End of March 2010 Menu Plan

Phew!! It's finally here, the end of this long month.There were 5 weeks in this month to feed my family fabu dinners. and, I did it!!! OK, so not all were Fabu but we have all eaten, and eaten well. My family did complain a bit about my milk secret (adding in a can of evap with equal water) but they don't quite know what the difference is so I will keep doing it until I run out of the free evap because I know they will become accustomed to it!! So to get us through tis week, this is what I have planned..

Sun:: CP salsa chicken over rice

had as planned rice was undercooked:(

Mon::meatballs and gravy over noodles

ham/egg quiche,steamed broccoli

Tue::ham/egg quiche, broccoli

Subway samwiches $10-AWANA's

Wed::some kind of soup*see below*

R/T pizza-forgot it is open house

Thu::fast food and shopping

kids gone, parents artichokes YUM!!

Fri::probably pizza ($5 coupons)

hamburgers, oven fries, watermelon

Sat::IDK must feed 7, probably tacos

chicken strips, boxed pots, grape juice

Sun::Easter (Turkey and goodies??)

meatball strogonoff over rice, mixed fruit

For soups, I can create at least 3 different kinds-pozole, chicken noodle, or LO spaghetti soup. I will take a vote and the most popular one will be created. Also, thur and fri are kind of interchangeable since we have to go out of town for both.

As usual, all items can be exchanged for any reason at any time (hormones be da*ned) and I will be linking this up with MPM at orgjunkie and GCC as well as any others that catch my interest.

This week of the month can be fun because I am collecting coupons, making menus then breaking down into my shopping list. I can't wait to go shopping I think we have $300 this month YIPPEE!!!

And, lastly, I will be updating as the week goes along with the planned meals in dark gold and what we consume in green. Thanks for reading my blog and please leave comments, suggestions or questions. I love hearing from y'all!!!

Looking for a reader

Hey Fairfield reader, who are you? I know you come here and read (lurk-LOL) but please identify yourself
Thanks.....Julie @ mom2priceboys@yahoo.com - but you already know that don't you???

Monday 3/22 Dinner Surprise

I am semi-struggling with the menu for the rest of the month. We are eating from our pantry and it is emptying fairly quickly. I am using what I have and was thinking that I was being weird about my menu when in fact, I am serving my family a Middle Eastern feast and I didn't even know it.
No, I am not feeding them camel tongue or anything, I am serving a 9 spice chili over couscous.
The chili was on the available menu and we didn't have cornbread so I thought, "Why not use up that couscous I got 2 months ago in the bulk food aisle at WinCo?", "I can serve the chili over thus making the couscous look a bit more like rice!"
You see we have never had couscous before. Live and Learn!!
Well, after a bit of swagbucks research (Why not earn some points?) I found a basic couscous recipe, then I found out that unintentionally, I am serving my family a different ethnic food than we have ever had before. Yippee!!
Now the test, will they enjoy??Will they complain?
Tune in same bat time, same bat channel and we will find out tomorrow.........

OK, couldn't wait, We Loved It!!!! So, we are 2 for 2 on ethnic eating.
Last night we made pot stickers created from several different LO's that I had - Pork & rice, then added grated carrot, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and fold, pinch, pleat away to make 60 pot stickers another yummy one coming from my pantry.
Tomorrow IDK yet but I now know we will have couscous again soon and also I want to use the pot sticker wrappers for sweet treats (package recipe says to bake the wrappers in a sprayed muffin tin and create a cup shape to fill as you please Yes, please, with chocolate, please!!

Menu Plan March 22-28

Here we go again, another menu to plan.....
Can y'all tell that I'm not too excited to be doing it??? Well, I'm not!! I am tired of having such limited choices.Having no money to get more groceries and having the fear that we might run out of groceries before we run out of month. I know I will be able to create something but OMGosh this $200 thing just is not working for us,well, maybe it can work, it is just tough!! I have used up most of my pantry stockpile except for the 7 cans of generic tomato soup that has a very off flavor and 6 cans of evaporated milk. I do add a evap milk and equal water into the milk at 3/4 gallon and have had no complaints (they don't know-he he). So without further ado (about nothing) let's get to that menu plan or more likely what I have available to create this week.....

Chicken noodle soup X 2
Pozole and breadmaker rolls
LO potstickers and green salad (3/21/10)
pork and gravy over mashed
tuna helper and canned fruit (3/23/10)
meatballs and gravy over noodles
spaghetti
my famous LO spaghetti soup
chicken taco soup
chili with couscous (3/22/10)
blueberry pancakes a no meat meal
chicken stir fry over rice

So as you can see I can get through, just tough, and...all these items are mine so Hubs will not be able (willing) to help cook. this sux LOL.
OK, usual disclaimer, all items can change at any time for any hormonal reason and come back as I will be updatine what we actually do consumne and the day we do
Also, I will be linking this with MPM at Organizing Junkie and with no shopping to report I will probably not be linking at GCC this week or next but I will be reading what everybody else saved on.

Mealtime.org :: Search our Free Online Recipes for Healthy Meal Ideas

Mealtime.org :: Search our Free Online Recipes for Healthy Meal Ideas

Have you been here? I have found some great idea to use some challenging items that I have found in my pantry. Some of them in in great abundance like generic tomato soup, canned apricots and evaporated milk

OK, OK, so I know, I already told my deepst darkest secret here that I have been adding a can of evaporated milk along with a can of water into our gallon milk container when it gets to half a gallon and they do not notice. I only do it once per gallon but I have been doing it for about the last 5 gallons and it has helped extend our milk. I feeding 2 tweenage boys .

What to do, What to do...

So,Here I thought that today my biggest challenge was going to be changing the clocks in my house but that was not to be. My Daughter in law the one that provided us with 4 grandkids .....just broke her shoulder.....My Hubs is currently driving her and our son over to the hospital in the next county over because our local hospital is a mere band aid station and they cannot help her and of course, the kids are coming to me.
I have already started the food scramble. I have 2 big chops that I put in the CP today to cook and then make a gravy to serve over mashed potatoes. I have 4 pots not 8, I do have half a box of instant mashed though.
I have to figure out how to make a dinner we were already stretching for 4 into hearty for 8.
At least the youngest 2 are smaller eaters (they are 5 and 6) but the older 2 are 9 and 12. I only have 8 eggs so that is not an option.yet. We did LO's last night along with hot dogs so there are few loose items to create from.

I'm thinking, I'm thinking.

Taco's? Well, I do have 7 shells, me, my 2, grand kids 4, that equals 7 since Hubs is gone for awhile. add some re fried beans and rice too, maybe??

Any ideas? Please comment.....Thanks.....Julie

Menu Plan March 15 - 21

Menu, Menu, gotta make my menu.What do I have? What can I create? What sounds good?
This $200 a month thing is tough. My kids expect more processed stuff and can you believe it but by cooking from scratch that I am gaining weight? Yep, gaining!! I know it is from all the taste tests that I must do, I am sure! It will all balance out soon I hope, cuz even 5 pounds feels icky and all around my mid section to boot.
OK so here is what I have planned so far and as y'all know I can change any menu for any hormonal reason and trust me at my age there are many!!! So, here goes.....

Sun::Pork chop and gravy over mashed,veg

ended up with tacos see this post
Mon::Chicken taco soup or salsa chx

made Tues menu due to sore throat
Tue::French toast and sausage, fruit slices

Beef and bean nachos, orange slices
Wed::CP Beef and bean Chili,tortilla chips

Chicken patty/veggie sammy, tator tots
Thu::Creamy chicken noodles and steamed carrots

Expect as planned
Fri::out to dinner?? for Wimpy Kid Movie

$2 at fast food&home FFYS-no movie :(
Sat::Chicken nugget salad with rolls

IDK probably chili and chips
Sun::Beef nachos and orange slices

pork and gravy over mashed with corn

As usual I will be linking this with MPM at organizing Junkie with several hundred like minded persons. Come back to see what we really did consume.....Julie

The yellow color is what I had originally planned at the beginning of the week. The blue color is what we really did have and what I expect to have during the week.

Menu Plan March 8 - 14

Still adjusting to the no food stamp thing. We are into month 2. I expect this budgeting change to be tough for another month or so, then my job is over in June and we will have to again adjust to even less income yet still too much for assistance. It could be worse I know!!!
So I have done some shopping this past weekend. We went to WinCo over in Yuba City. Spent $50 there and another $7 at Dollar Tree( We love their $1 loaf of sourdough bread). My best deal over at WinCo was the tuna helper for 98 cents with a $1 off coupon wyb a can of tuna so, we got 2 and 2 cans generic tuna for 50 cents each that makes it 50 cents for a tuna helper dinner. We can do that!!!!! My boys love to eat it so...even better!!!My menu for this week is variable. These are the items that we have available to eat.

chicken nuggets, tator tots and fruit salad
Kids loved thesse Hubs not so much oh well, will make again!!
ham and eggs on toast with fruit and yogurt smoothie
having Friday without the ham as Hubs ate it all
impossibly easy cheeseburger pie
As usual, a successful dinner for a Thursday night
chicken tacos with beans and fixings.
didn't get to this dinner yet this week maybe Sunday??
soup and sammys
had Wednesday when we got home from shopping
pork and gravy over mashed with green beans
Defrosting as we speak for Saturdays main event LOL
Leftovers FFYS dinner or chicken taco soup??
Look for this again on next weeks menu

This if course will change some but I don't expect it to change much as we are out of money for the month. All things are paid though and I can walk to work so gas should be minimal.
I will be linking this with MPM, and GCC have you been reading these great posts??