Making homemade broth is super easy. We just keep a big (probably 2 gallon) plastic bin in our freezer and toss in scraps of veggies and chicken. (Not all veggies but aromatics like onion peel, celery stick ends, carrot peel, herb stems, etc.) When it's full, we dump it in our biggest soup pot, cover it with water and simmer for several hours (the longer the better.)
Yes! I used to do this all the time. I'll admit, I have a bag of frozen onion ends and celery stalks in the freezer. I've just gotten lazy about it. LOL! :)
Tuna fish casserole with pasta, canned cream of chicken soup and cheddar yesterday and today. Sausage paella tomorrow with peas. Might not be budget friendly, but family friendly.
I’m obsessed with your videos and more obsessed with how you always use the word “whenever” 😉 I get so freakin excited when a see you’ve posted a new video! This past week I experimented with spaghetti squash recipes and made two that were a hit with the fam. One was a buffalo chicken variety and the other a ricotta spinach bake.
snow day, where is the snow? lol We had a snow day on friday but we got 12 inches of snow and then sleet on top. Got dug out but lost power for 18 hours so was a tough weekend. Took 2 hours to dig us out so activity was there. Great recipes going to finally try that marinara. stay warm , we are going into the single digits again.
That does not sound fun! Glad you got power back, but I'm sure that was less than pleasant! Yes, we get a few inches around here and it's big news and everything shuts down! LOL! The marinara was so good and so easy. I'm going to start doing that more.
Jennie, I'm a little ashamed to admit that the number of crockpots in my house right now is 5: 2 small and 3 large...LOL! But I use them multiple times each week. Makes life so much easier!
Thank you SO much for this! I definitely need to learn to be a little more frugal with the groceries! I love seeing how you do it from start to finish!
Hi, Mindy! :) It was a good week of meals for us...I loved all of them! The kids really liked the pasta dishes the best, but they ate the rest of them. The homemade marinara and the bread were really good!
I used to live in Oklahoma for 4 years, Lawton, Oklahoma. And now I live in Wisconsin I remember getting a dusting of snow there and the town closed down! LOL. Up here in southern, Wisconsin We don't close down unless there's a foot of snow. 😳 We got six inches on Sunday, and we're expecting a few more tonight. I do not enjoy the snow. LOL🤣
ha! Yes, you have us pegged correctly. We actually ended up with about 2.5 inches, but it was big news because it hadn't snowed (any substantial amount) in YEARS here in Tulsa. Several years ago, we were getting a major snow or ice storm at least once a year (Ruthie's first Christmas, we got 18 inches!). It seems we're in a no-snow pattern for the last 3 years or so...
@@SeeMindyMom wow 18 inches😳 for oklahoma is quite trade-in can imagine the city being shut down for awhile! Up here if we get that much, we'd stay home for a day while the plows are all out and roads would be good to go by the next day. I don't enjoy the snow tho! 😐😄
I can't wait to try some of these recipes! We are having Beefy American Goulash from the website Emily Bites. It's a favorite in my house. I use just 1lb of ground beef instead of 2 to lower the points a bit.
I have a goulash recipe we LOVE! I actually planned on making that as a recipe share for my WW Family friendly series. It's a cheap meal, too, that goes a long way. :)
Good haul! Do you have an instant pot? It is a lifesaver cooking beans you do not have to soak them overnight put them in the pot and they are done in 50 minutes besides the coming up to pressure time, which is about 10 minutes. . I make a pot every week for meal prep Sunday. Save so much time one of my favorite appliances.😊
I do not have an instant pot. I've thought about getting one occasionally, but I use my crockpot so much, I'm not sure I'd really use the instant pot. I'm sure I'll get one eventually! ha!
What a great video! So inspiring!! Thank you so much for doing this! Definitely will be trying several of those meals!! We love popcorn as a snack here. I pop popcorn in a paper bag almost every night :)
I am blown away by the brown bag popcorn trick! I can't believe I didn't already know that! We love popcorn here. The kids especially love it, but I don't love finding it all over the floor. I pretty much serve it with the broom now, so they know they have to clean it up! LOL!
Hi Mindy! I found a couple of recipes that I am doing this weekend in my meal prep. I pretty much cook for myself because, as I have mentioned my daughter(25) is the pickiest eater ever. I am making, sloppy joe spaghetti squash and crispy baked turkey taquitos. With a salad or rice or a baked potato will last me all week. I found them both in the WW database. They are both 2 points on purple. Did I mention I switched to Purple almost 2 weeks ago now? Last week I lost 1 pound. This week I don't expect much. I have been down with the hip again(wind knocked me down, same hip as last time.) I went to the dr today and he has me on my walker now more than the crutches. Ugh.. glad my work out stuff is out home. If this keeps up I will be in a wheel chair sooner than I had expected before I went back to WW. My Why was so I could push the time back. Oh well, some times life throws you a curve ball. I had a not so great eating day..well not really bad, I was within my points and didn't go over and still have a few to roll over, but I could have made better choices. I am still on the fence with the zero point carbs but I am working on it. OH I am going to make the crock pot apple pie thing from hungry girl too to put on oatmeal and yogurt. I will be shopping for the rest of my month probably after my meeting on Saturday morning.That is usually when I do my meal prep too or sometimes on Sunday. I might do a soup too and stick it in the freezer. I have one more bag of beef stew in there which I just realized is going to be less points because of the Purple plan so I might make a vegetable soup if I do. Enjoy the snow, we are getting some today and over night then rain so there probably won't be much of an accumulation. I don't have to worry about the snow day thing anymore. It just dawned on me, I am old enough to be your mom.. geez LOL
Hi, Michelle! So sorry to hear you are still struggling with your hip issue. I love your positive outlook, though! I love the purple plan, but I totally understand being stand-offish about the carbs. I certainly was in the beginning. I like sloppy joe's, but it's one of the few things my husband doesn't care for, so I don't make them. Otherwise, he's not super picky. Meatloaf is the other thing, which I also really like but he doesn't. I am "using stuff up" this week, so I am doing some baked chicken tacos also!
Great video and meal ideas!! I suggested a meatless meal to my husband. He said no!! I like the idea though of making it for my lunch as you suggested. Great job on the haul with all the needs!!
Thanks, Karen! I also thought about making some ground sausage or something on the side, so people could toss a little into their bowl if they want. Kind of the way I serve cheese. LOL!
Man, I cannot remember! I think the only pointed thing I put in mine was the cream cheese? I left out the heavy cream. And the olive oil maybe. I think I counted 2-3 points for a bowl of it, and then added my own cheese and a few tortilla chips for a few more points.
I think a common misconception is that eating "healthy" is expensive. It can be done on a budget, especially if one is willing to cook a little from scratch. :)
Yummy week of food!! 😊💕 One pot chicken parmesan I'm going to try, sounds good!!! I made a peanut butter banana smoothie with oatmeal in it this morning, really good!! I've been popping popcorn in a brown bag, comes out really good.
Great recipes. I have a question regarding almond milk. I can never use it fast enough and I noticed it says use within 7 days of opening. Do you keep yours longer than 7 days? Wasn’t sure if it would last.
laruewho I gotta be honest, I do! I feel like I would know (or smell) when it’s gone bad. If it tastes and smells fine, I use it. But thats just me. 🤷♀️
I was going to ask the same question! The bread looked great! I’ve been making a sourdough bread, slice it thin to cut down on points. Homemade bread is great nutritionally & for saving on the grocery budget too. Great job, loved this video! Blessings to you and your family!
Great haul. Dietary cholesterol has nothing to do with cholesterol in your body. It's quite unfortunate that some doctors are not up to scratch on this. Lots of doctors have some great info on this. Please check them out. A heads up for quite prominent ones are Dr A Malhotra and Dr M hyman :)
Thank you! He is under the care of his physician, who wants him to cut his saturated fat intake (he has a very bad cheese habit...lol...like piles of it on his dinner--not anymore). He also has cut back on junk food, which I don't buy, but he occasionally does for himself. He's doing well, so we'll see how his numbers are in a few months. Unfortunately, diet can only do so much for LDL, a lot of it is just genetic, and he's prone to it.
@@SeeMindyMom I see your point and I just wanted to maybe plant the seed that the info re diet especially sat fat provided by the doctor isn't what we now know. For example it isn't genetic it is probably epigenetic. Aside from the names above Chris Kresser does a wonderful job on this cholesterol topic. Researching these doctors will quite easily lead you onto some super great info. I know it's confusing I hope this comment is somewhat helpful :)
Consuming low fat dairy and meat instead of regular/natural/full fat doesn't help with cardiovascular issues and cholesterol. Advanced doctors and naturopats ask their patients to cut simple sugars completely (sugar, any sweetened sodas, juices, sweet fruits like grapes, persimmon, banana, dates, etc.), to reduce carbs and starches such as grains, potatoes (white flour is a big no), totally ban trans-fats and Omega-6 rich foods such as sunflower oil, sesame oil, peanuts and peanuts butter and consume oily wild caught fish instead. Also it is required to add some physical activity and reduce stress. Avoiding full fat dairy and meats and/or taking statins is a wrong way to go. Best luck
Hi, there! Yes, he is also cutting way back on sugar and he is already very active at his gym. He also knows that junk food has been a problem for him, so he's stopped picking that up (I don't buy that stuff very often if ever...). His doctor is very aware of this issue, so we'll see how he is in a few months. Thanks for the tips!
Making homemade broth is super easy. We just keep a big (probably 2 gallon) plastic bin in our freezer and toss in scraps of veggies and chicken. (Not all veggies but aromatics like onion peel, celery stick ends, carrot peel, herb stems, etc.) When it's full, we dump it in our biggest soup pot, cover it with water and simmer for several hours (the longer the better.)
Yes! I used to do this all the time. I'll admit, I have a bag of frozen onion ends and celery stalks in the freezer. I've just gotten lazy about it. LOL! :)
Tuna fish casserole with pasta, canned cream of chicken soup and cheddar yesterday and today. Sausage paella tomorrow with peas. Might not be budget friendly, but family friendly.
Laughing in Western NY over two snow days for a dusting! Recipes look yummy though.
Love to see organic and grass fed options in your budget challenge! We choose organic when possible!
I loved this haul. I was just wondering does your mind ever slow down? Your amazing, I can't get over all that energy.
ha! I realized as I was editing that I was talking really quickly. I think I realized this would be a long one so I was trying to talk fast!
I’m obsessed with your videos and more obsessed with how you always use the word “whenever” 😉 I get so freakin excited when a see you’ve posted a new video!
This past week I experimented with spaghetti squash recipes and made two that were a hit with the fam. One was a buffalo chicken variety and the other a ricotta spinach bake.
I love spaghetti squash! I need to make that again soon. Thanks for the inspiration!
See Mindy Mom How can I send you the recipes?
You just gave me some new meals! Thanks. These all look so yummy!
Love the long videos!
snow day, where is the snow? lol We had a snow day on friday but we got 12 inches of snow and then sleet on top. Got dug out but lost power for 18 hours so was a tough weekend. Took 2 hours to dig us out so activity was there. Great recipes going to finally try that marinara. stay warm , we are going into the single digits again.
That does not sound fun! Glad you got power back, but I'm sure that was less than pleasant! Yes, we get a few inches around here and it's big news and everything shuts down! LOL! The marinara was so good and so easy. I'm going to start doing that more.
I've started using my crockpot more than I ever have, it sure makes dinners easy.
Jennie, I'm a little ashamed to admit that the number of crockpots in my house right now is 5: 2 small and 3 large...LOL! But I use them multiple times each week. Makes life so much easier!
You are so smart! I love your videos! Always informative. Thank you for taking the time to make them for us!
thanks, Cheryl!
Hello 👋 friend,
So I was wondering if you might be up for a one ingredient week meal challenge....🤓🤯🥰
You can always puree some of the beans and add as a thickener
Oooooh, I had not thought of that! Great tip!
Thank you SO much for this! I definitely need to learn to be a little more frugal with the groceries! I love seeing how you do it from start to finish!
You have such great don't & are very informative. Everything looked delicious & I want to try all of them. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, Mindy! :) It was a good week of meals for us...I loved all of them! The kids really liked the pasta dishes the best, but they ate the rest of them. The homemade marinara and the bread were really good!
You’re giving me a lot of good ideas. I want to start eating healthier & this helps.
I used to live in Oklahoma for 4 years, Lawton, Oklahoma. And now I live in Wisconsin I remember getting a dusting of snow there and the town closed down! LOL. Up here in southern, Wisconsin We don't close down unless there's a foot of snow. 😳 We got six inches on Sunday, and we're expecting a few more tonight. I do not enjoy the snow. LOL🤣
ha! Yes, you have us pegged correctly. We actually ended up with about 2.5 inches, but it was big news because it hadn't snowed (any substantial amount) in YEARS here in Tulsa. Several years ago, we were getting a major snow or ice storm at least once a year (Ruthie's first Christmas, we got 18 inches!). It seems we're in a no-snow pattern for the last 3 years or so...
Sandra Castillo also in Wisconsin. Life long resident. Soooo done with snow!
@@Bonilee I'm originally from southern California and I so miss that weather. Wisconsin is hubby's home state. I don't enjoy the snow either! Lol 🤣
@@SeeMindyMom wow 18 inches😳 for oklahoma is quite trade-in can imagine the city being shut down for awhile! Up here if we get that much, we'd stay home for a day while the plows are all out and roads would be good to go by the next day. I don't enjoy the snow tho! 😐😄
I can't wait to try some of these recipes! We are having Beefy American Goulash from the website Emily Bites. It's a favorite in my house. I use just 1lb of ground beef instead of 2 to lower the points a bit.
I have a goulash recipe we LOVE! I actually planned on making that as a recipe share for my WW Family friendly series. It's a cheap meal, too, that goes a long way. :)
Good haul! Do you have an instant pot? It is a lifesaver cooking beans you do not have to soak them overnight put them in the pot and they are done in 50 minutes besides the coming up to pressure time, which is about 10 minutes. . I make a pot every week for meal prep Sunday. Save so much time one of my favorite appliances.😊
I do not have an instant pot. I've thought about getting one occasionally, but I use my crockpot so much, I'm not sure I'd really use the instant pot. I'm sure I'll get one eventually! ha!
What a great video! So inspiring!! Thank you so much for doing this! Definitely will be trying several of those meals!! We love popcorn as a snack here. I pop popcorn in a paper bag almost every night :)
I am blown away by the brown bag popcorn trick! I can't believe I didn't already know that! We love popcorn here. The kids especially love it, but I don't love finding it all over the floor. I pretty much serve it with the broom now, so they know they have to clean it up! LOL!
Hi Mindy! I found a couple of recipes that I am doing this weekend in my meal prep. I pretty much cook for myself because, as I have mentioned my daughter(25) is the pickiest eater ever. I am making, sloppy joe spaghetti squash and crispy baked turkey taquitos. With a salad or rice or a baked potato will last me all week. I found them both in the WW database. They are both 2 points on purple. Did I mention I switched to Purple almost 2 weeks ago now? Last week I lost 1 pound. This week I don't expect much. I have been down with the hip again(wind knocked me down, same hip as last time.) I went to the dr today and he has me on my walker now more than the crutches. Ugh.. glad my work out stuff is out home. If this keeps up I will be in a wheel chair sooner than I had expected before I went back to WW. My Why was so I could push the time back. Oh well, some times life throws you a curve ball. I had a not so great eating day..well not really bad, I was within my points and didn't go over and still have a few to roll over, but I could have made better choices. I am still on the fence with the zero point carbs but I am working on it. OH I am going to make the crock pot apple pie thing from hungry girl too to put on oatmeal and yogurt. I will be shopping for the rest of my month probably after my meeting on Saturday morning.That is usually when I do my meal prep too or sometimes on Sunday. I might do a soup too and stick it in the freezer. I have one more bag of beef stew in there which I just realized is going to be less points because of the Purple plan so I might make a vegetable soup if I do. Enjoy the snow, we are getting some today and over night then rain so there probably won't be much of an accumulation. I don't have to worry about the snow day thing anymore. It just dawned on me, I am old enough to be your mom.. geez LOL
Hi, Michelle! So sorry to hear you are still struggling with your hip issue. I love your positive outlook, though! I love the purple plan, but I totally understand being stand-offish about the carbs. I certainly was in the beginning. I like sloppy joe's, but it's one of the few things my husband doesn't care for, so I don't make them. Otherwise, he's not super picky. Meatloaf is the other thing, which I also really like but he doesn't. I am "using stuff up" this week, so I am doing some baked chicken tacos also!
@@SeeMindyMom make them both for your lunches during the week.
Great recipes! Love my silicone popcorn maker too. So easy in the microwave. I love salt and pepper on it.
Great video and meal ideas!! I suggested a meatless meal to my husband. He said no!! I like the idea though of making it for my lunch as you suggested. Great job on the haul with all the needs!!
Thanks, Karen! I also thought about making some ground sausage or something on the side, so people could toss a little into their bowl if they want. Kind of the way I serve cheese. LOL!
Do you have the points(freestyle) for the white chicken corn chili? It looks soooo good! Thank you for a great channel.
Man, I cannot remember! I think the only pointed thing I put in mine was the cream cheese? I left out the heavy cream. And the olive oil maybe. I think I counted 2-3 points for a bowl of it, and then added my own cheese and a few tortilla chips for a few more points.
Great video idea! Love the budget consciousness! 😁👏👏👏
I think a common misconception is that eating "healthy" is expensive. It can be done on a budget, especially if one is willing to cook a little from scratch. :)
Exactly! 😁
I love this type of video! Please make more, soooo helpful :)
Great haul and plan! ❤️❤️❤️
Yummy week of food!! 😊💕 One pot chicken parmesan I'm going to try, sounds good!!! I made a peanut butter banana smoothie with oatmeal in it this morning, really good!! I've been popping popcorn in a brown bag, comes out really good.
It was a winner. We'll be making that again. I had no idea bout the brown paper bag trick! I need to keep some at work for popping a little snack. :)
Great ideas! Do you have the bread recipe you made? It looks really good!
Hi, Charity! It's at Fit Frugal Mom. I think there's a link to her channel in this video when I talk about the bread.
Do you have an instant pot? I make chick peas in only 45 minutes- game changer !
I do not! One day, I'll break down and finally get one. :)
Oh I forgot...dinner tonight is chicken stir fry which I usually have with brown rice or quinoa. Tonight trying riced cauliflower and sweet potato!
Great recipes. I have a question regarding almond milk. I can never use it fast enough and I noticed it says use within 7 days of opening. Do you keep yours longer than 7 days? Wasn’t sure if it would last.
laruewho I gotta be honest, I do! I feel like I would know (or smell) when it’s gone bad. If it tastes and smells fine, I use it. But thats just me. 🤷♀️
See Mindy Mom thanks!
Do you ever make your own nut milks?
I do not.
How did your bread turn out from fit frugal mom? I’ve been wanting to try it.
Tracy M it turned out GREAT! I did use a little more yeast than she does. I needed it to proof faster (she lets hers sit for 24 hours).
I was going to ask the same question! The bread looked great! I’ve been making a sourdough bread, slice it thin to cut down on points. Homemade bread is great nutritionally & for saving on the grocery budget too. Great job, loved this video! Blessings to you and your family!
Great haul. Dietary cholesterol has nothing to do with cholesterol in your body. It's quite unfortunate that some doctors are not up to scratch on this. Lots of doctors have some great info on this. Please check them out. A heads up for quite prominent ones are Dr A Malhotra and Dr M hyman :)
Thank you! He is under the care of his physician, who wants him to cut his saturated fat intake (he has a very bad cheese habit...lol...like piles of it on his dinner--not anymore). He also has cut back on junk food, which I don't buy, but he occasionally does for himself. He's doing well, so we'll see how his numbers are in a few months. Unfortunately, diet can only do so much for LDL, a lot of it is just genetic, and he's prone to it.
@@SeeMindyMom I see your point and I just wanted to maybe plant the seed that the info re diet especially sat fat provided by the doctor isn't what we now know. For example it isn't genetic it is probably epigenetic. Aside from the names above Chris Kresser does a wonderful job on this cholesterol topic. Researching these doctors will quite easily lead you onto some super great info. I know it's confusing I hope this comment is somewhat helpful :)
L Y of course! I really appreciate the suggestions. I will check those people out. 😊
Consuming low fat dairy and meat instead of regular/natural/full fat doesn't help with cardiovascular issues and cholesterol. Advanced doctors and naturopats ask their patients to cut simple sugars completely (sugar, any sweetened sodas, juices, sweet fruits like grapes, persimmon, banana, dates, etc.), to reduce carbs and starches such as grains, potatoes (white flour is a big no), totally ban trans-fats and Omega-6 rich foods such as sunflower oil, sesame oil, peanuts and peanuts butter and consume oily wild caught fish instead. Also it is required to add some physical activity and reduce stress. Avoiding full fat dairy and meats and/or taking statins is a wrong way to go. Best luck
Hi, there! Yes, he is also cutting way back on sugar and he is already very active at his gym. He also knows that junk food has been a problem for him, so he's stopped picking that up (I don't buy that stuff very often if ever...). His doctor is very aware of this issue, so we'll see how he is in a few months. Thanks for the tips!