Cook For Good Project, 2nd post.

Today is the fifth day we have been following the "Cook for Good" plan on frugal, socially conscious eating. We were already on a similar plan but this one is quite a bit more intense.http://cookforgood.com/

Day one: Went grocery shopping at Kroger, purchased everything on the grocery list, and took a trip to the health food store for Tahini and Local Honey.

Day two: prepared bread and pizza dough, yogurt, and hummus from scratch. See below post for menu's for Sat. menu. Made high protein pasta with a homemade tomato veggie sauce with a bit of Parmesan.

Day three: See previous post, ate mostly leftovers from the day before and fixed a large pot of beans. This was a pretty lazy day, everyone was expected to eat leftovers, fruit and yogurt or peanut butter, homemade bread and cheese.

Day four: Monday: I had to get to work early and had a full day so I could not cook.
Breakfast: Yogurt and Fruit with Pecans and honey, coffee.
Lunch: for me leftover pasta with veggie sauce and cheese, water
Kids and Blake: Pork Tenderloin my Dad made and gave us, high protein pasta with cheese, and homemade bread (I told him to give them apples but he chose bread. Oh well Daddy was in charge what can I say, the man thinks mac and cheese counts as a vegetable. I have to be happy they ate and he cleaned the kitchen!)

Dinner: Kids ate at church for VBS, Blake and I went to a Chinese Restaurant and split a meal for cost $15.00
Evening snack: Homemade bread with butter and honey and grapefruit. My teenage son had two bean burritos with cheese (yes he eats six meals a day!)

Last night I whipped up a batch of bread. Today I will make: 2 loaves of bread, two cheese and veggies pizza, homemade yogurt, large batch of Cuban Black Beans to share with friends.

Currently I can't say we have saved any money but by day five we are usually nearly out of groceries and our fridge is still full, as well as the pantry. This is a sign to me that we are saving money. It will take a month to see if we can keep our cost down overall. It seems pretty positive to me and I get a rush knowing I am actively saving money and the planet!! Off to put on my cape, I mean my apron:).

Courtney

so much in my head

I literally have a headache there is so much in my head about enviromental issues, frugality, and raising a big family. I constantly feel frustrated living in a small southern community where I am often looked at with raised eyebrows when I bring my own groceries bags.
This year I will dedicate writing down every week day the ideas and tips i want to share with others.

1. Plant some chocolate mint near a downspout or outside water spout and it will grow like crazy.
I use this in tea but I found it great to deter black ants. I just put a stem in my cabinet and no more ants.

2. Cottonelle, Viva, Charmin, Kleenex, Puffs, and Bounty are all made with paper from 100 to 150 year old trees in Virgin Forest in Northern Canada: Buy post consumer recycled paper products whenever you can.

3. A good rule of thumb: One light (compact florescent of course) per person in the house. It is better to turn the light off when you leave the room for more than 10 minutes.

Namaste"
Courtney