Menu Plan Monday - Apr 19th, '10

Happy Patriots Day to my fellow Massachusetts residents! And good luck to those running the Marathon :)

Last week was a definite menu WIN! I *thought* I had made the quiche wrong (and I think next time I would make two regular pie-sized quiches, this time I poured all the batter into a casserole dish and made a big thick quiche) but it actually turned out really good! The mango chutney that went with it was divine...even though I julienned my finger while chopping the cilantro :) Our biggest success was the Crockpot Kielbasa Dirty Rice - super easy, and so good my toddler asked for seconds! Definitely going on the family favorites list.

This week's menu I am DETERMINED to get the Pork Roast cooked! Every time I try to put it on the menu I either forget to thaw it, or our plans change. We're both working this weekend too, so the menu will include stuff that makes for easy leftover dinners.

Here's our table this week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more great menus and recipes!

monday - Black Bean Salsa Chicken over rice - OAMC ($5.32 for 6-8 servings)

tuesday - Pork Roast with Apples and Pears, peas, rice - OAMC ($5.37 for 4-6 servings)

wednesday - Homemade Pizza, salad ($2.95 for 6-8 servings)

thursday - Honey Balsamic Chicken on the grill, baked sweet potatoes, veggies ($6.95 for 4-5 servings)

friday - Dinner with friends (free!)

saturday - Both of us bringing leftovers to work (free!)

sunday - Dinner at the in-laws (free!)





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Menu Plan Monday - Mar 29th, '10

Happy Easter! We're looking forward to a GORGEOUS weekend here, which should make for some fun egg hunts on Sunday :)

Last week's meal plan was going really well until Thursday - I had a lot of leftovers so we had some for dinner instead of making pizza, and then Friday I forgot to take the steaks out to thaw. That worked out ok though, since the rain would have made for some soggy grilling :) We have a fun grill pan from Ikea, but it just isn't the same!! Going to try AGAIN to have that steak dinner this week, barring any unforeseen issues.

The Curried Turkey was REALLY good - even my toddler gobbled it up! The Taco Bake was another big hit, the Bisquick batter on the top baked up great in spite of being frozen! And just for the record, Fluffy French Toast made with Texas Toast is my new favorite snack...when it's re-toasted and then loved on by some butter and strawberry jam...yummmmm...

Here's what we're eating this week (including a few repeats that we missed last week!) Don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menu ideas and recipes!

monday - Chicken Ranch Pizza, salad - OAMC ($5.90 for 6-8 servings)

tuesday - Asian Pork Roast ($5 Dinners cookbook), rice, veggies - OAMC ($4.96 for 4 servings)

wednesday - Grilled steaks, baked sweet potatoes, green beans ($6.70 for 4 servings)

thursday - Sloppy Joes on homemade rolls, salad - OAMC ($4.62 for 4 servings, plus lots of leftover buns!)

friday - Something with kielbasa in the crockpot - I'm experimenting! (TBD)

saturday - Leftovers (Free!)

sunday - Easter! Meals with famiy (free)




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Menu Plan Monday - Mar 22, '10

After a gorgeous weekend, we're waking up to....rain. Well, you know what they say about New England...if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes :)

Last week we did GREAT sticking to plan. The Sue Sue's Casserole was a hit, especially with my toddler! It was a little heavy on the onions, and I *think* if I play around with it I can make it more like a creamy beef stroganoff casserole. We also managed to use up just about ALL of the leftovers - I love me a clean fridge!

This week we actually have TWO days when the whole family is home for dinner! I also had to plan for plenty of leftovers, this weekend hubby and I both work so we need enough to cover our meals on those days.

Here's what's on our table, don't forget to visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menus and recipes!

monday - Curried Turkey Tidbits, rice, mixed veggies - OAMC ($2.62 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Easy Taco Bake - OAMC ($3.21 for 4-6 servings)

wednesday - Fluffy French Toast, fruit, eggs ($5.04 for 6 servings)

thursday - Chicken Ranch Pizza, salad - OAMC ($5.90 for 4-6 servings)

friday - Grilled steaks, sweet potatos, mixed veg ($6.70 for 4 servings)

saturday - Leftovers (Free!)

sunday - Leftovers, hubby will be eating at his mom's (Free!)




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Menu Plan Monday - Mar 15th, '10

So last week was going strong, following the plan, loving on my freezer meals....until Thursday. I forgot to take the Sloppy Joe out to thaw, plus I had a bunch of veggies in the crisper that were getting ready to turn, so I made Vegetable Soup instead. Then on Friday we ended up visiting my dad and an aunt from out of state, so dinner was on them :) At least it means my freezer stash will stretch a little further!

The one OAMC dish we got to, the Black Bean Salsa Chicken - WOW! Not only was it DEEEELISH, but we had a TON of leftovers. I'm reworking it into enchilada filling this week, but that is after making a couple of burritos over the weekend. Mix it with rice and it stretches FAR - that's the best kind of dish!

Here's our table for the week, drop in on Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menus and recipes!

monday - Leftover veggie soup, grilled cheese ($2.00 for 4 servings)

tuesday - BBQ Pork Tortillas, Mexican rice ($4.45 for 4 servings)

wednesday - Sue Sue's Casserole - OAMC ($4.62 for 6-8 servings)

thursday - Homemade Pizza, sliced peppers ($3.50 for 6-8 servings)

friday - Leftovers (Free!)

saturday - Enchiladas using leftover Black Bean Salsa Chicken ($3.68 for 4-5 servings)

sunday - Dinner at the in-law's (Free!)




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Mar 8th, '10

Yeah yeah, I know it's Tuesday. We had one of those weekends where it seemed like there was more work than hours in the day, and we got buried - but the air has cleared a bit, the birthday party for my toddler went off with just a few minor hitches, and the weather is getting nicer :) Good things ahead!

Last week was a menu plan FAIL. I had so much to do all week, that most days I either forgot to thaw the meat or just didn't leave myself enough time to prepare the meals. Fortunately, we have plenty of *alternate* supplies on hand - between frozen food items, grilled cheese and soup fixins, and leftovers, we muddled through.

On the bright side, thanks to the phenomenal ladies over at Once A Month Mom, I have a freezer brimming with prepared meals! This will be the first week of diving into the stash, and I plan to try using 2-3 freezer meals per week (marked as OAMC in my menu plan). This week we actually have a WHOLE DAY when both hubby and I are off from work, so we're going to try and do a fancy-schmancy dinner...I might even let HIM cook for a change ;)

Here's our table for the week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menus and recipe ideas!

monday - Party Pizza leftovers! (free)

tuesday - Shepherd's Pie (made with leftover mashed potatoes), green beans ($2.70 for 4 servings)

wednesday - Black Bean Salsa Chicken - OAMC ($5.32 for 6 servings)

thursday - Sloppy Joes on homemade buns (will make buns and dinner rolls for Friday), veggies - OAMC ($3.70 for 4 servings)

friday - Petit sirloins (got on sale for $2.50/lb), green beans almondine, homemade rolls ($5.90 for 4 servings)

saturday - Leftovers since we're both working (free!)

sunday - Dinner at the in-laws (free!)





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Menu Plan Monday - Dec 28th, '09

How's your house recovering from the holiday rush? I confess, I haven't actually seen the floor of my living room since Friday...but we're slowly finding a place for everything. Our parents like to spoil their grandbabies :)

In spite of the busyness of last week, we still stuck to the menu plan - the Chicken Fajita Soup and Cinnamon Rolls were VERY tasty - those cinnamon rolls are to DIE for, and I'll be making them as long as my arteries hold out :) I also ended up throwing some leftover sloppy joe in with the Mac & Cheese, which was awfully good!

This week and next I'm struggling with the menu plan - usually I save the bigger cooking for nights when we're all home for dinner, but for the next few weeks one of us is working every night. I have a tough time justifying more than easy meals or leftovers when it's just the toddler and I, and I'll have to get over that or we'll be eating nothing but pizza and grilled cheese all week! I am missing my OAMC meals that's for sure - so on my agenda is to be more diligent in making freezer foods!

Here's what we'll be (hopefully) dining on this week, don't forget to visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons of ideas and menu posts!

monday - Frozen shrimp stir fry meal ($4.50 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings with added veggies ($4.29 for 4-6 servings)

wednesday - Cheesy Kielbasa Bake - OAMC meal, half batch ($6.87 for 8 servings)

thursday - Leftovers (free)

friday - Italian Sausage Hawaiian over rice ($4.90 for 4 servings)

saturday - Leftovers (free)

sunday - Dinner at the in-law's (free)




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Menu Plan Monday - Dec 14, '09

Hallelujah! The leftovers have left the building! :)

We actually made it through the entire week AND the massive amounts of leftovers that were piling up. I feel good because I know that nothing went to waste! It actually prompted me to take a hard look at the recipes I post, and set up links between recipes that make good use of leftovers. It'll take a while, but it's now on my 2010 projects list!

We are in for another busy workweek, that's what happens when your husband works in retail - so that means only 1 night this week we'll both be home for dinner. We did a lot of baking at my mother-in-law's this weekend, so I don't know how much I'll do on my own outside of what's on the menu...that depends on how often the Boy Wonder begs me to break out the mixer :)

Here's our table for the week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menus!

monday - Fish sticks, tater tots, green beans ($5.50 for 5 servings)

tuesday - Crockpot Sloppy joes on burger rolls, mixed veg ($9.86 for 4 servings PLUS about 8 servings worth of leftovers!)

wednesday - Homemade pizza ($2.95 for 6-8 servings)

thursday - Veggie Lo Mein ($2.90 for 4-6 servings)

friday - Chicken Fajita Soup, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (cost to follow)

saturday - Stovetop Mac & Cheese with salsa ($4.39 for 6 servings)

sunday - Holiday party at hubby's work! (Free)




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Menu Plan Monday - Nov 30th, '09

We came. We saw. We ate. (and ate, and ate and ate!) Turkey day is behind us, and while we may still be enjoying the leftovers we can now focus on Christmas madness! This is actually my favorite time of year, a happy bright spot at the beginning of my least favorite season: winter. Yeah, I live in New England and can't stand the winter. So sue me ;)

Last week we did very well sticking to the menu, and I only had to make a minor adjustment on Friday because we had family at the house - thankfully my pizza recipe doubles and triples easily! This week I have a craving for spinach, so it's showing up in a couple of recipes (all of which freeze well so I'll probably make doubles!). I have an itch to try something I saw on Laura's menu a few weeks ago - a mexican dish with cinnamon rolls on the side - but I think it'll have to wait till next week when I have more time. If I can get the kiddos to cooperate though, I may be trying Amy's cinnamon roll recipe this week and pop them in the freezer :)

Here's what's on our table, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for MANY more recipes and menu ideas!

monday - Leftover Sausage Potato Soup from the freezer (free!)

tuesday - Crockpot Vegetable Curry over rice ($6.06 for 8-10 servings)

wednesday - Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup ($2.10 for 4 servings)

thursday - Turkey Veggie Lasagna ($5.78 for 6 servings)

friday - Shrimp Scampi with broccoli and linguini ($7.00 for 4 servings)

saturday - Unbelievable Chicken & Pasta ($6.35 for 6-8 servings)




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Menu Plan Monday - Nov 23rd, '09

Happy Turkey Day! Are you like me, playing the Family Shuffle for the holiday! We're lucky that both our parents live within an hour of each other, so it's not TOO hard to make stops with both on the holidays. Except for the 2 1/2 year old, who will refuse to nap because of the excitement. Oh, and the 3 month old, who comes with a full set of luggage wherever he goes :) We love it though, the kids are overstimulated and exhausted by the end of the day but it's worth it!

This week I'm doing a lot more regular cooking, hubby has a short work week and we don't need to cook anything for the holiday. We never got to the Italian Chicken Skillet last week so it's back on the menu, plus I have a bunch of Macaroni Grill dinner kits that I want to start using (boneless chicken breast was $1.49/lb last week so I stocked up!)

Here's our table, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons of recipes and menu ideas!

monday - Christmas displays with the kids, dinner on the fly (ended up at the in-law's!)

tuesday - Italian Chicken Skillet ($4.35 for 4-6 servings)

wednesday - Macaroni Grill tomato basil pasta with extra diced tomato, homemade breadsticks from the freezer ($4.68 for 4-6 servings)

thurdsay - Thanksgiving!! I'm bringing party meatballs - more on that later!

friday - Homemade Hawaiian pizza, sliced cukes and ranch ($5.24 for 8-10 servings)

saturday - Fish sticks, veggie, chips ($4.55 for 4 servings)

sunday - Dinner at the in laws (free!)




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Menu Plan Monday - Nov 16th, '09

I am SO not ready for the holiday season...I know retailers are trying to get a jump on holiday spending, but sheesh folks, can you at least let the turkey get cold first??? :)

We did *moderately* well sticking to the menu plan last week - I haven't been fantastic with night-before prep so we had to switch a few meals around, and one night I had to pull out a freezer meal instead of cooking because we ran really late getting home. But that's the nice thing about menu plans, it's a PLAN, not a law :)

This week my husband is home more nights than usual but we've got a lot of running around to do so I'm working off a lot of crockpot and freezer meals. I was going to try jumping back on the OAMC bandwagon this month, but I think it'll just have to wait till after the holiday madness has passed.

Here's what's on our table, and pay a visit to Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds more menus and recipes!

monday - Homemade pizza, sliced veggies ($3.97 for 6-8 servings)

tuesday - Obama's Chili, homemade cornbread ($8.40 for 8-10 servings)

wednesday - Corndog Muffins, mixed veggie ($2.00 for 4 servings plus extra for the freezer!)

thursday - Italian Chicken Skillet ($4.35 for 6 servings)

friday - Pineapple Pork Roast, mashed sweet potatoes, veggie ($6.75 for 6 servings)

saturday - Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes and scrambled eggs with fruit ($3.39 for 4 servings)

sunday - Dinner at the in-law's (free!)




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Menu Plan Monday - Nov 9, '09

It's the middle of November, meaning it's time to start pre-planning the Holiday Shuffle! I love that both our families live closeby, but coordinating to make sure BOTH sets of grandparents see the kids can be rough. Anyone got a spare cloning machine?

Last week we did great with the menu plan until Friday, we got home late so I just made spaghetti. Then we ended up out of the house for the whole weekend so I didn't have to cook! The end of week meals will carry over into this week so I can use the ingredients while they're good. I'm still working out the juggling of mealtime cooking with a toddler AND an infant in the house, but we're making progress :)

This week we only have ONE day when the whole family is home for dinner, otherwise one of us working-types is...well, working. I definitely need to squeeze in a baking day somewhere too - my toddler wants to know why the bananas look funny :)

Here's our table for the week, don't forget to visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds more menus and recipes!

monday - Black Bean Quesadillas, sliced avocado ($4.50 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Honey Balsamic drumsticks, veggie, Honey wheat breadsticks ($5.00 for 4-6 servings)

wednesday - Homemade Pizza ($2.95 for 6-8 servings)

thursday - Country Chicken Cobbler in the crockpot ($2.27 for 6 servings)

friday - Leftover Bee Rocks from the freezer, veggie ($0.50 for 4 servings)

saturday - Leftover Shepherd's pie, veggie, rolls ($1.00 for 4 servings)

sunday - dinner at the in-law's (Free!)




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Nov 2 '09

Is it really November already? Then again, I should have guessed since the stores were putting out Christmas stuff before the dust had settled on Halloween...

We stuck with the menu plan last week, mostly because any extra shopping was out of the question. It's weeks like these when you see the real value of stockpiling - my total spending on groceries was about $23 for TWO WEEKS, because we had nearly everything we needed.

This week we have a little more breathing room, but I'm still trying to thin out the freezer stash so I can defrost the darn thing! Our fridge also decided to announce its slow and impending death, so our landlord will be replacing it this month but in the meantime I have to try keeping as little as possible in there. That means smaller meals and stuff that can go in the basement freezer in single-serve portions.

Here's our table for the week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons of menus and recipe ideas!

monday - Corndogs (Freebie from Schwann's!), veggies ($0.80 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Hamburgers, tater tots, veggies ($2.95 for 4 servings)

wednesday - Bee Rocks, mixed veggie ($5.80 for 4 servings plus 8 for the freezer)

thursday - Pizza Roll Ups, fresh veggies and ranch dip ($6.20 for 4 servings plus 4 portions in the freezer)

friday - Honey Balsamic drumsticks, veggie, Honey Wheat breadsticks ($5.00 for 4-6 servings)

saturday - Black Bean Quesadillas, sliced avocado ($4.70 for 4 servings)

sunday - Dinner at the in-laws (FREE!)




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Oct 19th, '09

I have been baking WAY too many sweets. My oven has been working overtime making cookies, monkey bread, more cookies, brownies....and now I have a bunch of apples and recipes for Apple Kuchen, Apple Brownies and Apple Butter. My hips are in BIG trouble, with an extra helping of BIG :)

This week shouldn't be too crazy, I really need to defrost the chest freezer so I'm trying to eat through some of the stockpile in there. I am hoping to have a small shopping week but we'll see how things go (and whether the baking bug takes a little break!)

Here's what's on our table, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for TONS of other menus and recipes!

monday - Quesadillas with leftover Mexican Chicken and leftover rice & beans ($1.53 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Homemade pizza ($2.20 for 6-8 servings)

wednesday - Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese ($5.06 for 8 servings)

thursday - Mimi's sticky chicken, carrots, mashed potatoes ($8.20 for 6 servings and TONS of chicken leftovers!)

friday - Honey Ginger Pork chops, rice, veggies ($5.30 4 servings)

saturday - Steaks, potatoes, veggies - Date night! ($6.80 for 2 servings)

sunday - Attending a wedding!




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Oct 12th, '09

I love the fall! I especially love apple season - and since I came across several great recipes for apple butter among the bloggers, you can bet my crockpot will be working overtime :)

And a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to the far northerners, too!

The Sausage Potato soup from last week was awesome! (Thanks, Laura for sharing!) I actually made a double batch and froze half of it, I don't know when I'll be able to do a true OAMC cooking session so I'm trying to just double recipes where it's possible for now. I did squeeze in a baking day and made breadsticks and muffins, and I'm on a quest for the perfect sandwich bread recipe...

Here's our table for the week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds of menu ideas and recipes!

monday - Sausage and Penne Bake, salad ($7.00 for 6 servings)

tuesday - Enchiladas using leftover Mexican chicken and rice, mixed veggies ($3.70 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Leftovers - Clean out the fridge! (free!)

thursday - Beef and Biscuit bake, in the crockpot ($5.50 for 6 servings)

friday - Homemade pepperoni pizza ($3.84 for 8 servings)

saturday - Grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit ($3.60 for 4 servings)

sunday - Going to a friend's wedding!




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Oct 5th, '09

Short and sweet today - I was a bad mommy and fudged with the new baby's schedule a little last night. Paid dearly when he decided that 3AM would be a GREAT time to stay awake. And 4AM. And 5AM. Several pots of coffee later and I'm just barely conscious enough to assemble the menu plan for the week. But since my first day back to work is TOMORROW, I definitely need to get the menu in order!

This MPM is COMPLETELY out of the existing pantry and freezer - we had a VERY tight week financially (my Short term disability for maternity leave just ran out and hubby had a slight reduction in his work schedule) so this will be a bare minimum shopping week. I go back to work Monday so things will get a little easier, but I'm SO thankful to have built up my stockpile enough to cover us when these times come!

Here's my table for the week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for MANY more awesome menus and recipes!

monday - Crockpot Beef Stew ($7.20 for 8-10 servings)

tuesday - Spaghetti Pie, salad - OAMC ($8.28 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Mexican Chicken with beans and rice ($5.45 for 6 servings)

thursday - Sausage Potato Soup, homemade breadsticks ($4.21 for 8-10 servings)

friday - leftovers - FREE!

saturday, sunday- Visiting friends for the weekend




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Menu Plan Monday - Sept 27th, '09

Is it really almost October? Man, this year has flown by. The Boy Wonder has grown SO much, and his new little brother is already 6 weeks old! Watching the two of them start to interact over the last few days has been AWESOME...BW is enamored by the Noob's feet and toes (just like mommy!) and N's starting to recognize BW's face and smiles whenever he's in view.

I am SO looking forward to fall recipes! Apples and butternut squash should be hitting great prices, and I may pick up some sugar pumpkins so I can freeze some mashed for recipes later in the year. I'm doing my first week of all fresh-prepared meals, I found ANOTHER Spaghetti Pie and some Italian Pasta Salad in the freezer but I'll save those for after I go back to work so hubby has some goodies to fall back on when he's with the kids.

Here's what we're noshing on this week, be sure to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for HUNDREDS more menu ideas!

monday - Burritos using leftover Obama's Chili, salad ($2.50 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Chickpea Stew over rice ($3.44 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Thai-style Chicken over rice ($4.50 for 4-5 servings)

thursday - Crockpot beef roast, veggies, homemade rolls ($7.10 for 6 servings)

friday - Beef Gorditas, corn ($5.60 for 4-6 servings)

saturday - Leftovers (FREE)

sunday - Dinner at the in law's (FREE)




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Sept 21, '09

Stop the presses - I actually BAKED last week!

We aren't really getting much sleep these days, but the new baby is on a slightly more predictable schedule, and I felt good enough to try making a batch of breadsticks...and SUCCEEDED! It's a small victory, but I'll take it ;)

This week marks the final hurrah of my freezer meals, which means I will actually prepare dinners FRESH...but considering the baby will be 6 weeks old this week and this is the first time I've had to make dinner from scratch, that's pretty good! I'm officially hooked on the idea of OAMC now though - it's fantastic to be able to just pop something in the oven for supper, and well worth the extra effort. My sister in law is on board too - so you may see more OAMC cooking in my posts as we figure out a system! (as a sidebar, if you do OAMC or are interested, Once a Month Mom is hosting a big OAMC Tweet-up event at 6pm on October 10th...they'll be live in the Dayton, OH area but we long distance folks can participate via Stickam and Twitter! Check it out!)

Here's what we're dining on this week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for HUNDREDS of other menus!

monday - Pizza Roll Ups, salad - OAMC ($6.00 for 8 servings)

tuesday - Obama's Chili, Bread bowls ($8.10 for 8-10 servings)

wednesday - Chicken Bombay, couscous, broccoli - OAMC ($8.85 for 6 servings)

thursday - Stuffed Zucchini, Wheat biscuits ($6.67 for 4 servings plus leftover biscuits)

friday - Chicken Pot Pie, leftover wheat biscuits - OAMC ($4.00 for 6 servings)

saturday - leftovers! FREE!

sunday - dinner at the in-law's - FREE!





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