The Frugal Shopper

How I stay within a weekly food budget:

1. Check your cabinets and see what you could use for this week.
2. Check the sales at your favorite stores and farmer's markets.
3. Make a weekly menu. This includes breakfast and lunch, especially if you take a bag lunch as we do. If you make waffles, from scratch, make a double recipe and put the rest in freezer for another day.
4. Try to make meals with similar ingredients. Example: chili and chicken parmesan, or broths and beans. If round steak is on sale think of a couple similar meals you can fix. Same with chicken.
5. NEVER buy what isn't on your list. Double check the ingredients for each meal.
6. Make your deserts and snacks. It doesn't take that much time.
7. Wash all produce before putting it away. INCLUDING YOUR CANS. Lots of germs on them.
8. Eat in season. Here is a list of produce in season by month.
Snack ideas that are easy.

1. Popcorn in a popcorn maker. You can put spices on them or cheese.
2. Granola Bar. See recipe below
3. Make cookies. Only bake enough for a couple days. Put the rest of the dough in the freezer.
4. Cut up veggies and make a simple dip.
5. Peanut Butter on crackers or veggies. I like it on celery.

No Bake Granola

3-4 C oats, nuts, coconut, packaged granola cereal mix.
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 C honey
1/2 C brown sugar
You can toast the nuts and coconut a bit for a deeper flavor. Remember watch them carefully they burn fast.
In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the honey and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add granola mixture.
Transfer the granola mixture to a 9-by-13-inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly to evenly fill.  Let the granola mixture set in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into 2 1/4-by 3-inch bars
Suggestion; individually wrap the bars in plastic wrap to eliminate over snacking. I have a hubby who will snack snack and snack. You could put half the batch in the freezer. Might be a good idea. hehe