Weekly Menu, week of 4/30

This week I am starting to blog my Weekly Menu plan. (I know, it's Wednesday, but next week I'll do it earlier!)

Like most families, we have sports practice, meetings, and other crazy stuff during the week.

On Sunday I sit down with the calendar and see which nights are crazier than others, and accordingly plan the menu. I also use the sales circulars from the Sunday paper to see whats good and on sale that week. I generally don't use coupons, they take too much time and I don't buy many processed foods. (I decided this after trying, and failing miserably, for years to be a good couponer..not my cup of tea)

A "free" night can mean a nice sit-down meal for all of us, with kids helping me prepare some of it.

A "crazy " night (2 or more kiddoes have practices or games until 7pm that one of both of us need to attend) usually means "Soup and Sandwich Night" or "Crock-Pot Night"

All the groceries for the week are purchased on Monday while the kids are at school. My go-to stores are Fresh & Easy, Sam's Club, and Stater Brothers. I may supplement with other store depending on the sales.

My target is no more than 150.00 per week for groceries, and that includes ingredients for 2 kid's lunches, as well as hubs and my lunches. That's tight for 5 people. But it can be done. I add my "pantry" items in here and there. I always have staples like pasta, olive oil, flour, yeast, and some frozen meats like ground turkey and chicken breasts that I buy when there's a sale.

It's almost fun when I hit my budget ceiling for the month and I have to come with recipes using the ingredients I already have in my pantry!

I use the web a lot to help me. www.allrecipes. com is a favorite site . I can enter the ingredients and it will come up with all sorts of interesting recipes to try.

Grocery List:
Sam's Club:
1 gallon milk*
1 5 lb sirloin beef roast
1 package lunchmeat (this week is ham)
1 3 lb block Monterey Jack
1 package whole wheat ciabatti breads
1 package sweet onions
1 package baby carrots
tomatoes
1 3 lb package parmesan cheese*
1 5 lb package potatoes
frozen broccoli
bananas

Total: 100.60
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Stater Bros:
2 loaves sandwich bread
1 half gallon Lactaid milk
tomatoes
avocadoes
lettuce
cereal
juice boxes (on sale)
raspberry preserves*
coffee (on sale) *
black beans
rice
elbow macaroni
juice
apples

Total: 43.45
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* indicates a pantry item

This Weeks Menu 4/30:

Monday:
Breakfast -Cream of Wheat with brown sugar and bananas

Lunch- ham and cheese sandwiches, crackers, juice, apple

Dinner- Baked chicken breast (from freezer), rice, salad

Tuesday:
Breakfast- Cream of Wheat with brown sugar and bananas

Lunch- PBJs, zinger, apple, juice
(ham on wheat for me and hubs)

Dinner-home-made Cream of Broccoli soup, Monte Cristo panninis (ham, cheese, on whole wheat ciabatta, served with warmed raspberry jam), avocado and tomato salad

Wednesday:
Breakfast- Cream of Wheat with chopped apples, cinnamon, brown sugar

Lunch- Salami and Cheese, pretzels, juice box, apple
(tuna on toast for me and hubs)

Dinner- Crock-pot pot roast, mashed potatoes

Thursday:
Breakfast- Fried egg sandwiches

Lunch- Ham and Cheese, cinnamon cookie, juice box, carrots

Dinner- leftover beef in tacos, rice, black beans, guacamole

Friday:
Breakfast- cereal

Lunch- Salami sandwich, crackers, apple, juice box

Dinner- homemade mac and cheese, salad
ice cream for dessert!

Saturday:
Breakfast- Pancakes and Eggs

Lunch- sandwiches

Dinner- barbeque chicken and greens

Sunday:
Breakfast- Breakfast burritoes

Lunch- whatever's in the fridge!

Supper- Spaghetti with marinara sauce, baked eggplant
we have "Supper" early on Sundays, an Italian tradition I grew up with. Generally between 2-4pm, depending on whats going on that day.

Make it a Great Day!
Ann






linking to these fabulous parties!