Welcome to another busy week here at Coupon Kristin. 😉 School is in full swing (I hate statistics, by the way), I’ve got a rodeo commitment on Friday, plus it’s the first Friday of Lent.  My daughter’s birthday is Tuesday. My baby will be 16! I’m not quite sure how that happened, because it seems like only yesterday this was my baby…

And not this…

Monday: I’m in class so the kids are having leftovers or freezer food. I did two batches of soup a few weeks ago and it’s really come in handy.

Tuesday: It’s a birthday dinner for a birthday girl!

Wednesday: Grocery ad night means a quick dinner. Could be Taco Wednesday or it could be pasta. Depends on if I make it to Fresh Market for their cheap ground beef.

Thursday: Baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, and mixed veggies.

Friday: Tilapia, rice, and fresh salad.

Saturday: Pizza night.

Sunday: It’s Valentine’s Day! My husband and I are ditching the kids and going out to eat.

Linked at Menu Plan Monday

School is back in session and I’m singing the Statistics Blues.

I haven’t had a math class in almost 20 years.

This is rough, y’all.

However, I’m going to rely on keeping my menu plans in check, so that hopefully, we don’t completely fall apart.

Also, I’m closing Coupon Class registrations until April. I am BOOKED!

Monday: I made a huge bowl of tuna salad yesterday, so we’ll have this again for dinner. I love it when I make something everyone wants to eat.

Tuesday: Spaghetti and meatballs for the carnivores, and spaghetti with no meat for the vegetarian.

Wednesday: Chicken and rice.

Thursday: Golden Shrimp with Parmesan Risotto from Dream Dinners.

Friday: Pizza night!

Saturday: Fend for yourself. I am going to be clipping and shopping all day.

Sunday: Dinner out – my sweet baby girl will be 16 next week!

Linked at Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday

It’s a Christmas Menu Plan Monday, y’all! The weather outside is frightful, but it’s definitely not wintry. We turned on the air conditioner last night. In December. Gah.

I’ve got my oldest home for the week, my little one’s birthday is today, and we have some Christmas eating to do.

And I may still have some Christmas shopping to do.  And some Christmas menu decisions to make.

Whoops.

Monday: Birthday boy request: spaghetti and meatballs, bread, and Caesar salad. He’s a foodie in training to be sure.

Tuesday: Chicken broccoli pasta with sundried tomatoes. This is a family favorite.

Wednesday: Leftover night! 😉

Thursday: Snack foods, and other things we see on Pinterest to include a spinach and artichoke dip, queso, pizza, fruit tray, and a selection of other fun appetizers.

Friday: I am not feeling the normal ham, turkey, and sides that I normally do. I’m kinda thinking about a gumbo or maybe just ham. I’ll have to decide soon, since there is no way I’m stepping into a store on Christmas Eve!

Saturday: Fend for yourself.

Sunday: Dinner out.

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday is a part of my routine.  But today it just feels boring.  I am tired of turkey. I am tired of ham. I am tired of leftovers. But my budget is even more tired of eating out and throwing food away.

In preparation for Christmas, we are tightening our belts at home. I have reduced our grocery budget to just $250 for a family of five for this month. And this includes our Christmas Day dinner. The name of the game for December is Chopped style eating from the pantry. If it isn’t milk, bread, or produce, it’s not on the list.

Here’s this week’s plan:

Monday: Hot sandwiches, toasted on the George Foreman Grill and made up of the last of the ham and shaved turkey. No additional groceries needed.

Tuesday: This is my final in person class for the semester, so this is a breakfast for dinner night. There’s bacon in the freezer, eggs in the fridge, and biscuit mix in the pantry.

Wednesday: Baked tilapia, rice, and steamed broccoli. I need a couple lemons and limes to go with this, but that’s it.

Thursday: Spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad. We will need 1 lb of ground beef and some lettuce. $5 out of pocket.

Friday: Roasted pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes and a green veggie. Probably spinach for the girls and broccoli for the boys. I used all the potatoes for Thanksgiving, so we’ll need some more. Probably about $3 for 5 lbs and there will be leftovers.

Saturday: Pizza night! We still have several pizzas in the freezer from the recent sales at Target and Randalls.

Sunday: Undecided.  Sunday is homework day for me, but it is also a good day to do any meal preps for the coming week.  I’ll take a look at the sales and go from there.  In case you missed it, the Kroger Mega Event is already live!

Grocery list:
1 lb of ground beef – $2.99/lb at Fresh Market on Tuesday
1 loaf of Italian bread – $.99 at Fiesta or Randalls.
lettuce – $1.29 ea at Sprouts
red and gold potatoes – $3 at Sprouts
3 lemons – $1 at Sprouts
3 limes – $1 at Sprouts
1 gal milk – $2
1 loaf sandwich bread – $1
mixed fruit – $5
=$18.27, which leaves me plenty of room for mistakes, catastrophes, and mislaid plans.

Monday: Pork chops with mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls. All of these items are pantry supplies.

Tuesday: Cheese raviolis with tomato sauce, or meat sauce. I purchased two containers of Buitoni ravioli from Target, using a $1/2 Target coupon, and a 40% Cartwheel savings along with the $10 gift card when you spend $50. I have prepared tomato sauce in the pantry, so I just need to add 1 lb of ground beef, browned. Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.

Wednesday: Wednesday is grocery ad day, so dinner is going to be quick. Sausage jambalaya with mixed veggies on the side.

Thursday: Leftover buffet!

Friday: Pizza night.

Saturday: Dinner out for the adults. The kids are going to be gone for the weekend.

Sunday: Something filling since I want to make a double batch. My pescatarian has been asking for shrimp gumbo, so that’s a possibility. 😉

Linked at Menu Plan Monday