As any of you who have read these meal plans before know, I tend to plan and then not follow said plan very well. This month I am going to have to be a lot more intentional with the meals I make because I am going to be doing a pantry challenge. I need to reduce some of my freezer inventory anyway, but this plans means thinking ahead to have things thawed, and not relying on any last minute pick up of needed items.
Planned:
1. Spaghetti, tossed salad, broccoli
2. Squash Casserole, coleslaw, peas. collards, cornbread
3. Goulash over steamed cabbage shreds, rolls, cuke onion and tomato salad
4. Chicken chowder, rolls, pickled green beans (Thanks Kitchen Riffs)
5. Tuna steaks, mashed potatoes (or caulimash) tossed salad, roll
6. Firecracker chicken, green beans, tossed salad, rolls ( Thanks to Martha for the link)
7. Take-out
Actually eaten:
Monday: Firecracker chicken, mashed potatoes (or none), green beans, rolls
Tuesday: Taziki's take out, grilled lamb, mixed greens salad
Wednesday: Spaghetti, tossed salad
Thursday: Chicken chowder, coleslaw
Friday: Squash casserole, collards, peas (or no peas) coleslaw
Saturday: Pimento cheese sandwiches, pickle spears
Sunday: Asian tuna steaks, green beans, rolls or some keto fake bread, tossed salad
1. Hungarian Goulash over either sautéed cabbage ribbons or noodles.
2. Salmon patties, green beans, mashed potatoes or caulimash
3. Fauxtato soup, tossed salad, dinner rolls (or keto fake rolls)
4. Eggroll in a bowl, rolls
5. take-out (naturally)
6. Mac-less Mac and cheese, black eyed peas, cornbread, coleslaw
7. Tacos or almost tacos with all the usual taco fixings
While doing keto (and after this Covid debacle we call quarantine, I am going to be doing keto for a loooooong time) I choose the option known as intermittent fasting, which means I only eat twice a day generally between the hours of 2 and 7. Most days I eat whatever is left over from the night before but occasionally there is nothing left over or my mouth is screaming for a something different.
And because I am also doing a modified pantry challenge this month (I will still buy eggs, almond milk, fresh veggies, and heavy cream as needed) I am going to make some things that I can eat for my late brunch meal, but they have to be things that will freeze easily for later meals. It is going to take a little bit of planning ahead, as there will be no room in the budget* for buying something like a rotisserie chicken simply because there are no leftovers for lunch. If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you know how much I hate following a plan. This should be interesting
This week I will be making individual crustless sausage and green chili quiches, since they can be individually frozen, and am also baking collard green and parmesan muffins which should also freeze well.
I will also make a couple of keto desserts, but they have yet to be decided because who knows what kind of mood I will be in later in the week.
*This budget is strictly a self imposed budget game I am playing. I thought to make it really fun I would allow only 60 dollars for the month.
I am excluding all recreational shopping TheHub does, since he stops at the store regularly under the guise of "needing something" when he is really just looking around the store to see what appeals to him at that moment. I will only count it as part of the budget if he brings something home I specifically asked for.
Also excluded is any seriously good stock up buy on seafood, chicken, or beef. If that happens I will buy whatever is a great deal, but will freeze it for later use. I plan to do a stock up on mushrooms because they are on sale right now and dehydrate very well. I will only count any mushrooms actually used this month in the $60 budget.
Later today I will go through the freezer to see exactly what I have to use for the month. I might even post a list of what I find to work with as well as some actual meal possibilities. Or I might not. I guess it depends on how the day goes.
Have a good week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all!
Wow, $60 for the month is quite the challenge - even though I imagine you could probably feed an army anyway from your pantry and freezer. Good for you if you make it!
ReplyDeleteAnd the "If" is the key word here.
DeleteGood luck. After years of trying to lose weight I am now trying to gain (or at least maintain). A super weird feeling. My hubby is wonderful - but not a great shopper. Recent buys: $16 grapes (thought they were $5.99 a bag not a pound), pop for $3 for 2 litres (I buy it for .99 a 2 litre when I do the big online order but they were out last time), $11 for 5 apples.....plus things I don't know about. It is what it is and I can't send him all over the place with Covid and can't go myself due to how low my immune system is now. I upped the grocery budget $200 a month to cover it lol
ReplyDeleteYou know there are times to worry about cost and times to just say to heck with it all and let things happen as they will. This is definitely one of those times. I am just thrilled you are improving and have a good "nurse" around to take care of you.
DeleteYour music selection today has fired me up to approach the day with a little more enthusiasm than I could otherwise muster.
ReplyDeleteMy partner shops just like your husband. He makes some good buys and some shockers. Later today we will do groceries - with me present to keep him (more or less) in check.
Good luck with your challenge.
Glad the music fired you up!
DeleteI just decided the food TheHub buys is generally just what he wants and if he wants to buy it, it is on him and not me.
Oh this will be fun to follow you! I have my $350 for all grocery, household, health and beauty, and the pup, so will also try not to just runout for things. $60-wow, that is amazing to think of spending so little in a single month, but realistically, if I had to, we could eat the whole month on that too, but things would be bare on 2/28.
ReplyDeleteI went through the freezer today and have a ton of meat and poultry. We could easily live 2 months on them What surprised me was how few frozen vegetables I have, I guess I have been using the broccoli without replacing it, so keeping to 60 might be totally unrealistic but I am going to try.
DeleteGood luck with everything. We never plan meals but we do discuss what we should eat for dinner each morning. You're a real go getter!!!
ReplyDeleteI think I can do it, but maybe not. I guess I will just have to wait and see how it all pans out.
DeleteAnne,
ReplyDeleteI could make it on $60/month but I could only buy milk and bananas! And, I would to buy some milk for Tommy, too. The $20 worth of milk I bought today will last me until the middle of the month. I would have plenty of food left.
We are not milk drinkers and a half gallon of almond milk lasts for 2 weeks here. I am only going to need to be very careful about vegetable purchases.
DeleteWhere are mushrooms on sale?
ReplyDeleteAldi
DeleteGood luck with your challenge. I like to "play" budget games also, but like many others, my husband is never onboard. But I'm happy to say that if that's the worst thing I have to deal with, I'm pretty lucky.
ReplyDeleteTheHub does not even know about it, and since I do the shopping and the cooking it doesn't matter. And like I said, I exempted his recreational purchases.
DeleteIf you have a fairly well stocked freezer and pantry, then, you can definitely manage on $60 for the month for fresh produce, dairy, etc., I think. :)
ReplyDeleteMy freezer is beyond well stocked, likewise for the pantry. I think 60 will do it, and if it won't, well, I will just spend more.
DeleteI spend $70 a fortnight on fruit and veg alone and thinking about it reminded me to check on my order so thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI'll be waiting to see what you make!
We do not eat a lot of fruit. TheHub grabs bananas a few days a week, and with keto all I can have are a few berries. The vegetables? I will have to shop for whatever is on sale and potentially ignore what sounds good.
DeleteYou can do it! We should have talked challenges before the new month started. I debated between doing a pantry challenge and doing my deep clean and declutter challenge this month. Oh well, we are both still working on challenges together either way and I'll be here cheering you on! :)
ReplyDeleteI may have set my budget a little to low and if I have to raise it a tad I will. The main thing for me is to use up some of my inventory to start getting the freezer ready for the summertime harvest.
DeleteI will be cheering you on as you work through your challenge. I decided to do a mini de-cluttering challenge. This month every day I am going to sort through one drawer, cabinet or closet and get rid of items I do not use.
Oh keto my old friend. Back on low carb and I want to eat my arm. I am trying to use up the odds and ends in the fridge. Lots of odds let me tell you.
ReplyDeleteI seem to have more odds than ends in everything but the meat type stuff. And butter! I have a ridiculous amount of butter.
DeleteGood for you, Anne! I'm following a Mediterranean way of eating and it's going well. I still have some food in the house I hate to get rid of but it's slowly evolving and I'm really trying to keep busy with my job and reading. I have a lot of butter in the freezer too and you are supposed to only use olive oil on this way of eating. If I ever leave the house, I'll donate it!
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful Nan. I had tried the Mediterranean way of eating and it does not work for me, but I know several people who have had great success with it.
DeleteI watched a YouTube video with a woman making salmon patties last night, I love them and can’t get them off my brain now. Salmon patties, soon!!
ReplyDeleteI have to be out of town part of the day today, so I think that is what we will eat tonight.
Delete