Options I'm planning starting tonight through next Sunday include:
- Chicken rice hotdish with roasted zucchini and steamed vegetables
- Rice crust veggie and cheese quiche
- Sloppy Joe's and roasted potato wedges
- Turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn
- Homemade chicken nuggets, rice pilaf with vegetables
- Soup from the freezer with some sort of sandwich
- Spaghetti and meat sauce
- Chili with corn bread
- Tuna Hotdish with green beans
- Pizza
My target is to have $125 plus $40 of the specialty holiday food budget for December 21 when I shop for the extended holiday weekend. That only leaves $95.50 for this week, next week and to supplement after Christmas, pretty tight, averaging $31.60 this week, next (16th) and then after the 26th. It will go to bread, egg, and milk, $5, plus inexpensive protein and fresh vegetables. The pantry is pretty stocked with basics. We're splurging on the holiday food, and I anticipate leftovers that whole week, so perhaps will not need much after the 26th. I'm happy to eat simply and humbly the two weeks leading up to the extended Christmas weekend, the special food tasting all the better.
I still have a goal to make a new recipe, and that will most likely be a recipe of two for our immediate families Christmas, both a vegetarian main/side, and a new appetizer. I eyed up the price of salmon and the steak cuts I want to serve. I am in charge of the ham for Christmas eve, so will keep my eyes out for that-to come out of the $125 budget. We still need to figure out the Christmas day menu. How is your December budget doing? If you celebrate Christmas and New Years, are you stocking up on items now or planning to shop that week?
I have pretty much everything I would ever need to fix a celebratory meal, but we keep picking things up like hard salami, smoked salmon, fancy cheeses, halibut spread and crackers for our Advent observation. Also Myer's rum for eggnog and fruitcake. We have enough in the remaining bottle to feed the second fruitcake one more time. (The first fruitcake has been eaten.) I am STILL trying to clear out the freezer/pantry, but yesterday, a local store had sirloin tip roasts for $2.99/lb. I couldn't say no. The only thing we need to purchase for our Christmas meal is a rib roast, and bagels..that will happen around the 22nd. Not a chance of getting fresh bagels around here for Christmas, though, so pre-packaged will have to do!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Fortunately, there are better quality prepackaged bagels now than a decade ago, and slightly warmed might have that fresh bakery taste or at least closer. That's a great price on the roast. I've now decided a Turkey would be delicious. We only had for the Thanks giving meal, with the leftovers my sister sent home. If I can get a good deal, I might make one the Saturday before.
DeleteWe will stock up once we head to the Oregon coast, as we're leaving on the 21st & will spend the rest of the holidays there. For now, we're focused on eating down our leftovers at our house, so we don't have much in the fridge/freezer when we come back!
ReplyDeleteyou are doing so well eating down your freezer. I think it is probably a blessing to have so many meals ready to heat and serve with the business of December and just your life in general. The coast sounds lovely for Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful time there.
DeleteI'm allowing a larger food budget for this month as well. I have $190 left and have already shopped for next week. And I have bought my turkey as well so keeping my fingers crossed that I don't have a "food emergency"! I've decided to really really cut back on baking this year as I find I eat 80% of what I bake (perhaps a slight exaggeration) but it seems that way, especially when I stand on the scales! I will bake for a specific event like Christmas dinner but I am not going to bake EXTRA like I usually do. I don't like to waste it so I end up overeating. No more! I hope I can stick to that!
ReplyDeleteThat darn scale! I am trying the "fill plate with veggies" mantra this season, as I just hope to not gain anything, forget losing! I was just commenting to Meg B a turkey sounds nice-may need to cook one for the Saturday before Christmas.
DeleteWe stuffed our freezer with $0.67/lb. turkey breasts shortly after Thanksgiving. DH and DS came home with 5 when they spied the sale, and DS isn't even much of a fan. I love a roast turkey anytime, so I don't mind, but it goes against the eating down the freezer. I think you should roast a turkey! Make it special for you, DH and DD's before you have the obligations of extended family!
ReplyDeleteThe turkey would be in addition to the salmon, steak, and vegetarian main/side I am planning for our immediate family celebration. I find though, turkeys are pretty easy-basically season, and put i the oven. I'll get loads of leftovers and make a great soup for New Years day.
DeleteWish you lived close as we can go out to the reservation and get fresh salmon for a song. Since we are going to daughters, I will be doing some cooking there and I will just give her money for food. I have it easy.
ReplyDelete