The University of Mississippi gave us a heck of a ballgame, but the University of Kentucky won the SEC tournament by one point in overtime! There were many many mistakes on our part, but we hung in there and hit a couple of crucial shots that saved the day. Those young men will be exhausted and have a week to recuperate before the NCAA starts. I hope during that time they will figure out how to consistently pick up rebounds, because that and the need to put the ball into the basket rather than toss it gently up and over will help them considerably in the next couple weeks.
Its been a gray and lazy day. We went to church. Hubby chanted the Psalms today, and did a bang up job, if I do say so myself (everyone else said so too!). Afterward we came home so I could make pizza. Once it was done and everyone had changed out of their Sunday clothes we drove over to Mom's house. Happy surprise, my cousin and her 3 boys were visiting this side of the state and were able to join us. A little later my sister in law and niece showed up too. My brother didn't make it till the game was just over, but it was good to have so many of us in the same place.
We dropped the daughter off at home, picked up the grocery list, and headed out for the store. It is now confession time. First, I knew the hubby was still hungry and took him with me anyway. This means we bought a few things I would probably not have purchased, and that contributed to exceeding the budget. However, I do not blame him. This menu planning and budgeting is new to us both, and I pretty much have a soft spot for him. If he asks for something I feel like I need to figure out how to work it in. He doesn't ask for much, and he's the one bringing home the money. Second, I didn't write out the menu first, building on what is already in the house, and that is how I mean to do this going forward. So this 2 weeks I will be working backwards. Third, I want to use more coupons. I have a few that I forgot to bring to the store, but I have a coupon keeper now, so I can keep them all together. I love coupons :) Finally, we did go over budget. By how much we will see once I list everything and add it all up. But I already know we went over.
I may find this $200 limit is too small. With 60 gone for AF, is that going to provide enough that $30 a week is all we need to supplement? I am doubtful, especially since gas went up about 35 cents a gallon this week. It doesn't take long for the food to start reflecting the higher transportation costs.
So, first store: Save A Lot
18 eggs $2.38
73% lean ground beef (almost 3 lbs) $5.66
Ajax dish detergent $ . 99
Bananas (1.70 lbs) $ .57
Flour tortillas $ . 99
Banquet Chicken PotPies (4@ .59) $2.36
40 oz frozen Chicken Tenders $4.99
Cr of Mushroom soup (2) $1.18
Cr of Chicken soup (2) $1.18
Cucumber (1) $ .89
3 lbs Golden Delicious Apples $1.50
Lettuce (1) $1.19
Light Ranch Salad Dressing $1.29
Light Mayo (32 oz) $1.99
8 oz Fresh Mushrooms $1.50
Peanut Butter (18 oz) $1.49
Frozen Shoestring Potatoes $ .50
Vegetable Shortening $2.99
Yeast (2 @ 1.19 each) $2.38
Tomato soup (1) $ .49
Vegetable soup (1) $ .59
Chicken and Rice Soup (1) $ .59
Mixed Indiv. Chips (12 bags) $3.29
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$40.98
We also bought a package of toilet paper to donate to the Episcopal mission house: $3.79. We decided this would not come out of our food budget.
Second store: Kroger
Cabbage (1) $ .94
Cottonelle TP $7.67
Bread Flour $2.69
Starkist Tuna $ .55 (coupon was for up to 2.00 off)
Kroger sliced cheese $1.50
Country gravy mix (2) $1.34
Kroger Instant Potatoes $1.85
Chef Boyardee Double Ch.Pizza $3.69
Kroger Baking Mix $2.28
1% Milk, gallon $2.19
Grands biscuits (2) $2.00
Kroger hamburger buns $1.19
Big K diet cherry cola (2) $1.58
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$31.52
Grand total: $72.50
So the goal was to stay under $60.00, which we did not do. On the other hand, a trip to one store is usually about twice what we spent, and so we did very well. There will not be another big trip to the store until the first of the month. We will buy more milk I am sure, and possibly eggs but that should be all.
Now I have to "make a plan", as we are fond of saying at our house. :)
Menu for March 15 - 20th
Monday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: for school- leftover pizza and salad, for home- lunch meat sandwiches, individual chips
Dinner: Spaghetti (pasta, sauce, 1/2 lb browned ground beef) broccoli, toast
To do: prep crock pot for breakfast casserole before bed, cook on low overnight; bake Lasagna and portion for lunches, bake bread
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Breakfast casserole (eggs, hash browns, leftover bread/cubed, sausage, green onion)
Lunch: for school/work lasagna and salad, home-tuna salad sandwich
Dinner: Chicken casserole (2 chicken breast tenders, cooked and shredded, 2c cooked rice, 1c frozen veggies, 1 can cream of chicken soup), put all in crock pot to heat, on low 3 hours.
To do: bake mini cupcakes
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Breakfast casserole
Lunch: for school/work lasagna and salad, cupcakes; home-tuna salad ( tuna, hard boiled egg, pickle, mayo) sandwich and salad
Dinner: Church *
Thursday:
Breakfast: Breakfast casserole
Lunch: left over chicken casserole, carrots and celery with ranch dressing for dip, mini cupcakes; home: frozen individual chicken pot pie
Dinner: Asian fried rice, cole-slaw
To do: Make Pasta salad for lunches
Friday:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs and grits
Lunch: Pasta salad (pasta, veggies, Italian dressing and Parmesan cheese)
Dinner: Hamburgers, buns, oven fries, green beans
Saturday:
Breakfast: biscuits and gravy
Lunch: Homemade chicken soup and biscuits
Dinner: BBQ ribs (AF), poor mans rolls, steamed cauliflower, pineapple rings with cottage cheese
To do: bake bread
Sunday:
Breakfast: cheese tortillas
Lunch: sandwiches
Dinner: rib eye steaks (AF), baked potatoes, corn and peas
Menu for March 21- 27th
Monday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: lunch meat sandwiches, individual size chips, carrots/celery
Dinner: BBQ meatloaf muffins, saffron rice, steamed broccoli
To do: bake pumpkin muffins for breakfasts. Bag carrots and celery.
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Pumpkin muffins and OJ
Lunch: Left over spaghetti, salad
Dinner: Chicken casserole (cook 3 chicken breast tenders, save one and broth for tomorrow, cooked and shredded, 2c cooked rice, 1c frozen veggies, 1 can cream of chicken soup)
To do: bake chocolate chip cookies
Wednesday:
Breakfast: cheesy tortillas
Lunch: left over chicken casserole carrots/celery, choc chip cookies OR lunchmeat and cheese sandwich, chips, carrots/celery, choc chip cookies; chicken soup (1 chicken tender, chopped finely, broth, cabbage, leftover veggies, barley)
Dinner: Church*
Thursday:
Breakfast: Pumpkin muffins
Lunch: left over chicken casserole, carrots and celery with ranch dressing for dip; chicken pot pie at home, cookies
Dinner: glazed salmon bake, Parmesan noodles, mixed veggies
To do: bake bread, cook pasta for tomorrow's lunch
Friday:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs and grits
Lunch: Pasta salad (pasta, veggies, Italian dressing and Parmesan cheese), choc chip cookies
Dinner: Chef Boy-ar-dee pizza with mushrooms, turkey pepperoni, sausage
Saturday:
Breakfast: quiche (eggs, cheese, gr onion, bacon, pie shell), pineapple
Lunch: Sloppy Joes, buns, salad
Dinner: BBQ pork (baked and shredded) (AF); potato salad,
Sunday (28th):
Breakfast: biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs
Lunch/Dinner: We will probably eat lunch on the go as we will be celebrating my Father in Laws birthday.
* Every Wednesday our church has a meal. In warmer weather we grill, and everyone brings side dishes to share. Once a month a group of local teens come and cook dinner as part of an outreach project we do to help prepare them with life skills. During Lent we have a soup and salad meal after church and prior to the Lenten study.
As for snacks we have popcorn, bananas, apples, some vanilla protein powder we add to smoothies (made with powdered milk, ice, and fruit).
So there you go. Two weeks of menu planning. As we go through the week I will post recipes.
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