Monday 1/5/09

Well things started getting back to normal around here today. The kids went back to school including Tyler back to preschool. I am back to a normal work week after 2 short weeks for the holidays. The snow is almost gone (insert cheering here hehe).

Tonights dinner:

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie and Salad ($5.14)

1 bag salad mix $2.50

Assorted veggies. I used carrots, celery, onion and potato. Enlist 13 year old son to chop up the veggies in uniform size. (.40)

Leftover chicken from last night (1 whole chicken (bought on sale .69# x 5.45 pounds = $3.76. This chicken will be used for 3 meals so $3.76/3= $1.25.)

1 can cream of chicken soup (bought on big sale) .59

water

1 double pie crust (I used this recipe but cut it in 1/2) .40

You can add whatever seasonings you like, I used salt, pepper, garlic and thyme.

Saute the veggies in a non stick pan with a little water until soft. Add seasoning and mix in can of cream of chicken soup and about 1/2 can of water. Add chicken.

Make pie crust. Press 1/2 in bottom of pie pan and fill with filling. Roll out top crust between 2 pieces of flowered wax paper and lay over top. Cut steam vents. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Lots of leftovers for lunches!

Sunday Dinner and Recipes

Tonights dinner was roasted chicken, mashed potatoes with roast chicken gravy, roasted brussels sprouts and homemade roll.

Roast Chicken ($2.85)

1 whole chicken (bought on sale .69# x 5.45 pounds = $3.76. This chicken will be used for 3 meals so $3.76/3= $1.25.

1 pkg Poultry Herb meadley $2.99 (will be used in 2 meals 2.99/2= $1.50)

1/4 onion- .10

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (.50)

1/4 pgk Brussels sprouts cut in 1/2 (.42)

2 slices bacon (.08)

Saute bacon in a frying pan. Remove. Saute Brussels sprouts in the bacon fat. Move Brussels sprouts to an oven safe dish and crumble bacon over top. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Mashed potatoes and Gravy (.63)

I cheated tonight. 1/4 box of instant mashed potatoes (.38) 1 pkg. gravy mix (4/$1) = .25

Homemade Rolls (.40)

I used the recipe from allrecipes.com for French Bread Rolls to Die For

Total for dinner: $4.38!

My Shopping Trip Week of 1/4-1/10/09

Check out my inspiration for what I am doing at the Grocery Cart Challenge Blog! I am working on using up the meat in my freezer this month so my menu has been planned around what I have. This picture is missing a few boxes of cereal and a pkg of bagels but they are added in the totals below. The cereal will last us a few weeks it will not all be eaten this week.

Sunshine Liquidators

4 boxes of cold cereal - $5.00

Big Lots

5 boxes cold cereal- $4.75

1# elbow macaroni- .90

Wonder/Hostess Outlet

4 loaves Wonder Bread- $5.00

2 pkg bagels- $3.61

1 pkg cheese sauce mix- $1.29

Cost Cutter

.90 lb bulk Pinto beans- $.98

3.21 lb. bulk white rice - $2.08

.65lb bulk Organic Popcorn- $.48

French fries- $3.89

Chicken strips- $5.78

bananas- $1.37

2 bags of Caesar salad mix $5

Poultry medley fresh herbs $2.99

2 gallons of milk - $5.00

Total- $27.47

I had a store coupon for the milk (saved .78) and brought my own bags (saved .10)

Kids school lunches- $4.00

My grocery total for the week: $52.02

Shopping on a Budget

I have 2 blogs I love to read on a regular basis, The Grocery Cart Challenge and $5 Dinners . I have decided to participate in their weekly/daily challenges and hopefully it will help someone else and it will help me be accountable!

First for the Grocery Cart Challenge, check out her blog! She feeds her family of 6 on $60 per week. I have set a monthly grocery budget of $300 per month for my family of 5 that equals $75 per week. Then on $5 Dinners, Bloggers Share their dinner ideas that are $5 or less!

Here is my attempt for the week of Jan 4-Jan10th. I am working on cleaning out my freezer so I do not need to buy any meat this month.

Breakfast:

The kids love cold cereal and as long as I can buy it at less than $1.50 a box they can eat it. I usually have toast or a bagel with coffee. On the weekends I fix a big breakfast.

Lunch:

The 3 older kids eat hot lunch at school. The 2 oldest are .40 a day ($4.00 a week) and my youngest daughter gets free lunch (grant program thru our school for K-3 who qualify for reduced lunch). My youngest son and I eat at home. He loves chicken & french fries and I usually eat salad or leftovers.

Dinner:

This week 3 nights dinner will come out of 1 whole chicken. This chicken was purchased on sale for .69 a lb its i 5.45 #. for a total of - $3.76.

Sunday- Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts/green beans, homemade french rolls.

Monday- Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday- Homemade chicken/rice soup, crackers

Wednesday- Spaghetti, ceasar salad and homemade garlic bread

Thursday- Pork Chops, rice and veggies

Friday- Homemade Pizza

Saturday- we eat at church between church services (Pizza $8 for the whole family)

Catching Up with Pictures!

I wanted to add some pictures to update whats been going on the past few weeks. There are pictures from Christmas/snow at my parents house, Danielles ballet performance, Tylers birthday and our spread at new years! I will have more later!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from the Graybill's! Well, we were blessed with a white Christmas, now we are ready for the snow to GO AWAY but it continues to fall as I type. We have had snow for 3 weeks I think now. CRAZY! We spent Christmas at my parents house in Concrete where by the time we left on Friday after Christmas there was 4' of snow yes 4 FEET. The kids LOVED it. New Years eve was spent at home with Paige who came up to visit. We did not make it till midnight we are such party animals, but had an awesome visit.

Now I am focusing on the 2009 budget, goals, resolutions and decluttering. I will post pictures and more on the blog later today/tomorrow and have added it to my daily "to do" list to post daily.

Winter is Upon us

BRRR! As I type its 19 degrees with a 0 degree wind chill. Everything is frozen and the wind has not stopped for several days. I am ready for spring! But more of this lovely weather is on its way. This freezing cold weather makes me want to bake and warm up the house this morning was homemade bagels YUM!






The view from our balcony the frozen creek and pond

Last week was a crazy busy week AGAIN. Tyler had his preschool Christmas program so cute! He was a Camel for the show and got to be Joseph in the Christmas story :).

Erika had her last soccer game on Saturday and they took 3rd place for the Indoor soccer season! They were awesome!

This coming Saturday is Danielles ballet performance at the Mt Baker theater she is getting excited! They have worked hard to learn the different parts.

Christmas band concerts were tonight and tomorrow night but are cancelled for now due to the weather.

Hope to post more with alot more pictures soon!!