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Menu Plan 3/5

I really stocked up on Frozen foods and other stuff a week ago at Target, so I am trying to get by the rest of March with only buying Produce, Milk, other Dairy, and necessities for the menu.  I will have to make a run to the store later today, but plan on not spending more than $50 on groceries this week.  I am also making a big effort to reduce the amount of food waste we are making as a family.  

Here our Menu for this week.

Today

B: Oatmeal and grapes

L:  Sliders, french fries and applesauce

D:  Spaghetti and garlic bread

Sunday

B:  French toast and sausage

L:  Crackers, cheese, salami and grapes

D:  Cora and Mommy Date, Daddy and Elin Date

Monday

B:  Scrambled eggs and hashbrowns

L:  Tuna sandwich, banana slices

D:  Muffin Tin Monday

Tuesday

B: Oatmeal and fruit

L:  Frozen Pizza and Peas

D:  Apricot Drumsticks, Mashed Potatoes and Corn

Wednesday

B:  Cereal and fruit

L:  Fish Sticks, Sliced Peaches

D:  Chicken Stir Fry, Brown Rice

Thursday

B:  Yogurt and Kashi Cereal Bar

L:  Grilled Cheese and Chicken Noodle Soup

D:  Pan Fried Walleye, Green Beans, Rice Pilaf

Friday

B:  Jelly Toast and Applesauce

L:  Cheese and Corn Quesadilla, fresh fruit

D:  Leftovers or takeout (depending on how much leftovers there are)

 

 

Menu Plan Sunday

Here is our weekly Menu plan for the upcoming week.

Sunday

B: Grapes and Banana Chip Muffins

L: Fish sticks, hashbrowns, applesauce

D:  Hawaiian chicken, broccoli, rice pilaf

Monday

B:  Jelly Toast and Yogurt

L:  Ham and cheese pita, blueberries

D:  Muffin Tin Monday

Tuesday

B:  Frozen Waffles, sausages

L:  Chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese sandwich

D:  Garlic Chicken, Seasoned Couscous, peapods

Wednesday

B:  Cereal and Cuties

L:  Tuna Sandwich, fruit cup, broccoli with ranch

D:  Quesadillas, refried beans, salad

Thursday

B:  Oatmeal, blueberries

L:  Turkey Burgers, Tater Tots, applesauce

D:  Pork Loin, Sweet potato fries, salad

Friday:

B:  Frozen Waffle, yogurt

L:  Macaroni and Cheese, Fruit cup

D:  Baked Halibut, Rice Pilaf, Corn

 

MTM-Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  We celebrated all together this evening with Muffin Tin Monday, and Valentine themed dinner.  This was E's first MTM with an actual muffin tin, and she actually did quite well with it.  

So both the girls had:

1.  Grape tomato

2. Pineapple hearts

3.  Watermelon hearts

4.  BBQ sauce with ketchup 

5.  BBQ Chicken heart pocket

6.  Berry applesauce with sprinkles, served with a straw.

They both went straight for the applesauce.  That is definitely a favorite!  Most of the fruit was eaten, E was dipping her pineapple in her BBQ sauce.  Neither girl was into the chicken pastry.  Oh well.  I wasn't that into it either.  Check out more fun muffin tins here.

Here are the girls in the valentine shirts that C and I made last week.  I was glad Daddy remembered to put the shirts on them this morning!

Andy and I agreed to do only homemade gifts for each other this year.  I came home to a card that had the following poem written in it:

'Roses are Red

Violets are blue

We love you more

Than dessert.'

This means a LOT in our house!  

Andy's gift was a really great cherry cake from TidyMom.  Recipe is found here.

I made the buttercream frosting with soy milk, so E could enjoy it as well. 

Andy's comment about the cake was, "You can definitely make this again!"

 

Menu Plan

I have been doing menu planning each week for a couple months.  I have found that it REALLY helps me keep under my grocery budget of $100/week.  Usually after coupons, I am coming in around $80/week.  The other big benefit is that I don't have to spend the last half hour of my work day being distracted by frantic thoughts of what I should make for dinner that night.  

Here is my Menu Plan for the upcoming week.  

Saturday

B: Bagel Thins and fruit

L:  Lunch at Andy's parents' house.

D:  Order Pizza

Sunday

B:  Waffles and sausage

L:  Grilled ham and cheese, veggie

D:  Chicken stir fry with brown rice

Monday

B:  Pancakes from freezer, bananas

L:  Fish sticks, hash brown, fruit

D: Muffin Tin Monday-Valentine Theme

Tuesday

B:  Cheesy eggs and toast

L:  Chicken nuggets and french fries

D:  Venison chops, baked potato, salad

Wednesday

B:  Oatmeal, fruit

L:  Frozen Pizza, veggie

D:  Ravioli, salad, garlic bread

Thursday

B:  Jelly toast

L:  Cheese quesadilla, fruit

D:  Chicken primavera over fettucini, croissants

Friday

B:  Poptarts

L:  Breadsticks and sauce, veggie

D:  Takeout or "kitchen roundup"

I typically do my menu plan and grocery shopping on Friday nights, and then fill in during the week if we need extra produce or milk.  

This week I did not do a weekly trip, because I am trying to get through some of our cupboard and freezer items.  

My hubs got laid off this week, today was his last day for a couple months.  I know that he appreciates the time and effort I put into planning the weekly menus, since now he will be home with the girls, and also when he does work his normal midnight shift, he is in charge of a lot of the cooking.  He doesn't mind the cooking part, but he definitely doesn't enjoy trying to find things to make for meals.  

MTM-Go Pack Go

GO PACK GO! Was heard around our house all weekend.  Daddy taught C this little cheer so we could all get pumped up to cheer on the home team for the Super Bowl on Sunday.  We all know the outcome, and here in our little home in Wisconsin, we are still celebrating.  

Our Green Bay Packer (Green and Gold) Muffin Tins:

E's Plate: 

1. Starfruit

2. Pineapple

3. Guacamole

4. Muenster Cheese

5. Green Beans
  

C's Plate:

1. Steak Sandwich

2. Star fruit

3. Pineapple

4. Cucumber 

5. Green Beans

6. Guacamole and Fritos

E LOVED the guacamole.  She ate all of hers, plus a whole bunch more.  She also ate all of her fruit.  She wasn't into the beans, but ate all her cheese and a little steak from my sandwich.

C ate some of everything.  She is getting better with sandwiches, and at a few bites of hers.  She at a little of the guacamole, but not a lot.  Everything else she ate almost all of.  She also asked for some muenster cheese just like little sis.  

I am going to try to remember to take the after pictures, but Andy is so quick about cleaning up the dishes after we eat, I keep forgetting!  I know, it is a good problem to have, right?!

Go here to see lots of great Muffin Tin Meals from this week!

 

MTM-No Theme

Monday at our house means Muffin Tin Monday.  I am a little behind again this week.  We are all recovering from a wonderful and busy weekend, celebrating E's 1st Birthday.  

So since E's birthday party fell on Andy's birthday, we did a little birthday dinner to suit Daddy. Monday was also E's actual birthday.

We made Pioneer Woman's Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich.  These were SO good.  Ree's website is one of my favorites and every recipe of hers that I have tried have been awesome.  

1.  Blueberries

2. Steak/Onion from the sandwiches

3.  Buttered rolls

4.  Salad with french dressing

5.  Provolone cheese

6.  More salad

C was eating her dinner really well, until she totally biffed it off her chair and bonked her head on the way down, and landed with her entire muffin tin on top of her!  

Because of all the commotion, I didn't get the after picture of the muffin tin.

E had a little birthday treat after dinner--a powdered mini donut.  She couldn't have another cupcake because I only made one with non-milk frosting.  

Poor little thing looks SO tired!

 

 

MTM-Taco Night

The official theme for Muffin Tin Monday was Food Picks, Skewers and Kebabs.  We decided not to follow the theme this week.  This was the first weeknight in a LONG time that we have had Daddy home for dinner, so we decided to make one of his favorite meals instead.  The hubs got switched to day shift, so life is changing a bit for us (for the time being--this is likely very temporary).  

First of all, I had the luxury of Andy being home, so I was able to have C participate in the preparation of the meal.  She loves to help me cook.  I had her tear up the lettuce, put the shredded cheese in a bowl, and put the tortillas on a plate.  She did an excellent job.  E got some Daddy time all to herself in the meantime. 

So she had her tortillas and then:

1.  Sour Cream

2.  Ketchup (this comes from the Hubs family.  They all put ketchup on their tacos....??)

3.  Tomatoes

4.  Taco meat

5.  Shredded cheese

6.  Torn lettuce

I told C that she could put together her own taco, so she got to work.  Daddy helped her fold it up and she went to town.  This is the first time she has really actually enjoyed a taco.  I was really proud of her, for being such a big girl and making her own taco.  She was VERY proud of herself too.  

Miss E in the top picture (all eyes for Daddy) is enjoying some cheese, green beans, tortilla, tomato and taco meat.  She never ceases to amaze me with how UN-picky she is!  I hope she stays this way...

Click the button below to see lots of fun Muffin Tin Meals featuring kebabs, skewers and fun picks.

MTM-Holiday

This is our last of a great month of Holiday themed muffin tin meals.  

I had very little ambition today for this meal.  I guess I was kind of running low on ideas (and energy). We had been up to my parents house for our Christmas gathering, and E really didn't sleep much, so I think I got about 2 hours of sleep on Saturday.  This is on the heels of E having the flu all last week, so she also didn't sleep much last week.  And then last night, she was up in the middle of the night, crying for over an hour(except when I went in and rocked her).  She has been starting this thing of crying every time I put her down in her bed.  I hope this is a short phase. 

So anyway, I am exhausted today.  We are also in the middle of yet another snowstorm.  That itself isn't so bad, but thanks to some old guy pulling out in front of me on my way home, I was rear-ended.  Luckily, there was no damage to either car, although my neck/back are a bit sore.  

Thus, our muffin tin for today is not all that exciting.  I had an idea to do a theme of C's favorite Christmas carol, Baby it's Cold Outside.  But with all that has been going on, I kind of just threw a few things together.  

C loves watching this clip of Glee with the song:

 

She watches it over and over and then sings it while dancing around the house.  It is pretty cute.

1.  But maybe just half a drink more (half glass of chocolate milk)

2. Your eyes are like starlight now (cheese star)

3.  Christmas trees-pretzels and spritz (winging it/bad day....)

4. Never such a blizzard before (blueberries dipped in sugar)

5. Waves upon the tropical shore (beachy rice pudding with graham cracker crumbled on top)

6. Listen to the fireplace roar (green bean logs for the fire)

She wasn't too into the rice pudding.  She did take a few bites though.  When I was cleaning up, I noticed that I accidently bought sugar free pudding.  Which may have been why she didn't like it, and I am actually glad she didn't eat it because we try not to give artificial sweeteners.  

 Check out more fun Holiday themed Muffin tins over here:

MTM

It is Muffin Tin Monday!  Click on the link above to see more fun muffin tins.  This week the theme was Halloween. I have been so excited and looking forward to everyone else's fun ideas for their muffin tins for this week.  I can't wait to look through them all!

Here is ours: (note the little finger that couldn't wait for Mommy to take the picture!)

1. Creepy Crawlies (string cheese and chinese noodles)

2. Mummy Dogs (hotdogs wrapped with breadstick)

3. Eyeballs (grapes with frosting-kind of ran a bit but I liked the effect) 

4. Mr. Spider (Hostess cake with frosting legs)

5. Ghostie (mashed potatoes with peas for eyes and mouth)

6. Witches Brooms (Pretzel sticks wrapped with fruit by the foot)

I added the dollar store stretchy spiders for effect and they were a hit.  I think C brought one to be with her tonight-She was running around singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" with it all evening.

And since I ran out of room on the muffin tray, I had to add in a little ketchup/mustard spider web to dip the mummy dogs in:

C did pretty well with this meal and ate some of everything, even the mashed potatoes, which she is not a fan of at all.  (Mashed potatoes and peanut butter are probably her top two dislikes---can you believe that??)

Here is the carnage after she was done:

This was lots of fun, and I think this one was my best one yet!!  We are looking forward to Sunday and showing off our costumes!