This Week on the Dining Table

The "Crazy Weather Changes" Edition--

We had some strange weather for February last week.  Three days in the 60's and we hit 74F on Friday.  Then this rain and hail storm and a tornado touched down in a town north of here Saturday.
On Sunday the temperature dropped to 27F.
The UP side of this is I loved having the heat off for 5 days basically last week and my electric bill will be much lower for February that it usually is(Feb. bill is sent to us and paid in March). This bill with the coldest temps of the year here is our highest bill annually but it won't be so bad this year thanks to Mother Nature.

Moving on......

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Pork Tenderloin Roast, Mixed Veggies, Corn Casserole

2. Monday--Shrimp Scampi w/Linquine, Salad *

3. Tuesday--Burgers or Sloppy Joes on Rolls, Macaroni Salad, Broccoli

4. Wednesday--Salmon, Cole Slaw, Squash

5. Thursday--Cheese Lasagna, Caesar Salad

6. Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftovers or Cheese Ravioli w/Salad if no leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Pork Tenderloin Roast, Mixed Veggies, Corn Casserole

2. Monday--Shrimp Scampi w/Linquine, Salad *

3. Tuesday--Patty Melts on Black Bread, Mixed Veggies

4. Wednesday--TV Dinners

5. Thursday--Cheese Lasagna

6. Friday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches, Macaroni Salad w/Veggies

7. Saturday--Leftovers

7 meals cooked at home(though technically I didn't make the tv dinners), 1 of them a night of leftovers or Fend For Yourself, and 0 night of eating-out.
The Daughter made Patty Melts instead of Burgers and I didn't do the Salmon or Ravioli last week.  Instead, I got a killer deal on tv dinners($1.87 each for the good kind and I got a cooking break)and I cut up and pounded that pork tenderloin I got for $3 last week into pieces for sandwiches another night.

As for the grocery spending.....1 trip to Weis  and 1 trip to the Bread Outlet brought the food spending last week to $72.64 and brought my February food spending total to $293.95 for the month.  There is 1 day left in the month but I am finished food shopping until March.
I actually stayed under $300 for February. 8-)

My savings percentages last week was 48%.  

Leftovers going into this week.......Lasagna, 2 small Baked Potatoes, Corn Casserole and Macaroni Salad. I'll cut up/mash up the leftover taters with onions and make Hubs hash browns for breakfast one morning.

Here is this week's "food plan"....
* Denotes "complicated" meals

1. Sunday--Leftover Lasagna or Fend for Yourself

2. Monday--Salmon, Leftover Mac Salad, Asparagus

3. Tuesday--Baked Chicken Thighs, Brussell Sprouts

4. Wednesday--Baked Potatoes, Roasted Veggies

5. Thursday--Meatloaf, Sauted Yellow Squash, Leftover Corn Casserole

6. Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 6 new meals cooked, 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating-Out and 2 nights of Leftovers.

What I need to buy for this menu?
Brussell Sprouts, Yellow Squash, Ground Beef, Asparagus.  I plan on hitting Maine Source today for veggies and meat.

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

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Can't Do Anything" Edition......
Have you ever had so much to do that it paralyzed you so much that you couldn't even take the first step to finishing any task on your list?
That's been my life lately.  Though I do have some uncertainties going on that are keeping me from accomplishing items it shouldn't be stopping me from working on other items.
I just have no "mojo" maybe?  Feeling like "what is the point to trying to do anything?" lately.
sigh.
At least I can do a meal plan though, right?  ;-)

Moving on......

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week.......
1. Sunday--Meatloaf, Leftover Easter Veggies, Baked Potato
2. Monday--Leftover Tacos/Taco Salad
3. Tuesday--Hubs Birthday meal Out
4. Wednesday--Tandoori style Chicken Thighs, Rice, Harvard Beets
5. Thursday---Beef Bourguinon, Bread
6. Friday--Leftover Ham on Rolls, ?
7. Saturday--Pork Chops w/Apricot Glaze, Sugar Snap Peas

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Meatloaf, Leftover Easter Veggies, Baked Potato
2. Monday--Leftover Tacos/Taco Salad
3. Tuesday--Hubs Birthday meal Out
4. Wednesday--Hamburger on Roll, Leftover Potato Salad,Baked Beans
5. Thursday---Tandoori style Chicken Thighs, Coconut Rice, Harvard Beets
6. Friday--Chicken Parmesan, Grilled Asparagus
7. Saturday--Beef Bourguignon(Hubs had his over rice, me had a baked potato)

 6 meals cooked at home.
 5 new meals, 1 night of leftovers, and 1 night of Eating Out(Birthday meal).
Pork chops got bumped off the rotation again last week.  I am just not a fan so that's perhaps why they get bumped so often? lolz

I tried a new dish last week, Tandoori style chicken Thighs.  It's a recipe I saw on a PBS food show where the chef made Tandoori style chicken wings but I changed the chicken to thighs as they have more substance to them.
I figured with a curry spice blend and hot sauce they might be too spicy for me but I knew Hubs would like them and I could just substitute a chicken pot pie for myself from the freezer if the dish was too much for my gullet.
But sadly(or is that happily for me?lol)the "heat" of the dish was negligible and I ate of it heartily.
It was very disappointing however that there was little to no heat.  I am thinking my bottled yellow curry spice blend is not up to snuff on the Scoville scale?  Perhaps or the fact that I grilled the thighs and the fat flare-ups burnt the skin and all the spice out of the meat?  I don't know.

I do know it had good flavor even though so we'll make this again, perhaps pre-baking it and then finishing it off on the grill quickly.

As for my grocery spending...... Hubs made 2 quickie trips last week, we made a trip to Weis together and I went to Dollar Tree and Maine Source,, spending a total of $112.24 last week.
I have spent $130.24 in all for April so far and have $119.76 left of my food budget with 19 days to go.

Leftovers going into this week.......meatloaf(2 slices), coconut rice, harvard beets, asparagus, and a lot of Beef Bourguignon(4 helpings?).

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

1. Sunday--Ravioli(freezer)in Mushroom/Meat Sauce, Salad, Garlic Bread
2. Monday--Leftover Meatloaf, leftover asparagus, leftover beets
3. Tuesday--Sloppy Joes made with beef/turkey, using homemade low-salt sauce, Rolls, Sugar Snap Peas(freezer)
4. Wednesday--Leftover Beef Bourguignon, Cuke and Tomato Salad
5. Thursday--Kielbasa(freezer) on Rolls, Collard Greens(freezer)
6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Leftovers or FFY(Fend For Yourself)

This week will see 4 new meals cooked and 3 meals of leftovers(re-purposed into new dishes or not) and 0 meals Out/Take-out.

What I need to buy for this menu.....a head of Cabbage.  Not much I need to buy and I don't see much in the Deal Department at the stores this 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

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Using Leftovers in New Ways" Edition--

This is my dinner from Sunday night.  Last Friday I roasted a chicken.  My "Go To Plan" for using up leftover roasted chicken is to make Chicken and Dumplings.  But I also had leftover Collard Greens I had also prepared with the Roasted Chicken.  Though I most always put carrots in my C&Ds I thought why not ramp up the veggie content and throw the leftover Collards into it too?
It worked out well but next time I'll cut up the Collards into smaller pieces. lolz

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week.......

1. Sunday--Spinach Salad
2. Monday--Lasagna, Tossed Salad or Cooked Green Veggie
3. Tuesday--Salmon or Rock fish(freezer), Potato Salad(pantry), Green Beans(freezer)
4. Wednesday--Tacos or Taco Salad
5. Thursday--Leftovers
6. Friday--Roast Chicken(freezer), Mac and Cheese(pantry), Collards(freezer)
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Spinach Salad
2. Monday--Lasagna, Leftover Spinach Salad side
3. Tuesday--Rock fish(freezer), Potato Salad(pantry), Green Beans(freezer)
4. Wednesday--Tacos or Taco Salad
5. Thursday--Leftovers(I had lasagna/Hubs had halushki)
6. Friday--Roast Chicken(freezer), Mac and Cheese(pantry), Collards(freezer)
7. Saturday--I had Halushki, Hubs had Lasagna

Most everything eaten as planned(with a couple of side dish alterations).7 meals cooked at home(5 new meals and 2 using up leftovers).  We did get Subway for Lunch on Saturday and that comes out of the Eating Out Budget.

As for my grocery spending last week...... I have spent $349.97 "all in" for January.  Anything I bought for the food bank isn't part of this food budget and some shopping I did the last few days of January are coming out of February's grocery monies.

Leftovers going into this week......lasagna, roasted chicken, collards, taco fixings, enchilada sauce, mac and cheese, and potato salad.  The lasagna and leftover extra sauce will be combined and put into the freezer for a later date as we are "burnt out" on lasagna at this point. '-)

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

1. Sunday--Chicken and Dumplings(chicken from freezer)(I'll put the leftover Collards into this too)
2. Monday--Beef & Green Chile Enchiladas(using leftover taco meat & enchilada sauce)
3. Tuesday--Bacon/Mushroom Quiche, Brussels Sprouts(freezer)
4. Wednesday--Fried Shrimp and Scallops(freezer), Cole Slaw, Corn on cob(freezer)
5. Thursday--Kielbasa(freezer)on Rolls, leftover Cole Slaw, Calif. mix veggie(freezer)
6. Friday--Broccoli Soup, Biscuits
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 4 new meals cooked and 3 meals of leftovers(repurposed into new dishes or not).
The leftovers from last week will be used in meals on Sunday and Monday, sides eaten with my lunch, and/or put into the freezer for later.

What I need to buy for this menu? half & half for the quiche and soup(will also use up the milk in the fridge for these), cabbage for the cole slaw.
If half & half wasn't on sale this week I's have used evaporated milk from the pantry instead in the soup and quiche.
Loss leaders include Pickles so those will be bought(I "heart" dill pickles.), as well as a few other items plus laundry detergent(on sale & I have Qs)for the food bank.
I hope to take my donation up this Friday.
I am running low on cheese finally(from the massive stock up for very cheap last Summer)so I'll get some more as part of the "Buy 10 items/Get $5 off Instantly" Deal at Weis this week..

The weather is suppose to be in the mid 50's this week so I may just go buy at pork shoulder and smoke it for barbecue sandwiches. (Hey I am already making Cole Slaw this week! lolz)  If so, then the later part of the week's menu will change radically.
Stay tuned.........

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

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Cleaning Up and Out" Edition--

 

It seems like all I did this week was clean.  But afterwards I looked around and nothing looked any better for my efforts!

 

Here is a success story from this weekend.....Hubs workbench in the garage.  I have been after him to clean/organize this for FIFTEEN YEARS!!!

It finally happened this weekend.

He finally got so fed up with not being able to find anything in/on/near it that he cleaned it out.

Stuff got moved if it shouldn't have been here and stuff got thrown out.

What was left got organized.

And I helped a bit since I was out there organizing/cleaning the stockpile shelves anyway. 

 

Onward to the meal planning!

 

Here's what was planned last week.......

1. Sunday--BLTs for lunch, Leftovers(I had squash and cornbread)for dinner
2. Monday--We might dine out, otherwise Leftovers
3. Tuesday--Chili, sauted mixed Veggies
4. Wednesday--Barbecue on Rolls, Cole Slaw
5. Thursday--Salmon, Scallops, sauted mixed Veggies
6. Friday--Lobster, boiled Potatoes, Corn on cob
7. Saturday--Hot Dogs, Potato Salad

 

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--BLTs for lunch, Leftovers(I had squash and cornbread)for dinner
2. Monday--Chinese take-out
3. Tuesday--Barbecue on Rolls, Zuke in tomato sauce
4. Wednesday--Hubs had leftover Chinese, I had a big salad and garlic bread
5. Thursday--Grilled marinated Pork Chops, Leftover Cornbread, Leftover Squash Casserole
6. Friday--Chinese take-out It's our Anniversary!
7. Saturday--leftover take-out

Chili moves to this week, I didn't buy any lobster and even the hot dogs didn't happen.  I thawed pork chops, we had take-out TWICE and then we ate nearly all the leftovers in the fridge.
 

As for my grocery spending last week.....5 trips to Rite-Aid and 4 trips to Weis made $64.92 flow from my pockets.  Not bad considering I bought a TON of foodstuffs last week(mostly pickles, cheese, condiments, sour cream, bbq sauce, salad dressing and Kool-aid plus marked down meats).
August food spending now stands at $469.96 in a month where I set a $350 food budget.
bleh.

Leftovers going into this week--a little barbecue and a little zuke in tomato sauce.  The bbq will get put into the freezer and the zuke will get eaten tonight.
I have a big bag of fresh mixed veggies and 2 bags of collards to use this coming week.
 

Here is this week's food plan--

1. Sunday--Collards, leftover zuke in sauce, fried Flounder
2. Monday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Zuke w/Tomato sauce, Garlic Bread
3. Tuesday--Mixed veggie Stir-fry, Garlic Soy chicken(using grilled chicken leftovers), Rice(for Hubs)
4. Wednesday--Chili(Hubs will have rice too)
5. Thursday--?
6. Friday--?
7. Saturday--?

I have company coming sometime after Wednesday, but I don't know when they are arriving and for how long, so I don't have a plan yet.  Might buy something to cook, might cook what I have, might go out to eat.
Not sure yet.
Read the blog later this week to find out. ;-)

What I need to buy for this menu?......nothing.  After organizing the garage stockpile I find I am out of panko crumbs so I might buy those this week if the price is right.  Otherwise that can wait.
No great deals in the store ads this week so I don't foresee any grocery spending here unless I need to run out for something later in the 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 that week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The  "Cook Once, Eat Three Times" Edition.......

 

A photo from something bizarre I saw this past weekend.
At first they had their backs to us waiting at the traffic light and then he turned around.
Hubs thought they were aliens.
I had to inform him that they were "Sweet Frog" mascots.
I love the look on the face of that guy in the black car as he was making the turn.....lolz


Here is what was planned last week--

Sunday--Leftovers
Monday--Bratwursts on rolls, baked beans, leftover potato salad
Tuesday--leftover Fajitas
Wednesday--Pork Chop(freezer), Sautee Cabbage, fried apples
Thursday--Leftover Lasagna, Green Beans
Friday--Tacos
Saturday--Leftovers or Fish

And here is what got cooked last week---

Sunday--Leftovers
Monday--Bratwursts on rolls, baked beans, leftover potato salad
Tuesday--leftover Fajitas
Wednesday--Pork Chop(freezer), Sautee Cabbage, fried apples
Thursday--Leftover Lasagna, Green Beans
Friday--Tacos
Saturday--Leftovers or FFY(Fend For Yourself)

Finally got to the Pork Chops and we finished up most of the leftover.
I only cooked the Brats(if you can call brats cooking!lol)and the pork chop meal last week.
The taco beef was already browned and onion-ed, and Hubs added the seasonings and threw together that meal so I can't even claim that as a meal I cooked.

Ya know, I could get use to not cooking so much!

 

As for the food spending update.....I spent a total of $19.84 on $34.83 reg. retail on groceries last week at the local independent grocer. 
 

 

Going into the new week, here are the leftovers we have.....some taco filling and some fajita fixings.

 

Here is this week's meal plan----

Sunday--Take-out
Monday--leftover Taco(salad) and Fajitas
Tuesday--Chicken Fried Steak, Veggie, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy(I'll have leftover Pork Chop and Cabbage.)
Wednesday--Burgers on Pretzel Rolls(freezer-Hubs not home for dinner)
Thursday--Duck Breast(freezer), Risotto, Veggie(from freezer)
Friday--Sausage Sandwiches, Veggie(from freezer)
Saturday--Pasta w/Meatballs, Salad

Most everything I am pulling out of the freezer this week....duck breast, cubed steak, burgers, sausage, meatballs plus all the veggies.  I'm defrosting a roaster chicken now too in the fridge so it should be ready to cook on Sunday.

Time to clean the freezer out.
 

 

For snacks I'm buying 2 watermelons and there are Baked Lay's Chips here.

What I need to purchase for this menu?.......basically just salad greens and a few staples and fruit.
It's a skimpy food shopping week for me.  When I run out of lunchmeat for myself I'll make due with tuna fish, BLTs or a big salad for lunches this week.

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

 

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Back to Cooking Dinner, Wish I was Still on Vacation" Edition.......

 

 

And here is what got cooked last week---

 

Nothing since we were on vacation, though I DID cook breakfast once.  ;-)

 

 

As for the food spending update.....I spent a total of $84.42 on $156.44 reg. retail on groceries last weekend between the Bread Outlet, Maine Source(restaurant supply store)and the local Grocer.  Saved 46.04% over regular retail in all. Not a bad savings rate.

I have spent a total of $446.46 in April so far.  This week I have about $15 more food spending planned to close out the month.  I'm hoping I don't hit $500 for food spending for April.

Being so high with the food budget this month is not so good since Hubs and I weren't even HERE for 11 days of April to eat.  But then again, I did buy most of the food daughter prepared for Easter Dinner and Sat. morning's breakfast, so that expense came out of my food budget for April.

 

May just has to be all about tightening the money belt where food spending is concerned!  I'll be digging back into the freezer to get rid of some old dogs laying around in there and watching the food spending like a ravenously hungry hawk.  ;-)

 

And since #2 Son lived on pizzas, nachos and burritos the whole time we were gone, we had some big time food waste.  I had to pitch out not-so-fresh produce(asparagus, celery, cauliflower)and leftover chicken and zuke when we got home.

Sigh

 

Going into the new week here are the leftovers we have......2 servings of spaghetti and meatballs.

 

Here is this week's meal plan----

Sunday--Burger on fresh rolls w/tomato, Potato Salad
Monday--Meatloaf, Green Beans(freezer), Rutabaga
Tuesday--Salmon(freezer), Carrots, Coleslaw(make my own)
Wednesday--Lasagna, Salad
Thursday--Fajitas
Friday--Pork Chop(freezer), Sauted Cabbage, leftover Potato Salad
Saturday--Leftovers

 

For snacks I made fresh pickles and a brownie, and bought and cubed a watermelon--1st one of the season!

What I need to purchase for this menu?.......the ground beef and all the fresh produce was bought on Friday for this week's plan.  I need to pick up mushrooms(fajitas), cottage cheese and noodles for the Lasagna this week.

After perusing the sales ads I'll pick up any loss leaders we use that I see for a great price too.

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

 

Sluggy