Grocery Shopping and Schelduling Dinners..

It can be hard to come home from work and cook dinner. Sam and I have been together for almost two years and I still can't believe how much we have eaten out in the past...I NEVER cooked during the first 9 months of our realtionship. We ate out all.the.time....It can get SO expensive and is not that great for your waist line either...I have been cooking more over the last several months and it has gotten to be such a routine and so easy to do! We usually will do our grocery shopping on Sunday because I can plan for meals better that way...We've gotten a lot better about making a list before heading to the store, buying things I will need for my meals, and not OVER BUYING. It is SO easy to over buy at the grocery store...We also will not go to the grocery store when we are hungry! That is a big no-no...The majority of my grocery list is veggies and meats, so I usually plan meals around those items. There are a few times that I will run out of something, so i will just plan another meal or wait until I go to the grocery store again on Sunday. I do not like to make several trips to the grocery store during the week.. It's simple...if I don't have what I need, I make something else, because I'm sure there is something else in the pantry or fridge that is going to go bad soon....I cook pretty healthy, so the majority of my recipes do not call for a lot of condiments...( butter, vegetable oil, etc.) I know grocery shopping can be difficult at times...I'm still learning how to plan for meals...It takes time and practice :) I suggest starting out small, and working your way up. If you're like me, you usually buy the same 25 items every week, but then throw in an occasional "rando" in there every so often....
I wanted to include a list of my top items that I buy at the grocery store every week and hopefully it will help you with your next shopping trip and when your planning meals!

1. Ground Turkey...I use ground turkey for everything. You can freeze it and take it out in the morning to thaw out before going to work.. It's good in spaghetti, pasta, turkey burgers, meatloaf, etc.. It's very cheap, too.

2. Fresh Veggies...I don't use canned vegetables very often. I usually buy mine fresh, so if you're like me, plan your meals with lots of veggies in them. You do not want your veggies to go bad, so use them! Buying fresh vegetables can be more difficult, but they taste so much better.

3. Hunts Tomato Sauce/ Diced Tomatoes....Even if I am not planning a meal with these items in it, I buy a couple cans while I'm at the grocery store...There are nights where I do not know what to cook, so I'll whip something up and throw some diced tomatoes or tomato sauce on it...These cans will ALWAYS come in handy! They're cheap as well..

4. Milk/Whipping Cream....I know whipping cream is not that great for you, but I use it a lot for my soups. I always make a point to have milk and whipping cream in my fridge because the majority of my recipes will call for one or the other.

5. Pasta...Everyone should ALWAYS buy a box of noodles when they grocery shop. If you're tired when you come home from work, toss in a box of noodles, throw some other things in there, and voila! You have a meal...Having a box of noodles is a necessity for me....I LOVE PASTA.

6. Sour Cream....This might be a random for many of you, but we eat a lot of sour cream. I buy the light sour cream, so don't worry!  I will usually buy 1 big container or two small ones to keep in the fridge for when I need it.

7.Cream of Chicken/Mushroom....This goes without saying...A LOT of recipes out there call for these items...Just buy several cans while you're at the store and you'll have them for your next meal :) They're very cheap!

8. Eggs..this is on many grocery shoppers list. We eat a lof of eggs at our house! I cook with them a lot. We usually ALWAYS buy a container of eggs when we are the grocery store, because if we're not out of them at the moment, we'll be out of them a few days later!

9. Yogurt...I buy yogurt every time I go to the grocery store. I eat a container of Chobani yogurt for breakfast or with my lunch EVERY SINGLE day...No questions asked :) I'm usually ALWAYS out of it by the time Sunday gets here, too..

10. Last but not least, shredded cheese! ALL KINDS! Parmesan, Mozzarella, American, etc. I cook with a lot of cheese. Sam loves cheese, too..The majority of my meals call for one of these everytime I cook, so I always buy another bag when I'm at the grocery store. Right now, I have two huge bags of parmesean cheese and two huge bags of sharp cheddar cheese...Seems like a lot, but we eat it! It never goes to waste!

I hope this helps you on your next journey to the grocery store! I know it was long and probably quite boring, but if you're like me, grocery shopping and planning meals can be a difficult task!