2013 $50 Weekly Menu Plan Week #51

2013 $50 Weekly Menu Plan Week #51: Towards the end of December is a fantastic time to pick up a couple hams and/or turkeys for the freezer to have on hand for meals in the coming weeks. They are frequently on sale for as little as .69 per pound. This weeks frugal menu plan utilizes the . . .
the stockpiles we already have in the pantry and freezer, while adding carefully to our pile. We picked up 2 large hams about 9lbs each and one will go into the freezer and the other will be on the table this week.

From the Farmers Market & Store: Coffee, lettuce, organic tomatoes, celery, carrots, bell peppers, oatmeal, hams, sweet potatoes, bananas, cranberry juice, Total spent $37.03

From our Backyard: Nada- the chickens decided to stop laying due to the recent cold spell, time to dig out the heat lamp!

Breakfast Options for this week: Oranges, Grapefruits (from the school Fundraiser a couple weeks ago!) Bananas, We’re really not all that elaborate on breakfast. Most of the household prefers coffee & toast, even our teens, who frequently just grab a piece of fresh fruit to eat mid-morning.

• Grapefruit halves & Toast
• Banana Walnut Oatmeal
• Toasted Bagels with Mock Raspberry Jam
• Blueberries & Cream Oatmeal
• Cinnamon Raisin Toast
• Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
• Eggs- Scrambled, poached, over easy, fried, or Omelets with toast (Although the girls stopped laying this week we still have 6-7 dozen eggs in the fridge).

This week you’ll notice we’re having sandwiches during the week rather than “wraps”. I discovered last week that the kids have been eating them faster than I thought and when I went to grab a package, they were gone. So this week we made up several bread machine mixesthat can be tossed into the machine with a little water for fresh sandwich bread. Here’s one of our favorite sandwich bread mixes.

Monday December 16th:

• Lunch: Creamy tomato soup (& Grilled cheese sandwich?)
• Dinner: Homemade Pizza made in the shape of a Christmas Tree

Tuesday December 17th:Wrestling Match Night- need something extremely fast

• Lunch: Winter Fruit Salad w Lemon Poppyseed dressing
• Dinner: 10 Minute Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

WednesdayDecember 18th:

• Lunch: Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup
• Dinner: Roasted Garlic & Herb Shrimp, Garden Salad, baked potato

Thursday December 19th :

• Lunch: PB&J or PB and Banana Sandwiches
• Dinner: Meatloaf, garlic romano sweet potato fries, salad

Friday December 20th:

• Lunch: meatloaf sandwiches
• Dinner: Tuna Pea Wiggleon Toasted Biscuits

Saturday December 21st: Yule

• Midday:Roasted ham, mulled cranberry juice, smashed potatoes, yeast rolls, steamed green beans, apple pie

Sunday December 22nd:

• Lunch: Ham Sandwiches
• Dinner: Mac & Cheese with broccoli and ham

Various Snacks & Desserts:

• Fresh Fruit Choices Available– Apples, Bananas, Home Canned Peaches
• Apple Slices with Cinnamon Apple Cheeseball
• Microwave Popcorn
• Carolina Firecrackers
• Chocolate Biscotti with Peppermint Snow

Drinks Available:* Iced Tea (Unsweetened or Sweet Tea)
* Coffee
* Hot Chocolate/Cocoa
* Iced Coffee Drinks
* Almond Milk
* Mulled Cranberry Juice

Less Likely to be used, but still available:
* Copycat Gatorade
* CopyCat Arizona Green Tea
* Lemonade

For Further reading/help we recommend the following:

• $50 Dollar Menu Frequently Asked Questions– There are certain questions that seem to pop up again and again, so rather than be redundant and repeat answers, we’ve put them all in one convenient place for you!

  • Basic Questions–Why we don’t provide a shopping list, Random ingredients that aren’t in the shopping list, are groceries cheaper , etc

  • More Questions– more in depth questions regarding dietary guidelines, dealing with picky eaters, junk food and more

  • It Doesn’t Add up– Learn why some items in the Menu plan aren’t listed in this weeks grocery purchase list & how it all comes together

• December Sales Trends–not sure what Should be on sale right now? Here is a list of the current Sales trends throughout the month of December so you know what savings to expect and look forward to.

• The 2012 Family Guide to Groceries under $250 a Month– a guide of how and where to cut grocery expenses to get spending under control while providing an eye-opening view of the dirty manipulation tactics retailers use to keep you spending.

• $50 Weekly Menu Plan Help across the USA–Do you find yourself struggling to reduce your grocery bill each month? Check out our Menu plan help across the USA to see if your area has been featured for more 1-on-1 help, if not, feel free to add your request to have your city/state featured.

• Making Fruits & Veggies Last: At the beginning of each week we prepare the vegetables and fruits to make meal preparation easier during the week and to save money by preventing waste. You can read more about that here.

• How Spending $25 Now can save you Hundreds Later – if you gain nothing else from this site, don’t overlook this tip. It has been an EXTREME money-saver for our family.