Provident Mom

I think it’s safe to say that school lunches are a tiny bit healthier now than they were when we were kids. At least, there are fewer calories, but I’m beginning to think this feat is achieved only by giving the kids miniscule portions.

My daughter told me the other day that she feels sorry for the kids who get hot lunch every day because they must be hungry. When I was a kid, I thought the kids who got hot lunch every day were the cool kids.

These days, I tell my kids they can get hot lunch once a week (admittedly, this is for financial reasons even more than health reasons). The kids look over the menu and decide which day looks best for you. My daughter, who at eleven years old hasn’t hit 60 pounds, usually chooses the day when they get deli wraps “because it’s the biggest lunch they have.” My son usually picks Domino’s Pizza day. The other days of the week they get sack lunch, which usually consists of a sandwich, a fruit, a granola bar or some other snack-type item, and a drink.

I was thinking that this year it might be nice to spruce up the variety a little. But then I thought about dinnertime every night, which goes like this.

“What’s this green stuff?”

“It’s lettuce.”

“Do I have to eat it?”

“Yes.”

“Can I get dessert if I eat a carrot instead?”

“No. You have to try the lettuce.”

“But, please can I have a carrot instead?”

“No.”

And on and on. And I’m thinking that giving the kids the same boring lunch every day is as much a treat for them as it would be for me to go out for sushi on Mondays, Mexican on Tuesdays, Olive Garden on Wednesdays, etc. They love boring!

This is a wonderful revelation for me. I’m not going to stress about coming up with creative lunches, cucumber sandwiches cut into star shapes with cookie cutters, garbanzo bean spread with sun-dried tomatoes. Are you kidding? They wouldn’t be able to trade it to anyone in the cafeteria.

That’s right. It’s PBJ from here to eternity. I’m saving the sushi for myself.

Those of you thrifty provident moms out there who use coupons know how it works. You clip the coupons on Sunday and file them away in your coupon file. Then on Wednesday when the store ads come out, you go get the sale items you have coupons for. You get dirt cheap stuff, like Betty Crocker cookie mixes for .25. And you rejoice at your successful conquests.

But I’ve discovered something lately that has been extra super great for my grocery bill: loyalty card coupons. Here’s how it works. The loyalty card helps stores keep track of what you buy. This makes their marketing a little easier, but it also gives you coupons. When you check out, coupons will be printed at the register based on your buying habits. If you buy yogurt, you’ll get yogurt coupons.

Well, one day I got some of these loyalty card coupons, and one of them said, “If you’d like to receive additional coupons in your mailbox, please see customer service.” I did want more coupons, so I went to customer service and she did something in her little computer and then smiled and thanked me.

About a month later, I got a whole bunch of coupons in the mail, and some of them were for fresh meat and produce, which you’ll never ever get out of the newspaper on Sunday. Some of them said things like, “$12 off your grocery purchase of $120 or more.” This is gold! This has taken my grocery shopping to a whole new level. I actually feel a little guilty using some of these coupons, but hey, they mailed them right to my house so they must want me to use them.

So check with your grocery store’s customer service desk and see if they have something like this for you. You’re going to the pros.

St. Patrick’s Day is not one of those holidays that you budget for. Nonetheless, it’s fun to do something to celebrate. Try serving an Irish dinner to your family. This one is inexpensive and hearty, and you can even put a couple of drops of green food coloring in your kids’ milk for a St. Patrick’s Day surprise.

Menu:

Irish Stew
Irish Soda Bread
Green Milk
Irish Stew
Ingredients
1 ounce butter
2 pounds lamb or beef, cubed
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 Tbsp plain flour
1 pint beef stock
2 Tbsp tomato puree
1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 potatoes, cubed
1 bouquet garni (sprig of parsley, sprig of thyme, 1 bay leaf tied up in muslin)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tabasco sauce
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the meat in it until browned on all sides. Do not crowd the pan; brown the meat in two or three batches if necessary. Remove the meat from the pan, add the onion and carrots and cook until slightly softened.
Return the meat to the pan, add the flour, then stir in the stock, tomato puree and sugar. Bring to boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the potatoes, the bouquet garni and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook over a low heat for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. While the stew is simmering, add 4 or 5 drops of tabasco to taste.
Yield: 4 servings
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients:

4 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup raisins
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk

Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 425°. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
2 Using a pastry cutter or two knives, work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then stir in raisins.
3 Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, sprinkle in a little more flour. Do not overknead! Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf.
4 Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about 1/2” deep in an “X” shape. Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped with a knife, about 35-45 minutes. Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it’s done.