Shopping & Organization

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I have found over the years that making a shopping list is VERY important on a budget or just because it's easier. Each week I make a menu of the week’s dinners, what I need for lunches, breakfast, and snacks. This saves from duplication and an unending supply of ITEMS ON SALE.
Living in a Tin Can I can't buy much in bulk so I try to be VERY frugal.

My cabinets are organized and I have some bulk items in buckets like flour and sugar. Living in a humid area and surrounded by possible Sugar Ants and Red Ants I put all my bags of noodles, cookies, crackers,syrup,honey, cereal....anything from a bag or box in plastic containers or large sealed bags.
Here is my way of organizing. Thank goodness for those plastic wire stackables and buckets.

Upper Cabinet Storage

Lower Cabinet Storage

Updated Organized Counter

Lamb Shanks & Bean Stew

Lamb Shank with Bean Stew

I am addicted to lamb. We went to a Mediterranean Buffet in Houston and found some new dishes. This is my version of their Lamb Shanks. Lamb is one of the best meats for a “B Type” blood. I have really been trying to keep to the “Blood Type” diet as much as I can. I have not had. It is a good way to eat all around. Eating whole foods and cooking from scratch may be more expensive, especially when I buy organic, but I would rather pay for good ingredients than good doctors.
Enjoy this stew/soup.

LAMB SHANK WITH BEANS      4 servings

2C Dried twelve bean soup mix
Water
1 large lamb shank frozen
package of chicken broth
¼ of large sweet onion
1 Tablespoon oregano
2 Cloves garlic minced
1 Teaspoon salt
½ Teaspoon pepper
1 Teaspoon jalapeno pepper minced

Soak dried beans overnight in water. (at least 4 inches above the beans in a bowl).
Next day combine beans, shank (frozen), chicken broth, onion, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in slow cooker. Cover with water at least 2 inches above mixture.
Cook 6-8 hours on high
Turn off or put on warm and add jalapenos. Take meat off bone and shred. (Use a fork)
 Let stew sit for 1-2 hours on warm giving the jalapenos time to spice it up. You can eliminate this if you do not want it hot or you can add more if you like hot stew.

You can add carrots and celery to this mix if you wanted. It is basically a stew.

Serve with warm crusty bread or cornbread.