Menu week of April 18th

This week is a challenge week. We all run into the more "month than money" scenerio, that is us this week. This is when I rely on my stocked pantry and freezer!

Breakfast Options
cereal
pancakes
french toast and scrambled eggs

Lunches:
kids eat at school
I will eat leftovers or soup at home

Dinners:
Sunday- BBQ ribs and potatoes, green salad
Monday- spaghetti, homemade french bread and salad
Tuesday- Tacos
Wednesday- Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans
Thursday- Tilapia, rice veggies

All meals are from whats currently on hand in the fridge, freezer and pantry no shopping list this week. I did pick up 2 gallons of milk over the weekend for $4.38.

Constant Changes

Ok so sometimes the best of plans do not work. Last night I had roasted chicken with wilted greens and croutons on the menu. My daughter had baseball practice right at dinner time. I put the chicken in the oven at a low temperature mid afternoon to cook and it should have been perfectly cooked by the time we got home from baseball. I have done this a dozen times. This time, it didn't work. The chicken was not done nad needed a good 35-40 minutes more. So we improvise. This is where having a stocked pantry comes in handy. Last nights dinner became Chili and tortilla chips. I now have a perfectly cooked chicken that will be come chicken salad for sandwiches!

Today we head to Childrens Hospital in Seattle. My youngest daughter (9) has been having migraines for several years. They are hereditary and she has unfortunately been the one out of 4 who seems to have inherited them. We saw the pediatrician last year who told us that if they increased they would do more testing. They have sadly, been increasing. So off we go to the neurologist. We are praying they can find something to help her and help her have a normal childhood without this constant interruption. As a mom I can't help but worry that something else is going on. The pediatrician assures me that she shows no symptoms of anything other that textbook migraines but that hey have to rule out anything else before they can treat her with any medication. UGH. I will be glad when this is done. The hardest part for me as a parent is not being able to help one of my kids when they need it.

Grocery Shopping Week of 4/11

My goal this month is to stay under $400. Not an easy task with 4 kids trying to eat us out of house and home! I did stop at Winco for an unplanned stock up trip over the weekend. No picture of those items but I did spend $73. That added to the $100 I spent for last week put me at $173. This week I spent (between 2 stores) $69.49. My total spent so far this month $242.49.

I did not take a picture of my Winco purchases but below are the purchases for this weeks menu.



GROCERY OUTLET
baby carrots .99
beef & broccoli 1.99
sesame chicken 1.99
hashbrowns 2.99
local crusty bread 1.50
marinated chicken 5.32
red pepper 1.50
lemon .50
honey 1.29
half & half 1.89
It also came with a $3 off coupon for my next trip!

COST CUTTER
sour cream 1.69
2 yogurt $4.58
baby spinach 2.00
2 small white beans 1.98
2 corn muffin mix .98
hotdog buns 1.29
4.60# bananas 2.71
.92# yellow onions .91
romaine hearts 1.79
2 Life cereal $3.98
Thyme 2.99
ginger root .19
2 BC potatoes 1.98
blue cheese 3.89
turkey dogs .98
rib eye steak 12.81 (we ate 1/2 the pkg and froze the other 1/2 for another week)
2 gallons milk $4.78

To see how others did this week check out the GROCERY CART CHALLENGE

Week of 4/11

We are off with sports in full swing. Currently on our calendar is fastpitch, soccer x 3, jazz band and marching band, dance and church activities. That ontop of work, school and regular household things. This makes menu planning VERY important to staying ontop of things.

This weeks menu:
Sunday- grilled steak, baked potatoes and salad
Monday- Roasted chicken w/croutons & wilted greens, buttered noodles
Tuesday- Hamburger Helper (I will be gone ODS will be cooking), carrots w/ranch
Wednesday- Lettuce Wraps and rice
Thursday- White bean/chicken chili, cornbread
Friday- fish w/mango salsa, rice and green beans
Saturday- cobb salad w/poached eggs, mac & cheese