Menu Plan: Winter (Jan. 12-18)

       There is now a photo album on the RH Facebook page just for food photos. If you like to see a photo of a dish to judge whether you want to try it or not, then follow the link to view the album. (I tend to like recipes & cookbooks that include lots of photos). Let's be honest, some dishes are just too pretty to not take a picture! ;) 

      I've also started pinning lots of recipes we use onto a "Food" Pinterest board. Many of the recipes listed below can be found there as well. 

Strategies

• I love fresh juices! It's remarkable how different fresh juices are from the store bought versions. For the most part, fresh juices are so much better! If resources allow, a juicer  is a wonderful tool to have in the kitchen!
• We purchased a couple of meats this week in a larger quantity for greater savings. Instead of purchasing a package of pork chops, we selected a pork loin which we'll cut into chops and store in the freezer. A pork loin is a much more economical purchase than the precut and prepackaged pork chops. We also picked up an extra chicken for cooking, shredding and storing in the freezer. I find it nice to have a few bags of chicken cooked and ready to be added to dishes. 
• We're doing a lot of leftovers for lunches. Utilizing leftovers saves time, money and energy. 
• 
  

OUR MENU PLAN FOR THIS WEEK

*Note: I include links to the recipes if they are available online. Some recipes are from cookbooks we have at home, and while I can't share the recipe I can direct you to the source. Other dishes or meals are created by myself or my husband, and we can do our best to explain how to recreate it. If you'd like additional information on any of the meals or our menu planning, then please feel free to contact me. :) 

Breakfasts 

- yogurt with blueberries, granola cereal 

- grapefruit, whole wheat bagel, scrambled egg with cheese

- fried egg/omelet with cheese, toast, bacon, fresh orange juice

- whole wheat pancakes, milk, banana with peanut butter

repeat all 

Lunches

- Whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans

- repeat pizza

- repeat stroganoff meal

- repeat cashew chicken meal

- repeat gumbo meal

- Leftovers

Dinners

- Apple bacon cheddar pizza (whole wheat crust, balsamic reduction sauce, apple slices, crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese)

- Apricot pork chops, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, applesauce

- Beef stroganoff, applesauce, salad (salad greens, mozzarella, hard boiled egg, tomato, cucumber, dressing of choice)

- Cashew chicken, noodles, basic side salad (salad greens, cucumber, tomato, dressing of choice)

- (Dinner with friends) gumbo with rice

- Mackerel croquettes, steamed broccoli, corn

Snacks

- fruit: orange, pineapple, grapes

- whole wheat crackers

- cottage cheese

- berry-banana smoothie, pineapple-ginger smoothie

- dips: hummus, ranch dressing

- veggies: carrots, bell pepper pieces

- popcorn

- etc. 

Weekly Menu Planning Sheet

*Note: Reviving Homemaking is not affiliated with any of the sites or companies included in the links, and was not asked to include or recommend them or their recipes in this post. (I simply like what they have to offer!). Reviving Homemaking is an affiliate of Amazon.com. Juicer link is an affiliate link, and as such Reviving Homemaking will receive a small compensation for any purchase made through the link. (Thank you!)

What's on your family's menu plan this week?

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Menu Plan: Winter (Jan. 5-11)

       There is now a photo album on the RH Facebook page just for food photos. If you like to see a photo of a dish to judge whether you want to try it or not, then follow the link to view the album. (I tend to like recipes & cookbooks that include lots of photos). Let's be honest, some dishes are just too pretty to not take a picture! ;) 

      I've also started pinning lots of recipes we use onto a "Food" Pinterest board. Many of the recipes listed below can be found there as well. 

Strategies

• This week's menu plan went over budget. After a challenging food/digestion week last week I didn't mind one bit going over budget and having more than enough options.
• I love fresh juices! It's remarkable how different fresh juices are from the store bought versions. For the most part, fresh juices are so much better! If resources allow, a juicer  is a wonderful tool to have in the kitchen!
• I purchased many, many bags of cranberries when they went on sale for around $0.50 per bag back around Thanksgiving. I'll be using some of this stockpile for juice this week. 
• I'm still stuck on Eating Well as my main resource. The recipes have been reliable in being rather tasty. They're also focused on whole food ingredients and therefore offer a high nutritional value. 
• We cooked a ham for our Christmas dinner and then froze the remainder. We'll be using a portion of that for a meal this week. Utilizing the freezer is a great way to be able to cook real/whole foods for only two people. 
• We're using a whole chicken for three meals this week. A whole chicken is a much more economical way to purchase. 

OUR MENU PLAN FOR THIS WEEK

*Note: I include links to the recipes if they are available online. Some recipes are from cookbooks we have at home, and while I can't share the recipe I can direct you to the source. Other dishes or meals are created by myself or my husband, and we can do our best to explain how to recreate it. If you'd like additional information on any of the meals or our menu planning, then please feel free to contact me. :) 

Breakfasts (Some combination of the following each day:)

- Fruit: grapefuit, banana
- yogurt topped with homemade  granola cereal/ yogurt with frozen strawberries
- Homemade whole wheat bagel with peanut butter or cream cheese (bagels stored in freezer)
- Fresh juices: cranberry-apple or cranberry-grape, orange
- Hardboiled egg
- Homemade whole wheat blueberry muffins (minis) (stored in freezer)

- Apple-cinnamon oatmeal topped with toasted walnuts

- Bacon

Lunches

- Asparagus & ham baked potatoes (I replaced chives with scallions since I already had them in the refrigerator). 

- Spinach ravioli with zucchini ribbons (I'll be making my own spinach & cheese ravioli using won ton wrappers we already had in the refrigerator).

- Bacon chard quesadillas (using homemade tortillas)

- Repeat soup and bread

- Apple-cheddar pizza (A take on an apple, bacon, cheddar sandwich, which is one of our favorites.)

- Leftovers

Dinners

- Fried squirrel/chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, sauteed chard, coconut cake with coconut cream cheese frosting {Hubby's birthday meal!}

- Tilapia corn chowder (using flounder instead of tilapia since we already had it in the freezer), homemade french bread

- Roasted chicken with mojo sauce, potatoes, green beans

- (Breakfast for dinner) steak and eggs

- Chicken crepes with asparagus & mushrooms

- Grilled pork with apricot sauce, sauteed greens or asparagus, corn

- leftovers 

Snacks

- Grapes & cheddar cheese slices
- Apple and crackers
- Cottage cheese with frozen mixed berries
- Popcorn & protein bar
- Carrots & hummus
- Grapefruit & crackers
- etc. 

Weekly Menu Planning Sheet

*Note: Reviving Homemaking is not affiliated with any of the sites or companies included in the links, and was not asked to include or recommend them or their recipes in this post. (I simply like what they have to offer!). Reviving Homemaking is an affiliate of Amazon.com. Juicer link is an affiliate link, and as such Reviving Homemaking will receive a small compensation for any purchase made through the link. (Thank you!)

What's on your family's menu plan this week?

Linked up at: 

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What is something you wish you had learned to do before getting married or having children? Why?

(Your name (first name + last initial) and comment may be used in the upcoming Reviving Homemaking ebook. If you wish for your name to not be included, then please simply use "anonymous" or "guest." Thank you for your input!)

Menu Plan: Winter (Dec. 15-21)

      I forgot to post last week's menu plan. The week flew by before I realized that I had neglected to post a menu plan. Since this week is rather atypical with it being Christmas week I thought I might jump back by posting last week's plan. 

      There is now a photo album on the RH Facebook page just for food photos. If you like to see a photo of a dish to judge whether you want to try it or not, then follow the link to view the album. (I tend to like recipes & cookbooks that include lots of photos). Let's be honest, some dishes are just too pretty to not take a picture! ;) 

      I've also started pinning lots of recipes we use onto a "Food" Pinterest board. Many of the recipes listed below can be found there as well. 

Strategies

• We began by reviewing several of our previous fall menu plans for ideas. I like to keep my menu plans because they provide a great resource for meal ideas that are seasonal and cost-effective. In the front section of my recipe notebook, I have a section labeled "planning" and this is where all my previous menu plans are stored. Keep it simple! 
• Even though we plan a meal for each day, we don't always stick to the plan. Hence, several of the meals listed this week were also listed last week. The main idea of menu planning is to have an idea and ingredients on hand for when you may need them. If we don't get to one of the planned meals, we simply roll it to the next week. When we shop for that next week we have a few less items to purchase, so it works out pretty well. 
• I love soups during the chilly months of the year! (We'll do big salads instead during the warmer months). Soups are wonderful in that they are usually pretty cost effective, fast, and provide plenty of opportunities for leftovers or freezer meals. They are also great for being able to toss anything else desired into the pot. I rather like to chop up some leafy greens to throw into a soup to give an extra nutritional boost. I may also toss in some extra beans. Pretty much anything goes! :)

OUR MENU PLAN FOR THIS WEEK

*Note: I include links to the recipes if they are available online. Some recipes are from cookbooks we have at home, and while I can't share the recipe I can direct you to the source. Other dishes or meals are created by myself or my husband, and we can do our best to explain how to recreate it. If you'd like additional information on any of the meals or our menu planning, then please feel free to contact me. :) 

Breakfasts

- Blueberry Cornmeal pancakes, fresh squeezed orange juice

- Granola cereal with milk, grapefruit

- Cottage cheese parfait (cottage cheese, mixed berries, granola)

- Apple-cinnamon oatmeal (oatmeal cooked with diced apples, topped with cinnamon and toasted chopped walnuts)

- Granola cereal, yogurt with bananas and blueberries

- Eggs, bacon, biscuit/toast

Lunches

- Tomato & olive pizza (leftovers from last week) 

- Pot roast & veggies (cabbage, potato, onion, carrots)

- Salmon cakes, roasted asparagus

- Minestrone soup (First, I love Ellie Krieger recipes! They are so nutritious! I will probably do some substituting though. I'll probably use a bag of frozen mixed veggies and add chickpeas just because I have these on hand and..why not. haha). 

- repeat soup

- Sweet & sour pour, brown rice (from recipe book listed above)

- repeat lasagna & side salad 

Dinners

- Chicken stew with turnips, mushrooms and greens (leftovers from last week). 

-Eat out while finishing Christmas shopping

- {Small group gathering} We are hosting the Christmas party and so will have easy appetizer foods. We will provide trays with crackers, cheese slices, summer sausage, baby carrots, celery sticks, broccoli florets and hummus and honey mustard dips. Everyone is to also bring an appetizer or holiday dessert. Should be yummy!

- Pot roast & vegetables turnovers (recipe/instructions to be posted on the blog soon) 

- Lasagna & side salad (lasagna recipe to be posted on the blog soon)

- repeat salmon meal

- repeat pork meal

Snacks

- apple & peanut butter

- cheese slices & whole wheat crackers

- carrot & celery sticks with hummus

- hummus and ww crackers

- hardboiled egg & pickle (my weirdo pregnancy snack)

- cheese slices and pretzels

- banana & peanut butter

- oranges and/or grapefruit

- almonds

- popcorn

etc. 

Weekly Menu Planning Sheet

*Note: Reviving Homemaking is not affiliated with any of the sites or companies included in the links, and was not asked to include or recommend them or their recipes in this post. (I simply like what they have to offer!)

What's on your family's menu plan this week?

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(Your name (first name + last initial) and comment may be used in the upcoming Reviving Homemaking ebook. If you wish for your name to not be included, then please simply use "anonymous" or "guest." Thank you for your input!)

Menu Plan: Winter (March 10-16)

Strategies used this week:

Sometimes the perks or rewards at grocery stores are really not all that valuable. Most rewards programs are targeted towards the packaged products, since that's where the money is made in the food industry. Since we focus on the basics for our dry goods (flours, sugars, dried fruits,  grains, beans etc), dairy, un-processed meats, and lots of produce we've come to learn that the points don't add up to much. These programs work by enticing you to purchase products in exchange for a "reward" in the end. The deal may even sound good and be something like 10/$10 or Buy One Get One. The catch in these offers may be that you are required to purchase the full amount in order to get the savings. Also, the sale offer may be for an item that is unnecessary and you might have other wise passed over it. Truth is, you can save quite a bit by simply not buying than by buying on sale. Take a note from the sales ads each week. How many pages are devoted to basics like meats and produce? How many pages display packaged products on sale? About twice as many packaged as basic. This is where grocery money is often unnecessarily spent.  Some families may be large enough for the basics to add up to enough points to receive the reward. However, it is wise to keep track of your grocery purchases and determine at what cost participating in grocery store rewards/perk programs comes for your family. It may be the case that you could save by shopping wholesale, in bulk or at a discount grocery store instead of relying on "rewards."

Breakfasts

- Egg Sandwich (scrambled eggs &  cheddar cheese on toast), orange

- Winter Oatmeal (oats, diced apple, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, drizzle honey)

- Egg & Veggie Omelet (eggs, swiss cheese, diced tomato, sliced mushrooms, diced bell pepper, S &P to taste), toast, orange

- Toast with peanut butter and diced apples 

- Favorite green smoothie

Lunches

-Wild rice & mushroom soup (yum!)

-Spaghetti with (ground turkey) meatballs and sauce, side green salad

-Roast beef, mashed potatoes, asparagus

-Veggie quinoa burgers, baked potato fries with homemade seasoned salt

-Beef & cheddar sandwiches

-Barley casserole

Dinners

-repeat soup

-Curry Scallops, cilantro rice, roasted carrots with coriander 

-repeat barley casserole

-beef, sweet pea and noodle stir fry

-Loaded baked potatoes with chicken, mozzarella, and tomatoes

-Spring Pizza with whole wheat crust

Snacks

-celery with peanut butter

-fruit: oranges, pear, apples

-cheese slices

-homemade crackers

- Healthy chocolate chip cookies

Weekly Menu Planning Sheet

*Note: Reviving Homemaking is not affiliated with any of the sites or companies included in the links, and was not asked to include or recommend them or their recipes in this post. (I simply like what they have to offer!)

Linked up at: 

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Join Reviving Homemaking on Facebook!

Visit the Reviving Homemaking Etsy Shop!

Follow Reviving Homemaking on Pinterest!

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What is something you wish you had learned to do before getting married or having children? Why?

(Your name (first name + last initial) and comment may be used in the upcoming Reviving Homemaking ebook. If you wish for your name to not be included, then please simply use "anonymous" or "guest." Thank you for your input!)

Menu Plan: Winter (Mar. 3-9)

Strategies used this week:

• We often purchase meat in larger quantities and/or when it's on sale. We then divide it into portions and store it in the freezer. This allows us to take advantage of a lower unit price when available and it is also convenient to have cuts of meat stocked in our freezer when needed. The pork we're having this week is an example of this idea. We purchased a whole tenderloin and then cut it into chops and roasts. Last week we took advantage of chickens being on a Buy One Get One sale. We froze one bird. The other bird was cooked and made into stock. We then portioned and froze the meat and stock. I think we ended up with about 10 cups of shredded chicken and 7+ cups of stock for about $8. The chicken shred will be wonderful to have later to add to pizza, enchiladas, chicken salad, soups, pot pie, and many more dishes. This is one way we make real foods fit a real budget!

• Also, we reserve half our meals to be meatless. Meat is probably the most expensive aspect of meals. And so, we try to also have meals that are well balanced but meatless. (It also balances our differing preferences. My husband the heavy meat-eater and me the lighter, more veggie-eater. ;) )

• We don't  necessarily do "themes" in our weekly menus. However, there are a few meal types that we try to include each week:
• fish
• pasta
• soup (cold weather months)/ salad (warm weather months)

• We had to do a lot of restocking of our pantry this week. Sometimes it just happens that we run out of several items at once. However, by keeping a basic pantry and knowing exactly what items are there (and the prices for purchasing them), we're much better able to predict and anticipate the dry good aspect of our food costs. 

Breakfasts

- Egg Sandwich (scrambled eggs &  cheddar cheese on toast), grapefruit

- Winter Oatmeal (oats, diced apple, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, drizzle honey)

- Egg & Veggie Omelet (eggs, swiss cheese, diced tomato, sliced mushrooms, diced bell pepper, S &P to taste), toast, orange

- Toast with peanut butter and diced apples 

- Favorite green smoothie

Lunches

- Florentine ravioli

- Pulled pork, black eye peas, collard greens

- Cannellini soup

- Leftover salmon kedgeree

- Soup leftovers

- leftovers

Dinners

- Oven barbeque pork chops, slaw, cornbread

- Black bean quesadillas topped with salsa, avocado and sour cream (made by adding baking soda to yogurt), green side salad

- Salmon with pepita (pumpkin seeds)-lime butter, wild rice, steamed vegetables

- Root vegetable bake, polenta

- Pulled pork tacos

- Root vegetable bake & polenta leftovers

Snacks

-celery with peanut butter

-oranges

-grapefruit

-cheese slices

-homemade crackers

- Dessert (date night this week!): Molten Lava Cakes with Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream (My hubby certainly knows the way to my heart! :) )

Weekly Menu Planning Sheet

*Note: Reviving Homemaking is not affiliated with any of the sites or companies included in the links, and was not asked to include or recommend them or their recipes in this post. (I simply like what they have to offer!)

Linked up at: A Mama's Story, The Alabaster Jar, The Modest Mom, What Joy Is Mine, The Better Mom, Far Above Rubies, Time-Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Growing Home

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Join Reviving Homemaking on Facebook!

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What is something you wish you had learned to do before getting married or having children? Why?

(Your name (first name + last initial) and comment may be used in the upcoming Reviving Homemaking ebook. If you wish for your name to not be included, then please simply use "anonymous" or "guest." Thank you for your input!)