Well, here we are. Week 2 of whatever fresh hell this administration is serving up. Can you say constitutional crisis?
If you’re wondering what is on the menu in our house, other than skyrocketing grocery prices and an ever present feeling of impending doom, keep reading.
But first, I have to acknowledge that I’m a terrible blogger, because I didn’t take very many pictures.
I’ll get better, I promise.
Breakfasts
I used a ton of eggs from our purchase at Aldi to make an egg casserole for Mr. Frugal Forward. Side note: how is it real life that $4.48/dozen is a steal for eggs?
Mr. Frugal Forward is a diabetic, so he eats protein-heavy breakfasts every single day.
I do not. I’m not a breakfast person. I pretty much just have coffee with either Nutpods or Half and Half.
Lunches
I pack Mr. Frugal Forward’s lunch for him every day. Otherwise, he will eat out and, more often than is reasonable, he gets glutened from cross-contamination. When he ingests gluten it is BAAADDDD. He could be sick for a week. So, we are very cautious. Also, it’s less expensive and better for his health.
His lunches are pretty simple. They essentially follow this pattern:
- Salad
- Sandwich or leftovers from the prior night’s dinner
- Fruit (usually an apple, banana, or berries)
- Sometimes I’ll include an extra snack like nuts, yogurt, chia seed pudding, or a homemade treat
Dinners
For this week, I made:
Carnitas Tacos with Air Fried Zucchini on the Side
I pulled the carnitas from my deep freezer. I purchased two 14 ounce packages on a Black Friday deal. I just looked at my receipt and I paid $10.80 total for both packages. I used tortillas I had previously purchased at Costco. (I recently bought another package and, if I remember correctly, it was $3.29 for 100 tortillas.) I diced the zucchini (from the farmers market), seasoned it with avocado oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and then air fried it. I pulled a discounted container of guacamole out of the freezer. (I purchased like 6 of them from Ralphs in December because they were marked way down.)
The next day, I cooked some rice in my Instant Pot with some homemade chicken broth. We made burrito bowls with the leftovers.
Tostadas with Guacamole and Salad
I made tostadas with the tostada shells I purchased at our discount grocery store. I pulled a pound of Butcher Box ground beef (grass-fed, grass-finished) from the freezer (this cost me $5.00, because I stocked up on the Black Friday sale) and cooked it with the onions, bell peppers, celery, and carrots I’d previously prepped. I added some taco seasoning, garlic powder, tomato paste, and water to make the sauce.
I also grabbed a home canned jar of red beans and put them in a sauce pan. I mashed them with the back of a spoon, then seasoned them with garlic powder and taco seasoning, and added a cup of shredded Mexican cheese blend from Costco. (I store this in the freezer.)
We topped each assembled tostada with shredded Monterey Jack cheese I’d previously purchased from Azure Standard, romaine lettuce, more guacamole from the freezer, sour cream, and some salsa verde I had in the pantry.
We liked this a lot and decided to have them for dinner again the next night.
Honey Baked Turkey Breast with Rice, Sweet Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts
This night I roasted some sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts I got at the farmers market, heated up some leftover rice, and plated up the turkey breast. It was pretty good.
Cajun Smoked Sausage, Rice and Veggies Thing
I used the smoked sausage and kale I bought discounted from Ralphs, leftover rice, and the vegetable blend I’d prepped previously. I added cajun seasoning, some homemade chicken broth, and called it a day.
What are you making for dinner? Do you have any favorites? What are your go-to frugal meals?
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Frugal Forward 
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