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Meal Planning Done for You
My kids start school in two days. As much as I enjoy the less structured days of summer, I’m ready to get into a routine again. My son will be in 8th grade and will be playing football so I know when he comes home from practice in the evening, he will be hungry! Therefore, I want to be sure to have a plan for what we will have for supper. I do meal planning regularly but sometimes my brain just doesn’t want to think about what to have. Does anyone else feel the same way? On our Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website, we have sample meal-planning calendars that do the thinking for you! The week-long meal plans include 3 meals and 2 snacks per day and recipes are linked. If you eat vegetarian or are just interested in more plant-based recipes, there is a whole calendar of vegetarian meals and snacks.
Meals from a Dollar Store
In my home state of Iowa, there are a lot of us who have a significant drive to get to a big grocery store with a wide variety of food. Trips into larger cities take time and money for transportation. In small towns and certain areas of larger cities, we are more likely to find a dollar store that sells a variety of items including some food. Most dollar stores have shelf-stable foods and some have refrigerated or frozen foods too. I gave some thought to what I could make with the shelf-stable foods my local dollar store carries. Here are some of the products that stood out to me as particularly useful and how I would make them into a meal.
Spaghetti Squash
I always look forward to this time of year. As the summer break from school winds down, I like to take some time off work and simply enjoy the end of summer with my children. Sometimes we go on adventures, but a lot of the time we just relax around home. And, to be honest, I do not cook much. This means I am probably not going to make our August recipe of the month – Spaghetti Squash – until this fall.
Peppers on Parade!
It has been a fun month reading all about our favorite summer produce items. It is a real joy to have summer produce from the grocery store, farmers market or even your own back porch. I enjoy nearly all summer produce, but I would say peppers rise to the top for me. They are delicious raw and cooked and they can be sweet or spicy.
Totally Tomatoes
What ripens to red, orange, purple, or yellow, has seeds, and is bursting with the fresh flavor of summer? Tomatoes come in a rainbow of colors; the most common is red, of course. Tomatoes add color, nutrients, and interest to our meals. Not only can we chop, slice, and eat them fresh, but they serve as the base for recipes and sauces in many cultures. If you want to find new recipes from cultures around the world there are some ideas below, or you can check out Oldways.
Bountiful Bell Peppers
My family and I love peppers because of how versatile they are. They can add flavor and crunch to any dish, or are great eaten raw. Whole peppers last a week or two in the fridge, making them a perfect produce item to stock up on.