Meal plan for Jan 18 –24, 2015

 

Happy Monday, yall!  How goes it, your way?  All is good here in the Cates household!

This is week two of trying the “Freezer” cooking, and I have to say I like it! The hardest part is just remember to thaw out the food the night before. I did have one snaffoo, where I had the wrong thing out for dinner so I got a late start on cooking. Other than that, this experiment in cooking has been a breeze!  So, whats my plan for this week? Well…

Bunnys Meal Plan for January 18-24, 2015

 

Sunday

Breakfast for dinner! (Family fav)

• Scrambled eggs
• Bacon
• Biscuits
• sausage gravy

 

Monday

This is a recipe I haven’t  made in FOREVER.

• Chicken Casserole – Here is a recipe for chicken casserole.

 

Tuesday

Yay for freezer cooking!  This is already made, so all I have to do is load up the bread machine around noon, and throw the pans in the oven!

• Lasagna
• Salad
• Home made garlic bread

 

Wednesday

NEW RECIPE DAY!  I’m trying to incorporate some new recipes into our diets. I feel like we have the same thing always, and even though its good food, it gets boring. So for today, we are trying something new.

• Chicken Pockets – Here is the Chicken Pocket Recipe I will be trying.

 

Thursday

Another new recipe! Whoot!  As a family, we love soups, so I wanted to give this one a try!

• Ham and Bean Soup – This is the Ham and Bean Soup Recipe I will be trying!

 

Friday

One thing is certain, we are PASTA lovers! So this week to take a break from spaghetti, we are going up some Penne.

• Chicken and Bacon Penne – You can try this Chicken and Bacon Penne recipe here.

 

Saturday

Saturday is DATE NIGHT this week! The kids will be visiting their Dad, so Mom is taking a ME DAY! WOoohoooo!

 

 

THE COST

This week, the cost was nearly FREE! I bought the bulk of these groceries LAST WEEK!  I will have to pick up some more salad stuff for Friday, but everything else was already here and most of it is even already PREPPED!  Like I say, I am LOVING freezer cooking!

 

FREE PRINTABLE MENU PLAN DOWNLOAD

If you missed it last week, here is the FREE PRINTABLE WEEKLY MENU PLAN that I shared on Last Week’s Post! I’ve made it in chalkboard, which you can laminate and write on in dry erase markers or grab it  in white for those who want to print it weekly, it will save you ink!


Click here to download the:
>>  CHALKBOARD STYLE FREE PRINTABLE MENU PLANNER
>>  WHITE FREE PRINTABLE MENU PLANNER

Thanks for reading.

For tons of other Meal Plans, check out:

Meal plan for Jan 12 –18, 2015 + FREE PRINTABLE MENU PLAN

Happy Monday, you guys! Holy crickets, who left the deep freeze open?! It is so cold outside the dogs don’t wanna go out to tink!

This is my first post of 2015 for this blog. Sometimes I get so sidetracked on updates for my wearewordnerds website that everything else just kind of falls to the wayside.  That’s why one of my goals for 2015 is to hammer down some kind of schedule that lets me work on ALL of my blog!  At this point in my life, I am really regretting separating my blogs up so the reading blog could be on its own.  Having MORE blogs means MORE work, and I just don’t have the time! So if I am updating this blog, I’m not working on wearewordnerds today. *sigh*

Anyway, I've spent the last couple of days reading up about “Freezer to crockpot” cooking.  Have you heard of this? Making up a months worth of crockpot meals, and freezing them so come cooking day all you have to do is toss them in the crockpot? I am really itching to try it. So rather than jumping all in and doing up a month at a time. I’m going to tip toe in by doing a few premade meals this week and next. Just so I can see how this goes.
Whats on our menu this week?  Well, here ya go!

Bunnys Meal Plan for January 12-18, 2015

MONDAY

We are trying something new! YAY!

• Sauerkraut & Kielbasa – recipe is here

TUESDAY

This is going to be a premade up and froze test.

• Meatloaf
• corn on the cob
• baked potatoes
• cheddar drop biscuits – recipe here

My plan is to mix it up this weekend, and freeze it in one of those “throw away” pans.  Then come Tuesday I can just toss it in the oven.

WEDNESDAY

One of our favorites

• Chicken Broccoli Fettuccini Alfredo
• Homemade breadsticks
• salad

THURSDAY

Something to make the kids happy…

• Bacon Cheeseburgers
• loaded steak fries

FRIDAY

One of my favorites…

• Teriyaki Pork Chops
• Rice
• Steamed vegetables

SATURDAY

By kids request – Mexican build your own Fiesta bar!  This was actually scheduled for another night, when the kids would be at their dads, but they asked me to move it so they would be here.

• Tacos
• burritos
• all the sides

SUNDAY

Closing out the week, I am doing one of the FAMILY FAVORITES.  Breakfast for dinner.

• Bacon
• Scrambled Eggs
• Sausage gravy
• biscuits
• hash crowns

THE COST

Once again, I am posting before I go shopping, so I have no idea what this weeks meals will cost us.  I am in the process of doing pantry inventory, and planning out TWO WEEKS worth of meals before I go shopping. I am going to start shopping ONCE A MONTH eventually, but it is going to be a learning curve, for sure. I can not WAIT to get into that new habit.
Do you shop once a month, or go weekly like I currently do? Do you find it saves you money?

*Edited to update!

 Hi guys! I just wanted to update this now that the grocery shopping has happened. I got every thing we needed for the month, minus the extra milk and bread we will need, and the stuff for salads to go with pastas (because the veggies will go before we get to them) and we spent....
......wait for it..........$320!

Thats a $430 savings over what I would have spent going WEEKLY! (we spend about $250/week!)  I can't believe it yall!
I'm spending today prepping meals to freeze, but am so happy how this partial month went FINANCIALLY!

For the breakdown of what meats and cheeses we got (since meats & cheeses are the most expensive things)

• 8 - lb bags of assorted shredded cheeses
• 4 - packs of american slices (thats one a week)
• 3 - 1lb bags of assorted lunch meats (for lunches)
• 10 - lbs 80/20 ground beef
• 2 - family packs of pork chops. (there were 8-10 chps each pack. not sure on weight)
• 6 - Polish sausage or Polska Kielbasa
• 2 - lb sausage
• 3 - large packs of little smokies (these were on a 5 for $20 deal)
• 2 - 2lb slabs of bacon (part of the 5 for 20)
• 6 packs of hot dogs (another lunch item)
• 3 packs of bologna
• 1 bag of all white meat chicken tenders (the dinosaurs, for nights Sis wont eat what Ive cooked)
• 1 ham steak 
• 2-lb of spiral hams - these were awesome little .5 pound hams. Great for breakfast casseroles, etc. Had never seen this size and they were in the 5/$20

I also found my new favorite dishwasher tabs that of course they no longer make, and devistated me (Cascade with GAIN). But a 16 pack bag was $4.98 at walmart and I found a 60-pack at family dollar store for $12! Bought TWO!

FREE PRINTABLE MENU PLAN DOWNLOAD

To celebrate kicking off the new year, I wanted to offer you a FREE PRINTABLE WEEKLY MENU PLAN!

I’ve made it in chalkboard, which you can laminate and write on in dry erase markers or grab it  in white for those who want to print it weekly, it will save you ink!


Click here to download the:
>>  CHALKBOARD STYLE FREE PRINTABLE MENU PLANNER
>>  WHITE FREE PRINTABLE MENU PLANNER

Thanks for reading.

For tons of other Meal Plans, check out:

Meal plan for this week, October 12 –18, 2014

Happy Monday, you guys!

Its so rainy and disgusting here this week. With no change in the immediate future, bluh. My meal plan for this week definitely reflects that. Lots of food to combat the dreariness of the current weather streak.

One of my favorite things about my new vinyl menu board is the MEMO area!  I’ve been loving seeing the little inspirational notes we stick up there. For my “message” this week, I wanted to focus on the negativity we sometimes fall into.

It is so easy to criticize those around you and forget that we, ourselves, are not perfect and still need work. Especially with children.  We forget they are just kids and need guidance, just expecting them to do or be as we think they should. Forgetting to take into account that they are more than just children, they are PEOPLE. Each with their own personalities and quirks. Each one different in their emotional and intellectual development. Each one, learning and adapting to change as best they can.  And they too, deserve to be accepted for who they ARE and not criticized for not conforming to the “standard norm” “mold” you expect them to be.

This week instead of thinking everyone around them needs to change, do better, be better, I want my family to focus on THEMSELVES. For by bettering ourselves & leading by example (not dictation), we influence and become the catalyst for the change.

I invite you, too, to take this on as your challenge this week.

Know that YOU are the CHANGE that you want to see. It all starts with YOU.

Our Meal plan for this week, October 12 –18, 2014 :

SUNDAY

• Breakfast for dinner

 

MONDAY

• Meatloaf
• mashed potatoes
• corn on the cob
• rolls

 

TUESDAY

• Homemade barbque
• tator tots

 

WEDNESDAY

• homemade vegetable soup (recipe is HERE)

 

THURSDAY

• Apple Baked Pork Chops (recipe coming soon!)
• Garlic Homestyle Mashed Potatoes (recipe Coming Soon!)
• Beans
• Corn bread (recipe coming soon!)

 

FRIDAY

• FEND FO YO SELF NIGHT

 

SATURDAY

• Frugal Chili (recipe here)

 

I haven’t hit up the grocery store yet. Who knows what this weeks bill will end up being.  I am in the process of organizing a closet out, and then I am going to start shopping ONCE A MONTH. I can not WAIT to get into that new habit. Do you shop once a month, or go weekly like I currently do? Do you find it saves you money?

Thanks for reading.

For tons of other Meal Plans, check out:

Meal Plan Monday – week of 9/1 – 9/7/2014

Happy Monday, you guys! Well, Tuesday – but…you get the idea. haha.

Last week was crazy for us and I have a feeling this week will be even worse. I tried to plan out an easy menu for this week utilizing my crockpot at least two of the days. So here is what we are doing this week…

Our Meal plan for this week, Sept 1 – Sept 9th, 2014:

MONDAY

Got away from me so we ended up just having:

• Harmburger helper
• salad (left overs)
• mashed potatos (left overs)
• green beans (left overs)
• sweet corn
• drop biscuits – recipe HERE, with honey butter

TUESDAY

Today is going to be an easy day. I am cooking what I intended to cook yesterday, but I hadn’t gone to the store yet. Yay Crockpot!

• Roast w/potatoes and carrots
• mac n cheese
• salad
• wheat rolls

WEDNESDAY

Another easy day. I told ya. pfffttt…

Im about wore out. I really need to go have my blood work done again I think. You know something is off when I don’t feel like cooking! Anyway. This is super simple. I just grab a bag of those frozen raviolis (they are like $2.98), some spaghetti sauce, some ground beef, and whaaalaaaaahhhhh…. Homemade ravioli. Well, sort of. I like mine with spinach and tomato. No sauce.

• Ravioli
• salad
• garlic toast

THURSDAY

This week I am going back to trying a NEW recipe every week. I hate feeling like we always have the SAME THING over and over. BAH. How boring!  This week are are trying this:

• Chicken Enchiladas (recipe here)

FRIDAY

I’ll be honest with ya. I’m not really a big fan of roast. I usually just eat the carrots and tators out of it. What I am a big fan of is THIS. I love leftover soup. I think it is amazing and could just eat on it till I popped.

• Soup (left over roast)

SATURDAY

The kids are gone this weekend, so we get grownup food! yay!

• Porkchops
• beans
• cornbread
• mashed tators

It is going to be a  good week I think. I needed a lot of stuff at the store. I swear I think we were out of everything. Somehow I only spent $140, though. So, that was awesome. You know what wasn’t awesome?  Getting up to the checkout at Walmart, and being told I had to use self checkout becauase there would be no cashiers until 7. (30 minutes). Ummm….  Dude. Do you know how short those little self checkout counters are?  And I had f*ing dogfood too. Holy crap. That sucked. I know I keep saying how much I hate shopping there and that I am finding somewhere else to shop. Seriously though, if having to check yourself out is the new thing, and prices dont DROP…. I really WILL be finding a different store. Not even kidding.

Thanks for reading.

For tons of other Meal Plans, check out:

Meal Plan Monday: Sept 16–22, 2013

I can’t believe I forgot to post this again, haha.  Here is my meal plan for this week.

MONDAY	Lasagna Homemade Garlic toast and Homemade Cheesy Mozzarella Toast *No left overs this time! How’d that happen?!
TUESDAY	Frugal Chili (recipe is HERE)
WEDNESDAY (Left Over Night)	Chili Dogs
THURSDAY (GRILL NIGHT)	Steak Baked Potatoes Rice Steamed Veggies – (MY STEAMER is like this one, just older model– LOVE IT!)
FRIDAY	It’s the weekend and everyone is busy!  So this is our “FEND FO’ YO’SELF NIGHT!”
SATURDAY	TBA:  The kids will be with their Dad, so not sure what I’ll do for myself. Probably just throw a pizza in the oven.  Remember when I bought all these to last us through the summer? Don’t laugh, I got 80 Pizzas & Pizza Rolls for $40 Well summer is about over, and I still have about half a deep freeze of pizzas.  Am wanting to clear those out so I can stock up on meat for the winter. Plus, I usually do them little suckers up right! I add EVERYTHING.  Green and red bells, olives, baby spinach, tomatoes, and either mozzarella or provolone!
SUNDAY	Probably, Breakfast For Dinner.   There is just something about a big breakfast on Sunday that reminds me of being a kid, and since the kids wont be here when I get up, I imagine, I’ll end up cooking Breakfast for dinner.   I usually do up: Scrambled Eggs Honey Butter Biscuits Homemade Sausage Gravy Maple Bacon

So, not such a bad week for me, overall.  Grocery wise: I spent $177 and some change – BUT I still need to buy fresh veggies for THURSDAY, and more milk and bread.  So I would say my food budget for this week hit around $250 which seems about normal.  I am desperately trying to figure out how to get that weekly total DOWN.  So if you have any tips, please share them! LOL

For more Meal Plans, check out:

Meal Plan Monday Sept 9th - 15th

I meant to post this yesterday and forgot.  Here is my meal plan for this week.

Bunny's Week at a Glance

Monday:

• Meatloaf
• Mashed Potatoes
• Mac n Cheese
• Salad
• whole wheat rolls

Tuesday:

• Spaghetti
• garlic toast
• salad

Wednesday: (Left over night)

• Fend Fo Yo Self

Thursday:

• Tuna Patties (recipe: http://bunnyscookingit.blogspot.com/2010/08/southern-tuna-patties.html )
• Salad
• Mashed Potatoes
• Mac n cheese
• home made tarter sauce
• Corn on cob

Friday: (Everyone is busy)

• Fend Fo Yo Self

Saturday:  (FAMILY night)

• Build your own pizza

Sunday:

• TBA

Meal Plan June 23 - 30, 2013

Here’s our meal plan for the week…

For breakfast this week:

Sis is opting for choc chip waffles
Brandon is opting for Golden Pops
and I am opting for some type of eggs all week, I think. If I feel like eating. Not been feeling well this past week 

 

For lunch this week:

The kids will be doing their usual.  Sis will have a chicken sandwich and ramen.  Bub will have microwave burritos.
I have no idea what I’ll be having this week.  Again, I have no idea about me. Ive not been feeling well or really eating, so I’ll just wing it.

For dinner this week:

 

Sunday

• Make your own pizza night (using FRENCH BREAD!)

 

Monday

• chicken broccoli fettuccini alfredo

• garlic toast

Tuesday

• tator tot casserole

Wednesday

• FEND FO YO SELF

Thursday

 

• Breakfast for dinner

 

Friday

 

• Tuna Patties
• Mac N Cheese
• Salad

 

Saturday

I hate burgers, so I dress em up!

• Burgers
• Fries

 

Sunday

• Soup
• Grilled Cheese

So that’s it for us this week.  Amount spent at the grocery to make this week happen: $168 I am sure I’ll have to go back for more milk and bread.

How about it, what are you cooking up this week?

Meal Plan Monday – Sept 23 2012

Such a busy week last week. *sigh*  This week is going to be a pretty simple week food wise.  Mr C will be very busy all week, so quick meals are the main goal to get us through the week…

So my menu for this week…

SUNDAY (Mr C chooses)

• Chili Mac (yea, hamburger helper. bluh…)   I add a crap ton of veggies to mine to make it have some flavor.  LOL
• Grilled Cheese  (Sis and I prefer provolone, the fellas like American)

MONDAY (Kids Night 1 – Bran Cooks)

• Spaghetti (with homemade sauce )
• Salad
• garlic toast

TUESDAY (Kids Night 2 – Sis Cooks)

• Chicken Fries
• Spinach Salad

WEDNESDAY

• EZ Sausage and Tator Bake
• mac n cheese
• rolls
• salad

THURSDAY

• Turkey Breast Roast   <3
• Mashed Potatoes
• Baked Beans
• Salad
• Rolls

FRIDAY

• cheesey dogs

SATURDAY (Lazy Day)

• FEND FO YO SELF NIGHT

SUNDAY

• burgers
• fries

Do you plan your weeks cooking ahead of time?  I do.  On Sunday morning I sit down in my office and I plan out what we are going to eat all week.

Meal planning for me, really, is pretty easy.  My Mr. works a weird shift at work that rotates so he is only home for dinner a few nights per week.  Those nights I try to cook a NICE meal with the trimmings.  I mean, he works hard and he deserves it.

On the nights Mr. C isn’t home, I still cook, but those meals are more KID FRIENDLY.  Anything to lessen the amount of whining I have to listen to – WORKS.  lol…

Once I have my “loose” menu made (because lets be honest here…sometimes I just don’t feel like making what’s on the list!), I head upstairs to check the pantry and fridge and make out my grocery list for the week.

Mr C likes to go shopping at like 3am when there is NO ONE in their right (or wrong) mind at Wal-Mart.  Since he is used to being up all night anyway, and I hate to go to Wal-Mart this works for us.  Plus, he seems to spend a lot less when he goes shopping with my list – than we do when I go shopping with my list. LOL!

So what’s on your menu for this week?

MEAL PLAN MONDAY – June 28 – July 6

Happy Vacation Day! haha…

So, we’re still on vacation – until Monday, and even though I promised Mr C I would not be on the computer the entire time… not blogging is KILLING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We’ve been so busy the last 2 weeks we hadn’t even gone to the store until yesterday!  I sat down yesterday afternoon and planned out what I wanted to cook and then hit the pantry to see what we needed to make it happen.  We needed a lot.  Our pantry was seriously on the low side.  Anyhoo, here’s what I will be cooking for the rest of vacation and for next week.

THURSDAY (June 28)

• Roast, potatoes, carrots (crock pot)
• Mac N Cheese
• Salad
• Rolls

FRIDAY

• Bar B Que (left over roast meat)
• Chips

SATURDAY

• Soup (left over roast veggies and broth)
• Grilled Cheese

SUNDAY

• Southern fried steak n gravy
• mashed potatoes
• beans
• cornbread

*My Granny used to make this a lot when I was little, so I messaged my Dad and got the recipe.  I’ve never cooked tenderized round steak before, hope it turns out.

MONDAY  (Brand’s night to cook)

• Spaghetti w/ meat sauce
• salad
• garlic toast

TUESDAY (Harm’s night to cook)*I am sick of burgers, will be having "faux fry" instead

• Burgers
• fries

WEDNESDAY

• Oven Fried Chicken
• Mac N Cheese
• Mashed Potatoes
• Corn on the Cob
• Dinner Rolls

THURSDAY (Breakfast for dinner night)

• scrambled eggs
• biscuits
• sausage gravy

FRIDAY

• Pizza

SATURDAY

• To Be Determined

Do you plan your weeks cooking ahead of time?  I do.  On Sunday morning I sit down in my office and I plan out what we are going to eat all week.

Meal planning for me, really, is pretty easy.  My Mr. works a weird shift at work that rotates so he is only home for dinner a few nights per week.  Those nights I try to cook a NICE meal with the trimmings.  I mean, he works hard and he deserves it.

On the nights Mr. C isn’t home, I still cook, but those meals are more KID FRIENDLY.  Anything to lessen the amount of whining I have to listen to – WORKS.  lol…

Once I have my “loose” menu made (because lets be honest here…sometimes I just don’t feel like making what’s on the list!), I head upstairs to check the pantry and fridge and make out my grocery list for the week.

Mr C likes to go shopping at like 3am when there is NO ONE in their right (or wrong) mind at Wal-Mart.  Since he is used to being up all night anyway, and I hate to go to Wal-Mart this works for us.  Plus, he seems to spend a lot less when he goes shopping with my list – than we do when I go shopping with my list. LOL!

So what’s on my menu for this week?