2018 $50 Budget Menu Plan Week 5 Last week was absolutely crazy for us, working weird hours and helping neighbors with frozen pipes from a nasty little cold spell. Not only did we fail to get a menu posted, we also never got around to going grocery shopping at all, so we had a “Pantry Challenge” week.
If you’re not familiar with that, it means that ALL of your meals come from what you have on hand in the pantry and freezer. It’s a great way to use leftover or pre-planned OAMC meals and cut down on potential waste too.
We often purchase bacon in 10 or 20# boxes at a time, then cook it and refreeze the cooked pieces. About half of it we chop fine for use in recipes (it’s amazing what a tablespoon or two of bacon bits will do to an otherwise boring recipe!). So when you see bacon appear frequently in recipes, it’s often just a tablespoon or two that we’ve cooked, chopped and frozen.
This week we purchased the following: Cantaloupe, Strawberries, Grapes, lemon yogurt, honeydew melon, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, apples, fresh beets, scallions, celery, lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, Pineapple, Avocados, Whole Chicken, cauliflower, onions, cheese, spinach, half & half, loaf wheat bread
Total spent this week on groceries: $51.89
From our Backyard: Fresh Eggs
From our Windowsill/ Garden: a few fresh herbs in the windowsill– cilantro, basil, parsley and rosemary
Breakfast Options for this week:
- Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits
- Eggs-poached, over-easy, hard boiled, scrambled with leftover sauteed veggies & a sprinkle of cheese, etc
Monday February 5th:
- Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Dinner: Grilled (boneless) Pork Ribs, Fresh Beet Greens (steamed)
Tuesday February 6th:
- Lunch: Popeye’s Dream (spinach & eggs)
- Dinner: Meatball Casserole , Salad
Wednesday February 7th:
- Lunch: Shredded Pork Wrap (Using leftover pork from Monday Night’s dinner & tortillas from the freezer)
- Dinner: Stuffed Grilled Portabellas , BLT Macaroni Salad
Thursday February 8th:
- Lunch: Stuffed Avocadoes
- Dinner: Bang Bang Shrimp Salad (recipe added shortly!)
Friday February 9th:
- Lunch: Tuna or Egg Salad Wraps
- Dinner: Venison Tenderloin, Hasselback Au Gratin Potatoes, apple beet salad
Saturday February 10th: All Day (Potluck) Event with Friends, we’re bringing Sweet Potato Salad with us
Sunday February 11th:
- Brunch: Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
- Supper: Beer Can Chicken, grilled potatoes, Salad, Steamed Beets
Various Snacks & Desserts:
- Fresh Fruit Choices Available– Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Pineapple, Strawberries, Apples
- Strawberry melon Salad
- Deviled Egg Dip & Veggies
Drinks Available:
- Coffee
- Hot Chocolate/Cocoa
- Iced Tea (Unsweetened or Sweet Tea)
- Water, of course.
Less Likely to be used, but still available:
- Copycat Gatorade
- CopyCat Arizona Green Tea
- Lemonade
- Iced Coffee Drinks
- Almond Milk
FYI: If you’re wondering why all the ingredients listed in the recipes aren’t necessarily showing in the “purchased groceries” list, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions!
Great content! Love the recipes! I’m thinking of following this meal plan next week. Thanks for sharing!