Nevermind that the high today was just 60.  And there’s a frost advisory for our area tonight. 

Wasn’t gonna stop me from using the grill tonight!

Ingredients
4 frozen tilapia fillets ($2.99) This is my “never pay more than price” for fish!
1 Tbsp seafood seasoning ($.05)
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice ($.05)
Rice with Garden Greens ($.35)
1 large acorn squash (about 2 lbs.) ($1.04) On sale last week for $.49/lb!
2 Tbsp butter/margarine/dairy-free margarine ($.20)
2 Tbsp brown sugar ($.05) Or other preferred sweetener like honey, maple syrup, agave syrup.

Directions
1. Thaw frozen tilapia fillets in the refrigerator. Marinate with lemon juice and seafood seasonigs for at least 30 minutes. Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side. Cooking time may vary depending on heat of grill and thickness of fillets.
2. Reheat Rice with Garden Greens. (I find that placing partially thawed frozen rice into a saucepan with 1/2 cup of hot water, set over low heat, is the best way to reheat frozen rice.)
3. Cook acorn squash. Serve with butter/margarine and brown sugar.
4. Serve Grilled Tilapia, Rice with Garden Greens and Sweetened Acorn Squash.

Cost $4.73

AND FOR DESSERT (for tomorrow’s lunch that is!!!)

FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
Stop by Mrs. Fields on Thursday, October 1 between 11am and 1pm to get your free chocolate chip cookie! Thanks for the heads up FreeStuff4Free!

Well kids…when FRESH salmon fillets are on sale for $2.99/lb…there is just no passing that up!  I do believe I had to pick my jaw up off the ground while standing in front of the fresh fish counter!  I have N-E-V-E-R seen such low prices for fresh salmon fillets!  So grilled salmon it is!

Ingredients
1.3 lb. fresh salmon fillet ($3.88)
1 tsp lemon pepper seasonings (free) On sale for $1, used $1 coupon = Free!
1 yellow summer squash, fresh from the garden (free)
Salt/Pepper
2 cups of Rice with Garden Greens ($.35)

Directions
1. Season salmon fillet with lemon pepper seasonings. Grill until fillet is no longer pink in the middle and fish has completely cooked through.
2. Wash and slice squash into circles. Steam in stovetop steamer for 4-5 minutes, or until squash flesh becomes opaque. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Thaw and cook rice with garden greens with about 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan to reheat and “refluff.”
4. Serve Lemon Pepper Salmon with Steamed Squash and Rice with Garden Greens.

Cost $4.23

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I thought I’d try a new sauce for kabobs.  I intended this for grilled salmon, but ended up making shrimp kabobs. A little experiment if you will!  Plus, my first harvest from the garden!

Ingredients
25 shrimp ($2.50) Using up the rest of the bag from when I made Shrimp Scampi!
1/2 onion ($.15)
1 green pepper ($.68)
1 Tbsp olive oil ($.05)
4 Tbsp dijon mustard ($.25)
1 Tbsp milk ($.02)
2 Tbsp fresh or dried dill ($.10)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley (From the garden)
1 cup brown rice ($.20)
Fresh Spinach from the Garden!!!!  We’ll call it free!

Directions
1. Thaw shrimp. Cut green pepper and onion into skewer size pieces. Place shrimp, green pepper, and onion on skewers. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a few dashes of dill. Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

2. In small bowl, whisk dijon mustard, milk and dill until creamy. Dip shrimp, peppers and onions into sauce.

3. In medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of rice in 2 1/2 cups of water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until brown rice is cooked through. Fluff with fork before serving.
4. Soak and wash spinach leaves.  Steam in stovetop steamer for 4-5 minutes.
5. Serve Shrimp Kabobs with Creamy Dill Sauce, Rice and Steamed Spinach.

Cost $3.95

***I must say the sauce was delicious!  It was zippy like cocktail sauce, but with a dijon flavor.  Yum!

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I usually plan my meals based on what’s in the freezer or what’s on sale each week. This week I thought I might be in trouble because I had shrimp on the menu, but no shrimp in the freezer. Well, I got lucky! A bag of 40-60 frozen shrimp was on sale from $6.38 to $5.00! PERFECT! I can use half the bag for this meal and the other half later! My goal for each meal is to keep the protein cost at or below $2.50…so this worked out beautifully. I couldn’t have pulled this meal off for under $5 if the shrimp were not on sale! Here’s my recipe!

Ingredients
1 lb. spaghetti noodles ($.97)
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil ($.30)
2 Tbsp butter or margarine (free)
4 garlic cloves, crushed ($.20)
3-4 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese ($.25)
About 20 frozen shrimp ($2.50)
4 corn cobs ($.60) On sale this week for $.15 each!!!

Directions
1. In medium saucepan, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain.
2. In skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil, butter or margarine, crushed garlic cloves and parmesan cheese. Stir continuously until starts bubbly. Then reduce heat and add “de-tailed and deveined” shrimp. Let simmer for 6-7
minutes.

3. Once pasta is cooked and drained, add shrimp sauce to the pasta noodles and mix well.
4. Remove husks and threads from corn and boil for 4-5 minutes in large saucepan.
5. Serve Shrimp Scampi and Boiled Corn.

Cost $4.82

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Also, Tricia interviewed me about all things how this all got started, how I inadvertently grew the blog (NEVER did I expect this idea to snowball as it has , and how the blog and my life fit together! If you wanna learn a little more about me, head on over to read the interview, and then stay and explore Onceamonthmom.com!

Ingredients
2 whiting fillets, 2 tilapia fillets ($3.29)
3 tsp lemon juice ($.10)
2 tsp olive oil ($.10)
1/2 tsp dill ($.05)
Salt and pepper
1 cup uncooked rice blend ($.60)
Splash of lemon juice ($.01)
2 large broccoli heads ($.50) I bought these at a grocery store closing sale. Details tomorrow!

Directions
1. In small bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, dill and a few dashes of salt and pepper.
2. Place fish in baking dish or foil. Pour lemon dill sauce over the fish and marinate at least 30 minutes.
3. Bake fish at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
4. Cook rice blend according to package instructions. I like to add a splash of lemon juice to the rice as it’s cooking.
5. Steam broccoli in steamer for 4-5 minutes, until turns bright green.
6. Serve fish with rice and broccoli.

Cost $4.65

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This meal was inspired by the More with Less cookbook, but I just whipped it up. I was in a rush to get dinner to the boys (which is never a good thing!)…think LOTS of crankiness! Hubs worked late tonight and I am going out with the girls…so the boys got to eat this one for themselves…and there’s lots leftover for lunch tomorrow!

Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil ($.10)
rice flour or wheat flour ($.10)
Rice milk or regular milk ($.50)
Cornstarch ($.05)
Salt and Pepper
Rice pasta – penne pasta (Use wheat pasta) ($1) I used 1/2 a bag of rice pasta from Trader Joes.
1/2 bag frozen broccoli ($.50)
1 can tuna ($.61)

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet, make homemade white sauce or homemade GF white sauce.
3. Add frozen broccoli and cook in sauce about 2-3 minutes until soft. Then add tuna. Stir through.
4. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, broccoli and tuna. Stir through and let simmer until sauce has thickened as you like it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cost $2.76

“A Month of Meals” Ebook Winner…

Here are your random numbers:66
Timestamp: 2008-12-02 22:16:13 UTC

#66 – Ranae is the winner of the ebook. Ranae is a SAHM with 7 “constantly moving, constantly hungry grasshoppers”! Congratulations!

A big thanks to Jamie for giving away a copy of her ebook. Didn’t win? You can buy one here.

Don’t forget to be thinking of the meal that you want to make for the $5 Dinner Challenge.

Ingredients
4 Whiting fillets ($2.25) Tilapia would be a nice alternative! I used preservative-free frozen fillets for this meal.
3 Tablespoon honey ($.25)
3 Tablespoon rice vinegar ($.05)
3 Tablespoon dijon ($.15)
a few pinches of cajun seasoning ($.02)
2 lb mashed sweet potatoes ($.74) (Remember how I made a big batch…)
1-2 cups frozen organic peas ($.75)

Directions
1. Season fish with cajun seasoning.
2. In bowl, whisk honey, vinegar and dijon.
3. Place fish on aluminum foil. Pour honey dijon sauce over fish. Wrap foil around fish fillets.
4. Place foil packet straight onto the rack in the oven. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, until fish flakes easily (time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet).
5. Bake sweet potatoes at 350 for 1 hour in baking dish with 1/4 inch water. Cover with foil. Remove and let cool about 10 minutes. Peel skins off of the potato and mash. Serve with cinnamon and butter if you like. We eat them “plain”.
6. Cook peas as directed on packaging.
7. Serve fish with side of sweet potatoes and peas.

Cost $4.21

For more great recipe ideas, head on over to Gayle’s Recipe Swap at the Grocery Cart Challenge!

If you are new to couponing or want a little refresher course, check out this “snack” from Mommy Snacks! The Beginner’s Guide to Savings is a 7 part series on savings at the grocery store! I learned a lot and I know you will too!

Photo Credit: Hubs! He did a good job! Fries were still in the oven!

Ingredients
2 cans of tuna ($1.24)
2-3 T sandwich spread ($.10)
4 slices of bread ($.26)
1 T butter ($.05)
2 slices provolone cheese ($.42)
2 pears ($1.09)
1/2 bag Cascadian Farm French Fries ($.55) on sale for $2.09 and $1 off coupon
Ketchup ($.10)
1/2 cup frozen peas ($.25)
1/2 cup frozen corn ($.25)
Boys will eat leftover mac n cheese. I had this planned before starting the GF diet 2 week trial and since there’s leftovers of rice pasta mac n cheese…

Directions
1. Mix tuna and sandwich spread (or your favorite tuna fixins!). Butter the “toasting sides” of the bread. Place tuna and cheese slice on bread. Toast on griddle for 2-3 minutes each side.
2. Slice pears.
3. Thaw and cook frozen corn and peas.
4. Bake french fries in oven as directed on package!
5. Eat it all up!

Cost $4.31

Thanks to 2 great sales on salmon and broccoli this week, we get to have a salmon dinner for $5!!! This was a delicious and nutritious meal! And there’s even some leftovers to throw on my salad for lunch tomorrow! My boys both ate their portions of the salmon and the broccoli! Fish is an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Be sure to get those Omega 3s into your weekly diet!

Scrumptilicious!

Ingredients
3/4 lb Salmon Fillet ($3.75)
2 Broccoli Heads ($.44)
1 cup rice ($.30)
1 T lemon juice ($.05)
Spices – Seafood blend (dill, garlic)

Directions
1. Place salmon onto large piece of foil. Drizzle lemon juice on top and sprinkle spices over the top. Fold foil around the fillet(s). Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Be sure to check that is has cooked through, as cooking time will vary depending on thickness of the fillet!
2. Steam broccoli.
3. Cook 1 cup rice in 2 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add rice, stir through, reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 20 minutes.

Cost $4.59

Directions
1. Thaw fillets or cook frozen, as directed on package. (I buy the kind that are frozen individually and have no preservatives!)
2. Cook 1 cup rice in 2 1/2 cups water. I usually add a little seasoning and lemon juice as the rice is cooking to get a continuity of flavors in the meal.
3. Steam broccoli 3-5 minutes in microwave or in steamer.

Cost $4.45