Menu Plan Monday - June Pantry Challenge 2013 Week 1
John and I decided that we needed to do another pantry challenge - especially if we're going to eat up everything in the freezers before we start having to re-stock! I inventoried the freezers - the small chest freezer we have (it's about the size of a standard electric clothes dryer) and the one on top of our fridge - and heartily agreed! We have a ton of meat - very little fruit and veg, but a few things - that needs to be eaten.
So, for the month of June we're dropping our grocery/toiletry/paper product/etc. budget to $20/wk or $80 for the whole month. We're putting the other $40 from these first two weeks toward our CSA for next year. Starting in May 2014 our budget will have only $20/week for this part of our budget so we need to get into practice now. Right now, the plan is to go to $15/wk in July with the other $5 of the $20 going to our CSA. We'll see how we're doing and adjust then!
So I went to the store on Sunday instead of my usual Saturday with my $20, a few store coupons and a list of a few things that were on sale. I missed the $0.99/lb peaches the week before but there were a few deals to be had! Here's what I bought:
Total spent at 2 stores: $18.46
Total into our bulk meat purchase fund: $1.54
Here's how I spent that $18.46:
Store #1:
Mission Tortillas Burrito Size 8ct B1G1 w/store coupon: 2 @ $2.87
2.59lbs Fuji Apples (5 apples) @ $1.28/lb = $3.32
Bunch Radishes $0.50
2lbs Yellow Onions $1.79
Cantaloupe $2
Total Store #1: $10.48
Store #2:
Cucumber $0.50
2 Fresh Express Spinach @ 2/$3 = $3
1lb Strawberries @ $2.50
18ct Large Eggs $1.98 with store coupon
Total Store #2: $7.98
Here's our menu for this week - all of the meat and the soups are coming from our freezers:
Sunday, June 2:
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk
Lunch: At Church
Snack: Cut Veggies
Dinner: Turkey Pot Pie, Crescent Rolls, and Strawberry-Apple-Banana Salad
Monday, June 3:
Breakfast: Yogurt with Bananas
Lunch: Leftovers
Snack: Yogurt
Dinner: Shrimp Stir Fry with Rice, Pineapple-Strawberry-Mandarin Orange Salad
Tuesday, June 4:
Breakfast: Waffles with Strawberries and Walnuts
Lunch: Picnic at the Park with Friends (last day of school): Bring Cut Veggies and Dip
Snack: Pretzels
Dinner: Homemade Pizza and Bread Sticks, Strawberry-Pineapple-Banana Salad
Wednesday, June 5:
Breakfast: Leftover Waffles
Lunch: Leftovers
Snack: Yogurt
Dinner: At Church: Bring a Tossed Salad
Thursday, June 6:
Breakfast: Chai Spiced Oatmeal
Lunch: Leftovers
Snack: Yogurt
Dinner: Salad with Salmon, Strawberries and Mandarin Oranges
Friday, June 7:
Breakfast: Oatmeal Muffins and Orange Wedges
Lunch: Leftovers
Snack: Popcorn
Dinner: Chicken Barley Soup, Homemade French Bread, Apple-Pear-Melon Salad
Saturday, June 8:
Breakfast: At Bible Study
Lunch: Tuna Sandwiches, Cut Veggies
Snack: Popcorn
Dinner: Grilled Pork Chops and Potatoes, Golden Beets, Melon
I sat down this last weekend and made up a menu for all of June and part of July and only barely touched the meat in our deep freeze. I did manage to almost completely clean out the upstairs freezer with the menu so hopefully we'll have some room for things as we get our CSA and decide on a bulk meat purchase. We're thinking our bulk meat purchase is going to be smaller - both due to quality of meat (we'll need less if it's good quality) and that we just can't store the sheer volume of meat that we had been contemplating buying. I'm also thinking of delving into canning this summer - tomato sauce, salsa and pizza sauce mostly, which I've been freezing before but most likely won't have room for in the freezer this summer. A friend offered to loan me her pressure canner until I decide if I want to buy my own, which will make it fairly inexpensive to try. We'll just have to see what the summer brings!
My question for you all: What do you do with extra zucchini and other summer squash? I'm going to need some ideas! Thanks!
What are you eating this week?
So, for the month of June we're dropping our grocery/toiletry/paper product/etc. budget to $20/wk or $80 for the whole month. We're putting the other $40 from these first two weeks toward our CSA for next year. Starting in May 2014 our budget will have only $20/week for this part of our budget so we need to get into practice now. Right now, the plan is to go to $15/wk in July with the other $5 of the $20 going to our CSA. We'll see how we're doing and adjust then!
So I went to the store on Sunday instead of my usual Saturday with my $20, a few store coupons and a list of a few things that were on sale. I missed the $0.99/lb peaches the week before but there were a few deals to be had! Here's what I bought:
Total spent at 2 stores: $18.46
Total into our bulk meat purchase fund: $1.54
Here's how I spent that $18.46:
Store #1:
Mission Tortillas Burrito Size 8ct B1G1 w/store coupon: 2 @ $2.87
2.59lbs Fuji Apples (5 apples) @ $1.28/lb = $3.32
Bunch Radishes $0.50
2lbs Yellow Onions $1.79
Cantaloupe $2
Total Store #1: $10.48
Store #2:
Cucumber $0.50
2 Fresh Express Spinach @ 2/$3 = $3
1lb Strawberries @ $2.50
18ct Large Eggs $1.98 with store coupon
Total Store #2: $7.98
Here's our menu for this week - all of the meat and the soups are coming from our freezers:
Sunday, June 2:
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk
Lunch: At Church
Snack: Cut Veggies
Dinner: Turkey Pot Pie, Crescent Rolls, and Strawberry-Apple-Banana Salad
Monday, June 3:
Breakfast: Yogurt with Bananas
Lunch: Leftovers
Snack: Yogurt
Dinner: Shrimp Stir Fry with Rice, Pineapple-Strawberry-Mandarin Orange Salad
Tuesday, June 4:
Breakfast: Waffles with Strawberries and Walnuts
Lunch: Picnic at the Park with Friends (last day of school): Bring Cut Veggies and Dip
Snack: Pretzels
Dinner: Homemade Pizza and Bread Sticks, Strawberry-Pineapple-Banana Salad
Wednesday, June 5:
Breakfast: Leftover Waffles
Lunch: Leftovers
Snack: Yogurt
Dinner: At Church: Bring a Tossed Salad
Thursday, June 6:
Breakfast: Chai Spiced Oatmeal
Lunch: Leftovers
Snack: Yogurt
Dinner: Salad with Salmon, Strawberries and Mandarin Oranges
Friday, June 7:
Breakfast: Oatmeal Muffins and Orange Wedges
Lunch: Leftovers
Snack: Popcorn
Dinner: Chicken Barley Soup, Homemade French Bread, Apple-Pear-Melon Salad
Saturday, June 8:
Breakfast: At Bible Study
Lunch: Tuna Sandwiches, Cut Veggies
Snack: Popcorn
Dinner: Grilled Pork Chops and Potatoes, Golden Beets, Melon
I sat down this last weekend and made up a menu for all of June and part of July and only barely touched the meat in our deep freeze. I did manage to almost completely clean out the upstairs freezer with the menu so hopefully we'll have some room for things as we get our CSA and decide on a bulk meat purchase. We're thinking our bulk meat purchase is going to be smaller - both due to quality of meat (we'll need less if it's good quality) and that we just can't store the sheer volume of meat that we had been contemplating buying. I'm also thinking of delving into canning this summer - tomato sauce, salsa and pizza sauce mostly, which I've been freezing before but most likely won't have room for in the freezer this summer. A friend offered to loan me her pressure canner until I decide if I want to buy my own, which will make it fairly inexpensive to try. We'll just have to see what the summer brings!
My question for you all: What do you do with extra zucchini and other summer squash? I'm going to need some ideas! Thanks!
What are you eating this week?
