Keeping an Eye out for Food Sales

Keeping an Eye out for Food Sales 

and how to take advantage! 

Friends, slave has had a busy week, but has NOT forgotten you! Once a week or so, the local grocery store runs a special on meat. If you buy any three packages with a yellow sticker on it, the price is $5 each!

Don't shy away from these deals because you are only cooking for two! Let slave offer just one of many possibilities to take advantage of this.

FIRST CHECK the “SELL BY” DATES! Slave always urges you to do this twice: once when you put it in your cart and the second time when you take it out for the checker-person!

Slave picked up these three packages:

Ground round (1.4 lbs) $8.81

Porkloin roast (1.6 lbs) $7.98

Chicken Thighs (5.4lbs) $14.09

Total Paid only $15.00

Saved: $15.88

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This is how slave used them! (1 ½ lbs hamburger)

Sleazy Shepherds Pie

First night, separated about a third of the ground round, and browned that loose in a saute pan, froze the rest (aprox 1 lbs) in a re-closeable plastic freezer bag. Always repackage to freeze!

Took out about a cup of leftover vegetables, and warmed them, while fixing a serving of (yech) instant mashed potatoes. Yes, however, they were given to slave and the flakes do come in handy at times to thicken up a sauce, but more on that latter.

Now simply combine everything and tear up some slices of cheese on top Bump in microwave for about 1 minute just to melt the cheese and you have a quick and great tasting Shepherds Pie!

One meal down and meat that can be quickly thawed out for a one skillet dinner anytime! At least 4 meals depending on what type you fix.

The second night: Porkloin roast 1/1/2 lbs

Piggy that went to Heaven Roast

Preheated oven to 350 degrees.

Prepared some of slaves baked beans:

Recipe posted in blog for 4th of July

4 strips of bacon fried crisp - save drippings and add to beans.

2 (15-ounce) Cans Bush’s vegetarian baked beans

1 cup diced Granny Smith apple Peeled and cored

1 cup diced yellow onion

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Spray a heavy Dutch Oven (or other baking dish).

Place the pork roast in the pot and cover with the beans. 

Lay strips of bacon on top and bake for 1hour and 45 mins or until thermometer in the center of meat reaches 165 degrees.

Remove the roast and wrap in foil to rest for 5 minutes while you remove the beans to a serving bowl.

While that was baking, slave zapped a package of frozen stir fry vegetables ($1.19) in the microwave.

You will not believe how good this tastes AND how little work it takes. (as a mater of fact slave was re-building a recliner while this cooked!)

2 dinner entrees and still have enough meat left over for another 2 meal casserole or more!

For the third night: A big package of 12 Chicken Thighs

Orange Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs

For this, slave got out and checked its big cake pan to make sure the chicken would all fit! Then line it with foil and spray it well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

12 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (approx 5 ½ lbs)

1 ¼ cup orange marmalade

½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon low-sodium teriyaki sauce (or low-sodium Worcestershire sauce)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Approx 1lbs fresh Brussels Sprouts

Pkg Long grain rice

½ cup bottled bar-b-que sauce

Directions:

Heat 2 tbs oil on medium high heat in large frying pan. Working in batches (depending on the size of your pan) brown the thighs skin side down, About 3 -4 minutes, until the skin is a golden brown and slightly crisp. Don't worry about cooking it all the way through, that will be done in the oven. This just prepares the skin to make a crust.

Place them skin side up in the pan as they are ready.

Meanwhile, whisk together the orange marmalade, broth, teriyki sauce, (or low-sodium Worcestershire sauce) mix in the maple syrup, stirring it up again just before you use it.

 Please use the real thing! The fake flavored stuff might be OK for pancakes in a hurry but for real cooking it takes the real thing for it to come out right.

Brush the chicken well with the sauce, in fact after all is covered, just pour the rest over it!

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a center thigh reads 170 degrees – or the juices run clear!

Again: while the chicken is browning for the pan, wash the sprouts well in a vinegar-water bath. Cut off the base and cut the head in half down the center. In a small bowl mix together 2 tbs of oil and 1 tbs of Maple syrup, then toss the spouts til lightly coated. Spread onto a foil lined pan.

The rice called for 2 cups water and 1 cup of rice. So I used the rest of the can of chicken broth for the water. It cooks for 20 minutes so: as soon as rice and water boil cover and lower heat to simmer. Slide the pan of chicken into the oven. After about 5 minutes slide in the Brussels sprouts. (watch these for they are known to burn easily), however with the sweat taste of the maple and the natural roasting they will almost be candy-like if done right!

Serve with some bottled BBQ sauce to pour on the rice! Heaven!

Slave got two meals and a lunch out of this, Then:

The remaining cooked thighs:

Peel and save the skins to re-fry– they make a bacon substitute that will be OK and much less fat. Just don't expect to close your eyes and taste bacon!

De-bone the meat and divide into two different re-closeable freezer bags.

Now slave has 1 bag of cooked chicken meat for a 3 – 4 dinner casserole. 1 bag skin for bacon substitute!

AND 1 bag for make – ahead appetizers for the big Thanksgiving dinner!

Recipes to follow!

Fourth night: After 2 meals and a lunch of the baked bean pork roast, still had about ¾ lbs of pork left So:

Piggy Alfredo style

¾ lbs of cooked pork roast

½ of a one pound package of wide noodles ($1.19)

14.5 oz jar of Alfredo Sauce ($1.69)

1 package frozen broccoli spears ($1.10)

¼ cup cut up onion

While cooking the noodles in boiling water, I microwaved the broccoli spears only half of the suggested time.

Cut up the pork in to chunks less than an inch wide.

Cut the broccoli into approx the same size.

Heat the pork, broccoli, onion and sauce in a pan until bubbling. Mix with cooked noodles into a sprayed casserole to serve.

(after two full plates of this great tasting mixture, slave forced away from the table and filled another freezer bag with the remaining food).

I'm sure to get at least another two meals out of that.

Now count up the meals, count up the costs, then set aside the money you save so that you can get a nice Christmas Present for Master!

Serving Master Indy

Socialslave

To satisfy and restore. To nourish, support and maintain. To gratify, spoil, comfort and please, to nurture, assist, and sustain …..I cook!