(Photo Credit: The Walt Disney Company)
Sometimes when I am writing these meal plans, it is a Thursday. I’ve just gone on my grocery trip. The world is sunny and shining with meal possibilities. Other times, it is Sunday night. I’ve successfully made it half way through the week but it looks like all I’ve got left is a chicken breast and a prayer. To last three more days… You’ll be able to tell those times because that’s when I get creative the fruits and veg. Grilled mango anyone?
When you asked to see how I put the groceries purchased in my weekly Kroger trips to use did you ever think you would see so new ways to serve fruit? We grill it! We slice it! We dice it! It goes in salads! It goes as a garnish! It goes on our heads! Ok, not that last one. The Saving to Disney plan has had a tremendous impact on my grocery shopping, so even when I’m just making it work, I’m a lot better off than I used to be. Even on the weeks where I have no other options besides take out (see below…yikes…), I don’t beat myself up about it. Takeout is such a rate occurence now, that when it happens, I just let it go…let it go…I am one with my gocery budget! Let it go, let it go, even if I have to nudge it! What? I’m not singing. You’re singing.
With a Type 1 Diabetic in the family, our choices are limited. Last week I talked about how we tend to do a lot of repeats. This week I was inspired to try some new things by scoring some exciting protein on sale (Swordfish!) and there being little to no deals on my old standbys. If you’re also trying new meals, I’d love to hear about them. And by hear about them, I mean copy them and serve them to my family.
Meal Plan for 9/21-9/28
Thursday
- Dinner- Hamburgers and Fries (Takeout)
*Ok, originally this read “Something healthy and delicious,” but I wasn’t feeling so hot on Thursday, so I called an audible and had Mr. B bring something home. It is a scientific fact that hamburgers cure all things that ail you.
Friday
- Breakfast– Cereal with Bananas
- Lunch-Veggie Omelets with a side of Peaches and Strawberries
- Dinner- Grilled Avocado Chicken Over Baked Mango
*You may be wondering how I always have egg dishes but you never see any eggs on my shopping trips. For whatever reason, the cheapest eggs in my stratosphere come from Target. I can get 30 for $1.29 there, while my Kroger charges that much for a dozen. So once every three weeks or so, I load up the kids and we go on an “egg trip.” That money comes out of the home budget.
Saturday
- Breakfast-Homemade Cinnamon Oatmeal with Apples
- Lunch- LO Grilled Avocado Chicken and Mango
- Dinner- Gyros with Greek Salad (Takeout)
*Saturday became a crazy day. We are currently house hunting. Between seeing a bunch of houses, a soccer game for my little’s team, AND the high school team my husband assists with, we needed quick and easy. The thing about takeout is, it can be burgers and fries (cough, cough) but it shouldn’t always be burgers and fries. Try something out of your comfort zone. My teeny, tiny town has an amazing Greek place. Portions are huge, prices are low, food is amazing.
Sunday
- Breakfast- Cereal with bananas
- Lunch- Carne Asada Quesadillas (1/2 pork and cheese from this trip) with sliced Apples
- Dinner-Steak Tacos with Tomato Salad
Monday
- Breakfast- Scrambled Eggs with Yogurt
- Lunch- LO Steak Tacos for the adults, Pepperoni, Apple, and String Cheese for the littles
- Dinner-Cobb Salad (Lettuce, tomatos from this trip, bacon and blue cheese from previous trip)
*I know, I know. I said I was branching out. Yes, this is a salad on a Monday. But, it is a different kind of salad! That’s progress, right?
Tuesday
- Breakfast- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Bananas from the freezer, previous trip)
- Lunch- LO Cobb Salad
- Dinner- Swordfish with Rice and Carrots (Swordfish from this trip, rice two trips previous)
*Bananas are my favorite fruit for two reasons. The first is that they are delicious. The second is that when they get too old for typical eating, they become perfect for baking (and then eating.) It’s like two for the price of one deal. We don’t have a lot of food go bad in this house, since we do weekly shopping. But if you must have food go bad, best that it be the food that makes delicious muffins when over ripe.
Wednesday
- Breakfast- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Lunch- Poor Man’s Chicken Bog
- Dinner-Pickle Chicken with Grilled Onions and Carrots (chicken and onion from this trip)
*Chicken Bog is an actual Southern dish that involves boiling a whole chicken and then cooking rice, onions and a variety of other things in the juices that come from that chicken. In the B house, it is a little less sophisticated. We throw leftover rice together with some veggies (in this case tomato, carrots, and onion.) I’m anticipating having a little chicken and bacon left over from the Cobb meal, so that goes in there too.
Thursday
- Breakfast- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Lunch- LO Pickle Chicken and Sliced Mango
- Dinner- Dealer’s Choice
*Leaving Thursday night dinner open, as usual. If I don’t find anything good on the shopping trip Thursday, then I have plenty of ground turkey, so I’ll do chili or meatballs.
What do your mid week meal planning assessments looks like? How do you get yourself out of a menu bind? Ever wear fruit on your head? Let me know all about it after the jump!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!