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Farm Kitchen:  Meal Planning Challenge 2008  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 18 2008 : 11:40:12 AM
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In conjunction with the Grocery Challenge 2008, I am issuing a sister challenge!
This challenge is to plan your meals for the month.
I find that by planning the evening meal, you are able to save a lot of money at the grocery store and at fast food. If you already know what you are going to eat, you can prep ahead of time thus cutting down on the desire to impulse buy at the store or stop at Micky D's on the way home. If you decide to dine out during the month- simply put "dining out"
Then at the end of the month, return to your original post, edit it to tell us how you did and if you saved any money by being organized and well prepared. Also use this meal plan to help streamline your shopping trips!
To join this challenge- plan your meals and then post here. Copy and paste my template for the month into your reply for a little extra help:
Month:
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Alee
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
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Edited by - Alee on Mar 18 2008 11:40:49 AM |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 01 2008 : 1:06:21 PM
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Dinner Meals
Month- April
1-Chicken Breast with chicken stock made rice, frozen veggies
2-Stir Fry to use left over chicken, rice and veggies.
3-Left over Chili if any left/ If not Spaghetti.
4- Left over Spaghetti with salad and fruit
5- Hamburgers
6- Crock Pot Pot Roast with roasted root veggies (yummy!)
7- Taco Night
8- Cabbage Burgers
9- Baked Fish and Chips (Tillapia Fish battered and baked with potato wedges)
10- Hearty Beef Stew (Made with beef broth, lots of veggies and a bit of stew meat)
11- Meatloaf
12- Chicken Alfredo
13- Salmon and Rice with veggies
14- Pulled Pork
15- Homemade chicken fingers
16- Homemade Pizza
17- Chicken and Dumplings
18- Cuban Rice and Peppers
19- Ranch Chicken and Pasta
20- Cottage Pie
21- Either roasted chicken or small turkey
22- Open Faced turkey or chicken sandwiches
23- Pork Chops with apple sauce and peas
24- Supreme Baked Potatoes
25- Mushroom Burgers
26- Hawaiian Haystacks
27- Pot Roast with Roasted Veggies
28- Sub sandwiches
29- Chicken Enchiladas
30- Calzones
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Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Apr 01 2008 : 1:48:56 PM
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What is Hawaiian Haystacks and Ranch Chicken and Pasta
Jeez, I'm hungry now
Trish
Farmgirl Sister #91
Make cupcakes not war!
FREE TIBET! |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 01 2008 : 2:19:12 PM
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Build your own "Hawaiian Haystack." As a base everyone gets a plate of rice with chicken gravy (the same "gravy" you use when making Chicken and Rice).
1 cup cooked rice per person
1/2 cup per person cooked chicken meat
1/2-1 cup per person chicken gravey, or cream of chicken soup diluted with canned milk
Then each person can top their haystack with any number of different toppings. Here are some of our families favorite toppings:
thinly diced cellery
pineapple tidbits (drained)
shredded coconut
Chinese chow mein noodles
shredded mild cheddar cheese
thinly sliced green onions
slivered almonds
Chicken Ranch Pasta
Ranch Chicken & Pasta* -
One pound of cooked chicken combined with Ranch dressing mix, flour, and crumbled bacon makes a creamy sauce for penne pasta and topped with Parmesan cheese. Ranch lovers will enjoy this tasty dish. You can find a more specific recipe by googling "Chicken Ranch Pasta"
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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kissmekate
True Blue Farmgirl
890 Posts
Kate
Delano
Minnesota
890 Posts |
Posted - Apr 01 2008 : 2:52:56 PM
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I will see on this. I am not so good at planning meals.
Don't miss out on a blessing, just because it isn't packaged the way you expected. ~MaryJo Copeland |
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sweetproserpina
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
meg
Vinemount
Ontario
Canada
535 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2008 : 5:30:49 PM
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Month: April - Cheap and Cheerful!
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2-
3 Sausage, Spinach, and Bean soup
4 Leftover soup and buns
5 Turkey Bakeover (still using up that easter bird!)
6 Toasted cheese with sweet potato french fries
7 Stir Fry
8 Pasta
9 Potato and Leek Soup *changed to deluxe ham and salami sandwiches b/c leeks at store expensive, we stopped at our European deli instead
10 Turkey Curry on rice *had pizza at mum's house instead
11 Homemade Pizza
12 Scrambled Eggs w/ bacon and fruit salad, toast
13 Perogies and salad
14 Stir fry
15 Pasta
16 Norwegian Pancakes w/bacon and fruit salad
17 Quiche (spinach/bacon) with salad and veg
18 Homemade Pizza
19 Homemade chicken fingers, fries, and veggies and dip
20 Pork Chops, rice and veg
21 Stir Fry
22 Pasta
23 Vegetable omelette w/ homefries, and fruit
24 Bakeover
25 Homemade Pizza
26 Chicken burgers with baby potatoes and veg
27 chicken fajitas
28 Stir fry
29 Pasta
30 French Toast w/bacon and fruit salad
Friday night is always Pizza night - and I'm getting laying hens next week, so yay! for eggs on the menu. :)
Edited to show monthly progress!
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world."
http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - sweetproserpina on Apr 10 2008 6:41:14 PM |
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corporatefarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
389 Posts
Tamara
Pikeville
TN
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2008 : 11:25:58 AM
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Great idea. I like seeing what everybody else is fixin/
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2
3
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5
6
7 Homemade Pizza
8 Baked Pintoe Beans with chicken chunks served with rice, salsa sourcream
9 Homemade Oriental Noodles with veggies
10 Gyros
11 Homemade mac n cheese with salad
12 Bar-b-que chicken
13 Roasted veggie salad with olive oil and lemon juice dressing
14 Spaghetti
15 Quiche
16 Dirty Rice
17 Pasta with fresh spinach, tomatoes, and seasoning
18 Pork taco
19 Curried Veggies
20 Veggie Subs
21 Mushroom and Onion Crepes
22 Black bean salad and rice
23 Fish Taco
24 Veggie and Tofu stir fry
25 Fritta
26 Homemade "Ground Turkey Helper"
27 Italian Crockpot Chicken
28 Avocado Melt Sandwiches
29 Spaghetti Salad
30 Mushroom Stroganoff
31
small farms give big benefits |
Edited by - corporatefarmgirl on Apr 07 2008 12:18:12 PM |
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Georgia
True Blue Farmgirl
92 Posts
Angie
ballwin
mo
USA
92 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2008 : 08:33:46 AM
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I admire you girls! I wish I could be so organized. I usually fly buy the seat of my pants anymore! All the kids are grown and its hard cooking for two when you are used to six. I love when everyone comes over for dinner and I can cook for a crowd.
dreamer |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2008 : 12:59:53 PM
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Wow- I have skipped so many dinners so far this month. We haven't eaten out, but some nights I have just had cheese and crackers and gone to bed because I have been tired. Doug cooks whatever when he comes come (and I then clean up the mess!)
I have made
Chicken and Rice
Tacos
Spaghetti
and Pot Roast
I made meatloaf today- I see it is a day earlier than I planned, but the meat was thawed and needed cooked.
One thing I have realized- by having a meal plan- even if I don't stick exactly to it- it gives me a lot of ideas and since I tailor my shopping list to that meal plan- I usually pick from the meals I would have had anyway.
I also have noticed that since I took the time to clean out and organize our kitchen shelves, it is easier and quicker to find what I need. And If I can find _good_ food easier than bad food- then we tend to eat better as well.
How is everyone else doing?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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sweetproserpina
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
meg
Vinemount
Ontario
Canada
535 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2008 : 6:51:35 PM
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So far so good. I edited my plan a little depending on prices and availability. We've stuck pretty close to it. It's been a couple months since I've done a meal plan and it's actually really nice to not have to think about what to make for dinner. It already says so on the calendar! Easy peasy.
I also find that since I made a stir fry night and a pasta night each week it gives me a little wiggle room to experiment and use what's on hand. Last week, I used up some smoked sausage in the stir fry instead of chicken since I had some left over in the freezer, it was delish!
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world."
http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2008 : 9:59:07 PM
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Isn't it great to feel like you are using up the food instead of letting it go to waste?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2008 : 07:34:57 AM
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Wow- I so over planned my meals! I have only made a fraction of those meals! I guess I need to learn to make smaller amounts so we have less left overs! How is everyone else doing?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
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Farm Kitchen: Meal Planning Challenge 2008 |
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Meal Planning Challenge 2008
