Friday, January 30, 2009

friday 1/30 meals

breakfast
for the mom -- 2 lattes .06
for the girl -- can of cns .50
for the boy -- 3 south beach bars & chex mix FREE

lunch $2.40
lentil rice soup. 2 cans of chicken broth that have been in the pantry so long they shouldn't even count, but can't imagine they cost more than .50 each
1 cup brown rice & 1 cup brown lentils, haven't priced those out yet. $1 seems high but will give me something to work with.
about 1/4 of a $1 bag of diced carrots-onions-celery, so .25
and extra celery, the whole thing cost $1 and i maybe used.. oh an 8th? so .15?
and some spices.

kid company for dinner; we'll have pizza rolls & tomato soup.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Thursday: the new meal plan monday

***this is a mish-mash post. i started it last week & edited as i went to reflect what really happened, which didn't actually have anything in common with the plan. jfyi 2/5/09. ***

since our sales change on thursdays, it makes more sense in my life to sit down with the ads, make meal plans & grocery lists on thursday instead of monday. i'd love to get to the point where i actually only think about these things once or twice a week -- maybe that should be a goal for me.

Breakfasts: Go Forage. cereal, granola bars, yogurt.

Lunches: leftovers, salads, quesadillas, sandwiches. Monday's default is soup and we have plenty of it.

Snacks: granola bars, canned oranges, yogurt, string cheese, v-8, crackers, nuts.

Finally Friday! 9 boxes of pizza rolls were consumed in this house friday night: $6.40 including the jar of spaghetti sauce for dipping
a BOX of swiss miss cocoa mix FREE *giggle*
1 medium bag of m&m's and lots of pop, donated by a friend so FREE thanks tammy!!
and 2 batches of popcorn with donated (thanks again tammy! can you tell i was a little unprepared for 9 kids?) butter.

Saturday Dad's Home: roast beast: chicken? turkey? could really use the broth..
well, in reality we went out for dinner with a BOGO zoobook q. $25

Simple Sunday School Night: yeah it was simple -- we went out for thai after ven. chukyi's teachings $28 my first time having thai -- YUM!!! we WILL go back!!!

Monday Madness: soup for lunch. thank goodness that's easy!
dinner: theoretically chili over crockpot sweet potatoes, but the potatoes didn't cook. soph had a book-it pizza; i think i had triscuit melts w/ salsa.

Tuesday snowed in again! 3 cans veg soup 2.25, 6 biscuits .60

Weds Meijer & Choir -- snack before: triscuit melts w/ salsa
& supper after: ucky mcdonald's $9.


still to pull from pantry: fried polenta? grits? we have lots of frozen biscuits, ravioli, turkey sausage, eggs, haven't had rice in a long time, stuff for mexican meatloaf, turkey chili, meatballs.

thursday's food 1/29/09 $6.01

2 black cherry lattes .06

cereal & milk.. $1? i really don't know how to count this.

2 pepperoni (.30) sandwiches .. maybe .15 for the bread (from the .89 loaves)
and .25 for the cheese

lots of swiss miss cocoa -- free -- and chai tea -- again, free :)

(i find i'm skipping bkfst because i just don't want cold yogurt in the cold winter)

free rice quakes, free south beach bars

salad -- .33 lettuce, .20 dressing (random guesses; the bottle cost .73), a handful of cheese from the 1.50 bag: .50? and maybe .10 in chili hot beans from a .62 can.

dinner -- nachos! free chips, 1.50 sargento, 1.35 bob evans sausage, PLUS .23 for the rotel LOL

ice cream for dessert... maybe 1/4 of the $2 container, so .50 and that's a high guess.

gonna try meal planning again **updated

**yeah, so i can use my time to plan, to look up new exciting recipes, to create... just to be the only one who'll eat it. SIGH.

***HEY! check out this fab resource!! google docs?? who woulda thought??

just because i'm supposed to be doing something else instead...
******************

Breakfasts: Go Forage. cereal, granola bars, yogurt.

Lunches: leftovers, salads, quesadillas, sandwiches. Monday's default is soup and we have plenty of it.

Snacks: granola bars, canned oranges, yogurt, string cheese, v-8, crackers, nuts.


Saturday Sleepover: Pizza rolls & salad. soak beans for soup.


Sunday School Night: ham & bean soup w/ skillet bread!


Monday Madness: Soph's Book-It pizza, taco bell for me. Kroger during brownies.
Need supper after: meatball sandwiches!

Tuesday Gym w/ groceries -- need a snack before & supper after: broccoli-mac-cheese

Weds Katie, Choir, then Meijer -- need a snack before & supper after: campfire stew in crockpot.
Thurs Piano: manwich

Finally Friday! Do i have the springers? better plan pizza rolls... tom soup... biscuits & gravy for saturday bkfst (how much gravy do we have left? crockpot casserole instead?)

still to pull from pantry:
something w/ cooked sausage.. fried polenta? grits?
we have lots of frozen biscuits, ravioli, turkey sausage, eggs,
haven't had rice in a long time,
stuff for mexican meatloaf,
turkey chili

pasta sausage bake

i think this is for dinner!

http://itsmylifeannie.blogspot.com/2009/01/pasta-sausage-bake.html

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Using my stockpile.. updated

check this out! we don't have a microwave, but i just think this is cool:
you can make your own low-fat microwave popcorn at home, using a brown paper bag!!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Microwave-Popcorn/Detail.aspx

hmmm here's a page with recipes for all those free rice cakes, although IMO the kettle corn quakes leave little to be desired! http://www.dietbites.com/article1093.html

for my 37 bottles of italian dressing and free pepperoni: pasta salad!

frank's red hot recipes

triscuit recipes

mandarin orange recipes
http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blfruit77.htm

ro-tel recipe search
http://www.ro-tel.com/recipe-search.jsp

ways to serve meatballs including stroganoff, catalina or sweet-and-sour over rice, and of course meatball sandwiches. other sites suggest in an italian soup or in a brown gravy over mashed potatoes. and here's a unique appetizer recipe that uses sauerkraut.
meatball hashbrown bake from one of my fave sites.

from my prevention freezer cookbook:
p. 168 crusty tamale-bean pie (sub canned chili)

from my recipe binder:
pasta fagioli using either meatballs or the chunked italian sausage in the freezer
minstrone
quiche
potpies
slow cooker lentil rice soup
low fat mac & cheese
cajun chicken fingers, with fruit
bourbon glazed chicken or pork
mexican meatloaf
dinner in a skillet
gyros
beef stew

weds $11.63

well today we ate 7 boxes of pizza rolls 4.20
(we did have an extra teenager -- they had first lunch and second lunch)
a whole box of free hot cocoa
spaghetti $1 with meatballs .90
3 jars sauce btwn dinner & pizza rolls $2.73
a free bag of chex mix
ice cream $1?
corn pops $2?
2 can chicken noodle soup $1

What to do w/ canned chili?

got LOTS of hormel turkey chili w/ beans... how creatively can i use it? a lot of these ideas are from hormel's recipe site, which is heavy on versions of dips, nachos & chilis.

Lucky Beans & Rice

Lucky Bean & Rice
by denise patterson

2T oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper
1 can diced tomato
2 cans black eyed peas
1/2 cup rice
3/4 cup water
1 tsp thyme
1/2 cup cheddar cheese or pepper jack

cook oil, garlic and peppers about 5 min.
add all but cheese and simmer for 20 min.
garnish with cheese and serve.

what i really do, with a rice cooker: use jarred minced garlic or garlic powder, black or red beans, one can (or 1 3/4 cup cooked-from-dried-and-frozen) and double the rice & water (or use broth), frozen pepper-onion-celery mix, chili powder or Northwoods Fire or whatever seasonings i have on hand, add bay leaves during cooking, serve w/ hot sauce & fritos.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

monday 1/26 & tues $18.21// $60.67 for the week

2 hazelnut lattes
1 yogurt.23
3 cans soup 1.50
with some cheese, see below
1 bag chili cheese fritos 1.29
1 string cheese .13
1 book-it pizza FREE
triscuits, cheese & salsa. the whole box was .89 so i'll just count it now and call the rest of the box already-paid-for. salsa .25, cheese see below
meatball sandwiches.
$2 buns (we didn't eat the whole bag but we are finishing it tonight w/ manwich)
.90 meatballs
1/2 jar .73 ragu: .37
cheese again.. i'll say one pkg ($1.50) for this and what went on the triscuits and in lunch's soup.

$9.12 for monday.

tuesday

2 hazelnut lattes .06
2 chai lattes FREE
1 hot cocoa FREE
cereal w/ milk .50?
2 jack's pizzas $4.50
(pizza rolls are a much better deal; 1 box apiece makes us happy which is 1.80 altogether)
1 string cheese.13
1 v8 .25
1 can manwich .50, 1# ground turkey $2, am chs .65
popcorn (??) with butter .50

$9.09 for tuesday.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

the lost wknd... $12.50

well i was home by myself mostly.

1 bag free chex mix
1 can clam chowder .50
and some cheese .50
long john silver's (bad!!) $6
4 pumpkin spice lattes .12
cuppa free chai
1 yogurt w/ wolfberries & almonds .35?
1 string cheese .12
1 v8 .25
1 serving wheatables .21
ham & bean soup $2?
easy skillet bread .25 for the butter..
** this is a great idea and i'll do it again, but it needs more salt or some sort of seasoning, and plan on at least 30 minutes for a full batch. actually, the middle was really very weird; i'll only make half-batches from now on, because i think thinner would be better. smells wonderful while baking!! i could hardly wait for it to get done.
1/2 box ice cream (kids! i swear!) $1
2 box pizza rolls $1.20

Friday, January 23, 2009

Fri 1/23/09 5.62

Bkfst: Go Forage

2 pumpkin spice lattes .06

cottage cheese $1

2 string chs .24

v8 .25



Lunch: Salad Bar

1 bag dole romaine $1

chili hot beans .62

chi chi's salsa .35

sargento cheese 1.50

hormel pepperoni .30

dressing .30?

and dinner on next page.

thursday's 1/22/09 meals $8.99

basically we just ate a lot of pizza rolls.

4 boxes for lunch, 3 boxes for dinner. $4.20
4 cans CNS $2
2 pumpkin spice lattes .06
2 bags free chex mix
3 nature valley granola bars .50
2 string cheese .24
2 string cheese sandwiches (??!!): .94
4 pcs bread .30
pickle slices .50?
2 string cheeses .24
and some mustard, for the morbidly curious. i was.
walnut-choc-chip cookies .20 plus 1 stick butter .35?
prob half of a $1.25 half-gal milk.. .50-ish

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Weds 1/21/09 meals $15.35

we spent $10 at McDonald's for bkfst, $1.29 for a latte at the gas station, and $20 for the monthly visit to pendleton. should i count that?

because we had groceries in the trunk, we munched on 2 0.17 granola bars, free rice quakes, 2 $1 blackberries and 2 .30 pepperonis for the rest of the day! so $2.94

when we finally made it home, we had leftover chili, stretched with a .62 can of chili hot beans and 2 .25 cans of tomatoes from the pantry. so $1.12

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Today's (1/17/09) Meals: $6.99

(midnight snack was $1 blueberries & free chex mix)

bkfst: .42
.06 hazelnut lattes, x2 because dh is home
2 pcs toast & 2 eggs for 1 person, i am not going to figure this out. the loaf of bread was .89, eggs .88. damn i couldn't help it! this is sick and i need help. .15 for toast & same for eggs

snack on the run: free chex mix

late lunch:
crab bisque $1.92
(recipe: leftover fondue, 1 beer .67, $1 imitation crab, some milk, homemade croutons .25)

Fam Nite Par-tay Dinner:
*buffalo dip, maybe $2?
(recipe: free cream cheese, free frank's red hot, 1 can chicken from sam's because we're still waiting for a coupon sale grr!, free blue cheese from my dad, miracle whip that's been in the fridge for so long it surely doesn't count)
* served with Wheatables (cheap but i don't remember.. maybe $1?)
* and 1/3 a nick-of-time celery that was $1
*Select Harvest Chicken Noodle Soup (.49!)
*Betty Crocker Apple Streusel Quick Bread (was it .83?)

$6.99 for the day
(not counting several .67 beers and .38 la croix's.
also not counting the meals my kids ate elsewhere,
which did not come from our grocery budget.)

Friday, January 16, 2009

Delicious Overstock Dinners

Last night i made spinach-stuffed shells,
OK the cottage cheese was from the store
but it was on sale for $1 and everything else came from the pantry :)

Tonight we're having cheese fondue,
with Arnold's bread that i overbought
and tons of swiss that's been in the freezer way too long to do anything with, i thought, but couldn't bear to pitch it.

YUM!!!!!!!!! thanks, shelley, for your link to A Year of Crockpotting and thanks Stephanie for sharing all your great ideas and their results :)

There will be leftovers, which i will turn into a bisque.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Today's Stockpile Menu: $5.81

2 basically free hazelnut lattes

Bkfst: Cereal & Milk
(they finished odds & ends of boxes; i don't think the cost even counts. and milk? maybe 1/4 gallon at 2.69/gal: $0.68. So call it $1?)

Lunch: Free soyjoy bars
Yogurt for Mom (.23)

Snack: $2.02
V8's (3 @ .25 = .75)
Sargento String Cheese (7 @ .13 = .91)
Dannon Yogurt (.23) w/ wolfberries (free w/ Young Living commission check) & almonds (.13; yes i counted & did the math! i have 10 every day :) LOL)

Supper: Soup & Crackers $2.56
4 cans Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup $2
All-Bran Crackers (maybe 1/3 of the $1.68 box? .56)

yesterday's stockpile menu: $4.18

Daily: 2 Hazelnut Lattes $.06
(4.49 for big red folgers, so .02/cup according to their directions. i'll say .03 since i make military-strength)
(FREE hazelnut coffeemate)
(FREE carnation evaporated milk)

Bkfst: dannon yogurts (.23 ea after sale & q's) $0.69

Lunch: biscuits & gravy $1.60
(pillsbury frozen 1.20/bag, used 1/2 bag so .60)
(tennessee pride .50/box, used 2 boxes so $1)

Dinner: State Fair Casserole $1.83 + leftovers
(leftover chili)
(hebrew nat'l red. fat beef hot dogs $1.50 from the freezer)
(jiffy corn muffin mix .33)
(served with ketchup and FREE french's mustard from last summer)

** this was a pretty high-sodium day; i think i felt my blood pressure rising by evening. but i hadn't grocery-shopped in 2-3 weeks (other than the dannons, which i stalked meijer all week for!) so not too bad from the freezer & pantry.