One hundred dollars for 7 days of groceries… You read it correctly: 7 days, $100.
Seven days of dinner that ARE NOT beans on toast! There is nothing wrong with beans on toast, mind you, I love that…but food is expensive! Feeding a family is expensive!
Have you ever gone grocery shopping and your bill was $250 – and you’ve got just three small bags, toilet paper, and you forgot the milk, only to find yourself hitting the drive-thru on the way home from the kids’ football practice, and 3 days later your seven year-old and husband are standing in front of fridge proclaiming that there is nothing to eat and all the while the produce you’ve purchased is wasting away in the crisper? The Rachael Ray Show called me up last month and said, “We want you to spend only $100 and make 7 days’ worth of awesome food. Gourmet if you can, and show us how you shop!” They also asked for money saving tips that my family lives by. I was thrilled, and of course said, “LET’S DO THIS!!!”
So, here’s the skinny: The number one way to save money at the store is to ditch the meal plan. Meal plans are great for coming up with ideas to use what you’ve already got on hand, but they can cost a fortune. For example, the meal plan calls for teriyaki chicken breast with pineapple and green peppers; turns out, pineapples aren’t on sale and neither is chicken breast. You could spend upwards of $25 just gathering the ingredients for a specific meal.
When you go to the store, shopping for seasonal items and what’s on sale will score you huge deals. Let’s say you want broccoli, but it’s $2.99 per pound. Fresh green beans, however, are .99 per pound? Guess what. Broccoli is getting skipped and the green beans head into the cart! When you shop for what’s on sale ONLY, you will get the freshest, most in-season foods.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs were $1.59 a pound. One night I turned them into a curry, and another night made gorgeous chimichurri meat balls! I bought bacon by the pound in the meat case, and it was only $1.65 for 4 slices. This bacon flavored my pasta perfectly one night.
The idea is that you’ve got staples and splurges. Feeding your whole family can cost as little as $5 for 4 portions if you work the shopping trip properly. Remember to shop for sales and seasonally fresh items, then splurge appropriately to compliment your other purchases. And I haven’t even mentioned couponing! It is ABSOLUTELY possible to feed a family of four for $100 over 7 days.
Shopping for this challenge was the most fun I’ve had at the store in ages! Here’s a clip from my appearance on The Rachael Ray Show.
Makes 20-25 1/2-ounce meatballs
Herby Yogurt
1 1/2 cups whole milk plain Greek yogurt
3-4 basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup green onion tops
Juice of one small lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Meatballs
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 lbs.)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup Italian flat leaf parsley
3-4 basil leaves
1/4 cup green onion tops
1/4 cup pretzel crumbs
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (hefty squeeze from 1/2 a lime)
1 egg
1 garlic clove
1/2 of a small to medium onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup red quinoa
In the bowl of your food processor pulse all the ingredients for the yogurt. Mix for 2-3 minutes or until you get the consistency you desire. We like ours pretty smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the quinoa according to the package instructions, add the onion, and sub chicken stock for water, if you’ve got it.
To make the meatballs, slice the chicken thighs into thirds. Do not remove fat. Add all the meatball ingredients to the bowl of your food professor. I don’t clean it from the yogurt; it adds flavor! Take care to evenly distribute items in order to pulse the mixer less. Pulse the mixer several times to break up and chop the meat. Mix until you’ve got a coarse paste. This mixture is very sticky. Use a small 1/2 ounce self-release ice cream scoop to portion – your hands work as well.
Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Fry the meatballs for 6-8 minutes, gently turning them constantly to keep their round shape. Do this in 3 batches if you don’t have a large enough pan. Don’t crowd your pan or they won’t caramelize.
For the beans, sauté 1 lb. trimmed cut fresh green beans in olive oil for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp. water and cook with the lid on for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the lid and add the garlic, salt, and pepper.
To serve, everything goes in the bowl, then top with yogurt and enjoy!
