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ORIGINAL: MamaAng

Thanks for the tips. I do some of those things and have recently figured out it is a good idea to stock up when items are on sale. In the past, I buy the best priced items when we are close to running out.

I recently got into bread baking --- and love it. How do you store your bread so it doesn't get hard? The first time I made it my bread was a rock after 2 days.

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ORIGINAL: danas_mom
WOF, I would love the recipe for your black bean casserole you mentioned. It sounds yum!

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ORIGINAL: W.O.F.

Black Bean Enchilada Bake

12 corn tortillas
2 cups dry black beans (cook them in a crock pot overnight before you plan to use them...you can buy canned beans...2 cans works...but cheaper to use dried)
3 Tbs cooking oil
1 small onion chopped fine
1 sm. clove garlic chopped fine or crushed.

3 cans enchilada sauce (you can make your own...but this is one of my 'luxury' items...to buy the sauce instead...I'll include the sauce recipe at the end in case you want to make your own)

1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup plain yogurt or tofu
2 cups Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded

Saute onion and garlic until tender. Take the cooked beans and place in mixer with the onion, garlic, and yogurt. Mix until beans are lightly mashed. Stir in cumin and chili powder.

Take about 1/4 can enchilada sauce and spread on the bottom of a sprayed (cooking spray) 9 X 13 pan. Place 6 of the tortillas on top of sauce, covering the bottom of pan. Place half of bean mixture on top of tortillas....pour remainder of FIRST can of enchilada sauce over beans, as well as 1/2 of second can, sprinkle 1 cup cheese over top. Place 6 corn tortillas over top of this, then repeat with bean mixture and 1/2 of second can and all of third can of enchilada sauce. top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Let set about 5 minutes before serving.

You can serve with black olives and sour cream on the side if you desire (I often will layer the olives within the bake itself).

This generally feeds about 14 people (we eat it for supper and then lunch the next day)

Homemade enchilada sauce:
2 small onion
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 green pepper chopped
2 Tbs cooking oil (olive oil is great!)
2 28 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sea salt
Saute onion, garlic and green pepper. Add tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and salt and simmer for 30 minutes. If you like smoother sauce ...blend the tomatoes and spices in blender before adding to the onion, garlic and green pepper.....

quote:

Black Bean Enchilada Bake

12 corn tortillas
2 cups dry black beans (cook them in a crock pot overnight before you plan to use them...you can buy canned beans...2 cans works...but cheaper to use dried)
3 Tbs cooking oil
1 small onion chopped fine
1 sm. clove garlic chopped fine or crushed.

3 cans enchilada sauce (you can make your own...but this is one of my 'luxury' items...to buy the sauce instead...I'll include the sauce recipe at the end in case you want to make your own)

1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup plain yogurt or tofu
2 cups Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded

Saute onion and garlic until tender. Take the cooked beans and place in mixer with the onion, garlic, and yogurt. Mix until beans are lightly mashed. Stir in cumin and chili powder.

Take about 1/4 can enchilada sauce and spread on the bottom of a sprayed (cooking spray) 9 X 13 pan. Place 6 of the tortillas on top of sauce, covering the bottom of pan. Place half of bean mixture on top of tortillas....pour remainder of FIRST can of enchilada sauce over beans, as well as 1/2 of second can, sprinkle 1 cup cheese over top. Place 6 corn tortillas over top of this, then repeat with bean mixture and 1/2 of second can and all of third can of enchilada sauce. top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Let set about 5 minutes before serving.

You can serve with black olives and sour cream on the side if you desire (I often will layer the olives within the bake itself).

This generally feeds about 14 people (we eat it for supper and then lunch the next day)

Homemade enchilada sauce:
2 small onion
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 green pepper chopped
2 Tbs cooking oil (olive oil is great!)
2 28 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sea salt
Saute onion, garlic and green pepper. Add tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and salt and simmer for 30 minutes. If you like smoother sauce ...blend the tomatoes and spices in blender before adding to the onion, garlic and green pepper.....

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ORIGINAL: michele_erin

Okay after reading some of these posts I don't feel so bad -- our grocery/supplies bill varies from 850 - 1,000 a month -- we have a 14 year old, 15 year old, 16 year old, 19 year old, and 20 year old, plus two adults in the house. The 14, 16, 19, and 20 year old are big eaters -- they are athletes and work out a lot, which causes them to consume lots of food too. I buy all my supplies on sale only. I find the best deals -- either dollar store, Costco, Albertsons, Grocery Outlets -- I have most of the items that we purchase on a regular basis in my mind -- crazy I know, but for some reason the prices seem to stay there!

Also, when I see something on sale that is a staple item -- tomatoe soup, canned green beans, tomatoe paste, other soups, etc., I buy a bunch because I use them in recipes. We also take our lunches, so lunch meats, bread. I do have to buy the chips that come in lunch size portions otherwise the kids will eat the entire bag of chips in no time flat. I can't monitor them all the time! :-)

We go through a gallon of milk or more each day, lots of cereal, bread, lunch meat, fruit, everything. I don't know where else to cut -- so the cutting has to come elsewhere. Eeeek! The two oldest ones won't be living with us too much longer so that will decrease our food budget significantly when they move out.

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ORIGINAL: utahtwinmom

Does this pretty much include all of your family's meals for the week, or is there eating away from the home as well such as school lunches or eating out at work?

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I have a question for those of you with low budgets? Does this pretty much include all of your family's meals for the week, or is there eating away from the home as well such as school lunches or eating out at work?

quote:

ORIGINAL: utahtwinmom

I have a question for those of you with low budgets? Does this pretty much include all of your family's meals for the week, or is there eating away from the home as well such as school lunches or eating out at work? I ask, because I am struggling to get my monthly budget for 4 of us down to $350 a month which incluldes paper products, cleaning products, toothpaste, etc. We only eat a total of 1 or 2 meals out a month and the rest are at home. I pack my husband's meals everyday and I homeschool so my kids eat here. Thanks.

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ORIGINAL: utahtwinmom

I guess I wasn't being clear. I don't use paper products other than paper towels for cleaning. I just include all household items such as cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, soap, toilet paper, cosmetics, etc. in my budget and am struggling to keep it at $350 a month. I seem to be a little over $400 every month.

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ORIGINAL: Mrs.Wifey

I agree, WOF. I stock up on as much as possible when things are on sale. Right now at Walgreen's kids cold meds are free(plus $5 back) with a combo of coupons and they don't expire until 2012, so I bought a bunch. I kept enough for us and gave the rest away.

I also stock up on crackers and food things with a longer shelf life. I have a cabinet full of Cranberry juice(I get frequent UTI's) and different snacks. I got the juice for free and paid about $.50 a box(or less) for the crackers(cheez-its, wheat thins, triscuits). It's all about watching sales and stocking up when things are a killer price. I rarely pay very much for shampoo or toiletries, Walgreen's has such good deals that with coupons I can typically get things free or for pennies.