Menu-Plan-Monday w/Give-A-Way!

Well, it looks like it will be yet another week of simple foods. And not much home time. A dearly beloved Great Uncle went home to the Lord Saturday night. He had been sick for several months so it was not a shock, but still so very sad. He leaves behind a wife of over 60 years. My mind won't wrap around being with someone for that length of time and then them just suddenly being gone.

We also have several things that we must get done for back to school. And many of the fall activities are starting back up now too. So it would have been a busy week anyway. The loss just adds another element to it.

Monday - Crockpot beef brisket (didn't get to it last week) with vegetables

Tuesday - Will be out at family events

Wednesday - Leftover brisket sandwiches with sweet potato fries

Thursday - Quinoa and Black Beans, salad

Friday - Pizza night! Whole grain crust and as much vegetables as I can pile on top, with homemade pesto! The basil is still going crazy in the garden.

And if you're at all interested in a new, fabulous blog design, don't forget to check out the contest I'm running!

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday w/give-a-way teaser!

Just when I think I'm busy, life kicks into high gear and I know what "busy" means! We, like most others, are getting our back to school gear in order. With a high-schooler this has new significance for us homeschoolers. Or maybe just for me. :) Lots more organization and paperwork. And I really need to find time to get it all together this week. The sooner the better.

The garden is also coming in so I'm processing (and by that I mean cooking or freezing, I don't can) lots of delicious foods.

We're still working on eating very healthy, though we did kinda blow it last week as it was my BABY'S *11th* birthday. Unbelievable. So we had too much junk food and cookie cake and I know this week will be harder to settle back into with the nutritious foods.

We're also still walking/jogging. I will do a separate post about that. I think it deserves it's own spot.

OH! And I also want to encourage all of you to check back here this coming Friday (the 15th). I'm going to have a pretty sweet give-a-way in celebration of my 2 years of blogging here. I'm not going to say what it is, but I will tell you that it's something that many of you would LOVE to win.

With this flurry of excitement going on, the menu is going to be as simple as I can possibly make it.

Monday - Tilapia, big garden salad

Tuesday - Fish sandwiches on sprouted wheat bread. Sauteed sweet potatoes

Wednesday - Quinoa and Black Beans, salad

Thursday - Crockpot brisket with vegetables.

Friday - Pizza night! Whole grain crust and as much vegetables as I can pile on top, with homemade pesto! The basil is going crazy in the garden.

I hope to put up pictures of the pesto, but it's not my recipe. I found the one that we love the most on AllRecipes.com.

Pesto

I usually make at least a double batch. We eat it on everything.

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

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Menu-Plan-Monday

It has been so hot here. Not only hot, but the humidity! If anyone thinks the humidity doesn't matter, it's because you've not experienced it. Trust me. We've had afternoon thunderstorms almost daily for so long that I can't recall the last time I've had to water the garden. And then about the time we go out for our walk/jog, it's just so incredibly humid that it's like breathing through water! I come home and my hair looks like I've been in a rainstorm.

Speaking of walking/jogging, I got up to 2½ miles Saturday! Mine is mostly walking, but in my defense it's a really fast walk (and it was hot!). My husband is now jogging over a mile of it! The plan is to continue to pretty much walk (3-4 times a week) this week and possibly next. The week after that I'd like to start incorporating more jogging. I'm really pleased with it. It's such a tension reliever and a great bonding time with my sweet husband.

We had guests yesterday and at outside and made entirely too much meat. So now we've got lots of leftovers with which to work. I hope to begin to put up some prices with the menu's in the next several weeks.

Monday - Leftover pork chops with sauteed vegetables, big salad

Tuesday - White beans, cornbread and sliced onion (at the request of my husband)

Wednesday - Quinoa and Black Beans (didn't get to it last week), salad

Thursday - Leftover beans, mashed, in a whole grain wrap with cheese and fixins (lettuce, tomato, sour cream, etc)

Friday - Pizza night! Whole grain crust and as much vegetables as I can pile on top, with homemade pesto! The basil is going crazy in the garden.

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

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Menu-Plan-Monday

Well, the little get-together for my sister turned out really well. We had an additional 5 people at the last minute, but we somehow pulled it off with just enough food to not have any left to nibble on later! Which was a *good* thing.

I've found that it's super important for me to have good healthy foods here to eat, because when I get really hungry, if there is nothing else, I'll go for the junk. So I'm working on that this week.

We've also started to walk/jog. I hesitate to even mention this because I feel silly at my age/fitness level trying to start to be a runner. But it's something that I did years ago and something that I want to do again. We've been at it for a couple of weeks and we are doing 2 miles a night now. It takes a little over 40 minutes.

I hope to get my sidebar updated at some point, but it's been (as usual) busy here. Last week BOTH of my younger girls got braces. They put them on in "phases" at this particular orthodontist so we go back tomorrow for "phase 2". So the updating may take a little longer.

Anyway, on to the menu. Still no prices, though I'm working on it.

Monday - Leftover whole wheat homemade pizza, a big salad

Tuesday - Grilled chicken breast and sauteed vegetables over brown rice

Wednesday - Quinoa and Black Beans (didn't get to it last week), salad

Thursday - Youth Advisory Council Meeting and they always bring food. I have no idea.

Friday - Leftover chicken/vegetables in a whole-wheat wrap. Salad

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

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Menu-Plan-Monday

It has really been a long time since I've posted! I'm not sure where the time has gotten away to, but I hope to be back a little more regular. I've really missed it and missed you all. Thank you for your sweet comments and I hope to catch up with you all soon!

This has been a summer of change as far as food goes. It all started with the Green Smoothie. And it's really progressed from there. I always thought we did pretty good nutrition wise, but we're playing in a whole new ballpark right now. And I'm still learning so much.

My goal is to post some of the specific things I'm now doing differently, but the general idea is to limit all processed foods. Make each bite we eat as nutritionally dense as possible. The kicker is doing this with 3 daughters. Doing this and still having a varied, enjoyable menu. And doing this on a budget.

In the spirit of frugality, I hope to go back to adding prices to my menu soon. But I've not figured it very well with this new way of eating yet.

Having said all of that, today is my sisters birthday! I'm hosting the party and it's a very standard American diet (SAD) party. So here goes the menu for the week!

Monday - Typical Party Foods! Sausage/cheese dip, chips, pigs in a blanket, nuts, pickles, birthday petits fours and ice cream.

Tuesday - Back to the real world. Grilled chicken breast and sauteed vegetables.

Wednesday - Leftover chicken/vegetables in a whole-wheat wrap. Salad.

Thursday - Quinoa and Black Beans, salad

Friday - Homemade, whole wheat, pesto pizza. Salad.

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

Seriously. I can't believe it's Monday already again. Every year as we wrap up the school year it takes me by surprise. Which is totally silly I know. And all the activities! From science fairs to Girl Scout dinners to play productions. And much, much more. Our schedule is starting to look scary.

We're changing things up a little here in the food department. Reevaluating how we feel nutritionally about certain foods. To tell the truth, we've gotten into eating some foods (sometimes) that are just not so healthy. White rice. White potatoes. More sweets than I would like to have here. Bacon. You know.

So I imagine our food budget is going to go out kicking and screaming. I will, of course, do what I can to keep it low. But I do want what we use to fuel our bodies to be as nutritional as possible without breaking the bank.

I am excited that our peach trees have teeny peaches on them. And it looks like we may get some cherries too this year! We've also planted more things recently, but I'll save that for a garden update post.

I've been reading Green Smoothie Girl's site and have found tons of inspiration. Though we will most likely never be vegetarian (though we were for a while). It just doesn't seem to work well for us.

Whew.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 55¢ to make and last for several days.

(Yes, the price of bread flour has increased so much that it's made a significant price increase in my rolls. Still a great deal, but up from 35¢ last fall.)

(I also make a whole wheat bread that I will soon calculate the costs and give the recipe.)

What I'm working with this week:
TONS of fresh root vegetables (Sam's trip) and a ridiculous amount of both fresh and frozen fruit.

Monday - Steaks (my husband picked some up from the grocery store yesterday and they were not on sale, but they look fabulous), collard greens, carrots and ww bread. $29.50

Tuesday - Steak (leftover) fried quinoa. Think of it as a healthier fried rice dish? (This is an experiment. It may not work.) $4

Wednesday - Church moving party. We'll probably have to grab something out.

Thursday - Grilled thin sliced pork chops, creamed corn, salad $23.75

Friday - Pork chops (leftover) with sauteed root vegetables over quinoa. $6.25

Total for the work week - $63.50

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

I finally got my freezers cleaned out (and the small one defrosted) last week. It was really past time. So now I at least know what I have and what I need. I also got the pantry dusted and straightened. It's amazing the little things that can make a difference. It really looks a lot better!

What (fresh) I'm working with this week:
Some leftover steak. We finally got to cookout again yesterday (in between church and our small group meeting) and we've got a little of the meat left. I also have cabbage and lots of eggs.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 55¢ to make and last for several days.

(Yes, the price of bread flour has increased so much that it's made a significant price increase in my rolls. Still a great deal, but up from 35¢ last fall.)

(Also, this is the estimate of these individual meals. Not included is the cost of drinks (tea, milk, occasionally soda, ect), desserts (which we have way too often), snacks, or any other meal of the day. This price does NOT reflect my grocery totals for the week.)

Monday - Steak fried rice $1.50

Tuesday - Thin sliced pork chops (cooked on the grill), sauteed cabbage $10

Wednesday - Dinner at the church. I'll bring some vegetable dish. $6

Thursday - Sauteed chicken and vegetables on lettuce $11.75

Friday - Leftover sauteed chicken/vegetable burritos $2.50

Total for the work week - $31.75

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday (with Costs!)

Oh the sugar!

Our local grocery store puts ripe bananas in 5lb bags for $1.49. I must have gotten there as soon as they did it last Thursday because the ones that were in there packaged up were just ready to eat and not at all over ripe. So I bought a bag. And we ate on them. And then I decided to make banana bread. A double recipe. And we ate on that. And there were still tons left so I made another double batch of banana bread (this will go in the freezer) and there is still bananas (3) left (that will have to go in the freezer whole. They win. I'm done.)

Yesterday was my sweet husbands birthday. He wanted a cake. I made it into 2 8 X 8 cakes and took one to our small group at church. They ate. We ate. People took some home. And there is still too much cake left.

All of this to say that my husband has asked that we lighten it up a bit here and I couldn't agree more.

What I'm working with this week:
Not much other than a head of cabbage and some regular and sweet potatoes in the way of fresh vegetables.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Tuna Patties, baked sweet potatoes, homemade whole wheat bread. $9.50



Tuesday - Tuna pattie sandwiches, raw vegetable platter $2

Wednesday - Dinner at church. I'll bring what's needed. I have no idea yet. $10 (or less)

Thursday - My Family's Favorite Meatloaf, sauteed cabbage $14.25



Friday - Meatloaf sandwiches, vegetable platter $2

Total for the work week - $37.75

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu-Plan-Monday with Costs!

We had a lovely sunrise service yesterday. Just so touching and meaningful. I feel so fortunate to have found my church. Mike and I were talking on the way home that it really does feel like family. Without all the bickering. Mostly. : )

It's been a while. Definitely time to get back in the saddle so to speak on my menu plan and on my home. Specifically cleaning and organizing. It's A M A Z I N G what being ill for just a little while can do to the my home! I'm not sure I'll ever get laundry caught totally up. And I've been buying bread instead of making it, and I hope to get back to making it this week (read: today).

But be that as it may, the brood here still wants to eat. So menu planning I'll do.

What I'm working with this week:
A ham the size of Nebraska. Really. Remember in the Grinch (the cartoon one) where the Grinch is sitting at the table toward the end carving the "Roast Beast"? And he keeps carving and carving and it stays exactly the same size? That is our ham.
We also have a lot of cabbage, some root vegetables, and odd "I've been sick and bought weird stuff" in the fridge that I'd like to use up.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Leftover ham, fried cabbage $1

Tuesday - Bean soup (with ham), cornbread $4

Wednesday - Dinner at the church. Mexican. I'll bring Alanna's Mexican Rice Bake and cornbread. I know, but I can't help it. I'm Southern. $11

Thursday - Leftover bean soup, homemade whole wheat bread $4

Friday - Leftover Mexican Rice bake (not really, but I'll make 2 on Wednesday because there is so much food at church that my family probably won't even touch what I bring there, so it's all new to them), salad $4

Total for the work week - $24 (but only because we have so many leftovers)

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu-Plan-Monday (with costs!)

I know I must be getting old but it can't be just me can it? It seems that we roll from one "Holiday" to another. Can you believe that Valentines day is this week? Mike and I have never celebrated it in any real way. But with the girls we try to make things fun. Which in this case means making cupcakes and cookies all week long for various activities it seems.

:/

And I'm hosting the Wednesday night Bible Study this week. I was drafted when I was out of the room looking after a little girl with a (really, seriously) huge pump knot on her head. It's okay though, they'll show me everything! Don't worry about a thing! They'll be there to walk me through it my first time! And then one by one they've had to drop out it for various reasons. So what I know is this:

˜I make up the menu and bring it to church (I do menu's every week! No problem!)
˜People sign up on Sunday morning (didn't happen, I had 2 people sign up)
˜People call at the last minute asking what they can bring (so I'm told)
˜I fill in around the edges
˜I get there early and set it all up and break it all down (no problem, if I can find the stuff that used to set it up and break it down)

Sound fun? Yeah?

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Roast chicken (leftover), leftover beans, vegetable platter $2

Tuesday - Grilled pork chops, baked potatoes, rolls $15.25

Wednesday - Bible Study, if you read above, I won't know till Wed.! $45 (? hopefully much less)

Thursday - Leftover pork chop sandwiches, chips $5

Friday - Pizza (frozen, on sale), salad $6.50

Total for the work week: $73.75 (or less)

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu-Plan-Monday (With Costs!)

I've been *so* busy the last few days that I wasn't even planning to do MPM this week, and then I find out the my husband is checking my blog from work to see what we're having for dinner.

:)

So I suppose I have an obligation.

What I'm working with this week:
Huge bags of organice root vegetables. Lettuce bought on sale a couple of days ago.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Crockpot garlic chicken legs, brown rice, vegetable platter. $8.50

Tuesday - Huge salads with leftover chicken. $1.50

Wednesday - No dinner at church this week. It's Ash Wednesday Service. We'll have sandwiches when we get home on homemade whole wheat bread. $6.50

Thursday - Grilled sausages with turnip greens and corn/onion cornbread. $4.25

Friday - White bean/ham soup with leftover cornbread. Vegetable platter. $6.50

Total for the work week - $27.25 (Woo-hoo! Good week!)

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

We've got company in town so the cost of food will be a bit higher this week. Both because we're feeding more people and because I probably won't serve leftovers to company. Since the company is coming in on Sunday, I'm typing this up on Saturday, and will include an extra day in my calculations this week.

What I'm working with:

A plethora of food.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Sunday - Meatloaf, The Pioneer Woman's Mashed Potatoes, Slaw (which I must post the recipe for soon), and something green (broccoli, spinach?), with Rolls. We'll also have dessert. I'm hoping I can find some ripe bananas and make a fabulous banana pudding, and there will be a fruit cakey decadent thing called Orange Slice Cake. $42.00 (I counted for the whole cake here which is pretty expensive to make.)

Monday - Crockpot roast and carrots, Kasha Varnishka, Sweet Potato Casserole, my new homemade whole wheat bread (that I still haven't posted the recipe). For dessert we'll have Rugelach, and homemade warm chocolate chip cookies (with vanilla ice cream). $33.00

Tuesday - Lasagna with homemade garlic cheese biscuits. Dessert will be Brownies with vanilla ice cream. $29.00

Wednesday - Church dinner. I'll bring dessert. $3

Thursday - Leftover smorgasbord $0

Friday - Leftover smorgasbord $0

Total for the week - $107.00

Be sure to check out Laura's Blog for more menu ideas!

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Menu Plan Monday (With Costs!)

Finally!

I've really missed having my meals all planned out. Over the Holiday's it was all but impossible to do as we snacked or cooked for this or that event. And while I love the Holidays, I'm really glad to be back on a better eating schedule. We all agree that we're tired of the rich foods. And are ready for more healthful meals.

And on that note, I have a confession. My husband will hardly eat my rolls. He likes the taste of them, but not the all white flour/no nutrition aspect. So I've been fiddling around trying to find a good whole wheat recipe that everyone would like. And I've found one! I've not calculated the cost yet, but it's certainly not as cheap as my rolls. But there is the health factor to consider and the family does love it. I will still make the rolls, but will cut it down to once a week or so. I hope to have the new bread recipe up soon with pictures!

What I'm working with this week:

Alanna's Mexican Rice Bake has become a staple in our home. I made a huge pan of that yesterday and have some leftovers. We have some root vegetables. And a HUGE pile of bananas that I got for next to nothing at the store yesterday because they were ready to be eaten.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Alanna's Mexican Rice Bake leftovers with a huge salad. $4.50

Tuesday - Crockpot roast and carrots with oven fries. $11.00

Wednesday - Dinner at church. I'll bring something sweet. $3.25

Thursday - Leftover crockpot roast shredded burritos and fixins. $2.50

Friday - Sandwich night. Maybe some soup if I'm feeling adventurous. $6.50

Total for the work week : $27.75

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

Well, we've all had mild colds here, one right after the other. Today it seems it's my turn. Stuffy head. Swollen face. Lovely.

Oh, and did I fail to mention here that on Friday evening my youngest banged heads (they were goofing off) with her sister and CHIPPED HER TWO FRONT TEETH. So in reality I was "sick" starting Friday night. She has a dentist appt. in just a little while.

My youngest has a Christmas play tomorrow morning, then a party. We're in charge of the cookies. The two youngest have a party on Wednesday and we must get gifts (and make more cookies). And then my middle daughter is in a play on Thursday night. We, of course, have our usual homeschool/co-op stuff this week. And Bible Study on Wednesday. Oh, and it's girlscouts tonight. Of course. My head is spinning.

Anyway, food. Yeah.

What I'm working with:

Again this week I have no leftovers. We didn't cookout yesterday because it was raining and 2 of the five of us were sniffly. I do have huge bags of organic root vegetables from Sam*s. Oh and literally pounds of roll-out cookie dough that I made up yesterday. Wonder if I could serve cookie dough and milk for supper one night? Hmmm... Better not.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Chicken stirfry with root vegetables, brown rice $5.50

Tuesday - Leftover stirfry in burritos, salad $3.50

Wednesday - Bible Study. The "theme" is Beans and Greens (you did know we're in the South, right?). I'm bringing an incredible white bean and smoked ham soup. And some homemade rolls. $5.50

Thursday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and leftover beans. $11.50

Friday - Meatloaf sandwiches, vegetable platter $2.50

Total for the work week - $28.50

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

I hope everyone here in the US had a great Thanksgiving. We certainly did. Too much food and just enough fellowship with family that we don't get to see that often. We then put the tree and Christmas decorations up on Friday! AND...I got most every gift wrapped!

It's been a busy few days.

What I'm working with this week:

Really nothing. We went through the leftovers by yesterday when we ordered pizza (it was raining ALL DAY so we didn't cook out as is the norm on Sundays.) So this week is more of a pantry week.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Alanna's Mexican Rice Skillet $9

Tuesday - White bean soup with ham chunks and sliced onion $8

Wednesday - Bible Study Supper. I'm probably bringing dessert this week. Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake. $5

Thursday - Leftovers from Monday and Tuesday. $2

Friday - Linguine with marinara, salad $7

Total for the work week - $31

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday - With Costs!

I first have to thank Alanna. She gave me a recipe (in the comment section of last weeks MPM)for my Bible study last week that will become yet another staple in our home. The people at church devoured it! There was barely a single grain of rice left. So thank you. Very much.

Well, this is going to be an off week because, like most Americans, we celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday. We, fortunately, still have my Great Aunt & Uncle who we love and adore to spend the holiday with and even though I'm 41, I'm still to bring only a dessert and maybe some deviled eggs. They (my aunt and uncle) really love to cook the whole meal. Which is nuts because they're really pretty old (mid 80's), but I've found over the years that they genuinely get upset if you bring more than they ask. So...there will be mandatory mooching off of them this Thursday.

What I'm working with this week:

Leftovers, Chinese and lots of it. We picked up some yesterday and I had a mild allergic reaction to my spicy vegetables. I have a shellfish allergy and it must have been cooked in the same oil that cooked shrimp, scallops or something. Anyway, so there is more than enough of that left over for a full meal for everyone except me.

I'll also be making a grocery run today for many of the little special items that I tend to pick up for the holidays, so there's no telling what I might end up with there.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Leftover Chinese (I'll have some soup.) $1.25 (for my can of soup)

Tuesday - Linguine with homemade pesto (very last of the basil :(). $7

Wednesday - Let the feasting begin! Will be cooking this day for the next. We'll nibble off that. ~$20

Thursday - Huge meal at G. Aunts house. I'm to bring dessert and deviled eggs. $0 (Counted yesterday.)

Friday - Leftovers. $0

Total for the work(ish) week - $28.25

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday (With Costs!)

Saturday afternoon our friend from Church came over for an impromptu cookout and we ended up having a great Bible study. It was so good in fact that we had him back over Sunday afternoon (for meatloaf this time) to continue.

So there is leftovers to work with this week. Potatoes. Carrots. Tons of celery. I also adapted a recipe that I found online that will become a staple here that I plan to post about soon. We're having it on Thursday. Today I'm making homemade yogurt (which I'll share probably Friday) and homemade rolls for the week (which I'll share sooner hopefully).

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Meatloaf sandwiches. Vegetable tray. $2

Tuesday - Crockpot roast with potatoes and carrots. Rolls. $10.75

Wednesday - Bible Study. This weeks theme is "Mexican". I have absolutely NO idea. So I'm counting high here for just bringing one dish. $10

Thursday - The recipe which has no name (using leftovers from the crockpot). I'll post it and hopefully you guys can help come up with a name for it? It's pretty nice. $2

Friday - White beansoup with ham chunks (I need to post this recipe soon too! Sooo good!). Corny/Oniony Cornbread. Vegetable platter. $9

Total for the work week - $33.75

For many, many menu ideas be sure to visit Laura's New Blog!

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Menu Plan Monday - With Costs!

We stuck to last weeks menu perfectly! A first for us I think.

What I'm working with this week: No leftovers to speak of. Cabbage. And a request for more greens.

As usual, if no vegetables are in the menu there is a raw vegetable platter served with dinner. And I add $2 onto the cost of the dinner for the platter (with dressing). And I always keep homemade rolls around. They cost me less than .35 to make the whole batch and it lasts for several days.

Monday - Linguini (low glycemic index) with homemade pesto and marinara. $8.50

Tuesday - Tenderloin end pieces (we got a great deal on a whole tenderloin a while back) cooked in the crockpot with carrots, onion and potatoes. $12

Wednesday - Dinner at Bible Study. Theme - "Casseroles" I'll make some type of (free from the garden) vegetable casserole because we live a good little drive from the church and I don't like trying to transport meat. ~$2

Thursday - Leftover beef and vegetables burritos with salad fixins. Sauteed cabbage. $4.25

Friday - Stir fry chicken with root vegetables. Turnip greens. $7.50

Total for the the work week - $34.25

For more great menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's New Blog!

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Summary only...

Menu Plan Monday

Since many of my friends here and I have been talking about saving money lately, I've decided to add prices to my menu here. I do not count leftovers as I count them in total on the day that I list the particular meal. And the produce from the garden isn't counted either. Prices rounded to the nearest quarter.

These meals feed a family of 5. Three adult age. One teenager. And one pre-teen. We also frequently (at least once or twice a week) have drop in guests.

I have teeny bits of really odd leftovers (kraut, baked beans, one hot sausage, curly fries) that I'm working with this week.

I also wanted to note that I will put out a raw vegetable platter when there is no vegetables mentioned and I add $2.00 to the menu price for that.

Monday - Smorgasbord. I'm gonna fry up some sliced hot dogs w/ the hot sausage and cook it with some steamed root vegetables and onion and peppers. I'll lay out tortillas if they want to wrap it up. Then I'll heat up the rest of the leftovers (to clean out the fridge) and people can have what they want. $2.75

Tuesday - Big pot of beans w/cornbread and chunked onion. $5.25

Wednesday - Halloween! Homemade chili. Of course. It's a tradition. (Using leftover beans.) $10.50

Thursday - Baked potatoes w/leftover chili and cheese (sour cream, etc) $5.00

Friday - Beef and bean burritos w/salad fixins; fried (leftover) potato rounds $6.75

Total for the (work) week: $30.25

For more great menu ideas be sure to check out Laura's New Blog!

Read More...

Summary only...

Menu Plan Monday

I don't have anything in particular to work with this week. No leftovers. The sales have been really blah lately so there is nothing new or really different in the pantry. We do have a lot of frozen meat that my thoughtful husband picked up a couple of weeks ago at a great price. But I do need to make a trip to the grocery store today.

Monday - Tuna Patties, steamed broccoli w/cheese, homemade rolls

Tuesday - Tuna Pattie Sandwiches, vegetable platter w/dip

Wednesday - Dinner at church. I'm not sure what I'm bringing yet. The theme is "beans and cornbread".

Thursday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, greens

Friday - Meatloaf sandwiches, salad

For more great menu ideas, be sure to visit Laura's Blog !

Read More...

Summary only...