| 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
|
| 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 |
