Weekly Menu Plan for May 17-23

This week is going to be a real bear with high school graduation activities plus t-ball, we don't have a spare night that something isn't going on all week. Just thinking about is making me stressed. We're going to keep things easy, easy, easy this week.

Sunday - eat at friend's for birthday celebration
Monday - Senior/Faculty Party - eating there
Tuesday - Ribs (only because we had taken them out for Sunday pm and then changed plans), potatoes, squash
Wednesday - Hot dogs, baked beans, potato chips
Thursday - Ham sandwiches, pasta salad, green salad from garden
Friday - something in the crock pot because it's graduation (I'll decide later and pick from the freezer)
Saturday - Grilled chicken, cucumber and tomato salad, corn on cob

For more menu ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday. Having a plan saves me money every week. We know what to thaw, what to buy, and what to cook and we even have the flexibility to swap around nights if that's better for us.

My Best Weekly Deal

Thus far this week my best weekly deal was at my local Piggly Wiggly. I had to go in for some shredded cheese on Wednesday in order to make the enchilada casserole. While there, I noticed their Wednesday "Pig Deals." I got a 40 oz Heinz ketchup for $.99 (picked up two of them) and the Piggly Wiggly brand vegetable oil for $1.48 (picked up two of them as well). I didn't have any coupons for these items, but the prices were over 1/2 off even with no coupons.

Other weekly deals can be seen at Saving Our Cents Saturdays. Check them out.

Tried and True Recipes Work for Me

In my quest to save grocery money, I have made a discovery that really works for me - sticking to recipes that are tried and true.

My husband tends to be a picky eater, but my 5 year old will try anything and eats everything except beets (and he did try them). In previous weeks when I tried to plan menus, I would think that we continued to have the same old thing - chicken, hamburger, pork, chicken, hamburger, pork. I have tried to dress up these meats with new recipes. Some of which have been good, but mostly my family really likes what they like. So to save more money and utilize leftovers more efficiently, I have decided to stick mostly to the recipes that we know we like. This Wednesday that is what Works For Me.

Weekly Menu Plan for May 10-16

This week's menu will need to consist of things that we already have because I am still working on the $30/week grocery challenge. Here are our plans:

Sunday (Mother's Day) - eat out - Mama ain't cooking today
Monday - Boston Butt slices, sweet potatoes and onions, fresh collard greens from the garden
Tuesday - Breakfast Hoagies, fruit
Wednesday - Enchilada Casserole (several of the ladies that I work with have ranted and raved about this recipe as well as this site), watermelon slices
Thursday - Grilled hamburgers, potato chips
Friday - Blackened chicken strips, corn on cob, sliced tomatoes, garlic bread
Saturday - Ribs (didn't cook this last week), potato salad, cole slaw

For more menu ideas for this week, check out Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Eat From the Pantry Challenge Update - Week 1

This week's challenge to Eat from the Pantry went pretty good for us, mostly because I stayed out of the stores. I wanted to spend $30 this week and only went over by $8 if you don't count my husband getting us supper at Hungry Howie's last night. I had a bad sinus headache and the meat for the evening wasn't thawed. When he volunteered to "do" supper, I gladly accepted.

We will be having our moms over for supper tonight and I will have to spend another $5 this afternoon. All in all, I am very pleased with how the challenge went for us. It made me more cognizant of what I was spending knowing that I would have to be accountable for it today.

Our Salsa Recipe Saves Us Money BUT...

My husband loves salsa and making it at home has been a big money saver for us! Our recipe is better than any of the jarred stuff we have found in the grocery store, but we eat out (probably more than we should) at our local Mexican restaurant and would love to be able to make salsa like that at home. The only thing we have been able to get out of them is that it is made with canned tomatoes. Here is our recipe (which seems to me to be missing something). Any idea what? Don't get me wrong. This recipe is good but it just seems to lack something and I can't put my finger on it.

1 can of diced tomatoes (plain)
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles
Jalapeno pepper rings (from the pickle aisle) - usually 5-8 - depending on how hot he wants it
Fresh cilantro
Garlic powder or minced garlic - cover the top with the powder or a good Tbsp of the minced kind
Lemon pepper seasoning - probably 2 tsps
Salt and pepper to taste

We put all of the ingredients in the blender and blend away. Then salt to taste.

By the way, my husband loves the salsa, but I love the guacamole. Any of you have a wonderful recipe for that?

I have linked this post up the Tempt My Tummy, so head on over for more recipes.

Weekly Menu Plan for May 3 - 9

With only a few dollars left in my $30 a week challenge, I'm going to have to get creative with this week's menu. I do have quite a few things in the freezer, the pantry and on hand. Now it's just a matter of putting together what I have to make meals.

Sunday - Ham salad (made with leftover ham, cream cheese, and mayo) - it's very similar to this recipe except I add a little bit of mayo to make it more spreadable, boiled eggs, green salad

Monday - Hamburger Helper (haven't decided on the flavor yet - it was on sale a few weeks ago at our local grocery), fresh broccoli from my garden, rolls

Tuesday - Swanson Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore (didn't have this last week), noodles, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday - Boston butt slices, green beans, consomme brown rice

Thursday - Hot dogs, baked beans, slaw, potato chips

Friday - Grilled leg quarters, mashed potatoes, speckled butter beans, creamed corn, deviled eggs, pecan pound cake (this will be our Mother's Day feast for our moms - I'm being treated to a trip to the beach on Sunday)

Saturday - Ribs (loved the way this recipe looked), baked potatoes, salad or slaw (whichever is left from the week)

Visit Menu Plan Monday at Organized Junkie after 11:00 p.m. Eastern Sunday for more meal plans and ideas.