We’ll be starting the September Meal Plan after Labor Day…mostly because I already know what we are having this week.  And I have no idea what we’ll be having this weekend…other than Rehearsal Dinner Food, Wedding Reception Food, and Cake! Yum!!!

6-
7- BBQ Chicken with Mini Corn Muffins
8- Out with Family
9- Black Bean and Salsa Chicken
10- Pasta E Fagioli
11-  Sandwiches or Leftovers
12- Grill Burgers

Gonna be a little heavy on the carbs this next week…as Steve will be running in the Air Force Marathon on Saturday…

13- Pasta with Corn and Bacon
14- Adobe Chili and Apricot Chicken - Get Green, Be Well…thanks Kimberly!!!
15- Emeril’s Essence Chicken
16- Pasta with Italian Sausage (Warning:  This will not be a $5 Dinner!)
17- Spaghetti – Carbo Load Night
18- Sandwiches or Leftovers (or whatever the marathon runner wants!!!)
19- Grill Burgers

20- Turkey Pumpkin Chili
21- Mini Cheesy Salsa Meatloaves - A Southern Fairytale…thanks Rachel!!!
22- Chorizo Breakfast Tacos
23- Lentils and Rice of some sort
24- We’ll see what’s on sale this week and make a “bargain meal!”
25- Sandwiches or Leftovers
26- Birthday Dinner!!! I’ll be celebrating the 8th anniversary of my 25th birthday!

I’m off to NYC this next week…but I’ll be leaving behind some favorites!

27- Chicken of some sort
28- Meatloaf
29- Spaghetti
30- Out on a Daddy Date!
1- Pork Roast with Apples and Pears
2- Chicken Sliders
3-  Will we still be grilling?!  I hope so!

Want to know more about why I plan my menus out each month? Read more here…

Want to give monthly meal planning a try?!?…check out all the printable planners and templates that will help with your weekly and monthly meal planning!

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• Print Grocery Coupons
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A very clever meal planning idea from Stacie…that I couldn’t not share with you!

I’m always looking for ways to improve my menu planning!  I’ve tried so many different approaches (calendars, binders, computer programs, etc.), but I’ve never quite found the perfect match for me.  When I ran across a few ideas about making a magnetic menu planner for the refrigerator, I LOVED them!

After a little tweaking, I came up with two versions:

• a scrapbook version (the prettiest, but it takes more time),
• a recycled version (very frugal and easy).

I love having my magnetic menu for several reasons:

• I can plan my menu monthly or weekly.
• My favorite meal ideas are right in front of me, so I don’t get stuck in a rut and make the same ones every week!
• It is easy to swap out one dinner for another (no pen marks all over the calendar when I need to make a change)!

Visit me at The Amazing Mess for complete details and directions!

Stacie is a mom of three little girls, wife to her college sweetheart, former elementary teacher, and mess-maker extraordinaire! She blogs about craft projects, cooking, and other enrichment activities for preschoolers at The Amazing Mess.

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Better late than never.  Right?

It’s been since…April, I think…since I’ve had a monthly meal plan. And my mental condition has suffered as a result! It’s time to get back on the monthly meal planning bandwagon and bring a little sanity back into the kitchen!!!

(Even if it is 1/3 of the way through this month already!)

School starts so soon…and I’d really like to have my brain screwed on as we move into this next season of busy-ness.

12 – Slow Cooker Chicken with Rosemary and Maple
13 – Stuffed Tomatoes
14 – Sandwiches
15 – Butter Burgers on the Grill

16 – Grilled Chicken Thighs
17 – Quinoa Waldorf Salad
18 – Green Chile Stuffed Chicken Breasts
19 – Spanish Rice Casserole
20 – Cobb Pasta Salad
21 – Leftovers
22 – Chicken Sliders

23 – Succotash Rice Pilaf
24 – Mexican Pizzas
25 – Shepherd’s Pie with Chicken
26 – Coconut Chicken Curry
27 – Pasta with Mini Meatballs
28 – Sandwiches
29 – Grill Burgers

30 – Tacos
31 – Balsamic Chicken and Onion Wraps
1 – BBQ Chili with Green Peppers
2 – BBQ Chicken with Cornbread
3 – Pasta E Fagioli
4 – Leftovers
5 – Family in town…not sure!

We’ll see what’s on sale this week and make a “bargain meal!”

Numbers

Want to know more about why I plan my menus out each month? Read more here…

Want to give monthly meal planning a try?!?

…check out all the printable planners and templates that will help with your weekly and monthly meal planning!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

After surveying the freezer and pantry, I discovered that I can almost get through the entire month with what I’ve got.  That being said, we’re going to do a semi-pantry challenge.  Similar to what we did in January, but not quite as hard core this month!  I’m going to reduce our grocery budget a smidge…down to $200 for the month, or $50/week.

That being said…here’s the plan based on what we’ve got in the freezer/pantry:

5- Burgers on the Grill
6- Salsa and Beef Skillet Dinner
7- Waffles and Eggs
8- Grilled Chicken
9-  Slow Cooker Beef Roast with Balsamic Onions (I LOVE this dinner!!!)
10- Tacos
11- Leftovers or Tuna Sandwiches

12- Tuna Noodle Casserole
13- Chicken Pesto Pasta
14- Pork Roast
15- Burritos
16- Chana Masala (Reader Recipe)
17- Spaghetti
18- Leftovers or Tuna Sandwiches

19- Chicken Zucchini Soup
20- Breakfast for Dinner
21- Slow Cooker Beef Roast
22- Lasagna
23- Salsa Chicken (Reader Recipe)
24- Tacos
25- Leftovers or Tuna Sandwiches

26- Pasta Meal
27- We’ll see what’s on sale this week and make a “bargain meal!”
28- Pancakes and Eggs
29- Grilled Chicken
30- OUT for dinner
1- Spaghetti
2- Leftovers or Tuna Sandwiches (I’ve got lots of free or nearly free tuna in the pantry!)

Want to know more about why I plan my menus out each month? Read more here…

Want to give monthly meal planning a try?!? Print a free monthly meal planner!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

I’ve finally got some fabulous meal planners available for you…for FREE!  It’s about time, huh?

I’m a “Pencil and Paper” kinda girl.  I’m an obsessive list maker.  Obsessive might be too mild of a description. (It runs in the family. Hi Dad!)  It’s not my fault.  It’s genetic!

I’m often asked/told…I don’t know how you do all of this…How do you keep up with everything?

1. A wonderfully supportive husband
2. A sitter, whom the boys are smitten over
3. Lists, and lots of them

That’s it!

So if  you’re like me, you might enjoy these…

Simply click on the images to get the .pdf that you can print

A huge thanks to Joy from FiveJs Design for creating these for me!

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• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

After returning home from all the February festivities, I found there was still quite a bit of food in the freezer.  That must be used.  Right away!

There are beans, spaghetti sauce, some frozen vegetables, pepperonis, shredded chicken, and more…

So…here’s the plan!

1 – Black Bean Fajitas and Corn
2 – Maple Rosemary Chicken
3 – Ham and Sweet Potato Hash
4 – Vegetable Gumbo and Rice
5 – Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Fruit
6 – Spaghetti
7 – Dinner Out

8 – Cranberry Pork Chops and Sweet Potatoes (from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook)
9 – Pepperoni Calzones
10 – Beef Stroganoff
11 – Chicken Zucchini Stew
12 – Breakfast for Dinner
13 – Spaghetti
14 – Leftovers

15 – Egg Salad Sandwiches and Fruit
16 – Sesame Stir-fry
17 – Chicken Tortilla Soup (from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook)
18 – Buffalo Chicken Wings
19 – Balsamic Chicken on Brown Rice
20 – Spaghetti
21 – Dinner Out

22 – Mexican Pizza
23 – Emeril’s Essence Chicken
24 – Breakfast for Dinner
25 – Shredded Chicken Recipe
26 -  The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook Recipe (depending on what’s on sale this month!)
27 – Spaghetti
28 – Leftovers

Want to know more about why I plan my menus out each month? Read more here…

Want to give monthly meal planning a try?!? Print a free monthly meal planner!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!

So February.  It’s here.  And I’m ready for it!

I’ll be away from home (cookbook signings, publicity and some vacation time) quite a bit this month.  So I’m not sure exactly how to plan out this month’s meals…but in order to keep the left half of my brain from jumping out of my head, I must do something…so I’ve made a list of some new recipes that I want to try…and some old recipes that I’d like to revisit!

New Recipes to Try

• Mushroom Swiss Steak
• Brussel Sprouts with Chicken and Pasta
• Sausage Apple Egg Casserole
• Baked Walnut French Toast
• Italian Sausage Soup

Old Recipes to Revisit…from the Cookbook!

• Chili
• Pork Roast with Apples and Pears
• Shrimp Scampi

Plus there are the old standbys…spaghetti and “breakfast for dinner” for those harried afternoons that I know will be coming our way this month!

Here’s more on why I plan my menus out each month.

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• Print Grocery Coupons
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When I first heard about the Eat from the Pantry/Freezer Challenge being hosted by Crystal and Jessica, I knew I had to join in! I had planned to eat lots of meals from my “stock the freezer” list during December…but that just didn’t happen! We were blessed with many meals from our church family and friends…and we blessed over the holidays to eat out or eat with family for most meals.

So the freezer remains stuffed to the gills.

Even my BIL noticed…as he couldn’t find space in either freezer for my SIL’s favorite Peanut Butter Chip ice cream (that can’t be found where they live)!

Ah. Right.

Must. Clear. Out. The Freezer!

I printed off a copy of Once A Month Mom’s Freezer Inventory Worksheet…and I filled it out!

Next I made the meal plan for the month (see below). Then I sketched out the list of potentials that I’ll need from the store this month…like bananas, milk, other snacks, etc…and made a decision…that even shocked Steve!  I only plan to spend $100 on groceries for the entire month. (And this will include diapers!)

So that is my challenge to myself this month.  I plan to get back to posting my shopping trips…will share successes and (hopefully not) failures! Also, Tyler and I will be doing some traveling this month for cookbook signing and media appearances…so I’m not exactly sure how “the plan” will play out…but we’re gonna try!

So here’s the plan…starting Monday!

4 – Chicken Taco Bake over Chips
5 – Mushroom Barley Soup
6 – Spaghetti
7 – Ham with Broccoli Casserole
8 – Zucchini Stew with Shredded Chicken, Sweet Potatoes
9 – Italian Stuffed Shells
10 – Rice and Beans

11 – Black Bean Soup and Corn Cobs
12 – Lemon Chicken
13 – Slow Cooker Beef Roast
14 – Shrimp and Pasta Salad
15 – Chicken Penne Italiano (from AllRecipes)
16 – BBQ Mini Meatloaves
17 – Waffles and Scrambled Eggs

18 – Honey Ginger Salmon with Garden Green Beans
19 – Baked Chicken with Garden Pesto Pasta
20 – Round Steaks with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Peas
21 – Bean and Ham Pasta (from AllRecipes)
22 – Beef Roast…still looking for a recipe to try!
23 – Spaghetti
24 – Date Night/Out

25 – Meatloaf
26 – Firecracker Salmon with Broccoli
27 – Pinto Beans…still looking for a recipe to try!
28 – Pasta with Dried Tomatoes from the Garden
29 – Turkey Burgers
30 – Spaghetti
31 – Zucchini Stew

Breakfasts: Pumpkin Pancakes, Cinnamon Rolls, Bagels and English Muffins, Sausage Muffins, Summer Squash Frittata, Oatmeal, Grits, Cereal, Bananas and/or Oranges

Lunches: Lasagna, Cowboy’s Biscuit Pie, Zesty BBQ Beef, Sandwiches, Banana and Fruit Smoothies, Fresh Fruit – Cantaloupe, Apples

There you have it.

The Eat out of the Pantry/Freezer Challenge…and the plan to make it happen!

Happy New Year! And Happy New Decade, too!!!

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So Tyler is here.  And we still have steady flow of meals from friends, and more family coming in a few days to help out!  So I’ll be planning the second half of the month, mostly eating from the freezer!!!

30-6th – No formal plan!

7-13th – No formal plan!

14- Firecracker Salmon
15- Chicken Taco Bake
16- Pancakes from the Freezer
17- Zucchini Soup
18- Beef and Bean Chimichangas
19- Spaghetti
20- Sandwiches

21- Taco Mac, or Tacaroni
22- COOKBOOK Release Party!!!
23- Waffles and Eggs
24- Dinner Out or With Family
25- Merry Christmas!!!
26- Leftovers
27- Leftovers

28- Sweet and Sour Chicken
29- Zesty Slow Cooker BBQ
30- Baked Chicken
31- Mexican Unstuffed Shells
1- New Years Dinner, complete with Black Eyed Peas AND Sauerkraut
2- Leftovers or Sandwiches

Want to know more about why I plan my menus out each month? Read more here…

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So baby boy #3’s birth month has arrived. Sorta hard to plan around a birth. But I’m gonna try.

Cause that’s what you do when you are a Type A!

2- We’ll see what’s on sale this week and make a “bargain meal!”
3- Apricot Chicken
4- Spinach and Lentil Stew
5- Chicken Marengo
6- Ham and Cheddar Waffles
7- OUT (I’m planning one last Stock the Freezer Day!)
8- Spaghetti or Leftovers

9- Soup
10- Bow Tie Pasta with White Beans and Ham
11- Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
12- Pizza
13- Roasted Tomato Soup with Homemade Bread
14- Breakfast for Dinner
15- Spaghetti/Leftovers/Out

16-22 Start Freezer Eating!

23- Creamy Pumpkin Soup
24- Freezer Meal
25- Light Supper
26- HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
27- Leftovers
28- Leftovers
29- Let the Boys Pick!

Want to know more about why I plan my menus out each month? Read more here…

Want healthy and inexpensive meal ideas, the hottest coupons and other money saving tips delivered to your inbox??? Sign up for the FREE $5 Dinners Email Newsletter!

Find More Savings

• Free Money Management Software at Mint.com
• Get Free Coupon Alerts
• Print Grocery Coupons
• Join AFullCup to find more ways to save on Groceries!!!