The Cardiologist's Wife

Pimento Cheese, Not Your Grandma's Spread

Pimento cheese is one of those foods that has been so corrupted by the food industry that it has become synonymous with other crappy foods like Spam. I'm not even certain what store bought pimento cheese might contain, nor do I want to find out. It's a shame because pimento cheese can be a delightful treat, even if it does Read the full post…

Plum Good BBQ Sandwiches

In a few days it will officially be fall but the temperatures are still warm enough for me to continue swimming for a few more days. The breeze was a little cool but that didn't stop me from swimming several laps this morning and I felt great afterwards! Have you exercised lately? With fall's cooler temperatures and fewer insects, you Read the full post…

Shingles Vacine and Treatment

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with shingles so I felt I should discuss this nasty virus once again. If you ever had chicken pox, you are at risk for getting shingles and believe me, you don't want it. Shingles is a painful rash with blisters that scab over and may take 4 weeks or more to heal. The Read the full post…

Vegetarian Tacos are muy delicioso!

There are times when I think I could easily become a vegetarian, especially when I try a new dish that is as good as the vegetarian tacos I had at Local Lime restaurant in Little Rock and the tofu fried rice at Sai Tai here in Jonesboro. My husband and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary this past weekend by spending Read the full post…

Midyear Health Check

Summer is winding down , the year is more than half way over and our January resolutions are long forgotten. It's time for a health reality check. First of all, how is your health lately? If you have enjoyed good health, are you thankful? Take some time to appreciate how wonderful it feels to be healthy, for your family to Read the full post…

Vacation Lessons For A Healthier Life

I'm back from a lovely beach vacation and I wish I was still there with all my heart. Wouldn't it be nice if our every day life was as nice as a vacation? If we could relax, eat well, sleep and exercise just enough without having to worry about bills, work, illnesses and school, our lives would be perfect. But Read the full post…

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Eating Cheaply

[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on May 8, 2012 ][ In Diet Tips and Better Eating Ideas, For new Mom's ]

I have a few more thoughts on the food challenge I did last week. I really wasn’t sure I could do it but I found it wasn’t as hard as I thought. Here are the lessons I learned, many of which I do most of the time anyway.

1. Read the sales circulars from your favorite stores when they come out and plan your weekly menu around any deals.

2. Use cheap vegetables to fill your family. They need the fiber, vitamins and nutrients and your pocket book will be happy. Vegetables can be easy to prepare too!

3. Check the store for unadvertised specials. Kroger has a section in the meat dept. for meat right at it’s sell by date. I often find a lot of deals here like the $7 whole organic chicken last week. That chicken smoked fed 4 on Sunday, 4 on Monday in a pasta dish with a small lunch sized serving left! That’s $.76 a serving.

4. Try store or generic brands. I have been doing this in my ongoing effort this year to use coupons and cut grocery costs. I have often been surprised that I do like generic brands as well as nationally advertised ones. Last week, I bought Kroger orange juice instead of my beloved Simply Orange. They are pretty close in quality.

5. Don’t forget the humble bean! Beans are super cheap and very nutritious so use them in main dishes as a meat substitute whenever possible.

6. Leave off the food you know you don’t need like sodas, chips, processed cookies and other treats. I really don’t buy much of that stuff and it helps the bottom line tremendously. Yes, I do buy pretzels and the occasional Cheese Nips and I do keep a few sodas on hand for all the teens who come to my house but not much.

7. Use meat in more than one meal. A whole chicken can be stretched to cover more than one meal for example. Also, use less meat and more vegetables to compensate in your dishes. Use 1/2 pound of ground meat and extra beans in chili for example.

So are you up to trying the food challenge? If you can feed your family of four for $100 for a week (or less!), please share your experience with my readers.

I hope you have checked out my new website. There are still some areas “under construction” like the recipe section. I don’t have all my recipes categorized yet but I’m working on it. Soon I will have a new section devoted to raising healthier kids and teens. I hope you will all find it much better than my old blog set up so please let me know what you think in the comment section. You can also share posts with friends and family much easier than in the past.