Poor Woman's Meals For a Week Inspired by Rachel Ray

Poor Woman's Meals For a Week Inspired by Rachel Ray 

Today we are having another storm. I am bored but trying to stop myself from clearing the driveway before the storm is over.

I had watched Rachel Ray's show where she prepares meals for the week ahead. 

I decided to do that myself today. I had lots of supplies since I went shopping yesterday and of course I had lots of food in the pantry and freezer.

Yesterday I went to Walmart an bought an inexpensive package of ham pieces for only four dollars and they had fancy frozen mixed vegetables in the large packages for only 99 cents. I had already been  able to make and put away at least four meals already with this ham and had enough to make what I wanted to make today, so it was win win with that purchase. Then I went to the Dollar Tree to buy some water since I don't have drinkable water in my home. I still don't have a kitchen sink.

Anyway when I walked in there were items in front of the store marked down to twenty five cents. Sara the manager really knows how to run the store and keeps things moving.

I found a package of hamburger helper the stroganoff version and of course I got it. I passed on the rest because they were snack items and I don't snack so why waste the money just because it was a good buy? It's not a good buy if it's not going to be used right?

So today when I decided to make meals for a week.  I pulled out the stroganoff and the ham. That got me started. I then got out some small package of slice steak like steakums from the freezer and I was off to a good start.

Now to the pantry. In the pantry I found a can of chili beans in chili sauce, sloppy joe, and tomatoes in a can. excellent!

Now the refrigerator. Yes I had the milk, garlic, ground beef, butter, onions, and some celery that needed to be used up.

I got started by browning the onions, celery, and later added the garlic. You want the garlic but you don't want to burn it so that's why you add it later.

While the onion mixture was cooking I defrosted the shaved steak in the microwave. 

Once the shaved steak was defrosted I chopped it up the and made the stroganoff as directed on the package. 

I put the stroganoff in the microwave for the first six minutes then removed the onion mixture from the pan and added the ground beef to brown. 

By then it was time to stir the stroganoff and put it back on for another six minutes. 

When it was time to stir the stroganoff again the ground beef was done.

I stirred the stronganoff  and returned it to the micowave for another  three more minutes. The package reads six more minutes but I don't like the noddles mushy so I just do it for three minutes instead. You do it to what you like it.

Now I opened the  cans. I emptied half of the sloppy joe into a plastic container and added a cup of ground beef and the onion and some of celery I had cooked. It was time to put away some meals. I put four 3/4 cup serving away. Three in the freezer and one in the refrigerator for dinner during the week. 

I then removed the remaining ground beef from the pan and emptied the other half of the sloppy joe mix into the pan along with a package of taco seasoning, added the chopped up tomatoes and the sauce that the tomatoes had come  in along with the onion mixture.

I allowed the mixture to thicken while I finished the stroganoff. 

I finished the stroganoff by adding a serving spoon of sour cream to it then put away four 3/4 cup containers of the stroganoff . One in the refrigerator and three in the freeze. 

Now it was time to add the chili beans to the sauce that was cooking in the pan. I allowed it again to thicken a little four about five minutes while I prepared the coffee for tomorrow. 

Now it was time to finish the chili. I finished by adding the ground beef and onion mixture.I stirred it all together and put away four serving as I had before but this time I put a full cup in each plastic container. 

After all this was cleaned up I made a rue in a sauce pan and added a cup of milk to make a white sauce. To the white sauce I added about a tablespoon of mustard. The color you are looking for with the white sauce is a light beige. If your careful with the mustard and add a little at a time until you achieve this color then you will know the mustard will not overwhelm the taste just add to the over all flavor. Next I added fresh ground pepper, a cup of ham, and a cup of mixed vegetables. 

You will have chili left over to serve over hot dogs. Now you have all your meals for during the week.

I can say all the cooking took about half an hour. Clean up was not bad but you will have to figure out the time for yourself. I have no hot water and I have to heat water and carry all that and the items to be washed into the bathroom in my dish washing bowl. So it takes me a little longer than it would you but it took me maybe five or ten minutes to do the clean up.

If you are wondering where I get all the plastic containers I of course don't buy them. I save the containers like what cottage cheese and sour cream comes in.

Yes I am always mindful of my budget.

Sounds better than I am just cheap right?

Anyway everything turned out great and I will have some wonderful meals for the week.

I hope this has inspired you a little to try and do this for yourself. You deserve to eat well and this is an easy way to do it.