This Week on the Dining Table

The "Thank Goodness Marching Band Season is Over" Edition.......

 

 

 

 

#2 Son is happy that his last season of Marching Band finished up on Sunday.  Now he just has 2 Concert Band concerts, 2 Jazz Band concerts and Pitt Orchestra for the School Musical and ALL the rehearsals for each to go before he graduates in the Spring.
The photo is of some of the band kids after a meet performance back in October that our group hosted.  #2 Son is standing on the track(behind the fence)right above the drum in this shot.

Here are the meals that were planned last week--
 

Sunday--Chinese Take-Out  Treating ourselves tonight
Monday--Mushroom Alfredo shells with leftover London Broil, Spinach Salad(Hubs is craving pasta)
Tuesday--Baked Fish(in freezer) and crab cakes(freezer), coleslaw, some veggie(freezer)
Wednesday--Lasagna(leftover-then the rest gets put into the freezer for later)
Thursday--Chicken Pot Pie(using leftover chicken, carrots, potatoes + fresh broccoli)
Friday--maybe Domino's pizza using one of my free coupons + a big salad for me
Saturday--leftovers or something scrounged around the house

Everything eaten as planned except Friday's dinner was Saturday's and vice versa.
I used the leftover Broccoli Soup from weeks ago in my pot pie instead of making a sauce/cream from scratch or opening a can of soup to use.  I am so proud of me......!

And I ended up eating too much pizza.  I hadn't had any in so long and it was so good that I just couldn't eat one slice. lol

As for food spending last week....you might want to look away as it's going to be bad(spendy).  There were 6 trips to the store and I spent $287.01 on $554.87 worth of groceries at 5 different stores.  I've spent $385.79 of my $400 November food budget so far and there are 17 days left for this month. 
bleh.
Hubs made a stop after work at a store we don't often go to.  There was the monthly trip to the Bakery/Bread Outlet and I had a 15% off discount card for Ollie's(Good Stuff Cheap!)I had to use or lose and they had some good food buys, even before that discount.  So we blew through a bit of money on foodstuffs last week.

Not to worry though as we have extra funds each month plus I am stockpiling last week and this week so we spend enough to get our Thanksgiving gift certificate at one of my stores.  Might as well buy the items that will keep now and they count toward our spending rather than buying them next month and not having them count, right?  I am hoping that my December spending will reflect these buying ahead deals and be lower than my usual.
We shall see.....

Leftovers going into this week--1/2 a large family-sized chicken pot pie and a whole pizza(but that will most likely be scarfed down between meals or as lunches).

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

Sunday--Burgers on Rolls, Collard Greens
Monday--Mushroom Parmesan, Salad
Tuesday--Roasted Chicken, Carrots, Stuffing
Wednesday--leftover Chicken Pot Pie
Thursday--Steak, Roasted Asparagus & Potatoes
Friday--Baked Fish, Coleslaw, Green Beans
Saturday--Chicken & Dumplings

What I need to purchase for this menu?......
I still need to spend about $55 this week to get to our Turkey Day gift certificate.
I'm going to try to keep the spending to $55 but even so, that will put us over budget in November by $40+ and that's not counting buying a turkey.
bleh again.
Oh what the hell......I am going to fly the white flag this month.
I give up. ;-)

What got fixed and served at your house this week?

Sluggy

This Week On The Dining Table

 This reminds me, it's almost lunch time! woohoo!!

 

Here's what was planned last week--

Sunday--Leftovers(Quiche or Enchiladas)
Monday--Hot Dogs(on leftover buns)w/Chili or Burritos w/Chili
Tuesday--Chicken Salad Sandwiches, boxed veggie
Wednesday--Eating out after taking #2 to camp
Thursday--Mushroom Parmesan, Salad
Friday--Probably more leftovers
Saturday--Salmon, Coleslaw, boxed veggie

 

Everything was served as planned except for Fri. and Sat. meals were switched.

 

It was another big spend grocery week here with the addition of stopping at the grocery outlet on Saturday.  I also bought some food items at Big Lots the previous week and forgot to add those costs in to my spending.  I spent $167.64  on $298.93 worth of groceries at 3 stores last week(+ 1 from previous week).   So much for my "only spending $38 on food" last week, huh? lol
 

This means I have $140.69 left in my food budget for the rest of July(or $70+ change for each of the next 2 weeks).
I have a 43.56% savings rate at this point in the month.

 

Going into this week the leftovers that remain are-some chili, hot dog and burger rolls, small tortillas, a portion of salmon, cole slaw, chicken salad and some pepper strips that came out of the freezer. 

I also have a large quantity of mozzarella cheese that was in the freezer that needs to get used as it's taking up fridge space and won't last forever in there. 

I'll have some of the chicken salad for lunch today and the rest I'll feed to the dogs w/their dinner-no grapes in it so no worries.  We've had a lunch and a dinner using it and it's not going to be "fresh" beyond today so the pups will feel special tonight dining on human food.

 

(I've made bold the leftover items I've used in the menu below.)

 Here's this week's meal plan--
 

Sunday--Chicken Fajitas(using some tortillas and pepper strips)
Monday--BLTs, cole slaw
Tuesday--Chicken Sandwiches(using some hamburger rolls), corn, pickles
Wednesday--Lasagna(using some of the mozzarella cheese), Green Salad (Very small piece for me but a really big salad.)
Thursday--Pork Chops, Green Beans(from last Summer's garden), Roasted Potatoes or Mashed
Friday--homemade Pizza(using more of that mozzarella cheese), Green Salad (I'll have leftover something instead and a salad.)
Saturday--Leftovers

It's going to be a scorcher this week so I plan on running the oven Tue. and Fri. only.  I'll cook the lasagna on Tues. while I am cooking the chicken for sandwiches and on Wed. we can reheat the lasagna in the microwave oven.  The pork chops and potatoes on Thurs. will be grilled outside.  I might attempt grilling the pizza on Fri. instead of using the oven.  Wish me luck with that! lol

On the shopping list for these meals--Ricotta cheese, lettuces and turkey deli meat.  That's it.  I may pick up some OJ and fruit(maybe a cantaloupe)but we still have cherries, grapes and that watermelon I didn't slice up yet so we are good for now.  I'll be going to the farm stand next week so saving my food budget money for fresh local veggies at the end of July.

 

I'm figuring about $25 for the list above.  After last week, I need a low spending food week. 8-)

That's what's appearing on the kitchen table this week here at Chez Sluggy.

 What's getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Sluggy

This Week On the Dining Table

I have sat here staring at a blank post for about an hour now, waiting for meal planning inspiration to hit me.
No Luck.
Let's get to it anyway.....

 

Here's what was planned last week--

Sunday--Ravioli with homemade Sauce, Salad, Garlic Bread
Monday--Salmon, Corn OTC, Roasted Potatoes & Onions
Tuesday--Sloppy Joes on Kaiser Rolls, Roasted Asparagus
Wednesday--Quiche, Salad
Thursday--Roast Chicken, leftover Roasted Potatoes or Stuffing, Carrots
Friday--Mushroom Parmesan, Asparagus, leftover side dishes
Saturday--Leftovers

 

We stuck to this plan and I prepared it all, except for a couple of side dish substitutions.

Yah us!

 

Of course on Sat. which we were out and about, Hubs FORCED me to have lunch at Ret Lopster...sorry, Red Lobster.

It cost a whopping $14 including tip after we used the gift card I still had from Christmas.

I spent $121.49 on $168.62 worth of groceries at 2 different stores last week.  I bought ahead SB(aka store brand)Gatorade, 'good' hot dogs, sugar-free pudding cups, low salt ketchup, salad dressings, frozen burritos, chicken strips, 2 containers of shebert and bread products.  I also found those cartons of dehydrated hash browns Hungry Jack brand that #2 Son wants me to buy for $1.29 reg. price at Wegman's so I picked up 4 for him.(They are almost $2 at the local store in town and I refuse to buy them at that price!)

The rest was fresh produce, fruit, dairy, OJ, lunchmeat and hummus that was consumed that week.

 

Total spent so far in June on food is $260.49.

1 week left in June and I still have $139.51 left in my food budget.

 

Going into this week the leftovers that remain are--some rolls, half a container of half & half,  2 helpings of Sloppy Joe.   I also have a large amount of eggs in the fridge.  Either #2 Son or I will eat the leftover Sloppy Joes for lunches this week(and use up the rolls too).

 

It's going to be too hot to run the oven all this week, especially since we have no a/c yet. 8-(

 

(I've made bold the leftover items I've used in the menu below.)

 Here's this week's meal plan--
 

Sunday--Grilled Steak, Tossed Salad
Monday--Leftovers or BLTs
Tuesday--Crab cakes, stuffed clams, green beans
Wednesday--Breakfast for Dinner use eggs
Thursday--Grilled Hot Dogs on Rolls, Beans, Mixed Veggies
Friday-Something Chicken in the Crockpot with Veggies and Rice
Saturday--maybe Take-Out since #1 Son is due in that evening

On the shopping list so far--tomatoes, maybe hot dog rolls(have to check if I have enough), milk.

So that's where the food money stands now and what's appearing on the kitchen table this week here at Chez Sluggy.

 What's getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Sluggy

Food Spending June Week 4 & Meal Planning July Week 1

Some days I look at the my kitchen and see the above.  My kitchen just feels so old and out of date,  but not in a good way like this cute, vintage 1920's kitchen!
In a bad, dark way.
And I just don't want to have to go work in there.

This is just my way of saying having to do a Menu this week is a real chore and something I am not feeling.  But I am doing one anyway!
Why?
Because I am a big girl and I "should" do one, and we should eat at home(most of the time).
It's better for us and better for our bottom line too.

So let's suck it up and get on with this, shall we?

***********************
And here is the "meal plan" that actually happened last week.....

SUNDAY--Kielbasa on rolls, grilled Squash
MONDAY--Salmon w/maple bourbon glaze, crudite plate(radishes,celery,carrots)with dressing dip

TUESDAY--Spaghetti with Meatballs, Salad

WEDNESDAY--Leftovers

THURSDAY--BLT sandwiches

FRIDAY--Homemade Pizza, Salad

SATURDAY--Burger King, raw veggies in dip

After eating out a lot on the mini-vacation to OH, we ate at home except for Whoppers on Saturday.
I kept true to the plan until Wednesday.  We had adequate leftovers so I substituted them for the meal that evening.  And Thursday was too hot to cook so it was BLTs instead.

The weekly food spending was $25.33.  It was 3 trips(5 transactions) to Weis. You can see what I bought HERE. 
I have a couple of trips to Rite-Aid to spend expiring +Ups but I spent nothing out of pocket.

Reg. retail was $152.02 for all so we saved 83.33% for the week.  And I kept within my $400 monthly food budget for June.
Go me.....

We have a brand new month for food spending starting this week.

************************

This week's menu.....
SUNDAY--Steak, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Salad
MONDAY--Baked Potato Bar, Brussel Sprouts, Watermelon

TUESDAY--Lobster, Boston Baked Beans, Coleslaw

WEDNESDAY--BBQ Ribs, Macaroni Salad, COC, Pie

THURSDAY--Smoked Chicken, leftover sides from previous days

FRIDAY--Leftover BBBeans, Cornbread, Yellow Squash Casserole

SATURDAY--Chicken Parmesan, Salad

What I need to purchase for this menu?

Steak, Watermelon, Lobster, Cabbage, Red Bell Pepper, Corn, Squash

I know this menu is fairly decadent....steak, lobster and ribs.  The steak was on sale(bought it on Sunday).
The ribs were bought for $1 a lb. during the Weis Grand Opening a few weeks ago.  The lobster is a Price Chopper special this week($5.88 lb.).  We treat ourselves to cheap lobster at least once a year because we can....and the kids aren't home so we don't have to buy enough for them too.  ;-)

I'm dragging the smoker out to do the ribs, so I'll throw a whole chicken in there to smoke too and that will be the following night's dinner.
Since I have to run the oven for Cornbread, I am also doing a veg. casserole that evening.  If I run the oven in the heat, I want to pack as much food into it as I can.
The baked taters and beans will be done in the crockpot. 
The steak was done on the grill.
I have a method for doing the chicken parm on the stovetop, and the lobsters are done on the stovetop as well.
This means only 1 night of running the oven.


So what's on deck for your menu this week?
Do you have anything special cooking for the 4th?

And how was your food spending last month?

Sluggy

May Food Spending Week 1, Meal Plan Week 2

 

 

Onward to the meal plans!

And here is the meal plan that actually happened last week.....

SUNDAY--Stuffed Shells

MONDAY--Chicken Fajitas

TUESDAY--Leftover Eggplant/Fajitas

WEDNESDAY--Pizza
THURSDAY--Taco Bell, Salad
FRIDAY--Fish, Rice, Veg.(Son can have leftover Shells)
SATURDAY--Leftovers or Burritos

 

3 nights of new meals and 2 nights of leftovers and take-out for #2 Son the nights Hubs was out of town.

I'm happy we stuck with the plan.

The weekly food spending was $93.79 this past week.  A bit high than what I like to be at but there was a good deal of stocking up on things.

Value of food bought was at $168.25 so my savings rate was 44.26% for the week.

************************

In terms of leftovers, I'm going into this week with no leftovers.

This week, it gets crazy around here as the kids return home from school.

This week's menu.....

SUNDAY--Kielbasa on rolls, Roasted Corn

MONDAY--Chicken Parmesan, Grilled Asparagus

TUESDAY--Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches

WEDNESDAY--Not sure, scrounge what is here Night

THURSDAY--Chinese take-out
FRIDAY--Roast Chicken, Carrots, Potatoes, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce
SATURDAY--Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish Rice

This menu gives us 5 new meals and 1 night of leftovers and 1 night of Take-Out.

This week we have a varied number of diners depending on the night.
 
As for items I need to buy for this week.....lettuce, carrots, potatoes, onions.

We'll be buying milk as usual, along with some fruit and ice cream.
The restaurant supply store has some deals I want to get this week, like 40lb. of chicken breast for $1.45 lb($58 total) and 5lb. of cheese for $7.99.   If I can get my freezer straightened out before the week is over, I'll get the chicken.  My freezer is pretty empty(after I get that whole chicken out of there on Wed.)but it needs tidying up before I put that much chicken back in there!lol  I might attempt a defrosting this week.

If I get the chicken I'll spend upwards of $100 this week, if not, then $40.

So what is everyone else eating this week?

Sluggy

November Food Spending Week 2, Meal Plan Week 3

Last week's meal plan is in the books.  Here is what actually happened....

SUNDAY--Pork Chops, Cabbage, Sweet Potato Fries
MONDAY--Cheeseburgers, Green Beans
TUESDAY--Chicken Quesadillas, Corn
WEDNESDAY--Chinese Take-Out

THURSDAY--Lasagna, Salad *Lasagna is in the freezer leftover from previous meal
FRIDAY--Leftovers(I finished up my Crab Soup, Hubs had his Chinese.)
SATURDAY--Light Lunch out w/Hubs(salad) and Scrounging for Dinner(I had a can of Beefaroni)


Basically the meal plan was adhered to except for the Salmon, which was moved to this week's menu.

I come into this week with leftover grilled chicken from Tuesday's dinner.  I used it in this Sunday's dinner.

See my previous posts with my food shopping for last week.  Besides what I posted about I also hit another ShurSave store(one that takes IPQs)and finished off the spending needed to get my gift certificate reward.  I bought pie crusts, cranberry sauce(used IPQs), 7-Up, chips, baking cups, cookies(used ManuQ) and 2 big bags of dog chow(used IPQs)and spent $36.01.  6 of these items also counted toward the store making a $5 donation to the Wounded Warriors Project in my name.  That's a win/win as far as I'm concerned. 8-)
Total for all the food shopping last week came to $65.66.

My savings percentage was 75.10% last week, as the reg. retail was $263.69 on the groceries I brought home.  That $42 on the gift card went a long way toward lowering my OOP for the week.

My running total spent for the month is now at $122.45, which puts me right on target to stay within my $250 monthly food budget. 

This week's menu.....

SUNDAY--Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
MONDAY--Spaghetti & Meatballs
TUESDAY--Teriyaki Salmon w/ Veggie Fried Rice
WEDNESDAY--Kielbasa, Potato Salad, Cabbage
THURSDAY--Squash Casserole & Leftovers
FRIDAY--Breakfast for Dinner
SATURDAY--Leftovers

Items needed for this menu.....Cabbage, Squash, Eggs and the weekly ubiquitous milk purchase. 

If I find anything to stock up on for cheap this week I have about $60 to play with this week plus $25 in free money from a Catalina Q and 2 Store Rewards.

How about you? 
Do you have your Turkey Day menu set yet?

I am having trouble finalizing mine.  I am having 7 over for the meal but Daughter's BF is a picky eater I am told, #2 son is sort of picky, the Nephew is very picky and Daughter is probably on a diet after eating at the college dining hall for the last 2+ months.  She tells me they put laxatives in all the food because there is no fiber or vegetable matter and it's all highly processed junk so they have to, to keep everyone from being constipated and wreaking havoc on the schools plumbing.
Okay......lol

I have a turkey and I'll do stuffing.  I might fore go mashed potatoes and do baked sweet potatoes instead.  Rutabagas are a definite seasonal thing I fix at the Holidays and I'll make corn for the picky BF(because it's the only veg he'll eat).  I'll probably make a green veggie too, cranberry sauce, rolls and pie.  I will just do a crudité plate(raw veggies and dip)beforehand.

So what's on your menu for next Thursday?


Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....April 5th Edition w/Spending Breakdown

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
I injured my shoulder last weekend so there was NO Meal Plan or cooking done by yours truly last week.
Hubby pitched in and cooked a few nights and we got take-out for the other nights. 

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....our household presently consists of 2 adults and 2 teens at home.  No children under 14.

This week we'll be using leftover Ham from Sunday's dinner to make two new meals this week. Monday's dinner is also using a leftover grain from a few weeks back to build a new meal.  Since alot of what I am serving is stockpiled, I'm adding a Cost Breakdown Section where I'll list what I paid for the ingredients that are on hand so you can see what I spend w/stockpiling & sales versus buying it weekly when it might not be on sale. If I use a leftover ingredient I won't add that cost as it was already figured into the previous meal's cost.

MONDAY--Bolognese Sauce(freezer and stockpile) over Fried Polenta(leftover from Shrimp and Grits meal), Tossed Salad Greens(need to buy) with Dressing(stockpile)
TUESDAY--Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Ham(stockpile/freezer/leftover ham), Steamed Broccoli(have)
WEDNESDAY--Haluski(have & stockpile), Spinach Salad(freezer-bacon/have eggs/need to buy spinach)*Mostly a vegetable/grain meal with some dairy/No meat meal(except for a bit of bacon)
THURSDAY-Tortellini Alfredo(stockpile), Tossed Salad(need to buy)w/Dressing(stockpile)
FRIDAY--Fish(freezer), Coleslaw(have & stockpile), Oysters(have), Rice(stockpile), Corn(stockpile)
SATURDAY---Creamy Potatoes and Ham(using leftover ham/need to buy potatoes) , Wax & Green Beans(freezer)
SUNDAY--Eat Out

I'll post the recipe for the Halushki recipes later in the week. 

Here are the cost breakdowns...
Bolognese over Fried Polenta w/Tossed Salad--Polenta is leftover(.00¢), oil for frying(.30¢), tomatoes and spices for sauce($1.20), italian sausage for sauce($1.00), ground beef for sauce($1.69), salad greens($2.00), salad dressing(.50¢)=$6.69
Mac and Cheese with Ham with Broccoli Dinner--ham is leftover(.00¢),noodles($1.00),cheese($3.00), milk($1.00),roux ingredients(.70¢), broccoli($1.49)=$7.19
Halushki w/Spinach Salad--Cabbage(.78¢), Egg Noodles(.50¢), Onions(.25¢), Butter(.40¢), Salt/Pepper(.05¢), Spinach($1.50),Bacon(.50¢), Egg(.13¢), Dressing(.50¢)=$4.61
Spinach Tortellini Alfredo Dinner--Tortellini($3.00), Alfredo Sauce jarred($1.25), Parmesan Cheese(.70¢),Salad Greens($2.00), Dressing(.50¢)=$7.45
Fish Dinner--Flounder($5.99),Hush Puppy Mix for breading(.50¢), Oil for frying(.70¢), Cabbage(.78¢), Mayo, Sugar, Celery Seed & Vinegar(.75¢), Potatoes(.99¢)=$9.71
Potato & Ham Dinner--Ham is leftover(.00¢), Potatoes(.50¢), Butter (.60¢), Cream Cheese($1), Cheese($1), Milk(.50¢), Spices(.30¢), Green Beans($1)=$5.40

Adding up what has already been spent and what I need to spend for this week's menu, I can serve this menu of 6 meals to a family of 4 adults/teens for a total of $41.05.

Leftover nights have no cost as they were already figured in when the meal was served the first time.  If you divide the meals' cost by 6 nights(Sunday is dining out & that's on the enterainment budget), you get an average cost per night of $6.84.  That's $1.71 per person per night.  And this is mostly a cooking from scratch menu.  The only 'processed foods' are the jarred Alfredo Sauce and the Salad Dressing.   Who says you can't cook healthy on the cheap?

LAST WEEK'S FOOD SPENDING
Being sick, I didn't set foot into a grocery store last week...I did go to Rite-Aid but since I had Gift Cards I spent nothing out of pocket.  I did send DH to the store at some point for a few things to tide us over and he spent $26.52 on deli meat and cheeses and some hamburger as he hadn't thawed any ground beef that day for dinner.  He also bought himself a bag of potato chips.  No coupons used, nothing bought on sale.  But in a crisis, you pay what you have to and you buy what you have to, right?  I am thankful for the stockpile during weeks like that.  Between the freezer and stockpile we had most of what DH needed to make some healthy-ish meals.


The only NEEDS for this week's menu are potatoes, milk, salad greens, cabbage and fresh spinach.  There is a special on grated cheese which we are almost out of so I'll pick some up as well.  I am going to say $20 will get us through the week and this menu.


FOOD WASTE REPORT
Nothing wasted this week...Again! 8-))

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....March 15th Edition w/Spending Breakdown

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
Everything was served as planned except the Corned Beef.  Couldn't find an inexpensive deal on Corned Beef anywhere last week.  I found one on Sunday so we are on for Corned Beef this week.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....our household presently consists of 2 adults and 2 teens at home.  No children under 14.

This week we'll be using 2 leftover proteins to make two new meals. Since alot of what I am serving is stockpiled, I'm adding a Cost Breakdown Section where I'll list what I paid for the ingredients that are on hand so you can see what I spend w/stockpiling & sales versus buying it weekly when it might not be on sale. If I use a leftover ingredient I won't add that cost as it was already figured into the previous meal's cost.

MONDAY--Homemade Pizza(stockpile)
TUESDAY--Corned Beef(bought Sunday), Cabbage(need to buy), Carrots(need to buy), Potatoes(need to buy), Biscuits(fridge)
WEDNESDAY--Gourmet Chili(using leftover Pot Roast--freezer/stockpile)
THURSDAY--Creamy Potatoes and Ham(using leftover ham--freezer/root cellar) , Wax & Green Beans(freezer)
FRIDAY--Sloppy Joes(freezer/stockpile), Cole Slaw(need to buy cabbage), Buns, Corn(stockpile)
SATURDAY--Leftovers
SUNDAY--Lemon Pepper Chicken(freezer), Rice(stockpile), Zucchini(bought Sunday)


Here are the cost breakdowns...
Pizza--Flour(.10¢), Yeast(.60¢), Olive Oil(.25¢), Tomato Paste(.20¢), Herbs(.10¢), Cheese($1.00), Onion(.25¢), Pepperoni (.50¢)=$3.00
Corned Beef Dinner--Corned Beef($3), Cabbage(.87¢), Carrots(.50¢), Potatoes($1))Biscuits(.50¢)=$5.40
Chili--Pot Roast leftovers(free), Ground Beef($1.69), Green Chilles(.32¢),Spices(.80¢), Beans($1.29), Tomatoes(.99¢), Onion(.25¢), Cheese(.50¢), Sour Cream(.25¢), Biscuits(free/leftover)=$6.09
Potato & Ham Dinner--Ham leftovers(free), Potatoes($1), Butter (.60¢), Cream Cheese($1), Cheese($1), Milk(.50¢), Spices(.30¢), Green Beans($1)=$5.40
Sloppy Joes--Ground Beef($1.69), Sauce($1), Buns($1), Cabbage(.29¢), Carrot(.25¢), Mayo/Sugar/Vinegar(.60¢),Corn(.30¢)=$5.13
Lemon Pepper Chicken w/Zucchini--chicken($1.03),lemon pepper/flour(.85¢), oil(.75¢),zucchini($2.46), tomatoes(.99¢), rice($1)=$7.08


Adding up what has already been spent and what I need to spend for this week's menu, I can serve this menu of 6 meals(plus enough leftovers for a 7th meal) to a family of 4 adults/teens for a total of $32.07.

Leftover nights have no cost as they were already figured in when the meal was served the first time.  If you divide the meals' cost by 7 nights, you get an average cost per night of $4.58.  That's $1.15 per person per night.  And this is mostly a cooking from scratch menu.  The only 'processed foods' are the can of Sloppy Joe sauce and the roll of biscuits.  Who says you can't cook healthy on the cheap?

LAST WEEK'S FOOD SPENDING
$135.15 was spent on food/toiletries last week.
This is quite high for me!  But I did a lot of stockpiling necessities....ok, ok, I did buy some junk too(cereal/cookies/ice cream).lol
$98.16 at Weis(doing the Catalina Deals to stockpile items--chicken, fish, frozen veggies, pasta sauce, ketchup, bleaches, etc.), $.49 at CVS, $8.02 at WAGS, $28.14(stockpiling noodles, bacon, sour cream, ice cream, hot cocoa & rice),  and $.34 OOP at Rite-Aid on bunches of stuff.
Approx. $116 of the $135.15 spent was strictly for food.

The only NEEDS for this menu are cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Since cabbage is at a rock bottom low here this week thanks to St. Patty's Day, I'll pick up some extra cabbage this week for a Polish dish I am making for next week's menu.  I also have 2 $5 Cats for Price Chopper NE that I'll use to buy inexpensive Corned Beef this week.  The $7 Cat for Weis I might hang onto until next week as there isn't much for cheap there I want to use it on this week.
There is a good deal on shredded Sargento cheese(sale + doubled coupons)this week at the local independent grocer and we are getting mighty low.  Luckily, I still have a gift card I won in a contest that's good at this store so I shouldn't be out any cash if I get the cheese.
With the gift card and Cats for the stock-up goods I am hoping to get through the week on $10 OOP for the necessities.


FOOD WASTE REPORT
Nothing wasted this week.  All the leftovers have been eaten except last night's pot roast and Friday's ham and these are earmarked for meals this week.  There are some side dish leftovers(and a bit of chicken) from last week that the dogs will enjoy with their meals this week.

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....March 8th....Spending Breakdown & 2 Recipes

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
Everything was served as planned except the Crockpot Chicken. Weis had a special on fish fillets($3.99lb!) and I went and bought some flounder and we had a fried fish dinner last night instead of the chicken.  I just had a hankerin'!lol  Since I'm not in the mood for Crockpot Chicken this week, the chicken that's moving to this week will be a casserole dish instead.

Hubby won't be here for dinner 2 nights this week so the teens have convinced me to do Take-Out those evenings, which comes out of the Entertainment money.  It shouldn't be too much of a hit on the budget in this way....
1.We'll do chinese take-out but order it before 3pm so we get the lunch prices.
2. At Taco Bell they'll order off of the $1 menu and I'll just have something from home or a leftover.
These 2 things should keep the total under $20 for both nights for 3 people.


Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....our household presently consists of 2 adults and 2 teens at home.  No children under 14.

This week is all about using what I have and incorporating leftovers as well. Since alot of what I am serving is stockpiled, I'm putting what  I paid for the ingredients that are on hand so you can see what I spend w/stockpiling & sales versus buying it weekly when it might not be on sale. If I use a leftover ingredient I won't add that cost as it was already figured into the previous meal's cost.

MONDAY--Taco Bell .89¢ Burritos for the teens($4), leftover Baked Ziti for me
TUESDAY--Chinese Take-Out($15 ordered at lunch prices)
WEDNESDAY--Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole($4.50)-makes leftover for 1 additional meal
THURSDAY--Ham Slices($4), Green Beans(.50¢), Potato Skins($2)
FRIDAY--Corned Beef(need to buy), Cabbage(need to buy), Biscuits(.50¢)
SATURDAY--Leftovers
SUNDAY--Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Carrots, Mushrooms & Onions($5), Mashed Potatoes(free)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Cantaloupe(leftover),cookies(.49¢), apples(.15¢)

I need to buy $10 worth of items for this menu. I'll pick up a small corned beef on sale for $1.29lb. this week plus cheap cabbage & a gallon of milk for drinking.

Adding up what has already been spent and what I need to spend for this week's menu, I can serve this menu of 5 meals(not including the take-out nights as that is on the entertainment dime) to a family of 4 adults/teens for a total of $30.14.

Leftover nights have no cost as they were already figured in when the meal was served the first time.  If you divide the meals and snacks cost by 5 nights, you get an average cost per night of $6.03.  That's $1.51 per person per night.  And this is mostly a cooking from scratch menu.  The only 'processed foods' are the can of soup and the roll of biscuits.  Who says you can't cook healthy on the cheap?

LAST WEEK'S FOOD SPENDING
$59.05 was spent on food/toiletries last week. $38.17 at Weis(and I received a $7 Catalina to roll this week), $.01 at CVS, $9.87 at Boyer's(on cheap tp and BOGO eggs), $9.00 at the Entenmann's Bread Outlet($3 bread and Hubby went and asked for donuts $6) and $2.00 at Rite-Aid on bunches of stuff.
$48.71 of the $59.05 of the spending was strictly on food.


FOOD WASTE REPORT
We still have Baked Ziti leftover but it will be eaten this week. The only food that was wasted was the slice of cheese I had to cut off block of cheddar that molded.
Cantaloupe rinds, potato peels and other clippings were composted.

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....March 1st Edition....Spending Breakdown & Cheap Good Food

Before I get started, HAPPY MARCH Everyone!!


Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
Everything but the Sloppy Joe's make an appearance at our house, due to 1 night of leftovers as I wasn't feeling well.  The kids told me they don't like Sloppy Joes anyway, so we are NOT putting it on this week's menu.  Gee, I kind of liked them.....

2 Straight days of steady S-N-O-W did keep me home and out of the stores for a bit last week.  I did get out to use my expiring Catalinas plus a bit more food/toiletries shopping in spite of the weather.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....our household presently consists of 2 adults and 2 teens at home.  No children under 13.

This week is all about using what I have and incorporating leftovers as well. Since alot of what I am serving is stockpiled, I'm putting what  I paid for the ingredients that are on hand so you can see what I spend w/stockpiling & sales versus buying it weekly when it might not be on sale. If I use a leftover ingredient I won't add that cost as it was already figured into the previous meal's cost.

MONDAY--Free Bday meal out at Red Robin for #2 son(if some choose to stay home, it's 'make your own dinner' night)...eating out comes out of the entertainment money, not food money
TUESDAY--Beef Enchiladas(3.47), Refried Beans(.89), Salad & Dressing(2.00)
WEDNESDAY--Baked Ziti(2.50), Salad & Dressing(2.00)
THURSDAY--Shrimp & Grits(4.00), Collards(need to buy)
FRIDAY--Tacos(4.05), Fiesta Corn(.30)
SATURDAY--Crockpot Chicken cooked in Salad Dressing marinade(3.50), Garlic Noodles(.25), Creamed Spinach(.50)
SUNDAY--??  Not sure yet....maybe Leftovers if we have any, if not there is always Sloppy Joes!lol
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Cantaloupe(2.00), Cheesecake(leftovers), Ice Cream(2.50), Pineapple(.80)

Adding up what has already been spent and what I need to spend for this week's menu, I can serve this menu of 5 meals including desserts/snacks to a family of 4 adults/teens for $33.76. Since I'm not sure what people will actually eat for leftover nights, I didn't add in those costs.  If you divide the meals and snacks cost by 5 nights, you get an average cost per night of $6.75.  That's $1.69 per person per night.  And this is mostly a cooking from scratch menu.  The only 'processed foods' are the Knorr's noodles with powdered sauce and the Salad Dressings.  Who says you can't cook healthy on the cheap?

LAST WEEK'S FOOD SPENDING
$33.55 was spent on food/toiletries last week. $22.47 at Weis on Catalina spending trips, $7.49 at WAGS on Toiletries only, $2.85 at Price Chopper on paper products and $.74 at Rite-Aid on bunches of stuff both food and not-food.  Some of the Weis items bought qualified me for $20 in prepaid Visa card MIRs so a very inexpensive shopping week once those come in.

The only item I need to purchase for this week's menu are eggs and collards-I'll make a big pot of collards that will stretch for at least 2 meals.  I'm figuring on spending $5 on the greens(making them the most expensive food for the week) as I am not waiting on a great sale to get them.  If they cost more than $5 this week, I'll substitute a cheaper option that I find at the store or dig around in the freezer for something we already have here. I am almost out of eggs, milk was replenished last week and we are ok on bread until next week.

FOOD WASTE REPORT
We were successful in eating ALL the leftovers last week!  Nothing went bad.  We have 1 pork chop leftover from last night and the meatballs that are being reinvented tomorrow night as Enchilada filling....that is it!

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....February 22nd Edition....Use it Up Week

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
The Pork Chop and Fish meal didn't happen so are moving to this week's menu. The only leftovers I am starting the week with are the Baked Chicken and homemade Clam Chowder.  The chicken will reappear in a Casserole this week and the Chowder I'll finish off for lunch.

Between my stock-ups and the bad weather predicted this week, I'll be staying out of the grocery stores again this week.  I do have some Weis Catalinas expiring this week so I will have to go once to use those up.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....our household presently consists of 2 adults and 2 teens at home.  No children under 13.

This week is all about using what I have and incorporating leftovers.
MONDAY--#2 son's Birthday meal out!
TUESDAY--Spaghetti and Meatballs(freezer/stockpile), Salad, Garlic Rolls(fridge)
WEDNESDAY--Chicken Casserole(leftover/stockpile), Broccoli(freezer)
THURSDAY--Hot Dogs(freezer), Rolls(leftover), Beans, Sauerkraut(leftover), G. Beans
FRIDAY--Fish and Stuffed Clams(freezer), Mixed Veggies in Cheese Sauce(freezer)
SATURDAY--Sloppy Joes(freezer/stockpile), Rolls(leftover), Corn(freezer)
SUNDAY--Pork Chops(freezer) with Plum Glaze(stockpile), Noodles(stockpile), Mixed Veggies(freezer)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Cantaloupe and Applesauce(stockpile), Birthday Brownie(stockpile), Ice Cream

LAST WEEK'S FOOD SPENDING
$10.87 was spent on food last week.  $4.89 at the local independent grocer for milk that hubby picked up & $5.98 at Price Chopper when I went to use my Catalinas.  Except for that trip to PC I was successful in staying out of the grocery stores...yay!lol
I have exactly $2.42 left in my Feb. food budget, unless some more rebates come in this week.  Between that cash and $17 in Catalinas it looks like I'll be able to get through Feb. without going over budget. I could do this menu without buying anything, but I'd like to get some more salad veggies(red cabbage, cuke) to augment the salad.  Other than that we'll need milk and fruit this week.
I'll be using my remaining Weis Catalinas expiring this week to obtain these things so my OOP should be close to zero.

The baked chicken from last week will reappear this week in the chicken casserole. Everyone stopped eating bread for awhile so I have alot of bread from the outlet to use up now.  That's why Sloppy Joes and Hot Dogs are on the menu this week.  I might attempt Bread Pudding again for hubby too if there is still bread leftover after those 2 meals.

FOOD WASTE REPORT
The doggies where quite proficient leftover eaters this week so no waste, and I composted the veggie trimmings.

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....February 15th Edition....Snow=Comfort Foods

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
Since I never posted/made a meal plan last week, I've got nothing to comment on.  Snowstorms, everyone home a lot(read TOO MUCH!lol)so we pretty much just grabbed quick stuff or I whipped something up last minute.  I made 2 quiches, using up a big block of swiss in the freezer, and that was 2 dinners last week.  We also finally did my Birthday meal out(only 3 weeks late!lol). It was a disorganized mess of a week mostly so I am ready to menu plan and get myself back on the horse.

The last 2 weeks I did a good bit of stocking up since there were nice Catalina Deals running at Price Chopper(NorthEast)and then Weis Markets. I am so tired of looking at the inside of grocery stores!lol  I should be able to keep out of the grocery stores the next 2 weeks except for milk and fresh produce.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....our household presently consists of 2 adults and 2 teens at home.  No children under 13.

More snow.....all week.  This week is all about the comfort food.
MONDAY--Hamburger Helper Lasagna(stockpile/leftover ground beef), Corn(stockpile)
TUESDAY--Beef Stroganoff(freezer) with Rice(stockpile), Brussel Sprouts(freezer)
WEDNESDAY--Baked Chicken(freezer) with Roasted Veggies(fresh produce) and Potatoes(root cellar)
THURSDAY--Homemade New England Clam Chowder(look for my recipe tutorial), Biscuits(stockpile)
FRIDAY--Beef Pie(freezer/stockpile)
SATURDAY--Pork Chops with Plum Glaze(freezer), Noodles(stockpile), Mixed Veggies(freezer)
SUNDAY--Fish(freezer), French Fries(root cellar), Mixed Veggies(freezer)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Pineapple and Applesauce(stockpile), Cookies(stockpile)

LAST WEEK'S FOOD SPENDING
With all the grocery stocking up and drug store expenditures, I am at $82.58 for the week(before rebates).  I am so well stocked now, I should be able to not spend anymore for the next 2 weeks which would finish off February.  I have Catalinas to spend from Price Chopper and Weis that will expire over the next 2 weeks, so I plan on using those to buy any additional foodstuffs we need like milk and fresh produce so we can ride out the rest of February.

FOOD WASTE REPORT
The leftover Chicken and Dumplings got pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten so it went bad before I had a chance to feed it to the dogs.
Had to dump it out.....a big bowl.....sigh.....

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....February 1st Edition....Never Going to See the Back of the Freezer Again!

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
The Stuffed Shells, Alfredo & Birthday Dinner Out didn't happen.
Moving to this week.

About this cleaning out the freezer deal...after this past weekend, I am about ready to give it up.  I can't seem to go more than 3 weeks without finding something worth stocking up on and this past weekend was my downfall.  At this rate--the 3 week not stocking with 1 week stocking--I'll never find the back wall in the freezer.  I spent 4 days digging out older food to serve and filled all the emptied out space back up in 1 day of grocery shopping.  argh

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....a couple of my favorite recipes reappearing this week.  Most of the meals will be soft-ish foods since #2 son is still recovering from dental surgery last Friday.  He's slowly progressing from liquids/semi-liquids to soft foods so I don't want to have to cook two different meals each night.

MONDAY--Stuffed Shells(stockpile/freezer), Salad(fridge)
TUESDAY--Quesadillas-chicken or cheese, Corn
WEDNESDAY--Easy Chicken Alfredo with Vegetables(freezer/stockpile)
THURSDAY--Quiche Lorraine, Salad
FRIDAY--Beef Pie
SATURDAY--Leftovers
SUNDAY--Birthday Meal out....maybe this week?lol
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Oranges(stockpile), Brownies(stockpile), Birthday Cake(stockpile)

At this point, I can't tell you how much I spent last week on Food and Toiletries.  I do know that I BLEW UP the Food Budget  with style and panache this past weekend.
I was at $277.20 for Jan.(before rebates)on the 25th.
Then Friday I went to Walgreen's to get daughter some OTC meds she needed, before #2 son's appointment for his dental surgery.  I spent almost $21 but I now have a $10RR.
And then on Saturday I hit CVS, Rite-Aid(multiple ones)and Weis(to use up Jan. expiring Qs), where they had 3lb. contains or Ground Beef that was $4.99 marked down to $2.99--$1 a lb for meat!
THEN.....Price Chopper offered TWO Catalina Deals for this week, starting on Sunday so I had to go spend more money there...and I'll be making many MANY trips back to PC over the course of this week, not only is Jan. shot, Feb. may be wounded too after this week.lolol
And hubby FORCED ME to go with him to Walmart(and I happened to take some Jan. expiring Qs with me to see if I could pick up anything cheap or free).  And it was over to Big Lots to use the 20% off anything in the store Q on all those lovely bottles of 100% juice.  And we drove right by the Bread Outlet so of course, I HAD to go in and check if they had potato bread for #2 son(which they did have...yah!) so 3 loaves and 3 boxes of doughnuts(for hubby)and $6 later, my food budget for January was blown to hell.

FOOD WASTE REPORT
ARGH....my lovely lovely Boston Baked Beans.  Since everyone was home when I made them(plus an extra relative), I made a TON!  Not enough people were around or inclined to eat them leftover so even after feeding a fair share to the doggies over the weeks, I ended up having to compost quite a bit that was still left.
I consider this a big fail on the food waste front.  And we were doing so well too until this point.....

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....January 25th Edition....Still looking for the back of the Freezer

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
We started out the week well but by Thursday the plan fell apart.  So the Fish, Pizza and Tacos move to this coming week.  Now I only have to come up with 4 more meals for the week. Yay me!lol

This cleaning out the freezer deal is taking A LOT longer than I had expected!!  I still have a Turkey(not very old really)and a big Ham in there(this is much older).  I guess I need to bake that Ham next month and invite the relatives over to eat a big chunk of it so it doesn't go bad once cooked.  I would never come up with enough ways to use it up in recipes that the family would eat so I need to serve it first to a bigger crowd and hope some of those people want to take a chunk home with them. 

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....no amazing recipes this week, just the quick and easys....sorry.

MONDAY--Assorted TV Dinners-found a stash in the freezer we need to use up
TUESDAY--Tacos(freezer/stockpile), Corn(freezer)*need to buy lettuce
WEDNESDAY--Stuffed Shells(stockpile/freezer)*need to buy ricotta
THURSDAY--Easy Chicken Alfredo with Vegetables(freezer/stockpile)
FRIDAY--Battered Fish(freezer), Rice(stockpile), Veggie Melange(freezer)
SATURDAY--Chicken and Dumplings(freezer)
SUNDAY--Birthday Meal out-delayed a week
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Pineapple(stockpile), Brownies(stockpile), Birthday Cake(stockpile)

Last week I spent $40.37 on food/toiletries....$14.99 at the Independent Grocer, $25.38 at Rite-Aid.  Of course, after the rebates from Rite-Aid, the $25.38 is covered and then some.  For all intents and purposes, I spent $14.99 on food last week. I kept it under $20 like I had wanted.  1 quick trip to the small Grocery for milk, produce.  No stocking up at all this past week.
Are you shocked?   I am.lol

This week my shopping list consists of lettuce, parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese.  I'll probably get some things to use up some coupons expiring in Jan. if I find good prices/sales on those items as well.  And I need to hit up the Bread Outlet this week(did that today) and get deli sliced cheese for the Grilled Cheese Sandwich Teen.  I'm thinking $25 should cover all this plus milk.


Food Waste Report....I had to throw out about 1 cup of chicken meat picked off a carcass that the dog feeder didn't give to the doggies before it "turned the corner".  Otherwise, not a bad week for spoilage.

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....January 18th Edition....Into the 2nd Layer in the Freezer

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...
Almost everything was served as planned.  We did "Breakfast for Dinner" on Sunday instead of the Roast Chicken though.
The fried Calamari was a big hit....but a lot of work and since we used all 2.5lbs. of it for 5 people, it wasn't very frugal.  But it's a "now and again" meal to put into the rotation when I can get squid at a good price.

The relative and #1 son are gone now so we are back down to 4 for dinner.
It is MY BIRTHDAY WEEK this week!  As such, I feeling that I should NOT have to do ANY COOKING this week, however, the family does like to eat....and on a regular basis.

I have made some progress in the freezer.  There was enough room on Saturday for me cram 9 more boxes of Green Giant veggies in.lolol  And I uncovered a bag of local corn I froze in the summer and a corned beef.  The corned beef had been TOTALLY forgotten!  But it was a nice surprise and is now on the menu for this week.  There are still more blobs of unrecognized meat in the freezer but we are into a 2nd layer of foodstuffs.  I might be able to see the back wall in the freezer by week's end...

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....nothing unusual or exciting really.  Just a lot of the same old-same old.

MONDAY--Take Out...Holiday....me. no. cook.
TUESDAY--Kielbasa on Rolls(freezer), Baked Beans(leftover), Corn on Cob(freezer)
WEDNESDAY--Grilled Chicken(frezer) with Peppers/Onions/Mushrooms and Cheese(freezer), Mashed Potatoes(stockpile), Harvard Beets(root cellar)

THURSDAY--Leftovers
FRIDAY--Baked Fish(freezer), Rice(stockpile), Creamed Spinach(freezer)
SATURDAY--Homemade Pizza(freezer/stockpile/root cellar)
SUNDAY--Tacos or Birthday Meal Out
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Pineapple(stockpile), Applesauce(stockpile), Brownies(stockpile), Birthday Cake(stockpile)

Last week I spent $99.86 on food/toiletries....$72.64 at Weis, $18.22 at Rite-Aid, $9.00 at the Bread Outlet(my CVS trip had no out of pocket since I used a free gift card). 

After assorted rebates on the goods purchased(naked juice, 2 x Johnson & Johnson rebate, various items for Rite-Aid Single Check Rebate)amounting to $45.98, my OOP spending for the week is $53.88.

Food Waste Report....bad week here.....1 moldy steak roll, 1 manicotti, a bowl of potato leek soup.  So many people in the house, so much chaos, things get away from me.....*sigh*

Thankfully the grocery stores ads this week here are just a big waste of trees, so there isn't much I want.  We do need some fresh produce for my menu this week that I'll pick up at the small local independent grocer, as they have the best prices this week on produce. I'll try to just buy what is needed this week and keep it under $20.
My current Rite-Aid addiction however, is a whole other story!lol

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....January 11th Edition....Using my Food Budget to Stock-Up A Bit

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...

We had about half of the meals as I had planned them.  Some nights we just didn't feel like what was slated and I have so much in my freezer and stockpile that we just substituted something else I already have on hand or we worked on some leftovers.
One dinner that was a last minute substitution was GREAT!  I had a roll of Italian Sausage....not links but a loose sausage meat roll.  This had been hanging out in the freezer door too long so it had to get used.  What I did was brown and crumble the meat, then I boiled a box of Whole Wheat Penne Pasta and made a pot of Spaghetti Sauce from scratch and added the sausage meat to that.  Dump the Penne and the Sauce into a casserole and top with Shredded Mozzarella.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Add a salad and you've got a tasty, hearty, cold weather beater dinner!  And better still, no money was spent this week on it.

I've moved a few of the meals to this week, and adjusted my plan to accomodate the relative that is visiting us this week.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 6 this Week.....

MONDAY--Fried Calamari(freezer), Garlic Shells in Butter Sauce(stockpile), Carrots(freezer)
TUESDAY--Taking the Relative out for Dinner
WEDNESDAY--Boston Baked Beans(stockpile),Cornbread(stockpile)
THURSDAY--Pork Ragu(stockpile/freezer) Garlic Bread, Creamed Spinach(freezer)
FRIDAY--Chicken Alfredo with Vegetables(freezer/leftover/stockpile)
SATURDAY--Leftovers-only 2 family members home for dinner
SUNDAY--Roast Chicken, Roast Veggies, Mashed Potatoes(freezer/stockpile)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Pineapple(stockpile), Applesauce(stockpile), Brownies(stockpile), Birthday Cake(stockpile)

Last week I spent $88.44 on food/toiletries....$73.05 at Weis, $7.26 at Rite-Aid, $7.13 at Carone's and $1.00 at CVS.
$32.88 that was spent, was for food/toiletry needs that were used in that week.  $55.56 was in future needs/wants.  About half of that $55.56 was on meat which I got very inexpensively.

After assorted rebates on the goods purchased(naked juice, kraft/planters nuts, full price rebate on shampoo, various items for Rite-Aid Single Check Rebate)amounting to $37.99, my OOP spending for the week is $50.45.

Food Waste Report....1 small cube of cheese(about 1"x 1"x1/2" thick)that wasn't worth scraping the mold off of and 1 slice of bread(a heel)that went moldy too.

Since I bought Molasses last week, this week's menu only requires milk, sliced cheese(for #2 son's back up meal of choice-grilled cheese)and bread stock-up. I do want to stock-up on more Progresso Soup on sale this week at Weis as well as more Naked Juice to do the rebate for BIL.
$25 should do it for weekly needs so I'll reserve the other $37.50 of the food budget for stock-ups if I find something worth getting at a good price.

I think that next week, after #1 son goes back to college and the relative leaves, I'm going to have a NO Grocery Store Shopping Week.  I hope Weis doesn't decide to do a rare good Catalina Deal next week!lolol

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....January 4th Edition....More Eating Down the Freezer

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...

All I can say is I had a great meal plan but except for the 1st 2 days, we didn't follow it.lol
Hubby was off from work for the week, kids off from school.....  Seems like most nights the teens all had other plans with friends so I did very little cooking.  Not saying that that's a bad thing now and again to get some time off from cooking!  I made a dent in the soup supply and hubby had plenty of leftovers to work on.
  I did get rid of some meal-in-the-bag type things in the freezer that hubby and I ate. And one night he wanted fish and I didn't have it on the menu so we substituted fish from the freezer for the meatloaf.  So I have most of my Meal Plan already done for this week, as I'll just cook what I had planned last week and didn't get to and add in 2 fresh meals.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 5 this Week.....

MONDAY--Chicken Cashew Stir-Fry-this is from a kit(stockpile/freezer/using leftovers)
TUESDAY--Taco Salads or Tacos(diners choice)(freezer/stockpile)
WEDNESDAY--Date Night w/Hubby-the teens will fend for themselves
THURSDAY--Homemade Pizza(freezer/stockpile), Salad
FRIDAY--Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf for #1 son(freezer), Mashed Potatoes(stockpile), Cauliflower/Carrots/Broccoli(freezer)
SATURDAY--BBQ Chicken(freezer), homemade Mac & Cheese(stockpile/freezer), Peas(freezer)
SUNDAY--Chicken Alfredo(stockpile/freezer), Green Beans(freezer)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Pineapple, Brownies, Cookies, Pecan Pie

Last week I spent $72.52 on food/toiletries. $38.33 was at the grocery Outlet, $24.63 was at Price Chopper(Seltzer sale/Nabisco Crackers which will end up costing $1 after rebate/$1lb. boneless pork loin), and $12.88 at Rite-Aid(which will net me $13.12 MORE than I spent after rebates). Beyond the milk/juice at the Outlet none of what I bought was necessities last week. We were almost out of seltzer and it was finally on special, the crackers were for the rebate, replenishing some spices, garlic and other grocery items, plus great deals on fish and breaded chicken strips at the Outlet and 8lbs. of pork loin for $8 at PC.  Stock up Opportunities that just popped up and I just went for it.  After the rebate money comes in my $72.52 will end up costing $36.52 OOP.  The Regular Retail Value of all these items purchases amounted to $282.72, a savings of 74.35% on the $72.52 spent or 87.08% after rebates so I feel I spent the money wisely.

Food Waste Report....no waste this week, beyond the usual veggie parings into the compost.  Hubby was working hard to eat all the leftovers before going bad....and he succeeded!lol
By next Monday I should be able to do my full Freezer DeFrost and Inventory if I cook all this week's meals.  

This week's menu doesn't require many grocery purchases, since it's last weeks menu and I have most of it already.& I'll need to pickup milk and fresh salad greens as I am almost out. Daughter had her wisdom teeth out this morning so I'll need to get a few things for her as she's on a liquid/soft food diet and needs jello/pudding/yogurt/applesauce for a couple of days.  The grocery ads this week here are pretty lame so I'm not tempted there.  I'll have to make a Rite-Aid run later today for the "SCR deals" and I might venture back to Wags and/or CVS this week.  I'll try to keep the expenditures low.

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday.....December 28th Edition....More Room in the Freezer Now!

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...

Well I don't have one this week because I never got around to doing a Meal Plan last week. Just too crazy at the holidays ya know.lol

#1 son came home from college so we are back to 5 willing eaters.lol  Though I didn't do a meal plan on paper last week, I did have a loose one in my head.  I made quiche, clam chowder w/biscuits, lamb, baked chicken and hamburgers.
Here's what I will be serving our family of 5 this Week.....

MONDAY--Beef Stroganoff(freezer/fridge), Tossed Salad
TUESDAY--Spaghetti and Meatballs(stockpile), Swiss Chard(freezer)
WEDNESDAY--Chicken Alfredo(stockpile/freezer), Green Beans(freezer)
THURSDAY--Homemade Pizza(stockpile/freezer), NYE snacks(whatever I can find here to make)
FRIDAY--Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf for #1 son(freezer), Mashed Potatoes(stockpile), Cauliflower/Carrots/Broccoli(freezer)
SATURDAY--BBQ Chicken(freezer), homemade Mac & Cheese(stockpile/freezer), Peas(freezer)
SUNDAY--Date Night w/Hubby-the teens will fend for themselves
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Brownies, Cookies, Bread Pudding, Cake Balls

Last week I spent $70.48 on food/toiletries. $40.20 was at Weis, $4.99 on sliced cheese at Carone's, $6.05 at a local grocer where I had a $20.00 gift certificate to use($26.05 total before gc), $6.35 yesterday at Target(after xmas food) & $12.89 at the Bread Outlet.  That's not to say that I didn't go to Rite-Aid, I DID!, but the OOP was put on a Gift Card so Zero spending there last week.  It didn't seem like I spent $70.48 but it does add up to that. I feel a bit better about that amount though when I calculated that for that $70.48 I got a load of food/toiletries valued at $233.34 regular retail, for a savings of 69.80%! 8-)

Food Waste Report....no waste this week, beyond the usual veggies parings into the compost.  I had leftover quiche egg/cream mixture and leftover stale bread and used both to make bread pudding today.
Pretty proud of myself for doing that! ;-)

This week's menu doesn't require any grocery purchases.  We do need some fresh produce and milk and #1 son is eating a path through the deli meats so those will need replenishing.  I have to go through and see if there are any deals/coupons that need using up this week as well.  I am trying hard though not to buy stuff beyond immediate grocery needs still.  I spent 2 hours this morning in the stockpile reorganizing and rearranging things so I can get to stuff easier.  I really can see a lot of empty space now in the freezer too!  By next week I'll be able to rearrange in there and take an inventory without having to pull out a ton of icy cold food and freeze my hands.lolol

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday....December 14th Edition....Eating Down the Freezer/Stockpile

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...

Well I don't have one this week because I never got around to doing a Meal Plan.  Ssshhhh....don't turn me in to the Meal Plan Police, ok?
In fact, I looked at past posts and I haven't done a Meal Plan Monday since Nov. 30rd, due to having the flu and just the general craziness around our home lately.
And if you refer to your calendar, today is Wednesday......so I'm more than a bit late this week!lol


Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....

MONDAY--Kielbasa on rolls(freezer), Brussel Sprouts(freezer)
TUESDAY--Manicotti with Sauce(OAMC in freezer), Tossed Salad
WEDNESDAY--Apricot glazed Pork Chops, Rice(stockpile), Green Beans(freezer)
THURSDAY--Clam Chowder(homemade from scratch/stockpile), Biscuits(stockpile/fridge)
FRIDAY--Asparagus Quiche(stockpile/fridge), Tossed Salad
SATURDAY--homemade Pizza(stockpile/freezer)
SUNDAY--Not sure but probably Bacon wrapped Meatloaf as #1 son returns from college and it's one of his favorites(freezer/stockpile), Carrots(freezer), Mashed Potatoes(root cellar)
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Bread Outlet purchases(donuts/danish/pie), apples, grapes

Last week I spent $39.89 on food/toiletries.  All of that was at Rite-Aid(except for 1 receipt)....seems I've been going there alot lately and nowhere else. Of that amount spent, I'll be getting $18.99 back in Rebates at Rite-Aid, so after rebates I spent $20.90....and $10 of my OOP spending last week was at the Bakery Outlet on breads and snacks.  We've been splurging lately on ALOT of snacks.  It's the holidays ya know.....lol
I did not set foot in a grocery store last week!  I've been on an "Eating Down the Freezer/Stockpile Mission" this month.  After 2 weeks of limiting food purchases to immediate needs for the week's meals, I am really noticing space opening up in the freezer.  Not so much the stockpile though.
The next 2 weeks will see me getting more and more "creative" with meals as the freezer/stockpile gets lower.  I'm going to attempt to use up more older items that have been hanging around here a bit longer so I can start the new year next month with a fresh 'food slate'.

The only items I need to buy this week for the menu are celery(chowder) and cream(chowder & quiche), as well as the weekly milk purchase.  $10 should cover it.  That leaves me extra cash this week for some more Rite-Aid deals. ;-)

Food Waste Report....some bread that didn't get eaten went moldy.  I wanted to make a bread pudding with it before it turned but being sick, it just didn't get done.  Other than that, we've been successful at giving the dogs most any leftover we can't finish, mixed in their kibble for dinner, so no waste otherwise.

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy

Meal Plan Monday....November 30th Edition....Clearing out the Freezer

Last Week's Menu Postmortem...

We ate alot more leftovers last week than planned....which is a GOOD THING in this house!lol
The Chili didn't get made until Sunday and we moved Date Night from then to Monday(tonight).  Both kids were out on Sunday with friends so they will have the Chili tonight as they didn't have it last night.
Everything else was cooked/eaten as planned.  I cooked a smallish turkey for Thanksgiving Day so we are not overrun with turkey this week.  Maybe enough for 1 night's meal since we sent leftovers home with the guests on thursday.
I want to mention that this year my stuffing was totally homemade...meaning, all the bread products IN the stuffing I had made from scratch!  No buying those doughy, "all air & no nutrition" loaves of white bread to make stuffing with this year for me.  I used cubed up french bread from my Baking Day that was leftover and I made a double batch of cornbread from scratch and used those two to make the stuffing.  Everyone raved over it.  I KNOW it was good because most years I have to feed some of it to the dogs to get rid of it all but it is already almost GONE and no dogs have been fed any!lolol

I am on a mission this month to clear out the freezer.  It is so full and it needs a good defrosting so we need to eat down some of the things in there.

Here's what I will be serving our family of 4 this Week.....

MONDAY--homemade Chili(stockpile/freezer), biscuits(fridge)
TUESDAY--Kielbasa on rolls(freezer), Potato Salad(root cellar), Corn(freezer)
WEDNESDAY--Leftovers from Thanksgiving meal
THURSDAY--Soup(stockpile), Sandwiches(fridge)
FRIDAY--Fried Catfish(freezer), Rice(stockpile), Broccoli(freezer)
SATURDAY--homemade Pizza(stockpile)
SUNDAY--something Mexican(burritos in freezer or tacos from stockpile/freezer)with the leftover Chili too
SNACKS/DESSERTS--Bread Outlet purchases(donuts/danish/pie), apples, grapes

Last week I spent $65 exactly at the grocery store and bakery outlet.  $11.97 of that $65 was on toiletries.  As I have done the Bread/Bakery Outlet purchase for the next 2 weeks already & I have most of what I need for the week's menu, I'm going to try to not do any stocking up this week so I'm putting myself on a $10 food budget for the week.

Food Waste Report....some of my "ugly" apples went bad/soft, as I didn't get to use all of them in time. These were put out for the wildlife so won't go to waste.

Check out ORGANIZING JUNKIE to see what other Home Cooks are serving this week.

Sluggy