Food Disscussion: Meal Planing (and Preparing)/Grocery Shopping

[bentmode]

Hey there sports fans. just wanna now how all you are grubbing. when you eat, do you do take out or do you make meals at home?
dollar menus or dollar stores? for those who are eating at home, what are some of your favorite meals to prepare? also do you do store brands or go far the name brand? also to consider that some people are struggling what are your favorite bargains at the grocery store?

personally when im at home i usually make bomb ass pastas. or just cook up some frozen patties on the foreman and


and


is a must for any burger connoisseur. i would tell you what else i add but you would have probably figured out that its



also when im grubbing cheap i usually just pick up fruit, a giant 60 pack of waffles, macaroni, hella milk and like 6 pounds of ground beef for my hamburger helper. oh and

[Pelican]

I save on groceries by eating my own feces.

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

Get some veggies, some rice, some lentils, worchestireshire sauce, vinegar, soy and teriyaki sauce, and eggs and you got tons of different meals for days. Just mix and match any combo of those and fry it all up, and you are golden.
Safeway brand bbq chicken pizza is rad, cheap as fuck too, like $2 by me.
Store brand is the way to go. Most of the time its the same exact thing just without marketing.
Buying brand name staples like butter or milk is ridiculous.
Salsa is a different story though.
I also love sugary drinks, so to save money I hit up grape kool aid instead of soda. Its cheaper, has less sugar, and has vitamin C which soda lacks. I know its not good for me, but it beats when I used to buy a bunch of sodas.
Who else spices up mac and cheese?
I add fake chicken nuggets (as in vegetarian),steamed broccoli, chili powder, and potatoe slices fried up in some garlic and whatever the fuck is in the italian seasoning jar.
I just moved into a house with a fucked up kitchen though, so its mostly frozen shit.
Those frozen chicken pattighes stuffed with broccoli and cheese are bomb though.

[nice weather]

I'd be in favour of a somewhat fruity, but nevertheless useful and interesting recipe thread. I have about 10 meals plus all their variations that I can prepare, but there's so much more out there and sometimes I'm just not creative enough when it comes to throwing fancy ingredients together.

[carbonite]

Weber grills kick ass. You can cook anything on that shit.
One of the best things to do is smoke a chicken, a whole 6 lb chicken costs like 6 bucks and you can eat for like 3 days, just wrap some potatoes in foil and throw them on their while the chicken is smoking...
I also recommend using a chimney starter like this

it makes the coals literally white-hot...

[odp]

we've got the budget grocery stores around here like price right or save a lot. Everything is generally a few bucks cheaper and there are more hispanic food stuffs.

Goya brand rice and Goya brand frijoles are the way to go.

Sauces are like whiskey, gotta go with the good brand. Texas Pete is great, Goya makes a good sauce too. Tony Chacheres is good shit as well. Sweet Baby Rays... the list could go on and on.

I'll cook up a huge pot of yellow rice, frijoles negroes, and chicken at the start of the week and it will last til friday. 4 boxes of rice, 3 cans of beans, and however much chicken i can afford to buy.

sugar in the raw is good to mix withr your morning java fix.

[jrock]

i found a fry daddy at the house, so i've been frying up a lot of chicken.  just break a couple eggs in a bowl, beat em up with a touch of milk to make the batter.  I take some flour and add some cayenne and black pepper, and i chop up the chicken into either strips or nuggets and season it with tobasco (or crystal), pepper, salt, and cayenne.  dip the chicken in the egg mix, cover with flour and throw in the hot vegetable oil for about 7 minutes.  I've done catfish and huspuppies the same way, and i want to try to do chicken fried steak next. 

the other day I found some sesame chicken sauce in the pantry, so i threw it in a pan with some cut up some green onions,  some carrots, old angel hair pasta from the fridge, and some chicken breasts.  It was the first time I'd made it and it came out really good. 

a couple years ago i couldn't cook a grilled cheese sandwich, but now i'm really stoked on learning as much as i can. 

[TheKarmessiah]

i like to chop fresh peppers, toss em in some rago with beef, throw that over angelhair pasta, and make some garlic cheese bread.

also i make sure to smother the spaghetti with parmesan cheese

 i could eat that everyday

the other day i made some cornbread with chocolate chips, added honey, and replaced the regular milk with coconut milk

i win this thread 

[lampshade]

We wait until chicken breasts go on sale for 1.99lb, then stock the freezer.  You can make those things a hundred different ways.  Fresh veggies are rad, but frozen work in a pinch.  Never anything from a can.  The raw beans you get in a bag taste so much better and don't have all the sodium of the canned joints.  They just take awhile to prepare.  Have fruit on hand for snacks.  Big pots of chili go along way for leftovers. 

We try to eat in a lot.  Two people going out to a casual dinner plus a few drinks around here is about $50.  For that you can get a few days of groceries and a good 12 pack.  Plus when you go out you have no clue what is in your food.  Of course restaurant food tastes good, but the main reasons are mad salt, butter, and oil, unless you are going somewhere nice and $$$ where the chef has skills and they use high end ingredients

[Temp Gnar]

we've got the budget grocery stores around here like price right or save a lot.

Here we've got Grocery Outlet and Biglots. The price savings on cereal/peanut butter/hygiene products at those places is worth it alone.

Also, I like to cook in bulk and then tupperwear single servings for the rest of the week. Soup, chile, pasta... Add a grilled pbj with any of those and you're in good shape.

I've also got a few chickens so I get about 2 eggs a day, which makes for a low cost versatile food. Fried egg sandwiches are badass.

[skate_bored]

i eat out a lot...usually i stop and get 2 donuts at dunkin donuts every day i work(3-4 times a week), then for lunch ive been trying to pack sandwiches to at least save a little bit. then i go somewhere for dinner after work, or i cook a frozen pizza.

[max power]

made some really good pizzas this week. trader joes has whole wheat dough for .99 cents a pop and got some prosciutto and olives. cheap and really good. tonight we're making flank steak stuffed with bacon, spinach, roasted red peppers and blue cheese.

[Sleazy]

i'm all about whole foods, we actually planned our move to austin around living close to a whole foods because it's that essential to how we eat, plus it's just a more relaxing place to shop with all the fadded hippy's working there.

i always go with the store brand but i didn't before i shopped at whole foods

the most frequent meal i do is portien, salad and bread. basically i grab one protien for me and my wife (salmon, quail, pork chops, etc...) and put some season salt (paprika, seasalt, thyme, black pepper, garlic) with olive oil and then broil the protien in the oven (or grill down by pool if weather is nice). i get freshed baked bread each day and throw that in the oven when the meats almost done and then i grab a salad off the salad bar and toss that ho right when eveythings done. doesn't make a big mess, is pretty healthy and me and the wifey both love it. always served with wine.

we probably eat out max 1-2 times a week (usually ethnic, indian, korean, thai, etc...) and i cook all the rest of our meals so we can eat healthy. i make breakfast and lunches for the week over the weekend and do breakfast tacos wrapped in foil which are awesome because you can just throw one in the mircowave and then have a nice hot breakfast for the ride to work ready in a minute. lunches vary. this week was tuna salad with capers, celery, dill and lemon done both as sandwiches with fresh baked bread and also on the side with whole wheat crackers (actually eating my 10am portion as i type this, yummie).

we could probably spend less and eat out every meal if we weren't concerned about health and didn't drink wine with every meal. but i budget for 400 a week for groceries, which i know is kind of high, but it's way less than we were spending before when we'd eat out 5-6 nights a week and we are eating better, healthier food and drinking better wine. if times get hard, we could definitely cut back more but it's the one thing each day we both have to look forward too is getting home to a relaxing meal with some wine and fresh bread.

[SleepyPeePee]

GUYS!!
The goldmine has been found in Southern California (maybe elsewhere but im just assuming).
This place called Fresh N' Easy..
It's an organic market, sells only their brand of stuff..
Me & a few homies went there like last week, got this meat tray(s) deal for $5. (it was $3 the day before)..
includes:   4 hamburger patties    4 Sausage-type links (good size)    & a huge tray of Pre-seasoned/marinated Chicken legs&breasts underneath the other tray.
We got buns in the "only got a day or 2 left" basket for $0.19.
An 18 pack of "Taurino" (?) $5.99. Everything came out to be a little more than $10.00 it fed all of us & the beer wasn't that bad & got me feelin good, so that's all that matters. FYI (the food was not sketchy, super lean patties, everything was straight didn't get sick either)
Everything there (that isn't in the 'deal' rows) which is like an isle or 2 is still cheap.
The lady was making sample food in the back corner of their store brand shit, reallyy really good.
It's fresh & definately easy to shop for food.

[Sleazy]

Expand Quote

i'm all about whole foods, we actually planned our move to austin around living close to a whole foods because it's that essential to how we eat, plus it's just a more relaxing place to shop with all the fadded hippy's working there.

i always go with the store brand but i didn't before i shopped at whole foods

the most frequent meal i do is portien, salad and bread. basically i grab one protien for me and my wife (salmon, quail, pork chops, etc...) and put some season salt (paprika, seasalt, thyme, black pepper, garlic) with olive oil and then broil the protien in the oven (or grill down by pool if weather is nice). i get freshed baked bread each day and throw that in the oven when the meats almost done and then i grab a salad off the salad bar and toss that ho right when eveythings done. doesn't make a big mess, is pretty healthy and me and the wifey both love it. always served with wine.

we probably eat out max 1-2 times a week (usually ethnic, indian, korean, thai, etc...) and i cook all the rest of our meals so we can eat healthy. i make breakfast and lunches for the week over the weekend and do breakfast tacos wrapped in foil which are awesome because you can just throw one in the mircowave and then have a nice hot breakfast for the ride to work ready in a minute. lunches vary. this week was tuna salad with capers, celery, dill and lemon done both as sandwiches with fresh baked bread and also on the side with whole wheat crackers (actually eating my 10am portion as i type this, yummie).

we could probably spend less and eat out every meal if we weren't concerned about health and didn't drink wine with every meal. but i budget for 400 a week for groceries, which i know is kind of high, but it's way less than we were spending before when we'd eat out 5-6 nights a week and we are eating better, healthier food and drinking better wine. if times get hard, we could definitely cut back more but it's the one thing each day we both have to look forward too is getting home to a relaxing meal with some wine and fresh bread.

[close]

Now I'm hoping you'll move here before I leave so we can grub down! I'll bring my grill and a bottle of wine.

fuck that'd be awsome, when you spliting? you're heading to DC or something like that right?

[HGDhero]

I'm pretty lucky on the food situation. My girlfriend is super into Vegan Cooking, like rocking a bunch of cookbooks, planning out meals etc. All i have to do is go with her to out local organic grocery store(rainbow) and help grab whatever is on the list, and pay for half of it and im set for dinner for the week or few days whatever. Buy lots of bulk food, veggies etc, not really alot of packaged stuff cause more costly. I Bring lunch in sometimes but usually just grab a cheap veggie burrito here in the mission. We usually go out for breakfast on Sunday and maybe once a week go out for dinner. Spend a decent amount on groceries, etc but gotta eat and would rather eat heathy organic etc. Feel alot better knowing where your food comes from, and way better for you. Dont go out to bars so much anymore so saving alot $$ that way..

[bentmode]

GUYS!!
The goldmine has been found in Southern California (maybe elsewhere but im just assuming).
This place called Fresh N' Easy..
It's an organic market, sells only their brand of stuff..
Me & a few homies went there like last week, got this meat tray(s) deal for $5. (it was $3 the day before)..
includes:   4 hamburger patties    4 Sausage-type links (good size)    & a huge tray of Pre-seasoned/marinated Chicken legs&breasts underneath the other tray.
We got buns in the "only got a day or 2 left" basket for $0.19.
An 18 pack of "Taurino" (?) $5.99. Everything came out to be a little more than $10.00 it fed all of us & the beer wasn't that bad & got me feelin good, so that's all that matters. FYI (the food was not sketchy, super lean patties, everything was straight didn't get sick either)
Everything there (that isn't in the 'deal' rows) which is like an isle or 2 is still cheap.
The lady was making sample food in the back corner of their store brand shit, reallyy really good.
It's fresh & definately easy to shop for food.

fresh and easy was created for those whole live near low income housing, but its funny because around here they are in fairly decent areas.

[RightCoastBiased]

I eat out damn near every meal, or poach the roommate's food. I am broke because of it.

[Sleazy]

Spend a decent amount on groceries, etc but gotta eat and would rather eat heathy organic etc. Feel alot better knowing where your food comes from, and way better for you. Dont go out to bars so much anymore so saving alot $$ that way..

cheers to that

[nocomply]

Whole foods?...eh. Like you said... run by hippies. Run by hippies=shitty service. My wife used to trek an hour to go to that place for a few different specific things. half the time the shit we needed was out of stock.

Strictly grocery store for my fam. The only food luxury I can afford is eating out for lunch every day. It's expensive, but I haven't figured out how to make a sandwich that is as tasty as the local NJ deli's.

[The Bullet]

my wife got a subscription to martha stewarts bi-monthly cooking magazine a littel while ago, and no word of a lie, that thing is awesome.  When we got married we ate out about 5 times a week, not counting that I would go out for lunch at work pretty much every day.  Now we are down to one, and I just take leftovers to work for my lunch.  Cooking is fun.  I'm usually into chicken/steak recipies for anything meaty.   

oh yeah, and, do you guys have farmer sausage down in the states??  It's like eating candy it tastes so good.  Sometimes our organic store has farmer sausage smokies, and it's probably the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. 

The other day my wife and I made some lemon tuna spaghetti (from the Martha cookbook thing) and it was amazing.

[Sleazy]

Expand Quote

fuck that'd be awsome, when you spliting? you're heading to DC or something like that right?

[close]

It'll be sometime over the summer, still trying to figure it out. When would you move?

We're looking at october but it all depends on how my contract and my wifes job hold up.

Whole foods?...eh. Like you said... run by hippies. Run by hippies=shitty service. My wife used to trek an hour to go to that place for a few different specific things. half the time the shit we needed was out of stock.

guess it depends on the store. ours is fantastic. same people been working there for years, everyone is super helpful, friendly and professional and if there is ever anyone with an attitude you'll only seem them maybe twice and they'll be gone. and now i take my daughter in there with me and all the people seem to genuinely like her and are really nice to us. they all come up and chat with her, give her little treats and make her laugh. going there after work is something grace and i always look forward too.

[Sleazy]

Expand Quote

We're looking at october but it all depends on how my contract and my wifes job hold up.

[close]

Shit. Well if you come out on a scouting mission we should link up then.

And personally, I prefer Central Market to Whole Foods.

central market is good, no doubt, but here in houston it's a huge store in a busy area of town that's like a damn maze on the inside with long ass lines at every register. the whole foods i goto is an older one that is really small, has a small parking lot and it just convinent as hell.

but yeah, i should make a trip up before too long, i'll definitely holla.

[All Hail Wu Welsh]

perfect timing for this thread, i just got my own place and have doing alot of grocery shopping lately.  i got most of it down so far, but i need some advice of the type of cheap steak to buy, any suggestions anyone?

[bentmode]

steaks generally depend on the cut and the marbling(fat). flank steaks are pretty cheap but im sure there are some bone in cuts that could potentially be cheaper and then i think the beef that they cut for stews is generally a bargain. the best thing to do is talk to your local butcher.

[vegan*shawn]

We make curry a lot. chop up a bunch of potatoes and any other veggies hanging around, add a can of chick peas, some coconut milk and some cheap curry simmer sauce (vegan in my case but what ever you like), add some extra curry powder, cinnamon, cumin, simmer until taters are done. We also make a big part of quinoa or brown rice.  You make make a ton of curry for real cheap and freeze the left overs for later.

[Sleazy]

that sounds good, i might try that. you ever use garam masala for seasoning?

[Temp Gnar]

Yeah bulk cooking is the way to go. We're doing a big pot of split pea soup for the week today. Warm up some bread, make a salad, or PBJ and you're set for a meal throughout the week. We'll keep most of it in the fridge but freeze 4 or 5 smaller tupperware containers that I can grab and take to work.

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

Whole foods is the biggest rip off ever.
So certain grocery stores like fresh and easy are designed to be in low income areas? Is that why the only grocery store near me is Pak 'n save? That place sucks. Shittiest produce ever. I saw a box of clementines there that were filled with mold, amongst other low quality produce.
Fresh and easy atleast has the torino bear for hella cheap.

[Sleazy]

Whole foods is the biggest rip off ever.

just depends on how much cash you get paid per hour

the way my job works, living in a busy city like houston and the way we shop all makes whole foods a cheaper option for us than going to HEB. we also use a delievery serivce for all our stapple grocery's that we use every other weekend and probably spend an extra 50-75 to do so but i easily save half a day's time and in that time i could do contract work if i choose from my laptop at home and the opportunity cost works out massively in favor of staying home and having grocery's delievered.

but if i get laid off, which i do from time to time, then i of course take the time it takes to clip coupons and go to HEB because then there's no opportunity cost.