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$70 Low Cost Menu for 4 to 6

July 16, 2010 By 114 Comments

My $45 menu has been so popular that I’ve taken a shot at another one. I tried to duplicate the $45 price tag, but it was just too hard. Instead I’ve developed a relatively low cost menu. This one has much more meat, a few more fruits and veggi

es and a greater variety. I hope this one will prove to be as popular as the first. If you need more information about packing lunches see Lunch Box Basics & Lunch Box Food. For even more information about this menu, to ask questions about it or to leave feedback, go to the Hillbilly Housewife Blog.

You may also want to take a look at the ebooks and resources provided by Living On A Dime – their ebooks are well worth the small fee they charge for all the money saving tips and ideas that you will get out of them. I usually make up the money I pay on the ebook within less than a week (often in one shopping trip) from purchase. Take a look and see for yourself at LivingOnADime.com.

Menus
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Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks
Sunday Bacon; Eggs; Biscuits; Orange Juice; Milk; Hot Tea Meat Loaf; Instant Mashed Potatoes; Green Beans; Plain Muffins; Iced Tea Ramen Noodles; Thinly Sliced Veggies like Carrots & Onions; Iced Tea Leftover Muffins & Biscuits with Margarine & Jelly; Milk for children; Hot Tea for Adults
Monday Cornmeal Mush; Shredded Cheese; Margarine; Toast; Jelly; Orange Juice; Milk; Hot Tea Meat Loaf Sandwiches; Carrot Sticks; Ranch Dressing; Applesauce; Milk Boston Baked Beans; Macaroni & Cheese; Coleslaw; Fresh Bread, Margarine & Jelly; Iced Tea Cinnamon Toast; Milk for Children, Hot Tea for Adults
Tuesday French Toast; Syrup; Orange Juice; Milk; Hot Tea Beanie Wienies; Coleslaw; Butter or Jelly Bread or Cinnamon Toast; Milk Salmon Patties; Rice; Creamed Peas; Biscuits; Canned Pineapple; Iced Tea Garlic Bread Sticks; Milk for Children, Hot Tea for Adults
Wednesday Rice Pancakes; Syrup; Orange Juice; Milk; Hot Tea Egg Salad Sandwiches; Carrot Sticks; Ranch Dip; Applesauce; Milk Cowboy Beans & Rice; Steamed Carrots; Tender Cornmeal Muffins; Iced Tea Garlic Bread Sticks; Milk for Children, Hot Tea for Adults
Thursday Hot Rice Cereal; Toast; Margarine; Jelly; Milk; Hot Tea; Tuna Salad Sandwiches; Celery Sticks; Ranch Dip; Canned Peaches; Milk Simple Taco Meat with Homemade Tortillas; Shredded Cheese; Shredded Cabbage; Buttery Peas & Rice; Iced Tea Doodle Bugs; Applesauce; Milk for Children; Hot Tea for Adults
Friday Cornmeal Mush; Shredded Cheese; Orange Juice; Margarine; Toast; Jelly; Milk; Hot Tea Bacon & Egg Sandwiches; Canned Peaches; Carrot Sticks; Ranch Dip; Milk Hamburger Pinwheels; Macaroni & Cheese; Broccoli; Iced Tea Cinnamon Toast; Milk for Children; Hot Tea for Adults
Saturday Plain Pancakes; Syrup; Milk; Orange Juice; Hot Tea Ramen Noodles with Sliced Hotdogs & Veggies; Milk Red Beans & Rice; Cabbage Fried in Bacon Grease; Corn Bread; Iced Tea All the Good Leftovers

Shopping List

2009 Prices 2006 Prices Items
14.28
2.04
3.33
1.98		 8.87
1.35
2.17
2.00		 DAIRY
20 quarts (4 pounds) Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
3 pounds Margarine
3 Dozen Eggs (2.5 dozen in 2009)
8 ounces shredded Cheese
6.40
2.00
1.64
1.960.88
1.50
1.16		 6.90
.97
.90
1.20
5.00
.89
1.19
.69		 MEATS & PROTEIN
5 pounds ground beef
14 oz can Salmon
2 6 ounce cans Tuna
2 pounds Great Northern or Navy Beans
3 pounds Bacon Ends & Pieces
1 pound Hot Dogs
1 pound Pork or Turkey Sausage
1 pound Kidney Beans
0.92
0.92
2.68
0.56
1.92
0.69
1.86
3.04
1.87
2.00
1.23
1.50
1.00		 1.00
1.00
2.00
.90
1.77
1.00
1.50
1.76
2.00
2.00
1.30
1.00
.69		 FRUITS & VEGETABLES
1 pound Frozen Peas
1 pound Frozen Broccoli
2 pounds Instant Mashed Potatoes
2 – 15ounce cans Green Beans
3 pounds Cabbage
3 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
40 ounce jar Applesauce
2 12oz Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate
3 pounds onions
5 lbs carrots
1 Bunch Celery
29-ounce can Peaches
20-ounce can Pineapple
3.50
3.98
1.06
1.50
0.96		 1.00
1.92
.88
1.33
.60		 GRAINS & STARCHES
3 pounds Long Grain White Rice (5 lb in 2009)
10 pounds All-Purpose Flour
2 pounds plain cornmeal
4 boxes Macaroni & Cheese
6 packs Ramen Noodles
0.98
0.93
2.24
2.38		 .77
.62
1.50
1.88		 BAKING
Baking Powder
3 packets Yeast
12 ounces Molasses
5 pounds Sugar
1.88
1.57
1.48
0.52
0.96
1.82
0.98
0.82
0.50
0.50
0.50
0.50
0.50		 1.00
1.00
1.00
.50
1.00
1.50
1.00
.50
.25
.50
.50
.50
.50		 CONDIMENTS & SEASONINGS
Pancake Syrup
Ranch Dressing
Jelly
Yellow Mustard
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Worcestershire Sauce
Hot Pepper Sauce
Salt
Black Pepper
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Cinnamon
1.84 1.00 MISCELLANEOUS
100 count Tagless Tea Bags
$89.26 $70.19 Total

NOTES

As with all of my recipes, I include plenty of milk for growing children and pregnant or nursing mothers. Orange Juice is served every morning but Thursday. On that day there are 2 other fruits served in addition to raw cabbage which is very rich in Vitamin C. The menu assumes 1/2-cup of orange juice for each person every day that it is served. This is a relatively small serving. To make it look like more you can add a couple of icecubes or some crushed ice to the cup. If you have a supply of small juice cups, now is the time to put them to use.

Since this menu is based on a limited number of ingredients, a few accommodations must be made.

  • All of the bread is homemade using the Overnight method.
  • All milk is reconstituted, and margarine is used instead of butter.
  • For the recipes that call for dried onion, substitute a small amount of finely chopped fresh onion.
  • For the recipes calling for fresh garlic, substitute a small amount of garlic powder instead.
  • In any recipe calling for shortening, use margarine instead.
  • In any recipe calling for oil, use melted margarine or liquid bacon grease instead. The flavor and texture will still be good. Plain muffins (Sunday) are especially good prepared with bacon grease.

Desserts haven’t been included in this menu, but if you’d like to have some, there are several listed under Miscellaneous in the Recipes below.

Daily Work

Saturday Night:

  • Mix up a pitcher of orange juice, a gallon of milk and a gallon of Tea. Put them into the fridge to chill.
  • Mix up the meatloaf and press it into the pan.
  • Prepare the kitchen for tomorrow and go to bed.

Sunday:

  • Wake up early and do your Sunday School Lesson.
  • Prepare a hearty breakfast for everyone and do up the dishes.
  • Go to church.
  • When you get home put the meatloaf into bake right away. Then change clothes and set the table.
  • Mix up the Muffins and put them into bake.
  • Prepare the mashed potatoes and boil the green beans. Serve the hungry family with a smile on your face.
  • Before going to bed prepare a batch of Overnight Bread and put it aside to rise.
  • Put 2 pounds of small white bean in water to cover and allow them to soak overnight.
  • Look over the beverages and prepare more as needed.

Monday:

  • Make Breakfast and pack the lunches.
  • After the breakfast dishes are done put shape the bread and allow it to rise. When it has doubled in bulk, bake it as directed.
  • Prepare the Baked Beans using 1 tablespoon of prepared yellow mustard instead of the dry mustard called for in the recipe.
  • After the beans have finished baking set aside 3 cups for supper on Wednesday night. Serve the rest for dinner tonight. Save any leftovers from tonight for lunch tomorrow.
  • Prepare the Cole Slaw using 4 cups of shredded cabbage and allow it to chill until dinner time. Half will be for dinner tonight and half for lunch tomorrow.
  • Look over the beverages and prepare more as needed.

Tuesday:

  • After making breakfast heat up any leftover baked beans with 5 or 6 sliced hot dogs. Slice the hot dogs thinly so they will go further. The remaining hot dogs will be used for lunch on Saturday. Simmer the beanie weenies for several minutes and then put them into pre-heated thermoses for lunch. Pack everything else with a cold pack to keep it cool and fresh until lunch.
  • Prepare the Garlic Bread Sticks. Set half of them aside for snack tomorrow, and serve the other half for snack today. They are very good.
  • When you make dinner prepare enough rice for dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning. 2-cups dry rice, cooked in 4-cups of water should be enough.
  • Before bed boil 4 to 6 eggs for tomorrow’s lunch.
  • Remember to check the milk and iced tea and prepare more as necessary.

Wednesday:

  • Make Rice Pancakes using the rice leftover from yesterday.
  • After serving breakfast make egg salad for lunch and pack the lunches with a cold pack.
  • Serve leftover garlic sticks for snack. They are good cold.
  • When you make dinner prepare enough rice for dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning. 2-cups dry rice, cooked in 4-cups of water should be enough.
  • Use the 3 cups of beans you set aside on Monday for supper tonight.
  • Prepare the dough for Overnight bread before going to bed.
  • Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.

Thursday:

  • Prepare Hot Rice Cereal using rice leftover from yesterday.
  • Make Tuna Salad in the morning using two 6-ounce cans of tuna. Pack the lunches with a cold pack.
  • After you do the breakfast dishes divide the bread dough into 4 loaves and set aside to rise until doubled in bulk. Bake as directed.
  • Make up a batch of homemade tortillas for dinner tonight and put them in a plastic bag. Store them in the fridge until needed.
  • Prepare a batch of Doodle Bugs and chill until snack time. Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.
  • To make the Simple Taco Meat fry up a pound of ground beef and use a fork to smash it into small bits. When it is brown drain off the fat. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir until the meat is sort of dusty looking. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped onion and 1/2 cup of water. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until thickened. Serve on homemade tortillas with a little bit of shredded cheese. Instead of lettuce, top the tortillas with finely shredded cabbage. It is very good. Almost better than lettuce in fact. Pass hot sauce at the table for them who like it spicy.
  • To make Buttery Peas & Rice prepare rice in the normal way using 1 cup of dry rice and 2 cups of water. Add 1/2-teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons of margarine and 1 cup of frozen peas right before you put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes.

Friday:

  • After breakfast fry up some bacon and eggs for lunches. Pop the yolks so they will be thoroughly cooked. Pack the lunches with a cold pack for freshness.
  • Before bed look over the beverage situation and prepare more as needed.
  • Also set a pound of kidney beans to soak overnight.

Saturday:

  • Prepare breakfast in the morning as directed.
  • Afterwards simmer the kidney beans for an hour and then proceed as directed. Chill until supper time.
  • To make the cabbage just slice it and fry it in bacon grease. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Make the cornbread and reheat the beans at dinnertime.
  • Check the milk & iced tea supply, prepare more as necessary.
  • Clean up the kitchen and get it ready for the rest of the week.

Recipes

Breads & Cereals
Old-Fashioned Overnight Bread Biscuits (use margarine instead of shortening)
Homemade Tortillas Tender Cornmeal Muffins
Pancakes French Toast
Doodle Bugs Corn Bread
Rice Pancakes Hot Rice Cereal
Plain Cheap Muffins Cooked Rice
Cornmeal Mush Quick & Easy Garlic Bread Sticks
Main Dishes
Fred’s Favorite Meatloaf My Favorite Meatloaf
Hamburger Pinwheels Cow Girl Beans
Boston Baked Beans Rock Bottom Salmon Patties
Red Beans & Rice
Vegetables
Coleslaw
Miscellaneous
Short Bread Cookies Snickerdoodles
Quick Sugar Cookies Blondies
Homemade Brown Sugar
Perfect Iced Tea Reconstituting Milk

You may also want to take a look at the ebooks and resources provided by Living On A Dime – their ebooks are well worth the small fee they charge for all the money saving tips and ideas that you will get out of them. I usually make up the money I pay on the ebook within less than a week (often in one shopping trip) from purchase. Take a look and see for yourself at LivingOnADime.com.
Filed Under: Cooking, Frugal Living Tagged With: ,

All About You, $75 Menu, Cowboy Cookout – HBHW Newsletter

July 28, 2010 By 2 Comments

July 28th, 2010

Editorial

Hello again and welcome to another edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter.

It will be back-to-school before we know it so let’s get into some serious summertime fun.  What does summertime fun mean to me?  A cookout!  My friend Cheryl over at Celebrations.com has created a cookout with all the makings of a day on the open range in the Wild Wild West.  There are recipes for kids and grownups, as well as decoration and entertainment ideas.  Be sure to click on this link to find everything you need for a Cowboy Themed Summer Cookout.

This week’s featured article brings back a very popular subject from the past; the $45 Emergency Menu.  However, as we all know, the cost of food has risen somewhat since the time I posted that article.  So, I have tweaked the menu to more closely reflect today’s grocery prices.  Be sure to take a look at the featured article this week.

The inspirational quote and story I’ve chosen this week are about you; more importantly what you do with your life.  Are you hindering your growth and happiness?

Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com

Warm Regards,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Inspirational Quote

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

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News From The HBHW Club

If you haven’t heard about the Hillbilly Housewife Club, it’s a members only forum packed full of great information, resources, and friendly chit chat about the things we are all interested in – fun, frugal living. Come Join Us And See What All The Chatter Is About!

hbhwc_234x60

I look forward to chatting with you in the member area. Click the following link and try the HBHW Club for only $1.
http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Our friends at the Club have been discussing canning.  We’ve received some great tips from a long-time canner, along with quite a few recipes.  Here is one of the recipes I posted on the Club that I’d like to share with you:

Old Fashioned Canned Tomato Juice

If you like a salty tomato juice, you’ll want to salt it when you drink it, not before you can it. This tomato juice makes a wonderful marinade or tenderizer for meat.  It’s especially good for any kind of crockpot stew or roast that you make with a less expensive cut of meat.  For any recipe you use, just substitute this tomato juice for some or all of the diced tomatoes you might add.

25 lbs. of tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
14 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

Prepare the quart size canning jars and two piece lids according the manufacturer’s instructions.
Place the tomatoes into a large cooking pot and bring to a slow simmer over medium heat.
Stirring often cook the tomatoes for 30 minutes or until very soft.
Press the tomato mixture through a sieve to separate the juice from the skins and seeds.
Place the juice back into the pot and bring to a slow simmer over medium heat.
Simmer the juice for 5 additional minutes.
Pour the juice into the prepared jars leaving a 1/2 inch head space.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each jar.
Release the air bubbles and add more juice if necessary to achieve the 1/2 inch head space.
Wipe off the jar rims and seal down the caps by hand.
Process the jars in a water bath canner for 45 minutes from the point of boiling.
Remove the jars with a jar lifter and place on clean towels in a draft free area to cool.
Check the seals before storing and place any jars with tops that did not seal in the refrigerator.
Use any refrigerated juice within 2 weeks.

Makes 7 quarts

A metal colander works fine for the sieve.

Listed here is a sampling of recent recipes added, making a total of more than 400 recipes currently available to our Club members.

  • Anytime Strawberry Jam
  • Fresh Green Sweet Peas
  • Handy Canned Onions
  • Pressure Canned Greens

We welcome recipe submissions from our friends at the Club and are always happy to see what’s cooking in your kitchen. Our aim is to have six recipes posted each week. That’s a lot of recipes!

Featured Article

For many families on a tight budget, the most effective way to cut costs is in their grocery bill each month.  This one expense is something we feel we have control over.  Planning a menu in detail, with each item chosen for greatest cost savings, can help a family truly stick to a limited budget.

That’s why I developed a menu plan that is easy to follow, including specific dishes with recipes included.  Most people I talk to want and need a plan to follow in order to save real money, and stick to a budget.

Won’t you take a few minutes to read the article and see how you can really save on your grocery bill?  Just click on the link below:
$70 Menu for 4 to 6

Healthy Hillbilly Housewife

Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com

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Frugal Tips

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Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.

Recipes

Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!

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Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.

I’m Looking For:

This section is all about you. If you are looking for a particular recipe or a tip on how to do something, submit it here and I will post it in an upcoming newsletter. I’ll give you my input and other readers of the newsletter will have the opportunity to share their recipes and tips as well. So take a moment to post your questions and of course if you have a tip or idea for any question posted in this section feel free to leave a comment under the appropriate post.

I’m Looking For Requests
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I’m Looking For Responses
Below you will find some of the recent responses to the “I’m Looking For” Requests. You may also want to go directly to this section and browse through all the recent submissions and replies. To do so, click on “I’m Looking for” here, and start looking through them.
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Inspirational Story

You Are
~author unknown~

One day not too long ago the employees of a large company in St. Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: “Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym.”

At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be. The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: “Who is this person who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he’s no longer here!”

One by one the employees got closer to the coffin and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.

There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.”

YOU are the only person who can revolutionize your life.
YOU are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success.
YOU are the only person who can help yourself.

Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes.

Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that YOU ARE the only one responsible for your life.

Final Thought

That’s it for this edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful. And by all means feel free to forward the newsletter to family and friends or even better, encourage them to subscribe to it.

Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.

Warm Wishes,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Filed Under: Newsletters

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The Hillbilly Housewife has been attracting thousands of loyal fans for more than 10 years.  Her website offers “low-cost home cooking from scratch” recipes and frugal living tips that are so popular in today’s tough economy.

Interview the Hillbilly Housewife

Susanne Myers, the owner and author of the Hillbilly Housewife website , is available for email and phone interviews on topics such as frugal living and cooking, saving on groceries, meal planning as well as various homemaking and home organization topics.

The high cost of fuel and groceries are hot topics for consumers today and Susanne has been pleased to help address this challenge by sharing her proven and popular frugal living tips and advice with leading media across the country.

You can reach Susanne via email at susanne@hillbillyhouswife.com , or you can contact her publicist Sharon McMillan, at newurbanite@gmail.com or (216) 342-1502.

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MSN.com, July 25, 2008

LA Times, May 20, 2008

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“Low Cost Home Cooking from Scratch”

  • Some fast facts:
    • According to U.S. statistical data the average family of four needs an income of $52,000 or more to live comfortably today.
    • College costs have risen to $40,000 to $100,000 or more depending upon the college chosen.
    • The unstable housing economy has had a severe and detrimental impact on many family budgets across the country.
    • Rents have sky rocketed due to high fuel costs.
  • Given today’s economic pressures, consumers are looking for advice and solutions to lower expenses and soften the impact of the high cost of food and fuel. Frugal resources abound but there is only one Hillbilly Housewife.com website offering a unique brand of traditional and practical frugal living advice for over 10 years.
  • Each month over 300,000 visitors browse the Hillbilly Housewife website. Mouth watering home cooked recipes, time proven housekeeping advice and enjoyable reading about real life joys and American traditions keep readers coming back.
  • The grocery bill is one area where consumers are looking to reduce costs and The Hillbilly Housewife is recognized for the practical advice and resources offered that help to reduce grocery bills as low as they can go. This isn�t the only way to manage family budgets under strain but it is definitely a way to begin setting the ground work for a frugal, satisfying lifestyle.
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News Releases

Membership Has Its Benefits and the Hillbilly Housewife Club Can Save You Money – May 21, 2009

There’s No Mystery To Frugality – August  11, 2008