Welcome to the Kitchen

Miss Ruby's Kitchen

Simple meals. Smart shopping. A little taste of home.

Whether you're cooking for one, cooking for two, or just trying to figure out what's for dinner, Miss Ruby is here to help.

Miss Ruby Says: “Baby, we're gonna eat good — we're just not gonna waste good money doing it!”

🛒 Smart Cart Reference Store: Kroger | 📍 Your Local Kroger | 🗓️ New Smart Cart Every Wednesday

What's Cooking?

Good food doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Find easy meal ideas, smarter ways to shop, ways to use what you already have, and a few familiar favorites along the way.

This Week in Miss Ruby's Kitchen
🛒

Miss Ruby's Budget

She's Going to Kroger With

$40

Let's see how far she can make it go!

Miss Ruby's Smart Cart

One Cart. Ten Meals. Less Waste.

Miss Ruby has $40 to spend at her local Kroger. We're using that budget to plan five breakfasts and five dinners for one person — and we're counting everything she needs.

Budget $40.00
Kroger Cart $38.72
Planned Meals 10 5 breakfasts + 5 dinners
About $3.87 per planned meal
Miss Ruby Kept $1.28 Back in her pocket!
Reference Store Kroger Your local Kroger
Miss Ruby's Promise: If Miss Ruby eats it, Miss Ruby bought it.

Let's Look in the Basket

🛒 What's in Miss Ruby's Cart?

Miss Ruby didn't just grab whatever looked good. Every item in this Kroger cart has a job to do. Here's what she's bringing home this week.

🍗
Chicken Main protein for several dinners
$8.99
🥚
Eggs Breakfasts + vegetable egg rice
$3.49
🥣
Old-Fashioned Oats Easy hot breakfasts
$3.29
🍌
Bananas For oatmeal and breakfast
$1.35
🍞
Whole Wheat Bread Egg toast breakfasts
$2.49
🍠
Sweet Potatoes Breakfast, sides + loaded potato dinner
$2.25
🍚
Brown Rice Rice bowls + vegetable egg rice
$2.19
🥦
Broccoli Side dish + loaded sweet potato
$2.49
🥕
Mixed Vegetables Rice bowls + vegetable egg rice
$1.49
🫘
Black Beans Tacos + loaded sweet potato
$1.19
🌮
Tortillas Chicken and bean taco night
$2.49
🧀
Shredded Cheese Toast, tacos + loaded sweet potato
$3.49
🧅
Onion Adds flavor across several dinners
$0.79
🧂
Pantry / Seasoning Allowance Small allowance for basic flavoring needs
$2.73
Miss Ruby's Budget $40.00
What's in the Kroger Cart $38.72
Still in Miss Ruby's Pocket $1.28
Miss Ruby Says: “If it goes in my basket, I already know what I'm gonna do with it!”

The $40 Kroger Menu

Miss Ruby Says, “Now What Are We Gonna Do With All That Food?”

Glad you asked! Here's how Miss Ruby turns one Kroger cart into five breakfasts and five dinners.

☀️ What's for Breakfast?
Monday
Banana Oatmeal Warm oats topped with sliced banana.
Tuesday
Egg & Toast Egg with whole wheat toast.
Wednesday
Warm Banana Oatmeal Another easy bowl of oats and banana.
Thursday
Sweet Potato & Egg Warm sweet potato served with an egg.
Friday
Cheesy Egg Toast Egg, whole wheat toast and a little cheese.
🍽️ What's for Dinner?
Monday
Baked Chicken Plate Chicken, sweet potato and broccoli.
Tuesday
Chicken Rice Bowl Chicken, brown rice and mixed vegetables.
Wednesday
Chicken & Bean Tacos Chicken, black beans, tortillas and cheese.
Thursday
Vegetable Egg Rice Brown rice, mixed vegetables and egg.
Friday
Loaded Sweet Potato Sweet potato, black beans, broccoli and cheese.
Miss Ruby Says: “See there? Don't just buy groceries. Give every grocery a job!”

How Miss Ruby Shops Smart

We're not just making a grocery list. We're making every dollar and every grocery work.

1

Check Kroger

Start with your local Kroger Weekly Ad and available digital coupons.

2

Build the Cart

Choose groceries that can work in more than one meal.

3

Make 10 Meals

Plan five breakfasts and five dinners around what's in the cart.

4

Waste Less

Use leftovers and repeat ingredients before buying something else.

Come On Into the Kitchen

Pick what you need today. We'll keep it simple.

🍳

Ready to Cook Meals

Miss Ruby says, “Let Kroger do the chopping — you just do the cooking!”

Want something fresh without spending all evening in the kitchen? Take a look at Kroger's Ready to Cook meal options for an easier way to get dinner on the table.

See Kroger Ready to Cook →
♨️

Ready to Heat Meals

Miss Ruby says, “Don't turn that stove on!”

Some days we're cooking. Some days we're heating it up and calling it dinner. See Kroger's Ready to Heat options when you want something quick and easy.

See Kroger Ready to Heat →
🥦

Kroger OptUP

Want a little help making better choices at the grocery store? Explore Kroger OptUP to learn more about the nutritional quality of foods and discover better-for-you options while you shop.

Explore Kroger OptUP →
☕

Miss Ruby's Table

Pull up a chair. There's always a story at this table.

Sunday dinners, family talks, laughter, good news and a whole lot of memories. Sit with Miss Ruby each week for a short story about the life that happens around the kitchen table.

Pull Up a Chair →
Miss Ruby Checks Before She Shops

What's Happening at Kroger?

Before Miss Ruby decides what's for dinner, she checks what's happening at her local Kroger. A good sale can change the whole menu!

📰

Kroger Weekly Ad

See current Kroger promotions before you make your shopping list.

Check the Weekly Ad →
✂️

Kroger Digital Coupons

Look for available Kroger digital coupons before checkout.

Check Kroger Coupons →
🛒

Shop Kroger

Check products and available pickup or delivery options.

Visit Kroger →
🧊

Miss Ruby, Don't Waste That!

Before you throw those leftovers away, let's see if tomorrow's lunch might already be sitting in your refrigerator.

Leftover chicken can become a rice bowl, soup, salad, sandwich or another quick meal.

Miss Ruby's Rule: Before you throw it away, ask — Can I freeze it, mix it, or make something else with it?

Make It a Little Better

You don't have to change everything you eat. Sometimes a few small choices can make a difference.

🥦 Add Something Add a vegetable to a familiar meal instead of changing the whole plate.
🥫 Give It a Rinse Draining and rinsing some canned foods can help reduce some of the sodium.
🌿 Bring the Flavor Herbs, spices, lemon and other seasonings can add plenty of flavor.

What Did Your Kitchen Smell Like?

Sometimes food isn't really about the food. It's about Mama's kitchen, Sunday afternoon, family gathered around the table, or that one dish nobody could make quite like Grandma.

Tea Cakes   •   Cornbread   •   Salmon Croquettes   •   Banana Pudding   •   Sunday Dinner

Have a food memory that still makes you smile? We'd love to hear it.

Share Your Memory →

🛒 Come Back Wednesday — Miss Ruby's Going Shopping!

Each Wednesday, Miss Ruby checks Kroger's latest deals and sees how far the week's grocery budget can go. Then she builds her Smart Cart and plans meals around what makes sense to buy that week.

Community Partner

Helping Older Adults Shop Smart & Eat Well

Miss Ruby's Kitchen welcomes community partners who share our commitment to helping older adults shop smarter, waste less, stay independent and enjoy the foods they love.

Kroger is referenced as the grocery shopping resource for Miss Ruby's Smart Cart. Anchored Souls is not currently sponsored by, endorsed by, or affiliated with The Kroger Co. Kroger prices, promotions, coupons, products and availability may vary by store and location.

Food and nutrition information on Anchored Souls is provided for general educational purposes only and is not individualized medical or dietary advice. If you have a medical condition or have been given a special diet, follow the recommendations of your healthcare professional or registered dietitian.