Menu Plan Monday and and Update on My Grocery Budget

What a beautiful day that the Lord has made!  It's warm and sunny here today and the birds are filling the air with heavenly melodies!  Today I am going to share my meal ideas for the week and also update you on my grocery challenge.  I am excited for tomorrow because I am going to share with you one of the biggest ways that the Mister and I save money!  But for today~

Sunday ~ Pizza Hut (The Mister just informed me of this!:-)
Monday ~ Open Range Chicken, Baked Brown Rice, Steamed Broccoli and Peaches
Tuesday ~ Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Peaches, and Homemade Rolls  (I know, I add this to my plan every week!  This week we really are going to eat it!!!)
Wednesday ~ Baby Back Ribs, French Fries, Tossed Salad and Steamed Corn
Thursday ~ Rotisserie Chicken (in my my new Rotisserie!:-), Roasted Herb Pototoes, Steamed Carrots and Pears
Friday ~ Taco Salad, Refried Beans and Apple Slices
Saturday ~ Ham, Pittsburgh Potaotes, Tossed Salad and Mixed Fruit

Breakfast Ideas
Yogurt with Homemade Granola x2
Scrambled Eggs and Homemade Bagels
Cinnamon Toast and Fresh Fruit
Baked Oatmeal
Hard Boiled Eggs and Peanut Butter Toast
Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

Lunch Ideas
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Tortilla Bean Soup
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot and Celery Sticks
Ham Sandwiches on Homemade Bagels
Dinner Leftovers x3

Snack Ideas
Grapes and Triscuits
Yogurt
Homemade Crackers and Cheese x2
Soft Pretzels
Apples and Peanut Butter
Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter

Now, my update on groceries...

This week I only shopped at one store.  That;s unusual for me...I'm typically hit between 3 and 5!
My total spending, which included, staples for the pantry, some storage/prep items, food for our meals and even local honey which we desperately needed....
$50.25
I did go over...but I am okay with this!  I am still under budget so far for the month by $41.96 and because I saved, due to sales, coupons and bonus savings...
$24.50

After a few weeks of this challenge I am feeling the pinch a little, as we run out of things, which forces me to replace them.  But I am not discouraged and it is making me try harder to find sales, coupons and meal plan more carefully!  This challenge is truly turning into a learning experience!

Menu Plan Monday and and Update on My Grocery Budget

I hope everyone had a restful and very blessed Sunday!  The Mister and I actually had quite a bit to do this afternoon, so we kept unusually (for a Sunday) busy.  And this time change...whew...it has thrown me for a loop.  You'd think that a one hour change wouldn't make much of a difference but it does!  So here I sit at 12:32 am on Monday morning, with my Beloved eating reheated macaroni and cheese across from me and I thought...Aha!  Now's the perfect time to post my meal plan for this week!  So here goes...With some repeats from last week...

Sunday ~ Pizza from my favorite pizza place in town :-)

Monday ~ Ham, Pittsburgh Potatoes (mmmmm!), and Grilled Asparagus

Tuesday ~ Spaghetti and Meatballs, Tossed Salad and Garlic Bread

Wednesday ~ Grilled Chicken Salad (Pennsylvania Style!...french fries on top!) with homemade Breadsticks

Thursday ~ Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, and Pears

Friday ~ Homemade Chicken Strips, Homemade French Fries and Corn

Saturday ~ Barbeque Venison Sandwiches, Pasta Salad and Potato Chips

I also made a list of breakfast, lunch, and snack ideas to keep me inspired...If I don't write things down...I just can't seem to remember anything and what I end up preparing for my family is quite boring!

I'll share them  with you...maybe they will inspire you too!

Breakfast ideas...
Baked Oatmeal x2
Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
Egg Sandwiches
Pancakes and a breakfast meat
Fruit and Yogurt
Peanut Butter Toast and Hard Boiled Eggs

Lunch ideas...
Leftovers x2
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches with Raw Veggies
Tortilla Bean Soup
Turkey Hot Dogs and Chips
Macaroni and Cheese and Fruit

Snack Ideas...
Popcorn
Pudding
Homemade Crackers and Cheese
Fruit
String Cheese
Yogurt
Soft Pretzel

There...now I am officially inspired to get creative with my meals...Are you?

Also I went grocery shopping for the week and I am pretty impressed with myself...I purchased all necessary items for this weeks meals, a few toiletries, some snack-y type foods and even some extra storage/prep foods...My grand total for the week came in at...
$44.99   ~    UNDER BUDGET...This is cause for a celebration dance!
But it gets better...Because of sales, coupons and a freebie promotion I saved a grand total of....
$30.18  ~     Wow!  That's a great savings!  One more celebration dance!  If you are in the mood...take a minute and dance with me...ready...go...Whew!

This savings inspires me to try even harder next week!

I would love to know what your week has in store for you?  What are you doing to Glorify God this week?  Any prayer requests?  Comments are truly welcome and thoroughly enjoyed!  So please share :-)

Blessings and I hope you all are sleeping right now!  I should be :-)

Menu Plan Monday

Good afternoon!  I hope everyone is having a very blessed Sunday!  After church today, the Mister and I went out to lunch alone.  What a treat!  Now I am lying in bed with a terrible sinus headache!  I don't know how much longer I can handle these allergies!  Ugh!  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Preferably something along the line of natural healing...I just need something!
It has been a week since starting my new and improved daily task scheduler!  It has been working out so well.  I am very impressed and very excited to continue on with it!  I'm able to accomplish everything that needs done with a ton of time to spare. 

Anyway, I'm going to get to the point here and share my meal plan, and then shut my achy eyes!

Sunday ~ Leftovers

Monday ~ Chicken Alfredo Calzones with Parmesan noodles and mixed fruit

Tuesday ~ Open Range Chicken, Baked Brown Rice, and Tossed Salad

Wednesday ~ Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Thursday ~ Spaghetti and Meatballs, Garlic Bread and Tossed Salad

Friday ~ Barbecued Beef on Baked Potatoes, Corn and Apple Slices

Saturday ~ Venison Wedgies, Homemade French Fries and Macaroni and Cheese and Peaches

I hope you all have a great Sunday evening!
Blessings...

Menu Plan Monday and Something to Ponder...

Hello! Time flies...this week started and ended in the blink of an eye!  I hope everyone had a very blessed Sunday!  I sure did.  We had a wonderful time of worship at church this morning and then The Mister and I spent time doing things around the house with Arrow.  It was a pleasant day!

I have been pondering something the Pastor said today...If we are not hungry after God, it's not that He's unsavory...it's that we have stuffed ourselves full of other things.  He also said that we may not desire God like we should because we have nibbled off of the world's table too much!  What a statement to think on!  I love God...I truly do, but sometimes I wonder where my passion is for Him!  I want to be passionate all the time! All consuming passion! When the pastor made the comment about nibbling off of the world's table, it was like something popped me right between the eyes!  What is it that I am nibbling at?  I prayed today that God would show me...I mean really pick out EVERY little thing that displeases Him...everything that is worldy and ungodly...To show me my plate full of "junk food" that the world has been offering me!  I want to be refined by Him, inside and out!  I urge all of you to pray today and ask Him if there is anything in your life that displeases Him and to also help you rid yourself of it!


 ²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

I don't want to conform to this world...not even by nibbling!  I am here only for a time and then onto Glory I will be!  I just want my time here to be full of raw passion for serving the King!  So this week, my focus is on weeding out the world's gunk that I have nibbled on and learn to take big giant bites of His Holiness!

Now that I have given you something to pray about and ponder, I'm ready to share my meal plan for the week...Yes, there will be some reruns from last week because we didn't eat them...

Sunday ~ Beef Roast and carrots in the crock pot, served over leftover rice and a side of fresh cucumber slices

Monday ~ Taco Salad with refried beans and Guacamole, Peaches

Tuesday ~ Pork Tenderloin and Sauerkraut, Mashed Potatoes and corn, Apple Slices

Wednesday ~ Turkey Hot Dogs, Maceroni and Cheese, Tossed Salad

Thursday ~ Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli, Spinich Salad and Garlic Bread

Friday ~ Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Pears and Homemade Bread

Saturday ~ Venison Wedgies with Pierogies and Homemade French Fries, Mixed Fruit

Menu Plan Monday with a Glimpse into my morning...

Hello Everyone!  What a beautiful morning it is here somewhere in the deep South ;-)  My windows and doors are thrown wide open and beautiful music is pouring from my CD Player!  Hymns....ahhh....such peace!  All while hearing a little 5 year old yelling at the dog....excuse me for a moment....

Okay I'm back...Arrow found a broken toy on his floor...and of course he doesn't remember breaking it, and he certainly couldn't have stepped on it, since it was on the floor and not put away...so naturally the dog must have done it!  Yeah, that's it...Sadie picked it up with her paws, broke the door off of the barn and hid it under other toys on the floor that happened to be abandoned right beside the bed that Arrow jumped out of this morning in his exuberance to start a new day!

Apparently I have an incredibly sly, smart little puppy! :-)

or...

I have a very creative young man who is still learning about taking responsibility for his toys, room, actions, thoughts, words, etc...

But Hymns...yes...such peace!  Even though I have a sink full of dirty dishes, laundry that is threatening to possibly take over the world...(okay, not quite that much, but enough!), and a student waiting to show me magic tricks and do math class...I have Peace!  Physical, emotional, and spiritual peace that can only come from the Father!  The words of an old hymn are beautiful and meaningful and so filled with God!  If you don't normally listen to hymns, I suggest picking up a copy of "The Hymns Project" by Chris Rice.  You won't be disappointed!

Okay, onto my menu plan...I am not the greatest at coming up with creative meals on a whim, so it is essential that I write them down and assign a day to each meal.  Otherwise we would have frozen meat and take out pizza on the table!  That certainly isn't frugal or being a good steward of the nutritious food God has provided us!  (That doesn't mean that we don't enjoy take out ever once in a while...it just means that we would be eating it every night if I didn't meal plan!)  So here are my ideas for the week...I try to stay away from boxed helpers, meals, etc., so most of these dinners are homemade...and no that doesn't make me super mom, it's just something that my husband and I try to stay away from.  I will provide any of these recipes to you, if you are interested....just drop me a note...

Monday ~ Cheese and Broccoli Soup, Turkey Sandwiches on Sourdough Bread and a small Tossed Salad

Tuesday ~ Chicken Pot Pie and Canned Peaches

Wednesday ~ Frijoles Negros with Rice, Salsa and leftover Peaches

Thursday ~ Barbecued Venison topped Baked Potatoes with steamed carrots and a small Tossed Salad

Friday ~ Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Fruit Salad and Rolls

Saturday ~ Shepherd's Pie (leftover venison and mashed potatoes), Peas and Canned Pears

Sunday ~ Chicken Noodle Soup (leftover chicken & stock) with Homemade Bread and Carrot and Celery sticks

Well, I must work on my mountain of laundry and soak in the Glorious Presence of the Most High...
Have a very blessed day and remember to Pray without Ceasing!
Love to you all...