used up.
And I had some elbow mac
So , put them all together in a pan, with some roasted garlic grapseed oil and a little water- voila pasta.
And oh my gosh it smells and looks amazing. And it tasted soooo good. Not bad for on the fly ( and this is usually stuff you have in your house already ) and great for a one person or two person meal ( just add more mac and more water )
Thursday, January 9, 2014
January 9th update
Since the 4th I have not spent one single penny on food. Nothing. Nada.
I am down to about 7 bucks left to spend this month on food. And right now, the way its going I do believe the only thing I will need to purchase will be milk.
I just want to state something- my mom does help me out. However, she does NOT buy a lot of things for me. Even before January, it might have been 5 bucks here or 5 bucks there. This month, anything she has spent that is for our family has been added into the total. I want this to be as honest of a challenge as I can get it. She does pick things up for me, because I have no car to go do so and she's already going to the store herself. So just wanted to clarify that for everyone.
My husband ate the rest of my salsa. That was supposed to be for another meal. So I have to get creative and make my own. I have everything I need. Its for our soft taco night thats coming up the end of the month. I have to re-arrange things sometimes. But I have made it work.
February is going to be a interesting month because I want to try new things out. I have this itch on so many pinterest recipes but they call for things I do not have in my budget this month. Except mac and cheese. And im going to give that one a go when we have it in our menu. The Panera Mac and Cheese that I have pinned. It looks sooooo good.
Just a quick recap on what the rest of my month's meals look like:
10th- Baked Potatoes loaded
11th- Baked Chicken and Mac and Cheese ( not Panera this day but box mac and cheese) I have a full day of baby showers and meetings
12th - Veggie soup ( that I have made and all I have to do is pop it in the crock pot to reheat- i have a baby shower this day too and church
13th- Leftover soup
14th- My birthday! I will be eating at my parents this night
15th- Potato soup
16th- Potato soup leftovers
17th - Grilled cheese w/ homemade bread and chicken noodle soup
18th- I have a pre-bridal fair party this night so ill be eating with my family
19th- Fish and veggies
20th- Chicken Helper
21st- Pizza ( crust is premade and in the freezer just have to pop it out and fix it)
22nd- Soft taco night
23rd- Beef stroganoff mix thats a crockpot meal
24th- Salisbury Steak meal w/ side
25th- Chicken and mac ( panera mac and cheese!!!)
26th- Chicken Parm and side
27th- Lasagna and side
28th- Burgers- possibly something else
29th- Baked potato night
30th- Chicken Pot Pie homemade
31st- Soup and Salad ( not sure what soup just yet)
As you can see its a pretty good variety of items. Yes we have leftovers and stretch meals. But we eat WELL. And I have a lot of things in my pantry I have stockpiled that has helped with this month's budget that I used up. So February should be interesting ;)
xoxo
steph
I am down to about 7 bucks left to spend this month on food. And right now, the way its going I do believe the only thing I will need to purchase will be milk.
I just want to state something- my mom does help me out. However, she does NOT buy a lot of things for me. Even before January, it might have been 5 bucks here or 5 bucks there. This month, anything she has spent that is for our family has been added into the total. I want this to be as honest of a challenge as I can get it. She does pick things up for me, because I have no car to go do so and she's already going to the store herself. So just wanted to clarify that for everyone.
My husband ate the rest of my salsa. That was supposed to be for another meal. So I have to get creative and make my own. I have everything I need. Its for our soft taco night thats coming up the end of the month. I have to re-arrange things sometimes. But I have made it work.
February is going to be a interesting month because I want to try new things out. I have this itch on so many pinterest recipes but they call for things I do not have in my budget this month. Except mac and cheese. And im going to give that one a go when we have it in our menu. The Panera Mac and Cheese that I have pinned. It looks sooooo good.
Just a quick recap on what the rest of my month's meals look like:
10th- Baked Potatoes loaded
11th- Baked Chicken and Mac and Cheese ( not Panera this day but box mac and cheese) I have a full day of baby showers and meetings
12th - Veggie soup ( that I have made and all I have to do is pop it in the crock pot to reheat- i have a baby shower this day too and church
13th- Leftover soup
14th- My birthday! I will be eating at my parents this night
15th- Potato soup
16th- Potato soup leftovers
17th - Grilled cheese w/ homemade bread and chicken noodle soup
18th- I have a pre-bridal fair party this night so ill be eating with my family
19th- Fish and veggies
20th- Chicken Helper
21st- Pizza ( crust is premade and in the freezer just have to pop it out and fix it)
22nd- Soft taco night
23rd- Beef stroganoff mix thats a crockpot meal
24th- Salisbury Steak meal w/ side
25th- Chicken and mac ( panera mac and cheese!!!)
26th- Chicken Parm and side
27th- Lasagna and side
28th- Burgers- possibly something else
29th- Baked potato night
30th- Chicken Pot Pie homemade
31st- Soup and Salad ( not sure what soup just yet)
As you can see its a pretty good variety of items. Yes we have leftovers and stretch meals. But we eat WELL. And I have a lot of things in my pantry I have stockpiled that has helped with this month's budget that I used up. So February should be interesting ;)
xoxo
steph
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup- Frugal Style
It's a cold and windy day, and what would be the perfect meal? Soup! I was slated to have something else tonight, but at 2 am decided to make soup and white bread instead. I have been searching for a good white bread recipe for some time. And I think I might have finally found it- but that's another post!
I decided to make some homemade chicken noodle soup. Its fairly cheap to make and doesn't take a ton of time to do so. Here's the ingredients ( this is my recipe I did not get it from any website)
2 People for 2 meals
4 frozen chicken breasts ( or can be unfrozen but I always forget to put out meat )
water- I did not measure this. I used a large pot and filled it about halfway. You need enough to cover and to make a broth AND to cook off some- because some WILL disappear while cooking (into the air, into the chicken into the noodles)
1 chicken bouillon cube
salt
pepper
Wildtree Garlic and Herb seasonings- you can also use Italian seasonings and garlic
1 bag of frozen veggies
1/3 of a bag of noodles ( about 4 oz)
Put the chicken, water, cube, seasonings in a pot and boil it. Yes the chicken can be frozen and put in! Cook to boiling and then reduce to med high heat and cook for about 20 min. I then add the veggies and cook for another 20-30 min on med or med low. Then after you have a good broth from everything, scoop out your chicken and pull it apart and then re-add to the stock. Then add your noodles and let cook for about 20 min til the noodles are tender.
Done. Now- you can add more seasonings to your taste but it works for us. We like a very mild soup but this had plenty of flavor for us with all the seasonings.
Here's the finished product- please excuse my picture the flash made the broth white lol (its not!!!)
I decided to make some homemade chicken noodle soup. Its fairly cheap to make and doesn't take a ton of time to do so. Here's the ingredients ( this is my recipe I did not get it from any website)
2 People for 2 meals
4 frozen chicken breasts ( or can be unfrozen but I always forget to put out meat )
water- I did not measure this. I used a large pot and filled it about halfway. You need enough to cover and to make a broth AND to cook off some- because some WILL disappear while cooking (into the air, into the chicken into the noodles)
1 chicken bouillon cube
salt
pepper
Wildtree Garlic and Herb seasonings- you can also use Italian seasonings and garlic
1 bag of frozen veggies
1/3 of a bag of noodles ( about 4 oz)
Put the chicken, water, cube, seasonings in a pot and boil it. Yes the chicken can be frozen and put in! Cook to boiling and then reduce to med high heat and cook for about 20 min. I then add the veggies and cook for another 20-30 min on med or med low. Then after you have a good broth from everything, scoop out your chicken and pull it apart and then re-add to the stock. Then add your noodles and let cook for about 20 min til the noodles are tender.
Done. Now- you can add more seasonings to your taste but it works for us. We like a very mild soup but this had plenty of flavor for us with all the seasonings.
Here's the finished product- please excuse my picture the flash made the broth white lol (its not!!!)
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Chicken Enchiladas!
So we are on day 7 here. End of the first full week on the 50.00 Budget.
I am still on track. I bought milk tonight so that will be added to my total. Leaving me about 7 bucks left for the remaining 24 days of this month. I have only strayed once from my menu- and that was to basically say "make whatever you can find night" because I was exhausted.
And , because im so on the ball, I forgot to put chicken out to thaw. LOL. It happens. I accept it and move on.
So tonight's dinner was chicken enchiladas. Which turned out AMAZING. And, me being me, forgot to get a picture. I even had it all primed to get one. And I still forgot. Mainly because they smelled so amazing when I got them out of the oven, my hungry tummy could not wait one more second.
Here's the recipe I used.
7 flour tortilla's - fajita size
1 can of enchilada sauce
1/4 cup shredded jack cheese
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup mixed bell pepper
1/3 packet taco seasoning
4 small chicken breasts- unfrozen chopped into very small pieces
I used Thrive Onion and Bell pepper ( shelf stable food) so I had this on hand. I find they work well for cooking and I dont have to worry about them going bad or freezing them. Also, I only use 1/3 of the packet of seasoning. Its really all it needs to me. Im frugal. Im not going to waste anything or overload on something, even a packet of seasoning, if I do not have to.
We chopped the chicken into like very very small pieces. It made for a better, easier filling, then the bigger pieces would have to me. Then we added it with a half a can of the sauce, and half of the taco seasoning ( .5 of the 1/3 packet). Then added in the onions and bell pepper that had been re-hydrating while cutting the chicken. You can OF COURSE use fresh. I just had these on hand. I cooked it til the chicken was done. While prepping this I turned the oven on 350 and got my pan out. I used a cake pan. ( you use what you have :) )
I used 7 tortilla's b/c thats what would fit into my pan. Barely. I should have gone with 6. Also, i put down foil for easy clean up- however, easy clean up was not easy getting it out of the pan when done. So I suggest using some sort of greasing ( butter, pam spray whatever you use) so the flour tortilla's do not stick to the foil. Because foil is not fun to chew.
I filled the tortillas, wrapped them up and placed them seam side down. Once done, I mixed the remaining sauce with the remaining taco seasoning from the 1/3 of packet and poured it over the flour tortilla's. I then put the shredded jack cheese on top.
Bake at 350 for 20 min. Oh my gosh SO STINKING GOOD. And fed me and my husband w/ one left over ( which of course he ate because we can't leave food in this house). I also made a side dish of some steak fajita rice i had to go with it. Honestly, did not need the rice. The enchiladas filled me up pretty well. 2 would be plenty with a side.
Tomorrow night is hamburgers and homemade fries. However, I am almost out of bread. And I refuse to buy anymore till I might need it. So I am going to be making some homemade white bread again. To see if I can get this new recipe to work. I can do without bread for my burger.
Xoxo,
Steph
I am still on track. I bought milk tonight so that will be added to my total. Leaving me about 7 bucks left for the remaining 24 days of this month. I have only strayed once from my menu- and that was to basically say "make whatever you can find night" because I was exhausted.
And , because im so on the ball, I forgot to put chicken out to thaw. LOL. It happens. I accept it and move on.
So tonight's dinner was chicken enchiladas. Which turned out AMAZING. And, me being me, forgot to get a picture. I even had it all primed to get one. And I still forgot. Mainly because they smelled so amazing when I got them out of the oven, my hungry tummy could not wait one more second.
Here's the recipe I used.
7 flour tortilla's - fajita size
1 can of enchilada sauce
1/4 cup shredded jack cheese
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup mixed bell pepper
1/3 packet taco seasoning
4 small chicken breasts- unfrozen chopped into very small pieces
I used Thrive Onion and Bell pepper ( shelf stable food) so I had this on hand. I find they work well for cooking and I dont have to worry about them going bad or freezing them. Also, I only use 1/3 of the packet of seasoning. Its really all it needs to me. Im frugal. Im not going to waste anything or overload on something, even a packet of seasoning, if I do not have to.
We chopped the chicken into like very very small pieces. It made for a better, easier filling, then the bigger pieces would have to me. Then we added it with a half a can of the sauce, and half of the taco seasoning ( .5 of the 1/3 packet). Then added in the onions and bell pepper that had been re-hydrating while cutting the chicken. You can OF COURSE use fresh. I just had these on hand. I cooked it til the chicken was done. While prepping this I turned the oven on 350 and got my pan out. I used a cake pan. ( you use what you have :) )
I used 7 tortilla's b/c thats what would fit into my pan. Barely. I should have gone with 6. Also, i put down foil for easy clean up- however, easy clean up was not easy getting it out of the pan when done. So I suggest using some sort of greasing ( butter, pam spray whatever you use) so the flour tortilla's do not stick to the foil. Because foil is not fun to chew.
I filled the tortillas, wrapped them up and placed them seam side down. Once done, I mixed the remaining sauce with the remaining taco seasoning from the 1/3 of packet and poured it over the flour tortilla's. I then put the shredded jack cheese on top.
Bake at 350 for 20 min. Oh my gosh SO STINKING GOOD. And fed me and my husband w/ one left over ( which of course he ate because we can't leave food in this house). I also made a side dish of some steak fajita rice i had to go with it. Honestly, did not need the rice. The enchiladas filled me up pretty well. 2 would be plenty with a side.
Tomorrow night is hamburgers and homemade fries. However, I am almost out of bread. And I refuse to buy anymore till I might need it. So I am going to be making some homemade white bread again. To see if I can get this new recipe to work. I can do without bread for my burger.
Xoxo,
Steph
Saturday, January 4, 2014
January 4th Update time!
Ok so, yesterday was great! Nacho's were smashing. I forgot to take a picture!!! They were so good and I was so hungry.... ;)
I used : chips ( got them on sale!) 3/4 bag between us two. Yes I know its a lot of chips. And im on a diet. BUT its a once a month thing. And I actually gave my husband more of the 3/4 of a bag. I had 2 servings of chips probably.
I used salsa, sour cream, refried beans ( 3/4 can split between us) , diced tomatoes and an avocado. And shredded cheese on top ( about 1/4 of the bag each) Not the healthiest of meals but it was so good. I did puree the avocado and tomatoes up with some garlic ( didnt look the greatest but tasted amazing)
Then tonight I had Tuna Helper. I originally had chicken helper on my menu- but I was sick today so changed it to Tuna last night because I didnt feel like having to thaw and cook chicken tonight.
Anyways, I promised to update with ANY purchase I made for my food budget.
My mom purchased stuff for me yesterday ( cat food, litter, creamer , cheese and water i think) so I will be adding the avocado and the can of tomatoes that i purchased into my budget (2.00) to pay her back for that as she is paying for the other for me. Yes my mom is awesome. She helps me with things here and there. It was a good price and on sale ( seriously 3.99 for a huge block of cheese 3.00 off is crazy)
I also purchased milk today for 2.60- so i have 4.60 to add to my budget. I knew I would have to have milk. I just cant stand how much it is. As my mom says "The cows are on strike"
So total budget update for the month- 40.68 for the month. Which leaves me with 9.32 to spend on food till the end of January. I already know i will have to have milk again at least twice. And another bag of chips. But I think i have the rest down. I might even come out without spending the remaining 9.32 (all of it)
I used : chips ( got them on sale!) 3/4 bag between us two. Yes I know its a lot of chips. And im on a diet. BUT its a once a month thing. And I actually gave my husband more of the 3/4 of a bag. I had 2 servings of chips probably.
I used salsa, sour cream, refried beans ( 3/4 can split between us) , diced tomatoes and an avocado. And shredded cheese on top ( about 1/4 of the bag each) Not the healthiest of meals but it was so good. I did puree the avocado and tomatoes up with some garlic ( didnt look the greatest but tasted amazing)
Then tonight I had Tuna Helper. I originally had chicken helper on my menu- but I was sick today so changed it to Tuna last night because I didnt feel like having to thaw and cook chicken tonight.
Anyways, I promised to update with ANY purchase I made for my food budget.
My mom purchased stuff for me yesterday ( cat food, litter, creamer , cheese and water i think) so I will be adding the avocado and the can of tomatoes that i purchased into my budget (2.00) to pay her back for that as she is paying for the other for me. Yes my mom is awesome. She helps me with things here and there. It was a good price and on sale ( seriously 3.99 for a huge block of cheese 3.00 off is crazy)
I also purchased milk today for 2.60- so i have 4.60 to add to my budget. I knew I would have to have milk. I just cant stand how much it is. As my mom says "The cows are on strike"
So total budget update for the month- 40.68 for the month. Which leaves me with 9.32 to spend on food till the end of January. I already know i will have to have milk again at least twice. And another bag of chips. But I think i have the rest down. I might even come out without spending the remaining 9.32 (all of it)
Thursday, January 2, 2014
January 2nd- Fish and Fries
I love fries. Love them. They are my weakness.
However, after watching Freaky Eaters, and seeing the two people addicted to fries ( literally they ate nothing but french fries) I kinda had a moment of hate for my love of fries. It quickly passed ;)
(seriously if you have not seen that show watch it. I do not make light of people that have addictions, but it really put into perspective things about food addictions and your health. Its on netflix)
So tonight, I am making fish and fries. Homemade fries from real potatoes. I do not fry them (haha made a funny) I bake them. I use garlic grapeseed oil- this is good oil. Its organic. And its just a great flavor to the fries. I cut them up skins on, and put them in a baggie with 2 tablespoons of oil and some sea salt and garlic powder, and shake. Then bake them till crispy! So good. One medium potato yields a good serving of fries and with oil its only around 160 calories for your serving. Much better then the fries from your local fast food chain. I used my version of THIS RECIPE. My tip would be start out at 10 min on one side and 10 on the other. Mine were done in 17 minutes. I checked them so i could turn them at 20 min and they were done and some had started to burn on the edges. SO start smaller and go up from there
Fish is not my husbands favorite. But he eats it. I also added some veggies to help round this dish out that I had on hand. I did put some garlic grapeseed oil and sea salt on the fish this go around. I decided against adding anything else or breading it this time.
Here's my picture of my fries. :)
However, after watching Freaky Eaters, and seeing the two people addicted to fries ( literally they ate nothing but french fries) I kinda had a moment of hate for my love of fries. It quickly passed ;)
(seriously if you have not seen that show watch it. I do not make light of people that have addictions, but it really put into perspective things about food addictions and your health. Its on netflix)
So tonight, I am making fish and fries. Homemade fries from real potatoes. I do not fry them (haha made a funny) I bake them. I use garlic grapeseed oil- this is good oil. Its organic. And its just a great flavor to the fries. I cut them up skins on, and put them in a baggie with 2 tablespoons of oil and some sea salt and garlic powder, and shake. Then bake them till crispy! So good. One medium potato yields a good serving of fries and with oil its only around 160 calories for your serving. Much better then the fries from your local fast food chain. I used my version of THIS RECIPE. My tip would be start out at 10 min on one side and 10 on the other. Mine were done in 17 minutes. I checked them so i could turn them at 20 min and they were done and some had started to burn on the edges. SO start smaller and go up from there
Fish is not my husbands favorite. But he eats it. I also added some veggies to help round this dish out that I had on hand. I did put some garlic grapeseed oil and sea salt on the fish this go around. I decided against adding anything else or breading it this time.
Here's my picture of my fries. :)
January 1st- Cheeseburger Pizza
I have started my 50.00 a month budget. I kicked it off with pizza! Homemade. Here's some pics and the breakdown of costs. I also made another crust to freeze as well.
Crust:
Yeast, Flour, Sugar, Water, Olive Oil, Salt
Yeast- Buy in bulk from Sam's Club. Its much cheaper then the packets you can buy. Unless you have coupons to make them free. I have loaded up when I have .40 cent off 2 coupons from the commissary as it made them around 40 cents each in the past. However, I can purchase 2 huge bricks of Yeast for around 5.00 at Sam's. If you don't think you would ever use that much yeast ( and some dont) then go in with someone else that is a baker/bread maker etc. 2.50 for several lbs is much cheaper then 3 packets for 40 cents to 1.00. It only takes 2 1/4 teaspoons for a pizza crust.
Flour- Same. I buy in bulk as well from Sam's and I use this. My only tip would be to get something for it to be in instead of leaving it in the bag. I bought a 5 gallon white painters tub from walmart to use. Its worked amazing for over 5 years now. Not all will fit in it but I go through it fast enough to only need one tub. You can of course go in with someone and split the flour as well. I believe the last time I purchased the flour it was around 8 bucks for the large bag. This is regular all purpose flour. Not bread flour.
Sugar- I want to purchase in bulk I just never have as it calls for very little in most baking items I do. But I am getting to the point where I will need to start purchasing in larger bulk.
Water- um its free ;)
Olive Oil- I do not buy this often. I do not use it often. I actually use grapeseed oil. Which is not cheap either. this is the most expensive ingredient by far. But it doesnt take a lot so it lasts me a good while. I dont fry anything anymore.
Salt- I buy it as well in bulk from Sam's because I use very little in every day stuff but need it for baking. I use sea salt in my every day life stuff.
Now onto the toppings. I am on a budget. And I still wanted to be able to make a cheeseburger pizza. However, ground beef is freaking expensive. So , I got creative. {dont judge}
I had purchased a 40 ct box of hamburgers from Sam's back in like October. We use them for obviously our hamburger nights. Sooooo.... I got one out, cooked it up ( no oil!) and cut it into tiny pieces. Voila! There's our ground beef. I used 1/4 cup may and a 1/4 cup ketchup for the base ( makes thousand island dressing thats pretty much what it is peeps) and spread it around. Added pickles. Topped with 1/3 bag of shredded cheese. I also used real butter and garlic to brush around the edges. Gave the crust an extra kick.
Best. Pizza. Ever
Crust:
Yeast, Flour, Sugar, Water, Olive Oil, Salt
Yeast- Buy in bulk from Sam's Club. Its much cheaper then the packets you can buy. Unless you have coupons to make them free. I have loaded up when I have .40 cent off 2 coupons from the commissary as it made them around 40 cents each in the past. However, I can purchase 2 huge bricks of Yeast for around 5.00 at Sam's. If you don't think you would ever use that much yeast ( and some dont) then go in with someone else that is a baker/bread maker etc. 2.50 for several lbs is much cheaper then 3 packets for 40 cents to 1.00. It only takes 2 1/4 teaspoons for a pizza crust.
Flour- Same. I buy in bulk as well from Sam's and I use this. My only tip would be to get something for it to be in instead of leaving it in the bag. I bought a 5 gallon white painters tub from walmart to use. Its worked amazing for over 5 years now. Not all will fit in it but I go through it fast enough to only need one tub. You can of course go in with someone and split the flour as well. I believe the last time I purchased the flour it was around 8 bucks for the large bag. This is regular all purpose flour. Not bread flour.
Sugar- I want to purchase in bulk I just never have as it calls for very little in most baking items I do. But I am getting to the point where I will need to start purchasing in larger bulk.
Water- um its free ;)
Olive Oil- I do not buy this often. I do not use it often. I actually use grapeseed oil. Which is not cheap either. this is the most expensive ingredient by far. But it doesnt take a lot so it lasts me a good while. I dont fry anything anymore.
Salt- I buy it as well in bulk from Sam's because I use very little in every day stuff but need it for baking. I use sea salt in my every day life stuff.
Now onto the toppings. I am on a budget. And I still wanted to be able to make a cheeseburger pizza. However, ground beef is freaking expensive. So , I got creative. {dont judge}
I had purchased a 40 ct box of hamburgers from Sam's back in like October. We use them for obviously our hamburger nights. Sooooo.... I got one out, cooked it up ( no oil!) and cut it into tiny pieces. Voila! There's our ground beef. I used 1/4 cup may and a 1/4 cup ketchup for the base ( makes thousand island dressing thats pretty much what it is peeps) and spread it around. Added pickles. Topped with 1/3 bag of shredded cheese. I also used real butter and garlic to brush around the edges. Gave the crust an extra kick.
Best. Pizza. Ever
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