Frugal Menu Plan...

Haven't done a menu plan for a while, but I'm really stretching the dollars atm so I did one up yesterday, trying to focus on what I already had in the freezer/pantry, without it getting too boring....
So here we go:
Thurs: Chops & veg (let kids pick the veg so was carrot, asparagus, beans & mashed spuds)
Fri: Hotdogs (have heaps of hotdogs in the freezer, bought the buns at Aldi 3 for 90cents)
Sat: Spag bol (all ingredients here)
Sun: Kids at the AH's for dinner, I'll do toasted foccacia or Lean Cuisine type job.
Mon: Roast Chook & veg & gravy (bought all ingredients, but a kids fave, plus with only 3 of us the meat stretches)
Tue: "Easy" nuggets, chips & salad, or premade frozen homemade pizzas etc
Wed: Kids at their dads....see above.
Thurs: Chicken pasta bake. (Chicken from roast, all other ingredients on hand)
Fri: Kids at their dads, see above
Sat: Chicken soup & toasties (Made from roast carcass, other ingredients on hand, this is new, we don't normally "do" soup)
Sun: Quiche (ingredients on hand....kids new to quiche but didn't mind it last time, and it's good for my lunches the next 2 days)
Mon: Steak & veg (Steak on hand, veg bought)
Tue: "Easy" see above
Wed: Kids at AH's (see above)

I still spent $150 on groceries.....which is good, but feel I can still do better. DD was home sick, which didn't help, but I was good and her requests only added another $10 or so.

My fridge/freezer/pantry are well stocked, so hopefully next f/night I can bring it down even more..... I just struggle with a bit of seperated parent guilt/competition & getting food into them that they like & is generally healthy too as the AH stocks them up on junk.

K

Menu Plan

As usual 2 easy + 2 takeaway.

1. Spag Bol with dinner rolls
2. Creamy tuna + basil Penne (new)
3. Homemade Pizzas
4. BBQ + salad (I generally choose meat that is on special)
5. Chicken Burritos
6. Roast Chook & veg
7. BBQ + salad
8. Spag Bol with garlic bread (I usually cook a double batch and freeze half)
9. Chicken + Basil Fried Rice (new)
10. Chicken Salsa + mashed spuds + veg

I have 2 new ones this week, trying to find inspiration through cookbooks. Also I really want to incorporate some fish into our meals, my kids have declared they hate tuna, even though I'm pretty sure they haven't tried it, but they love pasta, so I'll try and sneak it in that way :-) When I buy a chook to roast, I get a HUGE one, so the fried rice is a way to use the leftover meat, in a different way than the usual pasta bake I do.

We'll see how we go :-)

A also caved into my week long craving for sour cream yesterday.....lunch is cooking now and I can't wait to smother it in sour cream, mmmmmmmmmmm

Will start my diet tomorrow........bwahaha!

Kxx

Menu Plan

I've been flat out the last fortnight, so haven't had the energy or time to post.....

But here's this fortnights menu plan.
As usual easy x 2
And we'll do take away twice, as DS dance class is now later on Thursday, so we get home too late to cook.

1. Chicken Burritos
2. BBQ Honey Soy Chicken wings with salad + veg
3. Spag Bol
4. Green Chicken Curry (change of plans meant it was missed last f/n)
5. Roast chook (in slow cooker) & veg
6. Marinated Chops & salad (probably BBQ)
7. Homemade Pizzas
8. Steak Dianne, mash & veg
9. Chicken Tomato pasta and dinner rolls
10. Chilli Con Carne

Really struggling with the meal plans ATM, If I feel the same next fortnight, I think I might wing it for a week or so, and try and be inspired in store......and hope it's not too disastrous on the budget, taste buds and waist line :-)

Will try and update on DS birthday and party soon....have to run to the shrink now though..

Kxx

MENU PLAN

Well Tuesday is menu planning day around these parts.....I'm in a rut at the moment though, getting rather sick of the same old thing. I find this happens around change of season, when I need to switch between summer & winter meals, but I managed. We'll have to start cranking up the BBQ again now the weather is warming up :-)
Our income is fortnightly, so I plan for 2 weeks at a time, and I always including 2 "easy" meals (think nuggets, chips, noodles, baked beans etc). Usually I account for Take Away once, but we have a lot on this fortnight, so I'm upping that to twice.

1. DS choice (his b'day...haven't asked him yet)
2. Soft & hard mince taco's
3. Chops + italian potatoes + veg
4. Beef Stroganoff with Penne
5. Green Chicken Curry with rice (kids have the stirfry minus the sauce)
6. Chicken Salsa with mash + veg
7. Hotdogs
8. Honey Soy Chicken wings with salad
9. Chicken Pesto Pasta with garlic bread
10. Veal Tortellini with PN sauce and dinner rolls

We don't do cooked deserts....kids sometimes have icecream, icy pole or fruit......and sometimes I sneak in some chocky after kids are tucked away :-)

K xx