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!)





Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Apr 12, '10

I am SO ready for the good weather! We had a little rain last week but enough good days to rev me up - I love being able to spend the day outside, watching my toddler play. We're getting ready to put up our square foot garden, I'm pretty sure we're finally beyond the frosty nights and my hubby should have a day free this week to build the raised bed :) I found out that I can get FREE leaf compost from the town! Mixed with some of the manure from my mother-in-law's horses, and that should give us some good, rich, FREE planting soil!

The menu last week went really well! The Tandoori Chicken was SO GOOD and EASY!! My toddler was scarfing it down, and we even let the baby try some of the curried couscous. We never got to the Pork Roast, so that's making a return appearance this week. I'm also going to try a few new recipes, I've got kielbasa to use up and I scored some REALLY fresh tilapia for $2.99/lb - it pays to live in a fishing town!

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

monday - Quick Curry Quiche (using leftover Tandoori Chicken) with mango chutney(from The Once a Week Cooking Plan), canteloupe slices (cost tbd)

tuesday - Crockpot Kielbasa Dirty Rice ($4.40 for 6-8 servings)

wednesday - Dijon Crusted Tilapia, green beans, rice (cost tbd)

thursday - Pork Roast with Apples & Pears (from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook), peas, rice - OAMC ($5.37 for 4-6 servings)

friday - Sloppy Joes on homemade rolls, green salad ($4.62 for 4 servings)

saturday - leftovers (Free!)

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




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Apr 5th, '10

I hope everyone had a happy and healthy Easter weekend! We did a lot of running around, but we managed to see both sides of our family and the kids were sufficiently exhausted by last night :) I'll share some photos later this week!

Menu planning went OK last week, things got a bit messy mid-week and we had to shuffle a few things around. We did FINALLY get to the Chicken Ranch Pizza and it was GOOOOD! My hubby was a little reluctant to try it because it uses ranch dressing in place of tomato sauce - he's a believer now! I never got to the Sloppy Joes or the kielbasa dish, we ended up eating out of the house unexpectedly one night, and just did leftovers another night. And I STILL have a bunch of leftovers to weed through!

This week I'll be trying a new dish, and working on emptying the rest of the leftovers. I think I have been counting on my husband bringing some to work, but he's been making PB sandwiches instead...will have to see if I can prep his lunches ahead of time to make it easier.

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

monday - Leftovers (free!)

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

wednesday - Tandoori Chicken with Couscous (from The Once-a-Week Cooking Plan) ($6.60 for 4-6 servings)

thursday - Homemade pizza, green salad ($4.50 for 6-8 servings)

friday - Pork Roast with Apples and Pears (from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook, peas, rice - OAMC ($5.37 for 4-6 servings)

saturday - leftovers (free!)

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






Stumble It!

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)




Stumble It!

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!)





Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - March 1, 2010

*BLINK*

Where did February go???

Don't get me wrong, I can't WAIT for spring, and the beginning of March is when spring fever really hits me...but I feel like I lost a week somewhere! February was a crazy month for us, so I shouldn't be too surprised.

We did alright with the menu plan last week, but ended up resorting to leftovers, leftovers and MORE leftovers from Friday on. The good news is, I have a relatively clean fridge to start the week! This week I'm going to try working completely out of the pantry, I have final Once a Month Cook-Off shopping to do and the cooking to wrap up over the course of this week. I have to avoid spending money on anything but OAMC so my budget doesn't go crazy this month. I also have the Boy Wonder's THIRD birthday party on Sunday, but I'm making homemade pizzas for that, so it won't cut TOO much into our budget. I am really looking forward to finishing up the OAMC cooking, it will leave me with enough meals to get through March and part of April!

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

monday - Italian breaded chicken drumsticks, mashed potato, green beans ($3.20 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Homemade turkey noodle soup, freezer breadsticks ($1.65 for 4-6 servings)

wednesday - BBQ pork tortillas, rice and beans ($4.45 for 4 servings)

thursday - Shepherd's pie using leftover mashed 'taters, veggies ($2.65 for 4 servings)

friday - Spaghetti dinner ($2.00 for 6-8 servings)

saturday - Leftovers (free!)

sunday - Boy Wonder's Birthday - 7 pizzas for the party (appx $21)





Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Feb 22nd '10

I am really in a rut - I think it's because we have SO much going on right now, between our jobs, juggling some tough financial situations, managing the two littles, contemplating a move, and trying to clean house before the toddler's third birthday. I am definitely feeling buried! But I KNOW how good menu planning is for us so I'm trying hard to stick to it, even if nothing else gets posted for a while!

We ended up not having to cook much last week, we ate at my in-laws more than usual and on Friday I came across some Stonyfield Farms Turkey breasts for $0.59/lb!!! Totally picked up two of those, and cooked one up for a big Friday night dinner with LOTS of leftovers! :) This week will be more scheduling madness, plus I have to start getting the last of the Once a Month Cook-Off stuff purchased and made up. I cannot WAIT to have dinners ready to go in the freezer again!!

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

monday - Mac and cheese, veggies ($2.10 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Fish sticks, rice and veggies ($2.60 for 4 servings)

wednesday - Kielbasa and Pasta Supper ($3.10 for 6-8 servings)

thursday - Tomato Florentine Soup with crusty italian bread ($3.45 for 4-6 servings)

friday - Grilled cheese and leftover soup for the toddler, mommy and daddy on a much-needed date night!

saturday - Homemade Pizza, veggies ($3.50 for 6-8 servings)

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




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Feb 15th, '10

Must. Do. Menu!!!

We've been plagued by the sickies in my house for the last couple of weeks, and I just haven't had the energy to make up menus - which, of course, I paid dearly for because we never knew what to cook and did a fair amount of last-minute scrambling. Every time I think menu planning is just something fun to do, I'm reminded how vital it is for my sanity AND my wallet!

So I'm back on the MPM train, this week we won't have any nights when everyone is home for dinner so I'm going to try putting the bulk of the cooking early in the week and rely on leftovers towards the end of the week. Today I made some butternut squash and apple puree for the baby, we still have sweet potatoes and pears in the freezer too! I'll be posting later this week on my baby food adventures :)

Here's our table for the week, and be sure to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie to check out tons more menus and recipes!!

monday - Japanese-style Beef Curry over rice ($4.43 for 6-8 servings)

tuesday - Country Turkey Cobbler using leftover chopped turkey ($2.27 for 4-6 servings)

wednesday - Rotini with veggie marinara, homemade breadsticks from the freezer (3.50 for 6-8 servings)

thursday - either leftover night, or Tomato and Chickpea Soup, grilled cheese sammies ($5.29 for 4 servings plus leftover soup!)

friday - Leftovers!

saturday - Leftovers!

Sunday - Dinner at my in-law's!




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Feb 1, '10

Holy cow, it's FEBRUARY???? Well I suppose I should be thankful, after all every day is one day closer to spring :)

Last week, menu posting was a total FAIL. Too busy, too scattered, and too everything! I still managed to eat from the pantry, so we did ok but I was definitely scrambling every morning to figure out what I'd make for dinner.

I know the Pantry challenge is over, but I realized that I usually do that anyway - use what I can from the pantry and spend my money on things for the stockpile. Since I ALWAYS have frozen meats, cheese, frozen veggies, baking supplies and seasonings on hand, I rarely just shop for the recipes I'm making each week - even when I look up new recipes, I try to choose dishes that use a lot of what I have on hand. It's what works for me!

This week is no different, except that we really don't have anything unusual planned so I'm cooking just about every night. I *do* plan on cooking Once a Month Mom's February menu at the end of the month, so using pantry items will be more crucial to keep the budget from blowing up! But not only did she put up a GREAT menu, but it's their 1 year Blogoversary, complete with contests - check it out!

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

monday - Stovetop Mac & Cheese with added broccoli ($4.48 for 4-6 servings)

tuesday - Leftovers (Free!)

wednesday - Chicken veggie stirfry with rice (using leftover chicken marinated in Asian Sesame dressing) ($1.60 for 4 servings)

thursday - Beef Stew, freezer rolls ($7.20 for 8-10 servings)

friday - Leftovers - Free!

saturday - Mexican Pizza Braid ($5.29 for 6-8 servings)

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




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Jan 18, '10

I hadn't planned on it, but it looks like I'm all in for the Eat from the Pantry Challenge! Last week we did GREAT with the menu plan, and my weekly grocery trip (including bulk diapers from BJ's) was under $40 - only $10 of that was spent on actual food! I'm trolling the depths of my pantry for this week's menu to see how far I can go.

I've got a HUNGRY 5 month old on my hands to boot - so a good chunk of last week's shopping was for fresh veggies for baby food! So far he's been doing GREAT with solid foods, eats his homemade baby oatmeal twice a day plus fruits and veggies! He's built big and solid, I'm starting to wonder if he'll be too heavy for the infant carrier before his 6 month checkup...it's a good thing he's so cute...






This week, aside from baby food making, I only have 5 meals to account for - hubby's rescheduled holiday party is Sunday, and Tuesday is MY BIRTHDAY! Woot! We got some gift cards for Christmas so we're going OUT. I have most of what I need for all the recipes, so I'm anticipating another super cheap shopping week!

Here's our table, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menus, recipes, and pantry challengers!

monday - Autumn Chowder, homemade breadsticks from the freezer ($4.26 for 6 servings)

tuesday - It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Date night :)

wednesday - Chinese Beef and Broccoli over rice ($5.20 for 4-6 servings)

thursday - Black Bean Quesadillas, sliced avocado ($3.50 for 4 servings)

friday - Homemade pizza, veggies ($3.45 for 6-8 servings)

saturday - Cabbage Roll Casserole leftovers from the freezer, leftover breadsticks - FREE!

Sunday - Hubby's work holiday party! Free!




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Jan 11, '09

So I've noticed a good number of folks are participating in the Eat from the Pantry Challenge put out there by Money Saving Mom and FishMama, and as luck would have it, we're currently in a position where eating from the pantry is becoming a necessity. My stockpile is good (thankfully!) and we had a few financial curveballs to start the year that created the need to tighten things up. This week I am attempting to plan completely out of the pantry - the only thing we *should* need is milk.

Last week went well, we had an unexpected night out of the house and were treated to some yummy chili at my sister-in-law's! Other than that we stuck to the menu - the Asian Pork Stew was good, but I think I need to tweak it a bit more before I include it in my recipe box. We have some leftovers, but not so many that I'm afraid to cook! I hit a CRAZY sale at Trucchi's this week and scored breakfast fixin's for SUPER CHEAP (try $0.33 packages of English muffins!) so I'll be making bacon egg & cheese muffins for the freezer - hooray for OAMC breakfast!

Here's our delve into the pantry - don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for lots more menus and recipes!

monday - Homemade Pizza ($2.94 for 6-8 servings)

tuesday - Burgers on homemade buns, veggie, chips ($3.70 for 4 servings) **the dough will be made into enough buns for 2 dinners plus dinner rolls for later in the week

wednesday - Shredded BBQ chicken on homemade rolls, veggie ($2.90 for 4 servings)

thursday - Breakfast for dinner! Eggs, pancakes, fruit ($2.60 for 4 servings)

friday - Sausage and Penne Bake ($7.45 for 6-8 servings)

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

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




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Jan 4, '10

Happy 2010! I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year's!

I am still working through my goals for the coming year, but one thing at the TOP of my list is more pro-active meal planning! We do pretty well each week, though I know many times when Menu Plan Monday became Menu Plan Wednesday, Thursday...you get the picture. My household goals for this year include incorporating both MONTHLY meal planning (even if it's just a rough framework that I can switch around), and more active Once a Month cooking into our routine! We did pretty well sticking with the plan last week but our schedule was busy enough that I was really missing having meals ready to go in the freezer. And speaking of the freezer, I NEED to do a full freezer inventory - we'll see how that goes :)

My husband's still working every night that I'm off, so next week there are no nights we're all home for dinner. It looks like that's how our schedules will be for a while, especially once hubby starts school in a few weeks. I've got to find a rhythm that works for this new schedule, so I'm going to try meals this week where the ingredients can be prepped the night before to save time when I'm juggling both kids in the evenings.

Here's what I came up with, don't forget to visit Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more recipe and menu ideas!

monday - Italian Sausage Hawaiian over rice - never got to it last week! ($4.90 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Shredded BBQ chicken, cornbread, veggies ($3.75 for 4 servings, plus leftover cornbread!)

wednesday - Stuffed Zucchini, leftover cornbread, veggies ($6.30 for 4 servings)

thursday - English Muffin Pizzas, veggies ($2.50 for 4 servings)

friday - Leftovers (FREE)

saturday - Crockpot Asian Pork Stew over rice (cost TBA)

sunday - Dinner at the In-laws (FREE)




Stumble It!

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)




Stumble It!

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!)




Stumble It!

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!)




Stumble It!