This doesn't happen as often as I wish it would but May turned out to be rather extraordinary in terms of the cost of all our meals for the month.
I think it was a combination of things: 1) we ended up spending two weeks in southern California and therefore many of the meals I had planned for that time (before realizing we would be going) were still sitting in the freezer and pantry; 2) I worked extra hard at coming up with more meals that have a lower bottom line and literally pennies per serving; 3) I also tried to focus on what lingered in my freezer and using more up.
With a trip to both WalMart and Costco I ended up purchasing food (and other misc. items like paper towels, napkins, shampoo, etc.) for just under $220. That includes all dinners plus items for breakfasts and lunches. There were a few minor trips to the grocery store during the month for more milk, bread, and fresh fruit. As we head toward the end of the month I love the challenge of trying to make what we have left stretch and work for one more week. Do I dare say it is fun? (It is!) And I love that the kids are more or less on board...they may not love the fact that we are out of crackers and are left with only a variety of seeds and nuts...but they accept it without giving me any trouble.
The breakfasts and lunches are fairly consistent with what I have listed in the past...homemade french bread, cereal, eggs, yogurt parfait, fruit, oatmeal. Lunches, too...ham sandwiches, PB&J, french bread pizza (using homemade bread and pizza sauce), homemade burritos (using leftover pork, chicken, and cheese) with fruit/vegetables, some form of cracker or pretzel, and a homemade dessert.
Here is the menu I originally made for dinners for the month of May with a few minor adjustments:
Monday, May 2-Sunday, May 8
Smothered lentils with ham and fresh french bread
Baked ranch chicken breasts with mashed new potatoes and broccoli
Shrimp risotto and salad
Pork ribs, green beans, salad
Leftovers
Oven french toast casserole, strawberries (this was a huge hit, easy, and totally yummy!!)
Pork roast, mashed potatoes, green beans
Monday, May9-Sunday, May 15
Tuna cakes, corn, salad
Leftover pork roast and sides
Creamy chicken breasts over whole wheat egg noodles, salad
Pennsylvania pork chops, stuffing, salad
Oriental turkey chili, bread
Leftovers
Turkey sausage/green beans served over polenta rounds
Monday, May 16-Sunday, May 22
French bread pizza, salad
Chicken pot pie, salad
Tuna tomato bake over rolls, broccoli (the kids didn't mind this meal, but I personally did not like it. It was like sloppy joes just made with tuna)
Whole wheat pasta with ham, green beans
Leftovers
Waffles, eggs, and fruit (this was the original plan but all three kids will be somewhere on Saturday night so I may treat myself to Thai food for dinner!!!)
Risotto, chicken, vegetables
Monday, May 23-Sunday, May 29
Baked salmon cakes, green beans, salad
Ham and chicken gumbo, fresh bread
Wet burrito casserole, salad
Beans, rice with turkey sausage, spinach
Ham curry over whole wheat pasta, bread, salad
Peachy pork chops, quinoa, vegetable
Asian shrimp wraps, fruit, salad
Note: I make fresh french bread weekly (SO EASY!!!) and the two loaves usually last us all week. I also buy fresh vegetables like large bags of broccoli, for instance, carrots, and celery. The rest of the vegetabes I buy frozen and in bulk at Costco (green beans, cauliflower, peas, and so on...I do like a variety to choose from).
I also buy large quantities of lettuces for salad and they pretty much last us all month as well: a three-head pack of iceberg and a large bag of spinach. Sometimes I add romaine but if I buy too much there is waste.
For lunches I usually buy bulk pretzels, seeds, and nuts at Winco and a large bag of veggie chips and some other cracker (goldfish, ritz, or cheese-its) from Costco.
The large ham we ate at Easter last month is what is being used in all the ham meals this month. For the past couple of months I have planned several meals featuring tuna because I had an obscene amount of cans in my pantry! They are certainly an inexpensive go-to pantry staple!
Besides trying to use up ingredients I try really hard at making the meals for the week fairly well-rounded: beans or lentils, chicken, pork, turkey sausage, sandwiches or pizza, and maybe a pasta dish. I'm not sure it is truly appreciated, however, because even if a week only features one chicken dish the kids will still say, "chicken, again?!" And, my daughter really wants plain ole hamburgers. I promised her this summer we will BBQ some burgers! :)
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