2013 $50 Weekly Menu Plan Week #19: Like many families, some weeks our menu plan gets bumped around a little bit, for example, yesterday was Cinco De Mayo and I had completely forgotten to add it to the menu plan, so our plan for 7th Heaven Chicken went by the wayside when we got a call from friends inviting us to a festive dinner at their place. This week we purchased the following . . .
milk, heavy cream, apples, bananas, mangoes, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, brown sugar, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, blueberries, bell peppers, multi-colored bell peppers, cantaloupe, broccoli, honeydew melon, bread, cornmeal, yogurt, kale, ramen, sweet potatoes, whole chicken (marked down to $3!) cucumbers and several blocks of cream cheese for a grand total of $45.36 The majority of groceries were purchased at our local farmers market and the remaining items (milk/cream/bread/etc) were purchased at the local grocery store- which is NOT the cheapest way to go, but it did happen to be the most convenient given our schedules.
Breakfast Choices this week:
- Egg White Omelets (Egg whites, diced veggies, seasonings)
- Toasted English Muffins or Morning Sunrise Sandwiches
- Fresh Fruit (always available) ( Apples, Bananas, Home-Canned Peaches, Cantaloupe, Mango)
- Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits(peaches/granola)
- Eggs- Poached, scrambled, fried, etc
- Melon Banana Summer Salad
- Cottage Cheese & Berries
MondayMay 6th:
- Lunch: Crab Ceviche (made day before)
- Dinner:Grilled Halibut with Avocado Mango Salsa
Tuesday May 7th:
- Lunch: Melon Banana Summer Salad
- Dinner:Sinfully Simple Rotisserie Chicken, Crispy Romano Garlic Sweet Potato Fries, salad
Wednesday May 8th:
- Lunch: Chicken Salad Wraps (From leftover Rotisserie Chicken!)
- Dinner:Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Thursday May 9th:
- Lunch:Leftover Zuppa Toscana
- Dinner:3 Cheese Spinach Ravioli, Tossed Garden Salad
Friday May 10th:
- Lunch: Bermuda Spinach Salad
- Dinner:Italian Chicken Saute
Saturday May 11th:
- Lunch:Bowl of Happiness Ramen & half peanut butter sandwich
- Dinner: Grilled Steak, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Onions, Baked Potato
Sunday May 12th: Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s out there!
- Brunch: Overnight Blueberry French Toast Bake (Recipe coming soon!)
- Dinner:I’ve been told that this is a surprise and not to plan on cooking… . .
Various Snacks:
- Fresh Fruit– Apples, Bananas, blueberries, Mango
- Honey Crunch Granola Bars
- Pickled Eggs
- Microwave Popcorn
- Deviled Egg Dip & Veggies
- Hummus & Pita Chips
Drinks Available:A note about our drink offerings, while we do always have coffee and tea in the house, coffee is usually with breakfast, hot tea is usually in the evening and for the most part our other drinks consist of Water. We don’t “drink milk” at all, it is usually used in making homemade yogurt, or in cereals, baking, etc.* Iced Tea (Unsweetened & Sweet Tea, various flavors)
* Coffee
* Hot Chocolate/Cocoa
* Lemonade
A few things we’d like to share with you:
We received some sad news yesterday morning that a close friends’ mom has passed away so we may need to make a few alterations to this weeks menu plan to make a few casseroles to drop off to the family.
We’re also celebrating a few special occasions this week including a major wedding anniversary and of course, Mother’s Day. With that in mind, just about anything can happen to the menu plan!
The weather has NOT been cooperating with the garden and the huge amounts of rain are starting to take their toll on the tender young plants. We might have to plant round 2 this week just to have a better yield this year. The only thing that seems to be doing well are the melons and tomatoes. How are your gardens coming along?
FYI Section:
It has been brought to our attention that a few folks who are just joining us are getting the wrong impression that we purchase EVERYTHING at once for each weeks menu plan. This is not the case at all, nor do we recommend it. We are incorporating items purchased or home canned weeks ago into the menu plan this week.
For Further reading/help we recommend the following:
- 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.
- May Sales Trends–not sure what Should be on sale right now? Here is a list of the current Sales trends for the month of April, so you know what savings to expect
- 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.
- $50 Dollar Menu Frequently Asked Questions– a few of the most often asked questions regarding our $50 menu plans
- 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
Sorry to hear about your friend’s Mom. Looks like it is going to be a busy week at your house….hope that you have a Happy Mother’s Day…sounds like it is going to a good one especially with no cooking! 🙂
Karen
I shop once to twice per week depending on schedules. Not real convienent for me because I have to drive but I am making it work. Anyhow, I was excited about my last trip to the store. I spent $25 on 4 days worth of meals.
It does help when you can incorporate what you already have on hand. Looks like we will be planting round to in our garden as well. I think a lot of my seeds have been washed away, and am disappointed that my strawberries have not come up.