Eat at home

[leight]

Happy Monday!

budget buster friday- I moved my daughter's reward lunch(no behavior marks in school this week) to dinner as a mommy/daughter event and we went to dairy queen. Since it was just the two of us- I had to pickup wings for dh - he was complaining that I was blowing off his dinner for the Mets' season opener!
Saturday I made a turkey club for DH & dd#2 had a kids cuisine as lunch before soccer. DD#1 had brunch and I had a salad. It was my turn to do snacks- so I made funfetti cupcakes for the girls as it was DD#2s bday this week. They all loved them and it was no extra money as I had all the ingredients on hand in my stocked pantry. ;-)

DH was also complaining that I haven't been making breakfast(I rarely eat it and prefer a yogurt or fruit to a full meal). So I surprised him with French Toast- wanted to use the rest of the bread before food shopping as my dd#1's favorite sandwich bread is on sale bogo this week.
I also made a few extra slices of french toast with the extra batter and set them aside. I reheated them on the griddle, added cheese, bacon, left over ham & turkey from the weekly coldcuts leftover and made him a Monte Cristo sandwich and he thought I was really kissing up to him! (still had a few slices left of that same bread) I made DD#2 a grilled cheese with turkey bacon and tuna for myself (leaving enough for lunch on monday) so lunch was straight out of the fridge/pantry. DD#1 took a bike ride to the yogurt place and used her allowance for a lunch treat with her friend. So sunday was right on budget! Sunday dinner- pasta w/ meatballs.

For lunch this week I have tuna for sandwiches, and one dinner will be salsa chicken with dirty rice and another leftover pasta.

DH making dinner Mon - Thurs (no particular order)

Hotdogs
baked chicken
tacos
english muffin pizzas

Friday I will make the Slow cooked St Louis Ribs that I still haven't made.

Shopping this week- produce, ice creams, dairy at Aldi's for $21
reg grocery shopping spent $44 and saved $38 with sales/coupons.
Have another $20 in the budget for some items on sale to stock up that weren't avail.

 

[charming23]

Tonight we are going to have leftover ham and scalloped potatoes from last night. I also plan to cut up the rest of the ham to freeze for later meals.

 

[yupikgal]

last night my husband made Chicken Alfredo w/green salad
tonight we'll have flank steak (it's cut like flank, but it's really a beef roast that I had the butcher cut into thinly sliced ribs) with rice and a slaw
tomorrow I'll make LASAGNA
not sure about the rest of the week yet, just planning now!

 

[jsmla]

Plans have changed. Hubby is home early from work and I spent the afternoon watching a French movie instead of making beans-I can't cook and read sub-titles at the same time. Now that he's home I want to play, not work!

We have BBQ leftovers and I'll make baked potatoes and a salad. That will have to do.

 

[java]

Oh what french movie??

Tonite we had this and it was DELICIOUS!! So easy and the best roast chicken I have ever made. I left out the fennel because I was too cheap to pay $3 for a tiny bulb of it. The carrots were so very yummy!

Ina R. Perfect Roast Chicken
Ingredients
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

 

[charming23]

Oh what french movie??

Tonite we had this and it was DELICIOUS!! So easy and the best roast chicken I have ever made. I left out the fennel because I was too cheap to pay $3 for a tiny bulb of it. The carrots were so very yummy!

Ina R. Perfect Roast Chicken
Ingredients
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Sounds delicious. Thanks for posting.


Tonight I am making lemon chicken pasta toss. Basically I take a chicken breast cut it into strips pan cook it in a little EVOO and then toss it with cooked pasta and add lemon juice. Simply yet really good. I will probably make carrots or corn to go on the side.

The rest of the week I have planned (in no particular order)
French toast bake with canadian bacon
Turkey burgers with sweet potato fries
pasta bake with salad and garlic rolls
chicken stir fry
Roasted turkey tenderloins with mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts

 

[figment3258]

Hello everyone! Hopefully no more snow here is what I have so far

Last night I made chicken in a cream sauce
Tonight is hot dog casserole
Wednesday spaghetti and sauce

 

[jsmla]

Oh what french movie??

Amelie-it was really cute but NOT for little ones! Your chicken sounds sooo good and I have everything but fennel. I've never cooked with that-what kind of flavor does it have? For some reason I think of licorice?

Thanks to Amelie and hubby's surprise early arrival I've changed the menu:

Monday
Leftover burgers
Leftover baked beans
Baked potatoes
(Not exactly a balanced meal but it was fast and easy!)

Tuesday
Pinto beans w/ham
Honey ginger carrots
Cornbread

Wednesday
Baked tilapia
Brown rice pilaf
Green peas
Garlic bread

Thursday
Pan roasted chicken
Baked sweet potatoes
Field peas
Biscuits

Friday
Veggie chili
Spinach/apple salad
Cornbread

I decided that spaghetti night would be the easiest to drop since most of it was either still in the freezer or pantry. Besides, it was my least favorite

 

[OceanAnnie]

Sounds delicious. Thanks for posting.


Tonight I am making lemon chicken pasta toss. Basically I take a chicken breast cut it into strips pan cook it in a little EVOO and then toss it with cooked pasta and add lemon juice. Simply yet really good. I will probably make carrots or corn to go on the side.

The rest of the week I have planned (in no particular order)
French toast bake with canadian bacon
Turkey burgers with sweet potato fries
pasta bake with salad and garlic rolls
chicken stir fry
Roasted turkey tenderloins with mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts

Could you share your recipe for French toast bake? I was planning to make French toast tonight, but I'm game to make it a new way.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Hi Everyone!

I am relatively new to DIS, didn't start until planning our first Disney Vacay in March. LOVED Disney, now I have my sights set on a Disney Dream vacay...so let the budgeting and saving begin! I love to cook and cooking on a REALLY tight budget is the method I have chosen to save.

Groceries at Aldi this week: $66 for a family of 5

Saturday-
Spanish rice w/ ground beef
Oven roasted corn

Sunday-
Roasted hot dogs (we had a little bonfire in the backyard)
Chips

Monday-
Chicken and Cornbread Dressing
Cranberry sauce
Brown sugar glazed carrots

Tuesday-
Blueberry pancakes
Bacon

Wednesday-
BBQ chicken and black bean burritos
Chips and Salsa

Thursday-
White bean and bacon chowder
Cornbread muffins

Friday-
Baked mac & cheese with cubed ham
Green beans

I look forward to participating in this thread and getting lots of good ideas!

 

[OceanAnnie]

Tonight, Tue.- I'm having French toast (bake) with Canadian bacon. I have some bread to use up.

Wed.- Probably Hot dogs, baked beans, and a fruit.

Thurs.- Shrimp scampi

Fri.- Pizza!

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Hi! I have been lurking on this thread...some great ideas. Thank you!

I just moved to PA from NJ and find the grocery store here is fairly expensive so I bought a lot of meat at Sam's and froze it for meals. I froze some flank steak in an asian marinade and bbq rub, boneless pork in an adobo marinade and cooked some chicken to use at a later date.

I have not thought about dinners past tomorrow since I was waiting for the baseball schedule but here is what we have had.

Friday: Rachel Ray's Sloppy Joes and tossed salad (I heard about this recipe from TigerKat on the DIS and it is great!)

Saturday: out to lunch and leftovers

Sunday: I made a big pot of sauce with meatballs, sausage and pork. We had that with pasta. *It was the best meatball recipe I have made!

Monday: The asian marinated flank, rice a roni, broccoli. I made a sauce for the steak by boiling down the marinade. it was yummy!

Tuesday: A roaster chicken in the crockpot, stove top stuffing and a vegetable.

Wednesday: We are supposed to have company, if they come, it will be a lasagna, salad and crusty bread.

Thursday: Maybe Chicken ala King over rice (I have the chicken precooked in the freezer)

Have a great day everyone! Thanks for the ideas!

 

[jm-mom]

This is a fun thread and I'm getting some great ideas. With the cost of groceries skyrocketing, any way to save money is helpful. In our family we eat little red meat so I try to find other protein sources and stock up when something is on sale. Breakfast is usually cold cereal, toast, oatmeal, stuff like that. The kids and husband eat in the cafe at school/work and i usually have a sandwich or yogurt or leftovers. Dinner usually contains a protein, starch, veggie, and fruit and once in awhile a dessert. These are our menus for this week:

hot dogs on buns
tater tots
canned carrots
applesauce

grilled cheese (cheddar)
tomato soup
grapes

pan-fried pork chops (on bone, sal/pepper)
mashed potatoes (box)
green beans
peaches (can)

baked Tilapia
white rice
peas
canned pears

cheese omelets
Bisquick biscuits
brussel sprouts
strawberiies

baked chicken breast with swiss cheese sauce
white rice
corn
apple slices

baked chicken breast (on bone)
mashed potatoes
green beans
salad

ground chicken Manwich on toast
oven fries
corn
bananas

I can't wait to keep reading!!

 

[jsmla]

baked Tilapia
white rice
peas
canned pears




baked chicken breast (on bone)
mashed potatoes
green beans
salad

We're having almost the same menu for two days! I'm pretty new too and find that posting helps to keep me motivated

 

[Tamarap]

A little late this week but here goes:

Tues- Tacos
Wed- Pasta Fagioli
Thurs- Red Beans and Rice
Fri-camping
Sat-camping
Sun Spaghetti

 

[jm-mom]

I wonder if there are those of you like me that hate grocery shopping? It's hard for me to come up with new menu items and it's even harder to pay some of the prices! I am trying to find ways to make up for the costly things like hamburger. For example my store has ground chicken or turkey for '$2.00 per pound so I use that anytime ground beef is required. Once you add the taco seasoning or Manwich or whatever you can't tell. I also make stretch dishes like chili where I can use a pound or less of meat but double the amlount of beans and tomatoes and it's affordable and works for 2-3 meals. I find that we are doing more breakfast items using eggs for protein for dinner -- cheese omelets, french toast, quiche, even scrambled eggs. I also cook a lot with chicken breast on the bone. I learned that from the Barefoot Contessa show. I'll add the cooked chicken to pasta and a jar of Alfredo sauce, or make chicken salad or a chicken casserole, or fajitas.

I'm fortunate to not have a super tight food budget but I am a saver by nature and won't buy expensive groceries. I shop the sales and stock up. I also shop where things are less expensive like Target for staples like cereal, eggs, etc.

 

[tinkmom2]

Just back from the grocery store. I am so proud of myself this week! I cleaned out my freezer I found some meat in there from 2009 I had to restock this week and I bought some expensive items like shrimp. My grocery bill was $139.00 this week but I did save $40 in coupons. It kills me it wasn't on double coupon day but there is always next week! This is what I have on the menu for this week:

tonight sweet and sour meatball sliders in the crock pot
meatloaf muffins
spicy asian noodles with chicken
shrimp and gnochhi with asparagus and pesto
salad night with chicken
baked chicken quarters with pesto

Here is the sweet and sour meatballs :http://tinkmomfoodie-foodobsession.blogspot.com/2011/04/sweet-and-sour-meatball-sliders.html

 

[jm-mom]

I make the meatloaf muffins too. Try putting about 1/4 of a whole piece of string cheese buried in the center. Yummy! I put a slice of pepperoni there too and then put pizza sauce on the top like frosting before I baked it. Everything on your menu sounds delicious.

 

[tinkmom2]

I make the meatloaf muffins too. Try putting about 1/4 of a whole piece of string cheese buried in the center. Yummy! I put a slice of pepperoni there too and then put pizza sauce on the top like frosting before I baked it. Everything on your menu sounds delicious.

Thanks! I get so bored making the same things over and over. I like your adaptation of the meatloaf muffins. I will have to give that a try with the cheese and pepperoni.

 

[charming23]

Could you share your recipe for French toast bake? I was planning to make French toast tonight, but I'm game to make it a new way.

I have been using this one by the pioneer woman and love it

cinnamon baked french toast