Home Sweet Simple Home

Menu from my townie farmhouse

Notes: From the Garden: we’ve got lettuce. More raspberries fresh picked from my parent’s farm. A few cucumbers from my brother (ours aren’t doing much of anything!).

A bit of a snafu and new plans

It’s a hot and beautiful sun-shiny day here in my little corner of Michigan. Really hot.
I’ve been inside redoing my menu plan because I made a bit of a mess out of it.
It seems with all the other crazy goings on I didn’t check to make sure I had some key ingredients on hand for some recipes. Plus I pushed back my Aldi’s shopping to next week because of having to do some other extra driving this week for youth work and I knew we wouldn’t have the gas money.
So what have we done? How have we “survived”?
By God’s good grace.
Allow me to share: On Tuesday, Mr. Steady found eggs were 99 cents a dozen at the little store down the road from where he works and he bought 4 dozen. Unknown to me- on this same day I was at the little Amish store I love and found eggs were 99 cents also- good thing I only bought 1 dozen. I also splurged and dipped into my stock-up grocery stash to buy a large amount of precooked and frozen bacon crumbles (we’re talking major good deal here- as in the same price we pay for bacon and they’ve already cooked and crumbled it for us!). So on Tuesday we had cheesy scrambled eggs with bacon bits, onion (from the garden) and mushrooms I found in the fridge (thought we’d finished them up with salad last week). Yummo. With toast that was made from “free to me” bread in my freezer (passed along by a friend who is constantly being given free bread).
On Wednesday, I had massage therapy and my dad asked Mr. Steady to help him with a project for church. My mom fed my little family and I ate a bit of leftovers.
So that has all helped greatly with the great grocery oops.
And so you will once again be seeing recipes that were scheduled for this week in next week’s menu.
If there are no more huge snafus, I have the menu plan planned out for the next three weeks and even a couple days of the week thereafter.
Whew.

What's cookin' this week

Notes: We had a few menu changes last week- an unexpected date nite and then the opportunity of an unexpected dinner out as a family (gift certificate given to us) So a bit of last week’s menu is moving into this week.
From the Garden: we’ve got lettuce and two tomatoes! Plus some raspberries from last week’s picking.

Menu - a cheap week!

Notes: We have three gallon size bags of homemade port-a-pit chicken leftover from the 4^th bash. I have frozen two bags for future use and am trying to think of interesting ways to use up the third bag without getting tired of chicken. Why not freeze the 3^rd bag also? Well, it cuts down on my grocery budget this week- way down!
From the Garden: we’ve got lettuce and we’re picking lots and lots of black raspberries at my parents farm. Freebies!

Monday 
B: Breakfast casserole & coffee cake (leftover from Friday)
L:  Ravioli and toast points
D: Aunt Florence’s casserole, greens salad, h’made honey oatmeal bread
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $4.82
Tuesday
B: Muffins and fresh fruit
L: Chicken wraps, chips
D: Special Veggie Chicken Alfredo, salad
Dessert: Sassafras’s Zebra pudding cups
Daily Cost: $6.81
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Bologna burgers, chips-n-dip
D: Cream chip beef & mash potatoes
Dessert: Ice cream sandwiches
Daily Cost: $6.51
Thursday
B: Toad in the holes
L: nachos
D: Maiden’s cheeseburger casserole, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $7.57
Friday
B: Fruit & yogurt parfaits
L: Diner Dinner [choice of leftovers]
D: Spaghetti, crusty bread, greens salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $4.20
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (egg, bacon, toast etc.)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Ham (crockpot), mashed potatoes, rolls, steamed veggies
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $6.55
Weekly Total: $39.46
~~ 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!

Special menus for this week!

Notes: We’ve got a special week planned. The weather has cooled some so we’ll be having campfires at the beginning of the week (Camp pie pizza- yummo!). Plus we’re celebrating my dad’s birthday (pie & h’made ice cream) Wednesday evening then dear friends of ours will be bringing their children over- all 5- to stay the nite with us on the 3^rd (so our friends can go out & celebrate their anniversary!). The 4^th we’ve got quite a bash planned- some family and friends coming over to celebrate & eat good food. Mr. Steady will be making his h’made port-a-pit chicken and tons more food- I’ll be posting separate about that! I am thankful that we’ve been able to keep the food costs hovering around $50 this week. Thankfully we were able to pay for our Independence Day party without having to touch the food budget.

Monday 
B: Pancakes (leftover from Saturday)
L: chicken patty sandwiches, chips
D: Messy Tacos
Dessert: none
Snack to Moms group: Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip & crackers
Daily Cost: $15.20
Tuesday
B: Oreo vanilla yogurt, honey oatmeal toast w/jam
L: nachos (from last nite’s leftovers)
D: Campfire Pizzas
Dessert: smores
Daily Cost: $7.84
Wednesday – My Dad’s Birthday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Ham & cheese biscuit sandwiches, chips
D: Ballard Biscuits, greens salad
Dessert: birthday pie @ my parent’s home
Daily Cost: $8.49
Thursday – The Five Friends Sleep-over!
B: French toast
L: Diner Dinner (gotta clean out the fridge!)
D: Bologna Burgers, chips and dip
Dessert: iced monkey bread
Daily Cost: $10.54
Friday – Independence Day Party
B: Red, White & Blue Coffee Cake, breakfast casserole
Party Food: The party food will be shared separate- the cost for the food did not come from our food budget but from returning a large amount of pop cans. It is also potluck- so that has cut down on our cost.
Daily Cost: $6.64
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (egg, bacon, toast etc.)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Diner Dinner- leftovers!
D: Dinner @ church
Daily Cost: $1.25
Weekly Total: $52.96
~~ 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!

Weekly menu- costs continue to increase

Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: Once again the weekly menu cost is higher. We are watching our budget very carefully and I am working on a new price book in order to be more accurate. Mr. Steady & I have discussed other ideas too and we are holding out for garden produce to help the budget later in the summer.

Monday 
B: Cinnamon Rolls
L: sandwich wraps & cottage cheese
D: Campbell’s Mac-n-cheese, sausage, greens salad
Dessert: smores
Daily Cost: $12.20
Tuesday – Softball Game Nite
B: scrambled eggs with sausage (from last night)
L: Chicken sandwiches, chips
D: Sloppy joes, chips, pickle spears
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $5.93
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Egg salad sandwiches, cheese chunks
D: Layered Meatball Bake, salad
Dessert: Sassafras’s zebra pudding (layers vanilla & chocolate)
Daily Cost: $10.99
Thursday
B: French Toast topped with homegrown (@ my brother’s) strawberries
L: Picnic: sandwiches, chips, cheese chunks, zebra pudding
D: BBQ chicken, grill potatoes, greens salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $9.54
Friday
B: Yogurt Parfaits
L: Nachos
D: Campfire Cookin’- either hot dogs or camp pies
Dessert: smores or fruit camp pies
Daily Cost: $8.50
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (egg, bacon, toast etc.)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: BBQ Chicken Pizza (chicken from Thursday)
D: Lunch Leftovers
Daily Cost: $6.84
Weekly Total: $57.00
~~ 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!

Menu- still keeping costs down- for now

Notes: The costs for my menus are creeping higher and higher as the prices keep going up. Our weekly food budget is $45 a week ($40 that I spend @ the store and $5 for the misc. purchases Mr. Steady makes at the little discount store near work) and we are still able to stay within our budget but I’m not sure how much longer. I believe our freezer and pantry staples have been carrying us through so far. I am wondering just how creative I will be forced to be?!
Monday 
B: Garden veggie scrambled eggs, toast
L: picnic lunch (sandwiches, chips, fruit) @ local park
D: Campfire cookin’- campfire pizzas
Dessert: Smores
Daily Cost: $7.37
Tuesday – Softball Game Nite
B: French Toast topped with peach applesauce
L: Deluxe grilled cheese sandwiches, cottage cheese & pickle spears
D: Dinner w/friends, bring: hot dog & hamburger buns & my Famous Brownies
Dessert: those famous brownies
Daily Cost: $10.21
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Grab-n-go sandwiches, pickle spears, cheese crackers
D: Crescent Chicken squares, salad (keep putting this on the menu & we end up doing something else!)
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $8.70
Thursday
B: Breakfast pizzas (scrambled eggs, cheese on English muffins)
L: Polka Dots (mac-n-cheese w/cut up hot dogs)
D: Ranch Chicken, rolls, steamed mixed veggies
Dessert: Strawberry Shortcake
Daily Cost: $11.64
Friday
B: Cinnamon Rolls
L: Nachos
D: Grilling Nite- steak, skillet potatoes, greens salad
Dessert: leftover strawberry shortcake
Daily Cost: $10.75
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (egg, bacon, toast etc.)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Crockpot pot roast, salad
D: Lunch Leftovers
Daily Cost: $6.90
Weekly Total: $58.23
~~ 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!

Menu w/costs & some recipe links

Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: With the hot and humid weather lately we’ve been grilling & using the crockpot quite a bit. This week’s menus don’t require a lot of oven use (thank the Lord for microwaves) and the weather has cooled a tad. I’ll be pulling out some more summery recipes in the next couple of weeks and hope to share one or two.

Monday 
B: Blueberry muffins, apple sauce
L: chicken nuggets, cottage cheese & apple slices
D: Country fried chicken, potatoes, salad
Dessert: chocolate- chocolate chip bunt cake
Daily Cost: $10.79
Tuesday – Softball Game Nite
B: fruit cups, English muffins w/cream cheese
L: picnic lunch (sandwiches, chips, fruit) @ local park
D: Sloppy Joes, chips, pickle spears
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $6.89
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Sloppy Joe messy tacos
D: dine-out (end of school year celebration dinner)
Daily Cost: $2.29
Thursday
B: Yogurt parfaits
L: ham & cheese on biscuits, macaroni salad
D: Crescent Chicken squares, salad
Dessert: chocolate turtle waffle cookies
Daily Cost: $10.91
Friday
B: Fruit Smoothies and toast
L: Diner Dinner (choose your leftovers)
D: Nachos
Dessert: none (going to a parade)
Daily Cost: $4.11
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (egg, bacon, toast etc.)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday – Father’s Day
B: Little Boy Blue Breakfast Cake
L: @ my parents- bringing: fruit salad, Maiden’s Mac-n-cheese
D: Lunch Leftovers
Daily Cost: $10.00
Weekly Total: $47.65
~~ 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!

My menu is back!

Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: Well, I hope this means I’m back on track. I’ve missed posting my weekly menus for at least 3 weeks. Seems like longer.

Monday 
B: Homemade oatmeal with dried cherries, toast
L: Bologna sandwiches, chips
D: Ballpark hot dogs, chips (our pre-game food as we went to a friend’s little league game)
Dessert: M & Ms (@ a ball game)
Daily Cost: $4.10
Tuesday
B: Cereal
L: Peanut Butter & jelly sandwiches, graham crackers, cheese chunks
D: One pot Salsa Beef Skillet and cornbread
Dessert: ice cream sundaes
Daily Cost: $7.12
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: chicken nuggets, cottage cheese, dill pickle spears
D: Crockpot BBQ Ham, mixed veggies, dinner rolls
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $9.31
Thursday
B: Yogurt parfaits
L: Hot Ham & cheese sandwiches, chips (ham from Wed.)
D: Ranch baked chicken, baked potatoes, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $7.15
Friday
B: French Toast topped w/ apple sauce
L: loaded baked potatoes (from Thurs.)
D: Taco Crescent Bake (new recipe)
Dessert: choco-banana milk shakes
Daily Cost: $7.36
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook [eggs, bacon, toast]
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Skillet Lasagna, salad, garlic bread
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $5.28
Weekly Total: $42.98
~~ 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.

Back on track- weekly menu with costs

Notes: Well, lots of craziness went on here last week- I believe we are back to our usual normal crazy this week. If the weather cooperates we’ll be trying to get out to my parent’s to prime the house (we’re painting their house as our gift to them for their birthdays this year)—which will probably mean sandwiches (perhaps sloppy joes) instead of whatever I may have planned for that evening. Also—we had our Seniors Honors dinner @ church on Sunday and a special cook-out in the evening so, being youth director--- I had a lot of leftovers shipped home with me which will really help with the grocery budget this week.

Monday 
B: Bread pudding (leftover from church dinner)
L: hot-diggity dogs, chips (leftover from church cook-out)
D: Chicken a la King on biscuits
Dessert: Choice: plethora of desserts (leftover from church dinner)
Daily Cost: $4.79
Tuesday
B: French Toast (made from bread given to us from church dinner)
L: Homeschool group: Tacos in a cup Bring: sour cream
D: Salmagundi
Dessert: Choice: plethora of desserts (leftover from church dinner)
Daily Cost: $4.95
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Polka Dots (mac-n-cheese w/cut hotdog)
D: pancakes and sausage links
Dessert: Choice: plethora of desserts (leftover from church dinner)
Daily Cost: $6.95
Thursday
B: Yogurt parfaits
L: English muffin pizzas
D: Ranch baked chicken, baked potatoes, salad
Dessert: Choice: plethora of desserts (leftover from church dinner)
Daily Cost: $7.32
Friday
B: Toad in the hole (bread leftover from church dinner)
L: loaded baked potatoes (from Thurs.)
D: Cook-out: Pizza Camp Pies
Dessert: Choice: plethora of desserts (leftover from church dinner)
Daily Cost: $6.18
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook [eggs, bacon, toast]
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday * Mother’s Day *
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Lunch w/ my parents (men cook) figure our cost $6
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $7.15
Weekly Total: $40.00
~~ 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!

This week's menu

MPM: 2 New Dishes

Of Note:  Two new recipes on the menu this week. I will post them later today and link them to this post (if I remember!).
**UPDATED**- The Chicken a la King & Triple Chocolate surprise recipes have been posted and linked to this post.

Monday
B: Yogurt parfaits
L: Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, apple slices
D: Salmagundi
Dessert: ice cream sandwiches
Daily Cost: $5.67
Tuesday
B: Blueberry waffles
L: Homeschool group: Book-it Pizzas & salad [$3]
D: Sloppy Joes, chips, dill pickle spears
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $6.09
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: leftover Sloppy Joes, chips, pickles
D: Chicken a la King on biscuits *new recipe*
Dessert: triple chocolate surprise (in crockpot) *new recipe*
Daily Cost: $8.67
Thursday
B: hard boiled egg,  toast, fruit cup
L: grab-n-go sandwiches, chips
D: Campbells Mac-n-cheese, sausage, salad
Dessert: leftover chocolate surprise
Daily Cost: $8.73
Friday **30 Hour Famine
B: French Toast
L: chicken nuggets, cottage cheese, cheese crackers
D: Diner Dinner
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $3.62
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook [eggs, bacon, toast]
L: Dinner out with visiting family
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: My Mom’s Birthday Dinner: T.B.A. by mom
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $1.15
Weekly Total: $36.59
~~ 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!
**Mr. Steady and I are participating in the 30 Hour Famine with my youth group- we won’t be eating all day Friday. Just the kiddos noshing here.

What's for dinner [and breakfast and lunch]

Menu with Daily Costs

Of Note:  I didn’t get the breakfast casserole made last weekend so we’ve moved it to this coming Sunday. I will be sharing the yummilicious recipe for Baked Ranch Chicken later today or tomorrow.

Monday
B: Cereal with banana slices
L: chicken nuggets, cottage cheese, crackers
D: Fish and chips
Dessert: baked apples (done in microwave w/brownsugar, raisins and dried cherries, then drizzled with caramel syrup)
Daily Cost: $7.87
Tuesday
B: French Toast and applesauce
L: Homeschool group potluck: Bring: grapes & bananas
D: Baked Ranch chicken, potatoes, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $7.20
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Bologna burgers, chips-n-dip
D: Chicken and noodles, biscuits, pickle spears, steamed mixed veggies
Dessert: Sassafras’s Jell-O salad
Daily Cost: $7.92
Thursday
B: Cinnamon rolls, sliced fruit
L: Bagel sandwiches, chips, pickle spear
D: Skillet stroganoff, biscuits (from Wed.) and salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $5.85
Friday
B: Toad in a hole
L: diner dinner (make menu of leftovers- kids place order)
D: Daddy Donalds (cheeseburgers & fries)
Dessert: Choco-banana shakes
Daily Cost: $6.38
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook [eggs, bacon, toast]
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Breakfast Casserole (made nite before)
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $5.56
Weekly Total: $42.44
~~ 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!

My menu for the week

 Of Note:  I will be making a double batch of Baked Spaghetti- one for supper and one for our homeschool group. Recipe to follow this post . . . . .

Monday
B: Blueberry waffles
L: Sloppy joes, chips, pickle spears (leftovers)
D: Baked Spaghetti, salad, h’made bread [making double batch see Tues.]
Dessert: Apple Pie a’ la mode (pie thawed from freezer)
Daily Cost: $6.94
Tuesday
B: Mama’s cheesy scrambled eggs, toast
L: w/homeschool group: bringing: Baked Spaghetti
D: Loaded baked potatoes, salad
Dessert: brownies a’ la mode
Daily Cost: $9.89
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: hot dog octopuses, cottage cheese & cheese crackers
D: Aunt Florence’s Casserole, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $7.22
Thursday
B: Fruit and Yogurt parfaits
L: Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, chips and fruit cup
D: Taco Bake [new recipe to try]
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $5.26
Friday
B: Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal
L: English muffin mini pizzas
D: Nachos
Dessert: choco-banana shakes
Daily Cost: $5.82
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook [eggs, bacon, toast]
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Breakfast Casserole (made nite before)
D: @ church
Daily Cost: $5.56
Weekly Total: $43.35,k
~~ 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!

Menu with Daily Costs

Of Note:  I, myself, can’t get over how cheap we are eating this week. We are finishing up some leftovers for breakfast at the beginning of the week. Of course, it helps that we’ll be eating out with the youth on Friday and then be at my sister’s on Sunday- but then again- I’m making a special dinner for my brother and family on Saturday.  God is good. He knew how far our budget needed to stretch this week.
I hope to be sharing some recipes later today or tomorrow.

Monday
B: Leftover Lil Boy Blue Breakfast Cake
L: English muffin mini pizzas
D: Layered Meatball Bake, green salad
Dessert: left over Easter dessert (from my Sis)
Daily Cost: $6.05
Tuesday
B: Pancakes (leftover from Sat.)
L: w/homeschool group: bringing: celery
D: Chicken crescent squares, green beans
Dessert: Apple Pie (leftover from Easter)
Daily Cost: $6.95
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Spag. O’s w/sliced hotdogs, cheese crackers
D: White Chicken Chili, cornbread
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $6.57
Thursday
B: Toad in a Holes
L: Bologna Burgers, chips –n-dip
D: Sloppy joes, chips, pickle spears
Dessert: Family Banana split
Daily Cost: $7.04
Friday
B: Fruit and Yogurt parfaits
L:  @ home diner dinner- choice of leftovers
D: Diner Dinner with Youth Group (paid for)
Daily Cost: $1.32
Saturday – My brother & family over for supper
B: Daddy Cook [eggs, bacon, toast]
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Country Fried Chicken w/country gravy, baked potatoes, salad
Dessert: Chocohotpots
Daily Cost: $10.72
Sunday – to My Sister’s
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: @ my Sister’s
D: @ my Sister’s
Daily Cost: $1.15
Weekly Total: $39.80
~~ 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!

Back with my weekly menu

Of Note:  Finally getting back to posting my menus. Our weeks are back to “normal”. And here's what's on the menu for this week-- I haven't time right now to post the links for recipes but some of these dishes can be found if you click on "Recipes" under my catagories at right. Oh, and by the way- Leprechaun stew is a simple beef stew served in small demetasse cups (yep, they've got to eat thirds at least!) and the biscuits are those ones that come in the "thwack" tube- cut into smaller circles (flatten them a bit and used a mini-circle cookie cutter to make smaller) and served with a dollop of butter.

Monday – Happy St. Patrick’s Day
B: Green eggs and toast
L: Leprechaun stew and gold coin biscuits
D: Shepherd’s pie, salad
Dessert: chocolate cupcakes w/mint green frosting
Daily Cost: $6.73
Tuesday
B: French toast w/strawberries & powdered sugar
L: Special Taco Dinner w/homeschool group bringing: lettuce & grn pepper
D: Campbells mac-n-cheese, sausage, greens salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $8.81
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: hot-diggity dogs, cottage cheese & chips
D: Maiden’s cheeseburger casserole, salad
Dessert: choco-banana milk shakes
Daily Cost: $9.46
Thursday
B: Pancakes and applesauce
L: cups of soup and sandwich squares
D: Chicken and dumplings
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $5.99
Friday – Good Friday
B: Daddy Cook
L: Nachos
D: Fish-n-chips
Daily Cost: $9.66
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook [eggs, bacon, toast]
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday – Easter Sunday
B: Little Boy Blue Breakfast Cake
L: Dinner @ my parents bringing: spoonbread & a dessert
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $6.69
Weekly Total: $50.00
~~ 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!

MPM: What's for dinner

Well, I’m a day late. I couldn’t get on homesteadblogger yesterday evening AND we spent the day celebrating Sassafras’s 8^th Birthday!

Menu with Daily Costs

Of Note:  Lots going on here this week- bookending really. Sassafras’s birthday at the beginning of the week and an overnight trip with the youth group on the weekend. And of course, if all affects the menu plan. So I’m trying to keep the week simple- lots of good food, yet simple recipes.
Monday – Sassafras’s 8^th Birthday
B: Sass’s special breakfast order: Daddy eggs, bacon, toast, fresh fruit
L: Dine-Out – family field trip
D: Dine Out- Sassafras’s choice
Dessert: Birthday cupcakes
Daily Cost: $0 today’s cost of meals comes from birthday envelop [money we set aside for birthdays throughout the year]
Tuesday
B: Cinnamon French toast, applesauce
L: Special luncheon [Homeschool group- bring $2]
D: Tomato Soup and Maiden’s fancy grilled cheese
Dessert: choco- strawberry shakes
Daily Cost: $5.22
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Diner Dinner [fancy way to say choice of leftovers]
D: Baked Ranch Chicken, salad
Dessert: chocolate, chocolate chip bundt cake
Daily Cost: $8.70
Thursday
B: pancakes, applesauce
L: English muffin pizzas
D: Chicken-n-noodles, h’made bread, pickles
Dessert: leftover cake
Daily Cost: $5.15
Friday
B: Daddy Cook [eggs, bacon, toast]
L: Chicken sandwiches, chips, salad
We leave in afternoon for a youth group trip- the children will be staying with my parents until Sunday evening
Daily Cost: $5.86
Saturday
Youth Group Trip
Costs for me covered from youth fund- cost for Mr. Steady we saved and put aside for past few months
Daily Cost: $0
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats and toast
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Dinner @ church [donation: $6]
Daily Cost: $7.15
Weekly Total: $32.08
~~ 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!

Weekly menu- includes birthday party

Menu with Daily Costs
Of Note: The Chili Cook-off at church was a great success but we’ve got a ton of leftovers! We’ll be eating chili, then making some into goolash and freezing some. We didn’t have the crockpot chops last week so I squeezed them into our menu plan for this week.
Monday          
B: Cereal, toast w/jam
L: chicken nuggets, cottage cheese, crackers
D: Mr. Steady’s Chili and cornbread
[chili is leftover from Great Chili Cook-off @ church yesterday]
Dessert: Valentine Cupcakes (leftovers)
Daily Cost: $4.10
Tuesday
B: Cinnamon French toast, applesauce
L: Special pancake luncheon [We’re supplying cheesy potatoes]
D: Ballard Biscuits, salad
Dessert: Sassafras’s fruit Jell-O
Daily Cost: $10.15
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: English muffin pizzas
D: Crockpot chops, mashed potatoes (leftover last week), salad or veggies
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $9.06
Thursday
B: Peanut butter banana toast, cup of grapes
L: Maiden’s fancy pizza grilled cheese sandwiches, pickles & chips
D: Goolash, h’made bread
Dessert: brownies (small batch)
Daily Cost: $4.51
Friday
B: Mama’s cheesy scrambled eggs, toast
L: hot diggity dogs, cottage cheese, peach slices
D: H’made Pizza
Dessert: none- popcorn for family movie nite
Daily Cost: $7.96
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook: eggs, bacon, toast etc.
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday – Sassafras’s Family Birthday Party
B: Cocoa Wheats and toast
L: Fridge soup or leftovers
D: Party Time: All the family is helping by bringing a dish to share. We are making meatloaf, Maiden's crockpot mac-n-cheese and birthday cake (plus providing the ice cream)
Daily Cost: $13.65
Weekly Total: $52.09
~~ 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!

Weekly Menu with Daily Costs

Of Note: Once again our week of menus got turned around and flipped side ways. We had more leftovers than I thought and needed to eat them up and then there was an unexpected movie nite with our church (Veggie Tales) which included us picking up a $5 pizza on the way home- Mr. Steady’s idea. And so we found ourselves not eating 4 of my planned dinners. We’ll now be doing some shifting and working them into the plans for the next couple of weeks.
Monday          
B: Heart shaped Toad in holes
L: spaghetti Os w/hot dog, toast points
D: Salmagundi
Dessert: Sassafras’s Zebra Pudding
Daily Cost: $5.34
Tuesday
B: H’made Oatmeal w/cherries, toast
L: Book- It Pizzas (free)
D: Crockpot chops, rice, salad or veggies
Dessert: leftover zebra pudding
Daily Cost: $7.99
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: pizza grilled cheese sandwiches, carrots & dip
D: white chicken chili, cornbread muffins
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $7.18
Thursday – Happy Valentine’s Day!
B: Chocolate chip heart pancakes, pink applesauce (pink milk too!)
L: H’made Heart-shaped pizza (with pink crust!)
D: Ma & Pa: steak, lobster, mashed potatoes and salad
Kiddos: mac-n-cheese, sausage links, mashed potatoes, salad
Dessert: mini chocolate lava cakes with strawberries
Daily Cost: $0
Of Note: How do I get a zero cost today? Because I used a grocery store gift card we received for Christmas to make the purchases for today. The card has a nice amount on it and we decided when we received it to use it for purchasing special family dinners this year- keeping track, of course, to see how far it takes us!
Friday
B: Yogurt parfaits
L: Diner Dinner
D: Daddy Donalds (cheeseburgers, French fries)
Dessert: Root Beer Floats
Daily Cost: $6.88
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook: eggs, bacon, toast etc.
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats and toast
L: Breakfast casserole
D: Great Chili Cook-off @ Church- Mr. Steady making his famous chili (not figured into food costs- a donation—normally costs $4.30 for a single batch)
Daily Cost: $5.56
Weekly Total: $35.61
~~ 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!

MPM: It's what's for dinner

Menu with Daily Costs

Of Note: We’ve got some leftovers from getting together with my parents to watch the Super Bowl (it’s all about the food) to eat up this week. I’ve still got half a soup pot of soup from last Friday so I will be freezing that for the future (and since I already calculated and tabulated its cost- when we eat it again it will be free!) as I’m a bit tired of eating it right now!

Monday          
B: Pancakes and sausage links (weekend leftovers)
L: chicken sandwich wraps, chips
D: One pot salsa beef skillet, cornbread
Dessert: leftover cake from Sunday
Daily Cost: $6.10
Tuesday
B: Caramel apple oatmeal, toast
L: sloppy joes, chips & pickles (joes are leftovers from my momma)
D: Salmagundi
Dessert: chocolate chip cookies*
Daily Cost: $6.97
Today Sassafras is bringing chocolate chip cookies to homeschool group as we are celebrating February birthdays today. We’re making a double batch so we can keep some @ home!
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt and toast
L: Polka Dots
D: Crescent Chicken squares, steamed veggies
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $8.34
Thursday
B: Yogurt parfaits
L: Bologna burgers, chips and dip
D: white chicken chili, cornbread muffins
Dessert: Sassafras’s Zebra pudding (layers of chocolate & vanilla pudding)
Daily Cost: $9.00
Friday
B: French toast, apple sauce
L: Mugs of Beef-a-roni with a side of grilled cheese
D: Daddy Donalds (hamburgers w/works & fries)
Dessert: Root beer floats
Daily Cost: $6.67
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook: eggs, bacon, toast etc.
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Special dinner @ church
Daily Cost: $2.66
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats and toast
L: Chicken sandwiches and chips
D: leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.95
Weekly Total: $43.69
~~ 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!