July was a rough month and a lot of things I enjoy fell to the wayside. Blogging, couponing, meal planning… Yeah, all of those got trumped by 3 ER visits, 5 doctor visits, 1 destroyed carport, and 1 freezer loss.

To be perfectly honest, July sucked.

But it’s over now, and we’re moving on. I’m restocking the freezer bit by bit, and looking forward to school starting for my two younger kids. I’ll have a 1st grader and a sophomore. Which means we’re thinking about college and scholarships, and SAT testing.

So, back to meal planning. I’m happy if I cook 3 nights a week. Any more than that, and food gets wasted. Any less than that, and we end up eating out too much.

Monday: I picked up some pork tenderloins at Sprouts ($2.77/lb until Wednesday) and I’m going to experiment with cooking them on the stove. It is far too hot to turn on the oven. 😉 Served with a Caesar salad.

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday. I’m cooking my rice in my favorite rice cooker, which is placed in the laundry room for now. Keeps the kitchen cooler, which I’m all for. Refried or canned beans are also served.

Wednesday: Leftovers or fend for yourself night. It’s matchup day and I’m always busy looking for new deals. My goal is to pick up one additional store per week until I’m back up to all the stores.

Thursday: Chicken in the crockpot. I’m looking for a new recipe, so hit me with your best shot.

Friday: I’m going to happy hour with my rodeo family, so the kids are going to have sandwiches and chips.

Saturday: I’m teaching a public coupon class in Beaumont, so I’ll probably bring something home.

Sunday: Grilling day? Schlitterbahn? I don’t know yet!

Linked at Menu Plan Monday

School’s almost out! My baby graduated from Kindergarten on Friday. I might have been a little emotional. Okay, a lot emotional. My sweet little baby who didn’t talk until he was 3 is now a mostly typical first grader. I just can’t even with this kid. Also, my big boy is home from college. This summer he’s decided that he wants to learn how to cook on a budget. I have tried and tried to teach him, but I don’t actually have a lot of recipes. I have “techniques” and stuff. LOL. I wish him lots of luck. And I’m super happy to let him learn.

Monday: Pork chops, scalloped potatoes, and mixed veggies.

Tuesday: Chicken broccoli pasta. My boys love this and ask for it all the time.

Wednesday: Sloppy joes, french fries, and raw veggies.

Thursday: Gravy steaks, mashed potatoes, and salad.

Friday: Leftover buffet.

Saturday: Fend for yourself.

Sunday: Day out! 🙂

Linked at Org Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday

I teach people who attend my classes to shop their house first. Then plan their meals. Well, last night, I took my own advice. And I have to say, I love finding a mystery ingredient in the back of my refrigerator. Yesterday, it was fontina cheese. Why did I buy it? What was I going to make? The world may never know. I know I don’t.

My oldest is home from college for the summer. That means two things: I must be strict with the meal planning and I must stay on my coupon game. 😉 So, I’ll be focusing on dishes that can be made cheaply and using up some of the things already in my fridge and freezer.

Monday: On Sunday, I made an enchilada casserole with a rotisserie chicken, jarred green chili mix, and a lot of cheese. My husband loved it. I enjoyed it. The kids will have to suffer through it again.

Tuesday: Using that fontina cheese, I want to make a batch of homemade mac and cheese, meatloaf muffins, and broccoli. We were going to do meatloaf muffins last week, but it didn’t happen.

Wednesday: Pork tenderloin with roasted red and gold potatoes. I’m going to try parboiling them so I don’t have to roast them for as long. I have two pork tenderloins in the freezer that I got when Fresh Market had them BOGO. Love cheap meat. 😉

Thursday: Leftover night! 😉

Friday: Pizza night.

Saturday: Fend for yourself.

Sunday: Grilling for Memorial Day since my husband has to work.

Linked at OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday.

May is very busy at my house. It’s the end of the school year so there are trips to be taken and events to attend. I’m keeping it simple this week.

Monday: Pulled pork, salad, and tater tots. Simple meal. I bought 20 lbs of pork loin at HEB last week for $1.47/lb and I had $1/1 coupons. I put about 3 lbs of pork into the crockpot with a bottle of barbeque sauce, a few spices and seasonings, and let it cook on low for 8 hours. It will be fabulous. 🙂

Tuesday: Chicken, broccoli, and rice. Just a simple dish for busy families.

Wednesday: Meatloaf muffins, mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies.

Thursday: Leftover buffet.

Friday: Pizza night.

Saturday: Fend for yourself. I’m teaching a class at the George Memorial Library in Richmond! Stop on by if you’re in that neighborhood!

Sunday: Either grilling day or sandwiches.

Linked at OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday.

Hello Menu Plan Monday. I’ve missed you. Today I’m playing along with the Axis of Ineptitude, run by the awesome duo of Shelley and Evin, who I got to meet yesterday! I love meeting people I’ve “known” virtually for a long time. It is fantabulous. They’re doing a month of prompts, and today is “Feed Me”. So, perfect timing.

Monday: Chicken alfredo bake with rice and broccoli. Maybe a salad too. This is something I threw together pre-pinterest and it’s a family favorite. Combine one jar of alfredo sauce, 1 can of cream of chicken (we use this brand since it is MSG free), add one can of evaporated milk, pour over chicken breasts, sprinkle with whatever spices you like and toss it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

Tuesday: Chili and cornbread. This one is super easy to make veggie-friendly for my daughter, plus it’s supposed to be icky in Houston all week long. I cheat and use this chili starter. It’s also available at HEB, but it doesn’t go on sale very often. When it does, I grab up several jars.

Wednesday: Roasted pork tenderloin and garlic red potatoes. I will often cook a separate pan of potatoes so that my daughter has something tasty to eat. She loves these potatoes, so they’re a great side for her. These pork tenderloins are on sale at The Fresh Market B1G1.

Thursday: Leftover buffet.

Friday: Pizza night.

Saturday: Fend for yourself.

Sunday: Grilling day! I’m going to prepare some tequila lime chicken breasts, pork chops, fajitas and other tasty grilled stuff so we eat on it for lunches next week.

Linked at Org Junkie and Axis of Ineptitude!