Meals for the Week

If you remember from my first post, our family has a pretty set breakfast/lunch menu plan. Today I was in a rush for protein so I threw a bunch of leftover cut-up grilled chicken into a pan with some red pepper strips, fried it in coconut oil and seasoned it with chili powder and salt. Then topped that all off with a 100-cal Wholly Guacamole snack pack. I love guacamole almost as much as I love human babies.

I've planned out my meals for the week, so here we go:

W - Burgers (no bun) wrapped in lettuce w/ onion and tomato. + Baked Kale chips.

R - Chili Verde recipe from Everyday Paleo. This smells to me like farts when it is cook, but it is SO DELICIOUS. You can find tomatillos at Walmart. Don't be scared to try them. Making double the recipe to freeze for when I am gone in September for my husband!

F - Pork Chops w/ Homemade Sweet Potato Fried. Going to season the chops with salt, pepper, and maybe the Onion & Herb Mrs. Dash seasoning unless I go to Penzey's Spices this week and find something more interesting. Watch out for Mrs. Dash seasonings that have things like "sucrose" or "fructose" in them if you are avoiding sugar.

S - Oven baked chicken w/ tomato + lettuce + guacamole. There is a new $1.00 off of one Wholly Guacamole coupon available here after you sign-up for newsletters. First time registrants also get a $1.50 off of one coupon. Save the bones from the chicken and throw them in a pot with all the other leftover goodness, cover with water and simmer (maybe throw in some salt) and you will have broth for one of tomorrow's recipes.  

Su - Mixed protein day. Just putting lunch meat out, hard-boiled eggs, and sandwich fixings minus the bread. I will have cheese for the kids. This is also leftover day if there are any!

M - Browned sausage w/ a jar of pasta sauce. I really like Rao's Homemade Marinara, but it runs around $5.99 a jar, so I might go cheap and use Barilla Sauce, which is on-sale at some Targets for 2 for $3.00. There is also a $1.00 off of one coupon in this last Sunday's (8/28) newspaper. I'll mix this up together and serve over a medium spaghetti squash that I have baked in the oven at 400 F for an hour, cut in half, removed the seeds and shredded the insides.

T - Breakfast for dinner or burgers again. This will probably mean soft-boiled eggs for Justin and maybe pancakes for the kiddos with real maple syrup. 

I am also in the process of making my first batch of bone broth. Check out this article from Balanced Bites for a recipe and all sorts of benefits of drinking bone broth. I bought these bones from the same farmer we purchased our pig from and they have been sitting in the freezer for awhile. It was approximately a 6 lb bag for $1.50/lb. These came from a grass-fed cow. I do not use "organic" apple cider vinegar, just the regular stuff you buy at any store.

I plan to sip on this stuff the rest of the week. Can't wait to try it!












Besides meal-planning, I went shopping today for a second pair of shoes for L. He starts preschool next week and needs a back-up pair. While I was at Target, I browsed the clearance racks (like always ;) ) for some cheap finds. I'm always trying to save money on things like clothing, t.v./internet service, etc. so that we have it to spend on great food or seeing family. Check out what I got:

These will fit L next summer. $3.15 a pair can't be beat unless you shop consignment or garage sales!

The shirts on the right were on sale for $4.50 a piece and the left shirt was only $4.00 ( no sale!!). I need some long-sleeved shirts for my boys because we are headed up to NY in a couple weeks and it will be chilly until I can get to the outlet mall with my mom. :)

$1.74 sandals for D for next year!! Super cute and originally $6.99.

Happy eating and shopping!

Starting the Whole 30

Approximately two weeks ago, I started a strict paleo challenge that would have lasted 30 days. Around the 2nd day my husband purchased 17 half-gallons of ice cream on a dare.. he's a funny guy that one. I've been eating ice cream like it is going out of style since and suffering all of the problems that blood sugar spikes and over-consumption of dairy indicate. But yesterday I started fresh. I am doing the Whole 30 challenge and waving that banner proudly:




NO dairy. NO sugar (not even honey or my favorite maple sugar shots). NO grains or legumes.

Check out the Whole 30 page for more info!

I am on day 2 and that has come with a little tiredness and brain fog from my lack of carbs. It's a little rough after my 2+-bowl-a-day ice cream habit over the last 2 weeks.

Starting stats:
Weight 139.2
Left Arm - 11in
Right Arm - 11in
Waist - 31 3/4 in
Hips - 38 1/2 in   .. yes thems my child-bearing hips
Chest - 34 1/2 in
Left Thigh - 24 1/2 in
Right Thigh - 24 1/2 in


I'm throwing in some back-yard workouts when I can't get heavy lifting done in the home gym. Here's some pics of what we do:

My oldest son Luke doing wall-walks! He's a pro at burpees too.

I couldn't actually do any walking with my upper body strength so I held the pose as long as I could.

And making sure to stay active in other ways like taking walks and playing tennis with my guys before or after dinner!

Grass-Fed Beef + Free-Range Chicken: Trader Joe's Edition

At the moment, grass-fed and free-range meat is pretty difficult and expensive to purchase. I have not yet seen grass-fed beef at Walmart or Target, but I have bought these types of meat from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and from a local farmer. I will be going around and posting as I have time at all places where I see grass-fed/free-range meat to help you compare prices!

First, here are my tips on meat-buying:

* You can approach grass-fed/free-range purchases from 2 angles - it's good for the animal and it's good for you. As much as this may demonize me, I prioritize my family's necessities OVER animal welfare. This means if I have to choose between gas in my car to take my kid to his physical therapy appointments or paying for an animal to have a happy, healthy life, I will choose the gas. That being said, I think it's important to investigate ways to make inexpensive grass-fed, free-range meat purchases so that you don't have to make those kind of choices.

* Grass-fed meat is good for you: Particularly the fat. This article here does an awesome job comparing taste, price and nutrition of grass-fed vs. grain-fed cows. Please check it out. SO the idea is that the fat of grain-fed meat is bad for you. If you have to buy grain-fed, buy lean cuts: eye of round roast/steak, sirloin tipside steak, top round roast/steak, bottom round roast/steak, and top sirloin steak.

* HANDS-DOWN the least expensive way to buy a grass-fed cow is to buy it in bulk from a local farmer 1/4, 1/2 or whole. This can be daunting because you have to find a farmer, have a freezer, time it right for slaughter (usually cows are slaughtered in the July/August/September time-frame because they have had time to eat yummy spring and summer grass and get fat), figure out how you want the animal cut up, then pay a huge chunk of money up front. Seriously alot of work if it is your first time.

* Now, for chickens. Ideally raised chickens and eggs are friggin' expensive. I was at one time paying around $15.00 for a small 3.25 bird. Now, this bird had been treated like a bird-king before it was killed: eating no soy, lots of bugs, living free in the sunshine - but I could get a 5lb Perdue chicken for right around $5.00. ONE-QUARTER THE PRICE! MADNESS. I would get so frustrated when my husband would be picking the bird-king's bones clean of meat and say he was still hungry when I was hoping to have some leftovers for a salad the next day. So, I buy the 5lb bird and have been looking for a cheaper option since.

Here are some products that you may be interested in:

                   100% Grass-Fed Ground Beef $5.99/lb.

Grass-fed Ground Beef Patties - $6.49/lb. Unless you are really pressed for time, save yourself the .50 cents per pound and make your own out of ground beef.

 Organic Free-Range Chicken Drumsticks $1.99/lb. $3.60 for this package. Nice price! It should be noted that these chickens are still eating a diet that contains soy, which translates into more of the bad Omega-6 fats. BUT, they are "free-range."

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $6.99/lb. This package of 1.69lbs is $11.81. Ouch.

Boneless skinless thighs at $4.99/lb. The 1.51 lb package is $7.53

 Breast Tenders for $6.99/lb. The 1.17lb package is $8.18

Whole chicken is $2.49/lb. A 4.78lb bird is $11.90. This is your most economical way to buy free-range chicken from a grocery store. You get the organs and bones - make some stock and fry up some nice treats for your puppies if you don't like organ meat.                                                                                           

Individually packaged boneless-skinless chicken breasts for $7.49/lb. 1.95lbs of meat will cost you $14.61. As a low-budget shopper, these are never on my shopping list.

Let's Go Shopping! : Walmart Edition Part 2

 Here were some other household staples I checked out:

Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil 14oz for $5.98. When you're buying coconut oil (or anything for that matter) you want to get the best quality you can find. My personal preference is for Nutiva, which I purchase on Amazon. I use Amazon's "Subscribe and Save" feature to save 15% and then I am signed up as a member of Amazon Mom - which gives me free Prime 2-day shipping. The best deal (in my opinion) currently on Amazon is this one. I have found Nutiva at Wegman's, but it is much cheaper to purchase on Amazon. Tropical Traditions is another great coconut brand - you may want to check them out! Sign up for their newsletter and receive info on weekly sales. Also, you can get even better discounts if you purchase a membership to their "buyer's club." But, if you are stuck buying in-store, this Spectrum coconut oil is the one I would suggest you buy.

The only other available coconut oil was this one: Lou Ana. While it says "all-natural," labels can be deceiving. Neither the website nor the jar itself states whether the oil has been bleached or processed in any other unhealthy way. I sure as hell don't want to eat bleach, so no-thank-you Lou Ana. If you'd like to read up more on the ways coconut oil can be refined check this out. 

" WHOLLY AWESOME" (quotes mine) Wholly Guacamole. $2.48 for 7oz. If you printed that awesome coupon or signed up for the Wholly Guacamole newsletter, you could score this for $.98. Can you say lettuce taco night? The 100-cal snack packs were priced a litte more expensive at $3.50. Sad day.

Here are some Lara Bars. Well, just one flavor at my Walmart. Peanut Butter... which the kids like, so cool. Technically we aren't supposed to be eating peanut butter, because peanuts are legumes and can be gut irritants. However, neither myself or my children have experienced any suffering as a result of eating them, so I let the little monsters eat the PB Lara Bars. $1.15 is good price for these things (if you are in the military, go to your commissary! they are priced around $.89 there). Every four months or so Coupons.com will have a Lara Bar coupon of $1.00 off of four that usually goes pretty fast :( Stay on top of it and you'll get one. OR make your own. I am planning a project one weekend to make my own and will blog about this!!

Other favorite flavors are: Apple Pie and... that's it. The Cherry Pie is way too tart for me, the Chocolate Chip Cookie tastes to me like alcohol chocolates (yuck), and the Cashew Cookie flavor doesn't do it for me.

AAAAND: Eggs. Before we get into this, you need to educate yourself as to what the "cage free" label means. These are not eggs produced by chickens wandering freely through open air like you might imagine. They are mostly in huge warehouses with cement floors, suffering the same de-beaking, the male chicks still being killed for their lack of potential to lay eggs, and the chickens still being fed soy. That being said, I fully understand that commercial production of eggs has its limitations. And I think the cage-free movement is a huge step in the right direction. However, if you want true free-roaming, soy-free eggs, you need to go to your local farmer, farmer's markets, or Whole Foods. I currently personally buy Eggland's Best Cage-Free eggs. When I find a farmer that can sell me inexpensive eggs, I'll make the switch. The one I buy meat from sells them for $5.00/dozen with only 1 drop-off in my area every month, so that is not a viable option for me. 

Walmart's Great-Value Cage-Free Eggs - $2.64/dozen

Farm House Cage-Free Eggs $2.24/dozen.

Happy Shopping!

Let's Go Shopping! : Walmart Edition Part 1

I'm always on the lookout for new and inexpensive places to purchase my staples like organic milk, grass-fed butter, eggs and the like. A few days ago I had fun running through my local Wal-Mart grocery store to see what they had to offer!

With milk, I find it is best to purchase in the gallons unless I have a coupon for the half-gallons of milk. For example: A half-gallon of milk costs $3.60 and a gallon costs $6.00. The equivalent in half-gallons would cost $7.20. My kids go through alot of milk! Probably 3 gallons for all the members of my family during the week. At one time we had our milk delivered from a grass-fed dairy farm and I will blog about that experience later. For the moment though, this is what we can afford so this is what we go with!

Above you can see the half-gallons of DHA added milk. Do your wallet a favor and don't buy this stuff. I try not to buy "DHA added" anything because you can't always rely on a good, cleanly produced source of DHA in whatever you are eating. I ran into this problem when selecting formula for my second son. We ended up with Baby's Only because the DHA in their formula was derived from a process using eggs rather than hexane and bleach. Read more about that here.  

I only purchase Whole milk for the kiddos regardless of their age. Fat is necessary for brain development and fat in the mouth does not equal fat on the body. At my store gallons were only available from the Horizon company for $6.55 a gallon. The same milk 1/4 mile down the road at Target sells for $6.00 even.

Wal-Mart does have their own "Great Value" brand of organic milk now, but was only available at my store in the low-fat half-gallons. These were pretty cheap! I'd be interested to see if they sell Great Value whole milk, but still the Horizon gallon is cheaper at Target.

Wholly Guacamole Coupon = Cheap Guacamole

Wholly Guacamole is an awesome product that I will purchase whenever I see a sale or a great coupon offer. The product is so tasty and to me just like fresh guacamole. Check this out from the company's website:

"..we’re dedicated to providing the best product possible. We use real Hass avocados and natural ingredients that don’t include preservatives, artificial flavors or heat treatments. Our goal? To give our consumers made-from-scratch flavor and ready-to-eat convenience."

You'll find Wholly Guacamole in the refrigerated produce or deli aisle. It must be refrigerated but has never been frozen, though you can freeze it if you would like :)

Typically the large pack costs around $4.50-$5.00. The 100Cal Snack Packs cost around $2.30. IF there is not already a sale on the large pack, I just use the coupon on the Snack Pack and get some seriously good guacamole for about $.80. Nom nom nommmmmmmmmm!!


TO GET YOUR COUPON:

Go to the Wholly Guacamole Facebook page , “like” them, then click on the “Coupons” tab on the left under their profile pic to get a $1.50 off ANY one Wholly product coupon. This can also be used on the Wholly Salsa or Queso products, but guac is definitely my fav. This coupon will be up until Wednesday night so hurry!!

* You can also get a $1.50 of any Wholly product by signing up for the Wholly Guacamole newsletter here.

Enjoy!

Paleo Comfort Foods = I'm excited!!!

from Amazon:

"What if you could cook fantastic meals similar to the heartwarming comfort dishes your grandma used to make…and have them be good for you? In Paleo Comfort Foods, Charles and Julie Mayfield provide you with an arsenal of recipes that are healthy crowd-pleasers, sure to appeal to those following a paleo, primal, gluten-free, or "real-food" way of life—as well as those who have not yet started down such a path.

Implementing paleo guidelines and principles in this book (no grains, no gluten, no legumes, no dairy), the Mayfields give you 100+ recipes and full color photos with entertaining stories throughout. The recipes in Paleo Comfort Foods can help individuals and families alike lose weight, eat healthy and achieve optimum fitness, making this way of eating sustainable, tasty and fun."

I am so excited for this book to come out and just in time for the holidays. I own the Primal Blueprint Cookbook, Everyday Paleo and The Paleo Solution, but I am especially looking forward to owning Paleo Comfort Foods. This book promises that you can make healthy, gluten-free meals that don't just sustain - they please. Food is most definitely a comfort to me and I can't wait to get my hands on this book.

If you haven't checked out Charles and Julie Mayfield's blog by the same name (Paleo Comfort Foods), you should! They have excellent giveaways and super helpful information on their blog. Check out this post on meal-planning!

Also, check out this video introducing the book. Hooray for culinary geniuses that make my job of getting the kids to eat great food that much easier!!

Groceries for the Week

So I did my shopping for the week early this morning. I go once each week to Costco and once to my local grocery store. I will soon be going to Walmart instead to see how the veggie freshness compares. Here's how I figure out what I need for my family of four:

Each week for breakfast I need:

• 3 dozen eggs. This is enough for my husband to have 3-4 eggs each day, 1 for myself, and 1 that my kiddos share. If any of my lunch or dinner recipes call for eggs, I buy more. $2.59 for a cage-free dozen of Eggland's Best. I usually have a $.50 off of one coupon to help keep the price down.
• 2 packages of bacon. In late Spring I purchased a whole pig for my family and we have been eating on that bacon. I will blog about the purchase and cost-benefit of it soon.
• 1 bag of sausage. Sometimes we won't go through all this and I have more for next week. I really like Jones Dairy Farm if I am not eating sausage from the pig we bought.
• 3-4 sweet potatoes for my husband if he has an intense workout that morning. Poke a potato with a fork a bunch of times, throw in the microwave for around 5 minutes or until soft. Good to go.

Each week for lunch I need:

• 1 box of organic spring mix salad. My kids don't eat salad, but they like what goes on top. My one son loves olives.
• 6 or so bell peppers
• 1 3-pack of cucumbers from Costco
• Red onion. Buy a big bag and save. They stay well in a cool, dark place for a pretty long time.  
• Celery. Buy a big bag and save. This will keep for a couple weeks as well.
• Tomatoes
• Olive oil & Balsamic vinegar to top.
• 3 or so lbs of chicken thighs. I grill these ahead of time to put on the salad or for my husband to eat whenever he is hungry. This costs around $7.00.
• Cans of tuna. I buy a four pack for $2.80 and if that disappears by the next week, I just buy another.
• 2 8oz packages of Ham lunch meat. Each package is $2.00

Miscellaneous:

• Milk. My kids and husband go through about 3 gallons of milk each week. Trader Joe's, Target, and Wal-Mart are the cheapest places to purchase. Around $6.00 for a gallon of organic milk.

FOR DINNERS THIS WEEK:

• 1 5lb chicken, Perdue Cage-Free $5.60
• 2 packages of sirloin around 3lbs total $7.18
• Mushrooms 1lb $2.19
• Steamfresh Broccoli - $1.50
• Steamfresh Brussels Sprouts - $1.50
• Spaghetti Squash - Small one cost $3.16. I have spent around $5.00 after picking out a large one if I want leftovers.
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce. Bertolli Tomato/Basil $1.99 and I had a $.50 off of one coupon
• Kale. $.99 for a bunch
• Bok Choy $3.06 for a big bunch.

I didn't have a list so I forgot to buy:
Shrimp
Roast Veggies.. but I have carrots in the fridge already so I will probably just roast those with onion
Salmon

Things I already have on hand:
Broccoli leftover from last week
Lemon
Fish Sauce
Canned coconut milk from Trader Joe's
Ground lamb in the freezer
Ground beef in the freezer


Next week I will do a complete, fresh list shopping like I have nothing on hand to give you a better idea of how much a week costs.

Super Cheap Food: Kale

If you haven't tried kale yet and are trying to save your paleo pennies, it just might be time.

I can buy a bunch of kale at my commissary (military grocery store) for a sweet 99 cents. Also availably is a gigantic, pre-cut bag for about $3.00, but I'd never go through all that kale before it went bad... unless I froze some... hmmm. Thoughts for another time. Kale is technically a form of cabbage and to me resembles collard greens. It is high in antioxidants, considered anti-inflamatory, has tons of beta-carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein and is pretty rich in calcium. But don't take my word for it! Wikipedia told me so. You can steam, microwave, or stir-fry - just don't boil if you want the most nutrient bang for your buck. Best of all, you don't need to buy this veggie organic (not alot of pesticides are needed to fend off the rabidly hungry insects). AND one of Jessica Biel's New Year's resolutions was to eat more kale. Knowing that, why would you NOT eat kale? Jessica Biel is a hottie.

BUT HOW DO I COOK THIS STRANGE VEGETABLE!?

1. Steam it! Add a little bit of garlic in there, some salt, maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar and you have super cheap, healthy side dish or "salad" you can add some protein to.

2. Stir-Fry! Try this recipe a la Bobby Flay. Going to test this one out sometime to see if it belongs in my recipe binder.

3. Microwave? Wash and chop leaves and microwave on high until wilted. DO NOT dry the kale before you zap it.

4. Bake it!! KALE CHIPS!!!

           Take a bunch of kale - remove leaves from the thick stem and tear into smaller pieces - wash and dry

           Preheat the oven to 350 F, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt (NOT TOO MUCH!!), then bake

           on a baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes until crispy and not burnt.

           * Try different seasonings like a bit of paprika for a different taste  

Kale is a pretty strong smelling vegetable just as a little warning to you guys. I just steamed some and plan on eating it with breakfast and lunch tomorrow! Happy eating.

OH! And I guess it does freeze well. Thank you Wikipedia. 

An Intro to Paleo Cents

Living a healthy lifestyle isn't always cost-effective, at least in the short term. I'm starting this blog to share with you how I save money living and shopping organic & gluten-free. My husband and I eat paleo as much as possible and I shop to give our children unprocessed, gluten-free options for eating.

I plan to share meal plans and shopping lists, as well as provide price comparisons for items like coconut milk and lara bars. I also will show you where I shop for special things like coconut oil. There will be gluten-free product comparisons for those with kiddos who want to make something special for birthdays or holidays.

I'm excited to start! I hope that you find this blog useful and benefit from my time spent browsing the internet and grocery aisles :)