Meal Planning: Save Time, Reduce Stress, Eat Healthy & Enjoy Your Family

(Originally posted by Dine Without Whine Menu Planning Service)

The children are running around the kitchen. The dog is barking it at the door and dinner should have been on the table thirty minutes ago. It’s a common scenario in many households come dinner time.

The reason that most meal times don’t always go smoothly may because dinner the last thing on your mind and when it’s time to get food on the table, everything else goes haywire in your house.

We have all been there, but with a little bit of meal-planning, you can be serving up delicious meals the family will be glad to gather around the table for.

Meal planning can make it easy to get dinner on the table in no time on a busy night. Not only do you save time, but it’s economical too. You buy only what you need, avoid the drive-through line up and you can concentrate on using fresh ingredients – instead of prepackages items from the grocery store. Every mother should have a set way to plan all of their meals in advance for the week…it’s a true life-saver.

The first step to successful meal planning is to sit down before you head out to the grocery store for the week. It is best to plan what food you will need to have on had before you head to the grocery store when planning the week’s meals. Meal planning will make good use of a well stocked pantry and will only need a regular amount of grocery shopping. By having your meals for the week planned out, you will be able to write a grocery list that you can stick to. This will help you to save money by keeping you from not buying extra food that you will not use.

Vintage Cookbooks: More-with-Less Cookbook (1976)

 "Lamenting the size of a grocery bill is easy. Lowering it is not."

- Doris Janzen Longacre (author of the More-with-Less Cookbook, 1976)

(Available for free from the Internet Archive, or in print from Amazon)

Oatmeal Bread

(makes 2 loaves)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C)

Dissolve 1 packet of dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.

Combine in a large bowl and mix well:

• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine

Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the mixture and stir to combine.  Let cool to lukewarm, then add the dissolved yeast mixture.

Stir in 5 cups white flour.

When the dough is stiff enough that you can handle it, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover loosely.  Let rise until double, then punch it down and let it rise again. 

Shape dough into two loaves and place in greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pans. (See How to Shape Bread Dough into Sandwich Loaves)

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. (See Is My Bread Ready?)

Cool on rack.  Brush the tops with margarine or butter for a soft crust. 

Quinoa & Bean Salad

This is a summertime staple for me - it's great for meal prep, as it honestly does taste better the next day and keeps well for 4-5 days in the fridge.  Don't worry about exact precision with the measurements on the beans and veggies.  You can also be a bit flexible and use what you have as far as oils and vinegar.  Lemon juice can work in place of lime if you don't have it, but I prefer lime.  (I have also seen some people add a bit of honey or maple syrup to the dressing, but I haven't tried that.)

Quinoa and Bean Salad

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (about 3 cups cooked)
• 1 can (15 oz or 425g) black beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
• 1 cup corn kernels (optional)
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup (4g) fresh cilantro, chopped fine (optional)
  
  
• 1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar (optional)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: cayenne pepper or cumin to taste

Instructions:

• Cook quinoa according to package instruction.  Cool.
• In a large bowl, combine quinoa, beans, vegetables, and cilantro
• In a separate small bowl or a salad dressing mixer (I like this one), mix lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Pour over salad and toss to combine.
• Can be served immediately, but refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

Try these add-ins, best added just before serving:

• diced avocado
• cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Emergency funds matter...

April showers bring May flowers, but June monsoons brought some lessons about deferred maintenance and the importance of an emergency fund.  Our house was previously owned by someone who did a lot of things himself, and didn't do all of them quite correctly.  One of those things came to a literal breaking point after we had multiple days of record-breaking rainfall this month.  

Some things we learned....

1. You shouldn't stuff insulation into every nook and cranny of your roof, including the soffit - more is not always better!  Roofs also need vents. Attic spaces need to breathe.

2. Even worn out shingles will last a long time, and things may look somewhat all right from the outside, but something may be brewing underneath.  Especially if the person who put the shingles on didn't bother with a vapor barrier underneath but just nailed them to plywood. 

3. Insulation batts hold a lot of water.  Like, a LOT.

4. You don't have to use bleach to kill minor mold growth - cleaning vinegar and thyme oil are really effective!  (But if you have large amounts of black mold, please call professionals and protect your health!!)

 

5. There will probably be surprises when you start taking things apart.  Don't assumed that a board will hold any amount of weight, because it might actually be completely rotted out on the inside.

6. If you're doing a project, just go ahead and budget the amount to rent a dumpster.  You are going to appreciate having it when you find out how much material you actually have to replace.

7. You can buy REALLY big tarps when necessary. This one was 30 feet by 50 feet. Due to some issues with subcontracted workers, it didn't quite get finished before the next wave of rain came through.  Sigh.

Ultimately, it's gotten done, and done correctly.  While it wasn't planned, and while the job has been somewhat stressful thanks to the weather and unreliable help, at least the money side of it wasn't a huge stressor. Thanks to a slow-but-steady savings plan that has quietly put a bit of money into an emergency account every month, we didn't have to use credit to pay for this.  That account has been significantly drained now, so we'll be working hard to rebuild it and foregoing some "fun" spending for a while so that if and when something else breaks, we'll be able to handle it.

Do you have an emergency savings fund set up?  One that you hold sacred and don't touch at all for regular expenses? 

A few tips:

• Open a separate account for this purpose, and don't allow direct withdrawals from it.  Look for a TFSA or a high-interest savings account.
• Start small - aim for even just $100 at a time instead of setting a big goal that feels unreachable.
• If your bank offers a "round up" option for purchases, designate that to your emergency fund.
• When extra money comes your way, like if you sold something or received a gift, put at least half of it into this account. 
• Make a habit of putting a small percentage of every paycheque into this account, without taking away from other savings or giving that you already budget for. 

For more advice on emergency savings, take a look at this page from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, this page from WealthSimple, or this helpful guide from RBC.

Here are a few potentially helpful tools, too.  

Save $1,000 One Box at a Time - a visual tool to track small savings contributions.

 

Money Challenge Savings Box - like a piggy bank for adults, but it also has a visual tracker for your contributions

I know Dave Ramsey isn't everyone's favorite, and some of his advice may not work for you, but we found a lot of helpful guidance in this book.   And this Family Sinking Funds Budget Planner can help you keep track if you are saving for multiple things but using one account for it all. 

 

Everyday Skills You Can Turn Into Extra Income

As a stay-at-home mom homeschooling two kids, and moving multiple times, I haven't held a regular 9-5 job in over 20 years.  But I have done a variety of things from home, sometimes together with the kids.  When moms in our homeschool community ask, "What can I do from home to earn money?", my first advice is always to look at what you can already do, what you are already good at, and what people already ask you to help them with.  Is there a way that you can monetize a skill you already have?  

• Cleaning - Offer general housecleaning services, Airbnb or VRBO turnovers, move-out cleans for apartment buildings, commercial cleaning for local offices, post-construction or post-renovation cleaning.  If you live near a military base you may be able to be put on a list for move-out cleans when people are posted.  Connect with local property managers and realtors.
• Lawn Care - Our local help wanted page is often full of people looking for mowing, trimming, weeding, spring and fall cleanups, leaf raking, and so on.  Again here, try connecting with local realtors to inquire about providing lawn care for empty homes.  
• Snow Removal - Obviously this is seasonal work in most places, but doing a good job will often get you a quick referral to neighboring homes.
• House Sitting - Some people are looking for live-in house sitters, but many are just looking for someone to pick up their mail, mow the lawn, water the plants, and keep an eye on things for insurance purposes while they are away for a week or are working out of town.  
• Pet Sitting - Some people want a live-in sitter and others want someone to take their pet for a week while they're away, but we have found consistent gigs where we do daily visits to check in on, feed, and play with small pets and cats. 
• Organization - If you're good at bringing order to chaos, offer to help others with organizing their closets, garages, pantries, etc. Having someone there who is objective can be a huge help for someone who is trying to cut down on clutter!
• Handyman & Assembly Services - All those little things that need hands-on skills - assembling furniture, minor repairs, basic plumbing or electrical work, etc.  A local young man has made a small business out of handling the furniture assembly that frustrates many people!
• Cooking or Baking - I think you need to be careful about costs with this, and you do need to check into local health requirements, but selling baked goods, holiday treats, etc can bring in a little extra money.  You could also look into offering in-home cooking help for homebound seniors who have found services like Meals on Wheels to be unsuitable. 
• Teaching & Tutoring - Which school subjects, musical instruments, or hobbies are you particularly good at?  Can you find a niche to offer instruction in? 
• Office Support - This can be a great choice for someone who has experience in administrative work - look into being a virtual assistant, or consider offering services like bookkeeping. 
• Design - In spite of the rise of generative AI and platforms like Fiverr, there are still people out there who are looking for good designers to put together logos, flyers, websites, etc.  

Vintage Cookbooks: The Berkely Co-Op Food Book (1980)

"When planning menus, consider the cost of convenience foods. If you buy "built-in maid service," you usually pay for it. There are exceptions (frozen orange juice, frozen peas) but they are rare. While a convenience food can be a blessing on occasion, regular use can skyrocket the budget."

Helen Black (The Berkely Co-Op Food Book, 1980)

(Available free online at the Internet Archive)

Cheese Pretzels

Preheat oven to 425° F. 

• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 cups flour
• 8 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 egg, beaten with a fork
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt  

In a large bowl dissolve yeast with warm water. Stir in salt and sugar, then flour and cheese, alternating. Save 1/2 c. of flour in case dough sticks later. 

Knead dough until smooth. Form a ball. 

With a sharp knife cut ball into 32 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope 14 inches long and twist into pretzel shape.*  Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt. 

Bake immediately, in a 425°F. oven for 18 minutes.

* You can also skip the step of shaping into pretzels and make cheese breadsticks instead.

Rice Krispies Roundup

We have accumulated a lot of Rice Krispie recipes over the years, besides the Original Rice Krispies Squares Recipe and my favorite extra soft and deliciously gooey version.  I thought I'd just go ahead and put them all here in one place, along with a few more that I found online and thought might be fun to try.  Enjoy!

Eating in Season: Rhubarb Scones & Jelly

Last summer we were lucky enough to be invited on a trip to the UK, where I was introduced to scones with clotted cream and jam - and then learned that I was apparently Devonian by nature and not Cornish, when someone nearby observed that I had put the cream on the scone first.  

It was so good - and I think I found a new best friend when I stumbled onto this recipe for Instant Pot Clotted Cream from The View from Great Island today!

She has some great rhubarb recipes that I want to try, too. Isn't this jelly gorgeous?   Sunday brunch, anyone?  Rhubarb Scones + Rhubarb Jelly + Instant Pot Clotted Cream

For your next barbecue or pot luck: "Grrrreat Potato Salad"

This is one of those recipes that I probably shouldn't share, because it's letting out one of my stand-by secret recipes for pot lucks and parties... however.  I'm just nice like that.

I made this hot and I liked it while it was still pretty warm... lukewarm it wasn't as good, though.  It either needs to be very warm or else chilled. I have by times skipped the bacon, olives and and/or garlic as I didn't have any of them, and it was always good.  The bacon is a nice addition, but I'm still not convinced about the need for olives.   That's just me, though.


This recipe was originally found back around 2009 on Now....you're cooking!   http://www.donogh.com/cooking/

Grrreat Potato Salad

• 8 large white potatoes*
• 3 large eggs
• bacon (as much as you want)
• 1 can black olives, drained
• 1 large bottle of light ranch dressing
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into small pieces
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

• Boil potatoes until tender but not crumbly. Drain. Let cool then cut into large chunks.
• Hard boil eggs. Cool and chop.
• Cook bacon and let cool. Crumble.
• Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.

*Alternatively, use about 40 baby red potatoes, cut in half

Vintage Cookbooks: Family Fare, Food Management and Recipes (1950)

Flipping through this cookbook, I came across this recipe for Seven Minute Boiled Icing and instantly had memories of licking the icing off the beater, and later of learning how to make it myself without overcooking it and ending up with it being crunchy. (The step of removing it from the heat is important!)   Aim for 235°F to 245°F (113°C to 118°C), if you have a candy thermometer.

I've paired it with Chocolate Crazy Cake, which not from this cookbook in particular but rather a recipe that I've just had for ages.  It's not only really good, but also works if you need a cake that is safe for multiple food allergies as it's got no eggs, dairy, or nuts.

 "Seven Minute" Boiled Icing

• 2 egg whites
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• Few grains salt
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients except the vanilla. Beat over boiling water until mixture stands in soft peaks, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla. Beat until very thick. Enough for two 9-inch layers.

Chocolate "Crazy" Cake
Makes one 8" square cake or 12 cupcakes

• 1 1⁄2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄4 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Mix together oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water until well combined. Add flour mixture and mix until smooth. (Batter will be more watery than normal cake batters.)

Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

"If it's good food, don't throw it away."

Family Fare: Food Management and Recipes, 1950

(Available for free online at the Internet Archive)

Eating in Season: Stewed Rhubarb

My rhubarb patch is happy right now.  Like, VERY happy.  As we get into summer, we're taking advantage of what's growing in the yard! 

Stewed Rhubarb

• 3 cups rhubarb, chopped into chunks (about 3/4 inch)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon water
• Optional: a pinch of cinnamon or a splash of orange juice

1. Place all ingredients into a large saucepan and stir together.
2. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer.
3. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb completely breaks down into a thick sauce.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

Serving ideas: I like this warm over ice cream or oatmeal, or mixed into yogurt and topped with granola.

(Depending what kind of rhubarb you are growing, this might be a pretty shade of pink, or it might be more greenish, which is less esthetic but still tasty!)

FREE e-book version of Dining on a Dime Volume 1

 

I don't know how long this will last, but the e-book version of Dining on a Dime Volume 1 is FREE right now!  Hop over to Living on a Dime, click to the e-books section, and grab your copy today!

Vintage Cookbooks: 7 Steps to Rock-Bottom Food Costs: A Guide to Kitchen Economy (1976)

"There are, alas, many people who don't know how it is possible to make soup without opening a can, just as there are people who don't know it is possible to make pancakes without buying a package of pancake mix, or cornbread without a prepared mix. Soup used to be a regular item on the household cooking list. Everyone who knew how to boil water knew how to make soup, and actually soup making is easy, fun, and a good way of using up odds and ends."

Salley Sherwin (7 Steps to Rock-Bottom Food Costs: A Guide to Kitchen Economy, 1976)

(Available online for free from the Internet Archive)

Basic Soup Stock.

To make a basic stock, put bones into water, adding about one ounce vinegar per quart of water up to a maximum of four ounces vinegar no matter how much more water you use. Vinegar draws out the calcium from the bones and you won't taste it when the soup is done. Add bay leaves (one or two), or basil, or thyme, or dill weed, or combinations of them, or any herbs you like; let the stock simmer a few hours, about two or three, longer if you like. Strain out the bones and return the stock to the pot.  

Any meat on the bones can be picked off and returned to the pot; vegetables and any other thickeners you may wish can also be added at this point: grains such as oats, barley, rice; beans, potatoes

Stock may also be made without bones, just from vegetables or a vegetable alone.

Dry Bean or Pea Soup
Serves 4

• 1 cup dry beans or peas
• 1-1/2 quarts cold water
• Ham bone
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Few stalks celery and leaves
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Salt and pepper to taste

Boil beans or peas in half the water for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let soak 1 hour, or overnight if more convenient.

Add rest of water, ham bone, onion, and celery. Simmer until beans or peas are tender. 

Remove bone. Put soup through a sieve or food press. 

Cut any meat from bone into small pieces. Add to soup. Stir in flour mixed with a little cold water. Cook soup until thickened and hot. Season.

Eating in Season: Rhubarb Breakfast Cake

As kids, we mostly ate rhubarb raw, fresh from the garden and dipped in white sugar.  We have many go-to recipes that use this fast-growing plant, like Rhubarb Breakfast Cake, which I personally think is quite suitable for breakfast or dessert! 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup buttermilk (see substitution below)
  
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tsp for sprinkling
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F 
• Grease a 9×9 square baking pan
• In a large bowl, cream the soft butter and sugar until fluffy
• Beat in the egg and vanilla
• Toss the rhubarb with 1-2 tbsp of the flour to coat it well
• In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk.  Mix well, but don't overmix.
• Fold in the rhubarb.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top evenly with a little sugar if desired.
• Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is turning golden and a toothpick in the center comes out dry.
• Serve warm.

Substitutions:

• If you don't have buttermilk, substitute 1/2 cup half and half, cream, or milk, plus 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar.  (Skim milk will not be great.)  Mix as your first step and set aside.
• For a dairy-free version, substitute 1/2 cup almond milk plus 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• If you don't have butter or need to be dairy-free, margarine can be used, but soft margarine won't give quite the same final texture. I have also used half margarine and half shortening. You could also try coconut oil plus about a tsp of extra water.

Vintage Cookbooks: The Food Inflation Fighter's Handbook (1980)

"Tight times are with us. With each passing day, inflation accelerates and takes a bigger and bigger chunk out of our weekly salary. The average American family already spends nearly 1/2 of its income on food."

Judith Klinger (The Food Inflation Fighter's Handbook, 1980)

(available free on the Internet Archive)

Sourdough Starter

• 1 cup of flour
• 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of water

Mix well, then cover loosely. Let sit for 2 to 3 days on the counter, stirring two or three times a day. 

Each time you use some of your starter in a recipe, replenish the pot with an equal amount of half water, half flour, i.e. if your remaining starter is 50g, add 50g flour and 50g water.  (See also: Feeding Sourdough Starter)  About every three times add a large dash of salt and 1 teaspoon of honey or sugar. 

Keep your starter in the refrigerator if you are not using some every three days or so. If you are going to be away, put it in the freezer, and take it out 48 hours before you want to use it again.

Sourdough Whole Wheat French Bread
Makes 2 loaves

• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• 1 package or 2-1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 4 cups unsifted flour (2 cups white and 2 cups whole wheat)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon soda
• About 2 cups flour, unsifted

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in the starter.  Add 4 cups of flour, salt, and honey. Stir  for 3 to 4 minutes. Cover with towel and set in warm place to rise until doubled (about 1-1/2 hours). 

Mix soda with 1 cup of remaining flour, and stir into dough. Knead on floured board for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add additional flour if necessary. 

Form oblong loaves. Place on greased or lined cooking sheet and let rise until doubled. 

Place a shallow pan filled with 1/2 inch water in oven and preheat oven to 400°F. 

Brush tops of loaves with water or egg white, then slash diagonally with a sharp knife.  Put loaves on the oven shelf above the pan of water. 

Bake 45 minutes until medium brown and hollow to the ear when tapped.

Sourdough English Muffins

Makes 12 to 16 muffins

1/2 cup sourdough starter

1/3 cup dry milk powder

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

2-3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour (half white and half whole wheat)

1 tablespoon honey or sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

About 1/4 cup cornmeal

In a large bowl, combine starter, milk powder, water, and 2 cups flour. Mix with a large spoon until well blended. Cover; let stand 8 hours or overnight.

Mix together 1/2 cup of remaining flour, sweetener, salt, and baking soda. Sprinkle over dough, and mix in. Turn stiff dough onto board that has been sprinkled with remaining flour. Knead dough 2 to 3 minutes, until no longer sticky. Add flour if necessary. Roll dough 3/4 inch thick, using rolling pin or a bottle. 

Cut with 3-inch biscuit cutter or a can with both ends removed. Dampen both sides of each muffin very lightly with water, using fingertips, and dip each side into cornmeal. Set on a sheet of waxed paper. 

Cover, and let rise 45 minutes in a warm place. 

Bake on skillet at medium heat, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

Eating in Season: Rhubarb Crisp

This is my personally jazzed-up version of the traditional rhubarb crisp.  I made the recipe-book version a few nights ago and, while it was good, it didn't really hit the spot I wanted it to hit.  I like there to be lots of topping, and for it to lean toward crunchy.  This variation on the standard recipe totally achieved that.  Sorry, there's no picture... I took it to a friend's house to share and, well, there's not much left to photograph.  Which is a good sign, right?  LOL

Anyway, without further ado, my personal take on a rhubarb crisp.  Enjoy!


Rhubarb Crisp
serves 4-6

approximately 4 cups of chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb (optionally include some strawberries)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

If using frozen fruit, simmer for just a bit to thaw and soften the fruit.  Drain most of the liquid.   If using fresh fruit, just mix together the fruit and the sugar (skip the water) and let it set for 15 minutes or so.  Pour fruit into a prepared baking pan (8" or 9" square, or pie plate).

Topping:

1 cup quick oats
3/4 to 1 cup dark brown sugar (or 3/4 to 1 cup white sugar mixed well with 2 tbsp dark molasses)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 to 1/2 cup sliced almonds (pecans or walnuts would likely work as well)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup soft margarine or butter (more is okay)

Mix together well and sprinkle over the fruit.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.