New Weekly Feature

Every Thursday I will be bringing to you cost cutting tips you can implement within your household budget. Since becoming a SAHW I have had to cut down on our spending. One of those ways I have done that is to shop the sales ad. So my first cost cutting tip I would like to share with you is my recent grocery shopping trip.

I have the time now so I grocery shop at 2 different stores and I shop the sales. One of the stores has awesome B1G1 on meats all the time! So I plan my meals around the sale ads. Well last week there was a fabulous sale and I was able to really stock up. Check out my list below.

Ground Beef was $2.49lb...I bought two 5 lb packages which = 8 meals
*B1G1 Pork Chops=2 meals
B1G1 Chicken Legs, Thighs, and Quarters=4 meals
B1G1 Bags of frozen Shrimp=4 meals
Marked Down Cube Steak=1 meal
B1G1 Hot Dogs=2 meals
Roast Beef 1lb package=2 meals

So last week with that and other groceries I spent 167.00 and had enough meats for 23 meals...now those meals for the 2 of us typically also covers my hubby's lunch for the next day. I also had 3 other meals leftover in the freezer.

I was very excited to add up the total cost of all the meats I bought at the grocery store to discover that the meat cost for each meal was only $2.77...WOW!! Something that is very exciting to me since I really have to cut costs in the area of groceries!

*I always try my best to get both packages of B1G1 the same price so I get more for my money that way.

Tune in next week for another Thursday's Thrifty Tips!

Monday Menu 8/28-9/2

Whew! Back to normal around here....so happy to be posting my weekly menu and be back in my daily routines.

Here is what is up for this week's menus.
Reminder: *=a menu item that I will come back next week and link up to the recipe and critique
New Feature ^=a menu item that I will feature in my new weekly post on Cost Saving Ideas




Monday

BBQ Chicken Legs
Potato Salad
Green Beans
Biscuits

Tuesday

*Spaghetti/Meatballs this was the first time I have ever made meatballs from scratch and they were pretty yummy!
*French/Garlic Bread  did not end up making cause I forgot to buy yeast at the grocery store

Wednesday
*Chicken Broccoli Bake this was just ok
Biscuits

Thursday

*French Dip delicious!!
*au jus for French Dip Sandwiches
^Use rest of French Bread for the sandwiches
*Molten Chocolate Lava Cake w/Raspberry Sauce: a recipe I already have also did not have cause I was going to go back out and get chocolate but did not go anywhere last week :)

Friday
*Smothered Pork Chops these were good but not a fast meal to make
Garlic Mashed Potatoes I just added a couple cloves of garlic into the potatoes while they were cooking
*Glazed Carrots

Saturday
*Macaroni Beef w/Cheese this would have been better to have mixed in some cheese within the casserole rather than just on top
Salad
Garlic Toast

Sunday
*Chicken Pastry
Cornbread
Yellow Cupcakes w/Chocolate Frosting

Hubby wanted just plain Burgers and Home Fries so that is what we had!

Menus for the past couple of nights!

Here are the past couple night's menus...I will be glad to get back on track tomorrow with the Monday Menu posts...I will also be glad to get back on track with my cleaning schedule. I did so good the month of June and then life got really busy with the grandkids and summer and well I kind of fell off the wagon (the cleaning one that is). So, my schedule will pick up pace and get back to normal tomorrow...I will post my daily/weekly schedule another day this week. So here are the menus for Saturday and Sunday.



Saturday

Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps note: when I make these again I will leave out the lettuce, cause warm lettuce just turns me off. Also when I told my hubby what was for dinner he was not exactly thrilled but ended up loving them.
Home made french fries: I cut up a potato into small strips and deep fried in my fryer (a cost cutting dish) *upcoming post later this week about this


Sunday

Chili Slaw Dogs: there is nothing better to this Southern girl than a hot dog with chili and homemade slaw on top!! YUMMY!
Chips
Baked Beans: (another cost cutting dish)
Peach Praline Cobbler: this was delicious

And for my hubby's breakfast break snack he takes to work all week I made this today

Banana Bread

And to all of you I hope you make something yummy for your loved ones this week!

Monday Menu posts will resume tomorrow!!

Tonight's Dinner

Well tonight's dinner was really quick and easy! I had frozen the leftover chicken pot pie filling from the beginning of the month so I popped that bag in the sink to defrost, plopped on a pie crust (I cheated this time and used store bought) and threw it in the oven!! How easy is that? I made a BLT salad with a quick little homemade dressing, recipe below, and dinner was on the table in about 30 minutes. Kitchen is clean, hubby's lunch is made and in the fridge!





BLT Salad Dressing

1/4 cup mayo
1Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1t water
drizzle in a bit of olive oil while you wisk it together.

Menu for Tonight

Okay here is my next one meal at a time post this week. Sorry for the wackiness this week I will get back to normal and on track next week!!

So for tonight's fare we will be having

Shepherd's Pie: my own recipe...will post later after I make it.
Biscuits
Pecan Pie Bars

Cook something yummy for your loved ones tonight!!

Short Version of Menu Monday

Since I am still recovering from knee surgery Menu Monday this week is going to be rather day by day as I get back into the swing of things. I got good news from the therapist today as he said I can do what my body feels up to...just don't overdo...listen to your body!...and to not be afraid I was going to do something to injure myself. Whew! I am so extremely tired of sitting around doing nothing I could scream!! Anyhow tonight's dinner is:

Italian Crockpot Chicken
Lemon Pound Cake instead of the vanilla pudding mix I am putting in the lemon.


Well the best laid plans do not always work...when I turned on the crockpot this morning I turned it on to warm instead of high cause I did not turn it on until around 11:45 which would have definitely been long enough to cook this meal on high to eat around 5. So, we ate rotisserie chicken sandwiches and rice and beans...leftovers. We did have the pound cake though and it was delish!! So, tonight's dinner will be the Italian Crockpot Chicken! 

Hope you enjoy and I have inspired you to cook something wonderful for your family!!

My Story and Lessons Learned

I was inspired this week to share a little bit more about myself and the story I have to tell. I have been home this week recovering from knee surgery.  When you are home with nothing much to do you think, and I am pretty good at thinking about things. Well earlier this week I came across a post on a blog I follow My Pink Stamper that totally motivated me to want to share my story.

Well, I have always felt in my life like I was not content and always wanted the next big thing to come along..if only we lived in the country...we did...if only I could go to college...I did when my youngest was in first grade...if only we could have a house...we did and lost our place in the country where we lived in an ideal location but a doublewide mobile home...I got what I wanted...not by choice but got it anyways...if only I had a teaching job...I got one again not ideal cause I traveled over an hour and a half one way to get there...if only I could go to Seminary...moved the whole family for a time in NC to spend 2 years getting a Master's Degree in Christian education...if only I could move back to FL cause my first grandchild was about to be born...if only we could live in the same town cause we don't get to see him often enough...if only I could find another teaching job closer to home...if only I could open a Scrapbook business...it was a long 4 and a 1/2 years but a great ride...if only I could be a SAHW! AHHH, I have finally arrived!!!

Okay you might think, wow this woman wants, wants, wants...no, wait a minute. Those ifs are the events of my adult life, well some of them. And they all represent a time in our lives. Don't take me the wrong way each of those ifs were well bathed with prayer and thought about long and hard before the plan was set in motion to tackle each one of those events.So although I do feel they are a bi-product of me being a discontent kind of person, they were designed for me I do believe.

Well fast forward through all those paths in my life to the one I am currently ensconced within. After a very disconcerting year teaching kindergarten I felt as if I needed to take the big step of being home for my family. Now some might think, "Wow, you have an empty nest. There is no one at home but your husband." Well my answer to that would be I so want to take care of the man that indulged all of my discontentness throughout the years AND I have 7 grandchildren that are growing by leaps and bounds...time is in triple beat with them. So, my dream and desire to be home to watch them grow, be totally immersed in their lives, and take care of my sweet hubby's needs has come to fruition. AND I could not be more content! I have never been more happy and content in my entire life!!!

So, I want to leave you, my readers, with this thought. Live in the moment and love each one...don't be always looking for the next thing or milestone to come along. Don't wish away the present, live in it!!

Our Youngest Grandson turns 2!!

How is it that the past two years have just flown by? Our youngest grandchild turned 2 last week and we were thrilled to be able to not only go to the beach last weekend...something that would not have been possible for this once grandma teacher...but being so blessed to be a SAHW/grandma this year we were able to go and totally enjoy! Pictures of that trip coming later! Anyhow on his actual birthday we went over for dinner and had cake! We totally love being with all of our grandchildren and are so blessed to be part of their lives. Enjoy his birthday through the cute sights of these adorable pictures!

Trevor blowing out the candles on his candy cake.
This kid loves candy, but he gets it honestly from his dad.

Trevor striking a pose!

Isn't he a cutie?

I found out he loves to play in the water.
We got in the sink to get all clean.

He needed some glasses so he could show off!!

Trevor had these little wolf ears.
He was hilarious showing us how a wolf howls!

Last Days of Summer Vacation with my kiddos!

No time for a Menu Monday post cause today and tomorrow are the last days of summer vacation with my grandkids. Will be having an end of summer bash tomorrow with these cute cupcakes...not my picture though...I will post mine tomorrow.  Tonight I will go spend the night with my daughter and her family mainly cause my 3 year old grandson has been asking all summer for grandma to spend the night with him.