Pictures of Meals From This Week

Monday's soup: in crockpot ready to slow cook

 Ready to serve

Tuesday's leftovers have no pictures: mug of chili made from last of chicken soup from the week before, with black beans and chili powder added. Sandwiches filled with leftover frozen cooked chicken and sweet broccoli salad with bacon (leftover frozen, cooked). I substituted what  I had on hand for what I did not have that were similar to the recipes I used.

Wednesday's leftovers: Chili Tortilla Pie---leftover broken chips, onions from our garden, sour cream, and
leftover chili from Monday, thickened and made spicier. Leftovers of this went well with eggs for two breakfasts.

Thursday's leftovers: Hungarian Goulash---leftover soup (strained, broth saved) and drop biscuits from picture above,  with added paprika and sour cream.  Strained broth from this dish was lunch for me  yesterday.

This was a short leftover meal thread---4 days. Some things don't lend themselves to many meals. But I actually only spent $3.71 (for pastured chuck steak which was $6.98/lb. for 3/4lb. at $4.71 marked $1 off because the "sell-by" date was approaching) for those four days (for the main entrees) from this week's food budget. So, that's still a great savings.

I still have Mexican dishes in my freezer from Christmas Eve leftovers and three or four meals from the meatloaf leftover thread. When I call a meal a "freebie" I usually mean that it frees me up to not have to cook one or more nights. I got this phrase from my husband's Aunt Chris. When she cleared the table and found something unused, like a spoon or knife she would call out, "A Freebie!" meaning she did not have to wash it. But, I guess it also is free in that I do not spend any money on it during the week I am serving it! I like "Freebies" even more now!

Friday: Tonight, Gyros made with natural ground turkey. Picture to follow IF I can break through the ice in our driveway with a long-handled tool so I can get to my car and the store. I am out of ground turkey in my freezer.

Tonight starts with an initial meal in a short leftover thread that will end on Saturday. Any leftovers, however, will be revived again on Monday with a soup of course! All that will be left is a little of the seasoned fully cooked meat so if there is any left on Saturday I will not put it in Monday's soup but serve it in the bowls with the soup since the soup will be the initial meal in another meal thread for a few days. Always think ahead about how long you are keeping ingredients so you never end up with something spoiling your meals-----or your health.

Have a great weekend!
Kathi~