Untouched Ground Beef

 Normally people only think of ground beef when you say ground meat. Beef is one of the cheapest ground meats but you can also purchase ground chicken, pork or turkey; just to name a few. Like chicken, beef is another one of those meats that can be used to make countless dishes and served in many different ways.

In this post I will tell you how to make some great seasoned ground beef for a few different dinners. My first meal I made some tacos. I bought some ground beef, 80% meat to 20% fat, and cooked it a skillet. I used my basic seasoning blend, salt, black pepper,and garlic powder. In my previous post, I explained that my basic seasoning blend can be used for any and all dishes. To make the meat taste like a traditional Mexican taco, I added some cumin, hot sauce, cayenne pepper and paprika. If you don't like spicy foods, then I would recommend taking out the cayenne pepper and hot sauce and substituting them for a few red pepper flakes and tomato sauce. I always add tomato sauce to my taco meat for the extra flavor but it's only optional. I heated up a few soft tortillas and added a third cup of rice for my complete dinner. Since I made the entire package of ground beef, I knew that there was going to be some untouched foods.

The seasoned ground meat can be used for about two more dinners this week. I can make another taco dinner and I can make a quick version of beef stroganoff. The trick to making a quick beef stroganoff is to have a can of cream of mushroom soup on hand. Heat up your untouched beef in a skillet and add a can of cream of mushroom soup to the meat. While the meat mixture is cooking, boil some water for some noodles. You can use any kind of noodle or you can even use rice. After the meat is cooked, add the cooked meat to the noodles or rice. It may not be your typical beef stroganoff, but it tastes just as good as beef stroganoff from scratch.

Untouched Chicken Dinner

 There are so many things you can do with untouched chicken and don't let anyone tell you that chicken is boring. Chicken can be boring if you prepare the same couple of ways every time, but if you cook it differently and season it differently every time,and then you'll never get tired of chicken. My last post explained how and where to buy your groceries. I used chicken as an example in the previous post because it is one of the most popular meats that people consume. This post will show you all a few different ways to cook a whole chicken and use the untouched portions in a variety of other ways.

I went to the nearest grocery store and purchased two whole chickens. Both birds were priced fewer then five bucks and I'll be able to make at least five meals out of them. I cut up the first bird into eight equal parts; 2 wings, thighs, drumsticks, and breasts. Most people think that cutting up a whole chicken is this big and complicated process; it's not. All you need is a sharp chef knife or butcher knife and a few freezer bags. The key to separating the chicken is to cut through the joints of the bird. I'll go more into detail about utilizing a whole chicken in another post but this is all you will need at this time. After I separated the chicken into eighths , I placed them into two freezer bags for another meal.

I left the second bird whole and decided to cook it. I recommend using a basic blend of seasonings because you can always add more savory or spice to your meals at a later time. My basic blend is garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Those three spices will add a decent amount of flavor to any meat or dish. Another thing to note is that those three spices won't conflict with any herbs or potent spices. One of the best things about cooking a whole chicken is knowing that you'll have untouched food.

 I split the bird in half and gave the other half to my brother for his dinner. I ate the wing and thigh with two other sides for my dinner that night. I used the breast meat for two other dinners later on that week.The two other dinners that I prepared were BBQ pulled chicken and pulled chicken with snow peas and mashed potatoes. I will add pictures of these meals at a later time but use your imagination until then.

Remember that I only spent around four dollars for a whole chicken and made five chicken dinners with it. It was five because I gave the other half of that chicken to my brother and he had two meals out of his portion. Normally a package of chicken breasts or thighs would have cost you about five or six dollars and only would give you one or two dinners. With that said  buying a whole chicken is well worth the extra effort then buying the cut up and packaged chicken.

Purchasing potential untouched foods

It's time to do the grocery shopping for this week. Instead of dreading this weekly or monthly trip; think of it as a great way to buy future untouched foods. Choosing what grocery store to shop at can make or break your wallet.


 I recommend going to the food market during the least busiest times of the day; during the first few hours of opening, between 2-4 pm and during the last few hours before closing. These are the best times to do your shopping because most people have either already done their shopping or didn't venture out yet. I must mention that this advice should only be taken during the Week Days. Weekends are the busiest times for most retail businesses, including grocery stores. However, the majority of weekend shoppers tend to get their shopping done as early as possible or anytime during those two days.  


When it comes to buying in bulk or shopping at the dollar store, choose those items wisely. Of course there are some items that you can't get at one store, but always try to find all of your items at the same store. I will use chicken as an example of where to buy it. Chicken can be purchased at the local bulk warehouse store or your typical grocery store. Whether you purchase the prepackaged chicken or fresh from the butcher, you'll receive a better deal if you buy the whole chicken at the local grocery store. True that cutting up a chicken takes more time, but it will save you a few extra dollars. Grocers will often charge more money for the cut up chicken rather then the whole chicken. With that said, it is better to buy the whole chicken at a typical grocery store. Another example would be where to buy milk. All food markets carry milk and offer similar prices for the amount that you want to purchase. This may shock you all, but buying milk at the local bulk warehouse is cheaper then buying it anywhere else. This is where the common saying about saving more in bulk is true. The thing  is that it's the same milk that you would buy anywhere else, but for less money. I am not saying that is the only way to save money on milk. The next best place to buy milk is the dollar store or a store like Save-A- Lot. If you don't have a membership for these bulk warehouse stores: Sam's Club, BJ's or Costco, they are easy to sign up for and will save you money in the near future.

I hope this gives you all a better perspective on when and where you should buy your groceries. Being a member to one of those bulk warehouse stores can save you some money on basic items such as milk and butter. It's not completely necessary to have those memberships because you can save money at the dollar store and the local food market. The coming posts will show you what foods to buy and how to utilize them to their fullest potential. 

What are Untouched Foods?

           What's the first thing that you think of when you hear the word leftover? You may think of the nasty concoctions that your parents made you eat when you were a kid or perhaps a modified version of last night's dinner. For most people, it's not a positive thought. Leftovers or untouched foods as I like to call them, have a bad reputation. Most people don't realize that untouched foods can taste just as good or better then the first dish. With busy schedules, kids and a social life, there isn't much time or love for leftovers. As a person with a non 9-5 schedule, I know that eating a healthy and cheap meal for that matter is something that takes some time and thought. There are a few steps that every person should take when you they go to the grocery store; steps that will save you time and money in the near future.  Here's a little taste of whats to come; buying in bulk is not always that best way to save money on meals.This blog should help anyone who is either too busy to cook, too lazy to cook, or just doesn't know what to do with their leftover foods.