Meal Planning Sort Of-The Rest of the Month

 

     It was a quiet night after I hit the publish button. I still have plenty of wine for a glass tonight or tomorrow should I  choose without opening another bottle. It is so nice that better quality wines now can be found with screw on tops. The bottle was one of our wine blub bottles, so not the $6.99-$9.99 I'd pick up in the local liquor store. If I do decide to leave a cup or so, Meg B's comment yesterday put me in the mood for risotto, and I have all the ingredients for a creamy cheesy version. We shall see.

     Last week I made a massive list of all the options I could make, so less a menu, and more a brainstorm. Here's what we ended up having.

• Sunday: We had made paninis and  homemade fries, plus roasted veg for lunch, so supper was yet the last of the Gyro meat and vegetables. I made popcorn later.
• Monday: Brats and au gratin potatoes
• Tuesday: Crock pot pasta with cheese, zucchini, and mushrooms
• Wednesday: Bisquick pizza bake, half recipe, with added red peppers and onions (I thought it was too bready, but DH devoured it. I would perhaps cut by 1/3 if not 1/2 of the biscuit ball portion if I make again)
• Thursday: Cottage pie with last of Sunday's roasted veg, and  sliced meatballs
• Friday: Stuffed red peppers, plus DH ate last of cottage pie 
• Saturday: Red bag chicken on plain hamburger buns, roasted red potatoes, cucumber, tomato salad

     And here is what may still be in play for the rest of the month. As a reminder, while we do have leftover nights occasionally, I tend to cook about the right amount, or use leftovers for my lunches. 

• Pork Roast, bought pre-seasoned for Carnitas ( and likely will freeze 1/2 as it is quite large), with tortillas, rice, black beans, and tomatoes
• Homemade chicken tenders and air fryer fries with steamed vegetables
• Crispy chicken and country gravy over biscuits with steamed carrots and roasted red potatoes
• Chicken Alfredo over some kind of pasta (we have spaghetti,  farfalle, and rotini)
• Goulash with mixed vegetables (Oh, and a 2 # box of elbow macaroni)
• Chicken, rice, broccoli and cheese hotdish, with drop biscuits
• Fried rice with pork or chicken, mixed veg and egg and egg rolls
• Apple Cheddar sausage meatballs, scalloped potatoes and steamed carrots
• Lasagna and garden salad
• Chicken Cordon Bleu over wild rice with broccoli
• Burritos or bowls with beef, refried beans, rice cheese, corn, and tomatoes
• Chili and corn bread
• Turkey meatloaf, cheesy mashed potatoes and green beans
• Sweet and sour meatballs, rice pilaf (maybe a risotto) and mixed vegetable
• Pork loin with apple sauce, brown gravy and rice and some sort of vegetable

     If followed, it would mean I wouldn't have to plan at all until we go up to the lake for our vacation week on October 3 . Budget wise, since DD2 and I shared the peck of apples, I only spent $12 at the orchard, so I still have a sizeable balance of $42 until months end to meet the $400 challenge. I opened the last of pup's wet dog food (I put a few spoonful's on top of his dry), so will need more by Tuesday. DH will need sandwich items though I'm cooking up a big package of chicken tenderloins of which 1/2 will be for his lunches. I'm also down to only carrots, celery, a few baking potatoes, a few broccoli florets, and part of a zucchini for non frozen or canned vegetables. We also have no "snacks" other than plain tortilla chips which will be nibbled on today with black bean and corn salsa, so I may do a Aldi run Tuesday night, reserving perhaps $10 for a last week Kwik Trip stop for milk, bread, bananas, and eggs. Would anyone be interested in a $30 or less Aldi shopping haul? 

     My daughter is coming over for the game and she is bringing three sweet potato's she wants to use up to make wedges or fries. In keeping with our game day bar and grill type food, I'll likely make DH a couple grilled cheese and she and I are going to have the last two veggie burgers that have lingered in my refrigerator. I plan to make a small apple crisp as well, and the  chicken tenderloins need to roast. I think supper will be the chicken, broccoli and cheese rice hotdish to make sure I use the florets before they turn. Wow-lots of food prep in my house today as I already mixed up the black bean and corn salsa.  Would this meal plan of sorts work in your house? What are you eating more or less of right now based on what is available? Are you trying to stock up for pending shortages or colder weather or shopping the same?