Turkey Day 2016!!!

Why is it that everyone I come across seems to think that shopping for a holiday meal has to be HARD, or EXPENSIVE, OVERWHELMING, DREADFUL....ghastly. Holidays are meant for being around those you love and enjoying the time together, am I wrong?

So, based on Aldi's ad this week (Mid-West Pricing), I will show you that you can spend LESS than $30 on Thanksgiving dinner, how to plan it, and hopefully how to ENJOY IT!!!

Pen and paper out? Let's do this! Turkey Day 2016!!! 

First think, what is normally made and/or do I want to do anything differently? For Thanksgiving in my family, I am NOT allowed to change anything! 'tis the season for holiday food shopping....


Don't forget your turkey baster!

Mail Meal:
Turkey
Stuffing (follow the box)
Mashed Potatoes
Vege (microwave w/ butter)

Sides 'n Such"
Gravy
Cranberries
Rolls
Pie

Still doesn't look scary, right?

Dear Aldi ad, how I love thee...

Page one--GO!

Turkey------$0.99/lb!

Onions and Celery------$0.79 each (chop and add these to the boxed stuffing...)

10 lbs of potatoes(!!!)----$1.49

Page 2...

STUFFING--- $0.89 per box (2, 1 in bird, 1 out of bird, eh?)

Crescent rolls---- $0.99

Green Beans----$1.39

Page 3, not so much that we need...

Cranberry can! $0.99

Gravy----$0.39 x 2 packets, if you must... Making your own from the drippings is so much better though...

Not Listed:

 Butter (always unsalted!!!) ($2.69), can of pumpkin ($0.79), pie crust (MAKE YOUR OWN for pennies...)

HOLY CRAP---under $25.00, yo! Assuming you have milk, flour, salt, and sugar and chicken stock? If not, take it to the $30.00, you need them.

Timing:

Before Turkey Day:

Thaw turkey in fridge: 24 hours per 5 lbs per the USDA

Make pie crust! Freeze some for the next holiday, too!

Turkey Day:

Heat oven and get your butter compote ready (butter + trader joe's 21 seasoning salute = perfection)

Add water to stuffing mix to make it soft

Chop celery and onions- add to stuffing

Cook turkey: this is a great guide! Don't forget to shove the compote under the skin and stuff the turkey! (and take giblets in plastic bag out :0 )

Make pie - bake - let cool

peel potatoes - boil - mash w/ butter

take turkey out of the oven- put in mashed potatoes, stuffing in oven for 30 min

...add crescent rolls 15 min later

Put cranberry jelly on a plate

Microwave the green beans

Carve the turkey...AND EAT!

Questions or comments? Let me know!!!

Hope this helps to make turkey day more enjoyable and cheaper than you are used to!!

xo

nicole

***No endorsements from companies or products listed. Everything mentioned is my own personal option. Links to websites are done because I personally dig it and want to share :)

Welcome!!!

Hey you!
Welcome to my space to share what I have learned while being broke in suburbia. A little bit about me, if you don't mind:
-I purchased a small little bungalow 4 years ago
-Have a full time job in accounting and HR
-Own a few businesses (more on those throughout the posts!)
-Love to cook, garden, prepare for a bad day, budget, and make things
-I can plan the s*it out of anything (except maybe a $10 mil high rise...)
-I have an AMAZING dog Nicco whom I adopted from a rescue 3 years ago

I hope we learn BUNCHES together through this journey. I feel that life shouldn't be hard.. but the MAN is trying to make it hard for us. STICK IT TO THE MAN! ; )

cheers~
nicole