Out of the rut, into a single bag of groceries. Cannonball.

I'm know this blog may be nothing new and mind-blowing, but recently, I've been putting much more thought into the meals I prepare for my family and my trips to the grocery store and I thought I would share some of what I've been doing. Of course, I've been trying to make healthier choices, but I'm also trying to save money and time and come home with everything I need to make meals for the week so I don't have to keep stopping by the store on the way home everyday.  My husband and I, both foodies, are really bad grocery impulse buyers. It is not unheard of for either of us to go to the store for milk, just milk, and return with a trunk full of food.  We both enjoy trying new recipes, ones that often need unique (usually equals expensive) ingredients that we use for that one meal and then the ingredients disappear into the back of cabinets and refrigerator drawers, never to be used again. This is wasteful on many levels. As part of trying to be healthier, less wasteful, and save money, we started thinking about ways to better plan and make meals.

Also, as busy folks are apt to do, we fall into dinner ruts. My husband and I will make the exact same kid-friendly meals over and over and over until even my 4 year old, usually thriving on routine, sighs, "Oh...this again." These kid-friendly meals (although we parents hate to admit it) are usually more fast than the healthiest choice, and although perfectly fine some of the time, shouldn't necessarily be in such a constant rotation. So my other goal is to expand our meal plan, while also getting more bang for my buck.

To kick off this new idea, I saw this article in Eating Well magazine and decide to follow the suggested meals exactly as the article said. The idea is for five dinners, with ingredients that fit into one bag, and costs around $50 or less. Indeed, with some of the ingredients already in my kitchen, I was able to buy the rest at under $50 dollars and carry it home in one reusable bag. I was impressed by how fast and easy these meals were and how delicious. Everyone in the family loved them.

I won't go into the recipe details because I would suggest you check out the article itself, but I will share a few quick thoughts about how each dish went over at my house.

We started with the Spring Pizza, which I had actually made before and my husband and I loved. My kids, however, balked at my tainting of the traditional, so they ate plain cheese versions of this with asparagus on the side (which I had to tell them were trees and they were giraffes just to get them to nibble at it). I also didn't have the traditional pizza crust on hand and didn't make my own, I used a flat bread. We love this pizza and I've made it a couple more times since.

The curry scallops and cilantro rice was also pretty good. The main problem with this dish was chef error. I am not very good at cooking seafood, despite watching years of Top Chef, and I overcooked the scallops. I could almost feel Tom Colicchio and Padma burning holes through my face with their glares of disapproval. The cilantro rice was a hit all the way around the table.

Next came Cincinnati Chili, I lived in Cincinnati for over a decade, so what I did to change this recipe is a cardinal sin. I confess. I did it, not only did I add beans, but I substituted the ground beef. Don't cry, Cincinnati friends. Usually I try to serve red meats only once or twice a month, and eat vegetarian a few days per week, so I used the vegetarian ground-meat substitute crumbles instead. It still satisfied the constant craving I have for Skyline and my kids still gobbled it up with oyster crackers. If you aren't too concerned about calories, don't forget the mountain of cheddar cheese on top.

The Pork and Snap Pea Lo Mein was the favorite dish, grown-up and kid-approved. The flavor was really good and something I hadn't tried making at home before, I don't know why because it was easy and quick. I also threw in the asparagus that we had leftover from pizza night. My husband took the leftovers to work for lunch and said he thought it tasted even better the next day.

And last, the Rice, Cheddar, and Spinach Pie. This reminded me of a quiche, but with rice as the base instead of custard. This was extremely easy and took only minutes to prepare. Everyone liked it, even my kids, despite the green stuff, which they picked out. We ate it as our main meal, but it would also be a great side or to take to a carry-in. There was a little bit of a crispness to the bottom and side and a comforting flavor. I'll be making this again as a comfort food on a cold, snowy day.

  At the same time, I'm trying to lower my grocery bill to keep within a certain budget and plan weekly meals before I go to the store so I am buying only what I need. I especially liked this idea of getting five meals out of one bag of groceries because having multiple meals over many days using the same ingredients obviously saves money. So not only am I going to directly follow this example from Eating Well, but I'm also going to continue trying to plan my weekly dinners based on the meals sharing many of the same ingredients and avoid having tons of ingredients around for a meal I made weeks ago slowly going bad and being forgotten in the bottom of the fridge and cabinets. Because that happens often and is wasteful on many levels. And gross. I'm trying to plan my meals, make the list of what I need, and only buy what is on the list while I'm at the store.

I am also trying to use bases and fillers for meals that keep well and can be used for many different types of dishes. For example, I keep brown rice, lentils, whole grain pastas, and Japanese noodles always on hand. These can be added to soups to make it go farther and be more filling. Also just adding vegetables and/or a protein with a sauce or spices can make a quick meal when you are pressed for time and ideas.

Just this past summer, my husband and I have even more of an effort to grow our own food. We planted our largest garden yet and are using a small cold-frame to keep greens growing even into the winter. We have our children help us and even have their own small plots. Surprisingly, they will often eat what they gather and wash from the garden, even though if I put it in front of them, they would say, "Yuck!" This spring we will begin to raise some chickens to have a constant supply of fresh eggs.

These are just a few things I've been trying and I would love more ideas or things that have worked for your family. So feel free to share in the comments!

Also I've had these pages bookmarked as I've been looking for more ideas and recipes:

This 7-Day Budget-Friendly Menu Plan and Shopping List
Skinnytaste  - website with fabulous recipes and meal ideas
USDA: eating healthy on a budget tips and links
Budget-friendly Healthy Meals from the Food Network