Menu Monday

 

As Christmas approaches, we start feeling the money crunch.  We have a set budget for presents this year, but I’ve been trying to be as frugal as possible “just in case” we overspend – I mean, c’mon, it is Christmas after all.  J It’s the time of year where I just want to buy ALL THE THINGS and give them to the fam. 

A friend of mine (thanks Lauren!) introduced me to the site Budget Bytes.  It has a lot of yummy recipes with a breakdown of what each meal, serving, and ingredient costs!  It’s pretty neat really, and some of the recipes are so simple I’m always like, “duh!  I should have thought to try that!”  I always over complicate things, even cooking!

This week I stole several recipes from this site to put on our menu.  I’m excited to try them.  I am also going to do some pantry-cleaning as well.  Here is our menu:

Sunday: Lasagna (I used turkey Italian sausage and whole wheat noodles – also, this added to my freezer stash)

Monday: Out (taking the kids Xmas shopping for Steve while he studies for his final)

Tuesday: Maple Meatballs w/ mashed potatoes (Abby’s favorite meal)

Wednesday: Quinoa Black Bean Tacos
Thursday: Bacon Pesto Pasta Bake
Friday: Falafel
Saturday: Crock Pot – something pulled from the freezer!

Menu Monday

So, Jes and I are trying to revamp how are posting on this blog. The way we initially had it set up, it was pretty taxing on our time and we found ourselves skipping out on posts because things just got so busy. But we are committed to making this blog a success.

Since it's the beginning of December, we're doing themes each week. This week, our theme is Winter Fun. I personally don't have a fun winter menu, but I want to share with you a memory I have before I post my menu for the week.

I grew up in Lubbock, Texas. And despite the fact it's in Texas, it does get all four seasons. Every year, I battled driving in snow and ice. It would be cold. And the fact it's on top of a plateau, you'll get 70 mph winds that will knock you down.

As a kid, I remember vividly playing in the snow drifts next to our house all afternoon. I would build a whole snowman family and there was still snow leftover to play with. When it was time to come inside, I always loved it when the house smelled like vegetable or sometimes beef stew. We'd have that with a big piece of crusty french bread. It was the best, warming dinner on a cold winter's night. Truth be told, some days I miss Lubbock so much that it hurts. My family is there, some of my oldest friends are there, I miss the weather, I miss football games, I miss being around farmers and rednecks (ok… sometimes), and I know the schools (my daughter is almost pre-K age and I am nervous of the schools here). But I find that most of the time I miss Lubbock as much as I do, it's around fall and winter. Maybe it's just the fact I miss experiencing 4 seasons. But, I'm sure it's more than that. It's the fond memories I have during winter with my family.

If you're looking for a fabulous vegetable soup recipe, check out Ellie Krieger's Tuscan Vegetable Soup recipe on the Food Network's website.

Monday - Spaghetti & Meat Sauce
Tuesday - Crock Pot Pork Chops over Rice
Wednesday - Parmesan Chicken and Potatoes
Thursday - Out
Friday - Beef Stroganoff and Peas
Saturday - Freezer leftover meal (Cheesy chicken casserole)

Happy Holiday's Y'all!

Menu Monday

Veggies!

So, it's been awhile since you heard from me. Next week my daughter turns 3 AND it's Thanksgiving! Time is flying. I think Jes and I are trying to find our groove again. Life just gets overbearing at times. 

For me, a lot has happened since I last posted, including my husband losing his job (which impacts our food budget) and an update on his doctor visits and what the will mean for our family. It's been a roller coaster of emotion and events. I found myself breathing goofy a couple of times, which I can only attribute to some form of panic attack. I'm better, but when I get to thinking about things and feel a sense of being overwhelmed, the goofy breathing manifests itself about 30 minutes or an hour later. It's really a bummer but I'll make it through.

As far as our food budget, it's really taken a cut. I've made it a point to be strict about the amount we spend at the store. I've split our costs between Bountiful Baskets and HEB. I've been pretty successful thus far, but it's only been about 3 weeks.

Here is what our family will eat this week. 

Monday - Breakfast for dinner. Bacon, potato, egg, and cheese tacos.

Tuesday - Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

Wednesday - Spaghetti w/meat sauce

Thursday - Out

Friday - Pepperoni Pizza & Salad

Saturday - Baked Potato Soup & Grilled Cheese

Sunday - Sloppy Joe's & Fries

This week's menu isn't ultra healthy, but it's easy on me. Also, I realize I have a lot of potatoes in this week's menu. But we got a TON in our basket this past week and I have to use them up! I will also be making lots of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving!

Hope you have a great one!

Menu Monday!

Sorry we’ve been gone. 

 

I’ve been extra busy at work (had a huge project due, which has finally been submitted) and Christina has been busy trying to juggle her usual tasks on top of issues that have come up with Scott. 

But, we are hopefully back.  And I’m super excited because the holidays are here!  We had a great Halloween (I’ll share more on Friday), and we are travelling to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving and to NY for Christmas.  Looking forward to all of it.

This also means its crunch time to get gifts out!  I’m trying to do a lot of handmade gifts to save a little bit of cash.  I’d share more, but, I can’t because some of my gift recipients will be reading this!  But I will share after Christmas!

In order to make time to work on all these crafty things, I prepped a bunch of meals yesterday.  Here is our menu for the week:

Monday: Chicken Tikka Masala w/ Peas & Jasmine rice

Tuesday: Southwestern Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie*

Wednesday: Drunken Pork Chops (recipe found by Christina!)

Thursday: Meaty Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Friday: Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff (over whole wheat egg noodles)

Saturday: WILLIAM’S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY!

*added to freezer stash

Menu Monday #18

This is going to be kind of a hodge-podge week for us, so you’ll need to help inspire me! On Wednesday, we are leaving for a weekend in Lubbock. My father-in-law’s birthday is on Sunday, but his girlfriend is throwing him a surprise birthday party on Saturday. He has no idea we’re coming, and I’m 100% sure he doesn’t read this blog. I’m pretty excited that we’ll get an opportunity to surprise the heck out of him.

We plan to leave sometime after work so that Sydney can fall asleep in the car. I’ve already gotten a bunch of laundry done, the sheets are washed, and the only thing left is some vacuuming and wiping up of bathrooms.

It will be a nice quick getaway before Scott starts back to school at Texas State and Sydney starts a new year at Candyland Home Daycare and School.

Monday – Grilled cheese sandwiches and peas

Tuesday – Black Bean Quesadillas on hatch chili tortillas

Wednesday – Spaghetti Bake (from our freezer stash)

Thursday – Out with folks

Friday – Out with friends

Saturday – Surprise Birthday Party

Sunday – Dinner on the road - our usual spot is Taco Casa on Sidney Baker Street in Kerrville, TX. It's delicious!

I really need to watch what I eat, or at least limit myself, so I don’t gain too much while we are away. Sometimes I am good, but sometimes when I’m “home” – it doesn’t work so good.

What’s on your menu this week? Let me know - I need inspiration for next week! I didn’t order from Bountiful Baskets this week because I won’t be here. Sad, but I might hit up greenling.com instead.

Until next time!

Menu Monday #17

 

I bought a new recipe book.  I had been contemplating buying it for some time now.  I finally did it.  And, it was even on sale!  I bought “From Your Freezer to Your Family: Slow Cooker Freezer Recipes” eCookbook from Mama and Baby Love.  I have used some of her recipes off her website before and enjoyed them.  I decided I needed some new easy recipes in my stash, and the nice thing about the eCookbook is that I can keep the PDF on my iPad and iPhone, which makes meal planning & grocery shopping more convenient.  I used three of her recipes this week.  One I have had before, the other two we are trying for the first time.  Unfortunately due to copyright restrictions, I can’t share her recipes with you, but I can let you know if they were good and whether the cookbook is worth buying! 

Sunday: Spaghetti Pie** w/ side salad

Monday: Pea Soup & Salad (Recipe taken from Nourishing Traditions)

Tuesday: Cilantro Lime Chicken*

Wednesday: Italian Beef Sandwiches* w/ side salad

Thursday: Greek Chicken Pasta

Friday: Out

Saturday: Kale, Lentil & Sausage Skillet*

*Added to freezer stash

**Taken from freezer stash

 For the record, I do not know Stephanie personally, even though she is local to Tallahassee.  Nor have I been asked to “plug” her cookbook.  I have been using her site and ideas to help with our family’s meal planning since Abby was born. 

Menu Monday #16

This week, Jessica typically posts her family menu. Well, she is family reunioning, so I’ll be filling in for her this week.

As I think about her family enjoying themselves in beautiful Michigan, I can’t help but feel semi-jealous. My family hasn’t ever organized a family reunion. The only grandparents I knew were my Dad’s parents because my Mom’s parents died before I was born. My Dad’s family is from the DC area and ever since my grandparents passed, no one in my family has really taken the reigns on trying to get together annually. It’s sort of sad, but when family matriarchs and patriarchs are gone, traditions seem to fall by the wayside. The last time I mentioned a family reunion via email, no one was remotely interested. Hopefully this does not happen with my family.

One tradition that I don't think will ever die in my family, is intimate family dinners. The last time we went to Lubbock to see my family, in-laws, and our closest friends, we all went out to dinner and it felt like a giant family reunion. So for now, that is all I can ask for – celebration with those around me.

“Vive, sigue, siempre pa'lante, no mires pa' atrás.” ~Marc Anthony (Song: Vivir Mi Vida… if you haven’t heard it, go forth and YouTube.)

Right now, we're working on the 2^nd half of our food co-op basket. This is what we received almost 2 weeks ago:

Veggies Cucumber Carrots Celery Mushrooms Artisan Romaine Cabbage

Fruits Blueberries Grapefruit Nectarines Grapes

This basket has gone toward mostly snacks for my work, so I did have to supplement with some other things at the store this week. The only thing we really haven’t utilized yet is the Artisan Romaine (on this week’s menu), Cabbage and Mushrooms – however, I foresee some of those going into a Saturday morning omelet for me.

Meatless Monday – Spaghetti w/Marinara and Broccoli Parmesan meatballs.

Tuesday – Meatloaf Patties (from my frozen stash of food) & Tater Tots.

Wednesday – Crockpot Chicken Soft Tacos & Pinto Beans

Thursday – Breakfast for dinner! Waffles (or pancakes, depending on how I feel) and Fresh Fruit.

Friday – Out

Saturday – Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (using the Artisan Romaine here)

Sunday – Vegetarian Chili & Cornbread

And there you have it, our dinners for the week. What are your plans?

Menu Monday #15

Saturday we leave for our family reunion.  So this week is slightly less creative than most.  Also, I am not making double batches of anything, as I don't want leftovers and my freezer is already full to the max!  I picked things that are a quick cook and easy to clean up.  I also chose things that would help me use up some stuff in our fridge/pantry before we leave for a week.  Here is the menu:

Sunday: Goulash (whole wheat pasta, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, ground beef)
Monday: Baked Potato Bar
Tuesday: Miscellaneous/Raid the Fridge night (Steve has school so Abby, Will, and I will eat leftovers)
Wednesday: Curry Chicken w/ Basmati Rice
Thursday: Sloppy Joes w/ tots
Friday: Out

I apologize also for not having any yummy recipes to link.  I'm winging it with the curry chicken.  I have some curry paste I am going to use to season up some chicken and then let it simmer w/ a little bit of water & onion.  Then throw in some frozen veggies and call it a meal.  Our baked potato bar will include: broccoli, bacon, cheese, sour cream, and butter.  And the only redeeming thing about the sloppy joe meal are the whole wheat buns!

What are some of your favorite quick & easy meals?

Menu Monday #14

Only 2 weeks left until we go on vacation.  And by vacation I mean when we go to Michigan for a family reunion.  I know when we get back, we are going to be in no hurry to go shopping, cook, clean, etc.  So, I am planning ahead and starting to grab recipes that will double well so I can have a well-stocked freezer before we go.  

Here is the menu this week.  It includes four meals that will be added to our freezer stash (surprisingly, I'm down to only 1 meal left in there).

Sunday: Spaghetti Pie* (my mother-in-law's recipe...see below)
Monday: Mexican Beef & Spinach Casserole*
Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash with Bacon & Parmesan (modified from this recipe)
Wednesday: Lentil Tacos
Thursday: Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken*
Friday: Out
Saturday: Peachy Pulled Pork*

*indicates meals that were added to my freezer stash

Spaghetti Pie Recipe

Menu Monday #13

Keeping a healthy menu during the summer always seems like a challenging feat for me. Once June hits, we have birthdays or some sort of family celebration each month until Christmas. And it always seems to sabotage my dieting efforts because I’m definitely not as disciplined as I was 10 years ago. I try to remember that 80/20 rule – if you eat really well 80% of the time, the 20% you indulge is perfectly okay. But with back-to-back celebrations (like the 4^th of July and then my birthday), it’s hard. Especially when my parents visit. I love my mom’s cooking. Her Korean food is kryptonite and I don’t get it often.

But the co-op we participate in helps keep me in check and forces me to use up veggies and fruit in a healthful way. This week, I only spent $16 at the store for supplies, which coincidentally were mostly for my daughter’s daycare food supplies.

Our co-op basket we received this weekend was fruit-heavy. Which is ok because I love fruit! It can be dessert and I can figure out things to do with it more easily than veggies. (Hello, dessert!) Sydney is also more inclined to try a fruit vs. a vegetable. 

Fruit	Veggies
Bananas Peaches Cantaloupe Orange flesh Honeydew Melon Blueberries Red Seeded Grapes 1 flat of Strawberries (I ordered this separately)	Lettuce Grape tomatoes Broccoli crowns Tuscan Kale

Monday – Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheddar Soup (from the freezer) and a grilled cheese sandwich. (Salad and this balsamic vinaigrette for me… I could lap up the dressing!)

Tuesday – Veggie spaghetti & Broccoli Meatballs. I might make extra to freeze if I think they’re good.

Wednesday – Potato, egg, bacon, and cheese breakfast tacos. (I have a late hair appointment so we’ll need something quick.)

Thursday – Hot dogs (grilled), roasted broccoli & sweet potato

Friday – Out

Saturday – Homemade Pepperoni Pizza (Going to try a cauliflower crust.)

Sunday – Meatloaf Patties, Smashed Potatoes, and Pan Gravy. Freeze leftovers if they’re tasty and worth saving.

I’ll probably use my kale in a salad or throw some into a frittata. I also have some leftover rainbow chard that I need to use up, and a frittata is one of those “use up random veggies” kind of dishes.

What’s on your menu this week? Do you have healthy eating tips around family celebrations? 

Menu Monday #11

Apologies for posting the Monday Menu on a Tuesday, but it’s been busy for us. This week, my daycare provider is closed. State law requires she get 1 paid week off and every year it’s for the 4^th of July. For the past 2 years, my parents have come down to babysit my daughter for the week. And it’s kind of a “kill two birds with one stone” visit, since my birthday is the 5^th.

But my parents still aren’t here. My Dad works for a semiconductor factory and manages all the equipment and facilities. Apparently they have a huge piece of equipment called a chiller and three weeks ago it failed. So until they get it fixed, my Dad isn’t going anywhere. Today I worked remotely, but I can’t make it a habit, since it really isn’t my role to be in that capacity.

Also this past week at work I’ve been creating and coordinating mid-year activities. It’s exhausting. But I’m pretty sure the bulk of it is over, which is a good way to kick off my birthday week.

Since we’re not sure if my parents will be here or not, this menu is 100% subject to change.

Monday – White Bean Pumpkin Chili and Cornbread (frozen leftovers)

Tuesday – Roasted chicken breasts and potato/cauliflower mix

Wednesday – Black bean burger quesadillas and salad

Thursday – BBQ at home, or BBQ at bro’s.

Friday – Out, because it’s my birthday!

Saturday – Out

Sunday – Spaghetti and sourdough toast

It’s going to be a fun week and I’m going to do my best to choose healthy options when we are out to eat. Well except my birthday dinner. I plan to splurge.

What are your holiday menus?