Monday Menu #14-Making Do With What’s On Hand

Menu Monday #14

As we enter week #14 and share our Menu Monday plan, we are wrapping up the end of our one month budgeted grocery period. During this week we are trying hard to “Just Make Do” with food from the fridge and cabinets. Keeping this in mind, we will not have a shopping trip to share this week, we didn’t last week either.

I would estimate that we have spent approximately $50 for this week’s groceries. Those items included: 3 gallons of milk, eggs, cheese, bread, lunch meat, orange juice and a few more dairy products. Items we were unable to pre-purchase and store in the freezer.

This is what our refrigerator looked like at the end of last week, not a lot of the basics on hand, which is the goal. Most of the remaining containers are actually almost empty. I would say we are doing a pretty good job of “Just Making Do,” considering we consumed the leftovers you see in the upper right corner that same evening, and had very little to toss into the compost or trash. As I was preparing this week’s shopping list and Menu Monday plan, I tried hard to incorporate the partial items I found here, as well as what we still have in our freezer and cabinets. It can get a bit tricky when you are using up those odds and ends; plus take into consideration everyone’s food intolerances, but we did it! And no one will starve.

Monday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal/Cereal

Lunch: Leftover Taco Salad/Sandwiches

Snack: Ice Cream Sandwiches

Supper: Breaded Chicken Strips, Fries, and Corn on the Cob

Tuesday

Breakfast: O.Y.O.

Lunch: Tuna Salad

Snack: Empty Snack Cabinet

Supper: BBQ Sandwiches, Chips, and Pasta Salad

Wednesday

Breakfast: French Toast, Frozen Fruit, OJ, and Milk

Lunch: Chicken Nuggets, Ramon Noodles, Green Beans, and Milk

Snack: Fruit, Crackers & Icing, and milk

Dinner: Chicken Alfredo Sauce & Pasta, Salad, and Zucchini Noodles (for daughter)

Thursday

Breakfast: Oatmeal/Cereal, Fruit, and Milk

Lunch: Pizza Buns, Chips, Fresh Veggies, and Milk

Snack: Fresh Fruit, Cookies, and Milk

Dinner: Steak, Potatoes, Green Beans, and Brownies

Friday

Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs, and Milk Hash browns?

Lunch: Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Chips, and Fruit to go to park. Boiled egg substitute for those with food intolerance

Snack: Brownies and Ice Cream Last Day of Summer Babysitting

Dinner: Pizza, Chips, and Dip

Saturday

Breakfast: O.Y.O

Lunch: Parents: Out, Kids: Leftovers

Snack: Parents: Out

Dinner: Tacos

Sunday

Breakfast: Pancakes (courtesy of hubby)

Lunch: Leftovers or Sandwiches

Snack: Freezer Cooking

Dinner: Grill

Homemade Chicken Strips

A few of you have asked about how we make our homemade chicken strips. Especially with our food intolerances and additive issues.

We usually pre-slice our chicken into strips when we purchase it in bulk during a sale, then freeze it in meal size bags.

We make the breading in advance from leftover bread slices, following the instructions found here.

On the day of we thaw our chicken in the morning, grab our breading mix (we store it in an ice cream bucket), separate some eggs and start breading.

For those of us with intolerances we have a small container of breadcrumbs only. No garlic, Parmesan or other seasoning added.

In less than 10 minutes of prep we have dinner ready to go.

IF I am feeling really motivated we will make homemade fries and coat them with oil, garlic and parmesan as well.

It all goes perfectly with a salad.

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Tags: Budget, Eating From the Cabinets, Eating From the Freezer, Just Make Do, menu, Recipes, Savings, Shopping

Menu Monday | Tina Miller | August 3, 2016 9:53 am

Treasured Tidbits by Tina