One Week Sample Menu

May 31, 2009 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Gardening, recipes, saving money

For Kim who requested one of my sample menus:

*we have our largest meal mid-day at 2pm and we eat lighter in the evening at 8pm

** this is how I actually write out my menus for the week. I include page #’s and the name of the cookbook, and if guests are coming, I would add a dessert. Since we frequently have friends over, the leftover desserts usually will last the rest of the week.

*** Next to this menu I keep a grocery list, remembering 1st to ‘shop’ in my pantry.

Monday:

Dinner:

1^st: Cream of Chicken Soup with bread (both homemade)

2^nd Meat-Potato Quiche (p 158 More with Less Cookbook:You can buy this from Amazon.com via this blog. Just click: Bobbie’s store, ‘cookbooks & canning’, page 6)

Salad (picked from my garden)

Supper:

Chicken Teriyaki (seasoning from a packet)

Egg rolls (frozen)

Salad (picked from my garden)

Tuesday

Dinner:

1^st: Left over Cream of Chicken soup

2^nd:Steaks (take out of freezer from the piece I bought at Christmas)

Potatoes & fava beans (beans from garden)

Spinach (frozen)

Supper:

Fried Rice (cut up leftover Chicken Teriyaki & egg + veggies)

Salad

Wednesday:

Dinner:

1^st: Cream of potato & fava bean soup (made from leftover side dish) & Bread

2^nd- Beef Hash (leftover steak from Tuesday) & fried eggs

Toast (from bread made on Tuesday)

Salad (from garden & homemade salad dressing)

Supper:

Leftover Potato Soup & Homemade Toast

Thursday:

Dinner:

1^st Bean Soup with bread

2^nd: Chicken Cheese Casserole (p 124 More with Less Cookbook)

Green Beans

Supper:

Meat-Potato Quiche (leftover from Monday)

Salad (from garden & homemade salad dressing )

Friday:

Dinner:

1^st:Cream of Spinach Soup (made from leftover spinach on Tuesday)

2^nd; Pizza Rice Casserole (p 129 More with Less cookbook) *use canned hamburger

Navajo Fry Bread (p More with Less Cookbook)

Salad (from garden & homemade salad dressing)

Supper:

Creamed Eggs over Homemade Toast

Sausage (canned)

Saturday:

Dinner:

1^st:Cream of Tomato soup (canned tomatoes)

2^nd: Sloppy Joes over Homemade toast

Salad (from garden & homemade salad dressing)

Supper:

Bean Soup (leftover from Thursday)

Navajo Fry Bread (leftover from Friday) page 83 of More with Less cookbook

Sunday:

Dinner:

1^st:Chicken Noodle Soup (made from the chicken I cup up and stewed last Thursday) with Homemade Croutons (end of loaf)

2^nd: Buffalo Wings

French Fries (cooked in Olive oil)

Salad (from garden & homemade salad dressing)

Supper:

Pizza Rice Casserole (left over from Friday)

Salad (from garden & homemade salad dressing)

Read more »

Ok, I just finished my baking for the week!

Aug 22, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    5 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge

Here it is:

6 mini pizzas (using 1 recipe of pizza dough and different cheeses, & veggies)

zucchini pancakes (using that gorgeous zucchini the neighbor gave to us)

8 soft pretzles

12- Roti (flat bread from India)

mini peach turnovers ( peaches fell of the tree in our yard + I had 2 plums left over. The pie crust Dave and Rebekah brought to us when they visited)

2 loaves of white bread- (one has poppy seeds on top)

It’s nice to have the baking done for the week.

This is the 8th week of 10 euro a week groceries;Can you believe it??

Jul 17, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    4 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge

I keep going on this personal challenge and I told John that it seemed as though we were living the parable of the fish and loaves being multiplied! It has been a lot of fun and also fun to read some of your comments. I hear that several of you are doing the same challenge (perhaps with different amounts to spend)! We keep each other inspired and encouraged.

Clean out your pantry/cupboards Every time I do this, I end up saving a bunch of money. First of all, I usually discover several items pushed to the back that I’d completely forgotten about, which inspires meals. Second of all, it’s a good way to inventory the kitchen staples you have on hand. Third, it lets you get rid of stuff that has become outdated. Fourth, it lets you rotate stuff around so that things are easier to find (making home meal preparation easier). A pantry cleaning is an excellent little weekend project that can save you money in multiple ways.

Left over from last weeks money: 10cents

What I spent this week:

starting balance: 10.10€

1.00- 5 boxes of tomato sauce (on sale)

.45- 1 kilo of baking flour

1.29- 1 pk of pre-mix for baking bread

.69- margarine

2.49-swiss cheese

.69-mayonnaise

1.09-1 kilo of pinto beans

1.39-2 kilos of onions

.99- 4 heads of garlic

—————

+2cents

Menus for the week:

Thursday, July 17th- Bean Soup, hot dogs with sauerkraut on buns

Friday, July 18th- Vegetable soup, Noodles and beef, red cabbage, biscuits

Saturday, July 19th-Breakfast for Lunch: Pancakes, fried eggs, grits and tomatoes

Sunday, July 20th- Fish chowder, roasted turkey legs, potatoes, fried zucchini

Monday, July 21st- Leftover soup, turkey salad sandwiches w/ alfalfa spouts

Tuesday, July 22nd-turkey soup, ham and cheese omelet, zucchini patties

Wednesday, July 23rd- cream of zucchini soup, salmon patties, red cabbage, and rice

Blessings I have received:

4 lovely zucchini: what I have made with these zucchini: 1.) zucchini bread 2.) zucchini fritters 3.) a zucchini marinaded salad 4.) Cream of zucchini soup, 5.) hamburger pasta soup with zucchini 6.) zucchini enchiladas

Fresh Parsley

Last weeks baking:

1 loaf of zucchini bread

1 batch of biscuits( angel biscuits- the dough can be in the fridge for 1 week and used as needed)

This weeks baking:

1 large loaf of bread

cinnamon rolls (using angel biscuit dough)

biscuits (using angel biscuit dough)

I stay encouraged! Please leave your comments.

My Week #6 Grocery Challenge

Jul 3, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    2 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge

When I started doing this, I thought that I could spend ten euros a week for about 4 weeks. Well, here we are in week #6 and I really think I can carry this on for another 6 weeks, at least. I dug deeper in my chest freezer and found another package of ground beef and 3 packages of beef filet’s (thin sliced beef… kinda tough but it will be good for the crock pot).

Blessings I received last week:

My tomato plants have so many little cherry tomatoes! I love to see things grow. I will take them with me to the village (they are in pots).

Friends brought us a very nice bottle of wine, which we will save for guests.

* we are thankful for so much!

I had 8.90€ to spend this week.

What I bought:

6.32-2 whole chickens

1.50- 3 baguettes (bread)

1.05- 1 dozen eggs

———–

+.03cents!!

I stayed within my budget! yippeeee!! I bought this food for our neighbors who are coming over tonight. I’m doing 2 barbecued chickens, but I am counting on leftovers.

My Menu for the week:

Thursday- Our neighbors are coming for supper: starters: bread canopies with smoked salmon and grated hard boiled egg, cheese, fried squid rings, olives, 2 whole barbecued chickens, roasted potatoes, salad, chocolate pudding

Friday-corn and potato chowder, chicken and cheese burritos, Mexican rice, salad

Saturday- We are eating at Ana and Angels house- what a fun treat for us.

Sunday-leftovers

Monday-chicken filet’s with ham and gravy, (food I prepared for guests and froze the leftovers)

Tuesday-grilled deli meat and cheese sandwiches on homemade bread (we will eat on the road on the way to the village)

Wednesday-chicken soup, tortellini’s (ricotta cheese+ spinach) with meat sauce, salad

Baking this week: I’ve got 3 loaves of bread in the oven,+ chocolate pudding,+ blackberry pie (I will bake this on Monday and take it done to the village with us)

What I pray: I ask the Lord for wisdom, creativity, and provision each day. What I am enjoying is the process of watching the Lord supply all my needs and how He blesses my efforts. Even today we heard that the EURO has once again gained on the US dollar, which means less money for us+interest rates have just been raised here in Europe. So, what can I do? Ask the Lord for help! And He does! He has also sent me people who give me encouragement in this little project of mine. For all of you who are also on such a journey, keep up the good work!