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foodie shopping & Father's Day gifts

Before the rains came thundering in today the kids and I made a trek to the Amish Store. It’s been 2 months since our last trip and it could have waited a couple of weeks except for some necessary items for Father’s Day.

Here’s what we bought:

Regular Purchases:
1 lb. Farmer’s Cheese $3.22
2- 1 lb. pkgs. Butter @ $1.79 each
2- 10 oz. pkgs Smok~y Links @ $1.39 each
6 lbs Cheddar Cheese $12.62
Throat Coat Tea $4.49
Bigelow’s Lemon Tea $2.19
2 lbs. Whipped Topping Mix $3.79
.5 lb. Cheddease Powder $2.18
2 Cans Soup @ 55 cents each (Cheddar & Split Pea)
1.5 lbs. Dried Cherries $6.73
Total Regular Purchases: $42.68

Non-Grocery Purchases:
Cabin Crunch Snack Mix $5.64 (Father’s Day- Dad-in-law)
2 lbs. Vanilla Ice Cream mix $7.34 (Mr. Steady- Father’s Day)
1 lb. Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream mix $3.69 (Mr. Steady- Father’s Day)
19 oz. Apple BBQ Sauce $2.89 (My Dad- Father’s Day)
Toothpaste- for kids $1.50
Battery operated toothbrush (for Mr. C) $1.50
Flower hankie (gift for niece) 49 cents
3 wooden word blocks (gifts) @ $1.49 each
2 card making kits (1 gift- 1 for kids) @ $1.59 each
Total Non-Grocery Purchases: $30.70
plus tax: $.78 = $31.48

Splurge Purchases:
3 cartons of Chocolate Milk @ 35 cents each
1 pkg cowtails candy 49 cents
1 pkg. 8 in. baked pizza crusts (4 crusts) $1.99
5 lbs. Cooked Bacon Crumbles $24.95
Total Splurge Purchases: $28.48
Total Spent: $102.64
Total Spent on Groceries: $71.16

Today’s grocery purchases came from the Squirrel Fund- shopping at the Amish Store is one of the main reasons I started the Squirrel Fund.
Some day I will price calculate what the price difference is between purchasing 1 lb. of cooked & crumbled bacon vs. doing it myself- but for now, this is a splurge Mr. Steady and I both agree on; we love to add bacon to so many different recipes. The milk, candy & pizza crusts were purchased for the kiddos- worthy splurges for such great helpers (and cheap splurges too!).
As you can see, I did my Father’s Day shopping at the Amish Store. Guys are so hard to buy for, at least in the frugal sense. I find it best to stick to foodie items. We don’t do big over the top gifts for Father’s Day here- mostly try to stay in the $10 price range.
However:
The kids bought Mr. Steady an ice cream maker (he’s really been wanting one) and so we had to purchase some ice cream mixes to go with it. Wow, are those things expensive! But who can resist such wonderful homemade ice cream!
Not me!

Went to town and this is what I bought

Splurge Purchases:
1 pkg String Cheese $2.49
8 oz. Fresh Mozzarella $2.49
1 box Chewy Granola Bars $1.79
1 box Fruit & Grain Bars $1.89
100 ct. Freezer Pops $3.59 (that works out to 4 cents each)
Whipped Cream (in can) $1.39
64 oz. Cran-Raspberry Juice $2.29
Total spent on splurge purchases: $15.93
Total spent @ Aldi’s: $53.85

Total spent on Groceries @ Aldi’s: $48.63

Not a whole lot of what was purchased this trip was necessary to feed us this week- just items I had put on the list as being needed the next time we went to Aldi’s. Example: When we run out of ketchup in the fridge and I pull the “reserve” ketchup from the pantry, I write “Ketchup” on the Aldi’s Grocery list. This was our second trip to Aldi’s this month and I’m pretty sure we can make it through the rest of the month without going again.
The granola and fruit & grain bars are to take with us on softball game nites when the kids get the munchies. I’ve done the baked goods route before (oatmeal cookies or muffins) but have found myself feeding half the spectators when we do this- it seems that bringing homemade goodies draws everyone out while giving the kids a granola bar to satisfy their hunger pains doesn’t. [Not that I’m against sharing yummy homemade goodies but there never seems to be enough to go around and someone gets left out!]
Something else of note: since “retiring” I find myself baking a lot more and so I find myself in need of sugar and flour a lot more . . . . I am contemplating purchasing larger quantities and storing them in clean 5 gallon buckets. Is this a good idea?
Something else I’ve been pondering on- juice costs. If my kiddos are eating apples and strawberries and watermelon and such- I’m wondering if we can forgo juice at some meals. And besides- some of that “juice” isn’t really juice- only about 2% juice. The lemonade mixes have a quite a bit of sugar in them- not much better than Kool-aid. Mr. Steady and I are thinking we can have flavored water—water flavored with mint from the garden or limes or lemons (from the store) instead. We have decided we should try to have flavored water with at least 2 meals a week to start with and eventually increase it to 3 then 4 meals.
We’re looking to cut costs but also be healthier in the process.

Menu Plan June 15-21

Weekly Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: Our plans are up in the air for Father’s Day- so I really don’t know what my menu plan is for that day . . . . goes against the grain for me not to have a plan but I’m trying to be okay with it and be flexible. Also- we now have a Farmer’s Market in our little town on Friday evenings. I took a bit from the Squirrel Fund and we all biked down to the market last Friday nite. Our purchases: Cream Cheese Iced Cinnamon Rolls, cinnamon roll bread and a large bunch of Romaine lettuce; all for $8. PLUS- we’ve been blessed with strawberries- for free . . . . some from my parents and some from my brother (brother’s are homegrown).
Note also that I've added links to some recipes again- I got out of the habit and am trying to do better . . . . .

Monday
B: Iced Cinnamon Rolls
L: Diner Dinner
D: Salsa Beef Skillet dinner, salad
Dessert: @ my parents
Daily Cost: $4.32
Tuesday –Mr. Steady Softball nite
B: Iced Cinnamon Rolls (leftover)
L: Deluxe grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, pickle spears
D: Aunt Florence’s Casserole
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $6.52
Wednesday
B: Oatmeal with fresh strawberries & brown sugar
L: Turkey & cheese wraps, chips
D: Pork chops with Mr. Steady’s favorite sauce, green beans, biscuits
Dessert: h’made ice cream sandwiches
Daily Cost: $7.24 [Note: pork chops-freebie]
Thursday
B: Choice: cereal or yogurt
L: chef salad or hot dog (for Mr. C)
D: Peppy Macaroni, salad
Dessert:  Root beer floats
Daily Cost: $7.55
Friday
B:  French Toast w/strawberries
L: diner dinner
D:  BLTs
Daily Cost: $4.26
Saturday
B: Daddy cook (eggs, bacon, toast, country potatoes)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: with friends
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday – Father’s Day
B: Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
L: No idea- I am budgeting $10
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $14.00
Beverages for the week:
Cherry Lemonade, Limeade, Milk (2.5 gal), Water, mint water
Cost: $6.79
Snacks for the week:
popsicles, Oreos, fruit, cinnamon bread
Approx. Cost: $3.39
Weekly Total: $57.07
~~ Don’t forget to check out the yummy menu ideas every Monday over at The Organizing Junkie’s blog. You just might find your next favorite family recipe!

Spent $32 for this week's grocery shopping

Here’s what I bought:
Regular purchases:
Craisins $1.96
Skinless Eckrich Sausage 2 @ $1.69 each (on sale)
1.07 lb. Shaved oven roasted turkey breast $4.26 (sale)
1 box Coco Wheats $2.74
1 gal. Vitamin D Milk $1.98 (sale)
Lrg bag of Mr. C’s favorite sugary cereal $5.38
Maxwell House Coffee $5.48
Total regular purchases: $23.49

Non-grocery purchases:
1 box pads $5.94
Dove Clinical Deodorant $7.58 (very pricey but the stuff WORKS!)
Works toilet bowl cleaner $1.06 (on sale- ½ off)
1 bottle Glass cleaner 32 oz. $1.12
3 pkgs Fireworks  $4.00
1 Heirloom Hubbard Squash plant $1.00 (sale)
1  lrg Potted Yellow Pear Tomato plant $3.00 (sale)
6 pk green beans plants $3.25 (sale)
Total non-grocery purchases: $26.95
add tax: $1.18

Splurges:
1 pkg of 8 Fudgsicles $1.00
½ gallon rainbow sherbet $2.64
Lrg bag of crunch sugar cereal for girls $4.22
Total spurge purchases: $7.86

Total Spent at big box store: $59.48
Total spent on groceries: $31.35
Amount added to Squirrel Fund: $18.00
Why is cereal for the girls a splurge? We just don’t normally purchase cereal in such large quantities other than Mr. C’s (we usually settle for the under $2 boxes or knock-off brands) but the girls wanted to try this Capt. Crunch knock-off and since we (as in everyone but Mr. C) try to stick to eating cold cereal only once a week- this should last for awhile.
The ice cream splurge purchases continue to keep the very expensive and very annoying ice cream truck at bay.
Why the plant purchases? We didn’t get green beans planted, we’ve been hunting for the yellow pear tomato plants everywhere and the Hubbard squash was only a $1 and cute as can be!
The milk and Mr. C's cereal were really, truly the only necessary purchases- other items were on my list as running out soon but this was a good week for making the purchases due to items being on sale and the shortness of the list.

Good Eats for the Week

Weekly Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: Meals got jumbled last week and I still didn’t get my favorite Sour Cream Blueberry Pancakes. Sigh. We are trying again this week! Of note for Tuesday- we take the leftover chili from Monday- add a layer of corn chips to the bottom then top it with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded & sour cream for Taco Chili. A great way to stretch a meal for another nite! The beverage mint water is simply a few sprigs of apple mint in a jug of water in our fridge- tasty! Oatmeal Raisin Cookies is a mix that was given to us at Christmas that I found way back on a shelf in the pantry (made 2 dozen large cookies).

Monday
B: Homemade oatmeal with fruit, toast
L: chicken nuggets, cottage cheese, cheese crackers
D: Mr. Steady’s Chili, cornbread
Dessert: Chocolate cake with strawberry frosting
Daily Cost: $11.91
Tuesday –Mr. Steady Softball nite
B: Choice: cereal or yogurt
L: Ravioli, toast points
D: Taco Chili
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $2.78
Wednesday
B: Chocolate chip muffins
L: Homemade Mac-n-cheese, hot dogs
D: Sour cream blueberry pancakes, sausage
Dessert: fruit salad
Daily Cost: $6.28
Thursday
B: leftover pancakes
L: Nachos
D: Salsa Beef Skillet dinner, salad
Dessert: Leftover cake
Daily Cost: $6.77
Friday
B: leftover pancakes
L: diner dinner
D: Grad Party
Daily Cost: $0
Saturday
B: Daddy cook (eggs, bacon, toast, country potatoes)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Grad Party
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Poorman’s steak, baked potatoes, salad
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $5.76
Beverages for the week:
Lemonade, Milk (2.5 gal), Water, mint water
Cost: $4.33
Snacks for the week:
popsicles, Oreos, fruit, oatmeal raisin cookies (freebie)
Approx. Cost: $5.89
Weekly Total: $46.72
~~ Don’t forget to check out the yummy menu ideas every Monday over at The Organizing Junkie’s blog. You just might find your next favorite family recipe!

Grocery shopping- just under $70

Purchased For Homeschool Camp-out:
3 Bags of Potato Chips @ $1.29 each
1 box chocolate cake mix 79 cents
1 bag chocolate chips $1.49
1 box instant chocolate pudding 49 cents

Splurges:
1 pkg Fit & Active Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream bars $2.99 (6/pkg)
1 pkg ice cream sandwiches $1.99 (12/pkg)
1 Box ChocoKookie Cereal $1.89 (like Cookie Crisp)
64 oz. Jug White Cran-strawberry Juice @ $2.69

Total Spent: $68.80

We decided to spend the extra money on some fun ice cream treats in order to ward off the traveling musical ice cream truck that is constantly going around our block. I love white cranberry juice so that was a splurge for me (I also like to mix it with grapefruit soda and orange juice too- yummo). The cereal was for the kiddos. This was mostly a restocking trip- we could have made most of our meals for this week and the next without this trip but I would have paid more at the big box stores for the little bit of ingredients I did need.

Menus at my house for the week

Weekly Menu: with Daily Costs

Notes: A trip to Aldi’s is on the agenda for this week- I haven’t been there since April 17^th- that’s a loooooong time! I’ve got quite the list too. I’ll definitely be spending the entire grocery budget this week. I’m even calculating an extra $20 from my Squirrel Fund (where I squirrel money away for “later”).

Monday
B: Donuts
L: diner dinner
D: Crockpot: Ranch Chicken, baked potatoes, salad
Daily Cost: $7.89
Tuesday –Mr. Steady Softball nite
B: Pancakes
L: mini pizzas
D: Campbells mac-n-cheese casserole, sausage
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $8.52
Wednesday
B: Choice: cereal or yogurt
L: Maiden’s deluxe grilled cheese sandwiches, pickles, chips
D: Sour Cream Blueberry Pancakes, sausage
Dessert:  mixed fruit
Daily Cost: $8.54
Thursday
B: leftover pancakes
L: @ Nana’s
D: Corn chowder, biscuits
Daily Cost: $2.94
Friday – Homeschool Group Camp-out
B: leftover pancakes
L: diner dinner
D: w/Homeschool group: Bring: Triple Fudge brownies
Daily Cost: $2.71
Saturday – Homeschool Group Camp-out
B & L: w/homeschool group: Bring: Coffee creamer, fruit salad and can of chili (for hotdogs).
D: Leftover Smorgasbord @ home
Daily Cost: $10.50
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: with family
D: Graduation Party for nephew
Daily Cost: $1.25
Beverages for the week:
Lemonade, Milk (2.5 gal), Water
Cost: $5.84
Snacks for the week:
popsicles, fruit snacks (Mr. C), Oreos, misc. fruit
Approx. Cost: $6.30
Weekly Total: $54.49
~~ Don’t forget to check out the yummy menu ideas every Monday over at The Organizing Junkie’s blog. You just might find your next favorite family recipe!

Grocery Splurge

French Onion Chip Dip $1.69
Lettuce greens $2.28
1 pound fresh mushrooms $1.79
4 Roma Tomatoes $.59
2 Doz. large eggs $1.96
French Fried Onions $2.99
3 loaves whole wheat bread $2.94
10 peaches $2.58
2 gallons Vitamin D Milk $3.96
1 quart strawberries $3.00
10 lb. bag of potatoes $3.49
Eckrich Grillers 2 pkg. $4.00
4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast $7.99
Total spent: $39.26

Splurges:
Redskin Potato Salad $3.65 (for Mr. Steady)
Family pack of steaks $4.71
Half gallon chocolate milk $1.09 (on sale- for Mr. Conductor)
Chocolate Raspberry Creamer $3.28
Whipped topping 12 oz. $1.79
Total splurged: $14.52

Total spent on grocery items this week: $53.78

Okay- I stated that I planned on keeping my spending this week to $35 and all I can say is that was before I realized my hubby was going to enter the grocery store with me. But even with his “extra” purchases I still would have been over. I went over even without the splurges.
Yep, it happens.
I went $3.78 OVER budget this week [$50 weekly grocery budget]. That’s dips into my squirrel fund [my sockin’ it away for special events and fun stash].
This week I blame it on my grumpiness of being without a fridge- which isn’t very smart considering I had to squeeze all of this into an overly full upright freezer and 3 coolers.
Basically, it comes down to this- I got sucked in by the good deals. I hadn’t planned on buying chicken- that was on my list for next week but it was on sale. Peaches were on sale too and the kids and I really wanted some more variety in our fresh fruit. I hadn’t planned on the mushrooms, but decided that they would taste great on salad and Mr. Steady could fry some up on the grill early next week. Mr. Steady added the potatoes to my list. The grillers were on sale, requested by the kiddos as was the cheap sale on chocolate milk. You gotta splurge on chocolate milk when it’s that cheap and your kids think you are awesome for splurging on it! The creamer was definitely an I’m-tired-of-using-coolers-and-really-want-a-real-fridge blues purchase. I bought whipped topping instead of making my own- no room in my freezer for the mixing bowl and I just am not enjoying spending time in my kitchen right now.
So there you have it- I did NOT stick to my guns this week afterall.
Of all the weeks I should not have been making “future use” purchases this was the one. But alas I did it anyway.
By the by- when you have chocolate raspberry coffee and a nice big bowl of strawberry shortcake and you sit on the front porch swing where you cannot even catch a glimpse of kitchen coolers, you almost forget you don’t have a fridge.
Almost.

Grocery list for the week

The menu plan for the week is to eat from the pantry, fridge and freezer for the most part, with a few exceptions.
Here’s my grocery list for this week:
Salad greens
Tomatoes
Special potato salad
Strawberries
Whipping cream
Milk
Eggs

I may purchase a few loaves of bread and a few pounds of chicken breasts as they’re both on sale this week but right now there is no room in the upright freezer due to the fridge dilemma!
My plan is to spend less than $35 on groceries this week.
Mentioning the fridge dilemma-- I am once again ever so thankful for my menu plan. Yesterday,when I had to decide what to put in the coolers and what to store in a fridge that is located 7.5 miles away . . . . . all I had to do was look over my menu plan for the week. I knew what to keep and what could be stored elsewhere.
Yet another Hip-Hip-Hooray for menu planning here at the yellow house.

Menu comes mostly from pantry this week

Weekly Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: I’m holding off on a big Aldi’s shopping trip and don’t want to spend too many big bucks at the big box grocery, so I’m making it a pantry week for the most part. Plus the fact that right now with no fridge- I have no room for new food. Sigh.

Monday – Memorial Day (spend day with family)
B: Cereal
L: Dinner @ my parents: bringing: Ranch Biscuits & cold veggie salad
D: smorgasbord of leftovers from lunch
Daily Cost: $4.39
Tuesday – Start of Softball Season for Mr. Steady
B: French Toast
L: mini pizzas
D: Bologna Burgers, chips-n-dip
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $3.49
Wednesday
B: Choice: cereal or yogurt
L: Grab-n-go Sandwiches, chips, cheese cubes
D: Chicken-n-noodles, green beans, Ranch Biscuits
Dessert:  chocolate cake
Daily Cost: $10.13
Thursday – Last Day of School
B: Strawberry shortcake
L: Nachos
D: Dinner & a movie- out to Celebrate!
Daily Cost: $7.65
Friday – Last Homeschool Group Day
B: strawberry shortcake (leftovers)
L: Picnic Lunch: ham sandwiches, cheese cubes, chips, pickle spears, pudding cups (homemade)
D: Slowcooker Pork chops, salad, biscuits
Dessert: any leftover cake
Daily Cost: $5.19
Saturday
B: Daddy cook (eggs, bacon, toast etc.)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Poorman’s Steak, salad, baked potatoes
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $5.76
Beverages for the week:
Lemonade, Milk (2.5 gal), Water
Cost: $5.84
Snacks for the week:
popsicles, fruit snacks (Mr. C), Oreos, trail mix (still have some hanging around)
Approx. Cost: $3.33
Weekly Total: $48.78
~~ Don’t forget to check out the yummy menu ideas every Monday over at The Organizing Junkie’s blog. You just might find your next favorite family recipe!

I spent an average of under $30 a week on groceries!

In the craziness and such of the past few weeks I haven’t updated on my grocery shopping. I was doing so good but . . . . well, I got behinder and behinder until it just didn’t get done . . . .
Here’s what we know so far:

A month of grocery shopping:
Week One- April 12-18: spent $73.01 at Aldi’s
Week Two- April 19-25: spent $137.59 at Amish Store
Week Three- April 26- May 2: spent $16.60 at two stores ($6.15 from grocery budget)
Week Four- May 3-9: spent $53.29 at a big box store
Week Five- May 10- 16: spent $7.36 at big box store
Total Spent on Groceries for 5 weeks: $287.85
Of that total $80 was from my “squirreled away” funds
And $68 from Mr. Steady’s “squirreled” funds

Bringing the total spent from the grocery budget: $139.58
Divide that out by 5 weeks and I spent an average of $27.97 each week!
I budget $60/week for groceries [multiply that by 5 weeks- $300] and you will see that I have now managed to put $160 in my Squirrel fund.
That’s Wonderful! I am so thankful for this “extra” as we have now trimmed our weekly grocery budget down to $50/week since I am no longer working for $$$. We are also beginning to plan our annual 4^th of July Backyard Bash and I know that I will need to earmark some of this money for that extra expense.

How in the world did I do it, you are asking? Check the links above plus this one and this one and this one on how it all factored into my menu plans. Also I was mightily blessed with some wonderful gifts of food (thanks to a caterer friend).
Now there are months when I use every cent I have available to me to purchase our food and yes, in the past I have also gone over budget- “borrowing” from other envelope funds (like entertainment) to make ends meet. The last few months we have really hammered down on our budget in preparation of my “retiring” from paid work. These weeks of shopping shared here are a reflection of our hyper-vigilant frugality.

 This past week [May 17-23]: $20.83 at two stores (used $25 gift card at one store- spent $45.83 before using card).

Next week we’ll be busy wrapping up our school year and while I would like to plan a trip to Aldi’s, in all probability it won’t happen until the following week. So I am planning menus from the pantry, fridge and freezer. We’ll have to pick up a few things at the big box store- such as eggs, milk and salad greens (our lettuce in the garden isn’t big enough yet) but I’m hoping to keep the spending hovering at around $35.00.
Perhaps I'll have a moment or two to share the menu and the plan behind it!

Last Week- Grocery Shopping- what we bought/spent

 Last Week’s Grocery Shopping
The last couple of weeks or so, I’ve been sharing my grocery receipts and how I get meals from the grocery list, pantry, fridge & freezer to the table.
Last week I spent $6.15 on groceries. Mr. Steady spent $10.45 on groceries (not paid for out of the grocery monies).

Here’s the breakdown of purchases. 

Big Box Grocery Purchases:
Vitamin D Milk 2 @ $1.98= $3.96
Lemonade Drink Mix $2.19
Total Regular Spent: $6.15
Side Note: I had it on my list to purchase cottage cheese too but decided to wait. Also we will add water to the 2 gal. of milk to make just under 4 gallons.

Non-food purchases made:
Toilet Paper ( 4 rolls) 2 for $10.00 (purchased 2)
(tax $.60)
Non-food purchases total: $10.60

Mr. Steady’s purchases @ itty bitty grocery:
Bananas 3.49 lb. @ $.49/lb.= $1.71
Bag of Salt-n-Vinegar Chips $2.00
Butter Quarters 2 lb. @ $1.69 each= $3.38
Pork Sausage 1 lb. $.99
Large Eggs 3 doz. @ $.79/dozen= $2.37
Mr. Steady purchase  total: $10.45

Total Spent on Groceries: $16.60
of which $6.15 came from grocery budget

Our Weekly grocery budget is $60.00 right now (soon to dip to $50 in a couple of weeks- reflecting my quitting my job). I have put $53.00 in my grocery set-aside budget (the change went into the alabaster bank). The grocery set-aside budget is used for quarterly trips to the Amish store, extra purchases (like for holidays and get-togethers) etc.

What's coming from where foodwise @ my house this week

Here’s my breakdown of this week’s menu outlining meals with where ingredients will be pulled from-- such as pantry, fridge/freezer, Aldi’s shopping from 4/17/09, Amish Store shopping from 4/25/09, Big Box Store & Mr. Steady’s trips from last week.  Also noting extra purchases I plan to make this week.

Extra purchases need to make this week:
Cottage cheese, bread-4 (on sale @ Big Box Store for 98 cents a loaf- put in freezer), Mr. Conductor’s favorite cereal, boneless/skinless chicken breasts, sour cream, tortilla chips, pasta sauce-2, green peppers, egg noodles, BBQ corn chips, canned Sloppy Joe sauce, coffee creamer
Estimated cost of purchases: $40.00

Breakfasts:
French Toast
Cereal
Yogurt w/bananas & brown sugar
Daddy Cook (eggs, bacon, toast, country skillet potatoes)
Cocoa Wheats, toast
From Pantry: homemade bread, cereal (some), Cocoa Wheats, potatoes, brown sugar
From Aldi’s: yogurt
From Amish Store: bread, cereal, marshmallows & dried cherries to put on our Cocoa Wheats
From Last week’s groceries: eggs, milk, bananas
From Fridge/Freezer: bacon
From Extra purchases: Mr. Conductor’s cereal

Lunches:
Picnic Lunch: ham sandwiches, chips, string cheese, pickle spears, cottage cheese, cookies
Bologna Burgers, chips-n-dip
Nachos
Diner Dinner (leftovers)
From Pantry: buns, chips, pickle spears
From Aldi’s 4/17: String cheese, tomatoes
From Amish Store 4/25: cheese, bread, buns
From last week’s groceries: tortilla chips, chips
From Fridge/Freezer: ham, bologna, chip dip, lettuce, leftovers
From Extra Purchases: sour cream, cottage cheese

Dinners:
Grilled Pork chops, baked potatoes, salad
Sloppy Joes, chips, pickle spears
Blueberry sour cream pancakes, sausage
Chicken-n-noodles, steamed veggies, biscuits
Campfire dogs, mac-n-cheese
Mother’s Day- no clue . . . . men folk are taking care of the food!
From Pantry: buns, chips, biscuit fixings, potatoes, pickle spears, canned chicken, canned cream of chicken soup
From Aldi’s 4/17:, sour cream, egg noodles, box mac-n-cheese
From Amish Store 4/25: 1 lb. hamburger, cheese, butter
From Last week’s groceries: chips, milk,
From Fridge/Freezer: pork chops, salad, sausage, veggies, salad dressing,
From Extra Purchases: egg noodles, canned Sloppy Joe sauce,
Given to us: hot dogs, hot dog buns

Desserts/Snacks plus beverages:
Choco-banana milk shakes
Sliced Fruit
Camp pies
Lemonade
Milk (2.5 gal)
Water
Bananas
fruit snacks (Mr. C)
Wagner Trail Mix
Oreos
From Pantry: fruit snacks, pie filling
From Aldi’s: Oreos
From Amish Store: Wagner Trail Mix, bread, butter
From Last week’s groceries: milk, bananas, lemonade
From Fridge/Freezer: ice cream, frozen bananas, frozen fruit, blueberries
From Extra Purchases: none

Breakdown of the menu & where it's pulled from this week

Keeping with what I started in this post last week . . . . Here’s my breakdown of the week’s menu outlining meals with where ingredients will be pulled from-- such as pantry, fridge/freezer, Aldi’s shopping from 4/17/09, Amish Store shopping from 4/25/09 also noting extra purchases I will need to make this week:
Note that I currently budget $60/week on groceries. At Aldi’s on April 17^th I spent $73.01. At the Amish Store on April 25^th I spent $137.59- of which $132.75 was grocery items. Extra purchases that need to be made this week will total approx. $7.00 this gives me $53.00 (from weekly budget of $60/week) to start squirreling away again for the next trip to the Amish Store. This also means that in three weeks time I have spent approx. $212.76 (Approx. $71/week). This doesn’t seem like a lot when you break that down to it coming to just over $10/day. However, it’s still pricey for me, which makes it a very good thing that I try to keep my trips to the Amish store to once every 3 months!

Extra purchases need to make this week:
Milk, eggs, cottage cheese
(Milk is on sale for $1.99/gal. and eggs are on sale for 95 cents at the local big box store)

Breakfasts:
Bread pudding & Amish Fluff
Cereal
Yogurt
Toad in the Hole
Peanut butter banana Toast
Daddy Cook (eggs, bacon, toast, country skillet potatoes)
Cocoa Wheats, toast
From Caterer friend: bread pudding & Amish Fluff
From Pantry: oatmeal, homemade bread, cereal (some), Cocoa Wheats, potatoes, bananas, peanut butter
From Aldi’s: yogurt, cheese
From Amish Store: marshmallows & dried cherries to put on our Cocoa Wheats
From Fridge/Freezer: blueberries & bananas (frozen for oatmeal & smoothies), bacon
From Extra purchases: eggs, milk

Lunches:
Homeschool group potluck: PBJs
Mac-n-cheese and mini sloppy Joes
Hot-diggity Dogs, cottage cheese, chips
Diner Dinner (leftovers)
From Caterer friend: bread pudding & Amish Fluff
From Pantry: buns (make our own), chips
From Aldi’s: jam, 2 loaves bread (white/wheat), hot dog buns
From Amish Store: peanut butter, jam
From Fridge/Freezer: leftovers, hot dogs
From Extra Purchases: cottage cheese, peanut butter, jam

Dinners:
Catered Dinner: Catered Dinner: roast chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, h’made mac-n-cheese, salad
Sloppy Joes, chips, pickle spears
Parade of Leftovers
BLTs
Crockpot Beef Stroganoff, homemade bread, salad
From Caterer friend: roast chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, h’made mac-n-cheese, salad (use lettuce for BLTs)
From Pantry: canned Sloppy Joe mix, buns (make our own), chips, bread, cream of mushroom soup
From Aldi’s: tomatoes, beef stew meat, sour cream, egg noodles
From Amish Store: nothing (perhaps some cheese for shredding on salad)
From Fridge/Freezer: cream cheese, 1 lb. ground turkey, pickle spears, bacon
From Extra Purchases: cheese, dry onion soup mix

Desserts/Snacks plus beverages:
Red velvet Cake with chocolate chip cream cheese filling and cream cheese icing
Tapioca Pudding w/ red raspberries
Triple Fudge Brownies (last week leftovers)
Lemonade
Milk (2.5 gal)
Water
Punch (from catered dinner)
Apples
fruit snacks (Mr. C)
Wagner Trail Mix
Oreos
From Caterer: cake, punch
From Pantry: leftover brownies, apples, fruit snacks,
From Aldi’s: Oreos, lemonade mix,
From Fridge/Freezer: Milk
From Extra Purchases: Wagner Trail Mix (cinnamon squares cereal, chocolate turtle Chex mix, dried cherries, yogurt raisins, dried apple slices

Of Note: Various ingredients for recipes- such as spices, milk, baking soda etc. salt, eggs came from fridge and pantry this week.

Note—purchases made @ Aldi’s that went into pantry or fridge or freezer for future meals not planned in these 2 weeks:
3 boxes mac & cheese
2 boxes deluxe mac & cheese
Apple Juice
1 lb. ground turkey
2 pkgs Smoked beef slices
Butter
Mini Ravioli
Spaghetti rings in can
Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes
1 Jar Salsa (24 oz)
2 pkgs. Neufchatel (cream cheese 1/3 fat)
1 box Devils Food Cake Mix
2 bags Chocolate Chips
Saltines
Spanish Olives
Ground Beef Patties

 Note- Purchases made from Amish Store that went into the pantry/fridge/freezer for future meals:
Red Raspberry leaf tea $2.98
Cold Care tea $4.49
Whole Wheat Bread (Aunt Millie brand) 3 loaves @ $.99 each
1.17 lb Micro-mini marshmallows
1.52 lb Milk Chocolate Chips
2 boxes Pillsbury Strawberry Cake Mix
2 boxes Pillsbury Devils Food Cake Mix
 1 can Pillsbury Strawberry Icing
48 oz. Vegetable Oil
Vanilla extract 8 oz.
3 boxes Instant Chocolate pudding
Dried Cherries (1/2 pkg)
Cheddar Cheese 15.25 lbs
Country Gravy Mix $.89
Biscuit Gravy Mix 2 @ $.89
Onion Flavored Soup Base 8 oz.
Hunt’s Ketchup 14 oz.
Colby Jack Cheese 6.44 lb.
2 pounds butter
Bologna 8 oz. (8 slices) 2 for $.89 (.445 each)
5 pounds Ground Chunk $5.98
Chocolate Ice Cream Wafers
Cheddease (cheese powder)
Active Dry Yeast 16 oz. $3.29
Root Beer Extract $4.39
Pie Crust Mix
2 pkg Eckrich Smok-y Links

It's the Cheesiest Shopping Trip Ever!

On Saturday we made our Quarterly trip to our favorite Amish Store.
I’ve been squirreling away money here and there for this trip, managing to have $80 to spend. The money has been put back in little bits here and there from coming in under budget with my weekly groceries.

Here’s the breakdown of purchases.

Regular Purchases:
Red Raspberry leaf tea $2.98
Cold Care tea $4.49
Whole Wheat Bread (Aunt Millie brand) 3 loaves @ $.99 each
Hamburger buns (8 pk) $.89
Micro-mini marshmallows 1.17 lb $2.21
Milk Chocolate Chips 1.52 lb $3.72
Pillsbury Strawberry Cake Mix 2 @ $.98 each
Pillsbury Devils Food Cake Mix @ @ $.98 each
Pillsbury Strawberry Icing in can $1.19
* Amish Peanut Butter (8 oz) $1.98
* Off Brand Peanut Butter (18 oz) 2 @ $1.59 each
48 oz. Vegetable Oil $2.98
* Blueberry Jelly 9 oz. $2.49
Vanilla extract 8 oz. $2.89
Instant Chocolate pudding 3 @ $.37 each
Dried Cherries .74 lb @ $4.79/lb= $3.54
Cheddar Cheese 15.25 lbs @ $1.79= $27.30
Country Gravy Mix $.89
Biscuit Gravy Mix 2 @ $.89
Cinnamon Squares cereal 35 oz. $4.29
Onion Flavored Soup Base 8 oz. $2.29
* Cherry Jam 9 oz. $2.19
Hunt’s Ketchup 14 oz. $.69
Colby Jack Cheese 6.44 lb. @ $1.59/lb.= $10.24
1 pound butter (quarters) 2 @ $1.89 each
Bologna 8 oz. (8 slices) 2 for $.89 (.445 each)
5 pounds Ground Chunk $5.98
Total Regular Spent: $98.28

Non-food purchases made:
Mini aluminum pie tins 6 @ 2 for $.89 (for school project)
Bar Keepers Friend (cleaner) $.89
Toilet Paper ( 4 rolls) $.79
Not-the Norm total: $4.35

Splurges:
Whoopie Pies (4 pk) $2.98
Chocolate Ice Cream Wafers 1.43/lb @ $2.99/lb= $3.99 (going to try making our own ice cream sandwiches & estimate cost/taste difference)
Dried apple rings .72 lb @ $4.79/lb= #3.42
Cheddease (cheese powder) .33 lb @ $3.99 lb= $1.32 (going to attempt making our own “Kraft” Mac-n-cheese)
Active Dry Yeast 16 oz. $3.29
Root Beer Extract $4.39
Kool-Aid packets 3 @ $.21 (for making play-dough)
Pie Crust Mix 1.09 lb. @ $1.97/lb= $2.15
Yogurt Raisins .98 lb. @ $2.79/lb= $2.72
Granulated Tapioca .94 lb. @ $1.79/lb.= $1.68 (for a friend)
Bacon crumbles .78 lb. @ $5.75/lb.= $4.49 (for my momma)
Eckrich Smok-y Links 2 @ $1.69 each
Splurges total: $34.44
(tax $.52)
Total Spent $137.59

As you can see I went over budget. $57.59 over. And I use a cash envelope system a la Dave Ramsey. So where did the extra money come from?
Mr. Steady’s stash. Thank You Sweet Hubby! We budget a weekly amount of cash for Mr. Steady to pay for gas for his car, pick up misc. groceries at the little grocery down from where he works etc. He too has been squirreling away $$ for “just in case”. He was more than happy to contribute some of his stash as he wished to purchase the large amounts of cheese because it was so cheap in the bigger amounts (we sliced it into smaller chunks and put it in the freezer). Plus he saw the Root Beer Extract and decided he’d like to try his hand at making homemade Root Beer (this is also the reason for the dry yeast bulk purchase).

Of Note:
~ Chocolate chips are cheaper @ Aldi’s
~ Unbleached Flour is cheaper @ Aldi’s (if I calculated that right- I’m going to double check on the next trip)
* Peanut butter & jelly is for homeschool group potluck
~ We can’t make the Root Beer until we get a clean and sterile 5 gal. bucket
~ Cinn. Square cereal, yogurt raisins, about half the bags of dried cherries and apples was purchased to add to the Chocolate Turtle Chex Mix ( a buy-one-get-one free deal) to make Wagner Trail Mix

Blessed- Trunk-load of food

What we brought home from the catered dinner-
2- gallon size Ziploc baggies full of salad
1- 9x13 pan Roast chicken pieces (filled to a heap-over-flowing)
1- 9x13 pan of garlic mashed potatoes
& extra container of garlic mashed potatoes
1- 9x13 pan of homemade mac-n-cheese
1- 9x13 pan of buttered green beans
1- 9x13 pan of Amish Fluff
7 homemade rolls
1- 48 oz. container filled with bread pudding
1- 9x13 pan of Red velvet Cake with chocolate chip cream cheese filling and cream cheese icing
1 gallon slushy punch

In and of itself, this trunk-load of food is a blessing but today it is made doubly so. In all the hustle and bustle of getting ready for yesterday’s extravaganza I failed to properly menu plan for my 3 nieces and 1 nephew coming over to stay the night tonight (it’s their parents anniversary). I fleetingly thought of how I’d make things stretch yesterday morning in between brushing my teeth and going over my talk (it wasn’t a sermon- but a “talk”- I told everybody the only people I preach to are my own kiddos) for the umpteenth time but pushed it to the back of my mind to be worried about later.
God is so good- not only did I not have time to worry about it, he completely took the planning right out of my hands.
So today I pulled out my lovely crockpot and my second-best crockpot and filled one with the potatoes and the other with the chicken. The other sides can be heated up a bit before supper.
Not only do I have a meal to feed a crowd but I didn’t even have to cook it!
God’s goodness just about steamrolls me right over flat at times.

Another week- another menu- We're blessed!

Notes: We have been incredibly blessed with an overabundance of leftovers from a dear friend (a homeschooler, mentor & a caterer!). Plus we have half a pan of leftover brownies from when we had company over on Friday. The fridge is overflowing—we’ve got food in an ice chest too! We are so very thankful! God is so good!

Monday
B: warm bread pudding, Amish fluff
L: Diner Dinner
D: Catered Dinner: roast chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, h’made mac-n-cheese, salad
Dessert: Red velvet Cake with chocolate chip cream cheese filling and cream cheese icing
Daily Cost: $0
Tuesday
B: Warm bread pudding, Amish Fluff
L: Homeschool group potluck: Bring: PBJs
D: Sloppy Joes, chips
Dessert: any cake or brownies leftover
Daily Cost: $11.51
Wednesday
B: Choice: cereal or yogurt
L: H’made mac-n-cheese, mini sloppy Joes (leftovers)
D: BLTs (bacon-gift, lettuce from salad given to us)
Dessert:  Is there anything leftover still?
Daily Cost: $2.56
Thursday
B: Toad in a hole
L: Hot diggity Dogs, cottage cheese, chips
D: Parade of leftovers
Dessert: Tapioca Pudding w/red raspberries
Daily Cost: $4.28
Friday
B: Peanut butter banana toast
L: Diner Dinner
D: Rehearsal Dinner for Nephew’s Wedding
Daily Cost: $.86
Saturday
B: Daddy cook (eggs, bacon, toast etc.)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: @ Nephew’s Wedding Reception
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Crockpot Beef Stroganoff, h’made bread, salad
D: Caravan Dinner @ church
Daily Cost: $12.11
Beverages for the week:
Lemonade, Milk (2.5 gal), Water, Punch (from catered dinner)
Cost: $3.98
Snacks for the week:
Apples, fruit snacks (Mr. C), Wagner Trail Mix, Oreos
Approx. Cost: $5.62
Weekly Total: $43.92
~~ Don’t forget to check out the yummy menu ideas every Monday over at The Organizing Junkie’s blog. You just might find your next favorite family recipe!

How the grocery bill spans out into menus for 2 weeks

This week’s menu:
Breakfasts:
Oatmeal w/dried cherries, toast
Cereal
Yogurt
French toast, fruit
Ham & scrambled eggs
Daddy cook (eggs, bacon, toast, country skillet potatoes)
Cocoa Wheats, toast
From Pantry: oatmeal, cherries, cereal, bread (toast), Cocoa Wheats, potatoes
From Aldi’s: Yogurt
From Fridge/Freezer: ham, eggs, bacon

Lunches:
Diner dinners (choice of leftovers)
Homeschool group potluck (tater tots)
English Muffin Pizzas
Nachos
From Pantry: tortilla chips, English muffins, pizza sauce (.5 jar)
From Aldi’s: 3 bags tater tots, cheese (shred for pizza & nachos), tomatoes & sour cream (nachos)
From Fridge/Freezer: leftovers, pepperoni & ham (for pizza), lettuce

Dinners:
Open-faced turkey sandwiches, green beans
White Chicken Chili, homemade bread
Sock-a-rooni, bread, pickle spears
Peppy Macaroni
Camp-fire pizzas
From Pantry: homemade bread, canned Northern Beans, pizza sauce (2.5 jars), Sock-a-rooni sauce & spaghetti noodles
From Aldi’s: Salsa (1 jar for chili), cheese (shred for chili & pizza), turkey burger (1 lb. for sock-a-rooni), boxed mac-n-cheese (1 box)
From Fridge/Freezer: leftover potatoes, turkey and gravy (freezer), green beans, chicken breasts, pepperoni, pickle spears, parmesan cheese

Desserts & Snacks plus Beverages:
Iced Monkey Bread
Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Smores
fruit snacks
Mr. C’s cookies
fresh fruit
string cheese
Cheese crackers
From Pantry: brown sugar, graham crackers, chocolate bars (Easter baskets), cheese crackers, fruit snacks, fresh fruit (bananas & apples)
From Aldi’s: chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding mix, chocolate chips, sour cream, marshmallows, cookies, string cheese, Lemonade mix
From Fridge/Freezer: 2 tubes refrigerated cinnamon rolls, milk

Of Note: Various ingredients for recipes- such as spices, milk, baking soda etc. salt, eggs came from fridge and pantry this week.

I do not have next week’s menu all typed up nice and neat as of yet- I plan to post a breakdown of next week's menu just like this showing where purchases are going and what's coming from the pantry & fridge/freezer.

the Menu is BACK

Notes: After months on end without posting my menu- It's BACK!
We're starting the week off with leftovers. We had my Momma’s birthday party this past Sunday and we’ve got some yummy leftovers to dress up along with some goods from the freezer.

Monday
B: Oatmeal w/dried cherries, toast
L: Diner dinner
D: Open-faced turkey sandwiches, green beans
Dessert: Iced Cinnamon Monkey Bread
Daily Cost: $4.64
Tuesday
B: Choice: cereal or yogurt
L: Homeschool group potluck: Bring: Tater Tots
D: White Chicken Chili, homemade bread
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $11.27
Wednesday
B: French toast, sliced fruit
L: English Muffin pizzas
D: Sock-a-rooni, bread, pickle spears
Dessert: Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Daily Cost: $10.15
Thursday
B: Yogurt Parfaits
L: Nachos
D: Peppy Macaroni
Dessert: leftover cake
Daily Cost: $9.14
Friday
B: Ham & scrambled eggs
L: Diner Dinner
D: Campfire Pizzas (having a youth family over)
Dessert: Smores
Daily Cost: $9.72
Saturday
B: Daddy cook (eggs, bacon, toast etc.)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Honors Dinner @ church
D: @ my parents
Daily Cost: $1.25
Beverages for the week:
Lemonade, Milk (2 gal), Water
Cost: $5.30
Snacks for the week:
bananas, apples, fruit snacks (Mr. C), cheese crackers, Oreos, string cheese
Approx. Cost: $7.17
Weekly Total: $61.64
~~ Don’t forget to check out the yummy menu ideas every Monday over at The Organizing Junkie’s blog. You just might find your next favorite family recipe!

What I bought at Aldi's

Regular Purchases:
Boxed Mac & Cheese 4@ .35= $1.40
Apple Juice (64 oz) $1.39
Ground Turkey 3@ $1.19= $3.57
smoked beef slices 2@ $.49= $.98
8 oz. chunk cheese (Colby) $1.29
8 oz. chunk cheese (Cheddar) 2@ $1.29= $2.58
Wide egg noodles $.99
6 Roma Tomatoes (14 oz) $1.69
1 Pound Butter $1.49
Mini Ravioli in can $.79
Spaghetti rings in can $.79
Lemonade Drink Mix $1.49
Sour Cream (16 oz) 2@ $.99= $1.98
Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes $1.29
Jar Salsa (24 0z) 2@ $1.49= $2.98
Box Instant Chocolate Pudding 2@ $.49= $.98
Deluxe Mac & Cheese $1.69
Shells and Cheese $1.29
Neufchatel 2@ $.79= $1.58
Hot Dog Buns (8 ct) $.85
Devils food Cake Mix 2@ $.79= $1.58
Chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos) $1.39
Spanish Olives $.99
Chocolate Chips 3@ $1.49= $4.47
Saltines $.89
10 lb. Russet Potatoes $2.99
Total Regular Spent: $44.99

Not-the-Norm purchases made:
Tater Tots 3 bags @$1.59= $4.77 (for homeschool group meal)
Special Jam $1.99 (for homeschool group meal)
White Bread 79 cents (homeschool group)
Wheat Bread 3@ $1.19= $3.57 (2 for homeschool group & 1 for freezer)
Beef Stew Meat $4.98
Not-the Norm total: $16.10

Splurges:
Ground beef patties (12 pk) $6.99
String Cheese $2.49
Flavored Yogurt 3@ $.43= $1.29
Bag of Marshmallows 16 oz $1.15
Splurges total: $11.92

Total Spent $73.01
My weekly budget for groceries right now is $60. That’s $120 for 2 weeks of groceries. This trip to Aldi’s will take care of most everything for this week and next week. This leaves me $47 for purchasing perishables and any odds and ends that may come up (like cereal not making it 2 more weeks).
My plan is to squirrel part of this money away with the small stash I’ve already got going for a special trip to my favorite Amish Store next week- where I’ll stock up on cheeses (bought in bulk it comes to $1.89 or so a pound), flour, dried cherries, mini-marshmallows etc. If I can squirrel away at least $20 I’ll have $65 to spend! I hope to share that grocery shopping trip break-down here too.