Menu plan

Trying to get myself back in the groove of  posting menu plans. I know not everyone is interested in it but I think it's a good way to hold myself accountable to sticking to a plan and to share some ideas with you all. {as I always love reading what others are eating and gaining ideas off their menus}.

I am also going to post an approximate price for each dinner this week. (Lunches I don't budget for as they are free bc i use leftovers from dinner and/or pantry staples to make them) I always find it helpful to know the cost of a meal before I put it on my menu so I can plan my budget accordingly. Feel free to ask questions and share your own ideas too :) 

I make a plan for the week but not what day I serve things. I like some flexibility in my plan as I may not feel like chicken one night or it may rain so we can't grill. Leaving a little wiggle room helps me a ton. 

Also, I do my planning a little different in the summer as produce is so cheap and the farmers market always has new things I want to try and our garden produce comes in at differing increments so I may only have 2 tomatoes one week but 20 the next. For summer time I do my shopping first then menu plan. I know it sounds a little backwards but I love to cook and often as I'm shopping can think of what I will use the item for. For example this week I picked up a giant bunch of kale for $1. I instantly knew I would use some of it in quesadillas for the kids lunches and some in smoothies for breakfast. I then did a quick search and found a recipe I could add it to with the chicken quarters I picked up on the cheap at the store.

The best tip I can give you is if you have a smart phone use it at the store or farmers market! If you see a great deal on some meat or produce but don't know what to make with it google search recipes with that ingredient, you'll be amazed at what new dinner entree you can make. 

Menu plan for this week:

Breakfast:

Egg scramble x2

Yogurt and fruit x2

Overnight oats

Smoothies x2

Lunch:

Cheese and veggie quesadillas x2 (use our garden Swiss chard, leftover squash, onions, kale and cheese)

Chicken sausage ragu with penne (use the chicken spinach sausage from dinner with garden tomatoes, garden Swiss chard, and garlic)

Grilled cheese and fruit

Leftovers x2

Homemade pizza (make my own dough with bread machine, tomatoes from garden, leftover veggies, and cheese)

Dinner:

•Brats and chicken sausage with roasted red peppers/onions and grilled peaches 

Cost breakdown: 

4 brats: $2.50

4 chicken sausages: $5 

Red peppers/onions: $.50

Buns: $1

3 peaches: $1.25 (bought for .99 cents a pound)

•Braised chicken and kale 

3 chicken quarters: $2.50

Kale: $1

Homemade chicken stock: .25 cents

Onions, carrots: .25 cents

•Veggie stir fry 

Kale: (free from leftover)

Bokchoy: $2 (farmers market price)

Red pepper: $1 

Broccoli: $1 (farmers market price)

Onions and carrots: .25 cents

Squash: $1 (farmers market price)

Rice: .25 cents

•roast and califlower purée 

Roast: $8

Can of tomatoes: free (from our garden that we can ourselves)

Onion and garlic: .25 cents

Bottle of wine: $7 (I cook our roast in wine, but when we don't have the money for this splurge I cook with beef stock)

Head of califlower: $2 (farmers market price)

•shredded beef tacos with black bean/corn salsa

Beef: free (use leftover roast and add taco seasoning to it)

Tortillas: $2/pack of 10

Black beans: .25 cents (I make my own and then freeze them in 1 cup bags)

Corn: .25 cents (I use one ear of corn)

Red peppers and red onion: $1

•bierocks and salad

Ground beef: $2.50 (one pound)

Cabbage: $2 (a giant head I grabbed at the farmers market)

Cheese: $2

Onions: .25 cents

Dough: .50 cents (I make it myself with pantry staples so this is the high end of cost)

•cabbage and noodles

Cabbage: free (leftover from previous)

Onions: .25 cents

Bacon: $2

Noodles: $1

 

Total for the week: $50.75

(1 also spent another $30 this week on milk, fruit, yogurt, eggs, and other staples I was out of)