This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Mother's Day" Edition--

 

 

The flowers from my daughter and Hubs, cards from Hubs and his oldest brother and my oldest son called me on Sunday to chat.  My only kid actually HERE on Mother's Day made no effort.....I didn't even get a "Happy Mother's Day or I love you Mom" or a hug outta him.  Just for that, I'll be waking him up bright and early today and putting him to work out in the yard......that'll show him! ;-)

 

 

Anyway, onward to the meal planning!

 

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

 

1.  Leftover Lemon Chicken w/Zucchini and Rice
2.  Leftover Taco Salad

3.  Kielbasa or Hot Dogs, homemade Boston Baked Beans(maybe), leftover veggies and macaroni salad
4.  Chicken Parm, Tomato and Cuke Salad(use up some produce)

5.  Ravioli,  Sauté of Squash and Onions

6.  Fend For Yourself
7.  Pizza?
 

And this is what actually happened--

1.  Leftover Lemon Chicken w/Zucchini and Rice
2.  Leftover Taco Salad

3.  Kielbasa or Hot Dogs, leftover veggies and macaroni salad
4.  Chicken Parm, Tomato and Cuke Salad(use up some produce)

5.  Ravioli,  Sauté of Squash and Onions

6.  Fend For Yourself
7.  Fend For Yourself

Everything went as planned I guess except no pizza.  We stopped at a nice? restaurant on the way home from getting College Boy on Saturday so we just scrounged at home for something light for dinner.

Last week I made 5 trips to 3 different food stores and spent $52.98 OOP on $143.47 worth of reg. retail groceries and toiletries

I had 3 transactions at Rite-Aid last week and spent $11.67!
Gasp!!!
That's what happens when you have no +Ups or Plenti Pts. and are starting from scratch.....the OOP is too danged high!
I now have 600 Plenti Pts.
Again like last time I say....."Whoo-pee".

$232.74(plus $11.67 at R-A) spent of my $? May food budget.

Leftovers going into this week are---taco filling and some veggies leftover from the osso buco and mashed potatoes.
Hubs is out of town after Tuesday dinner time so it's just College Boy and me to feed Wednesday to Saturday.....and College Boy has work already(evenings) and Thursday is a long standing "Wing Night" at a local handout with his buds.

I don't want to cook a lot of leftover type dishes this week since we are going on vacation and College Boy has a bad track record with eating leftovers when we are gone.  I'll just put some easy fix items in the house(burritos, chicken strips, frozen pizza, etc.)and some cash to get fast food(as he has been fast food deprived due to a lack of spending $ at college)as that is what he wants to eat.
 

Here is the plan for this week.........

1.  Chinese Take-out(Mother's Day and I don't cook!)
2.  Salmon, Squash casserole

3.  Leftover Chinese take-out
4.  Rotisserie Chicken, Roasted Cauliflower

5.  Fend for Yourself/Wing Night

6.  Tacos or Taco Salad
7.  Subway sammies

I am only cooking 2 "meals" this week.  I have TONS to do before we leave and all of College Boy's crap and laundry to deal with this week so I am all about making things as easy as possible this week.
 

What I need to buy for this menu.......nothing except to buy the take-out foods(Subway sammies,  Rotisserie Chicken at Weis).  I will use up the Osso Buco veggies in sauce by putting that into my taco filling this week.  Tacos leftover is the one thing College Boy will eat that is leftover even if we aren't home to remind him. 8-)

I will be hitting the grocery stores for some loss leaders this week and any deals that pop up or instant discount meats as usual.  I am figuring about $60 of spending.
 

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 "This is What Happens When I Leave Home for 2 Weeks" Edition........

 

 

 

When I came home July 25th from my road trip, this is what my little gardenia bush looked like.
Yes, Hubs is the plant killer.
Sigh
I have been diligently watering it, it has shed most of it's curled up, dried leaves but there are some nice new green shoots now so it's hanging on.  I just might coax it back to life.


 What was planned last week--

 

1.  Pulled Beef Brisket Sandwiches, Sugar Snap Peas

2.  Beef Pie-my version of a Shepherd's Pie but with cornbread on top

3.  Roast Chicken, Carrots, Potatoes and Onions

4.  Pot Roast with leftover veg from Roast Chicken and leftover brisket

5.  Chili, Tossed Salad
6.  Tuna Noodle Casserole, Green Beans with Red Peppers Saute
7.  Leftovers-assorted

 

And this is what actually happened--

 

1.  Pulled Beef Brisket Sandwiches, Sugar Snap Peas

2.  Beef Pie-my version of a Shepherd's Pie but with cornbread on top

3.  Roast Chicken, Carrots, Potatoes and Onions

4.  Pot Roast with leftover veg from Roast Chicken + mushrooms and leftover brisket

5.  Leftover Beef Pie
6.  Tuna Noodle Casserole, Tossed Salad
7.  Leftovers-assorted

 

Everything but the Chili happened.  Didn't need it as we had tons of leftovers to eat.....and we are still eating them! lol
  

Last week I made trips to 2 different grocery stores and the Bakery Outlet and spent $114.20 on $291.58 worth of groceries/toiletries for just shy of a 61% savings rate.
Add in the Rite-Aid spending/savings and my weekly total spent becomes $126.84 on $391.37 of goods for a 67.59% savings rate.
With all shopping/spending I am at $395.79 for August so far.  I have $4.21 left in the food budget for this month.
Who am I kidding that I can lower our budget to $300 a month for food?!? lolz  I keep saying I'm going to do it but it never happens.

Going into this week, in leftovers we have.........2 helpings of Beef Pie, some BBQ brisket, half a roasted chicken with veggies, a hunk of Pot Roast, 2 helpings of Mac and Cheese, and 2 helpings of Tuna Noodle Casserole.

Here is the plan for this week......mostly it' centers around using up the leftovers......

1.  Teriyaki Salmon, leftover Mac and Cheese, Spinach

2.  Pork Tenderloin Sammies, Honey Carrots

3.  ?  Might get some Lobsters or have Hamburgers on the grill Labor Day weekend

4.  Leftover Roast Chicken, maybe I'll make a soup with it, or?

5.  Leftover Tuna Noodle Casserole
6.  Leftover Beef Pie
7.  Leftover Pot Roast Sammies

No eating out planned this week but getting take-out one night for the weekend is a possibility since we have no plans for Labor Day festivities.

Food Waste--a grilled piece of chicken that got pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten until it was too late to eat it.  ewww!

Other than lobsters if we go that route, nothing "needs" to be purchased for this menu.
There isn't much tempting me to go into the grocery stores this week....maybe another watermelon or some corn on the cob or another .99¢ lb. whole chicken.  And we need some fresh produce.....hmmm.
I'll be trying to keep my money in my pockets this week. I don't NEED to buy those things so maybe I'll just not.
Wish me luck! 8-)

   

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?
Do you have any money left in your food budget this month?

 

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Our First Week Being Kid-Free in 23 Years" Edition........

 

 

Youngest is away at college now and happy as a pig in mud.  Pig in mud is about correct....have you seen the mess he left in his room at home?!? lolz

 What was planned last week--

 

1.  Chicken Parm, Caesar Salad, Spaghetti(leftover)

2.  Beef Brisket Sandwiches, Grilled Asparagus

3.  Eating Out

4.  Leftovers

5.  Chili, Tossed Salad
6.  Tuna Noodle Casserole, Green Beans with Red Peppers and Mushrooms
7.  Leftovers

 

And this is what actually happened--

 

1.  Chicken Parm, Caesar Salad

2.  Beef Brisket Sandwiches, Grilled Asparagus

3.  Leftovers of our Chinese lunch out the day before

4.  Spaghetti and Meatballs

5.  Subway Sammiches-which were free from points on my Subway card...yay!
6.  Leftover Meatloaf(grilled), California Medley Veg
7.  Leftovers....fend for yourself

 

2 of the meals planned were served.   No chili or tuna noodle casserole was made/served and they get moved to this week's menu.  We didn't take #2 Son out to eat as he had a full social calendar this, his last week in town.  Hubs and I went out to lunch, as he took last week off from work to get some things done around the house.
  

Last week I made 3 trips to 3 different grocery stores and spent $103.21 on $163.61 worth of groceries/toiletries.
So much for only spending $30 last week. 8-(  But I did stock up on salmon(it's going on sale this time of year), onions, whole chickens and a few other things.

Going into this week, in leftovers we have.........1 romaine head, 1 serving of chicken Parm, 1/2 red pepper, a big hunk of smoked brisket, and 1 serving of mac and cheese.

Here is the plan for this week......besides all the debauchery Hubs and I have planned hehehe.......

1.  Pulled Beef Brisket Sandwiches, Sugar Snap Peas

2.  Beef Pie-my version of a Shepherd's Pie but with cornbread on top

3.  Roast Chicken, Carrots, Potatoes and Onions

4.  Pot Roast with leftover veg from Roast Chicken and leftover brisket

5.  Chili, Tossed Salad
6.  Tuna Noodle Casserole, Green Beans with Red Peppers Saute
7.  Leftovers-assorted

No eating out this week.  We are on an austerity plan with the entertainment budget(which includes all eating out)since I have to pay the c/c with all my trip expenses on it this week. (ouch)

I'll cook double the carrots, onions, potatoes with the chicken and then add them to the leftover smoked brisket hunk and call it Smoked Pot Roast for another meal. 
The half of the Roasted Chicken leftover from that meal will be used for a Chicken dish in next week's menu.
Whatever brisket, from that 15lb. hunk I bought, that doesn't get used this week will be going into the freezer.

What needs buying for this menu to happen?
Potatoes.
Cheese, eggs, applesauce, salmon, canned tomatoes and the croutons I like are on sale this week so I'll be stocking up some of those things as well as buying a small bag of potatoes(which are also on sale).

No food waste again last week.
My leftover eating machine aka Hubs was home from work all week so that helped a lot! lol
   

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  "July 4th weekend is made for drinking and fire" Edition.......

 

 

 Hubs and I sat and have a fire Friday night while  #2 Son and his friends sat on our front porch to watch the town's fireworks.  We are up high so you can see them over the treetops from our house.

 

Here is my list of planned meals last week----

1.  Fish, Coleslaw, Rutabaga
2.  Pork Chops, Squash Casserole
3.  BLT Sandwiches or Cheesesteaks-Diner's Choice
4.  Tacos
5.  Lasagna, Salad
6.  Leftovers
7.  Leftovers

And here is what we ate last week that was on this list.......

1.  Fish, leftover Coleslaw, Rutabaga
2. Tacos (with ground chicken and beef)
3.  Chicken from the grocery store, Brussels sprouts
4.  Leftovers
5.  Hamburgers(use leftover package of ground beef), COC
6.  Squash Casserole
7.  Lasagna, Salad

Leftovers only 1 night instead of 2 and no chops w/the squash casserole and no BLT or Cheesesteak sammies.
I bought  store-made Chicken I didn't need because it was too hot that day to run the kitchen machinery.

I spent $120.85 on $191.32 worth of groceries last week at 3 stores.
$14 of that was buying drinks for my trip(tea and G2 Gatorade).
Hubs picked up corn and cheese on the 4th and didn't give me the receipt yet, so I'll add that trip into my total sometime later this month.


Going into this week, in leftovers we have.........Fajitas filling(for 1 or 2 tortillas), store bought Chicken(3 pieces), squash casserole and a shit ton of Lasagna.

Here is the plan for this week......

1.  Leftovers
2.  Chicken thighs with Zucchini in tomatoes, Rice
3.  Leftovers
4.  ?
5.  ?
6.  ?
7.  ?

I have zuke, I bought last week, to use up before I leave town so I'll defrost thighs and make my Lena's Chicken recipe.  That should give Hubs more leftovers to munch on after I skip town too.

I have no clue what the family will be eating after Wednesday.  Hubs doesn't want me to lay in supplies for him to cook, which can only mean he's planning on getting a lot of take-out and frozen pizzas, plus eating any leftovers we still have.  lolz
I'll put a portion of the leftover lasagna in the freezer before I go, since they won't want to eat the whole massive pan that's left before it goes South.
 

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