This Week on the Dining Table

The "Using It Up" Edition................

While digging through the freezer last week I found 2 bags of this..........

My great Aunt Lula's recipe yeast rolls.  I believe these were from Easter? lolz

 I usually make these in a double batch for Holiday meals and I usually don't have much leftover as we invite the "mooch"(brother in-law)and his son for holiday meals and besides eating his weight in rolls AT the meal, I give him a baggie full to take home.

Well this past Easter I forgot to give him his bag of rolls plus Daughter was on a low-carb diet so she didn't eat her quota and ex-College Boy, I believe, was working and came home late for dinner and didn't eat many.
At any rate I just dug these old things out of the freezer and needed to find a way to use 'em up!

So I made this.........

Two pans of bread pudding, a small one and the large one pictured above. (I used Lidia Bastianich's recipe again but subbed peach slices for cherries.)

Bread Pudding is one of Hubs most favorite desserts!

Bonus points because I used what was left of the non-canned peach jam container I had made this Summer that was sitting in the fridge not being eaten either.

Score!

I used 1 full bag of rolls up.

I made Chili last night for dinner and Ex-CB ate lots of rolls left in the second bag with his chili so we've got 6 rolls or so left to finish them off. lolz

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Hubs' cooking Pork Chops, Glazed Carrots, Asiago Rice
2. Monday--Stuffed Peppers with Rice

3. Tuesday--Fall Harvest Hungarian Goulash, Egg Noodles

4. Wednesday--Leftover Soup, Grilled Ham Sandwiches

5. Thursday--Lobster Cakes(like crab cakes), Cole Slaw, Yellow Squash and Onions

6. Friday--Leftovers or Pizza
7. Saturday--T-Bone Steak, Salad, ?

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Hubs' cooking Pork Chops, Glazed Carrots, Asiago Rice
2. Monday--Stuffed Peppers with Yellow Rice

3. Tuesday--Fall Harvest Hungarian Goulash, Egg Noodles

4. Wednesday--Lobster Cakes(like crab cakes), Cole Slaw, French Fries

5. Thursday--Leftovers(I had a big Salad)

6. Friday--Leftovers(I had a BLT using homegrown tomatoes)
7. Saturday--Chinese Take-Out

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/ffy, and 1 night of Eating Out/Take-Out.

Everything happened except soup and sandwiches(which happened for lunch one day instead)and steak.  The steak moves to this coming week.
Between Fajitas the week previous, Stuffed Peppers and Goulash this past week, we are peppered out for awhile. lolz

What got put into the freezer last week.....

* 6 lbs. of Bacon from Malacari's(at $2 lb.)
* 1 lb. Bottom Round Steak
* 2.5 lbs. of Chicken Thighs

What got taken out of the freezer and used last week.....
* 4 pork chops
* 2 packs of beef chuck/stew beef
* The Lobster Cakes were a discount sticker buy the previous week and the ground beef(for stuffing the peppers)was bought fresh last week. Diced homegrown tomatoes also went into the stuffed peppers and the goulash.

One trip to Weis($28.27), a trip to the Bread Outlet($4.89), a trip to Target($12.51), a trip to Malacari's($40.28)and a trip to Shursave Market($24.15)brought the weekly spending to $110.10 and my September Total spending on food to $224.71.

My savings percentage last week was 48.63%(without Rite-Aid trips)and September's monthly savings total comes in at 57.31%(w/out R-A).

I have 14 more food shopping/spending days in September.  The budget is $400 but we always hope to do a little better than that amount. ;-)

Leftovers going into this week......Harvard Beets, Fajita filling, Pork Chops, Carrots, Asiago Rice, Stuffed Peppers, Goulash, Egg Noodles

I also have a small stockpot filled with tomato puree(from our tomatoes)so I need to use that in a meal since I don't want to have to can so little.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Chili, leftover rolls
2. Monday--Chicken Cordon Bleu, Veggie TBD

3. Tuesday--Barbecue Chicken Thighs, Yellow Squash and Onions, other Leftover Sides

4. Wednesday--Steak Ravioli w/Sauce, Salad

5. Thursday--Salmon, Roasted Sweet Potato and Carrots

6. Friday--Steak
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 6 new meals cooked, 1 night of leftovers/FFY, and 0 nights of  Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu?  Nothing really.  I got the ravioli and salmon at Aldi, the squash at Malacari's 2 weeks ago and the chicken thighs on discount at Weis last Friday.  The sweet potato was leftover as I didn't need both of the 2 I bought for the goulash last week.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy