004 | Meal Planning: Budget-friendly and Use what you have

Welcome back to my blog! Join me on a journey to simplify meal planning and make the most of what's in your freezer and fridge. As a work-from-home mom, I'm venturing into a new realm of organizing and optimizing my meals. Let's dive into the world of budget-friendly, delicious options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all while embracing the convenience of what's already in your kitchen.

The Deep Dark Freezer

My favorite trick for your freezer is to do a quick organization and take pictures of each shelf. Then, as you skim through the photos, you can meal plan with the images themselves or make a list of what you have. To help me explain, let’s take a look at my freezer.  Ooh, authenticity. This may be embarrassing :)

In summary, a sneak peek into my freezer reveals a diverse array of ingredients waiting to be transformed into delightful meals. From frozen cubed bread and broccoli cauliflower to walnuts and various meats, the possibilities are abundant. Embracing authenticity, I've laid bare the contents, setting the stage for creative meal planning. Join me as we explore inventive ways to turn these freezer treasures into budget-friendly and delicious dishes. The journey to optimize our kitchen inventory starts here!

The Fridge

Now, you may not need to do the pictures here since it isn’t oh-so-cold. But this is a nice time to check dates and note any bottles you want to finish up before they expire or just to make more room. I don’t do this deep of a meal plan every time, but I’d like to save my grocery budget for later and start the year with less of this food that’s been in my fridge for 30+ days.

Let’s Just see what chatGPT has to recommend

If you’ve never used AI, there are a few options. I am just going to drop these ingredients into a chat and see what meal ideas he has to offer. And here, I will share with you his/her starting point:

Breakfast Options:

1. Blueberry Walnut Overnight Oats: Combine rolled oats, almond milk, blueberries, and chopped walnuts. Let it sit overnight in the fridge for a quick and nutritious breakfast.
2. Vegetable Omelette: Mix eggs with chopped spinach, mushrooms, onions, and shredded cheese. Serve with a side of sliced apples.
3. Greek Yogurt Parfait: Layer Greek yogurt with sliced strawberries, granola, and a drizzle of honey or almond butter.

Lunch and Dinner Ideas:

4. Salmon and Shrimp Stir-Fry: Stir-fry shrimp, salmon, broccoli, and snap peas with ginger and soy sauce. Serve over white rice.
5. Veggie Wrap with Whole Wheat Tortillas: Fill whole wheat tortillas with sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, and a dollop of kale spinach pesto.
6. Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry: Sauté sliced beef tenderloin with broccoli and ginger. Add a soy-based sauce and serve over brown rice.
7. Chicken and Vegetable Skewers: Thread chicken tenders, bell peppers, and onions onto skewers. Grill or bake and serve with a side of roasted sweet potato cubes.
8. Pesto Pasta with Shrimp: Cook whole wheat pasta and toss with shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and pesto. Top with grated Parmesan.
9. Vegetarian Burrito Bowl: Combine brown rice with black beans, corn, avocado, and salsa. Top with shredded cheese and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Snacks and Sides:

10. Fruit Salad with Nuts: Mix chopped strawberries, blueberries, and pomegranate seeds. Top with a sprinkle of chopped pecans.
11. Edamame and Walnut Salad: Toss edamame, walnuts, shredded carrots, and sliced oranges with a light vinaigrette for a refreshing salad.

Dessert Options:

13. Baked Apples with Cinnamon: Core and slice apples, sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake until tender. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream cheese.
14. Cherry Almond Yogurt Parfait: Layer Greek yogurt with canned cherries, sliced almonds, and a drizzle of honey.

That is a great start! Wow, now we are hoping to start the day off savory, have 20-30 g protein in each meal, and keep all the meals around 500 calories. So let us begin.

Meal Planning

Breakfast

I will start with breakfast! And maybe if I am brave, we can try a new recipe. I want to make a play off of this recipe for a breakfast strata - which is like a savory bread pudding. I would make it before and just reheat it in the oven or air fryer.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for greasing the baking dish
• 2.5 cups chopped spinach, packed
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1/4 cup of onions
• 6 cups crusty bread, Toasted from my freezer
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
• 1 cup minced mushrooms
• 3 slices of bacon - diced
• 3 patties of sausage
• 3 eggs
• 1 c egg whites
• 3 cups almond milk
• 1 teaspoon seasoning that matches your leftovers best
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with a little olive oil. Place it on a baking sheet.
2. In a large skillet set over medium heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil. When it shimmers add the garlic and onion, saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and mushrooms and stir until wilted and most of the moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat and turn off the burner.
3. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on the bottom of the pan. Layer on ⅓ of the cheese, spinach, bacon, and sausage. Top with more bread and repeat the layering process until the ingredients are used up.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg whites, almond milk, seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour it over the layered bread in the baking dish.
5. Transfer it to the oven to bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the strata is puffed up and slightly golden on the top.

Yield and Nutrition:

For our family, and with our ingredients, this will make 10 adult servings, which will break down into 4 meals.

What an awesome deal! And then we can just do eggs, bacon, and either biscuits or toast for Sunday.

“This is good. I like it. My tummy is happy”
                        - Strata is toddler-approved!

.Breakfast Plan:

Groceries needed: Bread and maybe more eggs!

Dinners then Lunch

Oh no! I am going out of order! That’s because I like the ease of using dinner to make lunch leftovers when possible

1st three days

2nd three days

Groceries needed: fruit for Sunday lunch

Sweet treat ideas:

1. Baked apples with whipped cream cheese topping and toasted pecans
2. Airfrier banana muffins: like from this recipe
3. Peanut butter cookies with 1 egg, 1 cup of peanut butter (finishing off all those almost empty jars), one cup of sugar (I will try to half this and substitute with something else like baby pureed veggies or fruits even. AHHHH), vanilla and I will top it with some flakey salt.
4. I’ve also been wanting to try these black bean brownies (maybe even with a cream cheese swirl) and the GF/vegan/non-refined oat cookies.

Grocery items needed: dates.

Wrapping up

As we wrap up this culinary exploration, remember that meal planning is a dynamic journey tailored to your family's tastes and needs. Embrace the simplicity, the creativity born from your kitchen's existing treasures, and the budget-friendly joys of making the most out of what you already have. From freezer to fridge, and from breakfast to dessert, we've delved into a variety of possibilities. With 30+ meal ideas in your arsenal and a grocery list that's surprisingly concise (4 items), we’re equipped to embark on a delicious and economical culinary adventure. Let the joy of meal planning continue, bringing tasty satisfaction to your table while keeping your budget intact. Happy cooking!

Heather