Menu Plan 2-3 to 2-9-23: Feeding the Family

 This week's menu plan has already been altered.  Friday was so busy that I ended up picking up Chinese take out for dinner.  And they gave us so much, that we ended up having left overs for Saturday's dinner.  Those two days were very easy on me cooking wise.  The oldest turned 21 on Sunday, and our original plan was to go to his college and take him out to eat to celebrate.  But he had already made plans with his high school friends (the guys were coming to visit him and to celebrate).  We did not want him to change his plans, so we said we would celebrate at a later date.  But in anticipation of that trip, we scheduled the dog at the kennel for the weekend.  We kept that plan, because she's going to need to get used to the kennel for when we go on vacation this summer.  I missed her very much, but I used Saturday and Sunday to get caught up on all the cleaning I can't get done when she is here.  Having the take out/left overs really gave me extra time to get more cleaning done.  I felt slightly organized - lol.  But I do have a menu this week.

Friday:  Chinese take out (meatless Friday)

Saturday:  Left over take out

Sunday:  Roasted Chicken thighs, fried potatoes, and lima beans

Monday:  Breakfast for dinner:  Pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and turkey bacon

Tuesday:  Turkey Tacos

Wednesday:  Chicken Double Fried Rice (THM recipe).  It's Chicken fried  rice with half rice/cauli rice

Thursday:  I have this down as "clean up day", but if we don't have left overs, we will have Weight Watchers Crock Pot Potato Soup (except that I make my own "cream of chicken soup". It's so easy, and better than the canned).

Have a blessed week ahead!!

Menu Plan 1/27/23 to 2/2/23: Feeding the Family

 

This week I had a Walmart pick up scheduled for the groceries.  I love me a Walmart pickup.  I love ordering my things online and just showing up and having it put in my car.  It's easy and convenient.  Until it isn't.  I scheduled my pick up for 8-9 am Friday morning. This would be after school drop off.  Well, Thursday morning, it started snowing.  And it just didn't stop.  The Walmart that I used was close to the school, but not close to our house (our Walmart is 40 minutes round trip from our house.  The school Walmart is 45-50 minutes from our house and smack dab in the heart of snow belt).  Since I was worried about school getting cancelled, I cancelled my pick up Thursday afternoon.  The road Thursday night were TERRIBLE. I thought for sure that school would be cancelled.  But the roads were fine Friday morning.  So I cancelled for nothing.  But better to safe, than sorry.  So I shopped at my favorite local grocery store instead.  The prices are not as good.  But it's 5 minutes from the house, and the food is such great quality.  So I saved no money this week, but we have delicious, healthy food and I didn't have to stress about school possibly getting cancelled.  I put streaks on this weeks menu, and I normally don't do that because of how expensive they are.  But we eat so much chicken, that I thought the guys could use something a little different.  And the big boys aren't here, otherwise steaks only happen for special occasions. 

This weeks menu:

Friday:  Baked Salmon and Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

Saturday:  Lemon Chicken with Capers, Brussel Sprouts

Sunday:  Steak, Baked Potato, and Salad

Monday: Cheeseburgers and Veggies

Tuesday:  Chicken Tacos/Chicken Tacos

Wednesday:  Pizza Soup

Thursday:  Clean Up Day Rice and Beans with Chicken Breast (we didn't have leftovers)

Have a blessed week ahead!!

Menu Plan 1-13-23 to 1-19-23: Feeding the Family

 Well, all of the Christmas decorations are down, inside and outside.  The house was so dusty.  Yuck.  This is the last week that the big boys will be home until spring break.  They head back to school this weekend.  I am going to miss having them home.  We all will.  Little brother is already getting sad.  They will be home in March, but only for a week.  Then we plan to head to college for Easter since it's not a recognized holiday and they don't get time off.  If you have little kids, cherish that time.  I know how hard having little kids at home can be.  I really do remember.  But I find it harder to have them leave.  It's just so different.  

This weeks menu plan:

Friday: One Pot Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pasta (I used gluten free pasta and it worked fine)

Saturday:  Homemade pizza (wheat and gluten free)

Sunday:  Saucy Hungarian Red Potato Goulash This was a huge hit!  I used Raddell's Polish sausage

Monday: Slow Cooker Chicken Philly Cheesesteaks

Tuesday:  Tacos

Wednesday: Red beans and rice with chicken sausage

Thursday:  Clean up Day

Saturdays pizza was very good.  I didn't get a photo because the puppy had an allergic reaction to something (we think something outside, but don't know) and we ended up in the emergency pet ER.  She's on Benadryl and they gave her a steroid and she's doing better.

Yes, doggies get hives too

Poor baby with swollen eyes

Daisy and I decided to walk for St. Jude with month.  It's 40 miles for the month of January.  We are up to 29.14 miles.  We didn't walk on Sunday, but I took her back out today and she is feeling better and we were able to get our walk in.  

You can track our progress HERE

Have a blessed week ahead!!

Menu Plan 1-6-23 to 1-13-23: Feeding the Family

 The holidays are sort of behind us.  By sort of, I mean we still have to get together with extended family, now that the house is free of Covid.  School is back in session for the little guy.  The two older boys are still home for this week and next.  I love having them home.  But my grocery budget is crying 😢 .  We have basketball, spelling bee, baseball instruction, hair cut for the little guy, dentist for mom, and travel baseball practice this week.  We also went to visit my parents yesterday.  The week is full, good, but full.

This weeks menu plan:

Friday:  Baked salmon and veggie fried rice (meatless Friday) and pizza for the little guy and his friend.

Saturday:  Baked Chicken (I baked two for left overs), left over rice, and veggies.

Sunday:  Dinner at Grandmas

Monday:  Bacon cheeseburger turkey burgers, baked potatoes

Tuesday:  Baked chicken thigh tacos

Wednesday:  Chicken and veggies fried rice (leftover baked chicken and left over rice)

Thursday:  Slow Cooker Italian Wedding soup and sub sandwiches

All of the Christmas decorations are down except for the big Christmas tree.  It's sort of a process right now.  But the Valentine's tree is up.  There's just so much to do.  I'm getting there.  All in due time, right?

Have a wonderful and blessed week ahead.

Menu Plan 12-2-22 to 12-8-22: Feeding the Family

 My Christmas prep has stalled.  I still haven't put up the tree in the basement.  I'm thinking that I may just leave it until the big boys come home.  They can do it if they want to.  I have a few gifts left to buy and I need to find something to wear to the husbands Christmas party next weekend.  I'm feeling the crunch.  But I've had some medical stuff to deal with (some mine, some other peoples) and I just haven't had the time.  This week's menu if using a lot of what I already have on hand.  And the boys come home at the end of the week so next week's menu will contain more "meat" meals, but I still have to find a way to keep this grocery budget under control.  I swear, money is just flying out of this house.  I am looking forward to them being here, but I'm not looking forward to feeding them - LOL>

Friday:  Baked Cod and French Fries

Saturday:  Homemade Pizza (it was really good, but there's a story behind this involving a face plant.  I'm not sharing here but it took the wind right out of my sails). I made pepperoni and sausage, and a white pizza with sausage, pepperoncini, and ricotta

Sunday:  Baked Chicken, potato or rice, and veg

Monday:  I'm not sure yet.  It's my birthday and I'm assuming that the husband will take care of this, but he hasn't said anything, so if he doesn't, it will be steaks on the grill.

Tuesday:  Slow cooker White Chicken Chili

Wednesday:  Turkey Tacos

Thursday:  Clean up

Second Sunday of Advent:

Have a blessed week ahead!! 

Happy Thanksgiving

 I didn't post a menu plan this week.  I actually did do one, but the big boys surprised us by coming home from college on Sunday instead of Tuesday and I just enjoyed having them home.  I did put together a menu plan, but it got all switched about with the early arrival.  But all was good, and everyone has been fed.  I'm so glad they came home early.  The time is going by too quickly though.

I started some Thanksgiving prep on Tuesday and will soldier on today.  The following is our Thanksgiving menu:

Classic Herb Stuffing I make Gluten Free bread in my bread machine for the "bread" part, then cut it into cubes and toast it in the oven.  I posted a link to the closest recipe I could find online, but the recipe I use is from an older Joy of Cooking recipe book.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes from Martha Stewart.  The boys love these.  They really are perfect.  I make 10 pounds.

Sweet Potato Casserole Due to nut allergies, I leave out the nuts and add more marshmallows.

Gluten Free Gravy This isn't the recipe I use, but it's close (I do not add soy sauce, and I do add other seasonings like thyme, sage, and rosemary).  My original recipe came from a blog called Gluten Free Girl.  I don't think the blog is available anymore.

Cranberry Sauce Every year I make this.  And every year no one eats it.  It's a tradition (lol).

Green Beans with Bacon from The Hillbilly Kitchen.  Some years I make a green bean casserole, some years just plain green beans.  I'm trying this one for 2022.

Libby's Pumpkin Pie I just use the recipe on the back of the can.  I sub Ener-G egg replacer for the egg, and I use Wholly Wholesome GF Pie Shells for the crust.  Many, MANY years I struggled trying to make a gluten free, egg free, nut free crust that didn't fall apart and was still edible.  I found these shells a few years ago and never looked back.  They work just fine.

The Turkey Sometimes I use a roasting bag, sometimes I don't.  I basically I combine the butter and herbs and rub down the bird under the skin and on top of the skin.  My husband will fry a turkey too and his brine and seasonings are his own concoction.  He's in charge of that one. My baked turkey is pretty simple and classic (and yes, I stuff it... ssshhh don't tell one.  I know it's now a no-no).  This is my turkey roasting pan and I swear it does all the magic.  It's not that I'm a good turkey cook, it's that you can't go wrong with this pan. 

I hope you have a happy, blessed Thanksgiving!  

Menu Plan 11/11/22-11/17/22: Feeding the Family

Happy Monday!  It is happy Monday for me because last week I was under the weather.  Some kind of upper respiratory crud knocked me down (you can see it reflected in last week's menu).  I'm still not 100%, but I'm much better.  Some of the meals I had scheduled for last week, have been moved to this week.  I planned on shopping at Aldi last week because their Thanksgiving sales are really good, but not only was I sick, but the dog was too and I couldn't leave her home by herself for too long, so I ended up doing a Giant Eagle pick up which didn't really help save any money at all.  I will try again this week to save.   

This week's menu plan:

Friday:  Quiche, home fries, and fruit

Saturday:  Eating out for a family members birthday

Sunday:  Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Monday:  Chicken thighs, potato, veg

Tuesday:  Pizza Casserole (from last week's menu)

Wednesday:  Chicken Pastina Soup, rolls, salad (from Cooking With Mamma C)

Thursday:  Clean Up Day

Have a blessed week ahead!!

Menu Plan 11/4/22 to 11/10/22: Feeding the Family

 

This weeks menu plan:

Friday:  Meatless Friday: Baked Cod, potato, and vegetable (black bean burger for mom)

Saturday:  Low Carb Pizza Casserole (recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen) Frozen pizza 

Sunday:  Pasta, meatballs and sausage with homemade sauce

Monday:  Left over pasta and sauce

Tuesday:  Keto Taco Casserole (recipe from Joy Filled Eats) Leftovers again

Wednesday:  Quick Cajun Dirty Rice (recipe from Gwen's Nest) turkey tacos

Thursday:  Clean up day

Have a blessed week ahead!!

-Menu Plan - 9/28/22 to 10/3/22: Feeding the Family

 I'm late on this for the week.  I had the meal plan done since Tuesday, but sometimes life gets in the way of posting.  

It has been a busy week, but a good one.  Friday, the little one had two friends sleep over.  Three 10 year olds is the most 10 olds I can handle for a sleep over.  They sure are active.  And one child kept insisting that they watch Scream.  Nice try child, but I don't let 10 year olds watch rate R movies at my house.  He actually got a little mad, but luckily the attitude changed quick enough.  Sorry, but this is not my first rodeo.

They had a nice time.  Saturday was a 10-year-old friends birthday party.  Sunday was Puppy Kindergarten and our neighborhood Trick or Treat.  Because we have teacher conferences tonight, we went to All Saints Day mass last night.  And after teacher conferences, there is basketball practice.  Whew!  It's a lot.

Trick or Treat was nice.  We actually got 25 kids this year.  Usually, we get 3-6 kids.  All of the kids aged up with my older boys.  But recently several new young families moved into the neighborhood.  It was so nice to see so many little ones. 

Halloween 2022

 

This week's menu:

Friday:  Take and Bake Aldi pizza

Saturday:  Baked chicken tacos

Sunday:  Tomato and Feta pasta (also known as Tick Tock pasta)

Monday:    Grilled turkey burgers and hot dogs with frozen fries

Tuesday:  Breakfast for dinner:  Bacon, egg, and cheese sammys and hash browns

Wednesday:  Greek Chicken Skillet

Thursday:  Clean up

Last week I shopped at our local discount store Marc's and then at Aldi.  Marc's has really good prices, but you get what they have so you can't be brand loyal.  This week I'm doing a Walmart pick up because the end of the week is VERY busy, but I made the mistake of looking at the Marc's flyer and many things that I have on my pickup are actually cheaper at Marc's.  It's painful, but I just can't add in another store this week.  Hopefully I can go back to Marc's next week.  I will try and post some of the things that I am saving on.

Last week Marc's had turkeys for 87 cents per pound.  They were Butterball or Jenni-O.  I got a Jenni-O because I needed a smaller one for frying and that was the smallest one I could find.  Aldi had Butterballs for $1.59 per pound.  Clearly, Marc's was the better deal.  

I also got my Christmas cards ordered.  We always do photo cards and this year I used Snapfish.  They have a code that will get you 70% off your cards.  Use code OCCRD70 to save.

Happy Feast of All Saints!!

Have a blessed week ahead!!  

Meal Plan 10/14 to 10/20/22: Feeding the Family

 Hi all!  Happy mid-October!  Football ended last Sunday.  Unfortunately, the boys lost their final game and that took them out of any playoff contention.  We have no sporting events this week.  But basketball will be starting the beginning of November, so the reprieve will be a short one.  Such is life with kids.  

My goal right now is to stock up our freezer while trying to get our grocery budget in check. This is not an easy task, but I'm working on it.  I'm trying to get an organized database of our favorite, most used recipes and a grocery list to go along with them.  This is something that will take time, but I think it will help me be more organized.  Stay tuned for progress updates.  

This Sunday is trunk or treat at the school.  But that's all we have scheduled right now.  I would like to take the young one to get his pumpkin to carve, so maybe we will do that on Saturday after trunk or treat.  The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here.  I know it won't stay that way, but I'm soaking up every last bit of it.  

This week's menu plan:

Friday:  Clam Chowder (moved from last week's menu plan):  I had a lot of left-over lunch meat, so I changed last week's menu plan around.  I also had an unfortunate incident with the stew meat (you cannot leave meat on the counter all night and use it the next day.  Oy.  I can't believe I did that).  

Saturday:  Sausage and pepper bake.  I need to use the rest of the peppers from the garden.  

Sunday:  Salisbury Steak, potato, and veg

Monday:  Food Nanny's Chicken Soup, rolls (from the Food Nanny Saves Dinner Again Cookbook)

Tuesday:  Low Carb Mexican Casserole with coconut lime rice

Wednesday:  Quiche and hashbrowns

Thursday:  Clean-up Day

Baking:  The Ultimate Healthy Banana Muffins from The Ambitious Kitchen

We are trying to cut sugar out of the young one's diet.  He's been on a cookie and milk kick and eating too much Halloween candy.  The muffin recipe above is low in sugar.  It uses honey instead of regular sugar.  I have recipes that use alternative sugars (like Stevia) but I'm just not sure I want to use that with him.  I've read conflicting data on safety, so I prefer to stick with honey, maple syrup, or low amounts of sugar.  

Speaking of too much Halloween candy, the school had Trunk or Treat on Saturday.  He cleaned up.  I will have to dole this out.  

Have a blessed week!!

Meal Plan 10/7 to 10/13: Feeding the Family

Well, hopefully last week was the last week of football.  They are playing right now, and if they win, they may go to play offs.  I'm home with the dog since she can't stay home alone that long.  I'm torn.  Part of me hopes they win.  But part of me hopes that football season is over.  Don't tell him that I said that.

This week I tried to do a Walmart pick up.  When it came to my pickup time, I received a text that said my pickup was delayed.  I was already on my way there since I made my pickup time for right after school.  We went anyway since we were almost there, and we waited 45 minutes.  I didn't receive any updates, so I cancelled the order and just headed home.  I could have just gone into Walmart and shopped, except that I had the puppy with me and couldn't just leave her in the car. Yesterday, I shopped at Heinen's instead.  I spent more than I would have at Walmart, but I really do love the selections of produce, meat, and high-end products that Heinen's has.  

This week's menu plan:

Friday:  Mrs. T's Pierogi's and fruit.  These were such a hit a few weeks ago, I thought I'd take the easy way out again.

Saturday:  Pizza Night:  Traditional pepperoni, and white pizza with portabella mushrooms, green pepper, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, parmigiana, Romano, and asiago cheeses.

Sunday:  Cheesy Chicken with Spinach, roasted veggies, salad, and rolls (chicken recipe from the Food Nanny Saves Dinner Again cookbook)

Monday:  Turkey Tacos

Tuesday:  Slow Cooker Beef Stew.  I was scheduled to make a Meal Train meal for a church family on this day, but the person who was scheduled for last week, requested that we switch due to her having some sick littles at home.  I made my Meal Train slow cooker beef stew last Thursday, but I'll be keeping our schedule for beef stew today.

Wednesday:  Clam Chowder, rolls, and salad.  At least I think this is what we are having.  The recipe is from the Food Nanny Saves Dinner Again cookbook and it only calls for one can of clams.  That doesn't seem enough to me, so I planned on buying two cans.  But the grocery store was completely wiped out of canned clams.  The clams were on the very top shelf and standing on tip toes, I managed to find one can knocked to the very back of the shelf, so I bought it.  I'm just still not convinced that one can will be enough, so we'll see.

Thursday:  Cleanup day or Poor Man's Meal

Have a blessed week ahead!!

XOXO