Home Sweet Simple Home

MPM: Fall menu- pumpkins!

Notes: We made our last stop at the local farmers market, purchasing 3 large bags of onions (buy 2 get one free) and a few tomatoes.

Monday –Pumpkin Carving Nite
B: Pumpkin Waffles, fruit cups
L: Soup in Jack-be-little pumpkins w/cheese crackers
D: Pumpkin chili and h’made bread
Dessert: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Daily Cost: $10.39
Tuesday
B: Pumpkin waffles (leftovers)
L: Homeschool group lunch: Bring: Spoonbread
D: Sloppy Joes,  chips, pickle spears
Dessert: leftover cake
Daily Cost: $5.43
Wednesday
B: Choice: yogurt or cereal
L: Creamy beef sandwiches, chips, pickle spears
D: Chicken-n-noodles, h’made bread, h’made pickles
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $6.85
Thursday
B: Cinnamon French Toast Sticks with Cider syrup
L: Diner Dinner
D: Daddy Donalds- burgers, fries (all h’made)
Dessert: Milk Shakes
Daily Cost: $8.28
Friday
B: French Toast sticks with cider syrup (leftovers)
L: Jack-o-lantern mini pizzas
D: Mystery dinner at my parents home: bringing chips & buns
Dessert: Halloween candy of course!
Daily Cost: $6.55
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (eggs, toast, bacon etc)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Church Potluck bringing: creamy pasta salad
D: Church dinner
Daily Cost: $4.25
Weekly Total: $44.75
~~ 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

Notes: The gardens are all put to bed now. We are still enjoying apples and potatoes from a local orchard. I will miss all those juicy homegrown tomatoes the most I think.
I hope to be posting more new recipes real soon. Here’s the crockpot cake from last week.

Monday –Homeschool group Fall Fun Nite
B: Brown sugar oatmeal, fruit & toast
L: Bologna Burgers, chips-n-dip
D: Fall Fun Nite- bring: drink & chips
Dessert: smores
Daily Cost: $8.49
Tuesday
B: Baked Oatmeal, apple sauce
L: Homeschool group lunch: Bring: Orange drink & snack
D: Sock-a-rooni, garlic bread
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $8.16
Wednesday
B: Baked Oatmeal & sliced bananas
L: Grilled cheese, chips and pickle spears
D: Crockpot: BBQ ham, baked potatoes, salad
Dessert: Mr. Conductor’s pudding concoction
Daily Cost: $6.13
Thursday –Football game
B: Choice: yogurt or cereal
L: English Muffin Pizzas
D: Cream chip beef & mash potatoes
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $5.53
Friday
B: Cinnamon Rolls
L: Diner Dinner
D: Peppy  Macaroni
Dessert: Cream Cheese roll-ups
Daily Cost: $6.10
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (eggs, toast, bacon etc)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Crockpot: Chicken in mushroom sauce, salad, h’made bread
D: Lunch Leftovers
Daily Cost: $5.82
Weekly Total: $43.23
~~ 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!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes were made

Menu & Pirate Twist on Monday

Notes: We continue to stop at a local orchard/farmer’s stand for tomatoes, potatoes and apples.

Monday -Explorers & Pirates Celebration Day
B: Captain’s Eggs, toast
L: Shipwreck Stew, hardtack
D: Bubble & Squeak, hardtack, peas, Spanish Rice
Dessert: Apple Tarts
Daily Cost: $11.77
Tuesday
B: Baked Oatmeal, apple sauce
L: Homeschool group lunch: Book-it Pizzas (give $2 for Mom pizzas)
D: Crockpot: Layered dinner (steak, potatoes & veggies)
Dessert: Leftover tarts
Daily Cost: $9.04
Wednesday
B: Baked Oatmeal & sliced bananas
L: corn dog muffins & cottage cheese
D: One Dish Chicken Bake, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $7.97
Thursday
B: Choice: yogurt or cereal
L: Turkey Ranch wraps, chips & pickles
D: Sausage, egg & cheese biscuit sandwiches
Dessert: fruit cocktail
Daily Cost: $7.75
Friday
B: Berry Muffin Squares
L: Diner Dinner
D: Pizza
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $11.77
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (eggs, toast, bacon etc)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Crockpot: Chicken in mushroom sauce, homemade bread, veggies
D: Lunch Leftovers
Daily Cost: $6.21
Weekly Total: $57.51
~~ 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

Notes: From the Garden: The garden is just about done. We’ve taken to stopping at a local orchard/farmer’s stand for tomatoes, potatoes and apples. Nothing like real local produce to remind you why store bought just doesn’t taste the same. Monday 
B: Apple pancakes, sliced bananas
L: Diner Dinner (Sunday leftovers and then some)
D: Spanish Rice, homemade bread
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $2.65 (Yay! Cheap night!)
Tuesday
B: Cherry & brown sugar oatmeal, toast
L: Homeschool group lunch: bring: Triple Fudge Brownies
D: Crockpot: Chicken Bacon Swiss Melts
Dessert: any leftover brownies
Daily Cost: $10.39
Wednesday
B: Choice: yogurt or cereal
L: Macaroni-n-cheese w/bacon crumbles
D: Messy Tacos
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $4.37
Thursday
B: Baked apple and toast
L: Nachos
D: Chicken Alfredo, biscuits & salad
Dessert: warm tapioca pudding
Daily Cost: $10.30
Friday -Football Game
B: Eggs in a basket
L: Diner Dinner
D: One Pot Salsa Beef Skillet
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $5.28
Saturday –Field Trip- Civil War Reenactment
B: Daddy Cook (eggs, toast, bacon etc)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Crockpot White Chicken Chili & corn dodgers
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $7.15
Weekly Total: $43.14
~~ 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- Menu!

Notes: After a couple weeks set aside- I'm back posting my menu. The cost of groceries keeps sneaking up- 10 cents more here and 20 cents more there. We're still managing to keep the weekly cost hovering around $55 (including snacks and beverages which I don't calculate below). I pray that God will continue to help us stretch our grocery dollars to their max.
From the Garden: A few cucumbers plus tomatoes, hot peppers, green peppers and squash- from our garden and shared from others. We continue to enjoy thick sliced tomatoes as a side dish with most meals.

Monday 
B: Cranberry brown sugar oatmeal, toast
L: Diner Dinner (weekend leftovers)
D: One dish Chicken bake, sliced tomatoes & cukes
Dessert: Chocolate Sour Cream Cake- aka Autumn Yum Cake
Daily Cost: $8.63
Tuesday
B: Fruit and yogurt parfaits
L: Homeschool group lunch: bring: 2 bags of chips
D: Crockpot Cowboy stew, biscuits
Dessert: leftover cake
Daily Cost: $10.10
Wednesday
B: Choice: yogurt or cereal
L: chicken nuggets, corn chips, pickle spear
D: Poorman’s Steak, baked potatoes, salad
Dessert: root beer floats
Daily Cost: $9.06
Thursday
B: Eggs in a Basket, apple slices
L: Polka Dots
D: Apple pancakes, sausage
Dessert: fruit cocktail
Daily Cost: $8.66
Friday -Football Game
B: Leftover pancakes and sausage
L: English muffin pizzas—“Itty Bitty Pizzas”
D: Roo’s soup and h’made bread
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $4.54
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (eggs, toast, bacon etc)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Crockpot Stroganoff, salad
D: Dinner @ church
Daily Cost: $7.17
Weekly Total: $51.16
~~ 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!

Ah, fall menu

Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: From the Garden: we’ve got lettuce, cucumbers (burpless and lemon) and cherry tomatoes as well as a few onions. Friends have given us beefy tomatoes and summer squash as well as some hot peppers. We picked up some Honeycrisp apples and gi-normous onions at a local farm market.

Monday 
B: Choice: yogurt or cereal
L: snacky lunch- cheese, ham on crackers, cucumber and tomato slices, apples
D: Corn chowder, biscuits
Dessert: Iced Monkey Bread
Daily Cost: $7.67
Tuesday
B: @ MOPS
L: Picnic Lunch: sandwiches, chips, apple slices, cookies
D: Campbell’s Mac-n-cheese, sausage, steamed veggies
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $9.34
Wednesday
B: H’made oatmeal w/dried cherries
L: Cups of corn chowder, ham & cheese biscuit sandwiches
D: Maiden’s Cheeseburger casserole, greens salad
Dessert: Root beer floats
Daily Cost: $8.45
Thursday
B: Toad in the Holes
L: Ravioli, cottage cheese, cheese crackers
D: Chicken-n-noodles, h’made bread, h’made pickles, salad
Dessert: warm tapioca pudding
Daily Cost: $7.52
Friday
B: Baked apples and toast
L: English Muffin Pizzas
D: Nachos
Dessert: popcorn- it’s family nite!
Daily Cost: $5.73
Saturday
B: Daddy Cook (eggs, toast, bacon etc)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Open Face turkey sandwiches, sliced tomatoes & cucumbers
D: @ the County Fair
Daily Cost: $3.11
Weekly Total: $44.82
~~ 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!

Last menu for summer

Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: This coming weekend usually finds us camping Up North but due to $$$ we are having a family stay-cation and will be going to each other’s homes to share the meals we would normally eat while camping.
From the Garden: we’ve got lettuce, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes as well as onions. Friends have given us beefy tomatoes and summer squash.

Monday 
B: hardboiled eggs, English muffins w/jam, apple slices
L: Diner Dinner (eating up leftovers!)
D: Chicken Cacciatore on noodles, h’made bread, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $2.90
Tuesday
B: H’made oatmeal w/apple chunks
L: pbj sandwiches, cheese crackers, apple slices
D: Layered Meatball Bake
Dessert: Root beer floats
Daily Cost: $9.32
Wednesday
B: Choice: yogurt or cereal
L: lunch & swim party @ friends (bringing brownies)
D: campfire pizza pies
Dessert: campfire fruit camp pies
Daily Cost: $10.16
Thursday
B: French Toast topped with apple sauce
L: Hot Diggity Dogs, cottage cheese, pickle spears
D: Campbell’s Mac-n-cheese, sausage, steamed veggies
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $6.96
Friday –Extended family over for supper
B: Mama’s cheesy scrambled eggs & toast
L: Grab-n-go sandwiches, cheese chunks, chips
D: Mr. Steady’s Chili, cornbread (outdoor cooking!)
Dessert: campfire camp pies
Daily Cost: $11.74
Saturday –Old Time Tractor Show @ local park w/family
B: Daddy Cook (eggs, toast, bacon etc)
L: Picnic: sandwiches, chips, cheese, veggies, cookies
D: dinner w/family
Daily Cost: $8.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: w/family
Daily Cost: $1.25
Weekly Total: $50.33
~~ 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!

What we're eating

Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: Prices continue to rise. I’ve noticed price jumps on some of our favorite foodie items of 20+ cents in the space of a week. Makes you re-evaluate if the box of cheese crackers you use to purchase for $1.00 is worth $1.29. I’m thinking this is not going to be a weekly item any longer as well as some other things. Thank goodness for the free bread and English muffins.

From the Garden: lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes as well as onions. Friends have shared peppers, different varieties of tomatoes and squash.

Monday 
B: French toast and side dish of nectarines
L: chicken nuggets, cottage cheese, chips
D: Salmagundi
Dessert: Root Beer floats
Daily Cost: $11.20
Tuesday
B: Fruit smoothies & English Muffins
L: Nachos
D: BLTs
Dessert: (campfire) camp pies
Daily Cost: $8.52
Wednesday
B: Choice: yogurt or cereal
L: English Muffin Pizzas
D: Chicken Crescent squares, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $6.79
Thursday
B: Mama’s cheesy scrambled eggs & toast
L: spaghetti O’s w/hotdogs, cheese crackers
D: Wedding Rehearsal dinner
Daily Cost: $4.94
Friday – Nephew’s Wedding
B: Breakfast Pizzas (yesterday’s leftover scrambled eggs on English Muffins)
L: Diner Dinner (choice of leftovers)
D: @ Wedding reception
Daily Cost: $0
Saturday
B: Daddy cook (eggs, bacon, toast)
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Dinner Party @ friends home
Daily Cost: $3.00
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Slowcooker Chicken Cacciatore and salad
D: Youth Group Cook-out
Daily Cost: $6.09
Weekly Total: $40.54
~~ 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!

Week of Summer eating

Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: This week the children will be attending VBS at their friends’ church in the evenings from 6 to 8:30 pm. So it’s early supper but snacks will be provided during VBS. I’m not scheduling any desserts but we may have some ice cream this week if it calls to us.

From the Garden: we’ve got lettuce, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes as well as onions.

Monday 
B: H’made Honey oatmeal bread (thick sliced) w/ blueberry honey spread along with grapes and banana slices
L: Pizza grilled cheese, chips & pickle spears
D: Corn chowder and biscuits
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $4.83
Tuesday –Maiden has friends overnite
B: Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins, jam & apple slices
L: Picnic Lunch
D: Ranch chicken, potatoes, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $11.12
Wednesday
B: Lil Boy Blue Breakfast Cake
L: Corn chowder cups & biscuit sandwiches
D: Maiden’s mac-n-cheese, sausage, mixed veggies
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $10.45
Thursday
B: Choice: yogurt or cereal and toasted English Muffins
L: chicken quesadillas
D: Chicken crescent squares, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $8.56
Friday
B: Toad in a hole
L: nachos
D: @ VBS program
Daily Cost: $2.87
Saturday
B: Waffles, fruit & sausage
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $3.24
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Crockpot Cowboy stew & biscuits [Recipe is coming soon]
D: lunch leftovers
Daily Cost: $6.70
Weekly Total: $47.77
~~ 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 for 2 mostly- its VBS week

Menu with Daily Costs

Notes: The children will be eating at VBS most of the week- so it’ll be just Mr. Steady and I for suppers for a few nights.

From the Garden: we’ve got lettuce.

Monday 
B: Blueberry cheesecake muffins
L: Leftover chicken & noodles, h’made bread
D: BBQ grilled chicken, baked potatoes, corn on cob
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $6.11
Tuesday
B: French Toast w/apple topping
L: English Muffin Pizzas
D: @ church- VBS
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $3.13
Wednesday
B: choice: cereal/yogurt
L: Bologna burgers, chips & dip
D: Grilled steak, potatoes, cheddar & chive biscuits, salad
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $9.61
Thursday –Trip to Air Zoo
B: Iced Cinnamon rolls & fruit
L: Out to Lunch w/family (dine-out envelope)
D: Dinner out (gift certificate)
Daily Cost: $3.55
Friday
B: Yogurt Parfaits
L: Ham & cheese on Cheddar chive biscuits, chips, pickle spears
D: @ a birthday party
Daily Cost: $2.48
Saturday
B: choice: muffins & fruit or cereal
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $1.25
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: VBS Picnic @ church: bring brownies & salad
D: leftovers
Daily Cost: $5.35
Weekly Total: $31.48
~~ 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!

Summer Eating Weekly menu plan

Notes: Thank the Lord for a cheap week. We’ll be off camping with some of my youth group for part of the week and eating up leftovers at other times. I am thankful for things being a little bit cheaper.
From the Garden: we’ve got lettuce, a few cukes on the vine (too small yet) and some tomatoes. Since we’ll be gone part of the week- we’ll be sharing some lettuce with friends.

Monday 
B: choice: cereal/yogurt
L: with family
D: One Pot Salsa Beef Skillet, corn on the cob, flax seed bread
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $7.75
Tuesday – Ball Game Nite
B: French toast
L: Chicken sandwiches, cottage cheese, chips
D: w/friends: bringing: fruit salad
Dessert: fruit salad
Daily Cost: $8.70
Wednesday –
B: Daddy Cook (egg, bacon, toast etc.)
L: Diner Dinner
D: Gone Camping
Daily Cost: $3.00
Thursday
Gone Camping
Daily Cost: $0
Friday
Gone Camping
D: Pizza
Dessert: none
Daily Cost: $6.75
Saturday – Softball Tournament
B: Choice: yogurt, cereal, muffins, toast
L: Picnic: sandwiches, macaroni salad, chips, cookies
D: Leftover Smorgasbord
Daily Cost: $5.60
Sunday
B: Cocoa Wheats, toast
L: Leftover Smorgasbord
D: VBS dinner @ church
Daily Cost: $1.25
Weekly Total: $33.05
~~ 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 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!