One of the things I got for Christmas this year was a Crockpot from my parents. I've been drooling over them and had planned on buying one with any gift cards I got for Christmas. Anyway I got a really nice 5 quart Rival crockpot with removable stoneware. OK to my point....I fixed a yummy pot of homemade vegetable soup in it the other day. For some reason homemade veggie soup just will not turn out on my stove! I have no idea why! I think its because my burners don't heat evenly so the bottom of the soup burns and the biggest pot I have barely holds my soup ingredients. So I took a pack of stew beef and browned it on the stove. Then I threw it in the crockpot along with my other ingredients. I let it cook on high for 6 hours and yum-o! The potatoes were kind of smushy for some reason but other than that it was yummy.
Chili....I love chili. OK I pretty much love any kind of soup or stew that you put in front of me. lol I have a bunch of recipes for chili ranging from very very very simple (hamburger, pork n beans and chili powder, super easy and yummy) to the very very complex (these recipes are still sitting wanting to be tried). Well the other day I wanted chili. I took out 2 cookbooks, Not Just Beans and a cookbook called Village Vittles that we bought in the mountains on our honeymoon, and looked for a yummy but simple chili recipe. I wanted one more complex than the 3 ingredient chili. So I took the 2 recipes I found and combined them to come up with this recipe.
1 lb ground chuck (ground beef or ground round would work to, or even ground chicken or turkey I would think)
1/2 onion
1/4 green pepper
1 1/2 TBS chili powder
1can kidney beans, drained
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1can diced tomatoes, drained
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS vinegar, I used red wine vinegar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
Brown the ground chuck, onion and green pepper in a skillet. Add other ingredients and let simmer for 30 minutes-1 hour. Serve topped with shredded cheese.
I found my receipts from my shopping trip the other day among the inch thick stack of receipts that have been collecting in my purse. LOL I don't have the sizes on hand, but they're the "regular" sizes that you usually find at the grocery store. Make sense? lol Anyway, if anyone wants to the know the exact size of something I can find it.
Aldi:
Baby Carrots 0.99
bread 0.59
4pk toilet paper 0.89x2
Frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts 5.99 (I think theres about 7 chicken breasts in the pack??)
12" pizza 2.19
Potatoes 3.29 (I think its a 10# bag)
Tangerines 1.99
No-Bake Cheesecake 1.39
Graham cracker crust 0.89
cool whip 0.69
2oz hand sanitizer 0.69 (I was out of the bottle I keep in my purse and this is a MUST HAVE for me at all times lol)
DVD $7.49
cinnamon rolls 1.39
canned veggies 0.35x6
canned raviola 0.69x3
canned diced tomatoes 0.49
creamer 1.99
Biscuits 0.27
dozen eggs 1.09
Chocolate syrup 0.99
granola bars 1.89
cereal 1.69
Au Gratin potatoes 0.79
Cheese slices 1.49
Ketchup 0.99
canned Kidney Beans 0.35
Instant pudding 0.29x3
Fabric softener sheets 0.99
Olive Oil 3.49
Canola Oil 1.79
All Purpose Flour 1.29 (5# bag)
AA batteries 1.99
Tomato Sauce 0.19x4
5# bag Sugar 2.09
Total 60.78 (includes tax and 3 grocery bags that I had to buy b/c I left mine at home..opps)
Piggly Wiggly:
Mac & Cheese 1.69
Toothpaste 3.29
Stew Beef 2.59
Stew Beef 2.03
Boneless Pork Chops 2.69
Round Steak 1.68
Country Style Ribs 3.06
Country Style Ribs 3.22
20oz drink 1.09
Total 21.98 (includes tax)
K-Mart:
Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent $3
My total for the day was $85.76. Way over my $40/week I know, but its been ALONG time since I went grocery shopping and we needed alot of stuff. Some things listed aren't grocery items, like the DVD and batteries, and some weren't really needed to re-stock the pantry but I've got my appetite back and its fairly large since I'm pregnant so I like to keep things in the house I can snack on (tangerines, pudding, cinnamon rolls, etc the biscuits are for me to fry and roll in sugar, yummy). Next week all I should need to buy is meats and maybe a few things to snack on.
MTC,
MrsB
