Showing posts with label use up what you cook or freeze it for later. Show all posts
Showing posts with label use up what you cook or freeze it for later. Show all posts

Monday, January 11, 2016

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Strange Dinner Combination" Edition--

On Thursday I fixed an assortment of foods people usually don't eat at the same meal.
First I had a crab meat and a container of half n' half I bought before Xmas to use up so I made a crab bisque soup.....


Then I doctored up a can of black eyed peas with onions, garlic and salt cured ham pieces so they were edible.  We hadn't had our New Year's BEPS yet so this ticked off that requirement....yes, in the South it is de rigeur to eat BEPS at the new year for good luck..........


And I was going to purchase a pre-made Broccoli Cheese Gratin that I saw Weis had on clearance after the Holidays for $4.99 to serve on Thursday since College Boy is fond of this food.  When I went to the store to buy it, they were all gone so I came home and took a bag of frozen broccoli, toasted some Panko crumbs, grated some cheese and used half of the roux/crab soup base(before adding seafood stock to it and the crab and seasonings)and used that as a cheese sauce base to make my own broccoli casserole, no preservatives added version of that dish...........




Onward to the meal planning!

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

1. Sunday--Chicken Parmesan, Brussels Sprouts
2. Monday--Steak Sandwiches(using leftover Prime Rib)
3. Tuesday--Haddock Loins(fish), Mixed Veggies, Cole Slaw
4. Wednesday--Beef Stew w/Beer(using leftover Prime Rib)
5. Thursday--Lasagna, Salad
6. Friday--Fried Shrimp, Cole Slaw, Steak Fries, Corn
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Chicken Parmesan, Brussels Sprouts
2. Monday--Steak Sandwiches(using leftover Prime Rib)
3. Tuesday--Beef Stew w/Beer(using leftover Prime Rib), leftover dinner rolls
4. Wednesday--Pepper and Onions Sausages on Rolls, Tossed Salad
5. Thursday--Crab Soup, Black Eyed Peas, Broccoli Cheese Gratin
6. Friday--Leftovers or Fend for Yourself(I had a can of soup)
7. Saturday--Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage in Sauce, Tossed Salad, Garlic Bread

6 meals cooked at home(4 new meals and 2 using up leftovers in new dishes)and 1 night of boring old leftover leftovers. 8-)
Everything planned was served, except for no Lasagna or Fried Shrimp as I had a container of crab meat to use up and I bought UTOF(Use Today Or Freezer)Pepper and Onions Sausages last week which we used some of those.

I had to do something with all that ground beef I bought last Monday so I made a batch of 74 meatballs up, baked and used 27 with 1/3 of the large package of Italian sausage gotten for .91¢ lb. last Monday at Weis to make a Spaghetti dinner on Saturday instead of having that this coming week. The fish moved to Sunday dinner(which technically is This week).

As for my grocery spending last week......$135.03 and that's counting the CVS spending.  This includes 4 trips to Weis, 1 to local grocery in town South of here and 1 item bought at local Shursave market. A goodly portion($50.08)of this spending was for food/tp to send back to school with College Boy this coming weekend.  I have $164.97 left in the January food budget to spend.  This week will see very low spending on groceries but more spending for CB's needs.

Leftovers going into this week......beef stew, crab soup, broccoli black eyed peas, spaghetti, meatballs and Italian sausage.

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

1. Sunday--Cod Loins(fish), Cole Slaw, Mandarin Blend Veggies
2. Monday--Leftovers
3. Tuesday--Chicken TBA, Veggies TBA(not sure exactly what dishes yet)
4. Wednesday--Chili(from freezeer)(I'll have leftovers or soup)
5. Thursday--Turkey Roulade and Stuffing(from freezer), Butternut Squash
6. Friday--Fried Shrimp(from freezer), Cole Slaw, Steak Fries, Corn
7. Saturday--Leftovers or Take-Out

This week will see 3 new meals cooked and 4 meals of leftovers.

What I need to buy for this menu?  Potatoes.
I also need eggs and onions this week and to pick up some more items for CB to take back to school.
There is also 1 Deal I want to do at Weis which will net me 4 jugs of bleach and a mega pack of bacon for $5 OOP.

$20 should cover my needs as I will buy a 10 lb. bag of onions and 2 dozen eggs on sale and a small bag of potatoes(as we don't eat that much taters)and do that 1 Deal.  CB's needs will run about $50.

After College Boy leaves next weekend my food spending should calm down a lot.  While I have been using some of what is already in the freezer we will buckle down into freezer-mode even more.

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

Monday, October 12, 2015

This Week on the Dining Table


It's the "Unexpected Shopping" Edition--


We stopped and picked up 3 foods on Saturday while we were out South of here, at a grocery outlet type place that we saw had changed hands.  The bargains overall sucked but I found this 2lb. bag of Rockfish for $5.99.  First off, you can't EVER find rockfish anywhere here(and I love it!)and if you find it, it is way more than $3 lb.  So we are giving this a try.  I also got this massive barrel of German pickles for $3.99(so-so deal)and Hubs wanted to try this box of Italian tortas($4.99 for 4).  A torta is sort of a cross between a Calzone and a Pot Pie. lolz  I also picked up a dozen eggs for $1.99(mediums only but still a decent price lately for eggs).
 I'll report back on how all 3 of the untried foods tasted as soon as we partake of them....which won't be any time soon though. 
This little shop brought my food spending for the week up as you will see below.
 
Onward to the meal planning!
 
Here's what was planned last week.......
 
1. Sunday--Leftover Ribs, Leftover Potato Salad, Leftover Squash & Onions
2. Monday--Lasagna, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread
3. Tuesday--Fish(freezer), Mixed Veggies(freezer), Roasted Potatoes(pantry)
4. Wednesday--Meatloaf(freezer), Collards(garden), Roasted Potatoes(leftover)
5. Thursday--Leftovers(Lasagna or Ribs)
6. Friday--Leftovers(Lasagna or Meatloaf)
7. Saturday--More Leftovers or Pizza take-out(use freebie)if we are tired of eating Leftovers
 
And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Leftover Ribs, Leftover Potato Salad, Leftover Squash & Onions
2. Monday--Lasagna, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread
3. Tuesday--Chicken Soup w/Noodles(made from leftover smoked chicken breast), Apple Dumplings
4. Wednesday--Meatloaf(freezer), Collards(garden), Roasted Potatoes
5. Thursday--Leftovers(Lasagna)
6. Friday--Leftovers(Ribs, Potatoes), Salad
7. Saturday--Chinese Take-out(using an old gift certificate)

We didn't have the fish meal as I made the leftover chicken into a soup instead that night.
 
As for my grocery spending last week......$47.14 spent at Weis and Shurfine Markets and another $16.96 spent at Grocery Outlet for a total of $64.10 this week brings the monthly spending to $94.86 for October so far.  $205.14 left in the budget for food in October with 19 days left to spend.

Leftovers going into this week....lasagna, chicken soup, meatloaf, collards, romaine lettuce.
 
Here is this week's food plan--

1. Sunday--Leftovers(lasagna, salad)
2. Monday--Leftovers(meatloaf, collards)
3. Tuesday--take-out Pizza(using gift certificate)
4. Wednesday--Leftovers or Breakfast for Dinner or Fend for Yourself
5. Thursday--?no clue
6. Friday--?no clue
7. Saturday--?no clue

Late in the week we are "winging" it and early this week is use up leftovers or shove 'em into the freezer.  Lots going on this week here.  More later.


What I need to buy for this menu?......nothing really as we are in "use it up" mode with the food provisions.  The fridge is getting cleared out so I can do a major clean in there.
I also have apples that need to be used up this week so I am making apple pie today.

I have a few small Weis trips to get in this week before the sales ad changes, as well as a couple of transactions at Rite-Aid for freebies/moneymakers.
Stay tuned later for how those went off.....
 
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