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| Crystal Karges Nutrition |
Goodness me! Another week, and now we March is knocking on our door. March, normally a month of highschool state tournaments, concerts, spring breaks, basketball tournaments, and St Patrick's' day fun. Those things may all still happen but I'll experience them differently. Meal planning has been more a measured guide than a mandate, but it has helped me stay on budget. I have no challenge for the month other than perhaps new recipes, and maybe making up a few myself. Below was the plan and then reality for the week of February 21 to 27th.
Sunday: Lasagna and French bread (either finding HP's son's recipe or found this simple version on line No Knead French Bread
Monday: *Bean Soup and egg or tuna salad sandwiches on leftover French bread
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday, *taco ground beef with rice and refried beans
Wednesday: Hamburgers with tots, fries or wedges
Thursday: Lettuce leave wraps; chicken bites with a fruit, pepper, and onion salsa, pasta tossed with tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese (likely I won't use feta)
Friday: Likely in need of a leftover night or may splurge on take out, but would prefer to defer extra take out for next month when daughter is home
Saturday: Spaghetti *Bolognese with salad, probably garlic bread
The reality:
Sunday: Lasagna and French bread,this simple version on line No Knead French Bread
Monday: *Corn Chowder soup and tuna salad sandwiches
Tuesday: Chicken broccoli stir fry with ramen noodles
Wednesday: Taco's with ground beef with rice and refried beans, black bean and corn salsa, tots (I was going to make potato ole's, but found the rotten potato ruined the whole bag)
Thursday: Leftover lasagna and tacos (we had both been picking at the lasagna all week)
Friday: Used a $10 Dominoes gift card I earned back in December, and an additional $2.83 and we got two medium pizzas, one sausage for DH, and pepperoni for me. DH was hungry and ate all but two slices of his, and I ate three of the pepperoni! I was eating my stress. Still, there was nearly an entire pizza left between the two. I had 2 slices with fruit yesterday for breakfast/lunch, I froze two of the pepperoni for a future lunch, and he'll eat up the remainder today for lunch/snack before we get out and about.
Saturday: Chicken bites with fruit and pepper salsa, wrapped in lettuce leaves, grilled haloumi on the side
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| Heated up leftover pizza. |
*Freezer soup was not bean after all, but corn chowder. Surprise! The tuna sandwiches were so good as I added onion, celery, lots of pepper, and made with sliced tomatoes. This might have been my favorite meal of the week.
The plan for this week, and there will be a large shop at some point, is below. The freezer and pantry are getting lean, though lean to American standards only as many meals could be cobbled together. In fact, the menu below really only requires more cheddar cheese, pork chops, hot dogs or brats and buns, and russet or other type of potato. I could change the menu a bit if I really didn't feel like shopping, though DH will need lunch items and we'll need bananas and probably clementine's before the end of the week. This is likely to change if there are better deals on different main ingredients from the proposed plan :
Sunday: *Apple Cheddar Sausage balls, mushroom stroganoff (have sour cream and mushrooms that need to be used) and mixed vegetables
Monday: Spaghetti *Bolognese with the frozen loaf of No Knead French Bread
Tuesday: Hamburgers, *homemade baked beans, tots
Wednesday: Ranch breaded chicken cutlets, wild rice, and cauliflower
Thursday: Pork chops, roasted potatoes, corn
Friday: Tuna hotdish with peas and carrots
Saturday: Leftover night if enough after eating leftovers for lunches, or something simple like brats or hot dogs and air fryer fries
*Items already prepared-freezer assets.
I technically still have $4 and some change in my $350 target. When DH and I go out and about, I might have us stop for some bubbly water for me and ice cream novelty's of some sort for him. That will be our wild Sunday night! What's on your menu this week? Are you doing any kitchen budget, freezer, or pantry challenges?
Your lasagna looks so good, Sam. I need to put that on our menu soon.
ReplyDeleteI won't need to grocery shop this week but will be glad to go back when the time comes.
You'd likely get three meals at least from it. DH eats a lot so nof a good gauge, but we still had two plus meals.
DeleteLeftovers and clean out fridge today. I work so I don’t care what they eat. I’ll probably have pretzels while I watch 90 day fiancée later. Tomorrow Italian roast beef with Mac and cheese. Tuesday pork fried rice. Wednesday I’ll make a big batch of chicken noodle soup and something to go with it. Thursday is tbd and Friday will be fish and pierogies. Saturday maybe pizza. Haven’t had that in awhile. I don’t need to do a big shop this week but will pick up a few things to tide us over. JoAnn
ReplyDeleteI've had freezer soup but it's been weeks since I made soup. All sounds good.
DeleteSounds like all worked out well Sam. I'll be due for a big shop soon although I do have everything on hand for my menu this week other than the portobello mushrooms - that's what the photo is on my menu plans by the way. Dishes shown are always right below the photo :)
ReplyDeleteI used up last if the mushrooms last night. I'm already rethinking the order of meals.
DeleteI am carrying February's pantry challenge to March. Last night, I fell off the wagon. DH returned earlier than expected from the campus visit with hungry kids, and I had nothing planned for dinner, so youngest ordered a pizza. While he was at it, I told him to toss in some garlic knot breadsticks as well. That, some wine, and another viewing of "El Camino" ended the day. Today, I feel as if I have eaten a brick. Nothing for it but to get up and start all over again. Tonight is a sirloin tip beef roast dinner with all the fixings. I'm also making pistachio flavored Amish friendship bread. There's 1/2 an apple pie as well. The week's plan is, if there is cottage pie on Monday (if there is leftover beef), chicken tortilla soup with leftover Costco rotisserie chicken, ravioli, meat loaf, basked salmon, baked stuffed chicken breasts, and who knows what else. I'm also doing a no-spend March.
ReplyDeleteNo spend and pantry challenge is very ambitious. Good luck. I hear you- I'm feeling Monday effects of how I ate this weekend.
DeleteThe clementine's we've had the last few weeks have been delicious. February is Florida's strawberry season and I'm sad that I haven't been able to find any in our stores this year. We usually get them. I guess I will have to wait until May when they are abundant here. Enjoy your Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI've neen eating a few clementines a day but missed yesterday and feel sluggish this morning. I need some Vitamin C.
DeleteI admire all of the variety you have in your meals. I hate cooking and tend to repeat all 12 or so of my recipes over and over (with small variations). I haven't had commercial pizza in over a decade! I buy a pack of 3 skinny crusts and freeze them, and then add our own toppings - so yummy! Tonight's will be BBQ sauce with chipotle sausage, mushroom, turkey pepperoni, peppers, green onion and feta, with mozzarella pearls. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a great weekend!
We eat a lot of pizza as you may have noticed. Variety is more different takes on the same main ingredients.
DeleteI was going to continue the pantry challenge, and I do intend to shop the freezer and pantry first, but I am not going to put budget restraints on me this time.
ReplyDeleteYou did so well last month. March being a no challenge month, I don't want to blow the grocery fund up either.
DeleteI'm just trying to stay on budget again. We have Hello Fresh on pause, and one week left of Blue Apron. I will have to overcome my laziness after that.
ReplyDeleteSunday - Nick is making a tilapia with curry sauce, rice & bok choy
Monday - Nick is making chicken fajitas
Tuesday - I'm cooking, kids both have activities. I think I'll make BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches, with coleslaw & potato wedges
Wednesday - Sweet & smoky pork tenderloin (or freezer leftovers, depending on the day)
Thursday - I'm cooking chicken & spicy chipotle pan sauce
Friday - Sichuan peppercorn beef over ramen noodles
Saturday - Seared steaks, caper butter, mashed potatoes, & roasted sprouts
All sounds terrific. I got a coupon for Schwanns so might get a few things for end of month. My daughter will want a fire if we get decent weather and I'd like to have food her friends can enjoy sitting around it.
Deleteleftover pizza never lasts long enough to reheat as it is eaten cold right out of the fridge.
ReplyDeleteDominos fails in the straight from fridge department, but a good thin crust loaded with toppings is delicious cold.
DeleteI am continue my challenge as I was gone for 8 days in February, plus I need to watch what I spend with this month being a bust. Your menus sound so good. I love corn chowder.
ReplyDeleteThe chowder sure was a surprise! Good luck Kim-I'm sure you'll have kitchen success.
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