Menu Planning- Week 4

This is the last week in January for the menu. I am in the process right now of making February's menu...My friend, Joy, is bringing me some deer meat.. so I've been researching yummy recipes for that. Can't wait! That will save A LOT at the store this time on meats! Score! Here is the final week (week 4) of January's menu:

Sunday: BBQ Chicken Quesadillas with Spanish Rice (like the Lipton or Uncle Ben's box/bag)
Monday: Pizza Night (this can either be frozen pizza or homemade. I do the roll out crust, pizza sauce, mozz. cheese, pepperonis, and whatever other toppings we want... easy peasy.
Tuesday: Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese, Salad, Garlic Bread (same kind from Wal Mart deli) (with the spaghetti, I use penne pasta or small shell pasta and I use a whole block of cream cheese)
Wednesday: Crock Pot Ham (with pineapples and honey), Scalloped Potatoes (from real potatoes), and Wild Rice (Uncle Ben's)
Thursday: Leftovers (Ham sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls are the best) and Chips
Friday: Tilapia Rolls, Asparagus, and White Rice (where it says "Sole" I use tilapia. Works the same.
Saturday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup (this is also shopping day for me.. It's Feb 1st!) to the grocery store I will go today. WITH NO KIDS OR HUSBAND. This is the only way I will stick to my list and only spend what I budget myself for. No exceptions. I used to let D come with me, but he wanders to much and picks things up on every aisle. Never again. The kids are so bad, but I just need to think while I'm shopping for a whole month.

Stay tuned for February and all it's deer meat glory! Can't wait!

Menu Planning- Weeks 2 and 3

I know, I'm late.. again. Sorry! I've been busy.. as usual. So, here are weeks 2 and 3 for my menu for the month. I will be doing my menu for February next weekend and writing my grocery list. It takes me a while to write out my list and get it just right (so I don't have to go back to the store.) I DID have to go to the store on Sunday ( I know, GAH!) I ran out of butter ( I'm not sure how) and sugar over the weekend.. and I cook so much from scratch, I HAD to have those items. So to Kroger I went after church. And I ONLY bought those two items. Yep. I'm serious about this stuff, y'all! :)

Week 2 - January 12-January 18

Sunday- Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells (these are delicious!) or just Tacos and Mexican Rice (I use Lipton)
Monday- Manicotti and Breadsticks (I get the 12 pack of fresh breadsticks from Wal Mart and freeze them) (and on the Manicotti, don't cook the noodles first; it saves time and they cook fine in the oven when baking)
Tuesday- Parmesan Broiled Tilapia, Red Potatoes, and Broccoli/Cheese (just broccoli cooked with velveeta melted over it)
Wednesday- Crockpot Chili and Cornbread (homemade recipe at the bottom) (cornbread is jiffy mix)
Thursday- Breakfast (the kiddos picked waffles and fruit for tonight) (usually we eat sausage, biscuits, bacon, eggs...)
Friday- Tuna Cakes, Carrots, and Pasta Salad (kraft pasta salad)
Saturday- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers (this is for just D and I tonight) and Wild Rice (Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice)

Homemade Chili:

1 pound ground chuck (I use ground round or turkey meat) cooked
1 onion, chopped and cooked with meat
1 can diced tomatoes (I use canned tomatoes from the garden)
I can tomato sauce
1 cans tomato paste (1 if you like it more soupy)
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 cup water
chili power, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste (we like it HOT)

Dump everything into the crock pot and cook on low for 8 or more hours. I always cook this on a Wednesday when I work until after 4 and it's SO good...

Week 3: January 19- January 25

Sunday- Waffles and Fruit (we will probably have leftovers or sandwiches)
Monday- Red and White Pasta, Salad, and Breadsticks (I usually add meat to this pasta dish)
Tuesday- BBQ Chicken Sliders, Baked Beans, and Chips
Wednesday- Crawfish and Corn Chowder (this is SOOOOO good, FOR REAL. I add 1 bag of frozen shrimp, too with the rest of the recipe. It's SO good.)
Thursday- Hamburgers and Fries (I make homemade fries, but you can just get a bag of frozen)
Friday- Steak Fingers with Gravy, Mashed Potatoes (I make homemade potatoes,) and Corn on the Cob (Kyler's favorite meal)
Saturday- Baked Chicken Drumsticks (just drumsticks covered in BBQ sauce and baked for about an hour), Green Bean Rolls (whole green beans rolled with bacon and drizzled with Italian dressing), and Mac and Cheese (either box or homemade)

Only 1 more week in January!:)

Week 1 Recipes (a few days late!)

I'm a bit late on this, so I'll do another post tonight for week 2. That way, whoever wants to start will have the recipes to go on!

Week 1 Menu:
Sunday, January 5th- Crock Pot Philly Chicken Sandwiches and Chips
Monday, January 6th- Ranch Pesto Rigatoni Bake (which was FABULOUS!) Salad, Breadsticks
Tuesday, January 7th- Baja Chicken Wraps (which we didn't eat because we had so many leftovers from the weekend and Monday, I'm moving this to Thursday night) and Mexican Rice
Wednesday, January 8th- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings (a no fail recipe, good every time!)
Thursday, January 9th- Caesar Pork Chops, Pasta Salad, Lima Beans (we're eating Tuesday night here)
Friday, January 10th- Sesame Salmon with Stir Fried Vegetable Medley, White Rice
Saturday, January 11th- Baked Shrimp and Grits with Biscuits

Crock Pot Philly Chicken Sandwiches:

http://foodfamilyfinds.com/slow-cooker-chicken-philly-sandwiches-recipe/

Ranch Pesto Rigatoni Bake (I get salad from Kroger and breadsticks from Wal Mart (in the deli section))

http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/2013/05/ranch-pesto-rigatoni-bake-vegetarian.html

Baja Chicken Wraps (for the Mexican rice, I use Knorr Rice, they are usually $1.00 at Kroger)

http://www.itsoverflowing.com/2012/04/baja-chicken-wraps-recipe/

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/170855379587153227/

Caesar Pork Chops (pasta salad is from a box and lima beans or peas from the garden that I put up)

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/caesar-pork-chops-pasta-123052.aspx

Sesame Salmon with Stir Fried Vegetable Medley (just box white rice)

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/sesame-salmon-stir-fried-vegetable-medley-123049.aspx

Baked Shrimp and Biscuits (I make homemade biscuits..not from a can) (and I but frozen shrimp from Wal Mart, $5 a bag. 1 1/2 bags make 1 meal for us, but that makes two lunch plates for the next day)

http://oystersandpearls.net/baked-shrimp-n-grits/


These will take you right to the recipes. You are ready to start your own week! It's all done for you! :) Get planning!

Menu Planning (This is LONG)

Ok, so I have had too many people to ask me about my menu planning and grocery shopping... so I figured I might as well do a blog about it. That way, I don't repeat myself and everyone can get an inside view.

First things first: YES, I plan my menu for the WHOLE month. As in, every night of the week for however many weeks there are in the month. The whole month. Second: YES, I only go to the grocery store ONCE a month. Yep.. ONCE a month. I know, I know. Some of you think I am crazy. Some of you have told me, "There is NO WAY I could do that. I have to go every week...." I'm telling you, it's possible. It just takes time, effort, discipline, and habit. Those are hard to do at first, I know. It took me a while to figure it out totally. And this is not a science.. It's just how you do your own family and what works for you. I have a "budget" that I stick by. Now, I don't always stick to it exactly. But I will stay within my means of what we can do monthly. It works for us. Now that I have it down pat, there's no way I could ever go back. 

Menu planning for the month and only shopping once a month keeps me sane. I don't have to think about supper every night. I don't have to run to the store all the time because I need something to cook. I don't have to just end up eating something fast or popping corn dogs (now we do love corn dogs, but they aren't on our dinner menu) because I am in a rush and don't have anything to cook. Supper is either cooked, thawed out to cook, or ready to cook/when I get home every day. It takes me less than hour everyday (yes, everyday) to cook my meal and  have it ready. So many people have asked... so here's how I do it.

I sit down at the end of the month and make my menu. I use a menu planner sheet from Mommy Tracked. You can get it HERE. It looks like this: 

This is my first week's menu for this month. I use Kraft Food and Family books ( I get them in the mail, pay $12.00 a year for 5 books) about 75% of the time. I look in those first... then I fill in with Pinterest, online, and just other places that have recipes. I haven't repeated a meal since October. Now, we might have spaghetti one night. Then a couple weeks later have Spicy Meatballs and Pasta. Yes, that's almost spaghetti.. but it's a totally different recipe and tastes totally different. I always have a crock pot meal on Wednesdays. I work until around 4 on these days, so it is nice to come home and supper be finished. (I usually am home by 3:30/3:45 most days and start cooking a little after 4) Weekend meals vary depending on what we're doing or events on the calendar. This month, we have NOTHING on the calendar. We have decided to do a no eating out month to help jump start the year. Normally, we have one night out a month. I would write "eat out" on whatever night this is. 

After I make my menu out, I start my grocery list. I gave my last grocery list to a friend, so I don't have a picture. But, that too, is organized in it's own way. I start with my meats. All the meats are listed that I need to buy. I count how many, say, chicken meals I have. Then I write out exactly how many packs I need. I do the same for other meats. I buy fresh tilapia and salmon. I make my meat list like this first. Then I go through my recipes and write down ingredients that I do not normally buy and how many I need. Say, I need cream cheese for 4 meals. I would write down: cream cheese- 5 blocks. This keeps me from over or under spending. I know exactly what I buy is what I need for the whole month. I continue my list and then I make my own list (things that I need monthly or household items needed.) This is where your own personal family needs/wants comes in. Your budget might be different from ours. We are on a pretty tight budget. We don't have a lot of "extras." Now, I do buy snacks and cookies and drinks. But when they're gone, they're gone. I don't go out and buy more just because the kids ate a whole bag of chips in one day. And we don't drink sodas and stuff. We drink water, juice, milk, and I'll make Kool-Aid once in a while. Kyler has drinks for his lunch,

 but he doesn't get them at home. 

After making my list, it's time for coupons. I am not one of those crazy coupon ladies who buys 60 bottles of toothpaste and 75 rolls of toilet paper just because I have a coupon for it. I use the coupons I need. That's it. I look for coupons that I need for items on my list. That's it. Nothing more. But, I will say this: coupons DO save money. Especially if you shop at Kroger. They will send you coupons of things that you buy (from receipt history). I LOVE this. 

Anyway.. I get all my coupons together and I make a check mark or a star out beside that item on my list. This helps me remember

 I have a coupon and to use it. 

Then, it's just going to the grocery store and buying it all, putting it up, and keeping your menu where you can use it. Mine is hanging on the fridge where I can see it daily. 

It's not really that hard. It just takes discipline to only spend what you have allowed yourself. And then the habit of actually cooking what you have written down and not straying from it. Here is my menu plan for the whole month of January (and the first day of February): 

If you follow me on Pinterest, most of the recipes are on there under my board EAT. I usually put "pinterest" or "online" out beside some of my plans so I know where to look when I'm cooking.

This is not for some people. I know that. And some people can go to the store every week and spend $300 on food. We can't. On a teacher's salary and only getting paid once a month.. Money management is a big priority in our house. But planning and saving money on our food helps us save money to go watch a movie, go bowling, get an ice cream  every once in while. 

You can sign up to get the Food and Family books HERE.

You can follow my EAT board on Pinterest HERE.

You can get the menu planning sheet HERE.

Everything else, is just YOU. 

Happy Planning and Shopping!