Finding joy in the everyday
As I made my menu this week, I kept getting pulled towards salads. Fresh veggies. Crunchy things. So we are going with that.
I didn’t get around to making this last week so I’ll keep it on the menu this week….Pesto Chicken. I may even make this ahead of time and serve it chilled, more like a salad with the tomatoes and mozzarella.
Beans and Rice
Looking back the past few months, I can tell our grocery bill has been out of control. I try so hard each week to stick to a certain dollar amount but somehow it only works one or two weeks. In talking to a friend recently, I decided to give a new money tracking app a try. It’s called GoodBudget and works like the envelope system from Dave Ramsey. We did envelopes early in our marriage but in the past couple of years we primarily used a credit card, which we pay off each month. It’s worked pretty well but I easily loose track of spending. I am hoping that by using GoodBudget I can get a better visual during the month of my spending and not have any surprises the last week of the month.
Getting back on a better menu and grocery list system will definitely help in my efforts so here we go…..
Friday | Chicken Salad (Mama’s eating out with a friend!)
Saturday | Family Party – taking Mexican Coleslaw as a side dish.
Sunday | Kids Eat Free at Dickey’s BBQ – dinner!
Monday | Labor Day : Ham and Cheese Tortellini with salad
Tuesday | Beans and rice
I am going to do shorter menus this month and see how that works. Instead of buying for 7 days, just do 4-5 instead. Maybe it’ll save some money and keep us from throwing out food/wasting. I am already super frustrated just trying to be creative with meals but also choose things the boys will eat too.
My Blue Apron/Hello Fresh blunder last week was a blessing in disguise. I kept the Blue Apron one and oh my word, the meals have been so good. We have one more that I am saving for Monday evening. If you follow me on Instagram you saw the two we’ve already had, so good! I am still thinking about the beef.
Monday | Blue Apron/Salmon Meal
Tuesday | Cheeseburgers
Wednesday | Lasagna, salad, bread (with family)
Thursday | Beans, rice
Friday | Pancakes, bacon
I have not felt like cooking in forever. Our dinners have consisted of eggs, beans, frozen meals, pancakes, chicken salad or pizza. Maybe it’s just the busy summer days or the heat. Or maybe I am just lazy. Haha! I don’t want to make big messes or clean them up. I am trying to be ok with the current state of things too. My boys don’t complain and to be honest, they prefer the simple meals anyway.
IP Beans with rice and toppings
Use leftover beans for Crunchy Bean and Cheese Tacos (like a quesadilla)
One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta
Hot Dogs
Photo taken at Ivywild School in Colorado Springs. Gem of a spot for lunch or afternoon snack!
When I sit down to put a menu together, I usually will look at my calendar to see what the week ahead looks like, how busy it will be, what things are going on in the evenings. These all factor into how “fancy” I will or will not make the menu. Budget is also a factor. How’s the grocery budget looking? Are we getting close to the max amount I want to spend this month? How can I create a menu to be more frugal or budget friendly?
This is the last full week of May so I may err on the side of frugal and keep things simple. It’s not too busy of a week but I find that I like to keep dinners simple anyway so I don’t have a ton of prep work or cleanup. That post nap/pre-dinner can be a little nuts around here.
Avocado Pasta with chicken (make extra chicken for a leftovers meal)
Instant Pot Lemon Pepper Salmon
Breakfast Tacos
Leftovers
I am going to keep at the meal prep for my lunches. It’s been great having a salad ready to go that I can add extra toppings to. I will probably use leftover meatloaf muffins for lunches. For James’ lunches he takes a bowl sandwich – chopped lettuce, deli meat, tomatoes and a pickle. It’s a pretty easy thing to throw together in the morning or the night before if I am feeling productive.
I’ve gotten better at making snacks for the boys too which has cut back on having to buy snack bars and other pre-packaged items. I am still making the granola bars but may try something a little different when they run out. I also made a batch of these muffins yesterday which they love.
So, that’s the menu for this week! Now that it’s complete, I am going to create a grocery list and give HEB curbside pick up a try tomorrow.
I have been seeing this Whole30 thing for a while now and want to give it a try this week. It’ll be a “light” version as I just want to dip my toes in a bit before committing to a full 15 or 30 days. I, of course, went to Pinterest to find ideas for meals and snacks.
The boys won’t really be doing it, I’ll add a carb or dairy to their meals as usual. James will go along with it except for his cereal needs. I am not sure I can completely give up my cheese either….
Sunday | Leftovers/Eggs (we are pretty low key with meals on the weekends)
Monday | Whole Roasted Chicken in the Instant Pot
Will roast some veggies for a side and maybe try some cauliflower rice.
– I can use the leftover chicken the rest of the week as well for lunches.
Tuesday | Jalapeno Turkey Burger with Sweet Potato Fries and Guacamole
Wednesday | Salmon, Avocado, Kale and Sweet Potato Salad
Thursday | Do something creative with leftover chicken…. 🙂
Friday | Date Night!
Breakfast Ideas | Hard Boiled Egg, Avocado, Grapefruit, Tomato
I recently switched my grocery store day back to Monday. For a long time I was doing Tuesday or Wednesdays. I like Mondays better. It just makes more sense to go on the first day of the week and start “fresh”. Right?
I had the idea to plan some crockpot freezer meals for after the baby arrives. At least a week’s worth if nothing else. Then I thought, well maybe I should test some before then to make sure I like the recipes. So, a few of those are making it on the menu this week due to a busy schedule.
Monday | Quinoa Chicken Parmesan
Tuesday | Calabacitas Enchiladas
Wednesday | Chinese Beef and Broccoli with noodles (find GF option – rice?) (Crockpot)
Thursday | Hawaiian Chicken with rice (Crockpot)
Friday | Leftovers
Saturday | Chicken Salad
Sunday | Eggs and Hash
Nesting is in full force around here! I am ready to get things cleaned out and reorganized before little man #2 arrives! Just 14 weeks and 5 days left! Unless he comes a bit early which is totally fine by me. Also, we are going to attempt some potty training with William…he’s already very interested and excited about using his potty. Fingers crossed!
Monday | We splurged on Smashburger – yay meat!
Tuesday | Baked Chicken with Skinny Cauliflower Mac n’ Cheese (will use GF noodles)
Wednesday | Salmon One Dish Dinner
Thursday | Burrito Bowl
Friday | Spaghetti Squash Lasagna (I’ll tweak recipe a bit and add ground beef or turkey)
Saturday | Leftovers
Sunday | Baked Chicken with Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Baking Wishlist (meaning, I hope to actually make these this week) | Puffed Quinoa Balls
Flourless Mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
I fell off the wagon again…last week was so lazy in terms of meals. Don’t worry, we still had food and ate. I just didn’t have a menu. I also went to the grocery store with a small list. I was so afraid of spending $200 again! I am seriously considering putting beans and rice on the menu multiple times this week but won’t (you’re welcome, James).
Monday | Well, I didn’t make it to the grocery store today. We goofed off instead so that will happen tomorrow. So for dinner, it was chicken salad. I’ve actually been enjoying a lighter dinner here lately.
Tuesday | Couscous Crusted Salmon with a veggie side
Wednesday | Quesadillas – My friend had one today with goat cheese and spinach. It sounds really good. Maybe I’ll try that with some chicken and mushrooms.
Thursday | William and I are off to Castroville for a night.
Friday | Going to a wedding!! I get to dress up!
Saturday | Personal Pizzas – I use Naan bread and make a few different toppings – mushrooms, red onion, seasoned ground turkey, feta or goat cheese or mozzarella, broccolini. I’ve also use red pepper pesto instead of sauce for a nice change.
Sunday | I may marinate some of the frozen chicken I have and then roast it with some veggies on the side. Maybe some mashed potatoes or mac n’ cheese too.
Sorry, not too many recipes this week. I am going to try to keep things simple.
Elizabeth Hafner 