4Th Week of May Meal Plan

I have a couple another grocery trip and Farmer's market purchases to add before getting into this week's menu plan

Winco Trip:

1 watermelon
2 gallons milk
1 (6 pack) powerade
3 (4 packs) musclemilk
1 peach snapple
1 Dublin peach soda
1 bottle chocolate syrup
1 pkg pasta
1 box honey buns
1 box instant oatmeal pkts
2 bags animal cookies
~2&3/4 lbs bananas
2 lbs strawberries
1 bottle spices
1 pkg gum
1 loaf French bread

Total: $46.80


Farmer's Market

~2 pounds new potatoes

Total: $4.00


This week's menu plan which has been tweaked a couple of times because of my birthday this week.

And this is what really happened:

Sun May 22nd: I worked in the yard after we came home from church  so I decided to pick up pizza for dinner.

Mon May 23rd: MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
lunch- French Toast with scrambled eggs and bacon  paid for by coworker ( I asked for breakfast food for my birthday)
Dinner- I picked up Chinese

Tue May 24th:
lunch- leftover pizza a coworker brought in from a book club she hosted the night before and yogurt
Dinner- Black Bean Enchiladas. I just moved this recipe from Sunday. It was decent and allowed me to use up some leftover black beans and chicken from last week's recipes. I did sub corn tortillas for the flour as they were enchiladas after all.

Wed May 25th:
lunch- left my lunch sitting on the counter at home, also left cards at home I was supposed to use for letter project and Clark's diaper bag rather than taking it with me to the sitter. Went out to Pot Belly for a sandwich and to hear a local musician.
dinner- Manicotti and it was yummy!

Thur May 26th:
lunch- went to lunch with friends and once again had French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon. As this was my birthday lunch with them one of my friends paid the tab
dinner- Slow cooker beef on rice. I was not a fan of this one. It smelled really good when I got home but was just bland. If I make it again which I am thinking I will not I would add the whole packet of Italian seasoning.

Fri May 27th:
lunch- we are closing early for a picnic today at work so I am just snacking on granola until time to go.
dinner- Picked up some frozen fajita chicken and made fajitas for dinner

Sat May 28th:

lunch- the boys chose donuts with sausage and cheese kolaches
dinner- We had homemade mac and cheese

Letter Project

The "project" which I am really hoping just becomes a habit is closing out the week. I did have a snafu one day and had to write 2 letters the next but so far I have sent out a thank you note and a personalized note to someone every day this week. This has carried me through all the "a" names and most of the "b" names in my address book. Most of the letters should be just arriving at their locations and I really hope they lift the spirits of their recipients.

Book May 6th Through May 27th

The audio books for this time period had some back and forth.  It started with 10% Happier : How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story.  I was interested in his story but found it is not something I really want to incorporate in my life now to the extent he has. Mindfulness is something I want to incorporate in my life without the daily meditation.  Once I had finished with that one The Happiness Project was finally available again through the library. I was so close to finishing it before it was due last time that I had it completed on the evening I rechecked it out.  Due to finishing it that night I was able to start on Boys in the Trees. I just had a passing awareness of Carly Simon before this book. It was really interesting to hear more about the music scene in the late 60s early 70s. I have listened to/ read several biographies from this time period and it is fun to see the overlap.  This was a longish book to listen to and I had made the error of putting myself on the wait list for several audio books at the same time. As usually happens to me all of them came up at the same time so I tried to "hurry" and listen to as many as I could before they were due.  Happier at Home was the next one up and I was able to get through it. Very little of it applied to my life and I found it disappointing. Despite this I forged ahead with another book by Gretchen Rubin. Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives was next and I really had a hard time getting through it. It might be because I listened to all of these books so close together but they were extremely repetitive. She also seems out of touch with the masses and overly forceful about her opinions which is essentially what all of these books were.


In print I finished Not Buying it: My Year Without Shopping. This book was really a waste of my time, she did not go without shopping and also seemed out of touch with everything going on other than the art scene in New York.  The next book I picked up was smallish and ended up done before the weekend was out. 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life, this book was not the most well written but it really struck a cord with me. It has led to me renewing some resolutions I have had and ended up blogging about here.  It has really kicked in that I can finish my currently reading list this year ( this was after some despair that I might not finish it). This led me to skip over a couple of other books and pick The Freedom Manifesto back up. It was due before I could finish it so I will have to get it back from the library the next time I go.  In parallel I have been reading Vertical Vegetable Gardening usually while I am sitting in the bathroom with the boys taking their baths.  I managed to finish it last night and dropped it at the library this morning. I found some good information in it but not sure there was enough to warrant purchasing.

Trying Another New Habit

I know I have been trying to cultivate a ton of new habits lately and here is yet another one. I have found the meal plan habit to make my life a ton easier during the week. This habit I hope brings joy to others in my life and consequently make me happier. Over the weekend I read a book about someone trying to turn his mood around by writing 365 thank you notes over the course of a year.  This inspired me to pick back up a resolution I had made a few years ago which fits in with one I made this year.  A few years ago I made a resolution to write more letters but never followed through on it and this year I resolved to deepen my friendships by not having distracted interactions.  Rather than write just thank you notes I decided to move through my address book in alphabetical order and send everyone a personal note/letter.  I started on the project yesterday and as I only had one person whose last name starts with an "A" today I moved to the "B"s. Last night when I was thumbing through my address book I laid some ground rules. I am only sending notes to people I know personally. I send Christmas cards each year to some friends of Phillip's from school who I do not have a personal relationship with. A personal letter from me would be trite and full of half truths which would serve no purpose for them or for me.

Through this project I hope to get in the habit of sending letters and notes to the people in my life.

3rd Week of May Meal Plan

I am knocking on wood before I type this, ok now I am good. This week has gone a lot smoother than last week at least on the meal front. The boys have been a bit fussy but that was due to a lack of sleep. They have been playing hard outside and inside over the last couple of days and have just been worn out.  Here is the meal plan for this week:

And this is what actually happened:

Sun  May 15th: Grilled Hot Dogs served with fresh corn on the cob

Mon May 16th: This dinner was amazing.... Grilled pork ribs covered in a dry rub served with Alton Brown's Roasted Broccoli and BBQ Apple Crisp.

Tue May 17th: Was mostly good. Pancakes with bacon and eggs. The boys wanted refried beans for some reason so their supper came with a side of beans. The eggs were not all that good as I put the end of some Italian blend cheese in them and it just gave it an off taste.

Wed May 18th: Another amazing dinner. I made Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Carbonara served with buttered bread in my case. Roasting the asparagus and mushrooms gives it an amazing flavor. I did not have any fresh mushrooms so I set some dehydrated ones on to soak while I did some other stuff before dinner and they rehydrated enough that you would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

Thur May 19th: Cuban Black Bean and Rice Bowls which we actually ended up eating as tacos.  I used  the the leftover pork from earlier in the week sliced thin and warmed on the stove with a squeeze of orange juice.

Fri May 20th:  Crock Pot Paprika chicken legs served with paremsan garlic asparagus. I was going to make lemon asparagus but I used my last lemon earlier in the week so I had to adapt. I pan seared the asparagus with a little butter, olive oil and garlic. Once it was done I sprinkled the parmesan over it.
I also made a pan of brownies just because I wanted them!

Sat May 21st: Flanken ribs grilled and served with Creamy Broccoli-Bacon Bake which I thought was tasty but Phillip skipped eating. I was able to use up all the leftover bacon on this recipe.

 

Lunches

So far on this blog I have stuck with posting dinners which paints only a part of the picture. Once I made the decision to make a budget every month and do my best to stick to it lunches have played a major role in the success or failure of this goal. Phillip traditionally uses part of his lunch to work out and then has a protein shake. I pack Logan's lunch each morning as he is terribly picky and even though his school offers free breakfast and lunch he will not eat it. The sitter provides food for Clark during the day and a snack for Logan after school so I do not have to count that into the food budget. If I have something extra like the time I had 3 watermelons I pass it on to her and really do not figure it into any line item, it is more preventing waste. My lunches are a lot more complicated so they are a line item in the monthly budget. I allot $40 each month for lunches and while I do my best to stick to it I sometimes go over. The thought was eating at work 4 days of the week and out with friends/coworkers 1 day. I figured most lunches out cost $10 including tip so the $40 allows me once a week. Now if we decide to go fast food I have extra for the week and carry it over. The 4 days I eat here I either bring leftovers or enough sandwich stuff at the beginning of the week to cover me. I will start adding these into my weekly menu blog so you can see where some of the leftovers go and help keep me accountable to the $40 a month.

Produce Haul from the Weekend!

Last Monday I bought in to the produce co-op and purchased an extra case of corn. When I picked it up on Saturday I was happy at the variety and will be working on a menu for this week shortly. I did take the kids to the farmer's market where we picked up the pictured asparagus.

Second Week of May's Menu

I have not started this post until now Friday because this week seems to have fallen apart. I will start with the grocery shopping from this week and then head into the menu...you will be able to see for yourself how things went haywire.

Winco Trip:

1lb strawberries
3 (4)packs of muscle milk
2 gallons milk
1 men's shave gel
1 box apple cinnamon oatmeal
1 pkg craisins
1 spice rub
1 moonpie
2 pkgs marinade
2 pks flanken style ribs

Total: $42.89

Mrs. Baird's bread store

1 pkg bagels
3 loaves of bread
2 bags chocolate donuts
5 snack cakes

Total: $7.44


Target Trip:

1pkg ranch seasoning

Total: $1.42

Winco Trip:

2 gallons milk
1 box apple cinnamon oatmeal
~2&1/2 lbs bananas
1 loaf bread

Total: $6.66

Rebates: $21.33
Subtotal: $37.08
Total for month: $200.02


After all of that the meal plan looked like

 

What the week really looked like :

Sun  May 8th:  flank steak in the crock pot  served with steamed corn and a side salad. The steak was sooo salty I could not eat it

Mon May 9th: tostados

Tue May 10th:  I took the leftover ground beef from Monday night, the leftover corn from Sunday and leftover black beans from last week and put them in the crockpot. I added canned pinto beans and rotel to turn it into taco soup. By the time I got home  it was almost completely dried out. I tried to salvage it by getting the leftover refried beans from Monday night and putting that and the stuff from the crock pot on chips, covering that with cheese and serving them as nachos.

Wed May 11th:  roast from the crockpot that I had used a burbon brown sugar rub on. It was decent, not the best I have ever had. I served this with mashed sweet potatoes

Thur May 12th: strogonoff using up all the fresh mushrooms I had on hand as well as the leftover roast

Fri May 13th: Pinto beans with some leftover bacon in the crockpot  cooked all day and then was served with homemade cornbread 

Sat May 14th: I used the leftover beans, canned tomatoes and tomato sauce as well as some spices to make chili

It was as if I could just not catch a break. Both kids had a turn with the stomach virus which meant a lot of washing sheets, towels and my car. Dinners falling apart was just really disheartening but I think we are past it all now. 
 

Best Times Sometimes Do Not Have Pictures

Our neighbors have a basketball hoop on their driveway which the boys have not really noticed before. That changed when I started redoing the flower beds in the front yard. Since I was out front the boys felt the need to be also and so they came across the neighbors' son and cousins playing basketball. They went over and asked to play which I was afraid was going to end with rejection. The older kids surprised me though and allowed the boys to play with them. They had the best time ever playing with the older kids even though the cousins were visiting from France and spoke no English. The bigger kids picked up the boys and allowed them to make baskets and showed them how to dribble. The thought crossed my mind a couple of times to go back in and get my camera or at least phone to take some pictures but them just continued working. Sometimes the best times in life do not end up with pictures. 

First Week Of May's Menu

This is what my menu looked like when I knocked it out at the beginning of the week.

 

It did not take long before things had to change. I placed an order with Home Chef based on a friend's recommendation but when making the menu I put it down a day earlier than it was actually scheduled to be delivered. I moved a meal from later in the week to Tuesday and moved everything else down.

Sun  May 1st: Baked potatoes and salad. I had a baked sweet potatoes and Phillip a baked Idaho.

Mon Sun 2nd: Chicken Gnocchi Soup with garlic bread

Tue May 3rd: Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole. I will start with I have made this one before with a lot of success, Tuesday night was not a repeat performance. The goal was to half the recipe but part way through I think this slipped my mind and it ended up with way too much liquid in it.

Wed May 4th: This was night 1 of my home chef meals. Cinco De Mayo Beef Fajitas were on deck and yes I realize I made them on May the 4th not the 5th.  I thought these were easy to prepare and tasty, Phillip thought they were ok not the best he had ever had. The portion sizes are really generous also. These were advertised to feed 2, Phillip and I both ate a little more than we would normally as well as fed Clark some. I then brought enough to work for 2 lunches.

Thur May 5th:  2nd night of HomeChef. Chicken and Garlic Peanut Sauce was up and like the night before was fairly easy to prepare. I liked it tossed with a little sauce and then just a touch extra drizzled on mine. Phillip did not drizzle his and thought it was a bit bland. He added some soy sauce and was good. Again the portion size was generous.

Fri May 6th:Bacon and pancakes. I am bearing the scars of this meal as I was popped by the grease.

Sat May 7th: Grilled ribs with steamed corn and a side salad.

Books April 16th Through May 5th

I could have just screamed! I was sooo close to finishing the audio version of  The Happiness Project and then it was due back at the library. I tried to renew it but there were people in line so I had to go to the end and wait. It has been over 2 weeks and I am finally next and will get a chance to finish it soon.  As I wait to get the email that I am back up for this book I have listened to A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold. I found this book a bit repetitive but completely honest and sad. She has spent many years trying to understand her son and his actions. I really felt for her and the situation his actions put her in.  Mindfulness for Beginners was next up and I have mixed feelings on this. I am trying to be more mindful of my actions but the slow and low tone of the narrator/author of this book was mind numbing. I found myself thinking of other things just because I could not stand his voice. Is Everyone Else Hanging Out Without Me was a good find. I had been trying to find time to read the print version as I traded for it but just never could. Finding the audio version at the library allowed me to add it to my already read stack. This is the second Mindy Kaling book I have listened to and I am still not a fan. I find her tone pretentious but keep hearing from others that it is a persona she has adopted. Not sure how I stand on her versus her persona but I know I can drop any of her other books off my to read list without feeling guilty. Excitement is also what I felt when I started Think Like A Freak as I loved the Freakonomics books.  It was a quick listen and covered a lot of their podcasts which I was unaware of initially.


My print book selection looks like this::: If I Can't Have You: Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children. Long title for a true crime book which was ok. This book made me really sad and a touch angry. It was tragic that her husband despite everyone's best efforts never revealed where her body was or what happened to her and then 2 years later kills his sons and then himself.  After this one I wanted a little bit lighter reading so I am currently reading another year in the life experiment book. Not Buying it : My Year Without Shopping is my current choice in reading material.

Starting May Off On the Right Foot, Hopefully

I continue to attempt "challenges" in the hopes of changing my habits. The saying is if you do or do not do something for 30 days it will become habit. I have found the pantry challenge ended a lot of my need to buy items from the grocery store just because I wanted to shop. I noticed I have an easier time heading for what I need, checking out sales and making decisions based on need not just price. I admit that I do still stockpile sale items but only if I know I will use them in a reasonable amount of time. This month I am challenging myself to use up a lot of the condiments that are clogging up the door of my refrigerator without replacing them yet.

I see an immediate change in my focus when the grocery store is not a replacement for lost shopping opportunities. Over the last couple of weeks I have been able to work on our yard each evening and get more accomplished than I think I did all of last year. Now avoiding the grocery store does not account for all the time spent outside but between having a meal plan and avoiding stores I do have more time to be outside with the boys.

This month's shopping thus far ( which I hope is nearly all of it)

Kroger Trip:

1 Dublin soda
1 loaf Velveeta
1 pkg toilet paper
1 pkg sliced ham
1 pkg mushrooms
1 lemon pie
5 pkgs (1&1/2 lbs each ) bacon ( it was on clearance for a price I could not pass up)

Total: $26.85

Sprouts Trip:

~1&1/4lbs fresh green beans
4 pints blueberries
2 watermelons
9  pints yogurt
~1/4 dark chocolate raisins
~1/2 lb gummi bears
~1/4 lb gummi worms
1 whole chicken
4 muffins

Total: $25.17

Winco Trip:
2 gallons milk
1 case Dr Pepper
1 case powerade
3 gallons apple juice
12 containers muscle milk for Phillip
1 half gallon of cranberry juice
~1/4 lb peppered turkey lunch meat
1 pkg shredded cheese
~1/2  lb ham
1 pkg sliced cheese
~1/2 lb flank steak
1 half gallon orange juice
1 large container Nutella
1 Dublin bottling works root beer
3 Pillsbury cinnamon rolls
3 boxes honey buns
1 box instant oatmeal
2 boxes fruit snacks
2 pkgs pepperoni
1 pkg bacon pieces
1 pkg chorizo
1 pkg mini boxes of raisins
1 lb strawberries
~2 lbs bananas
~1/2 lb penne pasta
~3/4 lb pasta shells
1 lb peanut butter
1 pkg chips
~3/4lbs sunflower seeds shelled
~1/4lb dried mixed fruit
~1/2 lb raisins
~1/3 lb raw sugar
~1/2 lb dried cranberries
~1/3 lb dog biscuits
~1&1/4 lbs pancake mix
1 kitchen gloves
1 wetwipes
1 watermelon
2 packets marinade
1 spice blend
1 CLR mildew cleaner
1 pkg tostada shells
1 pkg snack size chips
3 loaves bread

Total: $116.72

Rebate $5.80
Subtotal for the month:  $162.94

April Totals

The last shopping trip for the month of April was at Winco

2 gallons milk
1 gallon apple juice
2 boxes honey buns
1 Dublin bottling works soda
3 quarts strawberries
1 moonpie
1 pkg pepperoni
1 bag chips
~2&12lbs bananas
4 donuts
2 loaves bread

Total : $21.09

Grand Total for April: $301.19

Over budget by $109.19

New " Challenge" : Condiments!

I almost can not seem to go without a challenge at this point. I looked at the mess that is my refrigerator door and decided I have an issue with condiments. My goal/challenge this month is to use up as many of the condiments as I can and then totally wash out the bins/door.  So far I have used up some stir fry sauce and lemon juice. Right now I feel confident that I can move through the door offerings easily but we shall see.

First Week with Just a Menu Plan and April Totals

I did a bit of grocery shopping last week which I am not completely happy about. One of the trips was strictly to try to get some cash over which did not work out and left me in tears in the parking lot.
Background on that incident is that my debit card was used fraudulently and so I called to have it shut off. It took 7 days to get a new debit card and my bank is not local so I have no branches to go to in order to cash a check. I was able to write a check at most places but not restaurants or gas stations. I was running on fumes when I tried to get cash over at the grocery store and was told the processor of checks would not let me because I did not have a check writing history.....duh because I usually use my debit card. Anyway the situation left me in tears trying to figure out how to get gas. I honestly called Phillip and used his debit card as we keep separate accounts. Learned my lesson to at least sock away a few dollars cash for an emergency.

Winco Trip #1

1 gallon milk
1 box honey buns
1 bag donuts
1 bottle baby bath wash ( the real reason I went in)
~1&1/4 lbs bananas
2 loaves bread
2 lbs strawberries

Total $11.16

Kroger Trip: ( this is the one I ended up crying on)

1 box yogurt singles
1 Dublin peach soda
1 lb mushrooms
1 pkg shredded carrots
1 pkg celery hearts
1 peach pie
1 pkg 4 heads of lettuce

Total $10.27

Winco Trip #2

1 donut
1 clearance chocolate rabbit
1 bag chips
1 pkg pasta
1 Dublin peach soda

Total $3.93
Grand Total for April $ 280.10

Sun Apr 24th: Spaghetti with garlic toast

Mon Apr 25th: I made this pork chop recipe. When I got home and started knocking out chores I realized I wanted rice as a side instead of a side salad and carrots. 

Tue Apr 26th: Pigs in a blanket with roasted potatoes

Wed Apr 27th: Baked spaghetti using the leftover noodles and leftover sauce from Sunday. I added a can of tomato sauce and fresh mushrooms, mixed it all up and topped with cheese. Phillip still added some parmesan to his. Served with garlic toast.

Thur Apr 28th: I kept with the plan and made a pork stir fry using leftover pork chops

Fri Apr 29th: We ended up not going out to eat I baked a chicken and served it with this One pot Mushroom Rice which was amazing.

Sat Apr 30th: We spent the day in Canton with the boys and grabbed What-A-Burger on the way home.