Our food diet this week

In my efforts to eat what we already have, this is our menu for this week.

Tonight: hamburgers (we had the meat), paid $1.17 for buns at Harris Teeter. Total out of pocket cost: $1.17

Tuesday: crock pot recipe found online. Have never tried. Its called Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup.
The ingredients: 1 lb chicken (check); 2 cans of black beans (we have one that I have been dying to figure out a way to use so check); 4 cups chix broth (we have this, but I am only using 2 so as not to make so runny); 1 cup mushrooms (we didn't have so bought a package of slicked for $1.79, using half on Wednesday-see below); 1 cup frozen corn (check); 1 jar of salsa (we have almost a complete jar, so check); cumin 1 1/4 tsp cumin(check, will probably use more, I love cumin!); 1/2 cup sour cream (check); shredded Cheddar cheese to sprinkle at end (check). Total out of pocket cost, $1.79/2 = 89 cents.

Wednesday: Guinness Beef Stew in the crock pot. I have had this recipe for years. I thought it was a version of Rachael Ray's but can't find online. So here goes.
2 1/2 lbs stew meat (I have 1 lb, so am halving everything, check); 5 TBSP of flour (check); 1 tsp salt (check); 1/4 cup olive oil (check); 2 medium yellow onions (didn't have so bought for 79 cents at Trader Joes); 1 can of Guinness (check..hey we are Irish, of course we have Guinness on hand); 1 lb baby carrots (check); 1/2 eggplant (didn't have so bought for $1.49 at Trader Joes and will cook the rest shortly); 1 cup of mushrooms (see above, check); 2 cloves garlic (sorta check, I have minced garlic in the fridge so will sub this); zest of an orange (didn't have, so bought one for 69 cents); fresh parsley (subbing dried); fresh thyme (subbing dried); bay leaf (check); one stalk celery (check). If you want how to put together, email me. Total out of pocket cost: 79 cents (times 2) + $1.49 + 89 cents + 69 cents = $4.65

Thursday: leftovers from either Tues, Wed or the pizza from last week.

Friday: on the road for family wedding

Saturday: wedding dinner

Total cost (clearly not including our dinner from Sunday night): $6.71!

Planning this out helped me a lot. As I have said before I am going to try to do this more often.

Night!