i am always working to feed my family well while sticking to a budget. this week we had our usual $75 to feed the family. throw counting calories & a “diet” or “lifestyle change” into the mix & i am tempted to overspend.
this week happens to be a busy one, too. the farmers’ market is opening up so i plan to support our farmers. i am also hosting a girls’ night at our home tonight. that means a bottle of wine & some fun snacks. considering the events of the week, i decided to set aside $30 from our budget for those two expenses. that left me $45 for the entire week.
i am excited to share some dinner ideas that i incorporated into our meal plan this week that are calorie-friendly, budget-friendly & delicious!
monday: i made pesto pasta with frozen pesto from last summer. every summer i always freeze bell peppers, can tomatoes & freeze pesto. those are my three staples (do these three things if you aren’t already, trust me.). pulling out pesto in a financial pinch is the most delicious & cheapest gourmet trick in the book. if you don’t have basil pesto, you can make spinach pesto. spinach is in season right now & can be found for an inexpensive price.
tuesday: i served up a baked sweet potato bar. paired with roasted asparagus (also in season right now & so inexpensive), this was a delicious meal. i usually add a little bit of fresh avocado on the side & plenty of toppings, including coconut oil & nuts.
wednesday: my meal plan for wednesday included a vegetable frittata. having chickens in our backyard makes egg-based meals affordable. i love skinnytaste’s low calorie frittata recipe.
thursday: last night’s dinner was a delicious crockpot vegetable soup i made from ingredients we already had on hand. i used a bag of frozen veggies (peas, carrots & corn), one potato, homemade chicken broth & stewed tomatoes from last year’s garden. it was delicious served with a side of crackers, roasted broccoli (also in season & affordable) & avocado.
friday: tonight’s dinner is rice and beans. i make this an exciting meal with toppings such as cilantro, avocado, sour cream, salsa & a side of homemade tortilla chips. also, setting the table with a fiesta theme makes eating rice & beans a little more special.
bonus meal: last week i made skinnytaste’s calorie-friendly tuna noodle casserole, which was delicious & affordable. i am not a huge casserole fan, but i will definitely make this recipe again.
some tips:
– make your dollar stretch by purchasing fresh foods that are in season.
– lean more toward vegetable-based meals rather than meat-focused meals. they’re often healthier & always more affordable. if your family loves meat, try one night a week, like “meatless mondays.”
– if you’re serving a light main dish, always provide a hearty side such as roasted asparagus, avocado or a large salad.
– sunday is the day we eat all of the leftovers. this works for our family because it prevents us from wasting food & it gives me a break from cooking.
i love making our dollar stretch while feeding my family well. i hope you found these recipe ideas useful & the tips helpful. let me know if you use any of these meal ideas!
do you have any recipes that are healthy & inexpensive? please share!
love,
natalie
happy birthday to our little oliver! he is 1 today! i am one proud auntie.
his mom & pop invited me to his little teddy bear picnic to celebrate. it was the cutest little party. i thought i would share with you some of the details that jenni anne, oliver’s mom, put together.
they had the birthday party in the front yard surrounded by lush ivy & big trees. little blankets were spread out for little ones to play on. the baskets were filled with cupcakes & tied with balloons.
a quilt was spread out over the picnic table & baskets were filled with fruits.
little oliver’s cake was covered in cheerios & whipped cream. he loved it.
oliver’s teddy bears were even invited to the party! now my favorite part- oliver eating his cake!
oliver, we love you! happy first birthday, sweet boy!
love,
natalie
on thursday afternoon, we were greeted with two new babies to freckled hen farm! calamity did such a wonderful job laboring & is fitting into the role of mama quite nicely.
both kids are bucklings. the first boys of our seven kids born this year! calamity had twin bucklings last season so we were very surprised to witness the same this season. the boys are 25% lamancha & 75% nubian. they’re so precious.
the boys are yet to be named. i left on friday to two snuggling baby goats in the barn. when i returned on sunday, i saw them in the pastures jumping around as little kids do & hanging out with the older kids. they’re little adventurers so their names must be fitting to such.
it’s so wonderful to have so much life happening on the farm. we’re loving our little herd of goats grazing the land & greeting us daily.
love,
natalie
p.s. just a little note- we now have five precious doelings ready for sale. if you’re interested, email me at natalie.j.freeman@gmail.com! thanks!