Help cutting costs on a TF, mostly primal diet

[junipermuse]

We've been trying to move toward a more TF diet for years and in the last year or so I definitely been more successful though we've never been 100% when we're at home we're pretty close. Recently I've been moving toward more primal for me because I don't think I do well on grains or a lot of carbs and I really need to lose a lot of baby weight. However my husband and daughter do eat grains (mostly sprouted toast for dd and the occasional hamburger bun, pasta dish or cracker for them both).

In the past we've really had a food budget that is pretty lavish (we live in the SF bay area and before that in the Los Angeles area, so always in Very High COL areas), but we're at a point now where I need to stay in budget. I have to limit our food to under $200 a week. Now I know this seems like a lot, but last week that amount really only seemed to feed us Monday through Friday and seemed to leave us with a very bare refrigerator this morning when I went to pack dd's lunch. We do eat out about 1-2 nights a week, so that doesn't have to come out of the $200 because it's part of our entertainment budget. I also don't have to provide lunch for dh because he eats for free at work most days. I have to provide breakfast for me and dd (dh doesn't eat breakfast, except special holidays), lunch for both of us, and dinner for everyone at least 6 out of 7 days.

I thought what I could do is post my meal plans, and shopping lists here and you wise ladies could help me with ideas of ways to cut costs.

Here are some things I am doing already.

-We buy organic produce for the dirty dozen, but conventional for everything else

-We buy less fruit and more veggies

-Focus on fruits that keep long time (less waste) and are fairly inexpensive. I usually buy a big bag of cheap organic apples, a big bag of conventional oranges at costco, and several bunches bananas, usually conventional from whatever store I happen to be at.

-try buying roasts or whole chickens so that the meat lasts several days.
-stopped buying deli meats (they were usually good quality from whole foods) because they were expensive

And a couple last important bits of info.
-we don't have a large freezer so I can't buy meat in bulk from a farmer which I know would save us a ton of money.
-I don't have a yogurt maker though I would consider making my own since we go through a lot in a week
-I tend to buy most all my meat at whole foods as it is cheaper than the farmer's market. Except for 100% grassfed ground beef for $5.99/ lb at Safeway. I am willing to buy more conventional meat if I have to, but not sure where the best trade off would be health vs. cost. I will not however buy regular grocery store chicken because it is dunked in chlorine solution usually and I can taste the chlorine.
-a roast chicken will only last us for one dinner and a couple lunches of chicken salad for me, but definitely won't make it for two dinners.

[junipermuse]

Here's an example of what we eat on a given day.

breakfast-

dd- a bowl or two of plain full fat or greek yogurt with a bit of maple syrup stirred in. A couple bananas or an apple or an orange. Sometimes she'll have a slice of sprouted grain toast with butter (grassfed but not raw) or a few slices of nitrate free bacon.

me- usually scrambled eggs in butter or in bacon grease if I'm also having a couple slices of bacon. Maybe some plain greek yogurt.


lunch-
dd-
sliced organic apple, sliced organic carrots, grass-fed nitrate free hotdog, an ounce of kerrygold cheddar, sprouted toast with butter. Sometimes I make her a grilled cheese sandwich fried in butter instead of the hotdog. Sometimes I give her some leftover meat from dinner.

me- tuna salad (but I buy fairly expensive canned tuna because the brand line catches small fish that are lower in mercury) or chicken salad (from leftover roast chicken). Occasionally a small sirloin steak or some boiled shrimp dipped in melted butter (shrimp was on sale for 4.99/lb in a frozen bag). Sometimes I just cook up a hamburger patty or brown some ground beef. I usually eat this with a salad of organic romaine with some tomatoes and avocado and homemade oil and vinegar dressing.

snacks-
dd- cheese, bananas, yogurt, oranges, whatever is leftover in her lunch box from preschool (one or two of these things, except bananas where she'll easily eat 3 in a sitting)

me- cheese, greek yogurt, veggies dipped in bleu cheese dressing, macadamia nuts, nitrate free salami (usually just one or two of these things)

Dinner- Usually meat (roast chicken, beef, or pork, or steaks, or fish, or sausages) or leftover roasted meat. With Salad and then another vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts) and maybe a baked potato for dh or an occasional baked sweet potato for me and dh.

dessert- (after the kids go to bed)
dh- junky cookies or donuts from the grocery store
me- a couple raw macadamia nuts, a couple small squares of dark chocolate, some cheddar cheese and some blue berries

[bagare]

I feel your pain!

Our food budget is pretty close to the same as yours (~$200) and it does get tricky from time to time, and we are going primal as well, so we are going to be really reducing the amount of grain we are eating--to none actually. We live in the Reno area, so food isn't quite as expensive as it is in the SF bay area, but it can be pretty pricey. (I grew up in the East Bay)

Check the produce at your local Costco--noticed that you shop there--I am able at our local Costco to get one of those big plastic tubs of organic baby spinach for about $3. And it REALLY goes a long way. I also buy my sugar snap peas ($5 for a 2lb bag) and my english cucumbers there as well ($4 for 3). I also get my oil, vinegar and almond butter there as well, along with some meats, eggs and butter, cheeses. I usually end up spending between 45-90 a month there, depending on what we need and if we have extra fundage. At the regular market, I get bulk spices, additional veg, canned goods--like tomatoes, although I may start picking those up at Costco--just have to see. I also get other meats, and round out what I didn't find at Costco. There is a WF here, but there is no way I can shop there on a regular basis, and I have found many of the same items at my regular store for better prices, specially bulk items. So I would check around and see what you can find.

I also make those chickens work for their very lives! LOL I roast them for one meal, pull the meat off for salads, re-roast the bones and make stock from them, and use that for soups and what not. I know it is getting close to summer now, but what about making soups or stews instead of one big roast? That should help to stretch things or make stir fries? Stir fry is a good way to stretch your meat and gets veggies in. Or big salads?

Perhaps purchase frozen veggies instead of fresh for cooked items? Make ground meat patties and serve with roasted veg and an herb butter and they can be just as tasty as steak, only with a better price point.

Does your daughter like hard boiled eggs? what about left overs? I am thinking about making meat balls and the like for my dh and portioning them out and freezing them. Then the night before, he can put his portion in the fridge and it will be defrosted for lunch. Those sorts of things with veggies or fruit would work for her lunch. Maybe send her with carrot sticks with almond butter?

Really, for us, soups/stews are really the way to go.

I hope my rambling helped a bit

[cristeen]

I'm also in the Bay, and don't really have a problem sticking to $200/week (averaged, some weeks are higher, some are lower). I do get a CSA box weekly ($30), which really helps though. I rarely purchase fruit/veg beyond what I get in the box, unless I have a specific purpose in mind for them. As it is, we struggle to eat everything in the box every week, but have made it a goal - which means we're getting more veggies in, and less is going to waste.

I buy all my meat weekly at the farmer's market (Prather Ranch), I also get my eggs at the market, and fill in the difference at Trader Joes, and I hit a small independent grocery for everything else. I only hit WF for specific things I can't get elsewhere, like organic formula.

The big thing that has helped our grocery budget (aside from the CSA) was cutting back our meat consumption. We used to be able to eat a pound of meat each in a meal (or more - we could wipe out 5# of chicken wings in a sitting). Now we make a pound feed the both of us (or more, if I pack lunches before we eat). I make a big piece of meat at least once a week, usually twice. That might be a cross rib roast that serves us as dinner for two nights, then several days of lunches. It might be tongue, which will be dinner for at least one night + lunches (depending on size). It might be a pork chop roast, which is dinner for 2 nights. Or a whole chicken which is at least 2 dinners, sometimes 3 + lunches.

The thing that jumped out at me about your menu is that you're making a meal for lunch every day. Honestly, that adds up. Particularly expensive tuna, steak or shrimp. Around here, lunch is leftovers, period. That goes for both DH's lunch that I pack 3x/week and my own. The rare exception is if I get lunchmeat (ham or pastrami usually) - and then I'll make roll ups with cheese and pickles.

For us, this is what meals look like:
Breakfast - DH gets 2 eggs + 1 sausage. I get 2-3 eggs.
Mid-morning snack - I get a bowl of cottage cheese and applesauce most days. DH doesn't eat a morning snack.
Lunch - we both get leftovers. Today his lunch was roasted bok choy from last night and beef roast from a few nights ago. My lunch will be leftover cream peas and probably some ham, maybe a salad.
Afternoon snack - I don't usually eat one, sometimes I'll have a piece of fruit. DH gets fruit, peanuts, and some cheese.
Dinner - tonight will be tongue, and whatever veggie jumps into the pot. Tomorrow's dinner will be the pot of beans with ham hocks I have on the stove, with some sauteed greens. It's a big pot, and the excess will go into my lunches for the rest of the week, and into the freezer for later.

Nuts are also expensive - particularly macadamias. How many pounds are you going through a week? If it's less than a pound, then I'd probably keep them, but if it's more, I'd find something else.

Without seeing what you're buying and where, it's hard to say. But if you're doing the bulk of your shopping at WF, I'd encourage you to shop around and maybe make a price book. There are lots of places to shop around here, and chances are good you could get a lot of what you're buying for cheaper than WF prices.

Also, looking over your menu, it seems a little light on fats, for everybody (although i may be wrong). Increasing fats can really help decrease the overall amount of food you're eating.

On price alone - I don't buy Kerrygold cheeses, they're too pricey for me for a regular old cheese and cheese is a food I'd rather not have to ration. We eat Tillamook (Costco has the best price), or I can get pastured cheese from NZ at TJ's. For yogurt, you will save money if you make it yourself - no maker required. There are plenty of threads on these boards about making it at home. For butter, we do eat Kerrygold, which is still pricey, but it is not my main source of fat now that we're grain free (TJ's has the best price). We eat a lot of bacon fat, lard, CO and local olive oil. I save the fat from roasts and the like and use that for cooking. And I've actually ordered 15# of pig skins from my butcher to render for my own lard, because it's so much cheaper.

HTH

[junipermuse]

Originally Posted by bagare

I feel your pain!

Our food budget is pretty close to the same as yours (~$200) and it does get tricky from time to time, and we are going primal as well, so we are going to be really reducing the amount of grain we are eating--to none actually. We live in the Reno area, so food isn't quite as expensive as it is in the SF bay area, but it can be pretty pricey. (I grew up in the East Bay)

Check the produce at your local Costco--noticed that you shop there--I am able at our local Costco to get one of those big plastic tubs of organic baby spinach for about $3. And it REALLY goes a long way. I also buy my sugar snap peas ($5 for a 2lb bag) and my english cucumbers there as well ($4 for 3). I also get my oil, vinegar and almond butter there as well, along with some meats, eggs and butter, cheeses. I usually end up spending between 45-90 a month there, depending on what we need and if we have extra fundage. At the regular market, I get bulk spices, additional veg, canned goods--like tomatoes, although I may start picking those up at Costco--just have to see. I also get other meats, and round out what I didn't find at Costco. There is a WF here, but there is no way I can shop there on a regular basis, and I have found many of the same items at my regular store for better prices, specially bulk items. So I would check around and see what you can find.

I also make those chickens work for their very lives! LOL I roast them for one meal, pull the meat off for salads, re-roast the bones and make stock from them, and use that for soups and what not. I know it is getting close to summer now, but what about making soups or stews instead of one big roast? That should help to stretch things or make stir fries? Stir fry is a good way to stretch your meat and gets veggies in. Or big salads?

Perhaps purchase frozen veggies instead of fresh for cooked items? Make ground meat patties and serve with roasted veg and an herb butter and they can be just as tasty as steak, only with a better price point.

Does your daughter like hard boiled eggs? what about left overs? I am thinking about making meat balls and the like for my dh and portioning them out and freezing them. Then the night before, he can put his portion in the fridge and it will be defrosted for lunch. Those sorts of things with veggies or fruit would work for her lunch. Maybe send her with carrot sticks with almond butter?

Really, for us, soups/stews are really the way to go.

I hope my rambling helped a bit

Thanks for replying. Yes we definitely get a lot from Costco. The problem there is availability. One week they'll have great organic baby heirloom lettuces (which we love for salads and are way cheaper than from whole foods or the farmer's market) but the next time we need them, they won't have them. The items I regularly get from Costco are. Tillamook presliced cheddar (yes it's a splurge, but dd prefers it to me cutting up cheddar for her snacks and then we use it for grilled cheese sandwiches for dd and dh's occasional weekend sandwich, and from costco it's cheaper than the other cheddar we eat on a regular basis that isn't presliced). Oranges, berries (I'm the only one who really eats these, but it's the only fruit I can have regularly while I'm losing weight), avocados, bananas, and tomatoes, and bellewether farms creme fraiche.

At the regular grocery store however, I tend not to have much luck. They don't carry most of the items that I need, and often the few they do carry are more expensive than at Whole Foods. For example Organic Romaine, Organic Kale, and Kerrygold butter are all more expensive at Safeway than at Whole Foods. Also I find it hard to find full fat yogurt even when they carry the brands I normally would buy. I definitely could buy my ground beef here though and make it into steaks though 5.99/lb is still pretty expensive. I'm wondering if we really just need to make a compromise and eat a bit more conventional meat. Oh the other thing I sometimes will get at Safeway is the nitrate/nitrite free angus beef hotdogs for my daughter, instead of the grassfed ones from whole foods, that definitely is cheaper (and my grandfather worked for Oscar Meyer for years, until he died, so I have a bit of a soft spot for Oscar Meyer).

I think I need to work my chickens a little harder. Last week I roasted a chicken and after dinner I took all the meat off, but I wasn't thinking and I threw out the carcass before I could make stock. I do make stock frequently though and figure next time I'll remember. I actually have some frozen feet in the freezer to throw in too. I'm also thinking that if I can start liking dark meat I can just buy whole legs, instead of a whole chicken. It's about .50/lb cheaper than a whole chicken, and they'll have more fat and skin on them in proportion to protein. I can still save the bones and make stock.

I would definitely like to make more soups/stews, but I really need to find some good recipes. Also soup is hard because by itself my dh doesn't consider it a complete meal. But I was thinking of maybe making some tf muffins for dh and dd, and then they could have that with soup and a salad and that would feel more complete to dh. And dd could have them for a snack too. Does anyone have a really good TF soaked muffin recipe? Any good soup recipes?

I think part of our problem is dh is pretty picky and we're both a bit of food snobs. On top of that I'm not a great cook. I'm pretty good, but not great and we're used to eating really well, so if I make something that is less than stellar it's hard to force ourselves to eat it anyway. Another example though of dh's pickiness is his refusal to eat frozen veggies. I grew up eating them and liked them, but I've been with dh for almost 10 years and now I have a harder time eating them because I'm used to fresh. I do buy frozen fruit for dd though sometimes. She likes frozen pineapple and frozen peaches and I buy frozen berries to throw in her smoothies.

Dd doesn't like hardboiled eggs, but frankly her lunch isn't too bad. I often make grilled cheese which is pretty cheap. She does also like meatballs and I sometimes make those up ahead and freeze them or just make enough for 3 or 4 days and keep in the fridge. She is really good about eating the same thing every day. She has a nut allergy though and so doesn't do any butters (except dairy butter). But I do often give her carrot sticks or cold steamed broccoli in her lunch. She often gets yogurt or cheese also. Then a veggie and a fruit or 2. I'm trying to re-serve her, her lunch left-overs because I think food waste is definitely one of our problems. I'm getting better though.

Thanks again for the ideas.

[junipermuse]

My replies are in Bold

Originally Posted by cristeen

I'm also in the Bay, and don't really have a problem sticking to $200/week (averaged, some weeks are higher, some are lower). I do get a CSA box weekly ($30), which really helps though. I rarely purchase fruit/veg beyond what I get in the box, unless I have a specific purpose in mind for them. As it is, we struggle to eat everything in the box every week, but have made it a goal - which means we're getting more veggies in, and less is going to waste.
I definitely think signing up for a CSA would help save money, plus I would love to broaden are tastes a bit when it comes to veggies. This is something I will most likely do soon. Who do you get your CSA from? We're in Marin.

I buy all my meat weekly at the farmer's market (Prather Ranch), I also get my eggs at the market, and fill in the difference at Trader Joes, and I hit a small independent grocery for everything else. I only hit WF for specific things I can't get elsewhere, like organic formula. I love Prather Ranch, but I definitly pay more for meat when I buy from them than I do if I buy from Whole foods. We have a lovely independant grocery store near us, but most things are not cheaper than Whole Foods, in fact often they're more expensive.

The big thing that has helped our grocery budget (aside from the CSA) was cutting back our meat consumption. We used to be able to eat a pound of meat each in a meal (or more - we could wipe out 5# of chicken wings in a sitting). Now we make a pound feed the both of us (or more, if I pack lunches before we eat). I make a big piece of meat at least once a week, usually twice. That might be a cross rib roast that serves us as dinner for two nights, then several days of lunches. It might be tongue, which will be dinner for at least one night + lunches (depending on size). It might be a pork chop roast, which is dinner for 2 nights. Or a whole chicken which is at least 2 dinners, sometimes 3 + lunches. What do I fill in our meals with if we're cutting back on total meat consumption? I can't have beans or bread or really any carb. I do try to do a baked potato for dh frequently and I think I may try to doing a batch of tf muffins that dh and dd could have as a side for dinner or occasional snack. Dh doesn't love veggies so it's hard to get him to eat more of those

The thing that jumped out at me about your menu is that you're making a meal for lunch every day. Honestly, that adds up. Particularly expensive tuna, steak or shrimp. Around here, lunch is leftovers, period. That goes for both DH's lunch that I pack 3x/week and my own. The rare exception is if I get lunchmeat (ham or pastrami usually) - and then I'll make roll ups with cheese and pickles. I don't actually make a meal for everyday for lunch, I don't think I was real clear about that, and I probably still make more full on lunch meals than I should if I'm trying to save money. Last week I had Monday: 6 oz of steak from whole foods that was 8.99/lb with a salad, Tuesday: chicken salad made from leftover roast chicken, some mayo, diced apple and onion wrapped in some lettuce leaves and a handful of blueberries. Wed: more chicken salad in lettuce cups, some watermelon, some blueberries, some pureed cauliflower with cream and butter, and carrot sticks with bleu cheese dresssing, Thursday: I had steak that was on sale for 3.99/lb because it was conventional it was probably about 12oz and then Friday I had tuna salad made with 1 can of tuna that is 3.99 a can. However I always use leftovers first if there is any, but often there isn't any, or there is only enough for dinner. I would much rather fix myself something at lunch time while the baby is napping and then feed the family leftovers for dinner because then the evenings are so much more peaceful. I did buy us a bigger brisket than I normally do, this week in hopes that it will make more leftovers. However it may just come down to us eating less meat. Then our roasts will last longer. Also I get very sick of eggs every morning for breakfast so I do often eat leftover for breakfast, and then there isn't any left for lunch.

For us, this is what meals look like:
Breakfast - DH gets 2 eggs + 1 sausage. I get 2-3 eggs.
Mid-morning snack - I get a bowl of cottage cheese and applesauce most days. DH doesn't eat a morning snack.
Lunch - we both get leftovers. Today his lunch was roasted bok choy from last night and beef roast from a few nights ago. My lunch will be leftover cream peas and probably some ham, maybe a salad.
Afternoon snack - I don't usually eat one, sometimes I'll have a piece of fruit. DH gets fruit, peanuts, and some cheese.
Dinner - tonight will be tongue, and whatever veggie jumps into the pot. Tomorrow's dinner will be the pot of beans with ham hocks I have on the stove, with some sauteed greens. It's a big pot, and the excess will go into my lunches for the rest of the week, and into the freezer for later.

Nuts are also expensive - particularly macadamias. How many pounds are you going through a week? If it's less than a pound, then I'd probably keep them, but if it's more, I'd find something else. I eat about 8 oz over the course of the week and I pay 6.49 for that container. I use macadamias because it's a nut my dd isn't allergic too and they have a higher fat content and lower carb content, but they're definitely just for a treat

Without seeing what you're buying and where, it's hard to say. But if you're doing the bulk of your shopping at WF, I'd encourage you to shop around and maybe make a price book. There are lots of places to shop around here, and chances are good you could get a lot of what you're buying for cheaper than WF prices. I definitely want to make a price book, I think that's a really great idea. I do try to pay attention to where items are cheaper, but I think it would be great to have a visual reference. I'm going to post a shopping list as soon as I'm done with this response.

Also, looking over your menu, it seems a little light on fats, for everybody (although i may be wrong). Increasing fats can really help decrease the overall amount of food you're eating. I would love some ideas on how to up my fat intake, that's definitely a goal of mine. I would welcome any suggestions in that area.

On price alone - I don't buy Kerrygold cheeses, they're too pricey for me for a regular old cheese and cheese is a food I'd rather not have to ration. We eat Tillamook (Costco has the best price), or I can get pastured cheese from NZ at TJ's. For yogurt, you will save money if you make it yourself - no maker required. There are plenty of threads on these boards about making it at home. For butter, we do eat Kerrygold, which is still pricey, but it is not my main source of fat now that we're grain free (TJ's has the best price). We eat a lot of bacon fat, lard, CO and local olive oil. I save the fat from roasts and the like and use that for cooking. And I've actually ordered 15# of pig skins from my butcher to render for my own lard, because it's so much cheaper. I was buying Kerrygold because I assumed their cows were grassfed (their butter is grassfed definitely), but also because they make a particular cheddar that is pretty much the only cheese dh will eat. I have tried to buy other cheaper ones and they just end up going to waste. I think I may need to break down and just make my own yogurt (though it makes me nervous) because it is dd's staple food beside bananas. We mostly buy strauss butter which I think is on par with kerrygold price wise, but they are local and also grassfed. I'm trying to use bacon fat more often though if I have it. Maybe I need to start saving it in the fridge. Dh doesn't like the taste though because he finds it overpowering, but I can use it for myself at least. I find myself nervous about using animal fats in place of butter though because I'm worried it will taste odd. Was this something you had to get used to? Who did you order your pig skins from (prather ranch?) I wouldn't mind making my own lard. How do you tend to use your lard?

HTH

Thanks so much you gave me lots of good info.

[junipermuse]

shopping list May 17

Whole foods total = 142.95

Dairy and Eggs - sub total =24.65

1 doz pastured eggs @ 6.99/doz
1 qt greek yogurt @ 3.49/qt
1 qt brown cow cream top yogurt @ 2.99/qt
1 pt strauss heavy cream @3.69/pt
Gouda reserve .57lbs @12.99/lb = 7.49 (expensive, but a special request by dh)


Meat - sub total = 71.43

3.4lbs beef brisket @5.99/lb = 20.36
4 packs of bacon 12oz each @ 4/lb = 16.00 (usually eat 1-2 packs a week, but this price was almost 2 bucks cheaper than usual, so I stocked up)
Rock fish @ 17.54
2 whole chicken legs (drumstick+thigh) @ 3.99 (1.49/lb)
3 Pork chops 5.99/lb = 13.54

Produce - subtotal = 15.73

5lb bag organic fuji apples @ 5.99/bag (1.20/lb)
1.63 lbs of asparagus @ 3/lb=4.89
Organic broccoli 1.92lbs @ 1.49/lb = 2.86
Organic Romaine @1.99/ea

Misc - subtotal = 31.11

6 gallons of water @ 5.35
8 oz raw macadamias @ 6.49
8oz raw sour Kraut @ 8.29 (locally made lasts about a month)
blue cheese dressing @ 4.99
bottle of sherry to use in various recipes (probably will last a year) @5.99


I be back later to post other two reciepts, but I have to take dd to swim lessons.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by junipermuse

I definitely think signing up for a CSA would help save money, plus I would love to broaden are tastes a bit when it comes to veggies. This is something I will most likely do soon. Who do you get your CSA from? We're in Marin.

Capay Valley - www.Farmfreshtoyou.com It's definitely widened our tastes for veggies. The trade off is that you don't get much say in what you're getting. The regular sized box is tough for us to get through every week, we really have to work at it, but I figure that's a good thing - we need our veggies. During the winter we get a lot of greens - kale, mustard, chard, cabbage, etc. During the summer we get a lot of tomatoes (I got 11 lbs in one week last year).

Originally Posted by junipermuse

What do I fill in our meals with if we're cutting back on total meat consumption? I can't have beans or bread or really any carb. Dh doesn't love veggies so it's hard to get him to eat more of those

Veggies and fat. Lots of both. Is your DH on board with trying to eat healthier? Or will you need to supplement his meals with carbs? I found that my DH was willing to eat it if I put it in front of him. He may not love it, but he'd eat it. Over time I've found ways to cook particular veggies that he actually likes. For most veg, the favorite way to cook them is roasted. Toss them with plenty of fat before roasting, and I like to add a drizzle of olive oil before serving - or top with a pat of butter, depending on the veg.

Originally Posted by junipermuse

However I always use leftovers first if there is any, but often there isn't any, or there is only enough for dinner. I would much rather fix myself something at lunch time while the baby is napping and then feed the family leftovers for dinner because then the evenings are so much more peaceful. I did buy us a bigger brisket than I normally do, this week in hopes that it will make more leftovers. However it may just come down to us eating less meat. Then our roasts will last longer. Also I get very sick of eggs every morning for breakfast so I do often eat leftover for breakfast, and then there isn't any left for lunch.

Well, from what you listed, you had 3 lunches last week that cost you over $4/meal. That's a bit pricey in my book. As for leftovers, it takes some planning. Also - do you serve dinner family style or do you plate? I've found that since I started plating meals we actually eat less. I can plate up small servings, and have the option of going back for more if we're still hungry, but we rarely do. But if I serve it family style, we're looking at it and are more likely to have seconds. Also - if it's going to be a tight squeeze on my meal plan, I'll portion up lunches before i serve dinner. We have tiffins for lunches, so I can fill a few with the meal, stick them in the fridge, then serve dinner and rest assured that we're not going to short the lunch budget. I've got the same problem with the baby sleeping, so often will cook/prep dinner during nap. Or I plan long-cooking dishes that I can stick in the oven during afternoon nap and it'll be ready when DH gets home. Like today I put the tongue on to cook during morning nap, I can pull it out with him on my hip and stick it in the fridge, and then it's a quick sear when DH gets home and is playing with him. Or the crockpot can also be your friend.

Originally Posted by junipermuse

I eat about 8 oz over the course of the week and I pay 6.49 for that container. I use macadamias because it's a nut my dd isn't allergic too and they have a higher fat content and lower carb content, but they're definitely just for a treat

If that's all of it you're eating then I'd probably keep them too. Although you might want to shop around for price. TJs will often have macs for less than that.

Originally Posted by junipermuse

I definitely want to make a price book, I think that's a really great idea. I do try to pay attention to where items are cheaper, but I think it would be great to have a visual reference. I'm going to post a shopping list as soon as I'm done with this response.

Definitely do a price book. I'll also say that our local WFs has jack in the way of grass fed beef, which kind of colors my thinking. Of course, none of it is local, either. There's very little at WFs that I can't get somewhere else for less, even though WF is closer to me (I'm just around the corner from it). When i do my shopping, I start with the farmer's market, fill in at TJs, then pick up what's left at the grocery store. And if there's still something I can't find, only then do I hit WFs. I also do my bulk shopping a couple times a year in an out-of-the-way HFS that has better prices. For me, the biggest out-of-the-way shopping I do is Costco, which is why I limit that, the gas cost isn't worth it.

Originally Posted by junipermuse

I would love some ideas on how to up my fat intake, that's definitely a goal of mine. I would welcome any suggestions in that area.

Sautee in plenty of fat, make your own mayo, dairy, etc. I don't think there's a single dish I serve that hasn't been cooked in/with fat. And if it's raw, then it's served with fat.

Originally Posted by junipermuse

I was buying Kerrygold because I assumed their cows were grassfed (their butter is grassfed definitely), but also because they make a particular cheddar that is pretty much the only cheese dh will eat. I have tried to buy other cheaper ones and they just end up going to waste. I think I may need to break down and just make my own yogurt (though it makes me nervous) because it is dd's staple food beside bananas. We mostly buy strauss butter which I think is on par with kerrygold price wise, but they are local and also grassfed. I'm trying to use bacon fat more often though if I have it. Maybe I need to start saving it in the fridge. Dh doesn't like the taste though because he finds it overpowering, but I can use it for myself at least. I find myself nervous about using animal fats in place of butter though because I'm worried it will taste odd. Was this something you had to get used to? Who did you order your pig skins from (prather ranch?) I wouldn't mind making my own lard. How do you tend to use your lard?

Will he not eat Tillamook cheese? They're mostly grass-fed, if not organic, and it's pretty cheap at Costco. I buy the 3 pound bricks.

Yogurt is really easy to make, don't be scared by it.

I've never bought Strauss butter, I just get Kerrygold at TJs. It's only available at WFs here, IIRC, and like I said, I don't go there that often.

As for the animal fats, bacon fat can be really strong-tasting depending on the bacon. The bacon I get isn't that strong tasting, so I can use it in just about anything. As for other animal fats - chicken, duck, goose or pork - none of them are that strong-flavored. Lamb is really strong, and I don't work with beef fat, so don't know there. But really, you can't tell the difference with most of these fats. And yes, I ordered the pig skins from Prather. They know me by name there.

1 doz pastured eggs @ 6.99/doz
Shop around - I pay $5/doz at the market.
1 qt greek yogurt @ 3.49/qt
Make your own - whole milk is cheaper than this
4 packs of bacon 12oz each @ 4/lb = 16.00 (usually eat 1-2 packs a week, but this price was almost 2 bucks cheaper than usual, so I stocked up)
Honestly, that's a good amount of bacon to eat in a week for me... eggs are cheaper. And I feed DH sausage because it's cheaper than bacon.
8oz raw sour Kraut @ 8.29 (locally made lasts about a month)
That's a bit pricey. I can get local kraut for about $6 a quart.
blue cheese dressing @ 4.99
Make your own - I've posted my recipe here several times, and it's better than any store-bought I've ever had (and cheaper).
bottle of sherry to use in various recipes (probably will last a year) @5.99
Shop around - I tend to buy this kind of thing at TJs because it's cheaper. Also, get a wine saver, because these specialty bottles of wine will turn before you get a chance to use them up.

And as for getting tired of eggs - egg custards or egg muffins can really help with the monotony. I tend to bake them on the weekend and eat them all week. And bonus is that you can make them with a fair bit of fat added, which will help satiety.

[junipermuse]

okay I'm back here are my other two reciepts

Target (ours has a fresh grocery) total = 15.97
2 7oz Kerry gold reserve cheddar @5.99 ea =11.98
3lb bag of yellow onions @ 3.99/bag

Costco Total = 37.28
5 avocados in a bag @ 5.49/bag
12oz raspberries @ 3.99
campari tomatoes @3.99
6lb bananas @ 2.64 (.44/lb)
tilamook sliced cheddar @6.79 (this is twice the size as the pack from the grocery store that costs 5.99)
pint of local cremefraiche @ 6.39
large container of blueberries @ 7.99

Grand Total = 196.2 but I don't know if this will actually last the whole week. Maybe I just need some suggestions on stretching things a bit farther.

[cristeen]

2 7oz Kerry gold reserve cheddar @5.99 ea =11.98
That's $13.70/lb, which is pricey for an everyday cheese, IMO. I can get 3# of Tillamook for about $10.
5 avocados in a bag @ 5.49/bag
Check TJs - they usually have a 4 ct bag for $3.something
tilamook sliced cheddar @6.79 (this is twice the size as the pack from the grocery store that costs 5.99)
I would not buy pre-sliced cheese, it is expensive - I doubt that pkg was 2#. Invest in a good cheese slicer.
pint of local cremefraiche @ 6.39
Make it - it's super simple and considerably cheaper.

gotta get the baby down.

HTH

[junipermuse]

What we ate May 17, 2010

Here's a real life example of what we actually eat on a given day

Breakfast (seriously there was nothing in the refrigerator, very slim pickin's)
me and dh - nothing
dd- a slice of sprouted toast with lots of butter

lunch

dh - ate at work
me - smoothie made with 4oz of cream, 4oz of whole milk, half a scoop of Jay Robb's chocolate whey protein powder (have had this sitting in the cupboard for quite a while, and just want to finish it up, won't buy it again), a spoonful of raw cacao powder. 1/2 cup of raspberries and an ounce of cheddar.
dd- sprouted toast w/butter, amy's organic mac and cheese, oz of cheddar, carrot sticks and apple slices.

Snack
dh - at work
me - nothing
dd - bowl of whole milk yogurt w/ a dollop of maple syrup

Dinner
dh, me and ds (9 months old mostly breastfed) fish sauteed in butter w/ newburg sauce, steamed asparagus w/ lots of butter.

dd- was offered what we were eating, but mostly ate the leftover mac and cheese.

Dessert
me- 20 macadamia nuts, 1/2 cup of blueberries, 3 small squares of very dark chocolate.


This is definitely on the low end of food for me. Very normal for dh and usually dd has a few extra bananas and an extra bowl of yogurt or two, but otherwise this is a pretty normal day for her too.

[junipermuse]

Once again my reply is in bold

Originally Posted by cristeen

Capay Valley - www.Farmfreshtoyou.com It's definitely widened our tastes for veggies. The trade off is that you don't get much say in what you're getting. The regular sized box is tough for us to get through every week, we really have to work at it, but I figure that's a good thing - we need our veggies. During the winter we get a lot of greens - kale, mustard, chard, cabbage, etc. During the summer we get a lot of tomatoes (I got 11 lbs in one week last year). Definitely going to check this out. I think maybe we'll start out with the small size, since there are still some things I can't live without and need every week (like tomatoes)



Veggies and fat. Lots of both. Is your DH on board with trying to eat healthier? Or will you need to supplement his meals with carbs? I found that my DH was willing to eat it if I put it in front of him. He may not love it, but he'd eat it. Over time I've found ways to cook particular veggies that he actually likes. For most veg, the favorite way to cook them is roasted. Toss them with plenty of fat before roasting, and I like to add a drizzle of olive oil before serving - or top with a pat of butter, depending on the veg. My dh is on board within reason, but he is only willing to eat a little bit of veggies, so I definitely need to make a carb for him too I guess, otherwise he'll make up the difference with meat or run out to the store for lots of junky snacks. Dh was forced to eat veggies as a child and so he just can't get past seeing them as a chore or obligation rather than something one might enjoy eating. I definitely use lots of fat with veggies. I either steam veggies and put butter on them or roast them and put oil (and sometimes butter as well) on them. If I'm eating cold or raw veggies I like to dip them in blue cheese dressing. Dd doesn't like to dip things really so if she's eating raw veggies I just try to make sure she has some cheese with it because I know it's really important to eat veggies with fat.



Well, from what you listed, you had 3 lunches last week that cost you over $4/meal. That's a bit pricey in my book. As for leftovers, it takes some planning. Also - do you serve dinner family style or do you plate? I've found that since I started plating meals we actually eat less. I can plate up small servings, and have the option of going back for more if we're still hungry, but we rarely do. But if I serve it family style, we're looking at it and are more likely to have seconds. Also - if it's going to be a tight squeeze on my meal plan, I'll portion up lunches before i serve dinner. We have tiffins for lunches, so I can fill a few with the meal, stick them in the fridge, then serve dinner and rest assured that we're not going to short the lunch budget. I've got the same problem with the baby sleeping, so often will cook/prep dinner during nap. Or I plan long-cooking dishes that I can stick in the oven during afternoon nap and it'll be ready when DH gets home. Like today I put the tongue on to cook during morning nap, I can pull it out with him on my hip and stick it in the fridge, and then it's a quick sear when DH gets home and is playing with him. Or the crockpot can also be your friend. I do serve family style, but I could probably try putting more of it away in the fridge for leftovers before I set it out on the table. I was afraid the answer might be that we just need to eat less food overall. I have always had a really large appetite. I was very well proportioned as a child, but I could always put away a ton of food. And I always remember being hungry. Especially at school or over at a friends house. I hated that feeling and it probably is part of why I eat so much now. I'm afraid of feeling hungry and not having any food available.



If that's all of it you're eating then I'd probably keep them too. Although you might want to shop around for price. TJs will often have macs for less than that. I've been buying them at whole foods because it's the only place I could find raw ones. The only one's I could find at Tj's and at the other grocery stores were roasted. Maybe it's something that's worth compromising on though to save money



Definitely do a price book. I'll also say that our local WFs has jack in the way of grass fed beef, which kind of colors my thinking. Of course, none of it is local, either. There's very little at WFs that I can't get somewhere else for less, even though WF is closer to me (I'm just around the corner from it). When i do my shopping, I start with the farmer's market, fill in at TJs, then pick up what's left at the grocery store. And if there's still something I can't find, only then do I hit WFs. I also do my bulk shopping a couple times a year in an out-of-the-way HFS that has better prices. For me, the biggest out-of-the-way shopping I do is Costco, which is why I limit that, the gas cost isn't worth it. We go to the farmer's market pretty regularly, but I never feel like I'm getting the best prices. What items do you buy in bulk? What things do you usually buy from Tj's ? I know their prices are pretty good, but it doesn't seem like they have a lot of what we get. Maybe I'm just buying the wrong things and making the wrong meals. I usually go to costco every week or every other week because it's pretty close to us (closer than whole foods) I definitely run the risk of over spending there, but if I keep it to food items I know we'll use up I think that it will save us some money



Sautee in plenty of fat, make your own mayo, dairy, etc. I don't think there's a single dish I serve that hasn't been cooked in/with fat. And if it's raw, then it's served with fat. I tried making my own Mayo and it came out pretty tasty, but it was very time consuming. I think I need to make it in a larger quantity next time so I have enough to last me the week. Right now I've just been using best foods mayo, and I know that isn't great for me, but I've been lazy. But I do try to serve or cook everything with fat as well. Usually butter, mayo, or salad dressing



Will he not eat Tillamook cheese? They're mostly grass-fed, if not organic, and it's pretty cheap at Costco. I buy the 3 pound bricks. He will not snack on the Tillamook Cheddar, but he will use it in his sandwiches which is why I buy the sliced kind

Yogurt is really easy to make, don't be scared by it. Does anyone have a link to how to make it without a yogurt maker?

I've never bought Strauss butter, I just get Kerrygold at TJs. It's only available at WFs here, IIRC, and like I said, I don't go there that often.

As for the animal fats, bacon fat can be really strong-tasting depending on the bacon. The bacon I get isn't that strong tasting, so I can use it in just about anything. As for other animal fats - chicken, duck, goose or pork - none of them are that strong-flavored. Lamb is really strong, and I don't work with beef fat, so don't know there. But really, you can't tell the difference with most of these fats. And yes, I ordered the pig skins from Prather. They know me by name there. I did make my own schmaltz, but I didn't actually finish it up. I did use it to fry up some brussel sprouts, but I was afraid to use it for anything I was going to serve to dh. When you say that you use animal fats for everything do you mean like roasting veggies and frying eggs or are there other uses I'm just not thinking of?

1 doz pastured eggs @ 6.99/doz
Shop around - I pay $5/doz at the market. All the eggs at our farmer's market are 7.99 or 8.99/doz. Honestly I was elated to find them for 6.99/doz. Who do you buy from that sells them for 5/doz? It might be worth driving a bit farther to save some money.
1 qt greek yogurt @ 3.49/qt
Make your own - whole milk is cheaper than this I definitely think I'll make it myself from now on since we go through a lot of yogurt
4 packs of bacon 12oz each @ 4/lb = 16.00 (usually eat 1-2 packs a week, but this price was almost 2 bucks cheaper than usual, so I stocked up)
Honestly, that's a good amount of bacon to eat in a week for me... eggs are cheaper. And I feed DH sausage because it's cheaper than bacon.
8oz raw sour Kraut @ 8.29 (locally made lasts about a month)
That's a bit pricey. I can get local kraut for about $6 a quart. I have only seen this particular brand at any store and its the same price at the two stores I've seen carry it. Where do you get it cheaper?
blue cheese dressing @ 4.99
Make your own - I've posted my recipe here several times, and it's better than any store-bought I've ever had (and cheaper). Could you give me a link to one of your posts with the recipe I would totally be willing to make it myself
bottle of sherry to use in various recipes (probably will last a year) @5.99
Shop around - I tend to buy this kind of thing at TJs because it's cheaper. Also, get a wine saver, because these specialty bottles of wine will turn before you get a chance to use them up. We have a wine saver and the bottle is in the fridge, it will probably last 6 months and so even if I could have found it for 2.99 I don't think it would have been worth a trip to another store for the 3 dollar savings over 6 months. But I almost never buy alcohol at WF's. Usually I buy it at Tj's because their prices are so good

And as for getting tired of eggs - egg custards or egg muffins can really help with the monotony. I tend to bake them on the weekend and eat them all week. And bonus is that you can make them with a fair bit of fat added, which will help satiety.I would love recipes for either of those, I definitely need to eat more eggs.

[Magelet]

jumping into the junipermuse/cristeen convo a bit

with the sourkraut, why don't you try making your own? It's incredibly easy, and so cheap (even organic, cabbages are so inexpensive. A large cabbage makes a qt of sourkraut, round about.)

With the eating lots/hunger thing, it sounds like you really need to ramp up the fat. And maybe rather than thinking "I need to eat less", think "I need to eat only when I'm hungry". If you eat slower you'll realize your full and not keep eating (We're working on that, both of us... it's challenging sometimes.) Think about what you need to make yourself feel secure. Do you need to buy lower quality eggs/meat for a short period, just to have lots of food, to assure yourself you HAVE food? Do you need to eat more often so you don't get really really hungry? (honestly, by looking at that sample, meal, the answer is almost assuredly yes, yes, yes you do. you ate no breakfast, a smoothie and a bit of cheese for lunch, fish for dinner, and nuts and fruit for dessert? yikes! no way is that enough food. I'd try to eat breakfast every morning, I know, it's cliched as heck, but everyone I know (myself included) has noticed they feel better and feel less starving all day after eating a good protein breakfast.

As for egg ideas, besides the obvious of scrambled eggs, omelettes, hardboiled eggs, etc, you could make frittata (mix eggs, salt and spices, and milk or cream, then pour it over veggies (sauted onions and greens is yummers, but anything really, even just lots of herbs with some cheese), add some cheese or herbs, and cook it low and slow)

Egg muffin-y things in my mind would basically be dense little frittata things. eggs poured over cooked veggies (sauted onions, greens, whatevers in season. sauted brussel sprouts are amazing in this) in muffin tins, and baked.

I love to saute some greens (kale in particular) and onions, (somtimes I add a can of tomatoes, sometimes not), make little pockets/wells in the green, and dump an egg in each well, then pop it in the oven until it's cooked. Soo good.

For soups... I have a lot of specific recipes, but I think knowing how I compose a soup out of whatever might be more helpful?

I almost always (99% of the time) start with chicken broth (rather than beef or veggie). Ok, actually, I start with sauted onions, then I add the chicken broth I decide what sort of... taste I want the soup to have. Do I want a curry? Do I want an indian-ish curry? ok, curry powder, garam masala, coconut milk, ginger, cumin, coriander, a few other things, add whatever veggies are going in (sometimes I'll cook some red lentils in the soup before the veggies), first veggies that will take a while to get soft: carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, then say, greens, then fresh stuff like fresh peas or asparagus that you barely want to cook, then finish with salt and pepper, and lemon juice to taste. I might add pb, or chicken meat, or whatever I have around and want to throw in. veggies can be whatever I have that's fresh, pretty much. I could do a thai-ish curry by doing lime juice, thai chili paste, lemongrass, chilis if I want, fish sauce, garlic, etc. For say... a minestrone, I'd throw in tomatoes, pre-cooked beans (the only beans I cook in the soup itself are lentils), lots of veggies, and italianish spices: garlic, oregano, basil maybe, a bay leaf for sure. for a basic chicken soup, I'd throw in maybe some sauted onions, garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and some veggies.

I'd say the key's to a good soup are:
-start with sauted onions
-quality broth to start, not jarred crud.
-no half rotting veggies, only fresh stuff. compost soup tastes like compost.
-if you are experimenting, simpler is better, stick with one main flavor, then add things to complement, don't try to throw everything in
-salt salt salt to taste (add a small bit, taste, add more, taste, until it tastes great)
-it often wants some acid (lemon juice, vinegar, lime juice, etc) for "brightness". If it has beans it will need a TON of acid and salt to get that yummy brightness.
-enjoy your soup.

(do you have NT? It has the best gazpacho recipe, the pink gazpacho. so yummy)

I agree with your DP that a light soup isn't a meal in itself. With or without bread though, a soup that's thick with meat or beans and veggies can be a meal of itself.

For animal fats, I never have enough. I use them occasionally for frying eggs. I love them in stir fries or sauted stuff. They can be great for mayo, if you have enough for it. we use it to saute onions (best if your using them for somethign simple cause then you taste it best.) for making fry breads (yum we love those) latkes. latkes cooked in chicken fat are divine. particularly if you add celeriac to them... I use them like I would pretty much any other fat (except not too often for spreading on bread.) Beef fat is mostly for savory pastry dough, sauteing onions and searing meat for beef stew, a little fat for cooking meatballs in. If I had enough, I would make fried chicken tomarrow...

Personally, I'd lose a lot of money if I went to costco more than maybe 3-4 times a year, because it's such a shopping place. "Oh wait, that's a GREAT deal on that, and that and that and that". Yes, it saves money than buying them at the grocery store, but not enough to justify all the extra stuff I usually buy when I go. You know, buying a jumbo pack of canned tomatos and hydrogen peroxide, and stuff that wasn't on my list is ok a few times a year, cause they do save us money, but if I went that often, it wouldn't be saving us money. that's just me.

He will not snack on the Tillamook Cheddar, but he will use it in his sandwiches which is why I buy the sliced kind

I'm beyond confused. So what? a block of cheese is cheaper by FAR, and so easy to slice for sandwhiches with a knife or a slicer.

We don't buy a lot in bulk.
Right now it's just Massa's rice (we went through 20 lb in 3 months). saves us a bit of money. We'd like to also buy beans in bulk, but haven't decided where to do so. Other things I might buy in bulk if I could find stuff I was comfy with: vinegar, ummm I'm sure there's other stuff.
That said, if you mean, in bulk, like in the bulk section (not the entire 20lb bag/3 gallon bucket), we buy all of our grains and legumes, and many of our spices. Also honey, and nuts. and raisins.

HTH and isn't long and boring.

[cristeen]

And I always remember being hungry. Especially at school or over at a friends house. I hated that feeling and it probably is part of why I eat so much now. I'm afraid of feeling hungry and not having any food available.

It took me years to get past that. The first few years DH and I were living together, I had real issues with that. It was the first time I as an adult was responsible for the shopping, and it was a big problem. It's taken me years to get to the point where I can shop once a week and have enough for the week and not grossly too much. But I also have a pantry and a freezer of food to fall back on on weeks like this one when something changes and my meal plans go out the window. But don't think we go hungry - by plating our food, both DH and I have learned to listen to our bodies about when we're full, which neither of us were very good at before. If we're still hungry, there's always more food of some kind in the kitchen, but most days a single plate is plenty for both of us.

I've been buying them at whole foods because it's the only place I could find raw ones. The only one's I could find at Tj's and at the other grocery stores were roasted. Maybe it's something that's worth compromising on though to save money

TJs has them raw sometimes. There are times when they don't have them at all, times when they only have Mauna Loa and times when they have their house brand raw.

We go to the farmer's market pretty regularly, but I never feel like I'm getting the best prices. What items do you buy in bulk? What things do you usually buy from Tj's ? I know their prices are pretty good, but it doesn't seem like they have a lot of what we get.

With the farmer's market, any more I just go for animal products and the occasional additional produce item (like this week I bought DH cherries). But the CSA takes care of most of our produce needs. I think comparison shopping is important. I know which stands carry organic at my market (it's a really big market), and I know what each of them is charging for the item in question before I buy it (I know my regular vendors by name). I also will shop based on the dirty dozen - buying some things at non-organic stands if they're not high on the sprayed list.

For bulk, I don't go so much anymore now that I'm grain-free. But I buy Sucanat, herbs, spices, nuts, popcorn, beans, dried fruit in bulk still. They also have maple syrup and honey, but their prices on those are prohibitive (and the honey isn't raw).

From TJs - my regular items would be organic baby carrots (for DH's lunch), mushrooms, organic bananas, during the off-season I'll occasionally buy tomatoes, potatoes or sweet potatoes there, artichokes if they have a good price - and organic apples by the bag when they have them (to dehydrate). And fresh herbs if I have a need. Most of my dairy comes from TJs - they have better prices for their dairy than anywhere else, they only carry non RBGH milk, and it's not UP - cream, half & half (so not TF, I know), yogurt, Kerrygold butter, (conventional) cream cheese. They also have non-hom milk, and I buy a variety of cheeses there (they carry a great variety - some grass fed, some raw, some organic, some not). I get organic sugar if I'm going to be baking, honey, maple syrup, olives, green chiles, organic unsweetened applesauce, sugar sweetened sodas for DH, nuts and dried fruit, sweet potato chips for a treat, I love cooking with their salsas... I get frozen: peas, corn, artichoke hearts, wild mushrooms when they have them, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, seafood. I use their dishwashing detergent and their (wet) cat food, coffee, and the occasional bottle of wine or 6 of beer.

I tried making my own Mayo and it came out pretty tasty, but it was very time consuming. I think I need to make it in a larger quantity next time so I have enough to last me the week.

When I stopped buying mayo, my consumption dropped drastically. Because it is time-consuming to make... but you can easily double or triple a batch if you're making it regularly. Alone, I could go through 2 jars of mayo/month. But now I might make a cup of mayo a month.

Does anyone have a link to how to make it without a yogurt maker?

I don't have a link, but the easiest way for me when I first started was with a glass bowl with lid and a heating pad set to low. Placed on top of the fridge (where it wouldn't be disturbed) and wrapped in a towel for 24 hours.

I did make my own schmaltz, but I didn't actually finish it up. I did use it to fry up some brussel sprouts, but I was afraid to use it for anything I was going to serve to dh. When you say that you use animal fats for everything do you mean like roasting veggies and frying eggs or are there other uses I'm just not thinking of?

No, that's what I mean. If I have it, I use it - stir frys, sauteeing, roasting, frying. With something like schmaltz, I'd be surprised if he could taste it on veggies. On eggs maybe, but not on veggies.

1 doz pastured eggs @ 6.99/doz
Shop around - I pay $5/doz at the market. All the eggs at our farmer's market are 7.99 or 8.99/doz. Honestly I was elated to find them for 6.99/doz. Who do you buy from that sells them for 5/doz? It might be worth driving a bit farther to save some money.

I get them at the farmer's market. One of the tips though is that my egg guy doesn't advertise his eggs - we all just know he has them. And you have to get there early, because when they're gone, they're gone (and they're often gone by 10:00). We go through about 3 doz/week, which would be a decent savings for you, if it weren't for the gas costs.

8oz raw sour Kraut @ 8.29 (locally made lasts about a month)
That's a bit pricey. I can get local kraut for about $6 a quart. I have only seen this particular brand at any store and its the same price at the two stores I've seen carry it. Where do you get it cheaper?

I get it at a small independent grocery - it's Alexander Valley brand, packed in a plastic tub. WF carries their pickles, but not their kraut.

blue cheese dressing @ 4.99
Make your own - I've posted my recipe here several times, and it's better than any store-bought I've ever had (and cheaper). Could you give me a link to one of your posts with the recipe I would totally be willing to make it myself

Really easy - equal parts by volume mayo, yogurt, sour cream (or 2 parts of 1 and 1 part of another - I rarely make mayo for this), crumbled blue cheese. 1 clove pressed garlic, and a splash of white vinegar (adjust the vinegar to taste). If you have it, 1 part chopped fresh herbs (parsley and chives both work beautifully - I haven't tried anything else). This keeps in the fridge about 2 weeks or so - longer if you don't have the herbs. You can run it through the FP if you want it smoother, but I just stir it together because I don't mind it chunky and I hate washing the FP.

And as for getting tired of eggs - egg custards or egg muffins can really help with the monotony. I tend to bake them on the weekend and eat them all week. And bonus is that you can make them with a fair bit of fat added, which will help satiety.I would love recipes for either of those, I definitely need to eat more eggs.

Egg muffins are basically mini fritattas baked in a muffin pan. Put a small amount of chopped meat/veg in the bottom of each cup and add roughly 1 egg per cup (either whole or scrambled). Top with a pinch of shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan while still warm (don't use paper liners, but grease a metal pan really well... I bought silicone pans specifically for this recipe). If you scramble up all your eggs together, I like to add a splash of cream, a dash of Tabasco, s&p. 2 or 3 of these eaten cold make a lovely fast breakfast.

Egg custards are a little more work - I have 1 c ramekins for this dish, that's how often we eat these, and I make 5-10 of them at a time (that's a week's worth for 1 or 2 people). Each ramekin holds 2 eggs and 1/2 c of cream (milk, coconut milk, whatever - but cream is more satisfying), a spoonful of sweet (I usually use honey), and a handful of frozen berries (or chopped nuts). Add extract or spices to your taste. Put the ramekins in a water bath and bake at 300 for 60 minutes.

HTH

[junipermuse]

Reply in Bold

Originally Posted by Magelet

jumping into the junipermuse/cristeen convo a bit

with the sourkraut, why don't you try making your own? It's incredibly easy, and so cheap (even organic, cabbages are so inexpensive. A large cabbage makes a qt of sourkraut, round about.)This is definitely something I need to learn to do in the long term. I know that I could save money by making more things ourselves. In the past I have tried to start doing a bunch of things from scratch all at once and I got overwhelmed and gave up on everything. This time I think I should start with 1 new thing at a time and then once that is part of my routine, I can add another. I think it makes sense to start with yogurt since we eat a lot of it. Hopefully in a couple weeks when the sauerkraut is all eaten. I will have yogurt making down and be ready to add something new to our routine

With the eating lots/hunger thing, it sounds like you really need to ramp up the fat. And maybe rather than thinking "I need to eat less", think "I need to eat only when I'm hungry". If you eat slower you'll realize your full and not keep eating (We're working on that, both of us... it's challenging sometimes.) Think about what you need to make yourself feel secure. Do you need to buy lower quality eggs/meat for a short period, just to have lots of food, to assure yourself you HAVE food? Do you need to eat more often so you don't get really really hungry? (honestly, by looking at that sample, meal, the answer is almost assuredly yes, yes, yes you do. you ate no breakfast, a smoothie and a bit of cheese for lunch, fish for dinner, and nuts and fruit for dessert? yikes! no way is that enough food. I'd try to eat breakfast every morning, I know, it's cliched as heck, but everyone I know (myself included) has noticed they feel better and feel less starving all day after eating a good protein breakfast. Yesterday was an unusually low food day for me. And the only reason I had no breakfast is because there was literally NO food in the house. Also I had a lot of sleep the night before (nearly 12 hours) and I find that if I am super well rested I am much less hungry the next day, so maybe that was it. In general though, eating more frequently would probably help in feeling like there's food available. I do sometimes buy some extra cheaper/conventional meat when I'm feeling deprived. It's hard right now I think because it's only been a little over a month since I've started giving up the sugar/grains/carbs etc., and I think that also leads me to feeling a bit deprived in itself. Especially because I have cut way back on fruit and it is my favorite. It's not that I don't like vegetables because I do enjoy them but not the way I enjoy eating fruit or even meat for that matter. But when I'm thinking about what's in the fridge and the choice is between quickly grabbing some leftover meat, or cooking up some veggies, the meat would win hands down, but if I don't fill in with extra veggies, I will end up eating more meat than we can probably afford.

As for egg ideas, besides the obvious of scrambled eggs, omelettes, hardboiled eggs, etc, you could make frittata (mix eggs, salt and spices, and milk or cream, then pour it over veggies (sauted onions and greens is yummers, but anything really, even just lots of herbs with some cheese), add some cheese or herbs, and cook it low and slow)

Egg muffin-y things in my mind would basically be dense little frittata things. eggs poured over cooked veggies (sauted onions, greens, whatevers in season. sauted brussel sprouts are amazing in this) in muffin tins, and baked.

I love to saute some greens (kale in particular) and onions, (somtimes I add a can of tomatoes, sometimes not), make little pockets/wells in the green, and dump an egg in each well, then pop it in the oven until it's cooked. Soo good.

For soups... I have a lot of specific recipes, but I think knowing how I compose a soup out of whatever might be more helpful?

I almost always (99% of the time) start with chicken broth (rather than beef or veggie). Ok, actually, I start with sauted onions, then I add the chicken broth I decide what sort of... taste I want the soup to have. Do I want a curry? Do I want an indian-ish curry? ok, curry powder, garam masala, coconut milk, ginger, cumin, coriander, a few other things, add whatever veggies are going in (sometimes I'll cook some red lentils in the soup before the veggies), first veggies that will take a while to get soft: carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, then say, greens, then fresh stuff like fresh peas or asparagus that you barely want to cook, then finish with salt and pepper, and lemon juice to taste. I might add pb, or chicken meat, or whatever I have around and want to throw in. veggies can be whatever I have that's fresh, pretty much. I could do a thai-ish curry by doing lime juice, thai chili paste, lemongrass, chilis if I want, fish sauce, garlic, etc. For say... a minestrone, I'd throw in tomatoes, pre-cooked beans (the only beans I cook in the soup itself are lentils), lots of veggies, and italianish spices: garlic, oregano, basil maybe, a bay leaf for sure. for a basic chicken soup, I'd throw in maybe some sauted onions, garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and some veggies.

I'd say the key's to a good soup are:
-start with sauted onions
-quality broth to start, not jarred crud.
-no half rotting veggies, only fresh stuff. compost soup tastes like compost.
-if you are experimenting, simpler is better, stick with one main flavor, then add things to complement, don't try to throw everything in
-salt salt salt to taste (add a small bit, taste, add more, taste, until it tastes great)
-it often wants some acid (lemon juice, vinegar, lime juice, etc) for "brightness". If it has beans it will need a TON of acid and salt to get that yummy brightness.
-enjoy your soup.

(do you have NT? It has the best gazpacho recipe, the pink gazpacho. so yummy)
I've definitely made decent soups in the past, but I like to get ideas for new soups I can make. Without a recipe I feel like I'm not sure what flavors go together or what combo of food/veggies/spices will taste good.

I agree with your DP that a light soup isn't a meal in itself. With or without bread though, a soup that's thick with meat or beans and veggies can be a meal of itself. I definitely make thick soups. It's honestly just that in his family growing up they never ate soup as a meal. The only time his mom ever makes soup is as an early course at a big passover meal. Then it's usually followed by a lot more food. So in his mind that's when you have soup. Or a small bowl on a rainy day alongside a turkey on rye sandwich. Or a first course at a restaurant. My mom on the other hand made soup all the time as a meal, so to me it is a very legitimate dinner. However the problem also is that we don't seem to like the same type of soups. He likes tomato soup and french onion neither of which really make a full meal anyway. One of my favorite soups to cook is corn chowder with bacon, potato, and cream. I think it's pretty filling (though too carby for me right now), but he doesn't like it at all. In the past if I want to eat soup I just make a big batch and eat it all week for lunch. Which now that I'm thinking about it might be a good way to at least cut down my lunch cost.

For animal fats, I never have enough. I use them occasionally for frying eggs. I love them in stir fries or sauted stuff. They can be great for mayo, if you have enough for it. we use it to saute onions (best if your using them for somethign simple cause then you taste it best.) for making fry breads (yum we love those) latkes. latkes cooked in chicken fat are divine. particularly if you add celeriac to them... I use them like I would pretty much any other fat (except not too often for spreading on bread.) Beef fat is mostly for savory pastry dough, sauteing onions and searing meat for beef stew, a little fat for cooking meatballs in. If I had enough, I would make fried chicken tomarrow...

Personally, I'd lose a lot of money if I went to costco more than maybe 3-4 times a year, because it's such a shopping place. "Oh wait, that's a GREAT deal on that, and that and that and that". Yes, it saves money than buying them at the grocery store, but not enough to justify all the extra stuff I usually buy when I go. You know, buying a jumbo pack of canned tomatos and hydrogen peroxide, and stuff that wasn't on my list is ok a few times a year, cause they do save us money, but if I went that often, it wouldn't be saving us money. that's just me. It seriously takes restraint, but I can usually run in and only buy the food items I need. And I'm finally at a point where I know which items we can finish before they spoil and which I can't so I do think it is worth going for me.

I'm beyond confused. So what? a block of cheese is cheaper by FAR, and so easy to slice for sandwhiches with a knife or a slicer. Okay I think I'm convinced I just need to buy a good slicer because I really have trouble slicing cheese the right width for sandwiches with a knife. When this thing of tillamook runs out, I'll buy a block of cheese to replace it. However I'll probably still have to buy dh some of the kerrygold he likes to snack on.

We don't buy a lot in bulk.
Right now it's just Massa's rice (we went through 20 lb in 3 months). saves us a bit of money. We'd like to also buy beans in bulk, but haven't decided where to do so. Other things I might buy in bulk if I could find stuff I was comfy with: vinegar, ummm I'm sure there's other stuff.
That said, if you mean, in bulk, like in the bulk section (not the entire 20lb bag/3 gallon bucket), we buy all of our grains and legumes, and many of our spices. Also honey, and nuts. and raisins. Since we're not eating much in the way of grains or legumes, I guess I'll still be skipping this section.

HTH and isn't long and boring. Very helpful thank you

[cristeen]

Heya Magelet! She's another neighbor. Maybe the 3 of us should get together sometime... Magelet was gonna teach me saurekraut, and I can teach you yogurt and creme fraiche.

I definitely make thick soups. It's honestly just that in his family growing up they never ate soup as a meal. The only time his mom ever makes soup is as an early course at a big passover meal. Then it's usually followed by a lot more food. So in his mind that's when you have soup. Or a small bowl on a rainy day alongside a turkey on rye sandwich. Or a first course at a restaurant. My mom on the other hand made soup all the time as a meal, so to me it is a very legitimate dinner. However the problem also is that we don't seem to like the same type of soups. He likes tomato soup and french onion neither of which really make a full meal anyway. One of my favorite soups to cook is corn chowder with bacon, potato, and cream. I think it's pretty filling (though too carby for me right now), but he doesn't like it at all. In the past if I want to eat soup I just make a big batch and eat it all week for lunch. Which now that I'm thinking about it might be a good way to at least cut down my lunch cost.

My DH and I fought this battle. Eventually I won. But, it has to be a really hearty soup for him to feel satisfied. One of those soups would be spicy pumpkin (with andouille sausage)... sweet potato, bean and spinach is also, but probably a bit too carby for you. I know cream of tomato still needs a sandwich with it, but I wonder if some of that is purely mental. The only other soups that he accepts as meals are cream of crab (with a salad), or avocado soup (this is just so fatty that it's hard not to). Or there are also stews - sloppy joes or chicken & dumplings are the two that come to mind. Both have a good amount of veggies in them.

I'm beyond confused. So what? a block of cheese is cheaper by FAR, and so easy to slice for sandwhiches with a knife or a slicer. Okay I think I'm convinced I just need to buy a good slicer because I really have trouble slicing cheese the right width for sandwiches with a knife. When this thing of tillamook runs out, I'll buy a block of cheese to replace it. However I'll probably still have to buy dh some of the kerrygold he likes to snack on.

Definitely get a slicer. There are several kinds. I have an Oxo planer, which gives very uniform thin slices. There's the handheld kind with a wire, which will give you thicker slices, but be sure you get one with a replaceable wire for when you inevitably break it. There's the tabletop cheeseboard kind with a wire, which allows you to make any size cut you want. Or I even have an electric meat slicer which works well for cheese or veggies too - this is like the kind you see in the deli.

[junipermuse]

Reply is in Bold

Originally Posted by cristeen

It took me years to get past that. The first few years DH and I were living together, I had real issues with that. It was the first time I as an adult was responsible for the shopping, and it was a big problem. It's taken me years to get to the point where I can shop once a week and have enough for the week and not grossly too much. But I also have a pantry and a freezer of food to fall back on on weeks like this one when something changes and my meal plans go out the window. But don't think we go hungry - by plating our food, both DH and I have learned to listen to our bodies about when we're full, which neither of us were very good at before. If we're still hungry, there's always more food of some kind in the kitchen, but most days a single plate is plenty for both of us. I think I may just need to remind myself that I can always have more, but to really pay attention to whether I'm actually still hungry. I know that often I eat more for reasons other than hunger. Just because it tastes good, or its more fun to eat than do something else that isn't as pleasant.


TJs has them raw sometimes. There are times when they don't have them at all, times when they only have Mauna Loa and times when they have their house brand raw. You know if I start going to TJ's regularly, than I can just check when I'm there. If they have them raw I can pick them up and if they don't, I can get them at WF


With the farmer's market, any more I just go for animal products and the occasional additional produce item (like this week I bought DH cherries). But the CSA takes care of most of our produce needs. I think comparison shopping is important. I know which stands carry organic at my market (it's a really big market), and I know what each of them is charging for the item in question before I buy it (I know my regular vendors by name). I also will shop based on the dirty dozen - buying some things at non-organic stands if they're not high on the sprayed list.

For bulk, I don't go so much anymore now that I'm grain-free. But I buy Sucanat, herbs, spices, nuts, popcorn, beans, dried fruit in bulk still. They also have maple syrup and honey, but their prices on those are prohibitive (and the honey isn't raw).

From TJs - my regular items would be organic baby carrots (for DH's lunch), mushrooms, organic bananas, during the off-season I'll occasionally buy tomatoes, potatoes or sweet potatoes there, artichokes if they have a good price - and organic apples by the bag when they have them (to dehydrate). And fresh herbs if I have a need. Most of my dairy comes from TJs - they have better prices for their dairy than anywhere else, they only carry non RBGH milk, and it's not UP - cream, half & half (so not TF, I know), yogurt, Kerrygold butter, (conventional) cream cheese. They also have non-hom milk, and I buy a variety of cheeses there (they carry a great variety - some grass fed, some raw, some organic, some not). I get organic sugar if I'm going to be baking, honey, maple syrup, olives, green chiles, organic unsweetened applesauce, sugar sweetened sodas for DH, nuts and dried fruit, sweet potato chips for a treat, I love cooking with their salsas... I get frozen: peas, corn, artichoke hearts, wild mushrooms when they have them, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, seafood. I use their dishwashing detergent and their (wet) cat food, coffee, and the occasional bottle of wine or 6 of beer. I've known for a while that I should go to TJ's. Their European style yogurt is strauss I believe as well as their un-homogenized milk, but both for a better price.

When I stopped buying mayo, my consumption dropped drastically. Because it is time-consuming to make... but you can easily double or triple a batch if you're making it regularly. Alone, I could go through 2 jars of mayo/month. But now I might make a cup of mayo a month.
I just really like to have mayo around because chicken salad with mayo is one of the only ways I can stomach leftover chicken. Partly because we eat all the skin off a roast chicken the first night. So I figure that Mayo adds back some fat, so it's not just lean protein. Plus one of my favorite ways to eat eggs is deviled which needs mayo. I also eat mayo as a dip for artichokes (I know I could use butter, but I prefer mayo), to make tuna salad, and I'll need it for making blue cheese dressing too. Do you think a batch could last a week (without spoiling)?


I don't have a link, but the easiest way for me when I first started was with a glass bowl with lid and a heating pad set to low. Placed on top of the fridge (where it wouldn't be disturbed) and wrapped in a towel for 24 hours. would a pyrex bowl with a plastic lid work? I definitely have a heating pad. Do you just use a regular store bought yogurt as a starter? How much starter to how much milk do you use?


No, that's what I mean. If I have it, I use it - stir frys, sauteeing, roasting, frying. With something like schmaltz, I'd be surprised if he could taste it on veggies. On eggs maybe, but not on veggies.

1 doz pastured eggs @ 6.99/doz
Shop around - I pay $5/doz at the market. All the eggs at our farmer's market are 7.99 or 8.99/doz. Honestly I was elated to find them for 6.99/doz. Who do you buy from that sells them for 5/doz? It might be worth driving a bit farther to save some money.
I'm going to check craig's list to see if I can find eggs for cheaper

I get them at the farmer's market. One of the tips though is that my egg guy doesn't advertise his eggs - we all just know he has them. And you have to get there early, because when they're gone, they're gone (and they're often gone by 10:00). We go through about 3 doz/week, which would be a decent savings for you, if it weren't for the gas costs.[/B]

8oz raw sour Kraut @ 8.29 (locally made lasts about a month)
That's a bit pricey. I can get local kraut for about $6 a quart. I have only seen this particular brand at any store and its the same price at the two stores I've seen carry it. Where do you get it cheaper?

I get it at a small independent grocery - it's Alexander Valley brand, packed in a plastic tub. WF carries their pickles, but not their kraut.

blue cheese dressing @ 4.99
Make your own - I've posted my recipe here several times, and it's better than any store-bought I've ever had (and cheaper). Could you give me a link to one of your posts with the recipe I would totally be willing to make it myself

Really easy - equal parts by volume mayo, yogurt, sour cream (or 2 parts of 1 and 1 part of another - I rarely make mayo for this), crumbled blue cheese. 1 clove pressed garlic, and a splash of white vinegar (adjust the vinegar to taste). If you have it, 1 part chopped fresh herbs (parsley and chives both work beautifully - I haven't tried anything else). This keeps in the fridge about 2 weeks or so - longer if you don't have the herbs. You can run it through the FP if you want it smoother, but I just stir it together because I don't mind it chunky and I hate washing the FP. I think I'll try making my own, that sounds easy enough

And as for getting tired of eggs - egg custards or egg muffins can really help with the monotony. I tend to bake them on the weekend and eat them all week. And bonus is that you can make them with a fair bit of fat added, which will help satiety.I would love recipes for either of those, I definitely need to eat more eggs.

Egg muffins are basically mini fritattas baked in a muffin pan. Put a small amount of chopped meat/veg in the bottom of each cup and add roughly 1 egg per cup (either whole or scrambled). Top with a pinch of shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan while still warm (don't use paper liners, but grease a metal pan really well... I bought silicone pans specifically for this recipe). If you scramble up all your eggs together, I like to add a splash of cream, a dash of Tabasco, s&p. 2 or 3 of these eaten cold make a lovely fast breakfast.

Egg custards are a little more work - I have 1 c ramekins for this dish, that's how often we eat these, and I make 5-10 of them at a time (that's a week's worth for 1 or 2 people). Each ramekin holds 2 eggs and 1/2 c of cream (milk, coconut milk, whatever - but cream is more satisfying), a spoonful of sweet (I usually use honey), and a handful of frozen berries (or chopped nuts). Add extract or spices to your taste. Put the ramekins in a water bath and bake at 300 for 60 minutes. I love egg custards and frankly they always sound delicious in the morning, but I'm worried that adding something sweet to my morning might make me crave more sweet things throughout the day. But I could easily eat custard every day for breakfast and it would definitely get me to eat more eggs. I probably could get dd to eat them too as an alternative to yogurt.

HTH

[junipermuse]

Replies in Bold (again)

Originally Posted by cristeen

Heya Magelet! She's another neighbor. Maybe the 3 of us should get together sometime... Magelet was gonna teach me saurekraut, and I can teach you yogurt and creme fraiche. honestly I'd love that. We could cook and the babies could play



My DH and I fought this battle. Eventually I won. But, it has to be a really hearty soup for him to feel satisfied. One of those soups would be spicy pumpkin (with andouille sausage)... sweet potato, bean and spinach is also, but probably a bit too carby for you. I know cream of tomato still needs a sandwich with it, but I wonder if some of that is purely mental. The only other soups that he accepts as meals are cream of crab (with a salad), or avocado soup (this is just so fatty that it's hard not to). Or there are also stews - sloppy joes or chicken & dumplings are the two that come to mind. Both have a good amount of veggies in them. I do think stews would satisfy him better. He also loves chili, but I need to find a recipe that is a bit more stew like because last time I made it without beans (to cut down on carbs) he said it just tasted like eating taco meat. Unfortunately "mr. picky won't eat crab or avocado so those soups are out. And i probably can't eat chicken and dumplings because of the carb content. I think I need to find a really delicious beef stew recipe. Maybe a beef burginione (sp?)or something.



Definitely get a slicer. There are several kinds. I have an Oxo planer, which gives very uniform thin slices. There's the handheld kind with a wire, which will give you thicker slices, but be sure you get one with a replaceable wire for when you inevitably break it. There's the tabletop cheeseboard kind with a wire, which allows you to make any size cut you want. Or I even have an electric meat slicer which works well for cheese or veggies too - this is like the kind you see in the deli. Is this like what you have? I could order one of these next week. I think dh would go for using it. http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-56581-Stee...4200306&sr=8-2

[junipermuse]

What we are eating May 18, 2010

Breakfast
dh-nothing
dd- big bowl of yogurt with some maple syrup
me - chocolate smoothie with whey powder, milk, extra cream, and some chocolate green food powder, and extra raw cacao powder (definitely not tf, but lower carb, no artificial sweeteners except stevia and more palatable than eggs to me this morning)

Lunch
dd- she requested a smoothie for lunch which she hasn't asked for in over a month, so I made one with a couple leaves of romaine, some greek yogurt, some frozen strawberries, raspberries, and blue berries, and then a small bit of pomegranate juice for the liquid. Then I also packed her two hot dogs, an apple and an orange.

me- I will probably cook up both of the whole chicken legs and then eat one myself and save one for Dd's dinner. I'll have some berries and cheese as well and maybe some broccoli dipped in blue cheese dressing.

Dinner
I'll probably be out and the kids will be with the sitter. So I don't know what I'll eat. Maybe I'll just wait to eat until I get home after the kids are asleep. Dh is going to stay at work late so hopefully they'll buy him dinner. Dd will eat the peice of leftover chicken with some broccoli probably. Maybe I'll make the brisket for tomorrow's dinner today, and eat some when I get home and then we can have leftovers tomorrow.

[junipermuse]

So I think I'm going to make a list of the things I can do so its all in one place.

Make my own yogurt/mayo/blue cheese dressing/sauerkraut
Eat more veggies (w/lots of fat) and a bit less meat
Eat more leftovers for lunch
Make more soups/stews either for lunch or dinner
Find cheaper eggs on craigslist
Eat more eggs
Buy block of cheese instead of presliced and use a cheese slicer
Check tj's for cheaper prices on nuts, cheese, milk, produce.
Sign up for CSA


I would really love any suggestions for specific cheap primal/grainfree meals.