grocery & menu answer.

Rachel and Family said... I'm with Kelli, I would like to know about your grocery bills and such. I too feel like I'm at the store more often than I'd like to be! Any tips?? What do typical meals look like for your family?

kelli said... I would love to know how often you have to go to the grocery store...I have a family of 5 and feel like I am always there. Do you shop at places like costco or the grocery store? What are some family favorite dishes?

Dru said... I love all the questions! I am also interested in the grocery stuff. I have 2 girls and 2 boys, and the older 3 are always hungry. The 4th is only 6 months old. What do you do for dinners? Kid friendly but healthy?

Our food bill, including diapers, shampoo, toothpaste and the like, is probably around $1000 per month...maybe more. My husband does almost all the grocery shopping either early in the morning like 6 to 7am or on his way to and from work. We also do big shopping trips to Costco (usually once a month @ $200-$400), Target and Walmart.

We almost always buy Target diapers and wipes-- if they're not the most quantity and best quality for your money, then let me know where we can get a better deal! Sometimes it just depends on what other things we need that determines whether we go to Target or Walmart.

For example: We needed to get each kid a duffel bag for our Bible conference trip. It would make packing for 8 and keeping track of their outfits during our stay significantly easier. We knew we would get the best deal at Walmart-- we got a bunch of good sized bags for @ $12 each-- so that's where we went. And while we were there, we got some pants for one of the boys, got everyone's favorite cereal for the kids, and even got a new car battery for our van (it still had the original in it from 8 years ago).

With the approach of certain events, often times it does feel like we are at the store too much, but as a normal routine we try to only go when necessary. However-- I know that my husband will probably end up going to the market at least twice a week for milk and oj since we have only one refrigerator.

The food prices out here in California are more expensive than most places, but I know that my husband is constantly on the lookout for a good deal on items we use. He definitely knows what we like and where to get it at the best price. He'll use coupons and check the weekly circulars as well.

What do our meals look like? My husband likes to cook and is very good at it, but he's not the type to spend all day in the kitchen. What he does best is to take the things we like and make them really well. If it's hamburgers, then he makes gourmet burgers. He just has a way of taking the basics and improving on them.

Breakfast(weekdays): cereal, waffles with cottage cheese, yogurt, fruit, oatmeal and toast, bagels with creamcheese, etc.

Breakfast(weekends): french toast, pancakes, puffy oven pancakes, sausage, kielbasa, bacon, tater tots, homemade home fries, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy.

Lunch: cold cuts sandwiches, grilled cheese, mac & cheese, all sorts of leftovers, spaghetti-O's, pb&j, cup O'noodles, and lots of fruit.

Dinner: The other night we had barbequed szechuan chicken, white rice & black beans, fried plantains, and coleslaw. It was great and my husband made it in less than an hour. On other nights we might have a frozen lasagna from Costco, salad, broccoli and garlic bread. And if we've had a really crazy day and come home rather late-- dinner might just be nachos for some kids and bagels for others with me and hubby just playing it by ear.

The thing we really care about is trying to work as many fruits and veggies into their diet as possible. And the most important thing of all is that we actually sit down as a family and eat together every night and for as many meals as possible. That's what really matters isn't it? You could have the best food in the world, but if no one eats together then what good is it?

Favorite dishes: Daddy's french toast anytime (use vanilla or hazelnut creamer along with milk in your batter-- it'll be the best french toast you've ever had)! Puffy oven pancakes-- 16 eggs some milk and flower...mmmmm. Almost anything from the bbq, especially babyback ribs (who doesn't like those?), homemade coleslaw, baked beans and rice.

As far as my husband grocery shopping and cooking goes-- he doesn't mind at all; He actually likes it. But really, he just wants to do what's best for me and the kids. After spending all day with 8 small children and feeding them breakfast, lunch and snacks, my husband realizes that the last thing I want to do when he gets home is to start cooking for dinner or head out to the grocery store by myself. He understands that it takes a lot of pressure off me for him to help out in this area of our household. And he's right.