Menu Plan Monday 11/30 - 12/6

Our meals don't seem quite so boring now that I'm menu planning a little more. I am making things from my pantry, freezer and fridge, but it doesn't seem to be the same thing over and over again - which in my case is Mexican most nights! Because I had some ideas written down (from the Internet and meals I didn't make last week) I didn't have to think too hard to come up with this plan. Since I only have $35 to spend at the store this week I need to be very careful in my purchases! Thankfully, all I really need is milk, fresh fruit, carrots, cabbage and one pound of ground beef.

Planned Breakfasts:

• Pancakes (make homemade syrup)


• Steel Cut Oats


• French Toast Casserole


• Scrambled Eggs


• Leftovers and/or cereal

Planned Dinners - it's a busy week and I'm not sure when we'll be home to eat so I'll make a lot of the meals during the day and then we'll re-heat in the evening.

• Turkey Soup w/ homemade croutons (bits of bread in the freezer)


• Refried pinto beans - smothered in green chile or spicy rice and beans


• Cheesy Beef & Rice


• Homemade spaghetti or spaghetti pie


• Turkey pot pie

We have a potluck to go to one night and I'm not sure if we'll be eating here on Friday due to a basketball tournament for my daughter.

All meals are subject to change without notification

Really, it's okay if your plan doesn't work out. Seriously, it'll be okay...right?!? As Life as a Mom has stated - this menu plan is for ME. To help ME!!! Okay, it'll be okay if it's not perfect (I think).

Hop on over to Org Junkie to get more ideas!

Menu Plan Monday

Week two of my new routine. I don't like it! I don't like it at all. My menu plan last week didn't work out EXACTLY as I had planned. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

Okay, I'm over my perfectionism! Well, not really. I do see how having something written down and posted on the Internet makes me plan ahead a bit more. I didn't make two of my meals that I had planned to - the turkey soup and the baked pork chimichangas. So they'll just go on this week's menu! Brilliant idea whoever thought of it!

Actually they'll go on the following weeks' menu plan because I'm only preparing dinner once this week. On Tuesday we'll have sandwiches. Then we are outta here!

Nov 23rd

breakfast - leftover PB oatmeal
lunch - leftover pizza
dinner - veggie quiche



Nov 24th

breakfast - waffles
Lunch - leftovers that have been frozen probably chili
dinner - sandwiches, fruit, junk food, dried fruit, junk food, Doritos, beef jerky, starburst for dessert - don't we eat well when we travel?

Get other wonderful ideas over at Orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday

I figured out why menu planning hasn't worked for me in the past. I've got this little issue called PERFECTIONISM! If I can't do it perfectly why bother?!? Well, because it might make my life easier.

Sooooo...in order to follow through with my babysteps here is my menu:

11/16 - 11/21 Breakfasts:

1. Pancakes
2. Steel Cut Oats
3. Scrambled Eggs
4. Whatever else I can find - cereal, homemade granola, toast, carrot muffins, etc.

11/16-11/21 Dinners:

1. Fried rice w/ sirloin & vegies
2. meatballs over rice
3. turkey soup w/ broccoli; homemade croutons and creamy garlic pasta
4. Eating at Sam's Club or Wendy's after a basketball game and before shopping at Sam's. We'll be out of town so I'm treating the kids and myself. Not sure what DH will have yet.
5. Baked pork chimichangas
6. black beans, cheese and rice over tortilla chips
7. DH cooks on Sundays!!!

This post is linked to orgjunkie.com.

Step by Step

I realize that I am much more successful at the grocery store when I follow a set routine. Anything that messes up that routine just causes a big head ache for me. I realize how odd that must sound to some people that can "go with the flow", but I'm just not like that. I think I'm okay with that. No, I know I'm okay with that.

From The Free Dictionary website I found this definition of routine:

rou·tine (r-tn)
n.
1. A prescribed, detailed course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure.

I like that! I really need to get my grocery shopping routine down so I don't spend sooooo much time working on it. Sure, I don't spend very much money at the grocery store, but I sure spend a lot of time planning my trips!

I have found that baby steps seem to work the best for me when I plan on making changes in my life. Gotta love Flylady and the principles that she teaches and lives by!

In light of that, this week as I find recipes I want to make I will WRITE THEM DOWN IMMEDIATELY/PRINT THEM so next week when I shop on Tuesday I'll know if I need anything besides the loss leaders. I'm hoping that this won't take any extra time for me since I already do it in my head. I am fairly certain that it won't kill me to write down my ideas so I don't forget. I hope it doesn't kill me anyway!

Baby Step 1: In my menu planner that I already have, put all thoughts down & keep recipes together for next weeks meals (this week I'll continue to wing it as usual). I only need to come up with five recipes since my husband cooks on Sunday and I know we'll have leftovers one night or something very simple.
Baby Step 2: On Monday link up at orgjunkie's menu plan Monday.
Baby Step 3: Shop on Tuesday for needs & loss leaders
Baby Step 4: Follow my baby steps!!!

You know if I looked through all of my old notes, I bet I'd find a TON of information that I've worked on over the years trying to get more organized...hmmmm something to think about!

While I don't know if this plan will work long term for me, I am still linking it to Works For Me Wednesday in hopes that I'll be held accountable!

Ironically on my other blog Hummingbird Homemaking I wrote about how important it is to plan. Hopefully with this plan in place I'll be able to save some time because I have routines in place!

November 2009 Grocery Plan

I budget $300 to feed our family of four.

I use the following strategies:

• I buy items to fill our pantry as they go on sale (Pantry Principle)
• I don't always buy or cook things that I *really* want - I cook what is available
• I buy very little cold cereal
• I don't buy very many convenience items
• We eat beans and rice at least once per week
• I plan a LOT!!!

Our budget either stays at $300 per month or I go and get a job which would add a tremendous amount of stress to our home and family life.

Saving money is one of my main goals as I manage our home. One of the biggest areas of my budget I can do this in is at the grocery store.

Items purchased Nov. 2009 - I spent $243.00 (have $29 left)

11/1/09 Notice I said I didn't buy much junk food. Well forget that I said that! Today at Walmart I bought the following:

• Doritos $2.50 - for our trip to Denver over Thanksgiving.
  
• Goldfish crackers $2.50 - My son has been asking for these since school started. I will send them with him for an occasional treat.
  




• M&M's $2.37 for my DH - I've given him half now and will continue to give him these throughout the month. They are his favorite! Would have been cheaper to buy a big bag, but he has more control when they are in the little bags.
  




• Total: $7.81 (with tax)
  
  
  

11/2/09 Since I refused to go shopping last week I had to grab a couple of things we needed and items that were on sale I'll put in my "pantry":

• bananas $1.40 (needed)





• 5lbs red potatoes $1.59 (sale)





• Yams $3.17 (sale)





• 2# carrots $.89 (sale)
  




• BBQ sauce $2.00 (sale)





• saltines $1.00 (sale)





• canned beans $1.49 (needed for hubs cooking)





• ramen (kids wanted $1)





• med eggs $1.39 (needed for baking)





• Total $14.77 (with tax)
  

Next scheduled shopping day is Friday Nov 6th. However I may need to stop and get milk and may try to pick up the free soup at Walgreens this week.

11/3/09 I picked up my son from school today so I ran into Walgreens.

• 4 cans soup (paid tax)
  



• milk $1.99
  



• Total: $2.23 (with tax)
  
  
  11/5/09 I went to a nearby town to drop some stuff off at a consignment store so I went to a dented foods store and picked up the following bargains:
  



• lg can pumpkin $.80





• Rotel Tomatoes $.65





• Spaghettios (I lied - I buy junk!) $.45





• 2 cans tomatoes $1.15





• 1 can black beans $.45





• Total $3.71 (with tax)
  
  

11/6/09 A friend of mine was placing an order with San Francisco Herb Co. and asked if we wanted anything. I am so grateful! There were so many bargains I had to really control myself. The biggest bargain is the cream of tartar. I don't like the taste of baking powder in my waffles so I have been substituting cream of tartar and baking soda, but the price was killing me! I bought the following:

• cumin powder 1/2 pound $2.12




• ginger powder 1/2 pound $1.47




• Cream of tartar 1 pound $4.70




• Ground celery seed 1 lb $3.10




• Italian Blend 1/2 pound $3.57




• Saigon Cinnamon powder 1 lb $4.35




• Cocoa powder 1 lb $4.25




• Total with shipping $30.30

11/6/09 This is my regular grocery shopping day. However, I decided Fridays are crazy busy so I'm going to change this (again!). I wonder if more people have this day off?!? At Safeway:

• 2 - 2lb bags brown sugar w/ coupon $2.38 (pantry)




• 2 gals milk $4.98




• Big ole turkey (will be used in recipes - not for Thanksgiving) $6.88




• 1/2 price shrimp! $1.51




• Bananas $1.65




• 2 lbs baby carrots $2.00




• Total w/ tax $20.60
  

At Lueders (locally owned store)

• 4 cream cheese (pantry)




• 1 pack American cheese $.99




• Italian cheese $1.67 - yeah not on the list - goes with the shrimp!!!




• Pizza cheese $1.67




• 6 dozen eggs $1.19 ea $8.33 why 6?!? we go through a lot of eggs and this is the best price I see them at




• 2 grapefruit $2.33 (expensive!)




• 8 lbs apples $6.00




• 2 oranges $1.32




• w/ tax $27.09
  

11/10/09 Walmart:

• Whole wheat white flour $2.96



• 2 -canola oil $4.00



• Tea Bags $2.16



• Total w/ tax $9.67

11/12/09 Lueders

• 4 butters @ $1.50 ea $6.00


• bananas $1.04


• Broccoli $1.50


• Cottage Cheese $1.50


• Plain Yogurt (so I can make my own) $.50


• Wild Rice $1.75


• 2 lbs hamburger $3.05


• Sour Cream $2.00


• Jumbo Shells $2.09


• Total w/ tax $20.60

11/16/09 Walgreens

• 2 gallons of milk $1.99 each
• 2 fakey wine for Thanksgiving and Christmas $.50 each
• total w/ tax $5.52

11/18/09 Walmart

• 1 onion $.65 w/ tax

11/16/09

• Bought my son 3 school lunches $5.55

11/19/09 Sam's Club - no picture because right when I got home I had to go to Financial Peace University class

• 3 lbs fresh Broccoli $4.66
• 1 qt whipping cream $2.98
• 3 lbs bananas $1.48
• 2 lbs sharp cheddar $5.37
• 52 oz dry roasted peanuts $5.76
• lefse (in honor of Gramma and Thanksgiving) $2.56
• Big huge can of crushed tomatoes $2.68
• 30 tortillas $3.98
• chicken base $3.47
• Tortilla chips $2.84
• 8 cans mandarin oranges $6.88
• Total w/ tax $45.20

I also took $34 (4 days * $8.57/day) of my food money and put it in with our "Denver trip cash" since we won't be home to eat those days.

11/29/09 Food Co-Op

• Bought some almonds @ $3.00lb
• Total w/ tax $2.76
  
  
  

11/21/09 Walmart - why on Earth did I go to Walmart the weekend before Thanksgiving?

• sweet potatoes $.76
• celery $.78
• Honey Nut cheerios $2.08
• Total w/ tax $3.84

11/24/09 Walmart

• Milk $2.48
• bananas $.45
• total w/ tax $3.11

11/24/09 Robb's

• canned tomatoes
• total w/ tax $1.86

11/30/09 Walgreens

• 1 gallon whole milk for yogurt $2.50
• 1 gallon 1 % milk $2.50
• total w/ tax $5.30