Summer Meal Planning Thread with budget saving ideas!

[dreamin_disney]

I made Oatmeal cookies in the waffle maker tonight for dessert :

Fakeredhead- can you please share the recipe and instructions for the oatmeal cookies please. I just bought a huge can of it and waffle maker would be cooler then the oven. thanks

 

[fakereadhed]

Fakeredhead- can you please share the recipe and instructions for the oatmeal cookies please. I just bought a huge can of it and waffle maker would be cooler then the oven. thanks

We just went on a Jiffy factory tour, so it was a free box of Jiffy oatmeal cookie mix. That's my secret recipe!

NHWX- you'll have to experiment. I haven't used frozen dough or chocolate chip, but I would definitely make sure it's room temp so it will spread out properly. Also the cookies tend to stick, so spray well with Pam before each try and use a spatula to pull them off the waffle iron. If you serve them with icecream on top it won't matter if they are not perfect looking. It us hard to get all of the waffle squares perfectly filled with thicker "batter". You can thin them with some milk, but if you over do it they will taste more like muffins than cookies.

 

[jennyopenny]

Oh~I want to play. The balance of my Disney trip is due 10/19. In between I have birthday gifts to purchase for my Mother, Grandmother, and Grandfather~not to mention our oldest turms 13 at the end of this month, AND our twind turn 4 a week before the balance is due!! EEEEK!!

So, my plan is to really work on getting creative with what we have at the house. I will only buy what is a great deal with coupons, milk, and fresh produce. (one of the twins has to eat gluten free, so it makes our grocery bill high)

I will be back to post my menu.

 

[lisam427]

went shopping yesterday. i saved $16 at cvs and have $4 in extracare bucks. i also went to tops and save $14 in coupons. they have toilet paper on sale at cvs. i will be using the extracare bucks to get a 9 pack for 99 cents. this week i spent $41. so far with couponing i have been saving anywhere from $30 -$70 a week. i am considering putting the money aside in couponing on my vacation fund.

i didnt end up eating the salsiburry steak, chicken legs. a couple of nights this week we made pita pizza and salad as i just didnt feel like cooking.so ill add these to this weeks menu. last week i bought 4 pounds of chicken legs that were on sale for 89 cents a pound. i took some of the chicken legs and am making some chicken soup for lunches. this will be great with egg salad, tuna salad on pita bread. a little bit of the chicken will be cooked, deboned and used in chicken and stuffing casserole.

heres my plan for the week ahead

tacos, rice, corn
baked chicken legs, rice, veg from freezer
chicken and stuffing casserole, veg from freezer
leftover night
chicken soup, grilled cheese
fried chicken legs, mashed poatoes, veg from freezer
salsbury steak, mashed potatoes, veg from freezer

 

[aprilvaca04]

Great thread

Tonight: Roasted Chicken, Garlicy Green Beans, Corn, watermelon, marinated cucumbers and homemade chocolate ice cream

Wednesday: Lasagna (from freezer), Italian Salad (St Louis style) and bread

Thursday: Rosemary Pork Roast, Roasted potatoes, garden salad and fruit trifle

Fri-Sun: travel

Monday: Hamburger Bar, homemade onion rings, Strawberry Poppy seed salad

Tuesday: Creamy Tortellini, Mandarin Salad, bread, Homemade peach ice cream

I will add some "in season" fruit and veggies depending on what is available this week.

May I ask what Italian Salad(St Louis style) is?...sounds interesting

 

[aprilvaca04]

Great thread

Tonight: Roasted Chicken, Garlicy Green Beans, Corn, watermelon, marinated cucumbers and homemade chocolate ice cream

Wednesday: Lasagna (from freezer), Italian Salad (St Louis style) and bread

Thursday: Rosemary Pork Roast, Roasted potatoes, garden salad and fruit trifle

Fri-Sun: travel

Monday: Hamburger Bar, homemade onion rings, Strawberry Poppy seed salad

Tuesday: Creamy Tortellini, Mandarin Salad, bread, Homemade peach ice cream

I will add some "in season" fruit and veggies depending on what is available this week.

went shopping yesterday. i saved $16 at cvs and have $4 in extracare bucks. i also went to tops and save $14 in coupons. they have toilet paper on sale at cvs. i will be using the extracare bucks to get a 9 pack for 99 cents. this week i spent $41. so far with couponing i have been saving anywhere from $30 -$70 a week. i am considering putting the money aside in couponing on my vacation fund.

i didnt end up eating the salsiburry steak, chicken legs. a couple of nights this week we made pita pizza and salad as i just didnt feel like cooking.so ill add these to this weeks menu. last week i bought 4 pounds of chicken legs that were on sale for 89 cents a pound. i took some of the chicken legs and am making some chicken soup for lunches. this will be great with egg salad, tuna salad on pita bread. a little bit of the chicken will be cooked, deboned and used in chicken and stuffing casserole.

heres my plan for the week ahead

tacos, rice, corn
baked chicken legs, rice, veg from freezer
chicken and stuffing casserole, veg from freezer
leftover night
chicken soup, grilled cheese
fried chicken legs, mashed poatoes, veg from freezer
salsbury steak, mashed potatoes, veg from freezer

How do you make youe Salsbury Steak? My husband likes this but I have never made it here at home.

 

[barbmouse]

Great thread!

This week's plan so far
French Dip sandwiches...I make these in the crockpot...a family fave.
served with provolone cheese on buns with au jus for dipping, chips and dip and fruit

Baked Ziti w salad and garlic bread. This will be for 2 nights since we will have leftovers

Tacos with let, tom, cheese, etc served with carrot sticks, fruit

Pizza night

BLTs sooo good with fresh, juicy tomatoes. Served with chips and fruit

Thanks for starting this thread. Keep the ideas coming

 

[momx2]

I love this type of thread!

Tonight (Sun): Chicken Divan and rice in crockpot; left over chicken $0, so $4 total;
Monday: Black beans and rice with sausage in crockpot; $3.50;
Tuesday: Grilled Pork Chops, baked potatoes (crockpot) and corn on the cob (crockpot); $6.50
Wednesday: Mexican chicken wraps with black beans (left over) in crockpot; $5
Thursday: Spaghetti with meatsauce and ceasar salad; $6
Friday: Home-made pizza (on the grill) and appetizers; around $10

I'm really trying not to cook inside on the stove much or use the oven at all.

 

[barbmouse]

bumping for more ideas!

 

[jennyopenny]

I still don't have a full plan for the week. Hubby cooked burgers and sausage last night. Tonight is clean out the fridge.

Burgers
Sausage
Pasta alfredo w/red peppers (bertoli jar sauce)
Melon

I got 10 pounds of potatoes yesterday for $1.35. I am going to try a new method I read about to make hashbrowns for the freezer. Some I might do baked fries.
Here is the link~
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/make-your-own-frozen-hashbrowns

 

[fakereadhed]

I still don't have a full plan for the week. Hubby cooked burgers and sausage last night. Tonight is clean out the fridge.

Burgers
Sausage
Pasta alfredo w/red peppers (bertoli jar sauce)
Melon

I got 10 pounds of potatoes yesterday for $1.35. I am going to try a new method I read about to make hashbrowns for the freezer. Some I might do baked fries.
Here is the link~
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/make-your-own-frozen-hashbrowns

Thanks for the link! Can't wait to try the hashbrowns.

 

[3girlsfun]

This week we will be having:

Tonight: Hamburger helper (My DH loves this stuff) and greenbeans, with garlic biscuits.

Tuesday: Chicken nuggets, baked frenh fries
Wednesday: Veggie Soup-homemade, fresh veggies, grilled cheese
Thursday: Lasagna, salad
Friday: French bread pizza
Saturday: Eat out, or leftovers
Sunday: BLT's (fresh tomatos, yum!) This is a family favorite! with fruit, or chips, or whatever we have leftover.

I normally spend around $80 a week, including diapers, paper products, etc. I always meal plan, and am very anal about only getting what is on the list. I use to spend no less than $150 at the grocery every week. I start meal planning, and the list, and I have it to around $80! I love it!

I also try to make one soup a week so that we will have lots of left overs for lunches and such. It is always cooked in the crock pot.

 

[jennyopenny]

I am inspired. Tomorrow night is chicken noodle soup with grilled cheese. I have two Costco chickens in my fridge. One is picked pretty clean. It should make good broth. We also have some fresh veggies that need to be used quickly.

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

inspired to join in. Hubby is out of of town through Sat. So it is a perfect time to eat up the odds and ends in the freezer/fridge with DD (9) DD(6) and ds(1). Wish eatatmidnight was cooking for me. the menu sounds great!

Tues-Frozen lasagna, roll, and pineapple
Wed-hot dogs, tater tots, and orange slices
thurs-crock pot bbq pork, green beans, rice, pineapple
fri-spaggetti with bread and frozen veggie
sat- BLT's and soup with cantelope
sun-bbq ribs, corn, lima beans, watermelon, and cornbread muffins

Also planned next week but will post later. don't know cost, this is using up odds and ends. Only need to buy corn, tomatoes, and melon. Also have plans to eat packed lunches for all of our outings this week. Oh and of course we need milk. I have way to many Green giant frozen veggies from buying on sell. I love fresh produce in summer, but need to eat some of these to make room in freezer for meat sales.

 

[jennyopenny]

I would love the recipe for crockpot french dip, and the salsbury (SP?) steak~they both sound yummy!

 

[charming23]

So last night I could not sleep due to allergies and I managed to plan out our meals for the next few weeks. I based a lot of it on what we have to use up and the rest on stuff I hope to find at a good price soon.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

Please elaborate on the lentil cookoff. I bought a huge bag a while back, and always have these great plans on using them, and there they sit. Time to get them off the shelf and into a pot!

And I will be making that baked spaghetti, but I have to wait til the heat wave passes. I get light-heated using the toaster for my English Muffin in the morning!

Tink- just getting back to this thread. About the lentils cookoff, I used the recipe on the bag of lentils (plus pasta was added) and DD12 got grandma's recipe. DD Won the cookoff (Daddy was the judge) Made me upset that MIL's recipe won DD's recipe used the exact same ingredients as mine but less water and I think that's what daddy liked about it so the lentils stuck to the pasta more. If you need the recipes, please let me know and i'll get it to you.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

love all the ideas

Mon- eggplant parmesan, grilled cheese for DD9
Tues- shredded chicken for whole wheat tortillas, refried beans, rice, homemade guacomole, fresh raw carrots, jello and ice cream
Wed- burgers,hot dogs broccoli
Thurs- hope to make a corned beef I have in the freezer, potatoes, cabbage
Fri - homemade pizza
Sat - might eat out at the beach
Sun - might go to inlaws

 

[disneybound31]

tuna cakes, corn on cob, fruit
taco night
creamy veggie soup, cheddar-garlic biscuits, fruit
poppyseed chicken casserole, cheesy broccoli
goulash, peas, garlic bread
grilled BBQ chicken, potato/onion packets on grill, fresh pineapple
homemade pizza night

 

[lisam427]

How do you make youe Salsbury Steak? My husband likes this but I have never made it here at home.

to be honest with you i have been so lazy. i had the frozen tv dinner type salisbury steak in the freezer and thats what we had. its just me and dd. shes not picky (thank god)!!

i do have a recipie from kraft.com for salsbury steak that i have made before. (love that website!! the recipies from there are quick, easy, and really good)! its really good! here's the link

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/salisbury-steak-mushroom-gravy-63741.aspx