Weekly Menu Try-Out!

I love reading others' blogs because it inspires me.  For instance, Katy at Happily Average has made me realize that I really should use up some of the junk in my cabinets.  Celeste and Kara at Itty Bitty Bistro have started to lure me into the world of homemade stuff and meal planning.   I also stumbled across Gayle at The Grocery Cart Challenge who is trying to spend only $60 a week feeding her family of 6.  I think I do pretty well - but I'm averaging $69 a week now.  Maybe I can bring my average down a little if I use up some of the stock I have in the cabinets.  

I am overwhelmed by my boxes of Rice-A-Roni and pounds of chicken breast that I'm going to do a dry run on "meal planning".  One probably starts "meal" planning on a Monday or Sunday - I decided to shake things up a bit and do it on a Wednesday.  Here's what I have come up with:

Wednesday (tonight) - Hungarian Kapusta (I add 1/2 pound crumbled cooked bacon and I cook the cabbage in the bacon grease - it's one of the few things I enjoy making and it's DELICIOUS!) with mashed potatoes and cheesy broccoli.  

I made my Kapusta.  The kids would not eat it so they got dino nuggets.  I decided to make canned peas instead of broccoli.  I boiled the potatoes for the mashed potatoes, but did not follow through.  Those are in the fridge awaiting mashing. 

Thursday - Leftovers

Husband ate leftover kapusta.  I was really sick and didn't eat anything.  Kids ate hot dogs.  I was so sick it wasn't even funny.  Doubt I'll be making Sweet & Sour Chicken tomorrow because I feel disgusting.  Handling raw chicken will probably make me vomit.

Friday - Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice

Yeah.  I didn't feel like cooking.  The husband got paid (he gets paid every Friday) and we splurged for pizza.  So Shameful - but it's good to reward yourself every now and then.

Saturday - Leftovers

Spaghetti with tomato sauce and ground turkey sausage.

Sunday - Pork Tips/Starch/Broccoli

Spaghetti with leftover tomato sauce and ground turkey sausage.  I'm going to spice it up tonight by making crescent rolls too.  As you can see, me and this menu planning stuff isn't going too well!

Monday - Ribs/Starch/Broccoli

I made my sweet and sour chicken.  I made up the recipe with stuff I had in the house.  I threw it all in the crockpot - 3 lbs of chicken (this is easily 3+ meals worth), 1 can of crushed pineapple drained, 1 jar of Sweet & Sour sauce, about 3/4 cups chopped onions, some frozen brocolli and corn, I threw in some crushed red pepper.  Then I made rice and it was delicious.  

Tuesday - Tuna Helper

Leftover Sweet and Sour Chicken

I may come back to this post to modify it.  I really don't like setting goals for myself because it's hard to stick to goals.  I'm not a dedicated person!  ;)  I'm doing well reporting my grocery spending because it interests me.  Cooking does not interest me.