Menu Plans for January 4 - 10, 2009

One of my goals for the new year is to do a monthly menu plan. I have January's menu all worked out. It's working wonderfully for us already.

First I went to DLTK's calendar section and printed up a cute monthly calendar, then I wrote in one of my 30 some recipes. I don't think we'll be eating the same thing twice in a month. Now to make things easier, I just wrote in the main dinner idea. I will decide side dishes later by what we have on hand. I added this cute calendar to my homemaking binder so it doesn't get lost.

Here's this weeks plans:

Sunday: Salmon patties, oven baked potato wedges, leftover green beans, applesauce, salad - Approx cost $3.25

Monday: Our version of hamburger helper (made w/gf pasta, homemade broth, & probably ground turkey), baked potato, frozen mixed veggies (these are free w/coupons at kroger or meijer)Approx. cost $4.00

Tuesday: Breakfast dinner! Fried potatoes, onions & eggs - Approx cost $1.50 (We have our own chickens)

Wednesday: Spaghetti & meatballs, garlic bread/gf biscuits, salad - Approx cost $3.50 (I can my own sauce from homegrown tomatoes)

Thursday: Veggie soup, bread, salad - approx cost $3

Friday: Sloppy joes, fries, celery/carrot sticks, applesauce - approx cost $4.50

Saturday: Potato soup, homemade bread/gf biscuits, celery/carrot sticks - approx cost $2.50

total $22.25

What's on your plate this week? Go to Organizing Junkie for more ideas.

Menu Plans for Oct 5 - Oct 11, 2008

Don't you just love this fall banner for Menu Plan Monday? For more menu plans go here.

I love all things fall! The colors, the leaves, pumpkins, foraging for walnuts (which I hope to do this week), my husband hopefully getting a deer for the freezer. I love the dreary days and the rain. I love the decorations in our home for fall. I love the fall festivals, (I hope to attend some now that the harvest is finished). I love watching my daughter participate in fall sports (when not raining or snowing). I love that soon our schedule will be slowing down, even with holiday and wedding preparations about to begin!

What I don't love about fall is the colder weather and the upcoming winter months. That I could do without.

This week the girls picked the menu. Both have agreed to help in the kitchen this week. They mostly picked fall comfort foods.

Sunday: Spaghetti & Meatballs, leftover biscuits, leftover veggies

Monday: Thickened chicken noodle soup over leftover mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes, biscuits/homemade bread, peas, salad, jello cup

Tuesday: Soup Beans (One of Shayla's favs), of course, that would be of the non-farting kind. My girls would never do that, dontcha know! (Side note: HA! HA! HA!)Homemade bread/biscuits

Wednesday: Chicken & rice stirfry wraps, salad, chocolate chocolate chip cookies

Thursday: Chili soup, baked potatoes, biscuits/bread, baby carrots & celery sticks, cheese & crackers/fruit snack

Note to self: cook roast in crock #2 for broth for Saturday's meal.

Friday: Crockpot roast, leftover chicken rice, cabbage & onions, biscuits, no bake cookies

Saturday: Beef & gravy from Fri roast over mashed potatoes, peas, biscuits, leftover cabbage & onions, salad, apple slices or applesauce

Sunday: Sloppy joes, french fries, salad, cheese chunks or popsicles

What do you love about fall?

Menu Plan for Week of Sept. 14-20, 2008

This is a pretty boring week. I'm planning on looking over some of you guys' menu plans for next week's ideas at orgjunkie.com. I'm pretty brain dead right now. I've been under the weather for several days now. Luckily, my hubby was home. He stepped right in to take care of my business. Even some homeschooling. What a guy, huh!

So, here's this weeks menu even though the thought of food makes me want to heave again.

Sunday: Roast, Biscuits/Bread, salad, veggies, zucchini bread

Monday: Salmon patties, potato wedges, peas, cabbage, apple slices

Tuesday: Potato soup, biscuits/bread, salad, veggies, jello

Wednesday: Egg burritos, baked potatoes, cabbage & onions, veggies, cookies

Thursday: chili soup, biscuits/bread, salad, veggies

Friday: chicken nuggets & french fries, pizza (for those not on gf/cf diet)salad, veggies

Saturday: tacos, refried beans, salad, veggies, pineapple

Menu Plans for Back to School Week

Although it's not actually back-to-school until after Labor Day, my teen started cheer camp twice a week, last week. In addition to that, she has band camp every week day for the next two weeks. UGH!!! This is the part of high school band that I despise! But I enjoy listening to her learning musical instruments.



I guess I can't control the busyness that's changing our regular routine. It was bound to happen. Summer is only a short season. So here's my plans for a busy week:

Monday
rice cakes with nut butter and jelly, banana slices
baked potato with leftover chili soup topping, leftover mixed veggies, salad, toast wedges
fried potatoes & onions, green beans, salad, biscuits
snacks: homemade rice krispy treats with chocolate melted on top (using up some cheap cereal and CVS chocolate) & gf cookies for us

Daily total: $6.50 (approx)

Tuesday
pancakes & apple slices
leftovers from dinner
egg burritos (scrambled eggs in a tortilla shell topped with salsa or ranch dressing), french fries, salad, sliced garden veggies
snacks: popcorn & grapes

Daily total: $6.50 (approx)

Wednesday
Brown Sugar Oatmeal & Cream of Rice with cashews (gf)
leftovers from dinner
salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, peas, salad, bread/biscuits
snacks: peaches, rice krispy treats

Daily total: $6.89 (approx)

Thursday
eggs on toast/rice cakes
leftovers from dinner
hot dogs, (use leftover chili soup for chili dogs) onion rings, baby carrots/celery sticks, salad
snacks: Smores trail mix (again, using cheap golden graham cereal, mini marshmallows, 11cent bag of chocolate chips - thanks Meijers!)

Daily total: $5.75 (approx)

Friday
pancakes
leftovers from dinner
chicken nuggets, french fries, baby carrots/celery sticks
snacks: ice cream/rice cream

Daily total: $4.33 (approx) *Note: Grandma is contributing the boneless skinless chicken breast for this, so I didn't add it in.

Saturday
quick bread (fresh zucchini or fresh blackberry)
leftovers from dinner and/or can of soup/sandwich
spaghetti & meatballs, salad, bread/biscuits
snack: homemade popsicles, Smores snack mix

Daily total: $4.75 (approx)

Weekly total $34.72. Not a bad week at all!

*Please note: Several people in our home have severe food allergies, so I basically prepare two meals every meal. It takes more work, but it helps to keep our budget in check and those without the food allergies find our food to get tiring and bland. Although it is not recommended that you cook like this, I have never had a problem with cross-contamination.

I'm anxious to see what others have planned, because I'm running low on ideas today!! (Could be from getting up early and running teen to school so early in the morning!!)

Menu Plans For a Very Crazy Week!!! 7/27-8/2

We are usually a family of five (3 adults, 1 teen, 1 child), but this week the teen is at her dad's and Grandma has other plans, so I guess it's going to be an easy eat-what-we-have week. (Next week might also be an eat-what-we-have week). But the reason we are having these weeks are because I am taking a break from coupon & CVS shopping this week, because we have no $$$ for this in our budget. And why am I happy about this?!?

• We have overflowing refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards.
• We just finished paying off our last consumer credit account. My stove, microwave, and refrigerator that we got from Lowes on their 12 mo. no interest, no payment plan. We were actually able to pay it off before paying a dime in interest. Yeah!

Ok, so here's the plans.

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal, Dry cereal (using up all those close to free boxes thanks to Kroger), eggs with toast or rice cakes, pancakes, banana, pumpkin, or blackberry quick bread muffins

Lunches: Usually leftovers or a baked potato and salad

Dinner:

Monday: salad (including lettuce from our garden and dandelion greens)tacos, homemade refried beans, grapes

Tuesday: salad, salmon patties, macaroni & cheese (with free macaroni thanks to meijer), homemade fries, green beans (from our garden)

Wednesday: salad, soup beans, homemade bread/gluten-free biscuits, carrot & celery sticks

Thursday: salad with shredded cabbage included, chicken (deboned &frozen from last week's whole chicken) with rice (made with chicken broth from last week's whole chicken - frozen), and frozen mixed veggies (nearly free - thanks meijers) stir-fried and served in a taco shell with salad dressing or salsa on.

Friday: salad, homemade hamburger helper, oven baked potato wedges, green beans, biscuits

Saturday: salad, chili soup, crackers, peanut butter and celery and carrot sticks, homemade bread/gf biscuits

We will no doubt have some leftovers, which we use for lunches and/or freeze extras for another day!

On a side note, we are getting those pesky moths that get into your dry cereals and such. Anyone know any helpful ways of getting rid of these things, besides fumigating the house?

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 6/29-7/5, 2008

Since I did sooo much better having a plan last week (with meal plans, that is) I thought I'd join in the Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday, again.

Last week was week of the bird. I was able to follow my plans to stretch that one little chicken to the limits. Since we're sick to death of chicken, this week is going to include more beef recipes.

Since I totally overspent at Whole Foods on our allergy free foods ($325 last week), I'm going to use out of our stash again.

Sunday: Pot roast, leftover biscuits, green beans, salad

Monday: Beef & Noodles over mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits, salad

Tuesday: Beef & Rice casserole, Veggie Soup, Salad

Wednesday: meatloaf, potato wedges, spinach, salad

Thursday: leftover veggie soup, sandwiches, pickles, carrot & celery sticks

Friday: Salmon patties, homemade french fries, macaroni salad, corn, salad

These plans are for 3 adults and 1 child.

Breakfasts are usually peanut butter & jelly, homemade quick bread muffins, or eggs

Snacks: Fresh or canned fruit

Lunches: Leftovers

Menu Plan Sun. 6/22-6/28

I've been winging it without a menu plan lately, and let's just say some days it works, others, well, not so well....

To get back on the menu planning bandwagon, I'm posting on organizingjunkie's menu plan monday.

This is a very busy week for us because it's VBS week. I call this the week of the bird. Specifically, the chicken. I will attempt to stretch that bird all week!

Sunday: Morgan to her Dad's - Eat out!

Monday: Baked crockpot chicken, mashed potatoes, peas from our garden, biscuits, salad

Tuesday: Thick chicken noodle soup and noodles over Mashed Potatoes, cream style corn, biscuits, salad

Wednesday: Chicken Rice casserole, steamed spinach or cabbage & onions, cream style corn, biscuits, salad

Thursday: Leftover chicken rice casserole cooked with frozen stirfry veggies in a tortilla wrap, baked potato, salad

Friday: Doctor day - eat out!

That $5 investment for the bird really stretched. These are plans for a family of 3 adults and 1 child.

Breakfasts are: pb & j rice cakes, banana nut muffins, and eggs & toast

Lunches are leftovers

Snacks for the week are: grapes, apple slices, celery & pb, muffins

What's on your dinner plate this week?

Menu Plan Monday

Ok, I know this is late. Better late than never!!! At moneysavingmom.com, Crystal has set her weekly grocery budget at $35. Hillbilly Housewife has budgets of $45 and $70. Yes, they eat more than beans, rice, spaghetti o's, and mac & cheese!

Recently my husband asked how much we spend on groceries. I had to tell the truth. I have no idea!!! I've been wondering the same thing. So, I am attempting to start out by figuring our dinner meal costs, then branching out to breakfasts and snacks. Lunches are most always leftovers from dinner. I know of some sites that they really break down the costs, I am just going to guesstimate. Remember that we are on a strict food allergy diet and many times I incorporate these foods into a main meal because it's too much time to make two meals a day!

Sunday: Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, peas, salad and spinach leaves, bread
Estimated cost: $8.58

Monday: Chicken noodle soup, Biscuits, salad & spinach leaves
Estimated cost: $6.00

Tuesday: Beef and Rice, Frozen Broccoli, Bread, salad & spinach leaves
Estimated cost: $4.90

Wednesday: Pot roast, canned asparagus, salad & spinach leaves, Bread
Estimated cost: $8.50

Thursday: Running day - probably eat out!
Estimated cost: $15

Friday: Hot dogs, homemade french fries, carrot & celery sticks
Estimated cost: $6.00

Saturday: Gluten free Hamburger helper, baked potatoes, green beans, salad, bread
Estimated cost: $6.25

Total cost $55.23. This is dinner and leftovers for lunch.
Breakfast is fairly cheap. Cereal I get with sales & coupons, rice cakes with peanut butter, oatmeal, pancakes I make from scratch.

Most of the snacks are cheap with sales and coupons. I think where we spend too much $$ is on beverages! Juices and pop (even when I get them on sale). And the special cookies and mixes for Shay & I. Nine cookies are $4.49. No kidding! One case = 6 - 1 lb. loaves of our bread is $38! Oh well, spend it on food or spend it in medical costs. I'd rather pay it in food and feel well!

I think we could get our food budget to $100/week.