Making Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

For those of you who may be newer readers, I wanted to explain my absence for the last few days. As many of you may know, my husband was laid off in March. Since then money in our savings has been dwindling and I had to start looking for a job. Luckily, I was able to get one, and it's even something I enjoy doing. I started on Monday, and it's really an awesome job and the people there are really awesome.

So, as I am transitioning from being a full-time stay-at-home mom with loads of time to do everything I want, to a full-time working mom, my blog may sometimes get overlooked. I have a new banner ready and will need to change the colors and background of my badge, so I need to set some time aside for that. I am hoping to get on a little better schedule this next week and maybe get some posts written for when I am really busy. I will be posting on the Tops deals, no matter what. I have to look through the ad each week anyway for my own shopping, so it really isn't too much more time-consuming to type the deals in a post. I also want to keep doing the meal plans on Mondays. Those are my priorities right now and if I find more time, I will work on Words of the Week Wednesday and Frugal Meal Friday. I also have a couple couponing posts I will start posting and I would like to write a few more to go with the series. So, bear with me through this transition and we will all be happier soon!!

Now, on to those wonderful oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I mentioned in the title. I am a baker! All week, I have wanted to bake something, but really have not had the energy nor really the time to bake after I got home from work. I found I really miss it. So, this morning I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. Some of it will be baked later tonight (when it cools down) and the rest will be put in the freezer. Here is the recipe if you are interested:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
4 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups oatmeal
about 6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 bag chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to about 350 degrees.
2. Soften 4 sticks of butter in microwave (use a low power) in a large bowl. Add sugar and brown sugar and mix well.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix again
4. Add oatmeal, 4 cups of flour, salt and baking soda. Swirl around with spoon to mix those 3 things. Then mix well. Add in about 1-2 cups more flour. This is an approximation. You may need to add a little more flour if you use larger eggs or like your dough pretty dry.
5. Add chocolate chips
6. Scoop dough onto cookie sheets, making sure there is enough room for them to expand. I usually try to put 9 or 12 on a sheet depending on the sheet's size.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until brown. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes and then, using a spatula, place them on a paper towel.

I hope you try the recipe and like it. My family does! I am off now to make up some zucchini bread. Then I have to make some dinner (I'm thinking homemade sloppy joes with frozen tatertots and a veggie) and then I will be making homemade bread for the week. I am also thinking about making some pasta salad for a cookout we are going to tomorrow. I already have most, if not all, of the ingredients and it sounds good. Have a wonderful weekend.

Menu Plan Monday 7/27

If you want to save money on groceries, meal planning is key. Every weekend I plan out my meals for the next week. When I have my menu planned for the week, I save money and I save time. I share it with you, to give you ideas of how we eat on a limited budget. Hopefully, this inspires you to plan your own menu for the week.

This is going to be a tough week. I went back to work today and hubby is home with the kids. That means that he will be doing the cooking. So, I am 100% sure that the meal plan will not be strictly adhered too. I can dream though, can't I? Here is my meal plan for this week:

• Monday
  
  • Breakfast - pancakes (leftover from dinner Saturday), fruit
    
  • Lunch - canned pasta, fruit
    
  • Dinner - panninis, green beans and pudding
    
    
• Tuesday
  
  • Breakfast - cereal / oatmeal, fruit
    
  • Lunch - peanut butter and jelly on homemade bread, fruit
    
  • Dinner - we are going to my mom's as soon as I get out of work, so we will either eat with her or go out to eat down where she lives
    
    
• Wednesday
  
  • Breakfast - strawnana muffins (made a few days ago and froze), fruit
    
  • Lunch - grilled cheese, fruit
    
  • Dinner - ham steak, veggie, maybe a potato or pasta salad?
    
    
• Thursday
  
  • Breakfast -cinnamon toast on homemade bread, fruit
    
  • Lunch - dinner leftovers, fruit
    
  • Dinner - cheeseburgers on grill, corn on cob, maybe a side?
    
    
• Friday
  
  • Breakfast - cereal / oatmeal, fruit
    
  • Lunch - canned pasta, fruit
    
  • Dinner - homemade sloppy joes, tater tots, pudding or jello
    
    
• Saturday
  
  • Breakfast - fake quiches, fruit
    
  • Lunch - peanut butter and jelly on homemade bread, fruit
    
  • Dinner - leftovers
    
    
• Sunday
  
  • Breakfast - homemade waffles, eggs and toast
    
  • Lunch - grilled cheese, fruit
    
  • Dinner - tuna casserole with peas (I will make a double batch and freeze one), fruit dessert
    

All You Grocery Challenge Week in Review

Sunday - Day 14

Today was one of those lazy Sundays where no one really wanted to do much, including me. LOL. At least we only spent $1.25 today. When hubby went to get a paper, he took the little princess with him, and they ended up getting 5 of those 25 cent granola bars (my daughter calls them 'bars'. lol).

For breakfast we had cereal and the little man had oatmeal. We also had yummy strawberries. For lunch we had grilled cheese sandwiches and canned pineapple chunks. Dinner was breaded pork chops, corn and scalloped potatoes. I also made a chocolate cake which was supposed to be for my mom's birthday Tuesday, but somehow I got persuaded to get out frozen strawberries and whipped topping, and we ate some of it. Oh well. I guess I will just have to make another one tomorrow night when I get home.


A Week in Review

This is our second week of participating in the All You Grocery Challenge and we are still doing pretty well. I had been hoping to only spend $50 this week on groceries, but my local store had some really good deals this week and I ended up spending a little over $50 in one day (but that was 3 different stores). I also needed to get some more meat and a few other things later in the week and ended up spending a little over $10 on that trip.

So, I didn't make my goal budget, but I was still well under the All You budget. Here's a chart and graph showing my week 2 spending:

As you can see we spent $74.13 out of the budgeted $125.00, and had $50.87 that we could have spent if we wanted to. My goal for this next week is again $50. I need to buy some chicken this week, so I am hoping to still be able to stay under this amount. It may be difficult because I will be going back to work this week and hubby will be preparing the meals during the weekdays. We shall see.

Frugal Meal Friday 7/24

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

I found today's meal over at The Finer Things in Life. Now, I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it is quick and easy, and it looks yummy. It's one of those meals that can be thrown together at the last minute. A great way to avoid eating out for dinner or when money is really tight. It's actually very similar to something my mom used to make when we were kids, except she added ground beef instead of hot dogs. Go check out the recipe on Amy's blog and check out the rest of the site while you are there.

Hot Dog Skillet

Ingredients

1 package hot dogs - $1.50
6 (or so) large potatoes - $1.25
1/2 onion - $.25
cooking oil
salt and pepper
ketchup (optional)
salsa (optional)
vegetable - $1


Directions

Scrub, quarter, and thinly slice the potatoes. Heat oil in large skillet. Cook potatoes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Chop onion. Add to potatoes. Slice hot dogs and add to the mixture. Cook until potatoes and hot dogs are lightly browned and potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with salsa or ketchup. Add a vegetable (fresh or frozen) to round out the meal. I think this would also be good with a little garlic thrown in there.

Frugal Meal Friday 7/17

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

This week I decided to share with a wonderful recipe using chicken. This is originally from Kraftfoods.com and you can find it here. The total comes to a little over $6, but you get a lot of leftovers for the next day and it super yummy. Although the original recipe says chicken leg quarters, I have substituted with breast and they still tasted great.

Italian Chicken Simmer

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil - $neg.
1 1/2 pounds of chicken, skin removed - $3
1/3 cup tomato paste - $.30
1 can (14 1/2 oz) dice tomatoes, preferably Italian-style - $.50
3 cups chopped red pepper (about 2 small) - $1
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese - $.45
1/2 cup shredded Mozarella - $1.50

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large pan on medium-high heat. You may need to cut apart chicken legs and thighs, or if you are using breasts, you may want to cut in half. Add the chicken to the skillet, and cook 10 minutes until both sides are brown, turn occasionally.
2. Add the can of tomatoes with their liquid and the tomato paste and mix well. Stir in peppers and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Serve with rice if you would like.

Frugal Meal Friday 7/10

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

Today's meal is what I made for dinner today - Chicken, Stuffing and Veggie Bake. It is cheap and really quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1 can of cream soup (vegetable, chicken, mushroom, etc)
1 tbsp butter
1 box of stuffing
1/2 cup boiling water (can add a little more if you like moist stuffing)
1 pound of chicken, strips or breast
1/2 bag of mixed frozen veggies (or any half bag you may have in freezer)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray 9x13 glass pan with cooking spray. Add cream soup, milk, frozen veggies and chicken. Now, I used frozen chicken that was already cooked (I did thaw in microwave for a few minutes so I could break them into pieces - and this was all I had on hand), but you can use uncooked chicken as well. Mix together, making sure to coat veggies and chicken well.
3. In microwavable container, microwave water and butter. Let boil and then add stuffing and mix well. Spread the stuffing over the chicken and veggies.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Price Break Down:

• milk - $.20
• stuffing - $.99
• soup - $.50
• chicken - $2
• veggies - $.50

Total Cost: $4.19

Lack of meal planning this week

As you may have noticed, I didn't post my meal plan this week. It just seemed like I every time I had a few moments to work on it, something would come up. Well, let me tell you, it has really messed me up. It took me so long tonight to figure out what to make for diner! Now some people would be tempted to order take out or go out to eat on a night like this, but that is not even a little feasible with our budget right now. So, I was going to make spaghetti with homemade bread (I made this the other night) and a green beans, but hubby didn't want that. So, we ended up having frozen fish sticks, curly fries and carrots and peas. It wasn't the healthiest meal, but it was filling, cheap and not as bad for us as eating out. Lesson learned! I will be doing a meal plan for the next few days and will make it my number one priority to plan next week's meals over the weekend.

Speaking of the bread I made, it turned out great. It was a little difficult to cut into nice thinner slices, but found when I put it in the freezer for a while it made it a lot easier. I have a few slices left of one loaf, and another full loaf in the freezer. I am going to do up more bread tomorrow to put in the freezer. My goal is to be a few days ahead in bread production in order to keep us from eating the store bought bread. The recipe makes 3 loaves of sandwich bread and if you would like to make it, you can find the recipe here.

Frugal Meal Friday 7/3

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

Homemade pizza is on the menu for today. It tastes soooo good and is very frugal since you can add whatever toppings you would like. It is definitely cheaper than buying a sheet pizza for $20. You can use whatever pizza dough you would like. I use one from my Betty Crocker cookbook and it comes out great every time. Here are a few recipes I found online that you can use: pizza crust 1, Chicago deep dish pizza crust, and thin crust.

Now, we like our pizza crust thick, so I usually let it rise once, put it in the pan and let it rise again. This makes a really nice thicker crust. If you like your crust thinner, just don't let it rise for the second time.You will then want to bake the crust for 15-20 minutes at 375 until crust is just starting to get golden.

Now the fun part: adding the toppings. Add tomato sauce, pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce to the top of your pizza. I usually use about 1/4 of a jar of sauce and then I will use the rest within the next few days for chicken Parmesan, a spaghetti side, etc. Add mozzarella cheese or you could use any cheese you have in your fridge. Now just pick your toppings. I usually put chopped onions and peppers (I chop these up and freeze them for easy meal prep), pepperoni, and hot sausage (I usually use 2 patties from Aldi's) on ours.

After you have all your ingredients on your pizza, put it back in the oven and bake until cheese is fully melted. And enjoy. Add a salad or a veggie to round out the meal a little more.

The price will depend on what toppings you add to the pizza. Here is the breakdown of cost the way I make mine:

• Pizza dough - homemade costs me about $.30
• cheese - I buy on sale (keeps for several months) usually at $2 or less for 8 oz
• 2 sausage patties - I buy a package of them for around $3.50 at Aldi's and I think there are about 18 patties so about $.40 if I use 2.
• pepperoni - I buy the packs when they are $2 or less. I would say it costs less than $.50 for the pepperoni I use.
  
• 1 onion - I can usually get several pounds for a little over $1. So, I would say this was about $.25
• 1/2 -1 pepper depending on size - I buy these 3/$1.75 at Aldi's so even if I use a whole pepper it is still less than $.60.

So, for about $4.00 I can make a really tasty pizza. Adding a vegetable still keeps me under the $5 mark.

I made this last week and it was yummy! I also made strawberry banana muffins for dessert. These turned out yummy and I had the opportunity to use up a bunch of those free strawberries I had gotten. Here is the link to the recipe I used if you would like to make it: Strawnana Muffins.

Menu Plan Monday 6/29

If you want to save money on groceries, meal planning is key. Every weekend I plan out my meals for the next week. When I have my menu planned for the week, I save money and I save time. I share it with you, to give you ideas of how we eat on a limited budget. Hopefully, this inspires you to plan your own menu for the week.

Here is my meal plan for this week:

• Monday - strawberry pancakes, eggs
  
• Tuesday - chicken and biscuits
  
• Wednesday - leftovers
  
• Thursday - homemade sloppy joes, veggie
  
• Friday - spaghetti with homemade bread, green beans
  
• Saturday - leftovers
  
• Sunday - cookout: hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on cob
  

Frugal Meal Friday 6/27

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

Panninis with veggies

Panninis are really great because you can put anything you want in them. I've made mine with ham and cheese, and with chicken, diced tomatoes and cheese. you will want to use a thicker bread so the oil doesn't soak all the way through. I made these last time with a loaf of homemade sandwich bread. It was awesome! Here's how I make mine:

1. Warm up grill, George Foreman grill, pannini press or even a flat pan to medium-hot.

2. Pour a some olive oil on a plate and press one side of bread into it just to get it covered. Add seasonings to the side with the olive oil. I have used italian seasoning, rosemary and garlic before.

3. Place side with olive oil onto hot grill. Add your ingredients on top of bread. You can use anything you like really. The possibilities are endless.

4. Dip one side of an other piece of bread into olive oil and add your spices. Place bread with the olive oil on the top, away from the ingredients in the middle.

5. If you are using a George or pannini press, close the lid. If you are using a regular grill or pan, place a heavy pan on top; you will need to flip the pannini when one side is toasted.

6. Make your favorite vegetable to go along with the panninis.

Costs to feed a family of 5 with leftovers:
loaf of thick bread $.50(homemade) to $2
some of the following ingredients:
- ham slices or diced ham($2-$3)
- 8 oz cheese ($2)
- diced tomatoes ($.50)
- 1 pound of chicken cut into pieces ($2)
- and more
1 pound of veggies $1

Menu Plan Monday 6/22

If you want to save money on groceries, meal planning is key. Every weekend I plan out my meals for the next week. When I have my menu planned for the week, I save money and I save time. I share it with you, to give you ideas of how we eat on a limited budget. Hopefully, this inspires you to plan your own menu for the week.

Here is my meal plan for this week:

• Monday - homemade mac n cheese with broccoli and chicken
  
• Tuesday - leftovers
  
• Wednesday -tacos with mexican rice
  
• Thursday - stew
  
• Friday - leftovers
  
• Saturday - homemade sloppy joes, veggies
  
• Sunday - leftovers or breakfast for dinner
  

Frugal Meal Friday 6/19

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

Today's meal is homemade sloppy joes with a vegetable for a side. Depending on how much you pay for rolls, you could possible make this meal for less than $4.50.

Ingredients:
package of hamburger or kaiser rolls ($1)
1 pound of ground meat ($2)
1 pound of frozen veggies ($1)
1/2 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves or minced garlic
splash of vinegar
1 cup ketchup
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
1. Cook meat, onions and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients (except your veggies). Bring to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 30 -40 minutes. Serve on rolls.
3. Cook veggies about 10 minutes before the sloppy joes will be done.

Menu Plan Monday 6/15

If you want to save money on groceries, meal planning is key. Every weekend I plan out my meals for the next week. When I have my menu planned for the week, I save money and I save time. I share it with you, to give you ideas of how we eat on a limited budget. Hopefully, this inspires you to plan your own menu for the week.

Here is my meal plan for this week:

• Monday - leftover pork chops, veggie, side of pasta
  
• Tuesday - lasagna and green beans
  
• Wednesday -chicken and biscuits
  
• Thursday - leftovers
  
• Friday - homemade pizza, salad
  
• Saturday - panninis, vegetable
  
• Sunday - chili and cornbread
  

Eating Healthy for Less

Eating frugally does not equal not eating healthy. People have this notion that in order to save money on food, that they will not be able to buy healthy foods. This is just not so. There are several ways to help stretch your grocery dollar without stretching your waistline.

Produce
Buy fruits and vegetables when they are in season. Around here $1 per pound for fruits such as apples, grapes and pears is a very good price. Check local farmer's markets and roadside stands for fresh and local produce. In the winter when produce is not in season, we end up eating a lot of bananas and apples, and sometimes grapes if they are on sale. We also buy a lot of frozen vegetables. Frozen right after they are picked, frozen fruits and vegetables taste delicious and still have the important vitamins in them as fresh produce does. Budget out a certain amount a week to buy produce. We budget $6 a week usually.

You may also want to think about growing your own produce. For the cost of seeds and a little seat equity, you can have wonderful fruits and veggies all summer long! Produce from your own garden tastes so much better than the ones bought at the store. If you end up having too much (we might end up with too much lettuce and beans.. lol), you can give it away to friends and family, or even to your local food pantry.

Meat
Buy lean meat such as ground turkey or boneless skinless chicken breast. Buy meat when you find it for less than $2 a pound. When you get a good sale, you may even want to buy extra and freeze some of it. A trick I use to make my meat last longer is to only use 3/4 of a pound instead of a pound. You won't even know the difference, but your wallet will. Check out weekly store fliers for the best meat sales that week and plan your meals around them. You may even want to consider having one or two days a week where you have a meatless meal. You could have beans and rice or chili without meat, or many other tasty meals.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
Many people are concerned nowadays about this sweetener. I know my family has cut down their consumption of the sweetener dramatically in the last year or so. Read the ingredient list carefully. I will buy something that is sweetened with sugar before I will buy something with HFCS, especially if it something my kids eat a lot of, like jelly. HFCS is so many things: pancake syrup, cereals, some canned fruits (the ones that say heavy syrup), some instant oatmeals, bread, and more.

Convenience Foods
There are some healthy convenience foods out there, you just need to read the ingredients to find them. A lot of the convenience foods I buy are pretty good for you (although I will admit to the occassional chocolate bar or bag of Doritos .. lol). You can find coupons for these things that will reduce how much you pay for them. In our house I have to admit that we keep a stockpile of mac n cheese. Although it isn't the healthiest thing for them, it sure is a lot better than fast food, plus it is something my husband can make. LOL.

Sometimes you need a certain food, but the healthier version is too expensive. This was the case with bread in my family. I started using my breadmaker (that I got for free from freecycle) to make homemade bread with no HFCS and no additives and preservatives. I recently started making sandwich bread, and this recipes makes 3 loaves of amazing bread, ready for peanut butter and jelly or a slices of turkey or ham.

Meal Planning
Meal Planning is crucial when you want to save money and eat healthy too. Look at the sales ads of your nearby grocery stores and plan your meals around the sale items and what you have in the house already. When I meal plan, I try not to have too much pasta each week, since both my husband and I are trying to lose weight. I make sure there is a vegetable or fruit with just about every meal also. Frozen vegetables are usually the mainstay in this house because I can get them for about $1 a bag (16 oz). Every Monday I post my meals for the week on here. This helps me to plan, but also I hope inspires my readers to plan for their week.

Stay Out of the Store!
It's a fact. The more you go to store, the more likely it is that you will spend more money and go over your budget. Try to only go to the store once a week, or even every two weeks. I always get as much milk as I can fit in my fridge (6 gallons - and they will get drank in my house! lol) so that I do not have to run back out to the store anytime soon. Have a list on your fridge where you can write down everything you run out of, or are getting low on, so you can get everything in one trip.

See. You can eat frugally and still eat healthy. You may also want to check out 5 Dollar Dinners for more meal ideas that cost less than $5 for a family of 4. She has an awesome blog and is currently writing a cookbook, so I will be looking for that when it comes out. Did I forget anything? Anything you would like comment on or add to my frugal shopping tips? Please leave it in my comments. Have a frugal and healthy day!

Frugal Meal Friday 6/12

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake ($5.60) is the meal for this week. This recipe comes in a little over $5, but you will have plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch the next day. I have made this several times and it is very tasty. my family prefers to have the petite diced tomatoes in this, as opposed to the regular. You could even get the diced tomatoes with the the spices to make this even better. Add a frozen veggie or fruit for $1 more. This recipe is originally from the Kraftfoods site.

Ingredients:
1 can diced tomatoes ($.50)
1 package of stuffing ($1 - stock up when on sale or get generic)
2 garlic cloves, minced ($.50 ... I just throw some dried in there $.10)
1 1/2 pounds of chicken, cut up into small pieces ($3)
1 tsp dried basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella (shred yourself - $1)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix, water and garlic; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

2. Place chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with the basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.

3. Bake 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Menu Plan Monday 6/8

If you want to save money on groceries, meal planning is key. Every weekend I plan out my meals for the next week. When I have my menu planned for the week, I save money and I save time. I share it with you, to give you ideas of how we eat on a limited budget. Hopefully, this inspires you to plan your own menu for the week.

Here is my meal plan for this week:

• Monday - Chicken Divan
  
• Tuesday - Meatball Subs and veggie
  
• Wednesday - leftovers
  
• Thursday -tuna patties and veggie
  
• Friday - homemade sloppy joes, green beans
  
• Saturday - leftovers
  
• Sunday - homemade mac n cheese with chicken and broccoli
  

What's for dinner in your house this week?

Frugal Meal Friday 6/5

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

Today's meal is Tex-Mex Shells N Cheese from the Kraft site. Go check out the site for more recipes that are quick and frugal. This is a staple in our house. We probably have it at least once a month, and it so quick and easy to make! Add a fruit or veggie to round out the meal a little better and your are still under $5.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground meat ($2)
1 package Velveeta Shells n Cheese ($1.50)
1 can diced tomatoes (you can use regular, italian, etc) ($.50)
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (optional - $.50)

Directions:
1. Cook and drain ground meat.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except packet of cheese sauce and shredded cheese. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.
3. Add cheese sauce and stir until blended. Top with optional shredded cheese.

Menu Plan Monday 6/1

If you want to save money on groceries, meal planning is key. Every weekend I plan out my meals for the next week. When I have my menu planned for the week, I save money and I save time. I share it with you, to give you ideas of how we eat on a limited budget. Hopefully, this inspires you to plan your own menu for the week.

Here is my meal plan for this week:

• Monday - baked chicken, veggie
  
• Tuesday - meatball subs, veggie
  
• Wednesday - leftovers
  
• Thursday - chicken stuffing and veggie bake
  
• Friday - frozen pizza and salad
  
• Saturday - son's birthday party - we are having hot dogs, hamburgers, and salads.
  
• Sunday - leftovers
  

Frugal Meal Friday 5/29

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

Today's meal is tuna noodle casserole. Now, there are several ways to make tuna casserole. I learned to make it with a white sauce (It's cheaper and you can use white sauces for other recipes like macaroni and cheese). I usually make a double batch and freeze half of it for another day. A regular batch will cost you less than $4. I also add topping to mine and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. (adds about $1 or less to the cost of the meal)

Tuna Noodle Casserole

2 cups egg noodles ($.50)
1/4 cup butter (.50)
1/4 cup flour (.10)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups milk ($.50)
1 can tuna ($1)
1/2-3/4 cup Parmesan ($.75)

1. Cook macaroni as directed on package.

2. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute until sauce has thickened; remove from heat. Add Parmesan. Let cool for a couple of minutes. Drain tuna and flake it into the sauce; mix.

3. Drain macaroni and mix with sauce.


To add topping and bake:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Mix 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan in small bowl. Use fork and add a little olive oil at a time while you are mixing. Add enough just to moisten all the breadcrumbs and cheese. Place mixed noodles and sauce into ungreased casserole dish and sprinkle on topping. Bake for about 20 minutes or until topping is brown.

And there you have it. A meal for less than $5. You can also mix in about a half pound of peas when you throw it in the oven for an additional 50 cents.

Frugal Meal Friday 5/15

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. I do not include spices in my total because everyone should have a good ensemble of spices to cook with. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

My meal for today just came up to a little over $5 (13 cents over), but it makes so much that you will be having leftovers for a couple days. The recipe was originally on Bush's site but they no longer have it on there. You can also make some cornmuffins to go with it if you so choose. In my family we have to make two boxes. 2 boxes = $1, 2 eggs = $.09, 2/3 cup of milk = $.25; total of adding corn muffins for my family is $1.34.


Bush's All-American Chili

1 pound ground meat (at least 80% lean - $1.88)
1 chopped onion ($.25)
1 chopped pepper ($.50)
2 (15 oz) cans chili beans ($1.50)
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes ($.60)
1 (6oz) can tomato paste ($.40)
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
shredded cheese (optional - 8 oz chunk is $2)

In large pot, cook ground meat, peppers and onions until meat is browned. Drain excess grease. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer at least 20 minutes (the longer you can let it simmer the better it is yummy). Add cheese when serving if so desired.