Singles Cooking - 1st prep day

Due to New Year's being on Friday and this being my last weekend before school resumes, I will do my 1st full prep day tomorrow.  If you are following my menu exactly, you just need to follow my steps; however, I want to explain what a prep day means and how it will actually save you a lot of time in the long run.

Today, I went to the grocery store and bought everything I will need for the week.  My weekly menu actually is:

Fri - Black Eyed peas with smothered beef
Sat -  Orange caramelized pork and onions
Sun - bean and meat chili
Mon - antipasta and crudite platter w/ hummus
Tue - Pork sandwhiches w/ veggies and / or chili
Wed - Black eye pea salad w/ fruit
Thur - meatloaf
Fri - chili w/ chips or cornbread chili pie
Sat - pork stir fry w/ leftover pork and pre chopped veggies

For the prep day, rinse all veggies and cut.  I got bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery and cauliflower.  Also, peel and chop a whole onion.  I sorted out all the meats I will need for the week.  Pork roast was on sale, so I bought a 5 pound one and then cut and divided for 4 meals.

I already had beans and chickpeas, so I didn't need to purchase those.

On Thursday, I will rinse and cook all the beans I will need this week.  Since I already have chickpeas cooked, I won't need to cook those, but I will cook the red beans and the black eye peas.  I will also prep and cook the orange caramelized pork roast w/ onions so that I won't have to cook on Saturday.  I will prepare the meatloaf and then freeze.

I always use dried beans, and here is how I cook them.
Measure out the beans you will use.  For my chili, I use 2 cups of red beans.  For the black eye peas, I will use only 1 cup because I am the only one who eats these.  Rinse the beans thoroughly.  Add to a saucepan and cover with water.  I add salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat and cover.  Cook on low for about 2 hours, checking the water level and stirring often

Once the beans are a bit soft, remove the lid, add 1/3 cup oil (or fat) and simmer on medium for 30 minutes.  When using the beans for chili or salads, I do not allow the beans to make a thicker gravy.

Smothered Beef

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 chopped onion
salt, pepper, paprika and garlic

Mix the meats, onion and seasonings.  Divide into 2 portions.  With 1 portion, brown in skillet and crumble.  With the other portion, make into 8 small patties.  The crumbled portion and the drippings will go into the chili.  Once cool, move to a container, cover and store in the refrigerator.

For the patties, saute in a skillet turnin
g often until browned and cooked almost through.  Remove from pan.  Add flour to drippings and stir well, cooking on low.  Once the flour is well mixed, add 1.5 - 2 cups of water to get to the consistency you want for the gravy.  Stir often and add more water if needed.  You can use milk instead of water to get a creamier consistency.  Once the gravy is ready, return the patties to the gravy and simmer on low to coat.

Singles Cooking - Planning your 1st Month

The New Year is virtually days away, and it's time to begin thinking about January's menu.  Even though these plans are aimed at one person, a family could easily adjust portion sizes and use the planning steps.

First step . . . write in any special days, celebrations, etc.  For me, all I have is MLK and New Year's Day.

Second step . . browse through your freezer and pantry and see what you  actually have on hand.

Third step. . . . start jotting down menu ideas.  For each item cooked, plan on using it again at least twice either in the same fashion or in a different way.  For example, if you make meatloaf with veggies, you might have a meatloaf sandwich and then make a stew.

Fourth step . . . consider menu items that can compliment and overlap.  For example, if you make red beans, you can use beans as a compliment with a grilled meat and also make soup or bean dip out of those beans later.

Here is the beginning of my month.

I will make adjustments to it, especially if things go on sale during the month or as opportunities present themselves.  These are also just my dinner plans.  What I pack in my lunch will be similar, but not exactly the same.

Singles Cooking: Weekly Menu Planning

The new year is upon us, and I have decided to begin a series of posts aimed specifically at singles.  My last child will graduate in a year, and I will be finally alone.  It frightens and intrigues me at the same time.

I have spent over 30 years cooking for a crowd.  The prospect of cooking just for me is a bit daunting.  I don't want to give up all the homecooking.  Frugality and time saving are two words that must exist.  To begin this series, I am posting the weekly menu form.  Download and begin to use.

Stay tuned for my own January menu.

Weekly Meal Planner by Stacci Slayton Hamilton

Frugal Kitchen: Chicken and Chickpeas

Oh, the weather outside is......

The weather here in Austin is warmer than normal.  It's beautiful.  As Christmas quickly approaches, I spend my days wrapping up paperwork for the Fall semester and getting ready for my first grandchild.   For many reasons, my cooking / eating has been a bit off, and I long to return to my Susie Homemaker mode to putt about in the kitchen.  I miss cooking.

I have posted several other chicken ideas, and today, I wanted to share a couple more.  I bought 5 pounds of chicken thighs on sale.  I froze 1/2 of the package.  With the other thighs, here is what I prepped.

Chicken fajita baked potatoes
Chicken stock for loaded baked potato soup

I also finally made the Buffalo Ranch Hummus I had prepared for over the weekend.

Here's the preparation instructions:

With 3 chicken thighs, carefully trim the meat from the bone.  Also trim the skin from the meat.  Don't worry about cutting all the meat from the bone.  Put the skin and bones in a saucepan and cover with water.  Add 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped celery and salt / pepper to the water.  Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

With the bulk of the thigh meat, cut into small strips.  Add to a heated skillet with 3 Tab. oil, chopped garlic and onion.  Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Simmer and stir until meat is cooked through.

Once the chicken stock has cooked and then cooled, remove any meat pieces from the bones.  Discard the bones and skin.  Save the stock and chicken pieces until you are ready to make the loaded baked potato soup.


For the chicken ranch hummus.....................and this stuff is really good, you will need 2 cups of cooked and cooled chickpeas.  I make my own chickpeas.  It is much less expensive and less wasteful.  I am the only one in my family who eats hummus, so I need to make small portions.

In my food processor, I added 2 cups of cooked chickpeas, 1/4 cup buffalo hot sauce and 1/4 cup ranch dressing.  Blend well together.  I ate mine with gluten free crackers, carrots and celery.  It was wonderful.