As a busy mom to two young kids, one of the most time consuming parts of my life is planning, shopping for and cooking meals. It's important that we eat together as a family, and it's also imperative that most of those meals be healthy. If a recipe is easy and quick, that's an additional bonus.
Planning my meals in advance helps me streamline my day, but combing through my considerable collection of recipes, comparing store circulars and clipping coupons also takes up a chunk of my time every week, plus at least one trip to the store.
In the recent tough economy, a lot of families are also really watching the grocery expenses and trying to cut back on the food budget. It can be tough to reduce expenditures at the grocery store without making certain sacrifices healthwise.
The good news is that Sam's Club and Kraft Foods have partnered to make meal planning and saving money a little easier for busy families. With the Two Week meal plan, you shop once and come home with enough groceries to cook meals for a family for two weeks.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be trying out the Kraft Foods Two Week Dinner Planner and sharing my experiences with you. I'll also be giving away some fun prizes, so stay tuned!
WHAT TO DO:
1. If you're not already a Sam's Club member, use the store locator to find a location near you. Sam's Club Locator
2. Get the meals here. This download will provide you with recipes for all fourteen recipes and a complete shopping list to take to the store with you. Sam's Club members can also create a personalized cookbook by clicking on the link on this page.
3. Take a look at the shopping list provided, make any notes to personalize the menu for your family, then head out to shop!
TIPS AND TRICKS
Life in a small rowhome doesn't come with a lot of storage space, so we've never shopped at a discount club and I was way unprepared when it came time to shop for my Dinner Planner groceries. I knew I would be shopping in bulk, but I didn't know exactly HOW much bulk was involved. Finding space for everything required a massive rearrangement of my fridge, freezer and cabinets. It worked out in the end, because I used the opportunity to weed out odds and ends and refill the canisters I keep on my counter, and I also scrubbed out the inside of my refrigerator. Here are some tips to make it work for you.
**Clean out your fridge, freezer and cabinets ahead of time.
**Take bulk items out of the outer packaging to make storing it easier. I wasn't sure what to do with my three pack of frozen pizza, because the box was too wide to fit in the freezer, but once I took them out of the box, they fit fine. Just don't forget to save cooking instructions!
**Split up large meat purchases. I bought a 5 pound package of ground beef, but the recipes only require a pound at a time. Split the meat up, and freeze smaller portions. I use ziploc freezer bags for meat. Don't forget to buy a box if you don't already have them.
**Plan the meals using fresh ingredients first, to avoid spoilage.
**Don't forget that the shopping list includes everything that you will need, but that you are also shopping in BULK. While you'll only need a cup of baking mix for the Creamy Chicken Pot Pie, Bisquick comes in a huge box. If you'll never use it again, skip that purchase and consider a substitute. It's not saving you money if the product sits in the pantry and is never used.
**The shopping list is organized according to the floor plan of Sam's Club stores, so you'll be able to get all the items per category and then move on, saving you time.
Questions? Leave a comment!
I was one of five bloggers selected by Kraft Foods to work on the Kraft Foods and Sam’s Club Two Week Dinner Planner program. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program which includes my trip to Sam’s Club, my interactions/experience with the two week dinner planner and my posts about my experience. I have also been compensated for the food purchased for the two week dinner planner. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.
Planning my meals in advance helps me streamline my day, but combing through my considerable collection of recipes, comparing store circulars and clipping coupons also takes up a chunk of my time every week, plus at least one trip to the store.
In the recent tough economy, a lot of families are also really watching the grocery expenses and trying to cut back on the food budget. It can be tough to reduce expenditures at the grocery store without making certain sacrifices healthwise.
The good news is that Sam's Club and Kraft Foods have partnered to make meal planning and saving money a little easier for busy families. With the Two Week meal plan, you shop once and come home with enough groceries to cook meals for a family for two weeks.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be trying out the Kraft Foods Two Week Dinner Planner and sharing my experiences with you. I'll also be giving away some fun prizes, so stay tuned!
WHAT TO DO:
1. If you're not already a Sam's Club member, use the store locator to find a location near you. Sam's Club Locator
2. Get the meals here. This download will provide you with recipes for all fourteen recipes and a complete shopping list to take to the store with you. Sam's Club members can also create a personalized cookbook by clicking on the link on this page.
3. Take a look at the shopping list provided, make any notes to personalize the menu for your family, then head out to shop!
TIPS AND TRICKS
Life in a small rowhome doesn't come with a lot of storage space, so we've never shopped at a discount club and I was way unprepared when it came time to shop for my Dinner Planner groceries. I knew I would be shopping in bulk, but I didn't know exactly HOW much bulk was involved. Finding space for everything required a massive rearrangement of my fridge, freezer and cabinets. It worked out in the end, because I used the opportunity to weed out odds and ends and refill the canisters I keep on my counter, and I also scrubbed out the inside of my refrigerator. Here are some tips to make it work for you.
**Clean out your fridge, freezer and cabinets ahead of time.
**Take bulk items out of the outer packaging to make storing it easier. I wasn't sure what to do with my three pack of frozen pizza, because the box was too wide to fit in the freezer, but once I took them out of the box, they fit fine. Just don't forget to save cooking instructions!
**Split up large meat purchases. I bought a 5 pound package of ground beef, but the recipes only require a pound at a time. Split the meat up, and freeze smaller portions. I use ziploc freezer bags for meat. Don't forget to buy a box if you don't already have them.
**Plan the meals using fresh ingredients first, to avoid spoilage.
**Don't forget that the shopping list includes everything that you will need, but that you are also shopping in BULK. While you'll only need a cup of baking mix for the Creamy Chicken Pot Pie, Bisquick comes in a huge box. If you'll never use it again, skip that purchase and consider a substitute. It's not saving you money if the product sits in the pantry and is never used.
**The shopping list is organized according to the floor plan of Sam's Club stores, so you'll be able to get all the items per category and then move on, saving you time.
Questions? Leave a comment!
I was one of five bloggers selected by Kraft Foods to work on the Kraft Foods and Sam’s Club Two Week Dinner Planner program. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program which includes my trip to Sam’s Club, my interactions/experience with the two week dinner planner and my posts about my experience. I have also been compensated for the food purchased for the two week dinner planner. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.
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2 comments:
We buy our burger in bulk all the time--the local butcher shop has 10# bags for around $20 (leaner is slightly more) and I found an inexpensive scale. When using it (and saving cleanup), we put approx 1 lb of meat into the freezer bag, and set that on the scale, then adjust accordingly. After just a few times, it's pretty easy to "guesstimate" what 1lb of meat looks like. Flatten the bags as you zip 'em, and after they are frozen, they stack fairly well, helping to save space in the freezer too.
The Kraft website had a 1 week 1 bag section where you could get a meal plan for a weeks worth of groceries that I've tried before. I found it quick, easy, convenient and tasty. I love the idea of a two week plan. Can't wait to hear how it went.
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