But does healthier mean more money? Not necessarily! It’s all about being a smart and creative shopper. Here are some examples for classroom snacks:

Classroom Snacks – 24 children

Your Child’s Birthday Classroom Party – 24 children

Other ideas to get the most nutritional “bang for your buck:”

What do you bring when it’s your turn? Please pass along your ideas…

Additional Resources

• Kid-Friendly Fruits and Vegetables
• Make Celebrations Fun, Healthy and Active

Guest Blogger, Carrie Scheidel

1. Create “centers” in your kitchen around common activities. Common activities include: food storage, cooking and serving, cleanup, planning/messages, and eating. The idea of centers is that you group all the items that will be used on a task close to each other. For instance silverware, plates, and glasses,  are stored close to the dishwasher or drying area so you can just stand and put them away rather than carrying them across the room. Baking ingredients including flour, sugar,  leavening, and baking tools are grouped together in another location for a baking center.

I thought I was doing pretty well creating “centers” but I made a couple of changes that I think will help my organization. I moved my rolls of foil, plastic wrap, and plastic bags directly across from the refrigerator so I can easily prepare foods for the refrigerator or freezer. I included marking pens to write what is in them plus the date (so as not to have more UFO-unidentified food objects).

I moved my colander and cutting boards under the sink. To make room for them, I moved the vases and plant care items that I won’t use until spring to a box in the garage.

2. Get rid of items you are not using. The old rule about getting rid of clothes you haven’t worn also applies to serving dishes, utensils, and small appliances: If you haven’t used it in a year you probably don’t need it. I was ashamed of my cooking utensil drawer so I decided to do what all the experts say: lay everything out, clean, remove duplicates, remove items you do not use, and remove items that belong somewhere else. I like the results of my work and I think I can keep it in order now that the drawer isn’t so full.

Utensil Drawer Before

Utensil Drawer After

Removed From Drawer

3. Store the items you use the most between your shoulders and knees and in the front where they will be visible.  This way, it is easy to find what you are looking for and quick to put items away.  I moved my flour and sugar canisters to the bottom cupboard instead of using prime space in my top cupboard because I don’t bake every day.  In their place, I put the coffee filters, tea bags, and travel cups that I use often.

I am happy with the changes I made. I think it will make food preparation and clean up faster and less stressful. The key, of course, will be if I can follow through and put things back where they belong.

If you would like to read more on this subject, here are 2 great resources:

Essential Kitchen Tool kit This kit from the Canned Food Alliance has great tips on kitchen organization.

Dealing with Clutter in the Kitchen This page is part of a website that includes ideas for clutter reduction all over the house

Next week: How to organize your pantry and how to tell if food is still good.

• If you are organized, you won’t buy duplicates of things you already have. Can you see in your cupboards? How many jars of cumin and cans of cream of celery soup do you really need?
• If you are organized, you will throw away less food like leftovers hidden at the back of the refrigerator or frozen meat left so long it has freezer burn.
• If you are organized, your kitchen will be more enjoyable to work in and it will take less time to make a meal and clean up.
• If you are organized and know what you will make for dinner, you will be less inclined to buy fast food or rush through the deli section of the grocery store.
• If you are organized, you will know where the coupons are that you cut out and you will use them before they expire.

During January, our SpendSmart.EatSmart blog will feature tips for getting organized in the kitchen.

Please start us out by sharing some of your tips or thoughts about organization. (Just go to our blog site and in the upper right corner by tittle and date click on the comment section and add your ideas)

I’ll start.  When I was a kid my mom used to tell us “There is a place for everything and everything in its place.”  When we lost something she would say “If you pick up everything and put it away you will find it.”   (she was usually right)

Our featured recipe this month, Sweet and Sour Rice Dinner, could be doubled or tripled for make ahead meals. The recipe includes ingredients for a tasty sweet and sour sauce but you could also use a bottled version if you prefer. The dish goes together smoothly if you measure and prepare all ingredients ahead of time.

If you have already cooked chicken to use just cook the sauce ingredients (step 6) and stir in the chicken and veggies. Cook for about 5 minutes to heat and serve over rice.

All you need to make this a full meal is some fruit and a glass of milk.

Sweet and Sour Rice Dinner

Serving Size:  2/3 cup rice, 1¼ cup topping

Servings:  5

Ingredients

• 16 ounces chicken (skinless, boneless)
• 1 bag (16-ounce) frozen stir-fry veggies
• ¼ cup prepared sweet and sour sauce
• OR make your own mixture
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 1½ tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups instant uncooked brown rice
• 1 can (8-ounce) pineapple chunks with juice

Directions

1. Cut chicken into ¾ inch pieces. Wash your hands thoroughly.
2. Remove stir-fry veggies from freezer to thaw.
3. Optional: Make sweet and sour sauce. Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir in water, soy sauce, vinegar, and ketchup. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add chicken and cook until done. Remove chicken to a bowl and set aside. Set frying pan aside.
5. Heat water for rice to boiling. Add rice. Let rice cook according to the package directions.
6. Return skillet (used to cook chicken) to the stove. Add sauce ingredients from above. Cook over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly OR add the prepared sweet and sour sauce.
7. Stir in the pineapple (undrained), vegetables, and chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 5 minutes.
8. Serve chicken and veggie mixture on top of the rice.

Here are the costs I found. Whole turkey prices range from $.88 to $1.19 a pound. Boneless, spiral cut hams are about $3.50 a pound. Bone-in ham varies from $1.48 to 1.98 a pound. Both ham and turkey are priced to lure you to the store.

The simple answer is turkey and the bone-in ham cost about the same with boneless ham costing significantly more. But, as usual, every situation is different. Below are some comments/questions with some of my thoughts.

Doesn’t matter what it costs. I want to serve both ham and turkey and make sure we have enough. Ok, but when you are buying, remember you can cut back on the amount you buy because people will eat some, but not a whole serving of each.

Is the buy a ham, get a free turkey a good deal? That deal was to buy about 7 pounds of boneless ham at $3.50 ($24.50 total) and get a 12 pound turkey free. You would get about 28 3 oz. servings of ham and 24 3 ounce servings of turkey. So you would get 40 servings for $24.50 at .61/serving. If you want a boneless ham it is a good deal. But it would be cheaper to by the bone-in ham and turkey separately.

We are saving for Christmas gifts so I don’t want to spend a lot. I would get either a boneless ham or the turkey. If you have time, go for the turkey and make soup from the turkey bone (that way you can stretch the cost over several meals). A couple of years ago we developed a Healthy Holiday Dinner Menu with Recipes.

I am exhausted after our Thanksgiving meal. Maybe we should just go out to eat. Last year in the blog I shared my Top 5 tips to save time, money, stress and calories for Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe you will find an idea that works for you.

My turkey is always dry so I think I’ll have ham this year. Are you cooking the turkey too long? Try using a meat thermometer (sometimes the pop-up timers fail). Put the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh because the dark meat of the turkey thigh takes longer to cook than any other part. When the thermometer is at 165 degrees, it is done.

My grandpa says he can’t eat ham so we will have turkey. From a health standpoint both ham and turkey are great sources of protein, but turkey provides significant less fat if you skip the skin. Ham also has more than 10 times the sodium and may contain nitrates.

Have a Great Holiday.

The majority of the sack lunches were not very healthy.  Most of them included some sort of bread (rarely whole grain), some protein food, crackers, chips, cookies, and fruit drink or fruit.  Vegetables were rarely included.  I wish I would have taken more pictures, but I was so busy taking pictures of the school lunch trays that I didn’t get any of the sack lunches.  I did find a couple of images on the internet that are very close to what I observed.

I think some suggestions on lunches to take to school plus packing lunches the night before might improve the quality.

My colleagues, Ruth Litchfield and Cathy Strohbehn, collaborated on two new publications about lunches to go.  Whether you are packing lunches for yourself to take to work or for your children, these are free and worth a look.  Both can be ordered or downloaded from the ISU Extension and Outreach Online store.

The one page abbreviated version is called MyPlate Lunch Bag Ideas. In this publication, you will find great menu ideas to pack your child’s lunch bag with MyPlate healthy foods. You’ll find kid-friendly foods for fruits, veggies, protein, grains, and dairy.  You will also find preparation and packing tips to keep foods at a safe temperature.

The longer, more detailed version is What’s for Lunch? It’s in the Bag.  It will give you ideas and know how for packing healthy lunches your child will want to eat. It contains tips for preparing and packing food safely as well as menu tips for lunch bag meals. It also includes research data on best methods to keep foods at safe temperatures.

For some people, Food Assistance is the only money they have to spend on food each month.  That means that they have to budget to spend only $4 each day on the food they need to stay healthy.  Last June, this became an immediate need for many Iowa families when the Missouri river flooded, destroying their homes and their source of income (farms, job sites).  Over the past several years, many job sites have closed in Iowa, leaving people without income and needing Food Assistance to feed their families.  It is not surprising that the number of people receiving Food Assistance in Iowa has increased.

So, was the news reporter able to make it on $4 each day?  Yes, she was, and you can see more of the story here.  And, how much do I spend on food each day?  For my three person family, we spend about $5-6 per person each day.      

Justine Hoover, MS, RD, LD

Set the mood with a little decorating …

• Use a Super Bowl XLVI theme or use team colors.
• Decorate the table with a green vinyl or felt cover with white tape or ribbon yard markers.
• Accessorize with other inexpensive items you could gather, make, or buy: team banners, mylar football balloons, pom poms, megaphones, and yellow penalty flags. Top Party’s blog has some great football party ideas.
  

  Fruit Pizza -- Super Bowl style

What’s it all about … the FOOD! Make the food for the party simple so you don’t have to spend the whole day in the kitchen. I’ve put together some menu ideas that are easy, inexpensive and healthy. Plus, they can all be made ahead.

• Put After School Humus, Cowboy Caviar, Homemade Pita Chips, and Baked Tortilla Crisps close to the TV where everyone can reach them.
• At half-time serve Mexican Chicken Soup from the slow cooker, a relish tray and Mmmm Good Fruit Pizza shaped like a football.

A little healthy competition never hurt anyone! You probably won’t need many games, but it would be fun to have everyone guess the final score when they arrive and then give a prize for the winner. Or, how about some kind of rating for the commercials.

What are you planning for your Bowl party? Share your decorating, game, and food ideas for entertaining on a budget.

MMMM Good Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:

For the cookie crust:

• 1 large egg white
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oatmeal
• Cooking spray

For the topping:

• 3 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 (6-ounce) container nonfat vanilla yogurt
• Fruit for topping the pizza

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Use a medium mixing bowl to beat egg white until foamy. Add oil and sugar. Beat until smooth.
3. Use a small bowl to stir together the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Add to sugar mixture. Stir in oatmeal.
4. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread the dough in a 9-inch circle.
5. Bake about 12 minutes. Crust will begin to puff but does not look done. Remove from oven and let cool about 20 minutes. The crust continues to cook while cooling.
6. Use a small bowl to stir together the cream cheese and yogurt until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.
7. Transfer the crust to a serving plate. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust. Arrange fruit on top.
8. Cut into wedges and serve, or refrigerate up to 2 hours, covered and uncut.

Last week this picture and ad caught my attention. It looked good.  I wondered how they did the breading and if the chicken was baked or fried.

A closer look told me that the store is really selling raw chicken breast that has been marinated.  The chicken will not be cut in strips and it will not have breading. It will have some marinade on it. The cost is $2.67 a pound.  Here is how I figured the cost. 

10-6 ounce breasts = 60 ounces or 3.75 pounds (60 ounces ÷ 16 ounces in a pound = 3.75 pounds) $10.00 ÷ 3.75 pounds = $2.67 a pound.

Another store has boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.79 a pound.   I think I will buy them and save about $0.90 a pound.  I will use a little Italian dressing for the marinade. 

–pointers from Peggy

• plan meals around store specials
• be able to identify when store sales are a good deal and stock up

Trent Hamm has describes how this is done at his blog called Using Grocery Flyers To Plan Meals.

Several web sites now help with this goal.  One that serves central Iowa is Learning the Frugal Life.  On Wednesdays, Sara, the author, posts the items she thinks are a good deals for Hy-Vee and Fareway.  She also adds ideas for coupons for some of the items.  You can go to the site each week or you can have the lists delivered to you via email like I do.   If you like to shop at Aldi’s, Dahls, Target, or Wal-Mart you have to check out the individual flyers on line.

If you are not living in Iowa there is a site called becentsable grocery gathering that provides lists of grocery specials by state and grocery store.  It you are “into” grocery prices you might consider signing up to provide information on your favorite stores for others.

Bottom line, you can save money on groceries, but it takes a little more time and energy than just going to the store and putting whatever looks good into the cart.

-pointers from Peggy