Anyway, I get a lot of questions about recipes and what we’re having for dinner. I am going to start a biweekly posting of our meal plan and corresponding recipes (or not). Keep in mind when you see all these tasty meals that are not college kid fare, our grocery budget is $200 biweekly for three or four adults (depending whether my uncle is staying here at the time) and two kids. There are others who do a family of five or six on $200-$250 a MONTH! That is my ultimate goal. You really can have good food on a budget! At this time, I won’t be getting into coupon tutorials, but these are the resources that got me started:

Eastern Shore Mom (a regional blog, so not all of her advice will apply to you. Look for similar blogs in your area)
Combat Clippers (meant for military families, including lots of commissary deals. Still lots of good advice for us civilians!)
Money Saving Mom
Frugal Living and Having Fun
Bargain Buggy

Most, if not all, coupon blogs also have a Facebook page, which I highly recommend. I get so much great info from the ESM, FLHF, and BB pages! Also, there are SO MANY MORE out there, but these are the ones I use. I get overwhelmed if I read too much. You also may want to look into coupon classes, taught at churches, community centers, and people’s homes by expert coupon clippers. We have lots of them in our area and while I’ve never gone to one, I intend to when I’m ready to get more serious.

So back to the whole purpose of this post… My meal plan for the next two weeks. All meals feed 4-6, depending on portions.
 
Sunday
Big Salad (we do this pretty much every other Sunday)

1 pork roast
1 packet taco seasoning
1 onion
~3/4 c. water
~3 tsp. chili powder
flour tortillas
sour cream
shredded cheese
romaine lettuce
salsa

SO simple. Dump 1/2-1 chopped onion (I do 1/2) into slow cooker first. Place pork roast ( i choose the cut that has a layer of fat on top and it just comes right off when cooked, whereas some cuts have fat laced all throughout. sorry, i do NOT know my cuts of meat) in, followed by packet of taco seasoning, chili powder, and water. Cook on low 7-8 hours or until easily shredded. Remove pork to a platter and shred with forks. This does not create very spicy meat. If you want it spicier, you can try adding extra chili powder or you can heat in a skillet with more taco seasoning after shredding.
Simply serve shredded pork on tortillas with sour cream, cheese, salsa, and lettuce.
 
Tuesday
Fend for yourself!
Sometimes, I just don’t want to cook. Most of the time, it’s a planned night off. Other times, I just rearrange the meal plan and relax. This Tuesday, exhausted, I rearranged the schedule, fed the kids frozen foods, and had chips and salsa.
 
Wednesday
Basil Chicken Pasta (adapted from Serious Eats)

1/2 package penne
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 finely chopped onion
3 tsp. minced garlic
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. hot sauce
parmesan cheese

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Place chicken in oil and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Toss the onions and garlic into the oil and saute. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, cooked chicken, basil, salt and hot sauce. Reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft. Toss sauce with penne to coat. Top with Parmesan cheese.
 
Thursday
Black Bean Chili – VEGETARIAN! (adapted from epicurious)

1/4 cup olive oil
3 onions, chopped
3/4 cup brewed coffee
1/8 cup chili powder
1/8 cup ground cumin
1 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons honey
3 tbsp. minced garlic
3 15-ounce cans of beans
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cook on low 8 hours. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. If the consistency is too watery after 6 hours, you may add some tomato paste and a dash more honey and chili powder. Serve topped with cheddar, sour cream, chives, or anything else you choose! I serve mine with cornbread or Fritos.

Friday
Leftovers

I haven’t been cooking on Fridays for the last couple of months, because of my husband’s wonky work schedule. Now that it’s changing, I’ll start Friday cooking again. Or not?
 

Saturday
More leftovers

Yeah, so I made tons of chili.

So. Somewhere along the way, I lost track. I will try to do weekly menus on Sundays, beginning next Sunday. Sorry I got way off track!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.