Weekly Menu 11/6-12

Unlike last week when I hardly cooked at all, this week I will be cooking almost every night!  But, I'm planning on making the most of it by making double batches of a few things!


Sunday
Breakfast:  breakfast basket
Lunch:  Out!
Dinner:  spaghetti & meatballs (from the freezer) / salad / garlic toast

Monday
Breakfast:  muffins (from the freezer)
Lunch:  PB&J / chips / fruit cup
Snack:  Brownie Bites (from freezer)
Dinner:  Country Fried Steak / mashed potatoes / steamed broccoli

Tuesday
Breakfast:  cereal
Lunch:  Lunchable (from recent Kroger sale) / yogurt
Snack:  apple slices (from local orchard!) w/ peanut butter
Dinner:  Chicken Empanadas (using bread recipe from here -I'm planning on making extras to freeze.  If it goes well, I'll let you know!) / steamed corn / salad

Wednesday
Breakfast:  scrambled eggs / toast
Lunch:  turkey sandwich / pretzels / applesauce
Snack:  Mudballs (we never got around to making these last week!)
Dinner:  Out with family!

Thursday
Breakfast:  pancakes
Lunch:  school lunch
Snack:  Peanut Butter Honey Bars (from freezer)
Dinner:  chilli (making a double batch to freeze - of course!) / baked potatoes

Friday
Breakfast:  potato cakes (from freezer)
Lunch:  school lunch
Snack:  Mudballs
Dinner:  Out!

Saturday
Breakfast:  cinnamon rolls (from recent Kroger sale)
Lunch:  sandwiches / pretzels / fruit
Dinner:  Chicken w/ garlic sauce / green beans / seasoned rice

Freezer Cooking Plan
applesauce bread (using homemade applesauce)
mini chicken meatballs (didn't get around to making these last week either!)
whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes

Weekly Menu 10/30 - 11/5

This is going to be kind of an odd week for us.  I planning on cooking dinner only three nights as we have several evening activities going on this week. 

This week, I decided to add in my afternoon snack plan in addition to my usual breakfast, lunch, and dinners.  Every day, my daughter gets off the bus starving, and I have found that it makes my life much easier if I plan out ahead of time what to feed her every day!  (It also allows me to make healthier choices instead of grabbing the first thing I find in the pantry!)  I don't plan snacks for Saturday or Sunday because our weekends are so crazy, we usually don't end up needing them.

So, with that said, here's what we'll be eating this coming week!  (Remember, the lunches listed are only for my daughter who is in elementary school.  My younger daughter and I usually just eat what we find in the fridge!)


Sunday
Breakfast:  Breakfast Basket (I keep a basket filled with breakfast items - cereal bars, poptarts, fruit, etc. that the kids can choose from when we're in a hurry.  Usually things I've gotten on recent sales at Kroger!)
Lunch:  (Out!  A Sunday tradition!)
Dinner:  (Out with Dad - I have a workshop Sunday night)

Monday
Breakfast:  Potato Cakes (from the freezer)
Lunch:  PB&J / chips / strawberries / fruit snacks
Snack:  microwave popcorn / yogurt smoothies (from a recent Kroger sale)
Dinner:  (Chilli & Grilled Cheese at in-laws house.  A HALLOWEEN tradition!)

Tuesday
Breakfast:  muffins (from freezer)
Lunch:  Lunchable (from a recent Kroger sale) / yogurt
Snack:  Mudballs
Dinner:  "Easy Bake" pork chops / roasted asparagus ($0.99 at Kroger through Satuday) / hashbrowns (from freezer)

Wednesday
Breakfast:  scrambled eggs / toast
Lunch:  Turkey & cheese sandw. / pretzels / applesauce / candy (from Halloween stash)
Snack:  apple slices w/ peanut butter
Dinner:  (Out!  This is my birthday so I'm not cooking!)

Thursday
Breakfast:  cereal w/ milk
Lunch:  school lunch (we allow our daughter to buy lunch twice a week)
Snack:  Mudballs
Dinner:  Spaghetti with meatballs (from the freezer) / salad / rolls (from the freezer)

Friday
Breakfast:  pancakes (from freezer)
Lunch:  school lunch
Snack:  Homemade cheese crackers / yogurt smoothies
Dinner:  (Out!  Another birthday dinner!)

Saturday
Breakfast:  muffins (from freezer)
Lunch:  (Birthday party)
Dinner:  Turkey Sloppy Joes (from freezer) / baked french fries / left over salad


Freezer Cooking Plan
Hashbrowns
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Chicken Meatballs (Found in a recent magazine article.  Will let you know how they turn out!)
Homemade Cheese Crackers

Weekly Menu 10/23 - 29

Here's a look at what we'll be eating this week! 

Each week, I like to post what we'll be having so you can see that, even if you're couponing and shopping store sales, you CAN eat normal meals!!!  I try to feed my family healthy food, though we do splurge every now and then - yes, we even let our daughter buy lunch at school every once in a while!  I also like to make meals we like in bulk and put them in the freezer to save cooking time later on!  Each week I plan to make a few things just to go into the freezer for future meals!

Sunday
Breakfast Basket (kids choose something for themselves out of a basket I keep filled with cereal bars, poptarts, fruit, muffins, etc.)
Lunch out!
Marinated Baked Chicken Breast / Baked Potatoes / Corn on the Cob

Monday
Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Lunchable (from recent sale at Kroger) / Yogurt
Lasagne Casserole (from the freezer) / Salad / Bread (from the freezer)

Tuesday
Cinnamon Rolls (from recent sale at Kroger)
PB Sandwich / Pretzels / Banana / Cookies
Chicken Nuggets / Macaroni & Cheese  (This is a kids-only meal.  Hubby has a ballgame so I won't be cooking a "family meal.")

Wednesday
Cereal
Turkey Sandwich / Chips / Cheese Stick / Fruit Roll Up
Dinner out!  (Kids have a late appointment for a hair-cut, so we're going to eat while we're out.  Anyone know where kids eat free on Thursdays?!)

Thursday
Scrambled Eggs / Toast
School Lunch
Roast Sausage (from the freezer / Green Bell Peppers & Onions / Hashbrown Potatoes (from the freezer)

Friday
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins (from the freezer) / Fruit
School Lunch
Dinner out!  (A Friday tradition for us!)

Saturday
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes (from the freezer)
Hotdogs / Chips / Fruit
Dinner at Halloween Party!

Freezer Cooking Plan
Meatballs
Taco Meat
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins  (adapted from Tuesday's bread)

Weekly Menu 8/4 - 10

Well, you may have noticed that I never posted my menu last week.  One reason is, my computer was in the shop!  :(  The other was, our schedule has been super hectic the last few weeks with my husbands new job, so I knew I probably wouldn't be sticking to the menu I made, and I was right!

But, I'm back on track this week and have a full menu planned for the coming week.  The hubby is going to be doing lots of traveling this month, so I won't have many family meals planned after this coming week, BUT, because he's going to be gone, I'm hoping to get some freezer cooking done!

Okay, here's what we'll be eating starting 8/4:

Breakfast
(breakfast at Grandma's house)
yogurt / toast
muffins (x2)
poptart or cereal bars
scrambled eggs / bacon
pancakes (from the freezer)

Lunch
(lunch at Grandma's house)
lunchmeat / cheese / fruit (x2)
pb&j sandwiches / pretzels / fruit
(lunch out)
spaghettios / fruit
grilled cheese / soup

Dinner
Parmesean Tilapia / rice / baked potatoes
Breakfast for Dinner: biscuits, waffles, eggs, gravy, etc.
(dinner out)
Meat balls (from freezer) w/ gravy over egg noodles / rolls / frozen veggies
Herbed Pork Chops / rice / green beans
frozen pizza / salad
(dinner at Grandma's house)
(dinner at Grandma's house)

Freezer Cooking Plans

Next week, I plan on making a few dinners that I can use this month on nights when the hubby actually WILL be home so we can have some family time and I will not have to spend all night in the kitchen!  Here is what I'm planning on making:

Lasagne Casserole (x2)
Southwest Roll-Ups
Barbecue Meatloaf
Low-Fat Whole Grain Waffles

If any of these turn out to be good, I will share the recipes with you!

Weekly Menu 7/21 - 27

Can you believe it is almost August?!  It seems like the summer has flown by!  Softball season ends this week, which means I have to come up with 2 extra meals to cook per week until the next sport starts!  :)  I'm still searching for some good dinner-time freezer friendly recipes to try out.  I never got around to making the Lasagne Casserole this past week, but am planning on fixing it tonight & will let you know how it turns out.  I did, however, manage to make the Homemade Taco Seasoning, and it turned out great!  My husband LOVES mexican food, and he really liked this!

I don't have a plan yet for what I want to cook & freeze this week.  I may take the week off - but if I change my mind I'll let you know!  :)

Here's what we're planning on eating during the upcoming week!...

Breakfast:
leftover Cinnamon Roll Biscuits (recipe coming!)
scrambled eggs / toast
cereal bars / Poptarts
blueberry muffins (mix from stockpile)
yogurt / toast
pancakes (from freezer)
breakfast at Grandmother's house

Lunch:
deli meat / cheese / fruit (x2)
PB&J sandwiches / chips (from mega sale at Kroger last week) / fruit
Lunch out
Spaghettios (from stockpile) / fruit
hotdogs (from stockpile) / pretzels / fruit
Lunch at Grandmother's house

Dinner:
Parmesean Tilapia / rice / pasta salad
Dinner out!
Crockpot Sloppy Joes (may be a good freezer recipe - I'll let you know how it turns out!) / corn on the cob (3/$1 @ Kroger this week!) / macaroni (from stockpile)
Herbed Pork Chops / rice / green beans (from stockpile) / rolls
Dijon Chicken / frozen steamed broccoli ($.89 @ Kroger this week!) / other leftover veggies
Leftover night / salad / rolls
BBQ Chicken Pizza / salad


What are you eating this week?  Let us know!

Weekly Menu 7/14 - 21

Wow!  After a few weeks of inconsistent shopping and planning due to a busy schedule, I am finally back to my normal routine!

Here is what we are planning on eating this coming week (I shop on Thursdays, so I plan my menu from Thursday to Friday).  At the end of the list, I've also given you my freezer cooking plan for the coming week!

Breakfast:
(breakfast at Grandparent's house)
yogurt / fruit
egg biscuits
cereal bar and/or Poptarts
Cinnamon Roll Biscuits (I will post this recipe after I make them if they are any good!)  :)
cereal in milk

Lunch:
(lunch at Grandparent's house)
deli meat / cheese / fruit (x2)
PB&J / cheese crackers / fruit
(lunch out)
chicken noodle soup / peanut butter crackers
grilled cheese / pretzels / fruit

Dinner:
Lasagne Casserole (see recipe below) / salad / bread
(dinner out)
Roast Sausage & Veggies / leftover salad / rice
Sloppy Joes / baked potatoes / corn
fish sticks / macaroni (kids only)
Dijon Chicken / rice / frozen steamed broccoli / pasta salad
hotdogs / frozen sweet potato fries


FREEZER-COOKING PLAN!

The past few weeks I have focused on breakfast items for my freezer cooking experiments.  I now have a freezer stocked full of breakfast burritos, muffins, mini cinnamon rolls, and pancakes!  This week, I decided I would try a few things we can use for future dinners.

On Friday night, I am planning on fixing a Lasagne Casserole and doubling the recipe so that I can put one in the freezer for later.  Here's the recipe...

Lasagne Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
8 oz uncooked noodles
1/3 to 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
1, 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
8 oz mozzarella, grated
1 tsp parsley
salt / pepper

Directions:
1.  Brown beef & onion together.
2.  Boil noodles according to package directions.
3.  Mix spaghetti sauce with tomatoes & beef.  Set 1/2 cup of mozzarella aside to sprinkle on top of casserole.  Combine rest of mozzarella, cottage cheese, eggs, parsley, and salt & pepper to taste.
4.  Layer 1/3 of meat sauce, then noodles, then cheese mixture in 9x13 pan.  Repeat 2 more times.  Sprinkle with cheese.
5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

**Recipe taken from http://www.moneysavingmom.com/**


We are also big fans of taco meat in our house.  I found a recipe for homemade taco seasoning that I decided I would try out!  If I go ahead and make the taco meat & then put it in the freezer, it will be ready for a quick dinner!  (I am planning on having "taco burgers" week after next - just put taco meat on buns and add shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream!  Yum!)


Homemade Taco Seasoning   (you can find the original recipe here)

Mix the following ingredients & store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months:

1/4 cup chili powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Menu Plan 6/23 - 6/29

Here's what we will be eating in our house during the upcoming week.  (I plan my menus from Thursday to Wednesday because I shop on Thursdays.)  I've tried to note sale prices where I know them.  I'm experimenting on a few things this coming week, so we'll see how it goes!

Breakfast:

yogurt / toast
Mini Cinnamon Swirls (recipe coming in upcoming post!)
Breakfast Burritos (recipe coming in upcoming post!) (Kroger brand tortillas 10 ct. $1.29, dozen eggs $.99 at Walgreens this week, Hillshire Farm Deli Select lunchmeat 5 oz $1 at Kroger)
Blueberry muffins
Poptarts / cereal bars
French Toast Casserole (recipe coming in upcoming post!) (eggs $.99 at Walgreens, Nature's Own bread $1 at Dollar Tree)

Lunch:

deli meat / cheese sticks / fruit
pb&j sandwiches / apple chips (recipe coming in upcoming post!)
Lunchables (from previous shopping trip - $.80 each)
Burger King (w/ friend for playdate)
Lunch out

Dinner: (We will be home to eat 4 nights this week)

Chicken Tortilla Bake (from freezer) / frozen, steamed corn / chips & salsa
Baked Spaghetti / salad / rolls (from freezer)
Broiled Parmesean Tilapia / roasted Asparagus ($1.99 lb at Kroger) / leftover salad / rolls (from freezer)
Chicken & Black Bean Quesadillas (Kroger tortillas $1.29) / Spanish Rice / chips & salsa
Spaghettios / fruit (for kiddos only!)
Dinner Out x2


What's on your menu this week?  I'd love to hear!

Weekly Menu 6/16 - 6/22

Here's a look at what we'll be eating this week!  We have a busy week coming up with softball games and church activities, so I won't have to do too much cooking.  I am really only planning on cooking 3 actual dinners - one of which is already frozen in the freezer and ready to pop in the oven!  I've tried to note where I'm using sale items that are at Kroger and/or Food Lion this week.

Breakfast:

pancakes (from freezer stockpile)
scrambled eggs / bacon
yogurt / toast
chocolate chip muffins (I always keep the ingredients on hand to make these - my daughter loves them!)
cereal bars

Lunch:

grilled cheese / chicken noodle soup (from stockpile)
pb & j / fruit / pretzels
hotdogs (from freezer stockpile) / fruit
deli meat / cheese / fruit

Dinner:

Chicken Tortilla Bake (already prepared & in freezer - recipe coming soon!) / chips & salsa
Ranch Burgers / Seasoned Potato Wedges (Russet Potatoes $.79 lb at Food Lion) / Mac & Cheese (from stockpile)
Chicken & Black Bean Quesadillas (Seasoned Tyson Refrigerated Chicken Breast $1.95 at Kroger, Chi-Chis Tortillas $.69 at Kroger, canned black beans from stockpile) / Steamed Corn (from freezer stockpile) *see recipe below*
Leftovers
Eat Out


Chicken & Black Bean Quesadillas

Spread cooked, chopped chicken, black beans, chopped green peppers, & shredded cheddar cheese over 1 tortilla, top with second tortilla.

Place in a pan sprayed with cooking spray and cook over medium heat several minutes or until cheese begins to melt.

Spray top tortilla with cooking spray & then flip over.  Cook until cheese is fully melted.


What are you eating this week?  I'd love to hear!

Weekly Menu 6/2-8

One of the common misconceptions about couponing is that you only get good deals on junk / processed food and therefore cannot eat healthy and save money.  This, of course, is not true!  While there are many coupons floating around for processed / snack foods, there are also great coupons for all-natural and organic products as well.  And, let's not forget, food is only half of what we use our coupons on.  Part of the idea behind stockpiling is that we use our coupons to buy paper products, personal care items, cleaning supplies, etc. at a deep discount, therefore freeing up more of our money to spend on quality food for our family.

All that said, people are often curious about what we eat during a typical week.  So, I thought it would be fun to post my upcoming weekly meal plan!  This plan is for a family of 4 - 2 adults and 2 children (ages 2 & 5).  I plan breakfast and lunch mostly based on what the kids will eat, but plan dinner for the whole family.  Part of me is a little nervous to share this - I'll admit that my kids don't eat all-natural and organic every meal!!  (Try not to judge me too harshly!)  While I definitely try to watch what my kids eat and make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need, I don't deprive them of some treats every now and again!  And, I'm not the kind of mom who is against using a processed item once in a while for dinner - especially if I paid little to no money for it!

This will at least give you an idea of what a typical week of meals in our home looks like!

Breakfast
fruit
yogurt
toast
egg biscuits
cinnamon pull-apart bread (trying to use up canned biscuits from the fridge!)  :)
frozen pancakes (from frozen-food mega sale @ Kroger - my kids are pancake freaks!) 
cereal

Lunch
fruit (we keep a LOT on hand and eat some at almost every meal)
deli meat
cheese sticks
grilled cheese sandwiches
peanut butter sandwiches
hotdogs
pretzels / Cheetos (on sale this week @ Food Lion - a treat for my kiddos!)

Dinner
(I need to cook 4 meals this week - 2 nights the kids will eat a quick meal because Dad has softball games & we will go out one night.)
Chicken Penne Bake (made 2 weeks ago and put in freezer - more posts on this to come!)
Salad
Green Beans
frozen rolls
Country Style Steak (crockpot recipe)
mashed potatoes
frozen/steam broccoli
Herbed Pork Chops
rice
baked potato wedges
Baked Spaghetti
Salad
frozen rolls


What are you eating this week?  I'd love to hear!