Menu Plan Monday: Steak & Kidney Pie and Real Potato Chips

I usually do my menu planning on Saturday or Sunday but I’m a little late this week. We just got back from our trip on Friday night, and the weekend was spent unpacking, doing laundry, cleaning, picking up raw milk in the valley, and grocery shopping.

I’m focused on a new goal for the new year: cutting my grocery budget in half. Without compromising nutrition, taste, or variety.

I know, sounds challenging, but it won’t be that hard because last year we spent a lot since we were doing GAPS and not eating any grains or potatoes (and hardly any legumes).

We are now eating potatoes, oatmeal, rice, beans, rice pasta, and sprouted bread. I’m finding that I love making rice and beans because it’s so easy to use bone broth — which makes them so nutritious. And Seth LOVES my risotto.

This month I’m focused on spending as little as possible and cleaning out the fridge and freezer. I’m also going to be taking (and posting) detailed notes on what I spend, what it costs, and from that I’ll be finding ways to cut costs and save money.

From this data, I’ll be making a plan for the rest of the year. Part of the plan will involve buying a second freezer, I’m going to be ordering my beef and pork in bulk from local farmers. Not until next month though — we have to eat what we have this month.

Seth’s going out of town this week which means I get to try a new organ meat recipe (I never subject him to organ meats unless I have tested them first on my own). I have some kidneys in the freezer so I figured I’d try making steak and kidney pie. I’ve never tried making anything with kidneys before. We’ll see how it turns out.

I’m already planning something for the next time Seth goes out of town. I really want to make haggis. I had it when I was in Edinburgh and I LOVED it! I know US Wellness Meats sells lamb liver kidneys and hearts — I wonder if they would sell me a lamb stomach for my haggis? 🙂

I’m also going to try making some oven-fried potato chips. I’ll probably use butter and/or beef tallow because I have some in the fridge, but eventually I want to try using palm oil.

Sunday:
B: Coconut flour pancakes with butter and real maple syrup
L: Grilled cheese sandwich (organic grass-fed cheese & flourless sprouted bread with butter), apple
D: Leftover pasta with grass-fed meat sauce

To do: Grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s

Monday:
B: Scrambled eggs with banana fried in bacon fat
L: Grilled cheese sandwich, apple
D: Shredded beef tacos, black beans (cooked in chicken stock), brown rice (cooked in chicken stock), guacamole, lacto-fermented salsa

To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Make whey & cream cheese
Make egg, bacon & cheese biscuits
Make chicken stock
Make mayonnaise
Make kefir
Feed sourdough starter
Make baby formula

Tuesday:
B: Coconut flour egg, bacon & cheese biscuits
L: Leftover beans, rice, avocado
D: (Shellfish Night) Risotto with bacon & leftover shrimp, green salad

To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Make sauerkraut
Make kombucha
Soak oatmeal overnight — where to buy oatmeal
Make kefir

Wedesday:
B: Oatmeal with butter, cream, raisins, & honey
L: Leftover risotto
D: Mushroom quiche, green salad

To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Make pie crust
Make kefir

Thursday:
B: Egg & sausage scramble
L: Leftover quiche
D: Tuna melt, oven-fried potato chips

To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Make baby formula
Make kefir
Defrost kidneys
Soak kidneys overnight in Guinness or milk

Friday:
B: Cheese omelette
L: Leftover quiche
D: (Organ Meat Night) Steak & kidney pie, green salad

To do:
Pack Kate’s lunch & snack
Let cream sit out (for sour cream)
Make kefir

Saturday:
B: Scrambled eggs
L: Leftover kidney pie
D: Leftover butternut squash soup, baked potatoes with butter, cheese, sour cream & bacon