Tuesday, May 30, 2017

What's on the Menu-Making Most of Leftover Edition


Yesterday I did weekend laundry, had several relaxing cups of coffee between loads, and some other light housekeeping to help usher in the week. I also decided to give menu planning another go. I want to maximize the leftovers from the weekend, use what's in the house, and start a fresh slate for the grocery budget in June come Saturday. We needed a few odds and ends like milk, bread for DH and DD's sandwiches, hamburger buns, eggs,and may still need fruit of some sort. Tuna salad leftovers was/will be eaten for lunches yesterday and today. I boiled some eggs as well for my lunches and have a few frozen bananas so a batch of muffins some morning will happen. This is just a weekday menu.

Monday
Leftover Sloppy Joes's and cheesy potatoes
Tuesday
Leftover ravioli and meatballs-DH and DD2, cantaloupe, cottage cheese-me
Wednesday
Homemade chicken nuggets, red potatoes, green beans
Thursday
Hamburgers and red beans and rice
Friday
Chicken, long grain and wild rice, carrots

DD2 has just four days this week and four next of school and then she is off until September. I anticipate the groceries going up a bit, but not as much as I spend on school meals. While she does pack a lunch occasionally, with her early morning schedule, it just is easier. I'm guessing we'll go through more yogurt, fruit, bread and deli meat. I'm hoping to keep using leftovers more effectively, reducing food waste. She'll help with meal prep so every night won't be so crazy putting non-convenience foods on the table. Do your meals change in the summer?

10 comments:

  1. We travel more in the summer, so have a few weeks that are a bit more "use it all up". We also have a few weeks off & on without kiddos, so tend to not grocery shop much at all those weeks. On the flip side, we do go out more those weeks, so not sure there's much of a savings. :-)

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    1. I miss the ease of soup in the summer so try to have salad stuff on hand. I am challenging myself to stay on top of over shopping whuch leads to waste in my house.

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  2. With College Boy home for Summer we spend more on food(as well as water and electric).
    My plan between June and mid-July when we leave for our adventure is to use $260 in already paid for or free store gift cards to purchase groceries for the next 6 weeks. If I go over picking up food I am ok with that too but I am shooting for $260/6 weeks.

    I suspect the food costs will be more overall than most years this Summer with Hubs and I off traveling for a month since we'll have to rely on restaurant meals mostly(which will cost more than home cooking). We'll leave a reasonable amount of $ with the kids for while we are gone to buy groceries but will want them to shop the pantry/freezer first. I have also already laid in some convenience/junk type foods I know they will want....better for me to purchase them ahead when they were a "deal" than to let the kids buy them when wanted at full price, yes?
    We have put in a small garden of items the kids will eat/use so that can supplement when needs to be bought at the grocers as it ripens while we are away.

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    1. I can imagine how two young adults could whip through grocery money, but no doubt you've trained them well. No waste is my mantra and save some funds for weekends and towards next summer vacation.

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  3. My youngest came home from college last week. I definitely anticipate increases in consumption of easy convenience items such as milk, cereal, eggs, lunch meats/cheeses, bread, yogurt, chips/snack foods. But our produce purchases have been going down since the spring garden is in full swing - a bounty of lettuces, greens, spinach, kale, radishes, green onions and herbs. Summer should see it go down further so I think it is a wash.

    Yours- DeeCee

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    1. My kid can really go through cereal. Then though, she eats lighter, I've never been good at gardening, but you should see a wash as veg is still high in summer-for quality.

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  4. Yes, the summer dishes I try to make 'seasonal' - lots more fresh fruit and corn and blueberries etc.

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    1. Corn on anything summery is a treat, or a meal of its own. Watermelon too for that matter.

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  5. When Mark's at home we don't tend to eat more BUT the tea/milk/sugar combination goes through the roof!! Jx

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    Replies
    1. DD2 is a water drinker, so glad that will not add expense.

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