This week, I tried something different when shopping at the grocery store: I went with cash-only.  Although my husband and I have different philosophies about using cash, I found that it helped me tremendously when sticking to my budget and not making impulse purchases.  Of course, it took a bit of planning on my part; I had to scour the local food ads and find the best deals and be restrained to only purchase the items that I really felt we needed for this week.  I did cheat a bit, however, and take advantage of some amazing meat and chicken deals for the freezer. I justified going a bit over my $30 budget for the week since next week is Holy Week and I really don’t want to go shopping next week if I don’t have to.  I am also gearing up to attempt my first ever Once a Month Cooking adventure with my mom next weekend, and so I needed to be a bit forward-looking for next week/month. But more on that later! 

Either way, I was amazed that I got a good two week’s worth of groceries for under $60, including lots of organic produce, local dairy, and free-range eggs.  I couldn’t have done it without lots of coupons, including a few store-specific $5 off $25 coupons from the Chinook Book.  According to my receipts, I saved over $50 from coupons and in-store specials.  They key is really using coupons to purchase items that are already on sale, and stocking up on items when there are good deals.

For example, some of my stock-up items this week were beef that was sold at rock-bottom prices.  One local store had buy one roast, get another roast free, plus 10 lbs. of potatoes free.  Now granted we are not huge potato-eating folks, but we’ve found that the kids can tolerate a baked potato once a week without big problems.  Also, with Easter picnics and potlucks coming up, having extra potatoes around the house can be helpful!  The roasts (along with some discounted stew meat I found), as well as a great deal on chicken breasts, will provide more than enough meat for the next two months, possibly three!

My recent post on Real Food Deals, shows you where to find great real food coupons so that you can save money on nutrient-dense, whole foods! Among my finds this week were $0.25 Garden of Eatin’ Organic Tortilla Chips (New Seasons Market has the mini rounds for $1.25, and you can find $1 off coupon here).  New Seasons also had frozen organic, locally-grown Stahlbush veggies on sale for $1.59, and I used my Chinook Book coupon to deduct $1 off each bag, scoring a couple bags for $0.59 each! For you local Portland folks, these deals remain until Tuesday!

Anyway, on to the meal plan:

Breakfasts:
French Toast (made from grain-free bread), Green Juice (made in Vita Mix with Greens and Berries)
Coconut Flour Banana Muffins (recipe coming soon!) and homemade Matsoni Yogurt
Sausages (for kids) and modified Green Smoothies 
Scrambled eggs (for kids) and Sauteed Greens
Grain-Free Granola
Grain-Free Waffles

Lunches:
Roast Chicken and Veggies (kids)
Leftover Cioppino, Clam Chowder
Taco Meat, steamed broccoli (kids)
Tuna Sandwiches/Wraps, carrot sticks
Leftover Soup

Dinners:
potato soup and sauteed cabbage
French onion soup, sauteed kale and onions, garlic toast (grain-free)
white chili with purplekraut and tortilla chips
Thai Coconut Soup with scallops and shrimp
Baked Potato Bar

Have a great week!

This post is part of Orgjunkie’s Menu Plan Monday Round-up .

I can’t! But 1/6 of the way through the year is a great time to check in on your New Year’s Goals and set some new goals as well.

According to DH, we are doing better on the spending. My No-Spend January and my pulling in the reigns on the food spending have really helped, as has my foray into couponing!

I’m learning ever so much about couponing, and you can check out my Real Food Couponing for some tips in that regard.

The Missed Goals:
*The Hair: I couldn’t not cut my hair. I just couldn’t.  It was looking horrible and I had to get it trimmed.  I might still try to gradually grow it out, but it’s very short and layered right now (an a-line “wedge”) and needs to stay under control….but the good news is I’ve found a way to earn some extra cash on the side, so I should be able to justify the haircuts.

*Blogging: I feel like I’m really not blogging as often as I’d like, because I have so many topics I’d love to write about, so many recipes to share, so many projects brewing….but I don’t know how to manage it with my schooling, my kids’ homeschooling, and housekeeping/food preparation.  Right now those take priority, and hopefully soon more time will avail itself!

The Met Goals:

*Save more money: As I said above, DH gives me the “thumbs up” in this department, which is HUGE for me!  He’s the accountant in the family.  Your continued support of this blog (and support of my sponsors on the Resources page and purchases through the Amazon store) keep the pocket change rolling in and help this stay-at-home mom do more blogging!  Oh, and it helps me toward my yurt/5-acres/goats-and-chickens fund!

*Begin making and selling cultured veggies.  This was a secret goal I didn’t mention on the blog, but I’m excited to say that I have fairly successfully started selling jars of cultured veggies at a local co-op!  I call them “ApotheCultures“. I keep getting positive feedback and the inventory continues to sell, so I’ll take that as a positive sign! I wish I had a way to do mail-orders for my wonderful out-of-town blog readers….but alas, it’s not yet the time for that!

New Goals:

*Nutritional Therapy:  I’m halfway through my program now, and learning so much.  I have two big projects turned in and a good score on the mid-term behind me, so I can spend the next month working on studying, reading, and putting what I’m learning into practice with my practice clients.  This is such an amazing opportunity and I love the opportunity to work with my “guinnea pigs”!  Some very neat opportunities have already presented themselves for the future of my practice, and I’m very thankful and excited at the prospect! I will reveal more details in the months to come, but suffice to say, it looks to be a great opportunity.

*Creating an e-courses: Not that I have anything great to add to the myriad of amazing works out there, but my niche seems to be feeding families with special diets (such as GAPS) in a kid- and budget-friendly way. I am hoping to put together some practical e-courses to help people learn more about the ins and outs of transitioning to a nutrient-dense, paleo way of eating that is low in sugar and starch. I am also working on a practical guide to Saving Money on a Gluten-Free/Paleo diet.    So I ask you, dear reader, what kinds of e-courses would you be interested in seeing? Please leave your feedback in the comments!

*Start Seeds for My Garden- I have already started broccoli, kale, arugula, endive, and some lettuce in doors. I planted my peas (snow and sugar snap) outside in the garden. Last week the kids and I covered the entire plot of garden with some special stuff to break up the clay soil and threw lots of compost onto it. That was fun. I think my kids are going to be much more “in” to gardening this year.  I plan to start tomatoes and other stuff soon as well.

*No-Spend March- Last but no least, I am dedicating the entire month of March to a no-spend month.  That means NO going to Walgreen’s or Rite-Aid unless I can get something for FREE!  That also means cooking from the pantry and resisting the good deals (even if New Seasons does have amazing sales!)  Of course I will allow a little bit for some fresh perishables that we might need (on sale, of course!) but otherwise I really want to be frugal and in keeping with the spirit of Lent.  My freezer is stocked with shrimp, scallops, veggies, and lots of leftover meals. So we should be able to make it through!

*Lower my grocery budget: I’ve been inspired by Crystal’s “31 days to a lower food budget” and am going to start buying my groceries in cash in order to help control spending. We’ve been doing really well, but I want to try to do even better! I’m planning to make the transition starting next week, but to really go full-force with a refined budget for April.  I’ll keep you posted!

*Try a month of Freezer Cooking:  I have never done “Once a Month Cooking” but I’m intrigued by the notion of saving time, and taking advantage of the best prices on quality ingredients in order to create nourishing, affordable meals.  I will make April my “Freezer Cooking Month” and am going to begin planning now for that adventure.  As always, I’ll keep you posted!  I’m most excited at the idea of have breakfasts made ahead of time, such as grain-free muffins, granola, and crustless quiches.

How are you doing with your 2010 goals? What has gone well, and what are you hoping to improve upon?

I can’t believe it’s March!!!!  Time to start seeds, sign the children up for swimming lessons, and figure out what we’re doing for Kindergarten next year!  But, more immediately, it’s time for this week’s Menu Plan!

This week is another simple, eat-from-the-pantry week in the Lenten spirit.  I tend to plan less during Lent because there are often Church services during the week with potlucks or dinners attached….and so so often my Lenten cooking is rather “spur-of-the moment”. I know, so unlike me!

Breakfasts:
Cowboy Scrambled Eggs (for the kiddos)
Coconut Milk Smoothies (I add hemp seeds now instead of eggs for Lent)
Grain-Free Muffins
Nitrate-Free Breakfast Sausages (for the kiddos)
Grain-Free Granola Cereal
Elana’s Almond Flour Pancakes
Homemade Power Bars

Lunches:
Curried Butternut squash and Coconut Soup (aka “Digger Soup”. It’s yellow. My son gets it.)
Deviled Eggs and Steamed Broccoli
Nitrate-Free Roast Beef (for the kids) and Cheese, Carrot Sticks
Leftover Cabbage Soup
Leftover Veggie Stir-Fry
Leftover Shrimp and Veggie Dish (Thanks, Cathy!)

Dinners:
Coconut Clam Chowder
Broccoli Pizza w/ Coconut Flour or Almond Crust
Sauteed Scallops and Green Beans
Refried White Bean & Veggie Burrito Bake (Note to GAPS readers: I allow 1 tortilla meal per week, as once a week seems to be fine for the  kids)
Lentil Sloppy Joe’s over Cauliflower
Shrimp Burgers (from Elana’s Cookbook)

 
For more menu-planning inspiration, as always, check out Menu Plan Monday at The Organizing Junkie!

I’ve got to say I was tempted to break my plan and go buy a bunch of chicken since I’m getting a bit weary of beef.  BUT, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’ve got beef (and lots of fish as well) so beef and fish we shall eat!  I also still have LOTS (and LOTS and LOTS) of squash, a good amount of green kale, potatoes (which we use sparingly), onions o’ plenty (thank you Costco!) and lots of cabbage.  I feel like I need to dabble in some Irish cooking!

We are also celebrating my dear daughter’s 5thbirthday today (Monday). As anticipated, I was able to do her birthday majorly on the cheap, but withlots of fun and tasteful elegance (we had a simple tea party with Elana’s Famous cupcakes and coconut ice cream for a few of her close friends).  Michael’s Craft Store is a life saver when it comes to affordable party favors and fun party activities!  All told, DH was very impressed wihmy bottom line.  I was able to get all of her presents for under $5!!!  1 game (purchased during a B2G1 free sale in December), 1 pair of crocheted Mary Jane slippers (using $1 worth of yarn), a package of goodies from Bath and Body works and freebies that came to $3 (including a 75% marked down lemon bubble bath, 2 hand sanitizers, and some yummy lotion, the last 3 all free with coupon  ).  Her last present was not technically free, but it was an item I had ordered months and months ago, was on back order, and forgotten. It’s a Montessori MoveableAlphabet technically for homeschooling, but I wrapped it up and am using it a a present!  I digress….In honor of her birth week, I’m planning a post all about her GAPS journey for Real Food Wednesday this week, so stay tuned for that!

Monday: Happy Birthday Dear Daughter!
B: grain-free waffles with cinnamon-apple kraut and sausage
L: special birthday lunch: hot dogs wrapped in coconut flour biscuit dough, carrot sticks
D: meatballs, broccoli and cheese, salad, almond flour chocolate cake and coconut milk ice cream

*soak almonds

Tuesday:
B:eggs fried in butter and coconut oil with cortido
L: leftovers/veggies
D: brother’s birthday dinner @ parents’

*start chicken broth

Wednesday:
B: squash pudding and breakfast sausage
L: miso soup, sardines
D:  Crock Pot Taco Meat with Shredded Cheese and Sour Cream and Salad

Thursday:
B: almond flour muffins, yogurt
L:deviled eggs, tuna, salad greens
D: kale, white bean, and italian sausage soup (modified from this recipe)

Friday:
B: Grain-Free Granola
L: leftovers and salad
D: out to IOCC benefit concert (hot dogs for kiddos!)

Saturday:
B: hazelnut-vanilla pancakes (almond flour)
L: leftovers/soup
D: baked salmon and green beans 

 For more great meal ideas, head on over to The Organizing Junkie!

Another week of eating from the fridge and pantry!  I’m still excited  because there’s still enough there to make creative meals….ask me again in a couple of weeks and I might not be so jazzed. But I’ve gotta say; last week was one of the simplest meal plan weeks I think I’ve ever had (considering I cooked every night)! It was simple, the food was good, and the prep was pretty easy.  I think I’m going to start saving my more  “involved” meals for Saturdays and Sundays! Here’s what’s on tap this week:

Monday:
B: eggs over easy fried in butter and coconut oil, leftover coleslaw
L: leftover beef vegetable stew (DH sliced salami, raw cheese, nuts & veggies to work, ditto all week!)
D: Coconut chicken noodle soup(use leftover asian plum chicken), garlic green beans

*bake muffins

Tuesday:
B:almond flour apple-cinnamon muffins, kefir
L: leftovers/smoked salmon/celery sticks w/ herbed chevre
D:veggie-laden sloppy joes over cauliflower “rice”

Wednesday:
B: squash pudding
L: miso soup, sardines
D:  baked potatoes topped with leftover lentil chili

Thursday:
B:chicken apple sausages, ginger carrots, apples

*start spaghetti squash in slow cooker

L:deviled eggs, tuna, salad greens
D:baked spaghetti squash with Italian sausage (this recipe was amazing. I’m going to post it soon. Trying it with a cream sauce this week)

*begin soaking navy beans

Friday:
B: Nora’s nut bars (sorry, can’t find the link), sliced apples
L: leftovers/sardines/kraut
D: navy bean & kale soup (in crock pot)

Saturday:
B: hazelnut-vanilla pancakes (almond flour)
L: leftovers/soup
D: hot dogs and leftovers

Be sure to visit The Organizing Junkie for more menu plan inspiration!

First off, an update:  I’ve been so inspired as of late by the whole notion of “couponing”.  Being all about real food and thriftiness, I often am disappointed at the lack coupons available for the products that I like. Real food tends to not have enough of a profit margin for couponing.  And while I want to reserve an entire post for my full analysis of couponing, I do want to say that it’s worth it to keep your eyes open for coupons of the products you actually buy (batteries, toilet paper, baking soda, aluminum foil….you know, the essentials .  At any rate, since making my commitment for a no-spend (or more realistically, a low-spend) January, I’ve found that deals and savings are more apparent to me than ever!

I did some shopping around and we found a better deal on car insurance that will save us about $300 per year. I’m looking into changing our ISP, and if I can get out of our current contract, it wills save us about $360 per year.  And if that works out, then I’m going to cut back our cell phone plans (since I can’t talk and drive anymore!) so I’m hopeful that these few changes alone will help us save even more aggressivly for my yurt homestead! (Dear husband, if you’re reading this, just smile and nod).

I know this sounds funny, but I’ve been keeping a log where I write down every expenditure for the household.  My husband is the real accountant of the family, so my writing down the expenditures is my way of keeping myself accountable to what is being spent.  We have a budget, but it’s not super strict, and I’m trying to reign in my spending over that which I have spending domain.  In particular, that’s food and household supplies.   At any rate, writing down the expenditures is very eye-opening, and it’s helping me be careful about what I spend. I know I should always be careful, but there are times when I’m just not, and I let my culinary desires trump my thrifty sensibilities.  No more.  So far we’ve kept our spending down to bills, a very small amount on food (less than $30 for the whole month so far) and about $60 on household items that should be good for the month and beyond.

One of the ways I’m keeping the food budget so low is that I’m eating as much as possible from the pantry, freezer, and fridge.  It’s amazing how many meals I’ve been able to stretch from my leftovers!!  It’s a challenge to create exciting meals from leftovers, but it sure feels good not to waste food!

One of my favorite meals of this past week was the pot roast we had on Monday.  This meal has been able to stretch for 4 meals so far, and we still have plenty of leftovers!  About half of the leftovers from Monday morphed into a yummy vegetable beef stew that allowed me to clean out the veggie drawer and use some of the veggies I had in the freezer.  Even after eating that meal, I had 1.5 quarts of soup left; enough for a few lunches this week!  With the remaining pot roast, I shredded it with a fork and simmered it into some homemade barbecue sauce and served it with sauteed kale and onions and these yummy butternut squash fries! This dinner we also enjoyed another night….and I think there are still leftovers!  It’s like this leftover fractal that just keeps recursively multiplying!

How is your pantry doing these days?  How well do your leftovers “recycle” and what are your best tips and tricks for tempting small palates with yet another round of  last night’s fare?

Speaking of saving $$$$, be sure to sign up for my awesome Real Food giveaway; grass-fed ghee (a six-pack worth $50)!!!

Do you want to receive e-mail updates? Drop me a line at carrie [at] organicthrifty [dot] com!

Thankfully, I live in an area that is within close proximity to all of the stores I frequent.  And frequent stores I do; being a stay-at-home mom allows me the ability to really shop around for best deals. I realize that not everyone has this luxury, and in those cases I would think that one-stop shopping, though perhaps more expensive, would save time.  Online shopping and home delivery services are also available in many locations and should be explored if time is of the essence as well.

I would obviously adjust this if I lived in a rural area and further streamline where I buy my products.  So without further ado, here’s my comprehensive Organic and Thrifty Pantry and Shopping Guide:

Organic, Grass-fed Beef/Lamb/Poultry/Eggs/Dairy: Our family will absolutely not compromise on this one.  Grassfed beef is high in Omega 3′s, CLA, and is usually more lean than CAFO meats.  Commercially-raised meats, in my opinion, are unethical and unsustainable and I would prefer to eat less meat if it meant higher quality.

*Local, organic, grass-fed beef purchased in quarters through our local Weston A. Price Chapter.

*Local farmer for eggs and poultry (find through Eat Wild or Local Harvest).  We love Malinowski Farms and Deo Volente Farms, two local operations in the Portland area.

*US Wellness Meats is a full-scale, online store for all kinds of high quality, grass-fed meat.  You can see more info about them on my Resources Page.

*To find a source of raw, grass-fed, clean dairy products, check out the RealMilk.com farm finder. I use my raw dairy to make yogurt, kefir, and (when I’m ambitious) soft cheeses.

Produce: In order to simplify my life, I’ve decided to strive to eat seasonally or eat quality frozen organic produce saved from the summer or purchased locally.  Produce availability thus changes with the seasons. In order to keep me accountable, we have joined a summer CSA and a winter CSA as well, so we enjoy farm-fresh, seasonal, organic produce regularly.  I end up only having to supplement a small amount from the grocery store.

*Mustard Seed Farms CSA (Winter) or Sun Gold Farm CSA (Summer)

*My garden (during the spring, summer, and fall. I had hoped the winter garden would offer some additional produce, but the killing frost and my lack of cold frame put that idea on the back burner!)

*Farm stands around town (Uncle Paul’s Produce, Mark’s Seasonal Produce, Mike and Debbie’s, etc.)

*Co-ops and local health food stores (New Seasons, Food Front, etc.)

*Azure Standard for seasonal deals on bulk produce.

What else I buy: Because of our restricted diet, we eat mostly meat, dairy, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.  We strive for quality over quantity, and thus I believe that by NOT buying a lot of packaged foods, we actually save significant amounts of money while maximizing nutrition.  While I try to build most of our meals around meats, dairy, and produce (see above), there is always a need to fill in the gaps with other staples. Here’s my list of what I buy where:

New Seasons/Co-op/Health Food Store:

• chia seeds
• coconut butter
• Vitamin C tablets (especially during flu season)
• colostrum capsules (also during flu season)
• organic seasonal produce in excess of CSA provisions
• aluminum-free baking powder
• Truvia/Stevia
• Kelp Noodles

Trader Joe’s:

• alcohol-free vanilla flavor
• organic heavy cream
• raw cheddar cheese
• nitrate-free bacon (Niman Ranch raises their livestock in a humane way)
• nitrate-free hot dogs
• Kerry Gold Butter (the best, cheapest place to get grassfed butter!)
• olive oil packed sardines
• plantain chips
• hand soap
• natural kitchen cleaner
• scallops, frozen

Costco (Every year I wonder if keeping my membership here is worth it, because there are only a handful of item I still buy at Costco.  But if only for the great deal and convenience of the photo developing and the amazing deal on onions and carrots, I think it just might be worth it!)

• organic carrots
• organic raisins
• almond butter
• organic, frozen green beans
• baking soda (for baking as well as cleaning)
• spices
• onions ($0.32/lb)
• organic cane sugar (for making kombucha)
• pecans
• walnuts
• ziplock bags

WinCo (This is our local, bare-bones cheap, bag-your-own-groceries, no-frills grocery store.  While not exactly known for its quality produce, there are often times when you can find locally-grown produce (though not a lot of organics). I usually stick to some basics when I’m here:

• Thai kitchen fish sauce
• Thai kitchen curry paste (red and green)
• Lipton Black Tea (for kombucha)
• Herbal Teas
• Parchment Paper
• Muffin Liners
• Foil, Saran Wrap, etc.
• Borax (for making my own detergent for dishwasher and washing machine)
• bulk spices
• canning jars
• unflavored gelatin
• baking powder

Fred Meyer/Walgreens: (Conveniently located right up the street, we often dash up here for a few things)

• diapers (we are close to potty training and are using disposables in the meantime; our dear boy is too big for his cloth dipes and we don’t want to invest in a whole new set….hmmm maybe we should fish around for freecyclers)
• paper towels (I hate the fact that we waste trees with this, but alas DH likes to use them).
• toilet paper
• toothpaste
• bandaids
• other toiletries,etc.

Grocery Outlet:

• organic tomato paste ($0.50 per can)
• frozen wild salmon ($2.99 for a frozen filet)
• frozen veggies (green beans, turnip greens, summer squash)
• specialty organic cheeses (gouda, goat cheese, brie, etc.)
• markdown produce (depending upon availability)
• any other random item that we need that happens to be really cheap!

Azure Standard: Azure standard is bascially your natural version of Costco.  Through Azure, you can purchase bulk products, fresh produce, and meats. The best part is that they deliver it to you!

• dried coconut (I’m going to try to start making my own coconut milk from dried coconut this year to further save on costs).
• sunflower seeds
• lemon juice by the case (although this is a bit expensive and I’m thinking of just getting lemons instead)
• navy beans (dry)
• lentils (dry)
• raw honey
• stevia extract
• chia seeds
• real salt
• arrowroot powder in bulk
• coconut flour
• spices

Other Staples I purchase online:

• Organic Virgin Coconut Oil from Mountain Rose Herbs (We buy the 5 gallon buckets and it lasts for a LONG time)
• Bio-Kult Probiotics (for healing my daughter’s gut dysbiosis)
• Fermented Cod Liver Oil (a must-have for health!)
• Blanched Almond Flour (spendy, I know, but we really ration this out and make it stretch!)
• Vitamineral Green Food Supplement (this is amazing stuff; we go through this slowly as well, but it’s a great way to get greens into the kids)
• Raw, unpasteurized almonds (Newsflash: you can’t get these at any store; they’re illegal and the labels don’t tell you!)

Well, I’m sure I’ve left something out, but these are the really critical staples. I will continue to add to this post (or subtract) as I see fit!

What would you add? Feel free to leave a comment to let me know!

This post is a part of Real Food Wednesday and Works For Me Wednesday.

So this post is meant to inspire those who think a healthy, low-carb, gluten-free, nourishing meal costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time.   This meal had all of the health in none of the time and hardly any cost.

I estimate that this is basically a $5.00 dinner because I took an $8.00 roast and split it in half. I plan to use the rest of the meat at the end of the week for “barbecue beef”.  I probably used a little over a dollar’s worth of produce; a few handfuls of arugula for a side salad, a burdock root and a few carrots, some onions, celery, and assorted spices. 

On the salad I plopped some herbed chevre (a deal at Grocery Outlet) and a few Cajun walnuts that were part of a homemade gift basket.  I added some coleslaw leftovers (a deliciously simple blend of sliced apples, red onions, green cabbage, homemade mayo, and a touch of pomegranate vinegar) which thankfully keep for a while in the fridge!

The roasted veggies were simply burdock root (think parsnip) and carrots cut into small cubes, tossed with dried thyme, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  This could have been added to the pot roast, but I wanted a more crisp-tender flavor, so I threw them in during the afternoon.  If you needed advanced prep, consider cutting all the veggies and mixing the herbs/spices in advance and so they would be ready to throw in right when you get home.  I convection-roasted them for about 30 minutes, turning them every 10 minutes or so.  They turned out deliciously crispy on the outside, tender on the inside!

The roast was a spur-of-the-moment creation based on what I had on hand, which I threw into the crockpot in the morning:

 1) I sliced two onions and covered the base of the crockpot with the onions.

2) I added the rump roast, to which I had inserted about 8 peeled garlic cloves into random slits I made with my knife.

3) I generously covered the roast with dried basil, 21-seasoning mix from Costco, dried leeks, sea salt, and pepper.

4) On top of all that, I drizzled pomegranate molasses (something I got in a gift basket last year). I’m told that this is a great stand-in for Worcheshire sauce. 

5) Over the whole thing, I poured about a cup of homemade beef broth.

6) I cooked it on low for about 8 hours, and after 7 hours I shredded the meet with a fork, added about 8 sticks of celery and let it cook another hour.

Afterthoughts:

This made the entire house smell like heaven today. The kids devoured their meat and my son loved the roasted veggies (my daughter needs to avoid starch, and thankfully she naturally does!).  My daughter did eat an arugula salad, which kind of shocked me!  There are plenty of leftovers with this meal and I plan to take the pan juices (with all the onions/leeks/garlic flavors) and blend them up with some tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, dijon mustard, and a hint of chipotle powder to make a BBQ sauce to serve on the leftovers Saturday night.

I must say, this meal is grain-free, low-glycemic (as long as you go easy on the roasted veggies, keep them to 15% of your meal), nourishing and not too spendy!  And I promise when you eat this way, you start to go longer between meals, not needing snacks for 4-5 hours (seriously) and feeling satisfied for longer periods of time.  Ultimately, that saves money in the long run!

This post is being shared with the good folks at “Tempt my Tummy Tuesday“.

Subscription update:  I am in the process of getting automatic, normal subscription options on this blog. Until then, if you’d like to receive old-fashioned e-mail updates, send me a note at carrie [at] organicthrifty [dot] com.

I’ve been so excited by the challenge to eat from the pantry/fridge for the month of January (and beyond, if necessary). In a way, it makes me really thankful for all that we have and not so inclined to wastefulness.  This week, while there’s still bounty, there is a lot of inspiration and I found this menu quite easy to plan for. We’ll see how things go as the weeks go by.It may come as a bit of a *shock* to the paleo purists out there, but I am going to be adding a few legumes to the mix (since the pantry is teeming with them).  Lima beans, navy beans, and lentils are all allowed on the GAPS diet and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, so I figure they are not going to hurt us too bad a few days a week.  They will also be soaked for 12 hours prior to cooking, which breaks down some of the starches and renders them much more digestible.  And we’ll be sure to eat them with plenty of lacto-fermented sauerkraut as well!  I’m trying a new lima bean recipe from Stephanie O’Dea’s book Make it Fast, Cook it Slow to eat on the Eve of Theophany, a no-meat night.

Monday:
B: eggs over easy fried in butter and coconut oil, leftover coleslaw
L: leftover shepherd’s pie or plum chicken (DH taking leftover pizza, cheese, nuts & veggies to work!)
D: Slow-cooker pot roast with onions, carrots, parsnips, celery and arugula salad, cortido

*soak lima beans, bake muffins

Tuesday:
B:almond flour apple-cinnamon muffins, kefir
L: leftovers/smoked salmon/celery sticks
D: lima bean cassoulet(sans meat) w/ lacto-fermented cortido

Wednesday:
B: almond-raisin “granola” and yogurt
L:miso soup and leftovers
D: broccoli pizza w/ almond flour crust

Thursday:
B:chicken apple sausages, l/o mashed lima beans, kefir

*start spaghetti squash in slow cooker

L:deviled eggs, tuna, salad greens
D:baked spaghetti squash with Italian sausage (thanks, Kels!!!)

Friday:
B: Nora’s nut bars (sorry, can’t find the link), sliced apples
L: leftovers/sardines/kraut
D: “clean the veggie drawer” lentil soup (in crock pot)

Saturday:
B: hazelnut-vanilla pancakes (almond flour)
L: leftovers/soup
D: BBQ beef (use leftover roast from Monday), make BBQ sauce, salad

It’s so nice to not have to go to the store for any of this!  Yay.  For more menu inspirations, check out the other menu planners at The Organizing Junkie!

Yesterday, however, I was so excited to “harvest” 10 quarts of bone broth made from 100% grassfed cow bones. After 72 hours simmering on the stove, it was finally time.  I always like to have an amply supply of ready-made beef bone or chicken broth on tap for making soups and sauces.

Why Broth?

According to Sally Fallon’s article called Broth is Beautiful:

Science validates what our grandmothers knew. Rich homemade chicken broths help cure colds. Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.

Many of us are mineral-deficient, and the mineral supplements we take are not very bio-available.   Broth is not only super nutritious, it’s so cheap and simple to make!  It’s amazing what a difference in flavor cooking in broth produces!

Bone broth also contains gelatin, which Sally Fallon further expounds on in her article:

“Although gelatin is not a complete protein, containing only the amino acids arginine and glycine in large amounts, it acts as a protein sparer, helping the poor stretch a few morsels of meat into a complete meal. During the siege of Paris, when vegetables and meat were scarce, a doctor named Guerard put his patients on gelatin bouillon with some added fat and they survived in good health.”

To read the rest of the article, go here.

As for the price breakdown, I have a source for beef bones locally and can get them for $0.50 per lb!!!  I use 1-2 lbs of bones at a time, along with the “ends” of the celery hearts (you know, the part you always throw away), a few carrots, and 2 large onions. Oh, and I always throw in a sheet of kelp (the see vegetable) which they say adds lots of additional trace minerals.  I put it all into an 8 gallon stock pot and simmer for about 3 days.

Upon harvest, I estimate that I easily obtained about 3 gallons of beef broth, and I spent maybe $1.50 at the most for 3 gallonsof broth!  This is mineral-rich, flavor-rich broth adds so much bioavailable nutrition, and enables me to stretch my meals endlessly almost.  What better way to utilize some unappealing leftovers then to mix them with delicious bone broth?  Better yet, is there any more inspiring way to clean out the pantry than to create your own soup?

Here are a few tips for making Thrifty Bone Broth:

1) Find a source of grass-fed beef, preferably farm direct, and ask about bones. Often butchers just throw these big bones away, so you might score a really good deal!  You’re looking for large femur and knuckle bones. 

2) Ask your butcher at Whole Foods or other health food store if they can order bones for you. These often come at a very fair price.

3) Save any ribs or bones from steaks that you eat in the freezer. Continue to add meat scraps until you have enough to make broth. This goes for chicken bones as well (note: I never by boneless chicken anymore; not only is it more expensive, but you don’t get the double-bonus of bones to make into broth at the end!)

4) Same with veggies; start saving the “butts” of your celery, carrot shavings/tops, and random pieces of veggies that can become a “stock kit” in your freezer.

5) When cooking your broth, assemble all ingredients in a pot with water.  Add 1-2 TBS of vinegar and let it sit, unheated, for 30 minutes to an hour. The vinegar, being acidic, acts to draw the minerals out of the bones so that they are released into the broth and bioavailale!

6) Once you begin cooking, you will see “scum” form at the top of the broth. Gently skim this off. These are the impurities rising from the cooking process.

So, for Day 2 of my Fridge and Pantry Cleanout I essentially filled my fridge and freezer even more with a stash of bone broth…..but I utilized a bunch of veggies that were going bad for the broth, as well as some onions from the pantry, as well as a couple pounds of bones.  I still have a huge box of bones in my freezer….I estimate these will get me through half the year at least, but we’ll see!

Tune in tomorrow to see what the menu plan for the week is, as I plan to cook from only what’s in the fridge, pantry, and freezer this week!