Menu Plan Monday: Steak & Kidney Pie and Real Potato Chips
ENTER TO WIN! Learn to cook healthier meals for your family! Click here to enter to win Real Food for Rookies, a new online class -- retail value $120, plus over $60 worth of discount coupons. Don't miss out! contest ends this SATURDAY Sept 4th at midnight Pacific.
I usually do my menu planning on Saturday or Sunday but I’m a little late this week. We just got back from our trip on Friday night, and the weekend was spent unpacking, doing laundry, cleaning, picking up raw milk in the valley, and grocery shopping.
I’m focused on a new goal for the new year: cutting my grocery budget in half. Without compromising nutrition, taste, or variety.
I know, sounds challenging, but it won’t be that hard because last year we spent a lot since we were doing GAPS and not eating any grains or potatoes (and hardly any legumes).
We are now eating potatoes, oatmeal, rice, beans, rice pasta, and sprouted bread. I’m finding that I love making rice and beans because it’s so easy to use bone broth — which makes them so nutritious. And Seth LOVES my risotto.
This month I’m focused on spending as little as possible and cleaning out the fridge and freezer. I’m also going to be taking (and posting) detailed notes on what I spend, what it costs, and from that I’ll be finding ways to cut costs and save money.
From this data, I’ll be making a plan for the rest of the year. Part of the plan will involve buying a second freezer, I’m going to be ordering my beef and pork in bulk from local farmers. Not until next month though — we have to eat what we have this month.
Seth’s going out of town this week which means I get to try a new organ meat recipe (I never subject him to organ meats unless I have tested them first on my own). I have some kidneys in the freezer so I figured I’d try making steak and kidney pie. I’ve never tried making anything with kidneys before. We’ll see how it turns out.
I’m already planning something for the next time Seth goes out of town. I really want to make haggis. I had it when I was in Edinburgh and I LOVED it! I know US Wellness Meats sells lamb liver kidneys and hearts — I wonder if they would sell me a lamb stomach for my haggis? 
I’m also going to try making some oven-fried potato chips. I’ll probably use butter and/or beef tallow because I have some in the fridge, but eventually I want to try using palm oil.
Sunday:
B: Coconut flour pancakes with butter and real maple syrup
L: Grilled cheese sandwich (organic grass-fed cheese & flourless sprouted bread with butter), apple
D: Leftover pasta with grass-fed meat sauce
To do: Grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s
Monday:
B: Scrambled eggs with banana fried in bacon fat
L: Grilled cheese sandwich, apple
D: Shredded beef tacos, black beans (cooked in chicken stock), brown rice (cooked in chicken stock), guacamole, lacto-fermented salsa
To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Make whey & cream cheese
Make egg, bacon & cheese biscuits
Make chicken stock
Make mayonnaise
Make kefir
Feed sourdough starter
Make baby formula
Tuesday:
B: Coconut flour egg, bacon & cheese biscuits
L: Leftover beans, rice, avocado
D: (Shellfish Night) Risotto with bacon & leftover shrimp, green salad
To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Make sauerkraut
Make kombucha
Soak oatmeal overnight
Make kefir
Wedesday:
B: Oatmeal with butter, cream, raisins, & honey
L: Leftover risotto
D: Mushroom quiche, green salad
To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Make pie crust
Make kefir
Thursday:
B: Egg & sausage scramble
L: Leftover quiche
D: Tuna melt, oven-fried potato chips
To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Make baby formula
Make kefir
Defrost kidneys
Soak kidneys overnight in Guinness or milk
Friday:
B: Cheese omelette
L: Leftover quiche
D: (Organ Meat Night) Steak & kidney pie, green salad
To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Let cream sit out (for sour cream)
Make kefir
Saturday:
B: Scrambled eggs
L: Leftover kidney pie
D: Leftover butternut squash soup, baked potatoes with butter, cheese, sour cream & bacon
For more menu planning ideas, visit Organizing Junkie.
NEVER MISS A POST! Sign Up for FREE Email Updates:
You can also Subscribe in a Reader
05/01/2009 at 2:18 pm Permalink
*coming out of lurkdom*
I hear you on being more frugal with food! Yesterday, i resolved to cut my grocery spending as well so as part of that, i meal planned for the next and will try to continue to do so. I will be participating with you and others who have resolved to spend less to see if I can keep our diet as healthy as possible, but doesn’t break the bank.
05/01/2009 at 2:28 pm Permalink
SKP is something my Grandma used to make all the time when I was little. It was divine! We used to have it over mashed potatoes and carrots. They grew all their own vegetables and lots of strawberries. They were very frugal….I have a lot to learn about frugal living but we are learning quickly now. Bon Appetit
05/01/2009 at 2:28 pm Permalink
Ann Marie,
How on earth do you find time to make all the things you make?
I work full time and cannot imagine the time to do all that you do! I would absolutely love to but it’s just impossible. Where do you compromise? I guess I would have to figure that one out for myself, eh?
05/01/2009 at 3:38 pm Permalink
Hi, Mary,
The key word is “plan”. Menu plan. In other words, it’s only a plan. I don’t always stick to it.
I do a lot of leftovers as you can see. And some nights I just don’t feel like cooking and we end up ordering a pizza (maybe once or twice a month).
Also I don’t always get to everything on my list. I do the best I can. It’s after 3:30 pm now and I have accomplished the following:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack – CHECK
Make whey & cream cheese
Make egg, bacon & cheese biscuits – CHECK
Make chicken stock
Make mayonnaise
Make kefir
Feed sourdough starter
Make baby formula
Gotta go make dinner now, get the chicken stock on, make kefir, and make baby formula. Not sure if I’ll get to the rest till tomorrow!
05/01/2009 at 3:40 pm Permalink
Tamara,
I’ll be posting a lot about this in the coming weeks and months — I think a lot of us are trying to be more frugal with food while still keeping our meals healthy and nutritious.
Glad you came out of lurkdom!
Ann Marie
05/01/2009 at 3:42 pm Permalink
Kate –
I am going to be doing a lot more gardening and canning/preserving this year. It’s amazing how much you can save when you grow your own – and I have no excuse not to, living in sunny Southern California!
Can’t wait to try the steak & kidney pie!
05/01/2009 at 3:54 pm Permalink
Oh and PS, Mary: I work full-time too! More than full-time, actually.
Most of the things on my menu plan are not very time consuming. Grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, that kind of thing. Easy and fast but very nutritious! Also, the more you cook, the easier it gets.
05/01/2009 at 4:05 pm Permalink
I like how you plan out your menu of when you have to do certain things the night before.
05/01/2009 at 4:41 pm Permalink
Hi Ann Marie,
Thanks for writing me back! If you work AND have a child, then indeed you do work more than full time.
Yes, I know I need to do more planning. Sometimes I get burnt out on doing that too. Everything is expensive and hard to find here. Some things are easier. I do have a good resource for raw milk, butter and cheese. But grass fed items are rare and very pricey. I would love to grow my own but my “yard” is not conducive to gardening. I’m considering doing some in pots, but my area does not get a lot of direct sunlight. I will keep reading your blogs and take steps each day. I just sometimes get overwhelmed when I read all the things you make: mayo, kefir, whey, cream cheese. Where do you get beef tallow (what is it?), bone broth and chicken feet? May seem like silly questions but I am relatively new to this way of eating. Thanks again.
05/01/2009 at 4:42 pm Permalink
One more thing, sorry: What book would you recommend reading first? You’ve mentioned a few. Where is the best place to start?
I’m gone…:-)
05/01/2009 at 6:29 pm Permalink
** Also coming out of lurkdom… **
I’ve made some “resolutions” myself to cut the grocery bills while simultaneously making our meals more nourishing…it’s just such a process! But well worth it.
I have noticed, however, that eliminating the processed nutrient-poor crap seems to work wonders on a budget (not that you seem to have that problem), and of course, not eating out so much (that would be MY problem). On that note, I look forward to some organ meat recipes, since organ meats are usually not too expensive. So let us know how the steak and kidney pie goes!
05/01/2009 at 7:27 pm Permalink
Hi, Stacey, thanks for commenting.
I will definitely let you know how the steak and kidney pie goes.
I’m honestly a bit scared to make it since I read online (and heard from family/friends) that it really smells bad — like urine. Which is why you have to soak it overnight either in milk or — as recommended by various Brits online — Guinness.
We shall see…
05/01/2009 at 7:35 pm Permalink
Hi, Mary!
Have you read Sally Fallon’s cookbook, “Nourishing Traditions”? I’d get that first. She explains how to make all the things you mentioned: mayo, kefir, whey, and cream cheese, and bone broth.
Beef tallow is rendered beef fat (or suet). You make it by rendering beef fat. It’s really easy to do. I’ll have to post a recipe sometime. I get the beef fat from local farmers at my farmer’s market. Ask your farmers (if you know some — if not, check out http://www.eatwild.com) if they will sell you some.
I buy chicken feet from a local farmer as well.
Hang in there — it’s a lot to learn. Give yourself time.
Ann Marie
06/01/2009 at 6:32 am Permalink
Which sprouted bread do you use. I would try some if I could find some that doesn’t have soy in it.
TIA
06/01/2009 at 6:45 am Permalink
I found some at Trader Joe’s that does not have soy.
Not sure where you are located but you can order bread from Grindstone Bakery and have it shipped:
http://www.grindstonebakery.com/
We got a discount when we ordered in bulk (our local WAPF chapter). I love to get it and freeze it.
Also if you become a member of the WAPF, you will get a shopping guide that lists recommended brands of sprouted bread.
http://www.westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm (click on Become a Member Now)