Oatmeal and Other Life-Changers

An empty raisin box yesterday brought us to our knees. The Big Guy trucked himself to the grocery store and was phone-guided by yours truly over to the raisins and other recent life-changer, organic oatmeal. As it turns out, the generic brand organic oatmeal is still cheaper the conventional Quaker. And the Big Guy is sold.

Evidently, we all had an unknown love of oats. We will never buy instant oatmeal packets again. Organic oats cost about a buck a pound. We added raisins, cranberries, flax seeds, and a small squirt of maple syrup, and found an oh-so tasty and cheap, not to mention healthy, breakfast that is ready in 15 minutes. Score one for Mom.

Score another for Mom, the Big Guy ate tofu lasagna the other day and couldn't tell the difference. He was slightly cheesed after he found out, yet ate it willingly the next day, if not grudgingly. But I seriously had no idea I could buy organic Whole Foods brand tofu for a dollar. It turned out to be a win on all fronts.

Oh, Dear

So the Five Dollar Family is slowly becoming defunct. I know, I know. This doesn't mean we're not saving. It just means, well, math is hard. My brain is heaving in my skull at the thought of dividing everything my two people and then by four meals. I mean, if we just ate freezer meals, no sweat, but that's a rarity. But adding fresh ingredients and then figuring out the percentage that we used and how many meals we actually got out of it, not to mention pureeing the leftovers into food for the kid. I can't do it. My mental faculties are best spent elsewhere. Like deciding what I will buy myself for Mothers' Day and then write my son's name on a card.

So to console myself and my few faithful readers, I have enacted Meatless Mondays. Meatless Mondays are fun! Last Monday, we had a super beans and rice recipe I found at my new favorite blog, Food With Kid Appeal. http://foodwithkidappeal.blogspot.com/2009/11/super-food-on-budget-black-beans-rice.html.

And Wednesday was meatless also. We had an amazing chili dip with cream cheese as the base. It was uber yummy. Cream cheese, black beans, spiced tomatoes, and more cheese all layered together with blue corn chips. I highly recommend it.

So now we're trying to come up with a theme for every day of the week. I told my husband that Topless Tuesdays were a no-go.

Join the Five Dollar Family on a Food Revolution

Okay. Listen up!

I am encouraging you to take action, and action starts in the home, in particular my home. I have a proposition for everyone. The Big Guy and I want to start a Food Revolution dinner party. We really enjoy what Jamie Oliver is doing and want to get involved.

The Proposal:

We want to open up our home every other Saturday evening, say 5:30, to all our family and friends that want to participate. All you have to do is bring a HEALTHY covered dish and show up. We're trying to get new ideas for healthy meals that we can make at home so we won't resort to processed food just because it's cheap and easy. We are in a dinner rut, and I'm sure we're not the only ones. So bring your healthy dish, your ideas, yourselves and anyone else who needs a dinner boost.

The Response:

Please, please, PLEASE let me know if this is something you'd like try. Don't feel like you can't come just because you don't know me well. This is also a great opportunity for people to get to know each other. I'd like to schedule the first party for Saturday, May 1, but I need to know if anyone is interested. I will report a firm date and time depending on response volume.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE WITH ME!

Dinner - $0

I spent nothing on dinner last night. We had leftover spaghetti from the in-laws that I froze and thawed, including the noodles. I wasn't aware you could do this, but my mother-in-law told me I could freeze the noodles and then dip them in boiling water to bring them back. They weren't quite as good as fresh noodles, but edible, especially after I put sauce on them. Our beverage was provided by my sister who left a bottle of Coke at my house. So totally free. I like it.

My deals this week were provided by Big Lots. If you've never been there, you should go. I found DeCecco organic fusilli for $1 a box. This is the brand used on Lydia's Italy, so I was very excited. I also found Panko breadcrumbs for $1.25. I haven't tried these yet, but my mom swears it's the best breading she's ever used. That's what's for dinner tonight along with acorn squash from the farmer's market, 2 for $1, and sautéed zucchini that I think I paid too much for, 3 big ones for $2. That makes dinner about $2.31 a serving, and makes me a success.

The Royal Order of the Mooch

Our daily totals over the weekend were great, or at least mine were. I think the big guy went over a little on Saturday because he didn't take a lunch to work. But the reason we did so well is because we didn't eat at home much; we ate at other people's houses. Saturday we ate with the in-laws and Sunday we ate corned beef with my family. I love corned beef.

The moral of the story is, if you eat at someone else's house, it costs you nothing.

I have not gotten the big guy's total for yesterday, but mine was $4.13. We had a super cheap and wonderful dinner last night. Here's the break-down:

Chicken leg quarters, BOGO at Winn-Dixie, roasted with citrus grill seasoning = $1.12 per quarter
Red potatoes, chopped and sauteed with rosemary and parsley = $.13 per serving
Head of broccoli, steamed and drizzled with Italian dressing = $.25 per serving

Grand total = $1.50 per serving

By the way, last week at the farmer's market, I bought the brocolli for $1.00. So if you're a broccoli-eater, that's the place to get it. But I think the deal of the day was on the herbs I bought. I got giant clumps of parsley, dill, and cilantro for $.50 each. The farmer's market is a magical place.

Day 1 or Epic Failure

Actually, we didn't do too badly. Here's a run-down of our costs per person:

.13 to make coffee
.20 instant oatmeal
.17 bananas, which was too much, but I needed them
.04 shampoo per day
2.75 quesadillas (1.75 for cheese, .10 for sour cream, .45 for beans, .30 for olives, .15 for tortillas)
.30 for most of the baby food

We drank water all day for the most part. I'm using a shower gel that I won at a baby shower, and David uses Dial that I got at Big Lots so cheap that it's less than a penny a day.

After our various snacks, the grand totals are

Me = $5.51
Big Chief = $8.19
Little Chief = $2.83

So the big guy is hemorrhaging money. Basically, it was my fault. I had an uber cheap lentil soup planned, but I let him talk me into quesadillas, which were great, but he needed two of them to feel satisfied. I have a feeling he's going to be my Achilles heel, as if he wasn't already.

Since we've already blown our totals for the day, I'm off to make cookies. If we eat them all, they won't count toward tomorrow's totals.

It's Almost Here

That's right, people. Tomorrow is April Fool's Day, otherwise known as the beginning of the Five Dollar Project, as I have affectionately termed it. And I don't mind telling you that I see a black cloud on the horizon. My grocery receipts are mocking me. I can feel it.

FYI - Winn-Dixie has chicken leg quarters on sale BOGO. The white meat is on sale, too, but it still comes out to over $2 a pound, which I can't justify. It's chicken. Honestly.

So we'll see how this whole thing goes. If you'll be participating with me, give me a shout.