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 - 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 - 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 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)




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




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Sept 14, '09

I know I missed last week's MPM, we've been dealing with some colic from the new little one so sleep and free time are in short supply :-)

I have still been working off my freezer meals and quick dinners, but the time is coming fast when I need to get back to my old cooking routines. I can probably stretch my OAMC meals one more week, but I need to start planning for cooking days and figure out how that will work with the baby's schedule.

Here's what we'll be eating, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menu ideas!

monday - leftover Cheesy Kielbasa Bake - OAMC - FREE

tuesday - Homemade Vegetable Soup, breadsticks - OAMC - ($4.27 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Spaghetti and freezer meatballs, leftover breadsticks - OAMC ($4.11 for 6-8 servings)

thursday - Hamburgers, tater tots, veggies ($3.50 for 4 servings)

friday - Pizza Rolls (with pepperoni), veggies and ranch dip - OAMC - ($5.90 for 8 servings)

saturday - leftovers - FREE

sunday - dinner at the in-laws - FREE




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Aug 24th, '09

We're into week 2 of the new baby and I actually managed to get both kids down for an afternoon nap at the same time! The quiet in the house is heavenly ;)

Last week I did *ok* with sticking to the menu, though one night when I was home alone with the kids I resorted to mac & cheese for my toddler instead of thawing something...we'd had a rough morning and I totally forgot to thaw dinner! This week I'm hoping to do a little better, hubby is back at work so I'm on my own for dinner most nights. It's tough to be motivated when the only other mouth I need to please would vote for grilled cheese sandwiches every night should I give him the choice!

Here's what we're (attempting) eating this week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menus and ideas!

monday - Black Bean Quesadillas, sliced green peppers ($5.80 for 6 servings)

tuesday - Chicken Cordon Bleu over egg noodles - OAMC ($6.75 for 6 servings)

wednesday - BBQ shredded chicken sandwiches, mixed veggies ($4.30 for 4 servings)

thursday - Leftovers - free!

friday - Homemade veggie soup, Whole Wheat Biscuits - OAMC ($6.81 for 8-10 servings)

saturday - leftover Cabbage Roll Casserole from the freezer, leftover biscuits - free!

sunday - Clean Out Fridge Night - free!








Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - July 27th, '09

We're at T-minus a week and a half before my due date! I'm definitely feeling like a gigantic Macy's balloon right now, and the heat of summer has finally arrived to New England. Hooray for air conditioning!

I'm working off a minimalist menu plan this week, partially because of the heat and partially because I'm just beat right now. Plus hubby is working a lot so that means more nights than usual when it's just the Boy Wonder and I for dinner. I realized that I have NINE POUNDS of kielbasa in the chest freezer...so I found a couple of OAMC recipes that will help whittle that down, and add to my stockpile for post-birth. I'll post the recipes once I try them out!

Here's what we're eating this week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons of great menu links!

monday - Leftovers! (Free)

tuesday - Grilled Cheese sandwiches, fruit ($2.70 for 4 servings)

wednesday - English Muffin pizzas, veggies and dip ($3.50 for 4 servings)

thursday - Chicken pot pie made with leftover Mimi's Sticky Chicken - OAMC ($3.75 for 4-6 servings)

friday - Homemade Hawaiian Pizza ($4.50 for 6-8 servings)

saturday - Homemade Vegetable Soup, leftover breadsticks ($5.95 for 8-10 servings)

sunday - Dinner at the in laws!








Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - June 8, '09

I was a total slacker last week...no menu, no sales posting, just a whole lot of feelin' poopy...but I'm much better now!

We actually did pretty well last week, even without a game plan. I raided the pantry as much as possible and actually got in a date night :) Proof that we don't go out much though - we got WAAAAY more than we could finish and now I have massive amounts of chinese leftovers in the fridge. At least work lunches will be covered!

This week will be much more routine, and I'll be using up the last of the OAMC meals from May. I've already got this month's dishes tucked away in the freezer and will be working on a few extra dishes to stockpile for when the baby comes in August! I can't believe we're at 60 days and counting...

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

monday - Leftover pulled pork, homemade cornbread, veggies ($1.75 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Honey Balsamic pork chops, veggies, rice ($5.78 for 4 servings)

wednesday - Autumn Chowder in homemade bread bowls ($4.86 for 4-6 servings)

thursday - Roast turkey breast, veggies, rice ($7.75 for 4 servings plus TONS of turkey leftovers!)

friday - Chicken Cordon Bleu, egg noodles, veggies - OAMC meal ($7.25 for 6 servings)

saturday - Game night at our house - three pizzas to feed hungry gamers! ($7.50 for all THREE pies!)

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











Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - May 25, '09

Happy Memorial Day! Be sure to take the time to thank a vet today :)

Last week was a good week, the Crockpot Beef Stew came out really good, and we have enough leftover for another full meal - next time I think I'll make bread bowls!

This week requires a little less cooking since we have a family BBQ on Monday, but I'll be assembling my OAMC meals for next month with some of my free nights. I've also REALLY got to take a full inventory of what's in the freezer - I think there's a chicken or two lurking in the depths that I may have forgotten :)

Here's our table for the week, don't forget to check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more fantastic menu ideas!

monday - Happy Memorial Day! Family BBQ (free)

tuesday - BBQ pulled pork, veggies, homemade cornbread ($4.75 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Grilled cheese, fruit salad ($3.04 for 4 servings)

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

friday - Bee Rocks, Tomato and Chickpea Soup - OAMC meal ($9.08 for 10 servings)

saturday - No Fuss Chicken Cordon Bleu, egg noodles, veggies ($7.58 for 6 servings)

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








Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - March 23 '09

Ok so I'm posting this from work because we got home WAAAY too late last night after a day of party going with the boy...I am too old to be this social :-)

Anyway, I will post recipes and prices later tonight when I have a moment to breathe, but here's my menu plan for this week! Don't forget to check on the other menu plans at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Monday - Chicken pot pie ($4.00 for 6 servings)

Tuesday - Roast turkey breast, sweet potatoes, mixed veggies ($10 for 6 servings plus TONS of meat leftovers!)

Wednesday - Pulled pork sandwiches (using leftover Pork roast and homemade rolls, corn on the cob ($2.99 for 4-6 servings)

Thursday - Leftovers! (Free!)

Friday - Tomato and chickpea soup, grilled cheese ($5.19 for 4 servings)

Saturday - Homemade pizza ($2.50 for 6-8 servings)

Sunday - dinner at the in laws





Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Feb 16th '09

Happy post-Valentines day! I hope everyone had a great weekend! We spent a quiet evening home and actually had a nice sit-down dinner...with a toddler in the house that alone was a fantastic V-Day gift :)

We did well sticking to the menu plan last week, I shuffled a few of the days around because I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer early in the week (oops!)...I blame it on prego brain! But it all worked out in the end, I still stuck to plan and budget and we ended up having the full roast chicken spread for Valentine's dinner. The best news is that my nausea seems to FINALLY be gone so I can EAT DINNER again! Hooray!

This week is another exercise in using as much from the pantry as possible...we are 12 days from our move, and I am trying to use up my surplus as well as sock away some money for moving expenses. I have been using Supercook.com to dig up recipes based on what I have - you just input the ingredients you have available and it lists recipes you can make right away, as well as any recipes that require a few extra ingredients.

Check out what we're eating - and don't forget to visit the MANY other MPM participants over at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

monday - Leftover Vegetable soup (from the freezer!), Grilled cheese sandwiches ($0.75 for 3 servings)

tuesday - Chicken Broccoli Casserole made with mostly leftovers! ($2.50 for 6 servings)

wednesday - BBQ beef sandwiches (made with leftover beef roast and homemade rolls), cream corn, Sweet Potato Sticks ($3.90 for 4-6 servings)

thursday - Garlic Pork Chops, zucchini, couscous ($6.16 for 4 servings)

friday - Homemade Enchiladas ($5.88 for 4-6 servings)

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

sunday - Leftover night! Free!!






Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Dec 15th

Making the list, checking it twice...realizing I forgot to buy for a few people. Happy Holidays!

Well this is the Week Before Christmas menu...not really different from other weeks except my stress level is a WEEEEE tiny bit higher :) I'm trying to keep it simple this week so that I can enjoy New Years from somewhere other than an institution...

Last week's menu went really well, the new Mac and Cheese recipe that we tried was AWESOME - super creamy and cheesy, and took almost no time to make. The addition of some salsa and the shredded Taco Chicken made for a yummy meal - and leftovers with a short shelf life. I have a TON of leftover Cabbage Roll Casserole, which will serve as work lunch and probably a leftovers dinner this week.

I am starting to look into breakfast recipes that fit into Once A Month Cooking - we do oatmeal or muffins just about every morning so a change would be nice, plus I think that would be a good entry point for me...starting with the new year I would like to have at least ONE dish per month that is cooked in bulk. For now, the freezer is full of muffins again and I'm in search of a pancake recipe that doesn't turn out rubbery after it's been thawed!

Here's what we're having this week, what's in your wallet, er...menu? Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie to find out.

monday - Bee Rocks and Broccoli Cheese soup from the freezer ($3.76 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Green Giant Stirfry with added chicken and rice ($3.99 for 4 servings)

wednesday - Chipotle Ranch Drumsticks, broccoli, sweet potato ($5.28 for 4 servings)

thursday - Sausage and Penne Bake, homemade breadsticks ($7.69 for 8 servings)

friday - Homemade cheese pizza ($2.30 for 8 servings)

saturday - Dinner at the In-Laws

sunday - Leftover night!

Menu Plan Monday - Dec 1st

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanskgiving...and for those who braved the Black Friday crowds, I hope you escaped with all of your appendages still attached.

We're doing really well sticking to the menu - this past week was easy because there were so many nights we planned for leftovers or eating somewhere other than home. But all of the recipes were successful, especially the Oatmeal-Cornflake cookies...I ended up baking SIX batches before the week was done. I scored some cranberries on sale and chopped two cups of those in the food processor for some of the cookies - they didn't add a lot of flavor but made them look VERY Christmasy! I was thinking chopped dates and nuts might be pretty good too...

Here's our plan for the week - don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more inspiration and to post your own menu! Also - I've added a MPM calendar in my sidebar - let me know what you think!

monday - Leftovers night - free!

tuesday - Autumn Chowder, homemade rolls ($4.85 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Homemade Hawaiian pizza (with pineapple and bacon) ($3.74 for 8 servings)

thursday - Slow cooker chicken and dumplings using these biscuits for the dumplings ($3.16 for 6 servings)

friday - Ham and cheese oven omelette using this recipe and leftover ham, toast ($3.15 for 6 servings)

saturday - Chicken leg quarters from this sale with Italian dressing marinade, veggie, rice ($4.23 for 4 servings)

sunday - Dinner at the in-laws! Free night!