T O P I C R E V I E W |
Alee |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 07:27:14 AM Hi Ladies!
Back in 2008 we had a challenge to meal plan each month and it really helped me stay on track with food purchases. So this year I am offering you a second challenge. A challenge to yourself and your family! Let's plan meals and stick to a budget. Let's work in as much healthy food as we can! There will be a companion challenge here in Farm Kitchen about grocery shopping on budget and I am thinking about a Family Matters Family Budget Challenge as well!
I know I do better when I feel accountable to others so I am hoping you all will join me and help keep me on track.
So the next post will be a template. Just highlight it and copy it into your reply and fill out for your meal plan. If you are planning on eating left overs go ahead and put in leftovers and then if you plan on eating out put that down as well.
I noticed last time I did this, I planned or cooked way too much food- but I am going to do that on purpose this time. If we start not having to cook it all, but I have the food on hand, it will be a great cushion!
I am going to put a star next to meals once I have bought the main ingredients for them.
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
Alee |
Posted - Jul 01 2009 : 5:44:15 PM It's a really great way to make sure you know what to buy at the store. I have noticed I do less impulse buying if I know what I am going to cook and less days where we run for fast food.
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
Tammyb |
Posted - Jul 01 2009 : 5:05:58 PM How did I miss this thread. I;m going to sit down and start thinking/writing out a menu plan tonight. What a great idea ... thanks :)
Tammyb #541 |
Alee |
Posted - Jul 01 2009 : 09:19:47 AM Thanks for bumping this Deb!!
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
City Chick |
Posted - Jul 01 2009 : 04:58:15 AM bumping up for menu ideas....
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place |
nampafarmgirl |
Posted - Mar 05 2009 : 12:18:12 PM 5. chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and salad 6. eating out or maybe eating mac and cheese, thats the day our taxes are going to be done. 7. fondue (bread and cheese)chicken and steak on the indoor BBQ, choc fondue for dessert 8. roast, bakers, salad 9. porcupine meatballs 10. hamburger straugenoff 11. tacos 12. pepper steak 13. MJ girls coming to my house for cinnamon rolls 14. sushi ?????
Kim Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
Alee |
Posted - Mar 05 2009 : 09:35:54 AM 5. Grilled Salmon with Side Salad and half a baked potato 6. Chicken with rice and bean side dish. Salad 7. Roast Pork with half a baked potato 8. Taco (maybe taco salad) 9. Oven Baked Chicken Legs with rice and beans
???
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
Pat in Tenn |
Posted - Mar 05 2009 : 09:16:44 AM Okay Ladies,
Shopping done and the menu is hanging in the kitchen. Here it is:
Month: March
1??? 2??? 3??? 4 Leftovers 5 Homemade Chicken Strips, veggies, & brown rice 6 Homemade Pizza & home made fried cheese sticks w/ sauce 7 Pancakes & sausage 8 Crockpot Black Bean Chicken dish 9 Tator-Tot cassarole & greenbeans 10 White CHicken chili & cornbread 11 Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes & ham, green veggies 12 Pork loin chops (baked or grilled) mashed potatoes & veggies 13 Chili pie with chips 14 Taco's & cheese dip w/ chips 15 Spaghetti (church pot-luck fellowship )
I will be making home-made cookies and bread through out the days.
Pat in Tenn Born in the city but married to the country for over 22 yrs ! http://onlybygodsgrace.blogspot.com/ http://www.homesteadblogger.com/inhishands/ |
Alee |
Posted - Mar 04 2009 : 6:23:30 PM Tonight we are having Salad with pan cooked salmon!
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
sewgirlie |
Posted - Mar 04 2009 : 6:06:53 PM I loved reading all of your menus. I usually do one for two weeks at a time, but have not been doing it as much during the past month since I am so busy at work. We do live out of the freezer from things I made this fall though. You guys are giving me great ideas.
My quilting and life blog!! http://downtoearthliving.blogspot.com/ |
Pat in Tenn |
Posted - Mar 04 2009 : 09:50:29 AM I will jump in here also.
I do always make up a Menu for us but I usually do 2 weeks or so at a time. I cover each payday period as it comes.
I try to think of meal ideas first before I go shopping and make my shooping list as I go. Sometimes I just buy the basic items and know how to make the meals from there.
Also, I place this on a monthly calander page and post it in my kitchen. Most of the time I follow it to a "T" but sometimes I may change a meal from one day to another. But I always stick to the plan.
I will post on here what my next two weeks look like when I get it together today.
Pat in Tenn Born in the city but married to the country for over 22 yrs ! http://onlybygodsgrace.blogspot.com/ http://www.homesteadblogger.com/inhishands/ |
Alee |
Posted - Mar 03 2009 : 10:49:06 AM I am still working on ours for March. Doug and I are both really serious about losing lots of weight so we need to take that into consideration. A lot of our meals are going to be salads.
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
SheilaC |
Posted - Mar 03 2009 : 06:11:58 AM So. . .anyone still doing this? It's been great for our family. Yes, it's hard to set up at the beginning of the month, but it's been a great saver for grocery costs for me as well as less stressful once the original monthly plan has been made! So, here goes for March. . .
March 1Chicken bruschetta 2Sandwiches/chips/grapes (bee class at night) 3 taco salad 4 meatball subs, jello 5 salmon cakes, corn mffins, salad 6 sweet & sour pork, rice, biscuits 7 L--leftovers, D-venison roast with sauerkraut and rolls 8 L--leftovers, D-chicken noodle soup 9 Venison loin, baked potatoes, rolls 10 Salmon patties 11 meatloaf and veggies 12 California chicken 13 pizza 14 L-leftover pizza, D-Reubens 15 L-leftovers, D-spaghetti and meatballs 16 Jambalaya 17 taters & beef, biscuits, jello 18 pitas with Greek filling 19 venison steak, biscuits 20 polish sausage stew, apple salad, biscuits 21 L-leftovers, D-ham and scalloped potatoes 22L-leftovers, D-trout soup 23 stuffed shells, French bread 24 spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread 25 salmon patties, jello 26 pizza 27 meatloaf and veggies 28 L-chicken patties, D-chicken enchiladas 29 L-? D-stuffed shells 30 kielbasa and cabbage 31 pasta salad
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farm~maid |
Posted - Feb 12 2009 : 03:12:55 AM I've never done a monthly menu. It's usually 1 week, 2 at the most. Here's what I have so far for February beginning with Feb. 7.
Sat. - Tangy Chicken (crock pot), mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, applesauce Sun. - Grilled Italian sausage and steaks (for Monday), kidney bean salad, beets, applesauce Mon. - Steak fajitas, salsa and chips, Peanut butter Oatmeal cookies Tues. - Homemade pizza, cottage cheese, brownie bites Wed. - Pepper Steak, rice, corn Thurs. - Undecided Fri. - Delicious Mac and Cheese, salad, applesauce Sat. - Beans with Ham Hocks, cornbread
We have homemade bread and applesauce for each meal. Thursday's menu was changed. I need to make a meal for my BIL and his sons, so I need to come up with something different. It has to be simple for them to heat or something that holds up in the crock pot.
Christine
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lara916 |
Posted - Feb 07 2009 : 3:33:42 PM I'd have to do this one week at a time otherwise I would never stick with it...perhaps I can work up to a monthly plan.
Sun - Beef Broccoli Bowl Mon - leftovers Tue - Hamhocks and Lentils Wed - Leftovers Thur - Red beans and rice (with keilbasa and sauce) Fri - Leftovers Sat - Sausage egg casserole
I've already made my shopping list and am ready to go!
Lara #327
"Boots" Becker Homestead Farmgirls |
nampafarmgirl |
Posted - Feb 05 2009 : 10:41:01 AM I usually think of 1-2 weeks at a time, so now I will challenge myself for a month. After reading all of your menus, I can only think of my hunger now. When I have my menus listed, I add the cookbook name(partial) and the page number where the recipe can be found as well. As HB is not working now, he is almost always home before me so this helps him. I set out some of the ingredients because I knwo where they are and he wouldnt have a clue where to locate it so, off to the store he would go, not only getting what he is going for but extra's that he thinks we should have on hand, liek a case of tomatoe soup, salsa and chips, more salsa, and God onyl knows what else....
Kim Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
peachy |
Posted - Feb 05 2009 : 08:13:00 AM Here's mine for the month of February...my sons wedding is in...countdown...1 month from Saturday. My dining room looks like a reception hall and my kitchen like a catering service! Yikes, I'm so behind on life right now!!!
February 5 Shepherds Pie, zucchini Bread 6 Salad & Blueberry Muffins 7 out with the dh 8 spaghetti, garlic bread, salad 9 BBQ's, fried potatoes 10 soup/salad - homemade bread 11 tuna melts - salad 12 chicken & broccoli braid 13 hamburgs, homemade fries, homemade applesauce 14 Valentines Day...still up in the air on what to make! 15 Ham & Cheesy Potato Casserole 16 Beef Stroganoff - rolls - veggie 17 Easy chicken Bake 18 Skillet lasagna, garlic bread, salad 19 Colorful Kielbasa, homemade applesauce/bread 20 Camping Casserole (thanks for the recipe Josie!) 21 Chili & cheesy corn muffins 22 Beef roast w/ potatoes, carrots etc.- rolls 23 Herb Penne w/ chicken & tomatoes - homemade bread 24 Cheesy chicken & rice casserole 25 Soup/Salad - Bread 26 Swiss steak, baked potatoes, beans 27 Chili hot dogs - coleslaw (Kids choice!) 28 Pizza Teazer
Melissa Farmgirl Sister #360
Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain! |
SheilaC |
Posted - Feb 04 2009 : 07:19:28 AM All right, here goes for February
Month: February 2009
1L-tacos, D-Superbowl party 2Turkey soup with french bread 3French Bread pizza, carrots & celery 4Salmon patties and biscuits 5meatloaf, potatoes, rolls 6Chicken curry and apple salad 7L-leftovers, D-venison loin, potatoes 8L-chicken noodle soup, D-chicken sandwiches 9chicken bruschetta bake, peaches 10lasagna, garlic bread, salad 11left over lasagna 12enchiladas 13trout soup, biscuits 14L-soup D-bbq ribs, potatoes, salad, rolls 15L-leftover ribs, etc D-pizza 16pork roast in crock pot 17BBQ sandwiches 18brats and beans and german potato salad 19taco pie 20meatloaf, potatoes, rolls 21L-leftovers D-pork chops 22L-leftovers D-quiche 23brats in something 24salmon cakes 25jambalaya 26pasta salad 27leftovers 28?????? whatever we didn't actually have in the month already that was planned for :)
Life with kiddos and babysitting, etc. . . is much simplified if I have a menu plan and pretty much follow it. . .cheaper too!
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crafter |
Posted - Jan 14 2009 : 09:10:38 AM I have a great (and easy) recipe for easy to stuffed manicotti 1pkg 8oz manicotti shells 1lb ground beef 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 26 oz spaghetti sauce (I use what I have canned the past growing season) 14 pieces of string cheese 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese cook manicotti according to package and drain- brown ground beef and onion and drain off grease- add spaghetti sauce. spread 1/2 of sauce mixture into a greased 13x9 baking dish. stuff each shell with a piece of string cheese- place on top of meat sauce. Top with remaining meat sauce- Cover and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes- sprinkle moz cheese on top and bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes longer. My family loves this- and very easy!!
Lori
Have a Country Day |
peachy |
Posted - Jan 13 2009 : 6:29:05 PM I love reading everyone's menu too! It's hard not to change my own menu and run out to the store - hee, hee! That's when I have to remember the grocery challenge and pantry challenge! Whew...really going to be a challenging year isn't it! lOl
Melissa Farmgirl Sister #360
Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain! |
Alee |
Posted - Jan 13 2009 : 03:56:50 AM I love reading everyone's menu! So many great ideas for later!
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
StarMeadow |
Posted - Jan 13 2009 : 03:03:01 AM I'm starting one week at a time. Seems like I'm really heavy on the beef this week...but I'll start next week w/chicken-n-dumplings w/the left-over chicken from Sunday. I'm trying to do a better job of NOT having left-overs, unless it's planned....(like a Su roast and then pulled bbq later) W and Th I have a conf so I'll be home closer to dinner time and I'll need something easy. Sat goulash may turn into crock pot soup...it's getting REALLY cold here this week with the clipper blowing in from out west. I did go over my grocery budget this week though. I made some impulse buys and bought doubles of a few things. Next week, I'm going to try to cook totally out of the pantry with just a few fresh things.
M-lasagna/garlic toast/salad T-enchiladas/beans/rice/chips & salsa W-crock pot beef stew/bread Th-hot dogs/mac-n-cheese/fruit F-hamburgers/potatoes/beans Sa-goulash S-baked chicken/potatoes/corn |
Celticheart |
Posted - Jan 11 2009 : 8:01:33 PM I'm only going to do a week at a time too. That's what I'm used to anyway. Starting today: Pot Roast with veggies & mashed potatoes Hot Beef Sandwiches, green salad Baked Potato Soup, biscuits, fruit Breakfast for dinner, probably veggie quiche Spaghetti with meatballs Veg Beef Soup
"Nature always has the last laugh." Mrs. Greenthumbs
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mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 11 2009 : 5:22:50 PM Here's mine for the week 1. Shrimp stir-fry over rice 2. Tacos 3. Soup I had frozen after Thanksgiving and hot rolls 4. Pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad 5. Chicken strips and oven fries 6. Salmon and baked potatoes 7. Breakfast for dinner
Farmgirl Sister #98 Check out my new online store http://www.shopthefrontier.com/VFstore/index.php?manufacturers_id=79&osCsid=6be4b25bf9555031c6e2e86bbde23dba |
peachy |
Posted - Jan 11 2009 : 3:59:19 PM I'm a bit behind! Here we go for the next couple weeks! I left off on the 9th so I'm starting with the 10th (even though we already had it!) 10 chicken rice soup 11 steaks (cooking on the woodstove right now!) 12 meatloaf 13 stroganoff 14 manicotti (I never got to make it last week!) 15 pork roast 16 hamburg/veggie casserole 17 chicken & dumplings 18 garlic parsley noodles with something fun added 19 bbq 20 broccoli/rice casserole 21 steaks 22 porcupine meatballs
I'm trying to only use what I can out of the freezer and pantry this month and keep shopping to a minimum...things are alittle tight around here right now! Happy cooking! Melissa Farmgirl Sister #360
Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain! |
Alee |
Posted - Jan 10 2009 : 7:46:19 PM That is awesome Cristine! It helps so much when the guys are on board!!
Alee Farmgirl Sister #8 www.awarmheart.com Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |