Monday, March 6, 2017

This Week's Supper Menu and Grocery Finds!


It's going to be a tasty week!  My sweetie is still getting lots of great deals with Ibotta.  It helps that he can stop at the store after he drops Daughter off at school - the stores where he is getting his deals are right on the way.  This past week he saved on onions and tomatoes (which were also on sale), he got some free Crunchmaster crackers and Twisted Q (barbecue) seasoning, and he was able to get 3 cans of solid albacore tuna for .25 each!

Checkout 51 is looking pretty good too - he got Bush's canned beans for .25 a can, because they were on sale for $1 and Checkout 51 had a offer for .75 off for up to 10 cans (so, yes, we got 10).  There was a good deal on Kleenex too, which he used at Dollar tree to get them for .20 each.  As is true with Ibotta, the Checkout 51 deals tend to work best when the item is also on sale...and if we also have a coupon, all the better!  That's how he got some Hummus Made Easy (the red pepper one is really good) for 12 cents a package and some battered fish that was BOGO, with coupons and Ibotta.  $3 a package isn't a screaming deal, but it is pretty good for here, so we picked some up.  

I used an image for the header this week with yogurt, because there were sales on yogurt, plus Ibotta and Checkout 51 offers, which can be stacked on the same item.  Yogurt is the current go-to for breakfast and snacks, because we are well stocked.  

Apples were .77/lb this week, and with some coupons we had, it turned out that salad-in-a-bag was the best way to go for lettuce this week, at .19 a bag.  We are hoping cabbage will go on sale this week in preparation for St. Patrick's day, but we have plenty of other produce on hand from previous sale cycles - a partial head of romaine, onions, celery, carrots, cucumber, and tomatoes.  I may pick up some zucchini and broccoli before this sale cycle ends. 

OK...I'll hush about the deals now, and share our supper menu plan for the week!  We are slowly nudging ourselves toward a more plant-focused, less meat-focused diet.  Baby steps, for sure, but this week, we have two meatless suppers.  Here is the plan:

M- shrimp tacos, salad, mandarin oranges

T - black bean burgers w/lettuce, tomatoes, etc., tater tots, sliced apples

W - macaroni and cheese, marinated 3 bean salad, sauteed zucchini

R - barbecued ribs, marinated 3 bean salad, sweet corn

F - fish & fries, slaw (if cabbage goes on sale) or carrot & raisin salad

S - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli

S - marinated grilled chicken, steamed rice, kimchee, wakame salad (I brought home dried wakame last time we visted family - I need to use it!)

The ribs are coming from the freezer - Husband got them back when they were on sale.  Same for the ground beef we'll use in the meat loaf and the chicken we'll be grilling.  One of the ways we save on our overall food costs is to buy extra that we have storage space for.  We keep a pantry and we have a small/medium chest freezer.

What's cookin' at your place this week?

Note:  You may have noticed that the mentions of Ibotta are links.  If you use our link to join, we get a little bonus, and you do too.  Thanks.



12 comments:

  1. Everything sounds delicious.

    I did all that work to make out several month's menus....and we haven't stuck to this week's at all and it is only Monday. LOL
    However, I have used what is on hand so I suppose that is good.

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    1. I used to do monthly menus for the community college preschool, but I find it's a big challenge. For at home, I like a week at a time, so I can get the produce a little more accurate...but that's just me!

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    2. I think my hardest part is that I am more "fluid" in my thoughts and plans. I like to have a list, but treat it more as suggestions...lol. If we get busy, we have a change of plans, or we just want something else, I like to be able to switch things up.

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  2. M-Thanksgiving dinner from the freezer. Yummy. We have one more.
    T-Chicken and dumplings, asparagus, salad,
    W-lemon garlic salmon, ,baked potato, zucchini, salad
    TR-leftover chicken and dumplings, broccoli, cucumbers
    FR-grilled pork chops, potatoes of some kind, zucchini, Caesar salad
    ST-sloppy joes, tater tots, veggies and dip
    SN-chili, cornbread, veg and dip

    I haven't ever made chicken and dumplings since I did not grow up eating it so it is time for me to learn since we keep going out for it. I keep putting it on the menu and not doing it so this is the week! We have changed the way we shop. I used to hit several stores every week for specials which just got so tiring. Now we do an Aldi shop every Saturday morning and get only what is needed for the next weeks menu. It is saving us a ton of money. I do still have the stockpile but it had just gotten too large so we are paring down. I have way less waste this way too.

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    Replies
    1. Lana, are you making the drop dumplings? They are the only kind I've ever had or made. With your ability to cook a lot of things from scratch, I think you'll find them easy-peasy!

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    2. I made the rolled and cut ones. It worked and turned out great but I will try another recipe next time because these had egg in them and I thought they tasted too similar to a thick noodle. I think I will try Paula Deen's recipe next time. But over all I think it was a success!

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    3. If you are considering drop dumplings, they are more-or-less biscuits with some parsley mixed in, dropped by the spoonful into the 'soup' and simmered with the lid on. I love them. So much so, that I rarely make them because I always have too many. I'm sure you'll find the recipe that's perfect for you and yours. :-)

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    4. Thank you, Laura. I do think I will try the drop ones too because who knows, we may love them! And they are so much easier. We ate way too much both times we had the ones I made this time. :)

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  3. You mentioned, I think, using coupons at Dollar Tree...our does not accept coupons. Wonder if it is an individual store policy. I use Dollar Tree a lot and even tho it's all a dollar saving with coupons would help. We're in our 70's on a very limited budget.

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    1. I'm not sure about the coupon policy. I have seen mention of using coupons at Dollar Tree on some of the coupon/shopping websites, so I think it might be store-to-store. Have you read The Prudent Homemaker website and blog? She has lots of great recipes and ideas for saving. www.theprudenthomemaker.com

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    2. Yes, I read The Prudent Homemaker. I'm diabetic and hubby has heart health issues so we have 'special' diets that, unfortunately, limit the amounts of the cheaper foods like breadstuffs, pasta, rice and potatoes. Just makes for more planning of meals.

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