This paycheck is really tight. I mean, really tight. I made a menu for the next few days and I had $50 to buy it all. Here's my menu:
10/17 Thursday
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Tator Tot Casserole
10/18 Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Fruit
Lunch: Sauercraut and Sausages (sauercraut I bought on clearance a few weeks ago, sausages are left over from a meal last pay period)
Dinner: Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Potato Salad, S'mores (we're going to "camp" in the backyard)
10/19 Saturday
Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy
Dinner: Shrimp Scampii (we didn't make the Black Bean, Corn, and Shrimp Tacos last week, so the shrimp is left over)
10/20 Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, Rolls
Dinner: Leftovers
Here is my shopping list:
coffee $2.79
creamer $2.29
oatmeal $2.29
juice $1.39
hot dogs $1.50
baked beans $1.00
graham crackers $1.49
eggs $1.39
sugar $1.89
tea $1.99
milk $2.69
marshmallows $1.80
chocolate bars $1.49
green beans x3 $1.50
cream of mushroom soup x2 $1.20
roast $10.81
carrots $1.29
noodles $1.69
broccoli $1.49
I tried to plan the menu off of things I already had at home, so I could spend as little as possible!
So here's how my "gift" came to happen. As we were halfway done going through Aldi (my favorite grocery store) I saw that they had Mums for sale again, for $4.99. I wanted one last time they had them, but they were out before I got there. I turned to Kayla, my 9 year old that went with me, and said, "If we get all of our groceries and I have $5 left, I am going to buy a Mum." She looked at me like I was crazy, but we went on.
I had figured out prices while I was making my list, so I knew we were hopefully going to be right around $50. We got all of our groceries, stood in line, and then finally the lady started checking our groceries.
The total came to....
Wait for it....
$44.99!!
I almost started crying in Aldi. So I went ahead and paid for a Mum, Kayla and I bagged up the groceries, then I picked out my Mum. I was so excited!
I have teared up about 4 times thinking about it. God is so good to think of something so little, but allow me to be able to get it. So I have it sitting outside my door, a testament to God's love for me.
My husband, of course, said something to the effect of, "We can't eat a Mum, can we?" but whatever!
Showing posts with label menu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label menu. Show all posts
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Review for Baked Eggs in Bread Bowls
This is my review for Baked Eggs in Bread Bowls. We had this on October 10th, view my menu here.
This breakfast was truly delightful! Everyone loved it.
I sliced my thumb slicing the bread tops off, but it wasn't too bad, and healed quickly.
My daughter had fun digging the soft bread out from the rolls, and then cracking the eggs inside of them. (we snacked on the bread while the eggs were cooking)
They smelled so heavenly when we took them out, and they looked so pretty, too! Everyone was excited to get their own.
The eggs were soft but not yolky, so if you like a runnier egg you might want to shorten the time they're baked. It was so delicious to scrape the leftover bread from inside the roll to eat with the egg, and the flavor was delicious.
The kids have already asked if we could have them again, so I will definitely be putting it on the menu for next week! I might even try adding some veggies, or breakfast meats.
This breakfast was truly delightful! Everyone loved it.
I sliced my thumb slicing the bread tops off, but it wasn't too bad, and healed quickly.
My daughter had fun digging the soft bread out from the rolls, and then cracking the eggs inside of them. (we snacked on the bread while the eggs were cooking)
They smelled so heavenly when we took them out, and they looked so pretty, too! Everyone was excited to get their own.
The eggs were soft but not yolky, so if you like a runnier egg you might want to shorten the time they're baked. It was so delicious to scrape the leftover bread from inside the roll to eat with the egg, and the flavor was delicious.
The kids have already asked if we could have them again, so I will definitely be putting it on the menu for next week! I might even try adding some veggies, or breakfast meats.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Review for Tamale Pie
We had this Tamale Pie on October 5, 2013 and I got the recipe at Better Homes and Gardens.
Overall we were not very happy with this recipe. We had to double it to feed our family of 7, and we had to add a lot of seasonings to it to make it have a good flavor. We also didn't put it into individual serving dishes as we don't have them, and even if we did, they would have been too hot for our little ones.
We'll more than likely have this again, but skip the recipe.
To see menu and shopping list for the first part of October, go here.
Overall we were not very happy with this recipe. We had to double it to feed our family of 7, and we had to add a lot of seasonings to it to make it have a good flavor. We also didn't put it into individual serving dishes as we don't have them, and even if we did, they would have been too hot for our little ones.
We'll more than likely have this again, but skip the recipe.
To see menu and shopping list for the first part of October, go here.
Review for Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Curry
I got this recipe from myrecipes.com We had it for dinner on October 4, 2013.
It was very simple to make. Everything went as it was supposed to and the ingredients were sufficient for the amount I was making. The recipe says that it serves 4 so I did 2 pounds of chicken instead of the 1 1/2 mentioned, and we had plenty leftover, and we feed a family of 7!
Cooking the chicken.
I added paprika to give it a little bit more flavor
Everyone really enjoyed it, and it was filling. I liked that the broccoli was added at the end so it was still green and vibrant by the time you sat down to eat.
Putting the potatoes in the oven.
I also make Garlic Baked Potato Wedges. I cut 11 small-medium Russet potatoes into quarter wedges and placed them skins down on a baking pan. Then I brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled garlic salt and pepper on them. I baked them at 350 degrees while I was making the chicken dish, so probably 30-45 minutes, I don't remember exactly. They were very tender and tasty! They went very well with the chicken curry, also, and the sauce made a good dipping sauce for the potatoes.
The finished dishes on the table.
We will definitely be making this meal again!
To read my menu and shopping list for the first part of October, go here.
It was very simple to make. Everything went as it was supposed to and the ingredients were sufficient for the amount I was making. The recipe says that it serves 4 so I did 2 pounds of chicken instead of the 1 1/2 mentioned, and we had plenty leftover, and we feed a family of 7!
Everyone really enjoyed it, and it was filling. I liked that the broccoli was added at the end so it was still green and vibrant by the time you sat down to eat.
Putting the potatoes in the oven.
I also make Garlic Baked Potato Wedges. I cut 11 small-medium Russet potatoes into quarter wedges and placed them skins down on a baking pan. Then I brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled garlic salt and pepper on them. I baked them at 350 degrees while I was making the chicken dish, so probably 30-45 minutes, I don't remember exactly. They were very tender and tasty! They went very well with the chicken curry, also, and the sauce made a good dipping sauce for the potatoes.
The finished dishes on the table.
We will definitely be making this meal again!
To read my menu and shopping list for the first part of October, go here.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Menu and Shopping List 10/3 - 10/17
My husband gets paid every 2 weeks, so on Thursday I sit down and write down a menu for the next two weeks. Sometimes if his check is smaller (if he didn't get overtime) I will only make a menu for one week. The Lord usually provides for the second week! Then I make a shopping list based off of my menu. This is my menu:
10/4
Breakfast: Bacon Waffles
Lunch: Little Smokies, Baked Mac and Cheese
Dinner: Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Curry, Olive Oil and Garlic Potato Wedges
(Read my Review for this here)
10/5
Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy (this is our standard Saturday breakfast which my husband makes. He usually adds bacon and eggs to it)
Lunch: We typically don't eat lunch on Saturdays since we eat a late breakfast. We'll just eat an earlier dinner.
Dinner: Tamale Pie (doubled)
(read my review for this here)
10/6
Breakfast: Muffins (Caleb's standard Sunday AM meal! He will add whatever we have to them)
Lunch: Pork Roast with Sauercraut, Potatoes, Sauteed Asparagus
Dinner: Leftovers
10/7
Breakfast: Tortilla Egg Cups
Lunch: Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
Dinner: Tator Tot Casserole
10/8
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Fruit
Lunch: Chili Dogs, Chips, Carrots
Dinner: Sloppy Joes, French Fries
10/9
Breakfast: Baked Eggs in Bread Bowls
(See my review for this here)
Lunch: Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips
Dinner: Chicken Noodle Soup, Homemade Bread
10/10
Breakfast: Cereal, Fruit
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Fried Chicken, Green Bean Casserole, Cauliflower Potatoes
10/11
Breakfast: Apple Pancake Bake
Lunch: Sandwiches, Carrots and Ranch
Dinner: Fajita Ranch Chicken Wraps
10/12
Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy plus extras
Dinner: Sweet and Sour Chicken, Rice
10/13
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: Beef Stew, Homemade Bread
Dinner: Leftovers
10/14
Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Lunch: Chicken Nuggets, Tator Tots
Dinner: Red Beans and Rice
10/15
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Fruit
Lunch: Cheesy Rice and Broccoli
Dinner: Pizza, French Fries
10/16
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: Stroganoff
Dinner: TBD
10/17
Breakfast: Cereal, Fruit
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Black Bean, Corn, and Shrimp Rice Burritoes
We are trying to eat healthier, but it's not easy on a tight budget. My latest way to be healthier is to make my own cream of mushroom soup instead of buying it canned. I would like to find a way to make a huge batch and then freeze/can/store it so I don't have to make it every time.
Here is my shopping list:
Dairy
Evaporated milk
Sliced cheese x2
Cheddar cheese x3
Butter x3
Colby Jack cheese x2
Creamer x3
Milk x3
Meat
Eggs x2
Bacon x2
Ground beef x3
Pork loin
Chicken breasts
Lunch meat
Beef Tips (stew)
Shrimp
Kielbasa
Produce
Tomato
Cilantro
Potatoes
Carrots
Celery
Cauliflower
Apples
Lettuce
Peppers
Avocadoes
Broccoli
Bakery
Bread x2
Hamburger buns
Crusty dinner rolls
Tortillas
Can/Jar
Olives
Tomato soup
Mushrooms x6
Green beans x6
Chili x2
Tomato sauce
Salsa
Ranch
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Red Beans
Black beans
Juice x3
Coffee
Bag/Box
Chips x2
Corn muffin mix x2
Tortilla chips x2
Egg noodles x2
Cereal
Popcorn seeds
Snacks
Frozen
Tator Tots x2
French Fries x2
Chicken Nuggets
Pizza
Egg Patties
Hashbrown Patties
Sausage Patties
Asparagus
I hope this helps or inspires you!
10/4
Breakfast: Bacon Waffles
Lunch: Little Smokies, Baked Mac and Cheese
Dinner: Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Curry, Olive Oil and Garlic Potato Wedges
(Read my Review for this here)
10/5
Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy (this is our standard Saturday breakfast which my husband makes. He usually adds bacon and eggs to it)
Lunch: We typically don't eat lunch on Saturdays since we eat a late breakfast. We'll just eat an earlier dinner.
Dinner: Tamale Pie (doubled)
(read my review for this here)
10/6
Breakfast: Muffins (Caleb's standard Sunday AM meal! He will add whatever we have to them)
Lunch: Pork Roast with Sauercraut, Potatoes, Sauteed Asparagus
Dinner: Leftovers
10/7
Breakfast: Tortilla Egg Cups
Lunch: Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
Dinner: Tator Tot Casserole
10/8
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Fruit
Lunch: Chili Dogs, Chips, Carrots
Dinner: Sloppy Joes, French Fries
10/9
Breakfast: Baked Eggs in Bread Bowls
(See my review for this here)
Lunch: Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips
Dinner: Chicken Noodle Soup, Homemade Bread
10/10
Breakfast: Cereal, Fruit
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Fried Chicken, Green Bean Casserole, Cauliflower Potatoes
10/11
Breakfast: Apple Pancake Bake
Lunch: Sandwiches, Carrots and Ranch
Dinner: Fajita Ranch Chicken Wraps
10/12
Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy plus extras
Dinner: Sweet and Sour Chicken, Rice
10/13
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: Beef Stew, Homemade Bread
Dinner: Leftovers
10/14
Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Lunch: Chicken Nuggets, Tator Tots
Dinner: Red Beans and Rice
10/15
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Fruit
Lunch: Cheesy Rice and Broccoli
Dinner: Pizza, French Fries
10/16
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: Stroganoff
Dinner: TBD
10/17
Breakfast: Cereal, Fruit
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Black Bean, Corn, and Shrimp Rice Burritoes
We are trying to eat healthier, but it's not easy on a tight budget. My latest way to be healthier is to make my own cream of mushroom soup instead of buying it canned. I would like to find a way to make a huge batch and then freeze/can/store it so I don't have to make it every time.
Here is my shopping list:
Dairy
Evaporated milk
Sliced cheese x2
Cheddar cheese x3
Butter x3
Colby Jack cheese x2
Creamer x3
Milk x3
Meat
Eggs x2
Bacon x2
Ground beef x3
Pork loin
Chicken breasts
Lunch meat
Beef Tips (stew)
Shrimp
Kielbasa
Produce
Tomato
Cilantro
Potatoes
Carrots
Celery
Cauliflower
Apples
Lettuce
Peppers
Avocadoes
Broccoli
Bakery
Bread x2
Hamburger buns
Crusty dinner rolls
Tortillas
Can/Jar
Olives
Tomato soup
Mushrooms x6
Green beans x6
Chili x2
Tomato sauce
Salsa
Ranch
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Red Beans
Black beans
Juice x3
Coffee
Bag/Box
Chips x2
Corn muffin mix x2
Tortilla chips x2
Egg noodles x2
Cereal
Popcorn seeds
Snacks
Frozen
Tator Tots x2
French Fries x2
Chicken Nuggets
Pizza
Egg Patties
Hashbrown Patties
Sausage Patties
Asparagus
I hope this helps or inspires you!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Gluten-Free Bread in the Bread Maker
If you've ever had to buy gluten free bread from the store you know it's either one of two things, but usually both: expensive and heavy. In fact, one gluten free loaf of bread usually weighs approximately the same as 3 loaves of regular bread, and half the size. Sometimes I can find a sale on Udi's bread, which is my favorite brand. But usually it's $5 for a small loaf. We have drastically reduced the amount of bread we eat since becoming gluten free although we buy a few loaves every other week.
Today I found a recipe for gluten free bread in the bread maker and since I recently unpacked my bread maker, I decided to try it out! I got the recipe from Gluten Free Goddess. I'm
We are sampling the results right now and the overall consensus is: YUM!!! It's a small loaf, and it doesn't have the dome rise on the top that you get with regular bread, but the bread is moist, soft, and has a great flavor! I am very happy. I'm not sure about the cost comparison since gluten free flour is so expensive, but it will nice to make this on a Sunday when coming home from church to fresh baked bread is probably one of the greatest things in life.
I'm so glad I was told about this recipe, and I'm so glad it came out well!! We'll definitely do it again.
**The only change I made was I used garbanzo bean flour instead of the millet or oat flour**
******************************************************************************************************************************************************
I decided to cut the bread and freeze it because we didn't need it that day. Today we defrosted it and used it for toast for breakfast. It was very crumbly, so we had toast pieces! I would not recommend freezing this unless you're going to use it for stuffing or something like that. Next time I will make it the day we need it. I also would not recommend keeping it in the fridge for more than one day as Gluten Free bread gets moldy and hard very quickly.
Today I found a recipe for gluten free bread in the bread maker and since I recently unpacked my bread maker, I decided to try it out! I got the recipe from Gluten Free Goddess. I'm
We are sampling the results right now and the overall consensus is: YUM!!! It's a small loaf, and it doesn't have the dome rise on the top that you get with regular bread, but the bread is moist, soft, and has a great flavor! I am very happy. I'm not sure about the cost comparison since gluten free flour is so expensive, but it will nice to make this on a Sunday when coming home from church to fresh baked bread is probably one of the greatest things in life.
I'm so glad I was told about this recipe, and I'm so glad it came out well!! We'll definitely do it again.
**The only change I made was I used garbanzo bean flour instead of the millet or oat flour**
******************************************************************************************************************************************************
I decided to cut the bread and freeze it because we didn't need it that day. Today we defrosted it and used it for toast for breakfast. It was very crumbly, so we had toast pieces! I would not recommend freezing this unless you're going to use it for stuffing or something like that. Next time I will make it the day we need it. I also would not recommend keeping it in the fridge for more than one day as Gluten Free bread gets moldy and hard very quickly.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Chocolate Milk Mix
In my quest to change our diet to a little bit healthier, I ran across a chocolate milk mix recipe. It still has a ton of sugar, but it's a step up from the Nesquik (or comparable brands) that have chemicals, preservatives, and other nonsense mixed in.
The recipe that I used is:
1 1/2 C Powdered sugar (see what I mean?)
1/2 C dark cocoa powder
I made sure that each of those were singular ingredients, and just mixed it up with a fork.
The results were mixed. The kids said it has a good flavor, but it didn't mix very well at all. It made a weird, foamy dome at the top of the cup. They had to use a tiny whisk to get it mixed up. It was fine in the sippy cups because I could just shake it up really well, but in regular cups it didn't work so well. When this batch is gone I want to find a sugar that will mix better and isn't refined sugar.
The recipe that I used is:
1 1/2 C Powdered sugar (see what I mean?)
1/2 C dark cocoa powder
I made sure that each of those were singular ingredients, and just mixed it up with a fork.
The results were mixed. The kids said it has a good flavor, but it didn't mix very well at all. It made a weird, foamy dome at the top of the cup. They had to use a tiny whisk to get it mixed up. It was fine in the sippy cups because I could just shake it up really well, but in regular cups it didn't work so well. When this batch is gone I want to find a sugar that will mix better and isn't refined sugar.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Gluten Free is Pain Free!
I posted a month or so ago about our new GF diet plan. It's going well so far and it hasn't taken a whole lot of adjustment. Since we're living with my in-laws who also eat gluten free, I've had a lot of help knowing what to buy, and where to buy it! I've made quite a few dumb purchases and I unknowingly let an amazing deal slip through my fingers, but you live and learn, right?
Since we're now gluten free that eliminated pretty much all of my standard lunch meals. Since I home-school three grades plus have two more that are not schooled yet, by lunch-time I don't have a lot of brain power left over for meal ideas. Also, I have some picky eaters who would eat mac and cheese and hotdogs for the rest of their life is they were allowed to. So it has been more trial and error in finding things that they will eat that will fit our new diet.
The first thing I've learned is that gluten free mac and cheese with real cheese sauce is not only very tasty, but doesn't take much longer than the box stuff. And I feel a lot better feeding it to my children! I've also learned that you cook rice noodles like you cook rice; boil the water, put the noodles in, turn off the heat and let them soak. I'm glad I found that trick because we were getting tired of soggy, mushy noodles!
Also, I've found out that kids aren't as picky as you think they might be when you tell them "This is lunch, you eat it, or you don't eat until dinner." After one or two times of that they will eat just about anything. These are some meals we've tried:
Tuna or grilled cheese on gluten-free bread (Udi's is the best we've tried so far)
Beanie weanies with carrots
Gluten free mac and cheese
Gluten free chicken nuggets (pricey but good for every once in a while when you need fast and easy)
-I tried to make my own gluten free nuggets but that was a disaster.
Quinoa Pizza Bites
Stroganoff with gluten free noodles
Quesadillas with corn tortillas
Cheesy rice and broccoli (this was a huge hit!)
Sausage and Potato Hash
Chili Fries
Chili Mac and Cheese (I just added Rotel to mac and cheese)
I'm sure most of these seem pretty normal to most people but for someone that is literally stepping outside the box, this was way out of my lunch comfort zone! I'm pretty proud of myself, and I've found that if I know I'm going to need to spend 20 minutes preparing lunch, it's not so daunting when I actually do. Especially when I know that I'm feeding my children healthy meals and not junk.
This lunch adventure has also made me more creative with breakfast meals, and I've stepped beyond eggs and bacon, cereal, and oatmeal. We've had yogurt, granola, and fruit; apple pancake bake with gluten free pancake mix; sausage and egg quiche; and when I'm done making this blog post I'm going to attempt gluten free zucchini bread for tomorrow.
We have not figured out how to eat gluten free when we're out and still satisfy the kids. It's really hard to resist my two year old saying "Kickin Nuggets and fwench fwies"! But that is my next step in this diet process. We do like Taco Mayo because they have corn tortillas and chips. I also found a website that lists restaurants that have GF menus, so I just need to remember to print it out and keep it in the car!
So far I am pleasantly surprised at how easy it has been to switch to gluten free and it hasn't raised our grocery bill too much because our focus is to move away from gluten, not replace it. So while we still eat gluten free bread, we don't eat nearly as much as we did regular bread. And we still eat noodles, but only sparingly.
Now on to the next diet change, no sugar!!
Since we're now gluten free that eliminated pretty much all of my standard lunch meals. Since I home-school three grades plus have two more that are not schooled yet, by lunch-time I don't have a lot of brain power left over for meal ideas. Also, I have some picky eaters who would eat mac and cheese and hotdogs for the rest of their life is they were allowed to. So it has been more trial and error in finding things that they will eat that will fit our new diet.
The first thing I've learned is that gluten free mac and cheese with real cheese sauce is not only very tasty, but doesn't take much longer than the box stuff. And I feel a lot better feeding it to my children! I've also learned that you cook rice noodles like you cook rice; boil the water, put the noodles in, turn off the heat and let them soak. I'm glad I found that trick because we were getting tired of soggy, mushy noodles!
Also, I've found out that kids aren't as picky as you think they might be when you tell them "This is lunch, you eat it, or you don't eat until dinner." After one or two times of that they will eat just about anything. These are some meals we've tried:
Tuna or grilled cheese on gluten-free bread (Udi's is the best we've tried so far)
Beanie weanies with carrots
Gluten free mac and cheese
Gluten free chicken nuggets (pricey but good for every once in a while when you need fast and easy)
-I tried to make my own gluten free nuggets but that was a disaster.
Quinoa Pizza Bites
Stroganoff with gluten free noodles
Quesadillas with corn tortillas
Cheesy rice and broccoli (this was a huge hit!)
Sausage and Potato Hash
Chili Fries
Chili Mac and Cheese (I just added Rotel to mac and cheese)
I'm sure most of these seem pretty normal to most people but for someone that is literally stepping outside the box, this was way out of my lunch comfort zone! I'm pretty proud of myself, and I've found that if I know I'm going to need to spend 20 minutes preparing lunch, it's not so daunting when I actually do. Especially when I know that I'm feeding my children healthy meals and not junk.
This lunch adventure has also made me more creative with breakfast meals, and I've stepped beyond eggs and bacon, cereal, and oatmeal. We've had yogurt, granola, and fruit; apple pancake bake with gluten free pancake mix; sausage and egg quiche; and when I'm done making this blog post I'm going to attempt gluten free zucchini bread for tomorrow.
We have not figured out how to eat gluten free when we're out and still satisfy the kids. It's really hard to resist my two year old saying "Kickin Nuggets and fwench fwies"! But that is my next step in this diet process. We do like Taco Mayo because they have corn tortillas and chips. I also found a website that lists restaurants that have GF menus, so I just need to remember to print it out and keep it in the car!
So far I am pleasantly surprised at how easy it has been to switch to gluten free and it hasn't raised our grocery bill too much because our focus is to move away from gluten, not replace it. So while we still eat gluten free bread, we don't eat nearly as much as we did regular bread. And we still eat noodles, but only sparingly.
Now on to the next diet change, no sugar!!
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