Family On A Budget

So I stated my 2009 Savings goals in January and it is time for an update on the progress so far.

First we wanted to contribute towards an emergency savings fund. We are on track with another deposit last month. It is great to watch that balance rise. Several articles I have researched stated that you should have 6-8 months on hand and that won’t happen this year, but it is nice to invest in yourself.

Second, we wanted to contribute towards a fund for a new car. Well we have been able to add extra last month so we have about 2000 ready for another vehicle.

Third, I wanted to save towards a vacation fund. I had also been able to put in a small amount. Perhaps we have enough for a weekend away if we don’t mind camping. LOL. A vacation is really not high on my priority list right now….

Progress feels good.

This week is going to be a more expensive one and that sort of bothers me, but we have saved up some extra cash to offset our food budget. Tuesday is going to be a special treat for St. Patrick’s day. Hubbie loves that I am adding beer to the menu. Friday it is our tradition to eat at the local fish fry’s. I don’t like to eat out every Friday like this but these fish frys are very important fund raisers for our churches and fire halls so I do our part to support them. Sunday is my daughters 21st birthday so we are going up to her college and take her out to dinner. She has not told us yet where she wants to go, but I bet it will be a place that serves alcohol. Seems to be the week to drink…Cheers….

Monday: Spaghetti with Homemade Italian Turkey Sausage, salad and garlic bread.

Tuesday: Corned Beef and Cabbage, Harp Beer. Not sure if I will dye it green or not.

Wednesday: White Bean and Chicken Chili – recipe to follow, with homemade bread from the bread machine.

I have been experimenting with Italian Sausage for pizza and pasta and have settled on the following version. It is adapted from my Kitchen Aid grinder recipes. You can grind your own turkey or chicken for this but I have been lazy and just buy ground turkey when it is on sale. For now I just cook it loose, but in the summer I will use the Kitchen aid and make my own links.

My family didn’t even notice that I used turkey and made a “healthy” version. It is so good on homemade pizza. I don’t even miss the pepperoni.

1 pound ground pork, chicken or turkey
3/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne or chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder or dried minced onion
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp marjoram or savory
1/8 tsp crushed rosemary
1/8 tsp thyme
2 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar.

Sprinkle the seasonings and vinegar onto the ground meat and mix together by hand.

Make a small patty and cook it thoroughly. Taste it and adjust the seasonings as your prefer. Cover, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Here is a recipe I am going to make this weekend. It is quick and easy and very yummy. I buy big bags of pasta from Sam’s Club or stock up when pasta is on sale so I always have Rigatoni on hand. A great alternative to Rigatoni with spaghetti sauce.

Serves 4

1 pound rigatoni
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
2 cups ricotta cheese – I use non fat
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups grated fontina or mozzarella cheese. – I use part skim mozzarella.

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until almost done, about 12 minutes. Drain. Put the pasta in the prepared baking dish and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil.

Meanwhile, squeeze as much of the water as possible from the spinach. Put the spinach in a food processor and puree with the ricotta, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir in half the grated cheese.

Are you looking for a great resource on home investing? Here is one called Investing In Your Future.

I am through Unit 1. Basic Building Blocks of Successful Financial Management. So far it is common sense. I am planning to print the course out and read to my hubby on our daily work commute. Hopefully he doesn’t get too bored. I have been trying to get him more involved in our savings plan.

The units are:
* Introduction
* Unit 1: Basic Building Blocks of Successful Financial Management
* Unit 2: Investing Basics
* Unit 3: Finding Money to Invest
* Unit 4: Ownership Investments
* Unit 5: Fixed-Income Investing
* Unit 6: Mutual Fund Investing
* Unit 7: Tax-Deferred Investments
* Unit 8: Investing Small Dollar Amounts
* Unit 9: Getting Help: Investing Resources
* Unit 10: Selecting Financial Professionals
* Unit 11: Investment Fraud
* Study Guide
* Action Steps
* Monthly Investment Messages
* Glossary

I found the course while blog surfing (Thanks to Get Rich Slowly).

Some of the items are from last week that didn’t make it to the table as planned. My refrigerator is stocked with lots of fresh veggies and fruits as I found a new inexpensive organic market that had great prices and really fresh items. I am looking forward to eating well this week.

Monday – Chicken Fajitas with red and yellow peppers and onions, Spicy Spanish Quinoa (will try and post the recipe).

Tuesday – Homemade ricotta stuffed shells (fresh ricotta and fresh mozzarella) with salad and homemade bread (bread machine). Using fresh cheese is more expensive but my daughter is home on Spring Break and she deserves a treat.

Wednesday – Navy Bean Soup and salad. – always a budget friendly dinner and a favorite of my husband and daughters.

Thursday - Pork and sauerkraut with turkey kielbasa and fat free hot dogs. (brought over from last week).

Friday – Fish Fry Day. We will visit one of our local churches/fire halls. I always try and get baked fish and many more are serving this each year.

Saturday – Homemade pepperoni pizza, salad and baked chicken wings.

I am so ready to plant my garden and with today’s heat spike in the 50′s I am looking forward to getting my nails dirty. In the spirit of of the upcoming gardening season I found this canning recipe that I am definitely going to make. I got the recipe from the Whole Foods Website. Is anyone else getting excited about spring and fresh garden vegetables?

Windy City Wasabeans

Makes 6 pints, Serves 24

Enjoy these spicy pickled green beans with a crispy crunch in a zesty Niçoise salad, as a Bloody Mary garnish, wrapped in salami for an appetizer or chopped and mixed in tuna salad. This recipe is courtesy of professional pickler Rick Field of Rick’s Picks.

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar (5% acid)
3/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 small cheesecloth bag or 4X4-inch square piece of cheese cloth and kitchen twine
1 1/2 dried chile peppers, broken up
1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns (tellicherry, if available)
6 tablespoons wasabi powder
24 peeled whole garlic cloves
4 pounds fresh green beans
Special equipment: 6 (1-pint) canning jars with lids and screw bands
Method

I have a ton of oatmeal from a previous Giant Eagle sale and searched for good, healthy recipes to make some oatmeal muffins. I often need something quick in the morning. I want something filling that is Weight Watcher Friendly.

I found the following recipe from Cooking Light and with a few adaptations I love them. They are 4 WW points, but they include a healthy oil which I am guilty of not getting in most of the time.

Whole Wheat, Oatmeal and Raisin Muffins. – 12 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/8 cup splenda and 1/8 cup sugar)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used splenda brown sugar)
2 tablespoons untoasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons wheat bran (I didn’t have any so I used ground flax seeds instead)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates (I used dried apricots)
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (I used skim milk and 1 T vinegar)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup boiling water
Cooking spray

Another week of clearing out the freezer.

Monday: Baked Chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes. – This has been on my list for the past two weeks. Finally cooked it.

Tuesday: Enchilada casserole. (Recipe to follow)

Wednesday: Cajun Salmon fillets, canned spinach, baked potatoes. (The fillets are from Sams Club)

Thursday: Black Bean Soup, homemade rolls, spinach salad. (using the ham hock in my freezer).

Friday: Dinner Out (From now till Easter we will visit various Fish Frys at local Churches and Fire Halls)

Saturday: Meat Loaf, mashed potatoes, green beans. (Ground beef and turkey from Freezer)

Sunday: Pork, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, kielbasa. (Butterfly pork chops from freezer – They are from Sams Club but they were dry when I broiled them – maybe baking them with sauerkraut will tenderize them.)

I finally made it to Whole Foods to pick up some grains to experiment with. Here is what I made with Spelt Berries. I found the recipe on Kathleen’s Vegetarian Kitchen Blog.

1 cup cooked spelt berries (cooking instructions below)
2 or 3 apples, cored and sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries or raisins
1/3 cup plain yogurt or mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cream cheese, ricotta or small curd cottage cheese (to thicken it a bit)
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, to taste (apple pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice)

1. To cook the spelt berries: boil 1 1/2 cups water, then add 1/2 cup uncooked spelt berries. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about an hour and a half, until tender. Drain any remaining liquid and cool before adding to the salad. (A tip: make a larger batch and put some in the freezer for a future salad).

2. Make the dressing by whisking together or blending until smooth the yogurt or mayo, the cream cheese, lime juice, and honey. Add some apple pie spice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.