This is my current mindset. I meal prepped almost a month's worth of meals for my recovery and while the freezer is starting to empty, at first look my thought was "Oh, I am running low, need to go to the store". I quickly stopped myself and took a good look at what we have and discovered that we still have enough for another two weeks worth of dinners, which means by the time I do a restock shop it will have been at least six weeks since my last big trip. This does not include any trips for fresh fruit and dairy, which have been very low spend, it has been so nice!
I frequent my local food pantrys that helps me alot, but i get lots of rice, spaghetti. So your videos are very helpful in using those up. The reason i mention this is so others will visit theres also..Dont be embarressed. I am senior citizen. Thanks for your videos
Love this comment. I think the food/grocery vloggers are great for those that frequent food pantries or get assistance in the form of dried beans. Etc. It can be intimidating for people who haven't used them before. Not only do they get budget grocery tips but also instructions on how to use thr low cost, low convenience items. Our good pantry had luck once giving out samples of a dish cooked with venison. Then they took the recipe and donated deer meat to put it together for themselves. It's a great segue for younger people in need. I am lucky we have enough but many don't and end up not knowing what to do with what they get.
I save the frozen food bags that zip close and hide the chocolate in them😊. Especially the Hershey kisses for peanut blossom cookies. And bags also fit really well in my crock pot which nobody ever looks at! Two teenage boys and hubby, I have to get creative.
Two of the meals I might make on night when we have to eat at different times in the spring/summer are a large Cobb salad or a breakfast casserole. I put the salad on a large serving platter with the toppings divided on top so the kids can take what they like plus it looks pretty, sometimes it’s leftover cooked chicken or turkey or Perdue chicken tenders, lots of veggies, hard boiled eggs, cheese- whatever we happen to have. This also helps to use up that big container of salad greens!
Thank you for all of the tips and ideas you share. Over the last couple of months of loosely following your tips, I have been consistently coming under budget in my grocery category. Rather than reducing the budget (because you never know), my hubby and I decided to make a game of it. Whatever is left in groceries, restaurants and gas at the end of the month gets split between the 2 of us as next months’ allowance. It’s motivating to stretch those trips a little further and avoid the impulse buys when I know that the reward is that I can save for something I really want instead.
Always love how helpful and relatable your content is! You have some serious skills! We used to have such a jam packed schedule where we had practices from right after school pickup until 7:30 or 8 in the evening! I started trying to bring a packed dinner with me and would serve our family out the back of my suv in shifts when they weren’t practicing. One of our go to meals was a cold pasta salad crunchy veggies and either grilled shrimp or lemon pepper seasoned chicken. Both meat options taste great when served chilled and we would have fresh fruit and some cookies and just sit in our camping chairs and eat dinner and watch practice. They are very sweet memories for us!
Thank you, Mindy. I'm a good cook. However, since I've been living alone, it's been hard for me to have a reasonable grocery bill. (Apparently my ex ate all the leftovers!) Your pantry challenges have really helped me. Now I do one big (for me) grocery shop every 4 to 5 weeks with very small trips to the grocery in between to get some fresh vegetables. The freezer is my new best friend, as is the tiny 2-quart slow cooker that I bought this spring. Your creativity in the kitchen has inspired me to also get creative. And when the leftovers get to be too much, I bring them to work and my co-workers are very happy.
Just wanted to pass along because it helped my daughter tremendously. She never had issues with allergies until we moved to North Texas last year, now she really struggles with full blown allergy issues. We tried all the meds and Flonase, etc. The only thing that has helped is the Zyrtec face wipes. You mentioned your face was itchy so thought these might help. She just started wiping her face a couple of times a day and her symptoms have been reduced by more than half. I hope you feel better soon!
I was born, raised, and still live in Louisiana. You do you when it comes to jambalaya. The world is your oyster, pick your proteins, add rice and spice then call it a day. You can do a red or brown jambalaya. Personally, I prefer the red, but my husband prefers brown.
I have an awesome hashbrown potato soup recipe for the crockpot. I have the dehydrated cartons of hashbrowns from Costco that I rehydrate with water, and toss them in. So quick! No peeling potatoes. Family members can help themselves whenever. Chili is another great eat-whenever-you-want meal. Pulled pork is another great slow cooker meal. My family can serve it on a bun & grab some raw veggies from the fridge.
Love your videos so much. Here in NZ the cost of living has risen by 17% in a year, particularly when it comes to food. Your videos give me so many amazing ideas, and I’ve managed to get our weekly shop back down to pre-inflation cost for the past month or so! So thank you! Lots of love from the rainy North Island of NZ ❤️
Definitely on the same page. Tonight is spaghetti using sauce that's been in the freezer since last July. Cooked up some breakfast sausage and divided up for scrambles right before it hit the use by date. This afternoon's project is inventory of freezer and pantry, making a list of what to use up by the end of May. 😊
Shelly Turner- we did similar yesterday. I wanted to grill burgers and hotdogs but, it wouldn’t stop raining!! So, I took 3 different soups from the freezer and heated those up with oyster crackers and cornbread muffins. It worked! 👍🏼
My life is all over the place. I'm a teen mom but was behind on education and career. I had a second child in my 40's. I feel like my life is happy. ❤️ I'm now a graphic designer.
Love this video! I DESPISE throwing out food & I am really challenging myself to do it constantly. And the slow cooker: my favorite small appliance. The close 2nd is my Ninja 8 in 1 oven, which air frys,bakes, broils, toasts, etc, and flips up on its side to store next to the frig! And neither of these appliances heat up my kitchen 🎉. Very important in SC for 8-9 out of 12 months yearly!
My go to meals for busy nights are premade taco meat or premade sloppy Joe. I make these in batches and freeze in two pound bags. All I have to do on a busy night is pull them out and fridge thaw. Soft tortillas and buns are a staple in my house. Easy to heat up as we come and go during the evening.
Great way to use up what you have. I try to do that periodically too. It's only my husband and I so a lot gets frozen. I go through the freezer once a month or so and pull out those, one-two portion meals and we eat them for lunches or dinner. This week I felt very accomplished. We have one "meal bin" in the freezer empty and used up 3 bottles of whatever in the fridge. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
I love how reasonable all this is. A lot of it is advice I would give my own friends. The honesty of "if I buy more goldfish the kids will just eat the goldfish." Nailed it. 😂 I'm going to look to the comments for the items that we could eat in shifts. Oftentimes the kids have a big snack before we part ways and then we eat bits and pieces of things when we get home later. It's not ideal. This summer will be no different. Hopefully I can get some ideas from other commenters.
I’m with you! We do the snack supper thing all the time, too. Especially in the warmer months when nobody feels like eating a big meal in the evenings!
We are taco bowl lovers around here and I like to prep taco meat, beans, and prep toppings in a vegetable container. I keep tortillas, chips, rice on hand so we usually have those available as well. I pull it out and let them build what they want when it is their time to eat. I also do the same with chili and potatoes. Those who don’t eat potatoes can eat the chili with Fritos or over a jasmine rice packet.
we have Chicken BLT Wraps or Bowls on Serve Yourself nights sometimes. It's a great way to use up extra tortillas and leftover cooked chicken and little bits of bacon too. We cut up veggies like cucumber, tomato, onion, shredded carrot and diced avocado into separate bowls, put out various dressings or sour cream or ranch dip, add a bowl of shredded cheese, slap down some tortillas on the counter next to some plates and bowls, and let everyone build their own wrap or bowl. You can put out all kinds of things to use them up, and everyone gets to DIY dinner.
I've started marinating all the chicken when I buy it fresh from the store and then I freeze it. On the nights I know we'll need to eat in shifts, I put it in the slow cooker and shred it with a hand mixer. Set out buns or baked potatoes and some quick veg or a salad and everyone knows what's for dinner!! Easy to make sandwiches and when they are all marinated chicken it never tastes the "same" so we don't get bored having it once a week.
I like to make a casserole like chicken pot pie (which a lot of times I cook enough to make a couple of freezer meals too) or a crockpot meal like meatballs and rice and green beans. Everybody just helps themselves when they get home and dinner is done.
i liked your short video where you and your husband were at church, good to see your both so dedicated to your work and the lord Jesus. Very encouraging.
South Louisiana resident here- you don’t need shrimp for it to be jambalaya. We use chicken, sausage, pork, shrimp, or sometimes combinations of those. However, ours look a lot different in Cajun country. We brown our onions to almost black, which makes the rice brown.
Sandwiches, like ham or turkey, you could even wrap them up in advance and grab and go from the fridge! Also, nachos!!! You can precook the ground beef or turkey, then combine black beans and corn (drained) too! Top with cheese as you need or sauces and other toppings and you’re done!
I make 7 mason jars (using plastic lids from Walmart) of salad every week. They last at least 7 days and help me get my fresh veggies in, because ain’t no way I would take the time to make salad every day.
I’m currently shopping my pantry and freezer. I don’t want to waste anything. I had to restock produce, milk, eggs, just variable perishables and a few little treats like some donuts for this morning and a ready made dessert for tonight’s dinner. I’ve been spending quite a bit on groceries lately so it was nice to only spend 1/3 of my weekly budget on groceries. That money can be better spent towards our vacation this summer.
Tacos! So easy just to keep the meat warm in a crock pot and everyone can eat when it works and can also make so many options with the meat...putting it in a shell, making a burrito bowl, taco salad, etc.
Love YOYO nights! Chili of any kind would be good in shifts, Hamburger Helper of some flavor (you get to take the easy way out here too by using the box!) is always good warmed up, beans and cornbread can both be made ahead of time. I'd even just make a big pot of some mac and cheese and serve cornbread with it but that's just me.
Shift meals suggestions : a casserole dish of baked sandwiches, can reheat on their own; slow cooker chicken fajitas over rice or tortillas; crockpot pesto chicken pasta.....I enjoy your channel and co tent !
We do tacos. All the fixings are prepped unsealed containers. We do Blanco cheese, you grab it out and choose if your doing soft tacos, taco salad or nachos. Heat up the meat you need.
Great ideas. I love how you plan for those busy nights! I have learned from you to check my pantry first now. It really does help. Plus learning to modify leftovers into new meals is a new skill to learn. I think I like yours of just giving each a different meal from what's leftover. It saves time that way. Hope your allergies get better.
would suggest that you may look into getting lock 'n lock for storage, especially great for pasta, can find a great selection of it on QVC, I have it for my storage for pantry items and absolutely love it
Great video! Inspiring! I make soups and stews all year long. When it's hot outside or in the house, I start dinner a little earlier and then let the bowls of soup sit on the counter for a while before I serve them so they're not hot and closer to room temperature
Allergies are the absolute worst! I get vertigo and I get sinus infections that leave me feeling icky and exhausted. My doctor put me on a nasal spray and oral regimen on really bad days to help keep my allergies under control. Hope you feel better soon. Thank you for another great video!
Official Southern Louisianian here 😅. Type of meat doesn't matter for jambalaya. I've even done leftover ham before. It's more of a style of dish than a specific dish here. Also I'm from western la so we don't use tomatoes in ours but it is common in eastern la like new orleans.
You definitely remind me to look around my cupboards first and use up whatever needs to be used, and you also make me think in a more creative way about my lunches for work, I will probably be rethinking these. :D Speaking of cottage cheese pasta, in eastern europe (or at least where I am from) it's a popular budget meal, or just a dinner for picky kids : pasta with cottage cheese (normally it would be a type that is a bit dryer and firmer, but i am sure the one you have works fine) with sugar and cinnamon. I remember eating that every once in a while when i was a kid. You need to try :D
Love the videos you share. I’m in North Texas and allergies are bad here too. Allergy Fatigue is a real diagnosis, more miserable than the itchy eyes & sneezing.
Thanks for the great ideas! I have had seasonal allergies this year so bad!!! Exhausted - vertigo - itchy eyes! They seem to be getting better after about a week of taking allergy medicine 😀
I should watch the whole video before commenting here and there but I grew up with the pudding chocolate chip cookies!!! My mom found the recipe in a Jello pudding ad in a magazine in 1984! You can switch out the pudding flavors and make chocolate chocolate chip. I got the recipe from my Mom and after years of ignoring the pudding oatmeal raisin recipe from the same ad, I finally made the oatmeal but switched out the vanilla pudding for butterscotch and the the raisins for butterscotch chips.
@@SeeMindyMom my original plan was to use the original chocolate chip recipe and switch out butterscotch pudding and chips and then saw the butterscotch chip package had an image of a butterscotch oatmeal cookie and that was the inspiration. They turned out really good
How I know I am in my saving-money-mode: Pre-games going to Aldi’s by watching Mindy’s videos. Also: watches Mindy’s videos while driving to Aldi’s for grocery shopping.
Chilli vegetable soup meatloaf and mashed potatoes and baked beans the soups I do in a slow cooker the meatloaf and baked beans hearts nicely in the microwave and if the mashed potatoes are done with the right balance of milk may and butter heat nicely in the microwave
Thanks so much Mindy! You always have some great ideas and recipes to share. You always put a lot of thought into topics you cover! I'm almost 70 and you have taught me a lot! I don't comment a lot but I love your videos and just wanted you to know it. God bless you honey!!
I don't have any particular days that my family has to eat in shifts, BUT one person eats whenever they are hungry, so often eat lunch at 3 pm or so, and aren't hungry for dinner. I usually don't eat lunch, just brunch and dinner so am hungry early in the evening, and then a son who eats on a random schedule depending on when he gets lunch with his work schedule. I just cook when I'm hungry and they can reheat it if they're not ready when dinner is. We ARE all adults though and can easily feed ourselves if necessary
The container of corn and potatoes made me think of a soup or chowder! That could be yummy. Also, we are starting soccer and swimming lessons soon so, I need to come up with fast recipes!
One of my favorite meals to make when kids sports have us running in all different directions is walking tacos. No on complains and other then shredding cheese, dicing tomato and lettuce, and browning some meat, it’s pretty much the easiest meal. Plus my kids love a reason to eat chips and they can literally take it on the go to practice/game. Just a go to in our house but thank you for the tips from yours!
Are you guys using the 1 oz mini bags of chips for the walking tacos? Just trying to get some sort of idea we have the kids ages range from 14 to 3. I am limited on carbs so a small bag of chips would work perfectly for me. Tacos are a crowd pleaser here. Doesn't seem like a bad thing to try. Something like a nacho chip would you crunch up at the bottom, top it, and eat with a spoon in the car?
@@teamshoemaker yes. The individual size bags that you can get in a variety pack. Throw everything you would add to a taco on top of the chips ( Fritos- regular and chili, Doritos- regular and cool ranch are all great options but whatever you want), add a fork and walk out the door ( it’s such easy prep work- cook the meat, dice the tomatoes, chop the lettuce, and shred the cheese and the kids can add whatever they like! One kid will add a lime wedge to the chili Fritos)
You can also do this as a burrito bar, and the can put together their own fillings. Or baked potatoes and everyone can put what tgey like on top 0 of theitrs Or sushi/poke bowls /buddha bowls
Pork BBQ sandwiches, cracked chickens Sandwiches both can crock potted during the day then warm all evening with pasta salad and Baked beans as sides. we have been eating in shifts for years and years.
We keep doing soups all year for the easy factor lol but we make "leftover soup" which is ground beef with literally any veggie/random leftover that needs to get used in the fridge.
We are a family of 7 and everyone is going in a million directs .. dinner is so difficult with basketball practice, swim lessons, work shifts all kids stuff so love you suggesting speghetti with sauce in a crock pot
during easter week-end, we had a huge icestorm and we're out of power for 5 days. I had to throw away everything in the freezer and half the fridge. When the power came back, I decided to wait to go to the grocery cause 1: they would have been way to many people for my taste ! 2: I wasn't sure they would have the produce I wanted or if they would be safe to use.. So we used what we had in the pantry and our creativity! We ate only vegan meals and a lot of pasta but it was fine for a week !!
Awesome tips, Mindy! I love the white cheddar Babybels and the Gardettos rye chips, too. Adding them to my Walmart app grocery cart. I’m still struggling to shop my freezer because it’s rough for getting in the mood to cook. I’m by myself so I’m a great enabler for me, lol. However, your chicken jambalaya-type slow cooker recipe sounds amazing and I can have it over several days. I don’t usually get tired of meals I really enjoy. Thanks for all the great hacks and suggestions, Mindy.
If you have a single friend maybe you could set a coffee or tea "cooking" get together and then swap half? That way you have the company and the food, but not so much as to overwhelm so that you get tired of it.
Thank you for another video chock-full of great ideas. I started The Anatomist’s Wife this week and have enjoyed it so far. Thank you for the suggestion. 😊
My husband and our oldest daughter are so great at this. I used to joke all the time, and say that they should be on the show Chopped. I don't know about anybody else, but the end of the school year is extremely busy for our family. Could you maybe do a video about maybe some one pot meals? Or something similar. My instant pot is on the fritz, and we don't have a Crock-Pot.
My hubby got 12 beef butt roasts (6pds each) rejected off his truck so Im full on beef for months again. I still have beef tenderloins left from last rejection.
We had a very wet and cold winter here in Phoenix and my allergies are crazy. Many people are saying the same and my doctor is hearing the same from her patients....she saw it coming, lol. I've used lemon, lavender, and peppermint essential oils successfully in the past and this year they are barely taking the edge off.
Mindy...do you compost? I just bought a very cheap container ($3.99) which I keep under my sink and when it is full, I dump it in the corner of my yard. No guilt about throwing away fruits and veggies I havent used/reducing waste and makes great filled for your gardens/planters...win - win!!!
Yes, my allergies are wild this spring so far. I have been having symptoms that I usually don't get, along side the ones I do. So, it feels compounded. I normally have really watery itchy eyes, sneezing, and running nose. But, a few weeks ago I noticed that one of my ears hurt and I had 2 days I woke up with the other ear feeling full. Took some Benadryl and the next day some Sudafed decongestant to dry up my ears and it cleared that up nicely. Then I have had some itchy throat, which isn't something I normally get allergy wise. It's just a rough go this season for sure, you aren't the only one. We don't every have the need to eat in shifts, very very rarely. But, if we did, I would do all crockpot meals. That way whatever it is can just sit on warm and people can eat whenever they are free. Think Creamy Italian Chicken over pasta, BBQ boneless ribs, Teriyaki Pork Roast, Mississippi Beef Roast.
My allergies have been off the scale so far this spring. I'm actually going to an allergist for shots for the first time ever! No joke, nothing has really helped this season. Ugh!🤧
I live in Oklahoma too, and this allergy season has been SUPER rough for my son and me. My son even ended up with an ear infection because of allergies!
Mindy I’m always at peace watching your videos. Your voice is therapeutic. Thank you because days like this calls for that therapeutic peace.
This is my current mindset. I meal prepped almost a month's worth of meals for my recovery and while the freezer is starting to empty, at first look my thought was "Oh, I am running low, need to go to the store". I quickly stopped myself and took a good look at what we have and discovered that we still have enough for another two weeks worth of dinners, which means by the time I do a restock shop it will have been at least six weeks since my last big trip. This does not include any trips for fresh fruit and dairy, which have been very low spend, it has been so nice!
Recovery.
Hope you're feeling better!
@@mandy3486 thankfully I am doing well now, the beginning of my recovery from my surgery was rough. Thanks! 😀
I frequent my local food pantrys that helps me alot, but i get lots of rice, spaghetti. So your videos are very helpful in using those up. The reason i mention this is so others will visit theres also..Dont be embarressed. I am senior citizen. Thanks for your videos
Love this comment. I think the food/grocery vloggers are great for those that frequent food pantries or get assistance in the form of dried beans. Etc. It can be intimidating for people who haven't used them before. Not only do they get budget grocery tips but also instructions on how to use thr low cost, low convenience items. Our good pantry had luck once giving out samples of a dish cooked with venison. Then they took the recipe and donated deer meat to put it together for themselves. It's a great segue for younger people in need. I am lucky we have enough but many don't and end up not knowing what to do with what they get.
I save the frozen food bags that zip close and hide the chocolate in them😊. Especially the Hershey kisses for peanut blossom cookies. And bags also fit really well in my crock pot which nobody ever looks at! Two teenage boys and hubby, I have to get creative.
Haha! Very clever!
Brilliant!
Two of the meals I might make on night when we have to eat at different times in the spring/summer are a large Cobb salad or a breakfast casserole. I put the salad on a large serving platter with the toppings divided on top so the kids can take what they like plus it looks pretty, sometimes it’s leftover cooked chicken or turkey or Perdue chicken tenders, lots of veggies, hard boiled eggs, cheese- whatever we happen to have. This also helps to use up that big container of salad greens!
Thank you for all of the tips and ideas you share. Over the last couple of months of loosely following your tips, I have been consistently coming under budget in my grocery category. Rather than reducing the budget (because you never know), my hubby and I decided to make a game of it. Whatever is left in groceries, restaurants and gas at the end of the month gets split between the 2 of us as next months’ allowance. It’s motivating to stretch those trips a little further and avoid the impulse buys when I know that the reward is that I can save for something I really want instead.
Always love how helpful and relatable your content is! You have some serious skills!
We used to have such a jam packed schedule where we had practices from right after school pickup until 7:30 or 8 in the evening! I started trying to bring a packed dinner with me and would serve our family out the back of my suv in shifts when they weren’t practicing. One of our go to meals was a cold pasta salad crunchy veggies and either grilled shrimp or lemon pepper seasoned chicken. Both meat options taste great when served chilled and we would have fresh fruit and some cookies and just sit in our camping chairs and eat dinner and watch practice. They are very sweet memories for us!
I’m a huge fan of some sort of cold pasta salad and a veggie tray. No need to keep it warm and everyone can just eat when they’re ready.
Thank you, Mindy. I'm a good cook. However, since I've been living alone, it's been hard for me to have a reasonable grocery bill. (Apparently my ex ate all the leftovers!) Your pantry challenges have really helped me. Now I do one big (for me) grocery shop every 4 to 5 weeks with very small trips to the grocery in between to get some fresh vegetables. The freezer is my new best friend, as is the tiny 2-quart slow cooker that I bought this spring. Your creativity in the kitchen has inspired me to also get creative. And when the leftovers get to be too much, I bring them to work and my co-workers are very happy.
Just wanted to pass along because it helped my daughter tremendously. She never had issues with allergies until we moved to North Texas last year, now she really struggles with full blown allergy issues. We tried all the meds and Flonase, etc. The only thing that has helped is the Zyrtec face wipes. You mentioned your face was itchy so thought these might help. She just started wiping her face a couple of times a day and her symptoms have been reduced by more than half. I hope you feel better soon!
I was born, raised, and still live in Louisiana. You do you when it comes to jambalaya. The world is your oyster, pick your proteins, add rice and spice then call it a day. You can do a red or brown jambalaya. Personally, I prefer the red, but my husband prefers brown.
I have an awesome hashbrown potato soup recipe for the crockpot. I have the dehydrated cartons of hashbrowns from Costco that I rehydrate with water, and toss them in. So quick! No peeling potatoes. Family members can help themselves whenever.
Chili is another great eat-whenever-you-want meal.
Pulled pork is another great slow cooker meal. My family can serve it on a bun & grab some raw veggies from the fridge.
Love your videos so much. Here in NZ the cost of living has risen by 17% in a year, particularly when it comes to food. Your videos give me so many amazing ideas, and I’ve managed to get our weekly shop back down to pre-inflation cost for the past month or so! So thank you! Lots of love from the rainy North Island of NZ ❤️
fellow kiwi , she’s helped me also and i’m a huge ranch lover because of mindy 😂
@@justtee1259 hi fellow kiwi! Hope you’re not somewhere that’s getting battered by the storm!
Definitely on the same page. Tonight is spaghetti using sauce that's been in the freezer since last July. Cooked up some breakfast sausage and divided up for scrambles right before it hit the use by date. This afternoon's project is inventory of freezer and pantry, making a list of what to use up by the end of May. 😊
Shelly Turner- we did similar yesterday. I wanted to grill burgers and hotdogs but, it wouldn’t stop raining!! So, I took 3 different soups from the freezer and heated those up with oyster crackers and cornbread muffins. It worked! 👍🏼
My life is all over the place. I'm a teen mom but was behind on education and career. I had a second child in my 40's. I feel like my life is happy. ❤️ I'm now a graphic designer.
Love this video! I DESPISE throwing out food & I am really challenging myself to do it constantly. And the slow cooker: my favorite small appliance. The close 2nd is my Ninja 8 in 1 oven, which air frys,bakes, broils, toasts, etc, and flips up on its side to store next to the frig! And neither of these appliances heat up my kitchen 🎉. Very important in SC for 8-9 out of 12 months yearly!
My go to meals for busy nights are premade taco meat or premade sloppy Joe. I make these in batches and freeze in two pound bags. All I have to do on a busy night is pull them out and fridge thaw. Soft tortillas and buns are a staple in my house. Easy to heat up as we come and go during the evening.
Great tip!
Great way to use up what you have. I try to do that periodically too. It's only my husband and I so a lot gets frozen. I go through the freezer once a month or so and pull out those, one-two portion meals and we eat them for lunches or dinner. This week I felt very accomplished. We have one "meal bin" in the freezer empty and used up 3 bottles of whatever in the fridge. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
I love how reasonable all this is. A lot of it is advice I would give my own friends. The honesty of "if I buy more goldfish the kids will just eat the goldfish." Nailed it. 😂 I'm going to look to the comments for the items that we could eat in shifts. Oftentimes the kids have a big snack before we part ways and then we eat bits and pieces of things when we get home later. It's not ideal. This summer will be no different. Hopefully I can get some ideas from other commenters.
I’m with you! We do the snack supper thing all the time, too. Especially in the warmer months when nobody feels like eating a big meal in the evenings!
We are taco bowl lovers around here and I like to prep taco meat, beans, and prep toppings in a vegetable container. I keep tortillas, chips, rice on hand so we usually have those available as well. I pull it out and let them build what they want when it is their time to eat. I also do the same with chili and potatoes. Those who don’t eat potatoes can eat the chili with Fritos or over a jasmine rice packet.
we have Chicken BLT Wraps or Bowls on Serve Yourself nights sometimes. It's a great way to use up extra tortillas and leftover cooked chicken and little bits of bacon too. We cut up veggies like cucumber, tomato, onion, shredded carrot and diced avocado into separate bowls, put out various dressings or sour cream or ranch dip, add a bowl of shredded cheese, slap down some tortillas on the counter next to some plates and bowls, and let everyone build their own wrap or bowl. You can put out all kinds of things to use them up, and everyone gets to DIY dinner.
LOL! yes, tacos! So easy, and we have taco Tuesday and Taco Thursday many weeks!
I've started marinating all the chicken when I buy it fresh from the store and then I freeze it. On the nights I know we'll need to eat in shifts, I put it in the slow cooker and shred it with a hand mixer. Set out buns or baked potatoes and some quick veg or a salad and everyone knows what's for dinner!! Easy to make sandwiches and when they are all marinated chicken it never tastes the "same" so we don't get bored having it once a week.
Freezer waffles and ready made sausage patties, served with applesauce.
I like to make a casserole like chicken pot pie (which a lot of times I cook enough to make a couple of freezer meals too) or a crockpot meal like meatballs and rice and green beans. Everybody just helps themselves when they get home and dinner is done.
i liked your short video where you and your husband were at church, good to see your both so dedicated to your work and the lord Jesus. Very encouraging.
Mindy you're so cute and hilarious 😂. The jellies in the sour cream container is genius.
Thanks! 😂
South Louisiana resident here- you don’t need shrimp for it to be jambalaya. We use chicken, sausage, pork, shrimp, or sometimes combinations of those. However, ours look a lot different in Cajun country. We brown our onions to almost black, which makes the rice brown.
Hi Mindy yes allergies are getting everyone. I make a lot of salads. Chicken sandwiches the kids don't eat much.thanks for sharing ❤
Sandwiches, like ham or turkey, you could even wrap them up in advance and grab and go from the fridge! Also, nachos!!! You can precook the ground beef or turkey, then combine black beans and corn (drained) too! Top with cheese as you need or sauces and other toppings and you’re done!
My favorite summer thing when I worked was to make a bunch of salads on the weekend and then add a sandwich or piece of meat ( bbq chicken breast ? .
I make 7 mason jars (using plastic lids from Walmart) of salad every week. They last at least 7 days and help me get my fresh veggies in, because ain’t no way I would take the time to make salad every day.
I’m currently shopping my pantry and freezer. I don’t want to waste anything. I had to restock produce, milk, eggs, just variable perishables and a few little treats like some donuts for this morning and a ready made dessert for tonight’s dinner. I’ve been spending quite a bit on groceries lately so it was nice to only spend 1/3 of my weekly budget on groceries. That money can be better spent towards our vacation this summer.
Tacos! So easy just to keep the meat warm in a crock pot and everyone can eat when it works and can also make so many options with the meat...putting it in a shell, making a burrito bowl, taco salad, etc.
Love YOYO nights! Chili of any kind would be good in shifts, Hamburger Helper of some flavor (you get to take the easy way out here too by using the box!) is always good warmed up, beans and cornbread can both be made ahead of time. I'd even just make a big pot of some mac and cheese and serve cornbread with it but that's just me.
Shift meals suggestions : a casserole dish of baked sandwiches, can reheat on their own; slow cooker chicken fajitas over rice or tortillas; crockpot pesto chicken pasta.....I enjoy your channel and co tent !
As always you share smart ideas and help your viewer make the most of their odds and ends! You’re an inspiration Mindy, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Katy!
Yay, the rye chips are my favorite, too. So glad to hear this news.
A go to shift meal for us is curry in the IP. Rice and naan cooked earlier.
We do tacos. All the fixings are prepped unsealed containers. We do Blanco cheese, you grab it out and choose if your doing soft tacos, taco salad or nachos. Heat up the meat you need.
My go-to meal is Taco Soup and we make a meatball, risotto and bruschetta dinner.
I just went to the grocery store today to get fruits and veggies but I have lots of leftovers for the week. Have a great day ❤️
Great ideas. I love how you plan for those busy nights! I have learned from you to check my pantry first now. It really does help. Plus learning to modify leftovers into new meals is a new skill to learn. I think I like yours of just giving each a different meal from what's leftover. It saves time that way. Hope your allergies get better.
I love making kids use up odds and ends!! It’s good for them!
I love your pantry clean out videos! Thank you!
would suggest that you may look into getting lock 'n lock for storage, especially great for pasta, can find a great selection of it on QVC, I have it for my storage for pantry items and absolutely love it
I love those blue glasses!
Great video! Inspiring! I make soups and stews all year long. When it's hot outside or in the house, I start dinner a little earlier and then let the bowls of soup sit on the counter for a while before I serve them so they're not hot and closer to room temperature
My allergies have been bad this year too. I had real bad headache yesterday. I took sudafed and it helped. Feeling a little better today, but tired.
If you have peanuts you can make White Chocolate Haystacks with the pretzel sticks and almond bark. Family fav candy
We use broken pretzel sticks instead of chow mein noodles
Mindy and family have a great week have fun thanks from Oklahoma
Negative scale measurement is genius!!
Allergies are the absolute worst! I get vertigo and I get sinus infections that leave me feeling icky and exhausted. My doctor put me on a nasal spray and oral regimen on really bad days to help keep my allergies under control. Hope you feel better soon. Thank you for another great video!
Instant pot meals
They keep warm all day.
I did a chicken teriyaki for lettuce wraps. Super delicious.
Roasts
And things like tuna sandwiches 🥪
Hamburger mac and cheese beans and corn family loves it thanks ❤😊😊
The meal I always use when we are all coming and going is tacos. Easy prep and an easy dinner.
Official Southern Louisianian here 😅. Type of meat doesn't matter for jambalaya. I've even done leftover ham before. It's more of a style of dish than a specific dish here. Also I'm from western la so we don't use tomatoes in ours but it is common in eastern la like new orleans.
we often have taco salad, chef salad, crab Louis, or Salade Nicoise on those multi-time dinners.
My allergies are horrible in Illinois so I feel for you!
You definitely remind me to look around my cupboards first and use up whatever needs to be used, and you also make me think in a more creative way about my lunches for work, I will probably be rethinking these. :D
Speaking of cottage cheese pasta, in eastern europe (or at least where I am from) it's a popular budget meal, or just a dinner for picky kids : pasta with cottage cheese (normally it would be a type that is a bit dryer and firmer, but i am sure the one you have works fine) with sugar and cinnamon. I remember eating that every once in a while when i was a kid. You need to try :D
Love the videos you share. I’m in North Texas and allergies are bad here too. Allergy Fatigue is a real diagnosis, more miserable than the itchy eyes & sneezing.
Thanks for the great ideas!
I have had seasonal allergies this year so bad!!! Exhausted - vertigo - itchy eyes! They seem to be getting better after about a week of taking allergy medicine 😀
I should watch the whole video before commenting here and there but I grew up with the pudding chocolate chip cookies!!! My mom found the recipe in a Jello pudding ad in a magazine in 1984!
You can switch out the pudding flavors and make chocolate chocolate chip. I got the recipe from my Mom and after years of ignoring the pudding oatmeal raisin recipe from the same ad, I finally made the oatmeal but switched out the vanilla pudding for butterscotch and the the raisins for butterscotch chips.
Oh that sounds like a great combination!
@@SeeMindyMom my original plan was to use the original chocolate chip recipe and switch out butterscotch pudding and chips and then saw the butterscotch chip package had an image of a butterscotch oatmeal cookie and that was the inspiration. They turned out really good
How I know I am in my saving-money-mode: Pre-games going to Aldi’s by watching Mindy’s videos. Also: watches Mindy’s videos while driving to Aldi’s for grocery shopping.
Lol. I do that too. Hide the screen and turn on the Bluetooth so it's like a podcast for the ride
Yes ma’am I am having horrible allergy season . I live in Alabama and it’s bad here . Love the ideas for grocery savings .
Chilli vegetable soup meatloaf and mashed potatoes and baked beans the soups I do in a slow cooker the meatloaf and baked beans hearts nicely in the microwave and if the mashed potatoes are done with the right balance of milk may and butter heat nicely in the microwave
Thanks so much Mindy! You always have some great ideas and recipes to share. You always put a lot of thought into topics you cover! I'm almost 70 and you have taught me a lot! I don't comment a lot but I love your videos and just wanted you to know it. God bless you honey!!
Thank you so much, Cathy! I appreciate the encouragement!
I don't have any particular days that my family has to eat in shifts, BUT one person eats whenever they are hungry, so often eat lunch at 3 pm or so, and aren't hungry for dinner. I usually don't eat lunch, just brunch and dinner so am hungry early in the evening, and then a son who eats on a random schedule depending on when he gets lunch with his work schedule. I just cook when I'm hungry and they can reheat it if they're not ready when dinner is. We ARE all adults though and can easily feed ourselves if necessary
The container of corn and potatoes made me think of a soup or chowder! That could be yummy. Also, we are starting soccer and swimming lessons soon so, I need to come up with fast recipes!
I was thinking of a quick potato salad. But chowder sounds great!
@14:30 we always called that north Louisiana jambalaya (or gumbo for that matter)
One of my favorite meals to make when kids sports have us running in all different directions is walking tacos. No on complains and other then shredding cheese, dicing tomato and lettuce, and browning some meat, it’s pretty much the easiest meal. Plus my kids love a reason to eat chips and they can literally take it on the go to practice/game. Just a go to in our house but thank you for the tips from yours!
Walking tacos are one of my son’s favorite meals!
Are you guys using the 1 oz mini bags of chips for the walking tacos? Just trying to get some sort of idea we have the kids ages range from 14 to 3. I am limited on carbs so a small bag of chips would work perfectly for me. Tacos are a crowd pleaser here. Doesn't seem like a bad thing to try. Something like a nacho chip would you crunch up at the bottom, top it, and eat with a spoon in the car?
@@teamshoemaker yes. The individual size bags that you can get in a variety pack. Throw everything you would add to a taco on top of the chips ( Fritos- regular and chili, Doritos- regular and cool ranch are all great options but whatever you want), add a fork and walk out the door ( it’s such easy prep work- cook the meat, dice the tomatoes, chop the lettuce, and shred the cheese and the kids can add whatever they like! One kid will add a lime wedge to the chili Fritos)
You can also do this as a burrito bar, and the can put together their own fillings. Or baked potatoes and everyone can put what tgey like on top 0 of theitrs
Or sushi/poke bowls /buddha bowls
Mindy take a yellow cake mix and 3-4 ripe bananas and 3 eggs makes a yummy banana cake thanks from Oklahoma
Good tip! Thanks, Sherry!
Pork BBQ sandwiches, cracked chickens Sandwiches both can crock potted during the day then warm all evening with pasta salad and Baked beans as sides. we have been eating in shifts for years and years.
BLT are great Summer one too
I do shreeded bbq chicken in crockpot make slaw leave in frig with chips when we have to eat at different times
Fast meal any meat left over add rice beans and corn my family loves this meal add salsa or gravy or whatever you want
Premade burritos for busy evenings. Everyone can wrap one in a damp paper towel to reheat.
Thanks so much! Lots of great ideas
We keep doing soups all year for the easy factor lol but we make "leftover soup" which is ground beef with literally any veggie/random leftover that needs to get used in the fridge.
We are a family of 7 and everyone is going in a million directs .. dinner is so difficult with basketball practice, swim lessons, work shifts all kids stuff so love you suggesting speghetti with sauce in a crock pot
The little snack sized bagels are tasty! Tried them on a ski trip a couple months ago ☺
during easter week-end, we had a huge icestorm and we're out of power for 5 days. I had to throw away everything in the freezer and half the fridge. When the power came back, I decided to wait to go to the grocery cause 1: they would have been way to many people for my taste ! 2: I wasn't sure they would have the produce I wanted or if they would be safe to use.. So we used what we had in the pantry and our creativity! We ate only vegan meals and a lot of pasta but it was fine for a week !!
This was a great video- love the use up challenge. Thank you.
Yes!! Worst allergy season in 2 years (we’re in TN)!!
Awesome tips, Mindy! I love the white cheddar Babybels and the Gardettos rye chips, too. Adding them to my Walmart app grocery cart. I’m still struggling to shop my freezer because it’s rough for getting in the mood to cook. I’m by myself so I’m a great enabler for me, lol. However, your chicken jambalaya-type slow cooker recipe sounds amazing and I can have it over several days. I don’t usually get tired of meals I really enjoy. Thanks for all the great hacks and suggestions, Mindy.
If you have a single friend maybe you could set a coffee or tea "cooking" get together and then swap half? That way you have the company and the food, but not so much as to overwhelm so that you get tired of it.
I love babybels too but just can’t justify the 50+ cents per at Walmart. I wait for Costco to put them on sale
Thank you for another video chock-full of great ideas. I started The Anatomist’s Wife this week and have enjoyed it so far. Thank you for the suggestion. 😊
My husband and our oldest daughter are so great at this. I used to joke all the time, and say that they should be on the show Chopped. I don't know about anybody else, but the end of the school year is extremely busy for our family. Could you maybe do a video about maybe some one pot meals? Or something similar. My instant pot is on the fritz, and we don't have a Crock-Pot.
Clothespins..... the best clips 😂
I must know about measuring seasoning in the bottle lids!
I just eyeball it. Typically lids hold around 1tsp in my opinion. :)
@@SeeMindyMom so smart, thanks!
You've got waterdrop in a store - I envy you :) Loved them since the launch.
My hubby got 12 beef butt roasts (6pds each) rejected off his truck so Im full on beef for months again. I still have beef tenderloins left from last rejection.
We had a very wet and cold winter here in Phoenix and my allergies are crazy. Many people are saying the same and my doctor is hearing the same from her patients....she saw it coming, lol. I've used lemon, lavender, and peppermint essential oils successfully in the past and this year they are barely taking the edge off.
We have 6 kids and 1 day a week we have a leftover/fend for yourself night 😂 they love it and so do I!
Mindy...do you compost? I just bought a very cheap container ($3.99) which I keep under my sink and when it is full, I dump it in the corner of my yard. No guilt about throwing away fruits and veggies I havent used/reducing waste and makes great filled for your gardens/planters...win - win!!!
Yes, allergies are crazy in southeast Tennessee right now 😪🤧😮💨
So so glad I found you !!!
Yes, my allergies are wild this spring so far. I have been having symptoms that I usually don't get, along side the ones I do. So, it feels compounded. I normally have really watery itchy eyes, sneezing, and running nose. But, a few weeks ago I noticed that one of my ears hurt and I had 2 days I woke up with the other ear feeling full. Took some Benadryl and the next day some Sudafed decongestant to dry up my ears and it cleared that up nicely. Then I have had some itchy throat, which isn't something I normally get allergy wise. It's just a rough go this season for sure, you aren't the only one.
We don't every have the need to eat in shifts, very very rarely. But, if we did, I would do all crockpot meals. That way whatever it is can just sit on warm and people can eat whenever they are free. Think Creamy Italian Chicken over pasta, BBQ boneless ribs, Teriyaki Pork Roast, Mississippi Beef Roast.
Frito pie, chilli and cornbread and pulled pork sandwiches
Try Mexican recipe like albóndigas soup , tostadas with beans super easy , chicken enchiladas
My allergies have been off the scale so far this spring. I'm actually going to an allergist for shots for the first time ever! No joke, nothing has really helped this season. Ugh!🤧
Always look forward to your videos. They're so helpful.
Thanks so much, Alma! 😊
@@SeeMindyMom you're welcome, friend.
I live in Oklahoma too, and this allergy season has been SUPER rough for my son and me. My son even ended up with an ear infection because of allergies!