Leftover Love :)

For some reason, no one in my household will eat leftovers! But with a little creativity, nothing goes to waste around here. I am amazed at how much food is wasted every week in households. People don't seem to realize they are just throwing away their money. I know not everyone cooks, but I do believe everyone can! It doesn't have to gourmet everyday. Simple, delicious dishes are all you need. I have 1 picky eater, 1 gluten-free eater, 1 finicky eater and 1 that is just starting to eat. Yet we seem to do pretty well :)

Here is what this week's dinner menu looks like:

Monday- black bean burgers, fries, green beans
Tuesday- Spaghetti with hamburger in it, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday- Chicken quesadillas- chicken, cheese, pico de gallo
Thursday- Tacos (rest of hamburger from Tues), salad (left over from Tues)
Friday- Chicken parmesan (noodles and sauce left from Tues, chicken from Wed), corn
Saturday- Enchiladas- beef and/or chicken (beef or chicken left from Thurs & Wed, beans and cheese from Thurs)
Sunday- free day (my kids love pb & j or grilled cheese usually)

Having new ways to use leftovers can create an exciting menu without waste. Also, it makes grocery shopping easy. We always have 1 day of vegetarian meals each week. Looking to cut your grocery bill? Try a vegetarian or meatless day each week. Also, by having meals that do not make meat the primary ingredient of the meal you can use it more sparingly and stretch it to other meals.

Quick and easy tip- when I am using hamburger in multiple meals (spaghetti, tacos, enchiladas) I will cook it all at one time, then divide it into separate containers. This keeps me from over using early in the week then having little left at the end. Also, cooking dinner is much quicker if the meat is already done. No matter what my schedule is for that day, I don't have to rush home to cook dinner.

July will start the Food Challenge- can you feed your family on less than $100 per week? You will be surprised at how easy it actually is to feel a family of 4 for less than $100/wk and still have healthy, nutritious food!