2013 $50 Weekly Menu Plan Week #32

2013 $50 Weekly Menu Plan Week #32: This week we were hoping for a meat restocking week, as we’re getting a bit low, but with the soaring prices due to last years drought, it seems like we’re better off biding our time for a short while longer. As such, this weeks menu plan came to a whopping $19.40 and the remaining balance will be rolled over into our “Meat” budget, for the upcoming meat restocking week. We purchased the following this week…

2 whole chickens, Fresh Cantaloupe, celery, artisan lettuce, yogurt, bananas, peaches (dirt cheap at the farmers market as they’re going by!), 2 avocadoes, 1 Mango- – again, it pays to shop at your local farmers markets, when produce is in season and overly abundant, you’ll get amazing deals, like 5 pounds of peaches for $1, etc! Don’t be afraid to bargain with the vendors.

From the garden we harvested okra, tomatoes, 3 zucchini, jalapenos, carrots, cucumbers, and 3 green peppers. I think this is the tale end of the garden, the Southern heat is really getting to it! We also raise chickens so the eggs you see in this weeks menu are from our girls.

Breakfast Options for this week: You’ll notice that sour milk donuts is included on the menu. Since we’ve switched to Almond milk to avoid unnecessary dairy products we’ve only been purchasing 1/2 a gallon every few weeks. Shockingly, I went to add a couple drops of milk to my tea the other night and well, lumps came out. Here’s a good way to use up any milk that has gone just a tad too long in the fridge.

• Sour Milk Donuts
• Eggs Over Easy, Poached, Scrambled or Omelets
• Harvest Peach Refrigerator Oatmeal
• Walkaway Breakfast Burritos (Cheese, eggs, diced onions/green peppers/ sausage/ diced tomatoes, etc)
• Toasted English Muffins with Harvest Peach Jam
• Diced Cantaloupe
• Mango Almond Refrigerator Oatmeal

MondayAugust 5th:

• Lunch: Cantaloupe/Banana Salad (it’s in the high 90’s folks, no one’s going to want to eat today!)
• Dinner: Grilled Halibut with Avocado Mango Salsa

Tuesday 6th:

• Lunch: Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
• Dinner:Sinfully Simple Rotisserie Chicken, Loaded Baked Potatoes, Fresh String Beans

Wednesday 7th:

• Lunch: Pesto Egg Salad Wraps
• Dinner:Mexican Fiesta No Bake Casserole

Thursday August 8th:

• Lunch:Curry Chicken Salad Wraps
• Dinner:Birthday Dinner at Friends- was told not to make plans!

Friday August 9th:

• Lunch:Leftover Mexican Casserole
• Dinner:Chicken Picadillo with Rice and Black Beans

Saturday August 10th:

• Lunch: Tuna Pasta Salad, Sliced Tomatoes from the Garden
• Dinner:Beef Stroganoff over Rosemary Pepper Pasta & Salad(recipe coming wednesday!)

Sunday August 11th:

• Lunch: Catfish Nuggets, Grilled Rosemary Potatoes, salad
• Dinner:Grilled Zucchini Pizza & Salad
  

Various Snacks:

• Fresh Fruit– Home-Canned Peaches, Fresh blueberries, Fresh blackberries, bananas, peaches, cantaloupe
• Fiesta Salsa
• S’mores Bites
• Mason Jar Coconut Pie
• Healthy Zucchini Brownies

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

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

FYI:
We raise a few chickens, ok, to be completely honest about 3 dozen now! And get anywhere from 2-3 dozen eggs per day. We frequently have deviled eggs, deviled egg dip & veggies, various forms of egg salad (18 different ways) and hard boiled eggs. They make great snacks and are an excellent source of clean protein, particularly for our weight lifting sons.

For Further reading/help we recommend the following:

• August Sales Trends-not sure what Should be on sale right now? Here is a list of the current Sales trends throughout the month of August, 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.

• $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