Project Food Budget on TV

A few weeks ago, WTAE, a Pittsburgh-based news channel, did a great story on the Project: Food Budget I participated in earlier this year. Thanks to Emily (pictured above, being interviewed by Michelle Wright) for inviting me to be a part of it! The story focused on how to save money by setting a food budget and sticking to it through strategies like meal planning, buying ingredients only on your grocery list, and buying only in season. I've been waiting to write about this until they posted the video, but unfortunately, it doesn't look like that will happen. Also unfortunately, I was on vacation when it aired and never got to see it. But so many people saw it and said they learned a lot from it.

I participated in the project for 25 weeks, learned a lot, and ended up going from a weekly grocery bill of about $150 to about $80. I posted everything I learned here and continue to use the strategies and tips from that project. Emily is starting the project again for the next 52 weeks (!), so sign up if you're interested. Details are here.

The Secret to Urban Gardening: Big Pots!

This summer I've spent less time cooking and more time eating whatever I've picked up at the farmers' markets. I think peanut butter & jelly on homemade wheat toast with sliced tomatoes, steamed kale, and watermelon for dessert is a completely respectable meal (that sounds better than, "I'm a little lazy in the summer").

We've also been eating from the veggie plants we're growing this year--one of my food budgeting goals. Every year I've tried to grow veggie plants, they've failed. Our last tomato plant looked ill the whole summer and spit out three tomatoes at the end of the year. We have a concrete patio for a yard, so I have to rely on potted plants, and I suspect my pots have been too small.

My husband's coworker gave us three plants this year (thanks, Matt!). We planted them in our biggest pots, which I usually use for ornamental grasses on the deck. I was a little sad to give up my grasses, but the pots were the solution!

This is our Fourth of July plant. The tomatoes are bigger than cherry tomatoes but still small and consistently delicious. It keeps growing and growing and has about five ripe tomatoes a day with about 20 more ripening. It became a super-performer only after I watered it with compost from the worm bin I keep in my kitchen, where I put fruit and veggie scraps.
This is our hot pepper plant. It also has a ton of peppers all the time. I've used them in salsa, and my husband grills or sautes them and puts them on burgers or hot dogs (he isn't veg).
Our third plant is some type of black tomato. A third of it got devoured by a tomato worm early in the season, and it hasn't been the same since. It's only just produced two tomatoes...but they are amazing!
It's nice to come home from work, walk outside, and pick these for dinner.
I also bought a basil plant from Trader Joe's. Basil is pretty reliable and has done well for me in previous years; it didn't disappoint this year. This basil is extremely fragrant and smells so sweet, I want to eat the leaves right off the stem. Unfortunately, the lettuce salad plants I got from Whole Foods did awful. They didn't last beyond my first plucking. I never replanted them into a bigger pot, so I guess that's why. (That's Rasputin, my formal feral kitty who plays catch with toy mice and hairbands and is a big, constantly attention-starved baby.)

Project Food Budget: Lessons Learned

For the past 25 weeks, I participated in Emily’s Project: Food Budget, where I and other participants tried to make and stick to weekly food budgets. It was a great experience! Before I started this project, I often bought ingredients for a single recipe, used half, and forgot about the rest. I would also go grocery shopping and buy things willy-nilly, and sometimes produce would rot before I could get to it. What a waste. I went from an average of $150 a week to about $85 a week. These are the biggest lessons I learned.

• Plan weekly meals that use the same ingredients. Isn’t it sad when you throw away a $4 package of limp, brown thyme that you used for only a single meal? Or cook up some brown rice for one recipe and remember it’s there a week later after it went bad? That used to happen to me a lot. Now I plan meals that use the same ingredients so that nothing goes to waste.
• Make only one or two ingredient-intensive meals a week. If you’re like me, when you get a new cookbook, you flag 100 recipes to make and immediately buy groceries to make 10 of them. But who has time to make 10 new recipes in a week? I’ve learned to taper my enthusiasm and make only a few new big meals a week. The rest of the time I rely on quick and easy meals that use few ingredients, like a bowl of brown rice, steamed greens and veggies, beans or tofu, and a gravy or dressing. Salads and tofu scrambles are my other fallback quick meals.
• Shop at ethnic stores. I now rarely buy herbs and spices at the grocery store. They’re so much cheaper at Indian groceries! Likewise, Asian ingredients are always much cheaper at Asian markets. I bought a 10-pound bag of brown basmati rice at an Indian grocery in week 7 for $14.99. I cook rice nearly every week and still have most of the bag left.
• Stock up on pantry staples on sale. There are many staples I use every week, like whole wheat flour, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and nutritional yeast. If they have a long shelf life and are on sale, it pays to stock up. I am on bottle two of three bottles of organic tahini I bought back in February that was nearly half off.
• Make food from scratch. I now bake my own bread every week, cook my own beans, and make my own vegetable stock, dressings, gravies and sauces, vegan cheeses, etc. I try to avoid packaged foods and only buy them if making my own is a crazy amount of work (two packaged foods I still buy are soymilk and pasta). Not only does homemade food taste better than store-bought items, but it’s healthier because I control the ingredients, and it saves money. Here I show that I save more than $16 by baking my own bread.
• Buy from bulk bins. It’s much cheaper to buy nuts, seeds, dried beans, and nutritional yeast from bulk bins. You can buy only what you need for a recipe.
• Shop around. I used to only go to Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh’s biggest grocery chain. Their sale items are great, but their produce and other items are expensive when not on sale. So I tend to shop at GE only for sale items. Trader Joe’s has the best prices for olive oil (1 quart for $5.99), oat bran ($2.89 for a huge bag), organic maple syrup (12 ounces for, I think, $5.99), lemons and limes ($.39 each), vegan chocolate chips, cocoa powder, frozen organic strawberries, garlic, and bananas. Pittsburgh has a very small Trader Joe’s, so they don’t have a huge selection and I can’t do all my grocery shopping there. Whole Foods’ own line of items is mostly inexpensive, and they have a good selection of locally grown produce. But I don’t shop there often…I was there recently, but that was the only time in about a year. That time, I bought a bag of oranges, and ¾ of them rotted in a few days (I didn’t keep the receipt so didn’t return them), and the organic peaches I bought there also immediately went bad. I haven’t been back. And the East End Food Co-op has mostly astronomical prices. Of course, now that summer is here, I’m shopping at farmer’s markets a lot. It’s more expensive, but for me it’s worth it to buy locally grown, organic produce.

I posted some additional lessons learned here and here.

I’m grateful to Emily for inviting others on this journey with her. I will use what I learned to eat healthy, delicious, vegan meals on a budget. Thanks, Emily!

Week 25: Project Food Budget

Week 24 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $92.53

My simple summer meals this week were extremely budget-friendly. Mostly I ate salads or some dish involving steamed kale made with fresh produce I got at farmers' markets (lettuce and kale are in season), fruit, my homemade whole-wheat bread with PB&J, tofu fries or a bean spread, and all the leftovers from my weekend BBQ. This week I included the cost of hosting that BBQ in the budget, though in previous weeks I haven't included entertaining costs.

This upcoming week, the final week of this project, will be a challenge. We've rented a house in wild and wonderful West Virginia for the holiday weekend, so I'll be bringing food there to cook my own meals. The challenge will be that it's a holiday, so I don't want to go overboard and make feasts every day, but I'm sure I'll want to splurge a little. I'll plan my menu tonight to try to make it as budget-friendly as possible.

Happy 4th of July cooking!

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P:FB The Details: http://emilylevenson.com/custom-made-blog/pfb-the-details

Participating Blogs:

• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie
• Under The Apple Tree
• Be the Change

Week 24: Project Food Budget

Week 24 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $91.12

Recently I attended some seminars about environmental impacts on our health. These impacts include everything from the cosmetics we use to housecleaning products to the food we eat. The speakers talked over and over about the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables. In one study they cited, a group of children who ate conventional fruits and vegetables all tested positive for pesticides. Half of the group ate organic fruits and vegetables for just two weeks. When they were tested again, that group had no pesticides in their system. The message was clear: eating organic is one thing you can do to quickly rid your body of hazardous elements.

So, armed with my list of the dirty dozen, I sought out organic produce. It was tough! Giant Eagle's Market District and Trader Joe's have slim pickings. The farmers' markets do have organic produce, but of course, it's limited to what's in season (right now, mainly lettuces, kale, etc.) So, I grudgingly went to Whole Foods, sure I was in for a high grocery bill. Their organic selection is, of course, great. But the organic peaches I bought there almost immediately went moldy before I could eat even one!

Still, my lesson learned this week is that I'd rather have a higher grocery bill to avoid consuming pesticides, so I'll be continuing to buy organic.

This week's budget went toward salads, tofu scrambles, and the following meals. Plus, I did have a splurge: a potted lettuce garden from Whole Foods for $12.99.

• Pizza with Basil Pesto Tapenade, Fresh Tomatoes, and Cashew Cheese
• Hottie Black-Eye Peas & Greens
  
• Tofu Fries (a Happy Herbivore test recipe I'm still making because they're so good!)
• Steamed Kale with Tofu & Miso-Tahini Dressing
• Steamed kale and Brown Rice with Miso Gravy
  
• Edamame Dip & Baked Corn Tortillas
• Lots of Banana Ice Cream!
  

PS: After you're done tallying your grocery bills, throw them out! The paper the bills are printed on contain hazardous chemicals.

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P:FB The Details: http://emilylevenson.com/custom-made-blog/pfb-the-details

Participating Blogs:

• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie
• Under The Apple Tree
• Be the Change

Week 23: Project Food Budget

Week 23 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $49.51

This week I used the same strategy as last week: I planned for only one or two meals during the week and made salads, grilled veggies, and tofu scrambles the rest of the time. What I made this week was basically from last week's budget. This week's budget went mostly to fresh fruits, veggies, tofu, oats, and soymilk.

On the menu this week was

• Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro Soy Sour Cream
• Grilled Veggies with White Bean Aioli
• Low-Fat Guacamole
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (didn't have to buy anything for this, though)
  

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P:FB The Details: http://emilylevenson.com/custom-made-blog/pfb-the-details

Participating Blogs:

• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie
• Under The Apple Tree
• Be the Change

Week 22: Project Food Budget

Week 22 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $61.09 personal budget; $86 more for hosting dinner for friends

A few weeks ago Emily asked how I planned to reign in my spending after I'd been over for a few weeks. While I've learned a lot through this project (making from scratch saves money; other savings basics), this time I used a simpler strategy: I planned for only one or two meals during the week and made salads and tofu scrambles the rest of the time. I kind of feel like salads and tofu scrambles are cheating, but hey, if these quick and humble meals save money, taste good, and are good for me, why not?

This week's budget went for dishes I haven't made yet:

• Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro Soy Sour Cream
• Low-Fat Guacamole
• Grilled Veggies with White Bean Aioli

The budget also went to stables like tofu, herbs, fresh fruit, maple syrup, olive oil, and chocolate chips. I also bought a basil plant ($3.99 at Trader Joe's). Growing my own herbs was one of my goals for this project. My first thyme plant didn't make it, but I had basil last year and am confident I can keep it alive and happy all summer.

What I haven't included in this week's budget is the $86 extra I spent for hosting a dinner for six. I think I'm going to keep dinners I host as separate from my own food budget. I'm curious to hear how others handle this?

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P:FB The Details: http://emilylevenson.com/custom-made-blog/pfb-the-details

Participating Blogs:

• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie
• Under The Apple Tree
• Be the Change

Week 21: Project Food Budget

Week 21 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $50.93

I've been over the past two weeks and vowed to reign it in this week. Turns out that I still had lots of ingredients from last week's budget, so this week's budget went for some supplementary ingredients and staples to make

• Chipotle Lentil Burgers
• Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Toasted Cumin Seeds
• Tofu Scramble
• Chocolate Chip Cookies

But the main part of the budget went for fresh fruit and veggies. I eat a ton of them both, and now that hot weather's here, I've been eating lots of salads. I've also been continuing to bake my own bread. And this week when I needed some pitas, I was happy to find ones in the freezer I'd frozen a while back. It pays to make your own things and freeze them for when you need them!

What this week's budget does not include is all the ingredients for a dinner party for six this weekend. I haven't bought stuff for it yet, but I'm wondering whether I should have a separate budget for food for entertaining. What does everyone else do?

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P:FB The Details: http://emilylevenson.com/custom-made-blog/pfb-the-details

Participating Blogs:

• Emily Levenson
  
• Veggie Converter
  
• Dairy-Free Cooking
  
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
  
• The Happy Cactus
  
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
  
• Newly Vegan
  
• Veggie on the Cheap
  
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
  
• The Veggie Life
  
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
  
• Going Veggie
  
• Under The Apple Tree
  
• Be the Change

Week 20: Project Food Budget

Week 20 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $92.81

Argh. Over again. Again I have my reasons--I needed some additional things for a dinner party last weekend, and I was also trying to reach a certain amount to use a coupon and so bought things I didn't need this week. Really, I need to reign it in this upcoming week.

This week's budget went for ingredients for...

• Grilled Portobello Burgers
• Chipotle Lentil Burgers
• A new kale side dish
• Pizza hummus
• Salads

Hoping for success next week.

Food Budget Details: http://emilylevenson.com/custom-made-blog/pfb-the-details

Participating Blogs:

• Emily Levenson
  
• Veggie Converter
  
• Dairy-Free Cooking
  
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
  
• The Happy Cactus
  
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
  
• Newly Vegan
  
• Veggie on the Cheap
  
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
  
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
  
• The Veggie Life
  
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
  
• Going Veggie
  
• Under The Apple Tree
  
• Be the Change

Week 19: Project Food Budget

Week 19 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $95.93

I know why I've been over: I haven't been planning meals as diligently as I used to. I fell out of the habit when I was busy with house renovations and never got back into it. I'm determined to do better next week.

This past week's budget went to lots of fruit and veggies as always plus these dishes:

• Tofu Scramble
• Sauteed Collards
• Breakfast Sausage Patties
• Chickpea Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Chickpea Tacos
  
• Asparagus Spinach Dip (not included in last week's budget)

The budget also went for ingredients for another dinner party this weekend where I'll be making

• Black-Eyed Pea Dip
• Cashew Vegetable Korma
• Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

Also...a big oops. After I was excited that I was under last week, I found a receipt I hadn't added in for $48. That brings last week's total up to $107.39, so I was over budget last week too. Boo!

Food Budget Details: http://emilylevenson.com/custom-made-blog/pfb-the-details

Participating Blogs:

• Emily Levenson
  
• Veggie Converter
  
• Dairy-Free Cooking
  
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
  
• The Happy Cactus
  
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
  
• Newly Vegan
  
• Veggie on the Cheap
  
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
  
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
  
• The Veggie Life
  
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
  
• Going Veggie
  
• Under The Apple Tree
  
• Be the Change

Week 18: Project Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $59.39

This past week I continued to make quick meals that use only a few ingredients including

• Quiche with Greens
• Tofu Scramble
• Chickpea, Kale, Brown Rice & Sage Gravy Bowl
• Spicy Mushroom Stir-Fry
• Tortillas filled with a black-bean dish (a test recipe for Happy Herbivore) and Queso Sauce

Note that these are all Happy Herbivore recipes. If you haven't entered my giveaway for the book, enter it here!

The budget also went to ingredients for a dinner I'm hosting for friends this weekend, where I'll be making

• Spinach Linguine with Cilantro-Basil Pesto and Artichokes
• Veggie Salad with Mediterranean Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Dressing
• Golden Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Frosting

I think it's great that I was able to make so many meals plus buy stuff for dinner with friends AND be under budget. This was a good week!

How did everyone else do?

• Emily Levenson
  

• Veggie Converter

• Dairy-Free Cooking

• Motor City Girl In the Steel City

• The Happy Cactus

• Test Kitchen Tuesday

• Newly Vegan

• Veggie on the Cheap

• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day

• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate

• The Veggie Life

• Caroline Cain Holistic Health

• Going Veggie

• Under The Apple Tree

Week 17: Project Food Budget

Week 17 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $79.88 (but total was $137.56...see notes)

This past week was unique in that one of my favorite stores, Right by Nature, closed, causing me to spend money on groceries I otherwise wouldn't have. As soon as I heard they were closing, I went there to use the $30 coupon I'd purchased a while back for $15. Because I went quickly, I didn't prepare a grocery list, and when I got there, I realized they were out of the main things I came for. So I bought things willy nilly, including two bottles of vitamin B12 ($24 total), which I normally wouldn't put in my food budget. Still, I spent only $8.45 after using my coupon.

I was out of nutritional yeast and also needed agar powder (for cupcakes I'm making this week). Normally I'd go to Right by Nature for both, and I'd heard the nutritional yeast at Whole Foods isn't good. So I made what for me is a very long trek to the East End Food Co-Op. Because it's so far out of my way and a nightmare to get to in East End traffic (I hate traffic) and I don't want to go back soon, I bought more than $15 of nutritional yeast from the bulk bin. Then, I made a $10 mistake. I forgot to check to see how much agar I needed, so I filled up a bag with it...which ended up being a little more than $10! When I got home, I nearly cried to see I needed only a half teaspoon.

In addition to my $30 coupon at Right by Nature, I also used the last of a rebate card I got from Verizon...so that's why this week my total doesn't match my actual.

In addition to all the nutritional yeast and bottles of B12, I spent a hefty $11 on organic miso and stuff to make

• Romaine, spinach, and apple salads with balsamic dressing
• Tofu and mushroom scrambles
• Cajun Beanballs and Spaghetti
• Steamed kale and cheese sauce
• Indian Kale & Chickpeas
• Quiche with Greens
• Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes (I needed the agar for the custard filling)

Hello to my fellow budgeters!

• Emily Levenson
  

• Veggie Converter

• Dairy-Free Cooking

• Motor City Girl In the Steel City

• The Happy Cactus

• Test Kitchen Tuesday

• Newly Vegan

• Veggie on the Cheap

• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day

• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate

• The Veggie Life

• Caroline Cain Holistic Health

• Going Veggie

• Under The Apple Tree

Week 16: Project Food Budget

Week 16 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $58.97

This past week I continued to test recipes for the next Happy Herbivore cookbook at somewhat of a feverish pace because Lindsay's book is due. Even though I made test recipes daily, I was under budget because so many of the recipes use ingredients I already have on hand. In fact, Lindsay asked us testers to keep track of how much we spend. For the majority of recipes, I spent not a single cent because I had the ingredients. For other recipes whose ingredients I didn't have, I spent less than $5. Only about one or two recipes were between $5 and $10.

Now that recipe testing is done, I'm curious to see whether my spending goes up because I'll be making recipes from other books.

Hello to my fellow budgeters!

• Emily Levenson
  
• Maria Marz
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Always Sick and Tired
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Amateur Low Carb Flexitarian
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Under The Apple Tree
  

Week 15: Project Food Budget -- Saving by Making

Week 15 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $110.85

One of the reasons I'm participating in this project is because of my new year's goal to try to save money by making more food from scratch. I've been trying to avoid packaged foods as much as possible and making my own food using whole, nutritious ingredients. So how have I done for the past 15 weeks? As Larry David would say, "Pretty, pretty, pretty good!" (You have to be a Curb fan.)

• I bake my own whole-wheat bread every week. Not only does it save money ($16 after 6 loaves), but it's easy, tastes so much better than store-bought bread, and healthier because I know exactly what ingredients are going into it.
• I make my own vegetable stock and freeze it. It's as simple as throwing leftover veggies into the slow cooker, and it freezes well. Because so many things call for vegetable stock, it's a big money saver.
• I buy dried beans and cook them when I need them. Not that a can of beans breaks the bank, but it is ridiculously inexpensive to cook my own beans.
• I rarely buy lunch anymore. I used to get takeout at least twice a week. Now I cook so much that it's rare I don't have leftovers for lunch.

If I can make it, I won't buy it packaged, and that definitely saves money. Up until this year, I used to constantly buy hummus. Now the idea of buying hummus when it's so easy to make is just crazy to me. And the things that are a little harder or time consuming to make, like pita pockets, are fun for me.

The one packaged item I buy regularly is soymilk. I know you can make your own, but I haven't tried it. I also buy packaged pasta when I know you can make your own, but I don't often buy it. Maybe at some point I'll make my own, but I'm happy that I've come a long way in a short time and make most things from scratch.

This week's budget went mainly for test recipes for the next Happy Herbivore cookbook. With just two weeks to go, there's lots of testing to do, hence my overage for this week because I've been cooking so much. I also bought ingredients for a Mediterranean Bowl for a few meals and some Happy Herbivore Scrambled Tofu.

How did everyone else do this week?

• Emily Levenson
  
• Maria Marz
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• The Happy Cactus
• The Vegetarian Salmon
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Always Sick and Tired
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Amateur Low Carb Flexitarian
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health

Week 14: Project Food Budget

Week 14 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $82.34

House renovations continued this past week, so I haven't been cooking a lot (so sad). Nearly every meal I made for the past week except one were test recipes for the next Happy Herbivore cookbook. Most of the recipes I made called for ingredients I mostly had on hand, so the bulk of the budget went to fresh fruits and veggies for snacks and many salads plus these

• Quiche with Greens
• 40-Clove Broccoli and Chickpeas
  
• Whole-Wheat Beer Bread
• 5 test recipes for Happy Herbivore cookbook + making a recipe a second time because it was so good
  

Once my seemingly never-ended renovation project is done, I can't wait to get back to doing more cooking!

Hello to my fellow food budgeters!

• Emily Levenson
  
• Maria Marz
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• The Happy Cactus
• The Vegetarian Salmon
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Always Sick and Tired
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Amateur Low Carb Flexitarian
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health

Week 13: Project Food Budget

Week 13 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $60.57

I'm under but it's because I haven't been cooking a lot. We're in the midst of a home renovation project, and the cooking I've done has been mainly test recipes for the next Happy Herbivore cookbook. Mostly the budget went to fresh fruits and veggies for snacks and many salads plus just a few other things...

• Hoison-Mustard Tofu with Unfried Rice
• Whole-Wheat Beer Bread
• 2 batches of Low-Fat Spicy Hummus
• Maple Muffins
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
• 4 test recipes for Happy Herbivore cookbook
  

(All the baked goods are for some thank-you gift bags for people.)

Looking forward to being done with the house renovation so I can do more cooking!

Hello to my fellow food budgeters!

• Emily Levenson
  
• Maria Marz
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• The Happy Cactus
• The Vegetarian Salmon
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Always Sick and Tired
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Amateur Low Carb Flexitarian
• The Veggie Life

Week 12: Project Food Budget

Week 12 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $115.04

$54.89 of this went to stocking up on staples from Trader Joe's. I've priced these items out at other places and, unless there's a crazy sale, have found they're cheapest at Trader Joe's:

• olive oil (1 liter for $4.99)
• vegan chocolate chips ($2.29)
• frozen organic strawberries for smoothies ($1.99)
• cocoa powder ($2.29)
• organic maple syrup ($7.99)
• lemons and limes ($.39 each)
• bananas ($.19 each)

$60.15 went to these meals for the week:

• Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine
• Pizza Hummus
• Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower Ricotta and Spinach (an unfortunate flop--ended up throwing most of it out and wasted a lot of ingredients)
• Gravy Bowl: Baked Tofu, Brown Rice, Steamed Kale, and Chickpea Gravy
• Salads with Sundried Tomato Walnut Dressing
• Two test recipes for the next Happy Herbivore Cookbook

As always I made my weekly batch of whole wheat bread.

Happy budgeting to my fellow food budgeters!

• Emily Levenson
  
• Maria Marz
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• The Happy Cactus
• The Vegetarian Salmon
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Always Sick and Tired
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Amateur Low Carb Flexitarian

Week 11: Project Food Budget

Week 11 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $78.80

Yay for this week, but I'm running out of some staples. I expect to be over budget next week. This week's budget went to:

• Low-Fat Fried Rice and Hoison-Mustard Tofu
• Arabian Lentil & Rice Soup
• Salads with Miso-Green Onion Dressing
• Baked Tofu, Spinach & Brown Rice Bowl
• Sweet & Salty Maple Baby Carrots
• Baked Fries and Steamed Kale to go with a test recipe for the next Happy Herbivore Cookbook, plus two other test recipes (one was so fantastic, I had it for dinner four nights in a row!)
• Orange-Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello to the other food budgeters!

• Emily Levenson
  
• Maria Marz
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• The Happy Cactus
• The Vegetarian Salmon
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Always Sick and Tired
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Amateur Low Carb Flexitarian

Week 10: Project Food Budget

Week 10 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75 (reduced from $100 starting this week)
Actual: $55.62

I'm on a roll! Budget was spent on

• Spinach-Potato Curry and Masala Baked Tofu
• Salads with Sundried Tomato Walnut Dressing
• 40-Clove Broccoli and Chickpeas
• Ye'abesha Gomen (Ethiopian Collards)
• Reduced-Fat Spicy Hummus
• Two test recipes for the Happy Herbivore cookbook (picture of 1 here)
• Butter Bean Cookies
• Fat-Free Vegan Mayo
  

I continue to use the lessons I've learned from this project to keep my spending down. But I think the most significant change is baking my bread each week. It not only saves me $16.34, but it's fresh and delicious and healthy and ridiculously easy to make (with only five ingredients), as I point out here.

How did everyone else participating do this week?

• Emily Levenson
  
• Maria Marz
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• Veggie Burgher
• The Happy Cactus
• The Vegetarian Salmon
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Always Sick and Tired
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Amateur Low Carb Flexitarian

Week 9: Project Food Budget

Week 9 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $100
Actual: $77.06

After two months of participating in this project, I see the light. This week I used all the lessons I've been learning and am under budget as a result. I think it's time to reduce my weekly budget!

This week's budget went to staples, many fruits and veggies in addition to meals (about half the budget), and these meals. As always, I baked my own bread, cooked my own beans, and used veg broth I made earlier and froze, so that contributed to the savings.

• Two test recipes for the next Happy Herbivore cookbook
• Romaine salads with toasted walnuts and Caesar Chavez Dressing
• Mediterranean Bowl (roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, brown rice, Caesar Chavez Dressing)
• Hottie Black-Eyed Peas and Greens
• Bowl made of baked tofu, mushroom tibs, steamed kale, and brown rice
  
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Buttercream Frosting (heaven on earth)

How did everyone else do this week?

• Emily Levenson
  
• Maria Marz
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• Veggie Burgher
• Sweet Rehab
• The Happy Cactus
• The Vegetarian Salmon
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Always Sick and Tired
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate