I also like that if you buy in bulk like 5 lbs or more you get it cheaper. I buy and then bring it home and use my trusty little food scales and my vacuums sealer to divide it into portions just for 2 people, cause most of the time it's just DH and I and if some of the kids come over, well I just use more than 1 pack. Any how DH ran up there for me Friday and bought some meat, since I was running low. I spent Sat. morning getting it ready for the freezer.
They have some of the best cube steaks you will every taste. I have them pack it in trays of 4 each. It makes it easier to freeze in the flat trays. I bought 5 lbs. I got 6 pack, with 4 in each, @$22.63 it = to $3.77 a meal.
Next he bought 5 lbs of Fresh Ground Chuck for $14.95 I divide it into 1 lb packs and of course get 5 packs which equals $2.99 a meal for 2 and sometimes depending on what I make, I could get 2 meals out of that 2.99. When I suction it I mash the pack flat so it stacks in the freezer better.
Next is the best smoke cured bacon you will ever eat and I usually put this in 10 oz pack because we don't eat alot of bacon and I sure don't want to have to throw it away. 5 lbs made 8 packs at $11.98 = $1.50 for 3 meals each pack, averages .50 cents a meal...... 
Next he got 5 lbs of breakfast thin cut pork chops, we like the thin cut better than the thick ones....for $12.49, I divide this in packs of 4. But I put 8 to a pack to save bags and divide them with wax paper. I was out of wax paper so I used foil, either one works. I lay 4 on each side and seal them. I got 3 packs with 8 in them and one pack with just 2, I'll use them to fix pork chop and fresh tomato sandwiches for lunch one day. So that is 7 meals for $1.79 each...
He also bought a nice 2.5 lb boneless chuck roast for $9.01, I love a chuck roast the flavor to me bets any other cut of roast you can buy. I will cook it in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots for Sunday dinner the 26th before I leave for Branson on Monday and DH will have supper for Monday night already cooked. He loves open faced roast sandwiches. So that will be 3 maybe 4 meals right there @ $2.26 a meal., he'll probably eat a roast sandwich Tuesday for lunch...like I said he loves roast anyway you fix it meals. He also bought a pack of smoked bacon ends to use in seasoning my veggies. Hummm it makes them so good. I paid $2.89 for the pack and divided it into 12 separate seasoning packages. .25 cents a pack.
By using my vacum sealer and pressing them flat, I was able to store enough meat for 21 main meals and 20 breakfasts on one freezer shelf. and it only cost...$73.95.....Not bad.
I have had a problem with Wal-Mart chuck roast. Whenever I buy roast, it's usually chuck or some other type of pot roast. I like to cook my roast on top of the stove and add potatoes, carrots and onions. Every time I've bought a chuck from Wal-Mart, it's turned out too salty. Must be something they add to the meat. I've quit buying there.
ReplyDeleteLOL Molly ... Guess 'cause we eat out so much and kids live far away ... i haven't had that much food in my freezer in over a decade.
ReplyDeleteThose sealers are very cool though, used to have one years ago when made meals for the parents when they weren't feeling well :)
Impressed by your organization!
We raise our own beef....I am truly thankful for that...I know exactly what's been done to/with it....would also like to purchase some locally farm raised pork and chicken too...
ReplyDeleteWe're sort of old fashioned I guess....we raise alot in our garden too...
We already have our cabbage, cauliiflower and broccoli out along with some red skinned taters(my son loves these in our green beans)...then my FIL set out about 20 more C, C or B......
Garden planting is a family affair....FIL gets the ground ready...MIL lets us know what she wants to plant and asks me to get what we want (plus she usually feeds us dinner! that day and EVERY Sunday after church)then DH usually marks off the rows and he "drives" the seed planter(that's a cool thing....)then, DS usually has a piece of twine tide to it and gets out in front to guide it down the row...I always tell them you can grow as much in a crooked row as you can a straight one, but I know it does look nicer to have everything straight and it makes it so much easier when we used to get the Belgian horse down through the rows to harrow "work" the garden.....
The kid's and I and whoever else that's not busy are also the plant "setters"....we usually set out 100 tomato plants....DH or his dad takes a tobacco peg and "wallers" out a hole then I drop the plant in,DD waters the plant and DS pulls the dirt up around it....the we repeat that 99 more times for the tomatoes and then however many peppers and whatever else we set out....
Have to go for now...
Got to fix DS's lunchbox...
Have a great day!
backwoodsprim
We shop at a small meat market out in the middle of nowhere - called BIRD'S. The meat is great, and we buy a bunch of it every other month and pack it up for 2 when we get home. They told us that when its on the store cooler shelves in plastic with that juice catcher thingie under it, that changes the flavor. Maybe that is their secret, plus it is home raised. The store is always packed on weekends, and it's take a number time when we get there, but it is a wonderful place to shop, and low prices!!!
ReplyDeleteI'd say it's worth the trip to go to the store with the freshest meat. You've got a nice stock pile there.
ReplyDeleteVery thrifty! You sure got a lot stacked in there! Took some work but worth it, you saved a bundle.
ReplyDeleteAre you getting excited about BRANSON???!!! I'd like to go someday...
I know I live in Florida but all the meat we eat comes from Michigan. The husbands family is in Michigan and his mom buys the cow and pig and has it butchered. When she comes to visit she brings us enough to last until her next trip. It truly is the best meat we can get. I don't' know why but you can't get fresh meat in our area, it's the grocery or nothing. I can't stand walmart meat.
ReplyDelete