Grocery Shopping/Cooking Questions

oceana919

Because Cate's thread has me thinking about food/grocery shopping...(lot of questions, you've been forewarned).

1) Where do you primarily food shop?

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?

8) Do you grow any of your own food?

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?

purplepeopleeater11

Because Cate's thread has me thinking about food/grocery shopping...(lot of questions, you've been forewarned).

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
Meijer, I would like to shop more at Foods for Living but it's 40 minutes from my house. 

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Brown rice, whole wheat pasta, beans, spaghetti sauce.

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
Soy protein milk from Bolthouse, apples, weight watchers ice cream bars for my sweet tooth.

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
I love to buy my produce local, but I have certain items I buy year round.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
I do a lot of stove top stuff, not as much oven cooking.  I don't think I've ever cooked anything in a crock pot in my life.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
I premake my meats/the main courses for the week.  Veggies or rice I'll cook fresh.  I found if it's sitting in the fridge ready for me I have no excuses to pick up that pizza.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
It depends, mostly I used dried or canned but if it's an aromatic spice like basil or rosemary I like to use fresh.

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
I grow a lot of vegetables, carrots, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, peppers and a couple fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and raspberries.  I also grow rosemary , basil and garlic because I use those a lot.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
I don't know that I have one!  I usually just pick one or two meats for the week, like ground turkey and chicken breast, cook them up and make different things with them throughout the week.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
If you don't have junk on hand you can't eat it. 

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
I buy generic where I can.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
I buy both.  There are some things I just think are better when it's brand name, but if I can't tell a difference, like in my cheeses, I'll buy store brand. 

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
I try to buy things that aren't too processed.  So I'd say diet friendly.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
I don't do a whole lot that's too involved all the often.  I do enjoy cooking game though.  Venison with carmelized onion and fresh garlic is delicious.

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
I'll see what you ladies come up with.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
I am all for trying all kinds of weird food.  I haven't tried a lot so I'm always on the lookout for a new menu offering.  I had an ostrich burger this summer that was pretty delicious.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
Once a week on a cheat day...if that.  I like to go to Carrabbas because they have amazing calamari.  Or the local japanese place for sushi or teppanyaki. 

CASK85

1) Where do you primarily food shop?

Jewel-Osco (I miss my Wegmans back home!)

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Peanut butter, black beans, rice, coffee

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?

Baby carrots, Silk, seasonal fruit, frozen chicken breasts, perogies. 

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?

Try to buy seasonal, but baby carrots are ubiquitous in our household. 

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
Roasting vegetables = heaven 

Also, my slow cooker

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?

Occasionally I make a big batch of stuff and freeze some, but not as often as I'd like - it seems like a really great time saver and I'm hoping to do it more.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?

Both

8) Do you grow any of your own food?

No We had a garden growing up and I miss it.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?

Defrost your frozen meat (that you forgot to take out for dinner) under cold running water. This is safer and faster than leaving it on the counter.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?

Sandwich thins - bread has a lot of unnecessary calories. Sandwich thins have fewer than 100 calories but still taste good and have a toothsome-ness to them. 

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?

Buy whatever is on sale. . . we're not very good at clipping coupons. But I do try to compare the "price per ounce/pound/gram etc between smaller items and larger items to see if I can get a deal on something we use a lot by buying the larger item (often this is the case).

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Both

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?

We eat within reason, but I don't buy "diet" food.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?

Slow cooker pork tacos <--clicky THESE ARE TO DIE FOR!

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?

can't think of any off the top of my head

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?

I try everything I can get my hands on!

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?

About once a week -- there is a Thai place we like a lot in our neighborhood. Also I love Chipotle when I'm too lazy to pack my lunch!

oceana919

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
We buy our meats and produce from a local market (all the items are from local sources), bulk items (like water, soda, etc.) from BJs, and the "filler" items (stuff we need on a weekly basis) from Super Target or Publix. If I can catch a farmer's market on the weekend to get fresh produce, I will.

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Low sodium chicken broth, canned pumpkin, couscous, whole grain pastas, various oils and vinegars for cooking with.

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
Chicken breasts, shrimp, some sort of steak, Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce (LINK), fresh fruit/veggies, fresh garlic

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
There are some produce items that we buy year round (zucchini, mushrooms, apples, onions, etc.), but I try to buy/cook items that are in-season, as they tend to be most flavorful/affordable at that point in the year. I do a lot of roasted pumpkin/sweet potato in the fall, stirfried green beans and squash in the summer, strawberries in the summer, etc.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
I love to stirfry. You can just throw everything in the pan together and it comes out into a delicious cohesive meal.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
Once or twice a month, I'll buy a bunch of fresh produce and cut them up into veggie mixes. I'll put them in freezer bags and freeze them...all you need to do is take out a handful and toss it into a stirfry pan with a little oil and you're good to go. I'll make a Tex-Mex mix (yellow onion and different kinds of bell peppers), Asian mix (brocolli, zucchini, snow peas, carrot, onion, corn, cauliflower) and a summer mix (green beans, zucchini, squash, cherry tomatoes).

I also like to make things in advance for freezing or refridgerating. I'll make a big batch of chili for FI early in the week that he works his way through for lunches during the week, and I've been known to make sauces (tomato, pesto, etc.) in bulk and freeze them in meal-sized portions.

I've got three shelves above my stove that I keep jars of homemade and pre-made rubs in for chicken, beef, pork, etc. Just take a tsp out and rub into meat, cook, and you're done.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
I try to use fresh herbs whenever possible - you just get a ton more flavor, and drying herbs/spices often strips them of their nutritional/antioxidant value. I do, however, have an obscene amount of jarred spices in my pantry.

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
I always have an herb garden going - basil, parsley, chives, sage, rosemary, and oregano. I usually will have some veggies going, based on what the season is and what we're eating a lot of at the time. Right now, I've got jalapeno peppers, banana peppers, bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, peas, arugala, and cherry tomatoes going. It's a lot of work (and a lot of trial and error), but once a plant does take off, it saves us $$ at the grocery store.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
Prepping veggie mixes and sauces in advance.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
I use spray oils when cooking (canola and olive) - you get the coverage you need to cook via the spray, but you're using less (ie. less calories/fat). I also like to use spice rubs on meat - they impart a ton of flavor for virtually no calories.

Favorite Diet-Friendly Products - Brummel & Brown yogurt spread (tastes just like butter, no joke), Jello mousse cups, flank steak, whole wheat/grain pastas, flavored water

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
Freezing veggie/fruit mixes for later use definitely cuts down on the amount we throw away due to spoilage. We buy organic milk - it costs about a $1 more, but it can last 3-4 weeks longer than regular milk. We get our meats/produce from local vendors, which is usually cheaper and fresher than the grocery store version.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Most items I'll buy storebrand, unless there's a significant taste/price difference. I LOVE Archer Farms (Target store brand) - I'll go out of my way to get that stuff over a normal name brand.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
Most items, I tend to buy in diet-friendly/healthy form. Some items (like cheese), you're better off buying in full fat form - full fat has more flavor, which usually means you'll use less than you would of a fat-free, less-flavorful version.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
I make a mustard poppyseed chicken & pasta shells dish that has become a standby in our house...always good.

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
I'm making this bad boy this week (LINK), so help me god. Chermoula sounds pretty close to chimmichurri, and I love me some chimmichurri. This (LINK) also sounds delicious.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
I really want to try Jerusalem artichoke pasta. I've heard it's got a really unique nutty flavor to it.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
We usually eat out 1-2 times per week, depending on our schedule and where our monthly budget is. Our most frequent stops are Chipotle, Pei Wei, and local sandwich shops, but there's also a Tex-Mex joint down the street that literally makes me salivate just thinking about it.

AudgiePodge

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
The Commissary or Albertson's

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Mac and cheese, chili, pastas

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
Dr. Pepper for FI, frozen pizzas, orange chicken

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
Same year round

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
I like them all, but Crockpot is my favorite.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
Fresh

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
Rarely fresh

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
Nope

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
USE COUPONS!

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
Lol. I'm waiting for tips.

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
Coupons and if you're able to shop at the commissary, do it.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Both

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
Full calorie. A lot of the reduced fat versions of things taste different.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
Tacos

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
I can't think of anything off the top of my head.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
Frog legs

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
More than we should. FI loves Olive Garden and Marie Calendar's. Sammy's California Pizza Kitchen

motoLyn

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
Trader Joes for small items, Cosco for meats and bulk items.

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
tomato paste, diced tomato, pasta, tuna, peanut butter and spam

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
milk, eggs, brie, blue cheese, individual chicken breast, ground beef, fish, beef and frozen veggies

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
in season fruits and veggies

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
chicken and beef is to cook stove top, fish is done by baking, but we prefer pan method.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
mostly everything fresh, though we like to use left over freshly made pasta sauce to make pizzas.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
we like dried herbs, but the occasional fresh herb is used, basil, oregano and italian blend are staples.

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
I wish we did, but living in an apt. stops me from gardening, when we get a house I want a veggie garden.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
Pre marinate and simple recipes is what works for me.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
Lean proteins about the size of my fist and as much green veggies, I try to eat dinner by 6-6:30 but no later than 7.

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
Generic brands, items on sale and items that will last long and can be used in many different dishes.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Both, some items just can't be compromised.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
Diet friendly, I always look at the nutrition label to see what's in it and not buy anything that has a large amount of fat and calories.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
Not sure, FI does all the cooking so I have to say I love his garlic soup for cold days. 

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
Tofu soup, I have a bad craving for tofu soup so I would love to try out a recipe from my mom for this. 

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
Chicken mole, looks so good, haven't gotten a chance to try.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
once every two weeks, depends on the season, summer is sushi and fall/winter we like to go eat ramen or vietnamese noodles.

Sosteadilygo

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
I try to shop mostly at Whole Foods, but that can be pretty pricey so I will also go to a local RI based market called Dave's Marketplace.

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
garlic, onions, whole grain brown rice, beans, flour, sugar, whole grain pasta, couscous, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, tomato sauce, tomato paste, crackers, sweet potatoes

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
veggie broth, milk, bread, fresh veggies (carrots, celery, etc.), yogurt (Stoneyfield organic fat free), soy sauce, organic peanut butter, hummus

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
I try to stay in season as much as possible.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
I'm a fan a stove top cooking and the oven.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
I make this 13 bean chili that I'll make for a weeks time, or some soups, but for the most part I'll make things fresh

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
I use a mixture of both, it depends on what I'm making. If I'm making a couscous salad they'll be fresh, but if I'm making pasta sauce usually dried.

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
Unfortunately, not at this time. I will absolutely be when we have a house.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
Go in to the store with a list, and come out of the store with only items on list.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
One thing I've learned is at each meal/snack you should be consuming at least 7 grams of protein. Also, shopping the perimeter of a grocery store is where you'll find the healthiest options.

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
I don't go shopping when I'm hungry! That never turns out well. I go to http://www.recipekey.com/ or the like and see what I can add to make a meal.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Name brand organic most of the time.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
I buy unprocessed food, so diet friendly. :0)

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
Bob's Red Mill 13 Bean Chili- http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=847
Veggie Pot Pie- http://happylittlevegans.com/wordpress/?p=810

Both are so good!

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
I don't really have any recipe I'm wanting to try ATM! I can't wait to start making whole grain bread.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
I can't think of anything actually!

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
I don't really eat out that much, I like going to local joints such as Garden Grille (veggie joint) and Julian's restaurant.

desertsun

1) Where do you primarily food shop?

I buy most of my produce at Sprout's Farmer's Market, and other stuff at Safeway

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?

Peanut butter, whole wheat pasta, honey, black beans (canned), tomatoes w/green chiles (canned)

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?

granny smith apples, broccoli, spinach, carrots, milk, cheese (usually feta, parm, and a shredded cheddar type) in the fridge

freezer usually has veggie burgers and berries

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?

I get the same items year round, though I tend to eat more frozen berries in the winter b/c they're less expensive.

Normally though I buy what I'm in the mood to eat. I find that things just go to waste if I feel like I "should" buy them but don't really WANT them.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?

Stir fry

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?

I make things fresh for dinner and eat leftovers the next day and the next til they're gone. Because I buy and cook the things I'm in the mood for, I don't have a problem eating the same soup 3 days in a row. 

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?

I use mostly dried herbs. I have a black thumb.

8) Do you grow any of your own food?

No. I really, really have a black thumb.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?

Don't feel like you have to cook a 5 course meal. A protein, a whole grain, and a cup or two of fruits or veggies, with a teaspoon or so of healthy fats is all you need for a balanced meal.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?

Eat balanced meals and workout 2-3 times a week. But allow yourself to eat what you feel like eating. Food is to be enjoyed.

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?

Honestly, I look at my groceries as an investment in my health. I buy produce where it's cheapest, but I always buy what I'm in the mood to eat. I try to listen to my body -- it knows what it needs.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?

usually store brand

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?

i buy full fat feta b/c it isn't all that fatty, full fat peanut butter, but i do buy low fat butter for toast and 2% cheddar/jack shredded blend to put on top of eggs

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?

I love whole wheat pasta with broccoli or spinach and a bit of sauce made with PB, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and red pepper flakes. Easy and fast and yummy! I don't have a recipe, but if I have broccoli, I put it in with the pasta the last 3 minutes or so, and if I have spinach, I tear it into small bites and put it in the colander and pour the pasta over it to drain. Gets it soft but not too mushy or stringy. The sauce is just a half tbsp or so of PB, a tbsp or so of soy sauce, a tsp of toasted sesame oil, a drizzle of honey, and red pepper flakes. adjust proportions to taste and then pour over top of pasta and veggies. Stir to combine and eat it up!

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?

I'm super lazy about trying new recipes.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?

Can't think of anything 

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?

We eat out a little too often, but we're slowly improving our habits. We try to eat at places like chipotle and subway most often since they tend to have more healthy options. 

leia1979

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
Safeway or Nob Hill with occasional trips to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods for special veggie items (like meatless meatballs).

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Pasta, sauce, beans, veggie chili, mac & cheese, rice.

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
Faux meats (meatballs, chik patties, boca burgers), ravioli, bread (yes, we keep bread in the freezer).

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
We don't buy a lot of produce. Usually in-season fruit, and corn and asparagus when it's available.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
Microwave, but I also use the oven and stove top

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
Fresh (though that's using the word loosely)

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
Dried, except for garlic

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
Nope, the only plants I have are flowers. I also have a teeny tiny balcony, so there isn't much room for planters.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
Frozen foods. 

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
Don't really have any other than I don't eat any meat other than fish.

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
Stock up on sale items when possible (but I have really limited storage in my kitchen).

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Both. For the most part, we buy store brand, but some items are only available in name brand or the name brand tastes better.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
We compromise. FI used to buy fat free milk and cheese, but I hate it. I buy 2% whenever possible. I'll do low-fat versions, but not fat-free.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
I made these last night and they were so good! Cheesy biscuits!
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1945,145184-237196,00.html
I just mixed minced garlic directly into the dough and omitted the butter.

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
Don't really have any, but I'm not much of a cook, etiher.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
Can't think of any.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
I eat out a few times a week at work. We go anywhere in walking distance. At home we go to Red Robin and El Torito a bit. We also go to various sushi and Indian places or a seafood place that makes the best coconut shrimp ever. We usually go out to dinner once or twice a week.

bsidebella

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
We have 3 supermarkets near us - the Weis Mart is the closest (I could walk there) but it's the most expensive so I only go in there if I really need a few things. The Shoprite is where I go the most frequently. Then I have the Wal Mart supercenter, but their variety is limited. I shop there if I have to pick up things there anyway.

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Cereal, coffee, pasta, English muffins, peanut butter, Wheat Thins and Special K bars.

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
Eggs, ketchup and cheese in the fridge; ground turkey, frozen veggies and Bubba Burgers in the freezer (the best fresh/frozen burgers I have ever had and they are delicious!)

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
Mostly the same year-round. I'm not very specific when it comes to produce. As long as I have apples, I'm a happy girl.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
Stove top or oven.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
I cook everything fresh.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
Fresh when I can, dried when I can't.

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
No. I bought a Topsy-Turvy this summer so I can grow my own tomatoes and cucumbers, but by the time we moved into our apartment it was too late in the season. Next year!

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
Making a list of recipe-specific items, like what we talk about. It's really helpful if you want to get in, and get out.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
If you don't need it, don't buy it! (i.e. junk food)

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
I shop the sales, basically. If Barilla pasta is cheaper than Ronzoni that week, then that's what I'll buy.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Whatever's on sale!

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
Diet friendly. We both have weight issues.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
Turkey Meatloaf, and I posted the recipe in a thread yesterday! It's super easy to make and whenever we have a lot of friends over I whip it up and it's always a hit
http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_cheap-diet-friendly-recipes

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
I have a recipe for a delicious-sounding beef barley bean stew, and my FSIL gave us a crock pot as an early Hanukkah gift so I'm itching to test it out! No link, it's in a book =(

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
Oooh, I don't know. I eat everything and my chef parents indulged me so whatever I wanted to eat, I had it.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
We eat out maybe one to three times a month, and 99% of the time it's the diner by our apartment - unless it's a special occasion.

mana8503

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
Walmart, shoprite or the Cominsary

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Spaghetti sauce, canned veggies (some from the garden like green beans)

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
Meats when they are on sale, frozen corn from the garden, meal for 2 bags for the oh crap what to make nights

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
I tend to get melons in the summer, apples etc in the fall/winter.  I LOVE christmas since the clemintines and orange are out.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
I LOVE MY CROCKPOT!

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
I usually make a BIG meal Sunday and have leftovers most of the week, then a quick back up meal in case we eat it all.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
I usually grow my own basil in the summer, but the rest of dried

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
Dad has a garden, green beans, tomatoes, zuchinni, cucumbers etc etc OH BLUEBERRIES!  When i get a house I'll have a garden too.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
If my back up meal is say... Stirfry, I'll cut everything up Sunday so all I have to do is throw it in the wok.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
Get a healthy cookbook to find good substitutions.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Hungry Girl 1-2-3

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
Bulk buying meat when they are on sale then freezing them

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
both

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
I look for diet friendly, or at least "low sodium" options

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
Black bean chicken
2 can black beans
1 16 oz jar of salsa
1 lb of chicken cut into bite size chunks
1-2 cans of corn
1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked)

Put all in crockpot and cook 3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.  Top with cheese, sour cream if prefered

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
My cousin's apple dumpling recipe (will post when I get it)

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
Thai

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
1-3 times a week, and that's REALLY cutting the BF back.  Our favories are Chipotle, Applebees, Famous Dave's BBQ and a local restaurant Bull on the Beach

[Deleted User]

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
Smith's and Wal-mart

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Canola oil, Mrs. Dash, peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, soup, fruits & veggies and lots more stuff

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
tub butter and spray butter, fat-free sour cream, sliced cheese & lunch meat, mayo, mustard, potatoes

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
I get whatever I need all year long, but try to shop sales, so I guess mostly it would be in season since that's what's on sale

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
baking (mostly in the fall or winter, too hot in the summer, but I'll do it if I have a fan aimed at the oven to cool things down); crock pot and George Foreman grill

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
both - when I make chicken nuggets, I'll freeze a container for meals in the following weeks (6 nuggets and some pasta or rice and some fruit is a perfect meal and they only take about 1 min on high to reheat straight from the freezer); also when I make a pot of soup, I'll freeze individual serving sizes for lunches and such (Coyote Country soups are our favorites - click here - most are low in sodium and perfect for my dad's low sodium diet so mom buys a lot, too, and almost all of them are 1-3 WW points per serving and they are all scrumptious...mostly we find them at craft shows and such and we can get 2-3 meals for FI and me from one package and my skinny man can eat)

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
dried - I keep Mrs. Dash (original and SW Chipotle are my favs), garlic powder, dried onions and Italian Seasoning on hand at all times

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
nope - no yard

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
Plan ahead - read directions on everything you're preparing to know times and prep methods and while one thing is cooking on the stove top, something else can be in the microwave, etc; also get everything you'll need in your recipe out before you start so you're not wasting time back and forth to the fridge or pantry.  And if you're cooking with a crockpot and don't want to spend a lot of money on the liners that just end up in a land-fill anyway, use non-stick cooking sprays and spray the crock before putting anything in - makes clean up so much easier.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
spray butter!  I use it on mashed/baked potatoes, rice, toast, the pan for eggs - you name it and it tastes just the same as butter without the fat and calories.  Same goes for spray salad dressings (I'll even spray them on chicken nuggets instead of getting a dip out).

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
I always shop the ads and use coupons.  Smith's has been running some great sales lately where you buy 10 participating items and get $5 off and you can use coupons on top of that. They had some cereal recently as part of the deal and I had a coupon for $1 off of 3 - I ended up spending around $1 for each box of Cheerios - couldn't pass that up.  I also use generic when I can - I'll check the coupon and see if the brand name is cheaper, but often the generic is still cheaper and most things I have no problem with the generic (except mac & cheese - only the blue box please).

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
both

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
both - I try to buy a lot of reduced fat or fat-free, but some things, like Peanut Butter, there's no difference in the WW points value for reduced-fat vs regular, so I'll buy the regular since it runs on sale quite often.  I also try to keep some things full-fat for FI to eat.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
FI & I love my baked fries - no link, but I'll give you directions: I wedge a potato (1 per person) - I like to cut the potato in half before I start wedging it - mind over matter, looks like there's more to eat when they're smaller and more pieces then I throw in a handful or so of baby carrots; add about 1/2 tbsp of oil per potato and sprinkle on some seasonings (Mrs. Dash is our favorite but sometimes we'll use the SW chipotle or garlic or Italian seasoning - whatever we're in the mood for) and mix well.  Plop them onto a cookie sheet (spray with cooking spray 1st) and bake at 400 for 15 min - stir and bake another 15 minutes.

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
none comes to mind right now - I'll start going through cookbooks after the wedding and try some new things

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
can't think of anything

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
We rarely eat out, just can't afford it (and I didn't eat out very often growing up, so it's not common practice for me anyway), but I do enjoy IHOP or an occasional buffet and when I can afford it - I go to Great Harvest Bread Co for the best sandwich on earth.

Ana_2985

I think we suck at food shopping. I bet we could spend a lot less than we do.
1) Where do you primarily food shop?

Publix

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?

Pasta, cereal, coffee.

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?

Carbonated water, grapefruit juice, chicken, beef/steak.

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?

The same year round. I wouldn't have any idea what's in season.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?

I don't discriminate. Some meals are better on the stove top, some in the oven, and I like a lot of vegetables grilled.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
Everything fresh.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?

We only have fresh basil which I LOVE. Everything else is dried.

8) Do you grow any of your own food?

We have basil, mangoes, oranges, leeches, and star fruit. Only the basil, mangoes, and leeches were good this year though.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?

I am tipless.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?

Still tipless. I just try to eat foods that feel "light" if that makes sense.

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?

We buy meat when it's on sale even though I always think "Eww discount meat". And we always look for "Buy one get one" deals.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?

Mostly store brand. Only name brand for a few things.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?

I'm trying not to buy lots of artificial diet stuff anymore, but I buy skim milk, fat free yogurt, skim milk cheese, fat free soup, things like that.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?

Sun-dried tomato pesto. I friggin love it. Not sure if I should eat it as often as I do though. LINK

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?

No link, but I'd really like to get better at making my own pasta sauce. I always do it, but the consistency is always off.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?

I think I would like authentic Indian food. I've been to a buffet lunch place once but I'm not sure how good that was.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?

At least once a week (see graduate students can still afford to have fun!). The place we go to most often is a Japanese/Thai place around the corner from us. I also like several local Italian and Mexican places. Chain-wise- I love Chilis.

calindi

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
Publix on my way home is most convenient, but a specialty grocery store (like Whole Foods, but cheaper) is nicer though a bit more expensive so often I'll take a detour there instead.

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Beans, soup and sauce mixes, canned tomatoes (diced), various types of whole wheat pasta

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
Boneless skinless chicken breast, ground lean chicken, cheese, sour cream, milk, eggs

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
Fruits are usually in-season, but vegetables are all year round.  Except squash - I don't crave that in the summer like I do in the winter.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
Sautee pans and crock pots.  I like one-pot meals.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
Most things fresh, but there's leftovers for a few days.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
Mostly dried, but I have a great basil plant in my backyard.  And I buy cilantro fresh - it's so finicky to grow.

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
Sadly, not anymore.  I used to grow tomatoes, zucchinis, and jalapenos, but I can't seem to manage this crazy weather down here.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
Crock pot.  It's a godsend.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
Don't eat anything frozen if you can help it.  Healthier foods tend to come fresh.

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
Plan your meals, write your list based on your meals and snacking preferences, and stick to it.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Name brand usually when I can tell the difference.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
Full calorie.  I try to regulate my diet by eating more fruits and vegetables rather than synthetic varients of the same unhealthy foods.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
Chicken chili - grill ground chicken in Mexican seasonings (cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt, pepper), add a few cans of drained beans, chopped zucchini, corn, and a few cans of diced tomatoes.  Delicious, fresh, and healthy.

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
Quiche Lorraine - link on my other page.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
Beluga caviar... I can't afford it!  But I do love caviar.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
Not that often, but we like this BBQ place about twenty minutes from our house.  It's incredible, cheap, and finger-lickin good!

loves2shop4shoes

1) Where do you primarily food shop? 

Whole Foods

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry? 

Pasta, Rice, Quinoa

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?

Frozen fruit for breakfast smoothies

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round? 

Sometimes I buy in season, but other things (like broccoli, brussel sprouts, lettuce, etc.) I buy year round

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?

I'm not much of a cook, so the simpler the better.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?

We cook everything fresh.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?

Usually dried, except we use fresh basil and parsley

8) Do you grow any of your own food? 

We have a basil plant, so we grow that.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?

Hmmm... get a FI that cooks for you.  Sorry, I'm just not much of a cook.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?

Eat the rainbow...you shouldn't just eat beige food all the time.  Also, wait a few minutes after you're satisfied before continuing to stuff your face.

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?

Create your menu around what's on sale for the week.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?

Usually name brand.  I'm kind of a snob that way.  Sometimes, I'll get store brand.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc? 

I get get reduced calorie or fat where I can.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?

Pasteis de maravilla (Portuguese custard cups)

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?

Ever since that poster posted about Better than Sex cake, I've wanted to try that.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet? 

Peking duck.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?

Frequently...it's finals season.  Um...my favorite sushi bar is Fin's.  My favorite burger joint is UBurger.  FI and I like to go to Hillstone if we're in the mood for fancy lunch.  That's all I have off the top of my head.

Blue & White

1) Where do you primarily food shop? BJs for bulk (OJ, pepsi, water), Target for most everything, meats and veggies at Farm Fresh (I miss Publix )

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry? pasta. rice.

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer? OJ.  some kind of cheese.  usually chicken breasts.

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round? in-season, except for lettuce/cucumbers/tomatos which are yearround

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking? I work right before dinner, so I typically do the prep work and have BF do the "cooking" - but we do a combo of crockpot, stovetop, and baking.  I love baking

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh? Not usually.  But we do have leftovers 1x-2x a week. 

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned? dried.

8) Do you grow any of your own food? yep!  tomatos and pumpkins and basil this year, haha.  ok, we only got ONE pumpkin.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)? defrost before you need it

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)? I'm not very good at eating healthy.  But I know you're not supposed to eat milk products when you're sick with a cold/flu cause they give you more phlegm (gross, but true)

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill? buying generic, buying meat in family packages and freezing, coupons, looking for sales (I sometimes plan meals around sales)

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)? both, depends what it is.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc? both, depends what it is.  Mostly full calorie though.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)? Chicken Cordon Bleu I- allrecipes.com

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)? I want to make a good potato soup, dang it!  I don't have a recipe.  Fail.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet? Quinoa.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go? About 3 Fridays out of the month - We frequent Olive Garden, Outback the most....But I LOVE Crispers (in FL, sadly, not here.) and Mexican in general, haha.

KD+BC

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
Wegman's (grocery store)

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Pasta, spaghetti sauce, boxed mac and cheese, canned soup, peanut butter, taco seasoning, rice.

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
Hmmm, salad dressing, ketchup, mustard, butter, and mayo. I can't honestly say that we always have anything else . I try to keep milk, meat, and veggies.

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
Pretty much the same items all year but I do buy corn on the cob and apples when they are in season.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
Baking.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
We make most things to be eaten that day.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
Dried.

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
Nope.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
Have your husband do it!

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
Ummm, eat a well balanced meal?

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
Stock up on things we use a lot of when it's on sale. I used to clip coupons but the ones that come in the Sunday paper here aren't worth the cost of the paper. There just aren't enough that we use.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Depends on the item. Mostly store brand though.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
Again, depends on the food but usually diet friendly (skim milk, diet soda, etc.)

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
Meaty Ziti, basically Baked Ziti with ground beef, sausage, peppers, and onions thrown in.

15) Recipe you're dying to try (bonus points if you include link)?
I want to make a really good chili but whenever I try it comes out tasting like spaghetti sauce.

16) A food you've always wanted to try, but haven't yet?
Indian Food.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
We go out about once a week, usually to Italian places.

CvilleClaire

1) Where do you primarily food shop?
Harris Teeter and Whole Foods (some Whole Foods stuff is actually lower priced)

2) What are some things that are always stocked in your pantry?
Different types of beans, canned veggies, tomato sauce

3) What are some things that are always stocked in your fridge/freezer?
Milk, cheese, ice cream, eggs...I sound boring now

4) Do you buy produce in-season, or do you get the same items year round?
In season for the most part, though I have to have bell peppers year round.

5) What's your preferred method(s) of cooking?
Stove top...though i love using the crock pot, too.

6) Do you premake food for later in the week/month, or do you cook everything fresh?
I don't make anything ahead of time.

7) Do you use fresh herbs/spices or dried/canned?
Both

8) Do you grow any of your own food?
Nope...not enough space for that yet.

9) What is your best time-saving item(s)/tip(s)?
Menu planning ahead of time.

10) What is your best healthy eating item(s)/tip(s)?
I use ground turkey instead of ground meat. I don't eat red meat at all, but FI is a real carnivore.  Ground turkey is a nice compromise.  If left to my own devices, I'd cook vegetarian all the time.

11) What are some ways that you save money on your grocery bill?
When things go on sale, I sometimes buy extra and freeze it.

12) Do you buy store brand or name brand (or both)?
Both.

13) Do you buy diet friendly or full calorie/fat/etc?
Low fat or no fat...as long as there aren't preservatives and chemicals involved.

14) What's your favorite recipe at the moment (bonus points if you include link)?
I posted five in the "Cheap/healthy meals" thread.

17) How often do you eat out, and where are your favorite places to go?
We don't eat out all that often anymore, but we have great local restaurants.  We don't really patronize chains.