Blessings at BlueApple Farm

This time of year is one of my favorites (along with the others, LOL). I so enjoy the cooler temperatures, the brilliant colors of foliage and a general slowing down before the holidays begin. For me Sept. 1 has always felt like "the new year" and so it is when I take stock of how the garden did, what I need to improve on, etc. It's also when my daughters go back to college and our budget gets very, very tight.

The one area I can control the spending is our food budget so I'm constantly tweaking - looking for ways to improve both the amount of money I spend as well as the healthy meals I provide. You would think that with just my husband and myself our food budget would be very small, but I do child care and provide all meals (except dinner) for eight children each day. I have to follow certain dietary guidelines which I'm happy to do but it is a challenge to keep the budget low. But I have renewed vigor in my quest and am looking to challenge myself to provide the best on limited resources. I thought I would take one meal each week to focus on (breakfast this week) - looking up recipes, etc. to enlarge my master meal list. I'm afraid I have a short attention span and get tired easily of making the same old things, LOL. The easy way out for breakfast is cereal, but it's way too expensive and the only kind the children will eat well is the sugar filled colorful kind which I only buy as a treat once in awhile. I much prefer to provide a warm breakfast - amazing how much happier they are when they don't eat a bowl of sugar for breakfast. I have one little girl that arrives each morning just having finished a donut in the car. I have to temper that with some protein fast or we're not in a very good mood!

Back to saving money....I do still buy cereal but only if I can buy it for under $2.00 a box and with a coupon. I make waffles (make a huge batch and freeze), pancakes, muffins and a few different breakfast casseroles that feed a brood and the children even love peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast.

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Peel and dice. Fry bacon, remove and drain, reserving bacon drippings. Lightly brown potatoes and onion in bacon drippings. Remove and combine with bacon, cheeses, eggs and salt. Turn into shallow buttered baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes or until set in center.

Don't forget oatmeal! We do oatmeal many mornings. I do add a few colorful sprinkles on the top of each bowl, but I figure the amount of sugar in that is far less than when I see kids spooning brown sugar on top themselves. So I don't even offer the sugar bowl, just the sprinkles. I get them from a bulk food wholesaler, so whenever we go I let each child pick out one container (usually under $1 for those small deli containers they are repackaged in).

Those recipes look great! And taking care of 8 children a day. WAY TO GO! :)
Have a great weekend!!!
Chas

I hear the concern about the food bill....We have 8 here in the house hold and my groceries a month runs me anywhere from $800 to $ 1,000...Of course some of it is for cleaning..I do wish we lived on more land so I could at least raise a calf and veggies to eat..Oh, well cost goes up pay stays the same..

I do make waffles and pancakes and freeze..the kids here love omeletts with cheese, and oatmeal...One eyed jacks are fun to make also...do you know what they are?

If not....you take a piece of bread, make a hole in the middle, spread butter on the bread. Heat skillet, put bread in the skillet. Crack an egg in the hole. cook till you think bread is done on down side of bread then flip..now you crack the yellow of the yellow and let it cook with the other side of the bread..I hope I explained it good enough for you..Kids here love it and as a special treat sometimes they get a little sugar free syrup on it...
Have a great weekend...Debbie

Most children love sausage gravy and biscuits. It is easy to make, you could make it the night before then warm it up when the children are ready for breakfast.

maa's mom

My mind is blank on the breakfast foods, cuz everyone took my ideas, lol. But I wanted to pass along an idea for you. My aunt ran a day care from her home and she went through the state. They not only payed for the children whos parents couldn't afford day care but they also gave her money to feed each child. She did have to stick to a menu plan each day, a balanced meal had to be served to each child, but I think you probably already do that. Not sure if they do that in your state but you might want to check into it, it might help you out a bit.
If I think of a frugal breakfast I will come back and tell you. Really the only thing I can think of is, I make french toast out of stale bread and cut each slice into dipping sticks to make it easy for the kiddos to eat. Just a thought.
Kitty

Those recipes sounded fantastic. My family loves breakfast so I am always looking for new ideas. You are an amazing woman. I don't know how you do all that you do and still find time to leave such encouraging comments on my blog . Thanks for your example.

These sound really yummy! I think I will have my girls write them down so we can give them a try over here in the Wood household! May your weekend be blessed! Because of His great love, Mrs. Joseph Wood

Just wanted to let you know that you won my giveaway at Cranberrycottage.blogspot.com
Send me an email at cranberrycottagegifts@yahoo.com with your shipping address and I will get it out to you shortly!!
Thanks,
Cathy

Thanks for stopping by today and leaving a comment. I too love this time of year as many do I'm sure. Spring and Fall are the best.
Thanks for the recipes. I will definitly be back from time to time. Take care,
Salina

I did childcare for more that fifteen years when my daughters were young.....you are to be esteemed. Mealtime can be challenging, especially when your daycare parents aren't on the same page as you with nutritious meals. Some breakfast ideas~ fruit smoothies & toast; toast cut in cookie cutter shapes, cheese cubes; banana bread (or other fruit, like pumpkin or applesauce) lightly toasted with butter or cream cheese. My daycare kids ate a lot of hot cereal (oatmeal, grits, or Cream of Wheat) but to combat the boring-ness of it, I had a sectional plastic container full of topping choices they could sprinkle on-- dried fruits like raisons, diced apricots and banana chips, nuts & sunflower seeds and sometimes for a special treat, a few colored sprinkles or mini chocolate chips :o). They would also use these toppings on "yogurt parfaits", another good breakfast or lunch choice.
Joanne

Edited by Joanne on Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 09:07