June Menu Plan

With our CSA share coming in now, we've got a ton of veggies to go through.  We've also been getting quite a bit from gleaning at the food pantry (just this week we got a huge bag of sugar snap peas, broccoli, and about 10 portabello mushroom caps), so we're looking to make the most of it this month.  We'll try to keep our expenses low, mostly spending on fruit, dairy, and a few frozen items.  And we're also trying to clean out the freezers since the house is on the market and we're not sure when we'll get an offer.

Baby and I seem to have healed our gut issues, so we're slowly reintroducing some higher sugar fruits, occasional gluten (neither of our tests came back with a sensitivity), and a tiny bit of sweetener.  We're grateful for good health, and want to keep it that way, so we won't overdo it on these items too much.

So, here's the plan:

Breakfasts:

• French toast casserole or egg casserole with veggies
• Egg sandwiches on gluten free bread with sauteed greens
• Fried eggs, roasted veggies or greens, and smoothies
• Breakfast burritos with sauteed greens, onions, and mushrooms
• Almond flour muffins or lemon poppyseed muffins
• Leftover quiche and roasted veggies
• Banana bars
• Yogurt and homemade granola
• Strawberry cream cheese coffee cake and fruit or eggs

Lunches:

• Leftovers
• Grilled cheeses or quesadillas and soup
• Smoothies
• Healthy snacky lunch in the car (lots of summer activities with the boys) such as apples and peanut butter or almond butter, dried apricots, crackers and cheese, popcorn, nuts, etc.
• Occasional meals at the restaurant (it's a nice perk of Benny working there)

Dinners:

• Quiche with greens, mushrooms, onion, and dried tomato served with salad
• Dinner salad with tuna, salmon, or hard boiled eggs
• Tuna salad lettuce wraps
• Grilled sausage, cooked greens, and crock pot German potato salad
• Grilled chicken and veggies
• portabello burgers with lettuce and grilled onions, served with oven fries
• sweet potato and quinoa salad served with salmon
• Asian crock pot chicken with rice
• Breakfast for dinner:  French toast, eggs, roasted veggies or fruit
• Cheddar and spinach waffles with sausage
• turkey salad sandwiches with lettuce and veggies and dip
• loaded beans and rice with salad and almond flour cheddar muffins or scallion corn bread
• black bean crock pot chili with salad
• loaded crock pot baked potatoes with chili, cheese, and Greek yogurt
• homemade pizza 
• picnic dinner at the park:  hard boiled eggs, crackers, cheese, fruit, veggies and dip, maybe pasta salad

Snacks:

• cheese and crackers
• homemade foccacia
• pineapple jello (from scratch with good quality gelatin)
• popcorn
• carrot sticks and homemade ranch dip
• fruit
• banana bars

So, our shopping list for this month looks like this:

• Avocados
• Cheddar cheese
• "Pizza" cheese (as it's known in our house... aka mozzarella)
• Sweet potatoes
• Frozen pie shells (I could make my own, but it's just too tough when I'm home full time with the boys)
• Onions
• Baking potatoes
• Plain Greek yogurt

What do your meal plans look like for this month?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments for Last Week of May

This past week we worked really hard to keep extra expenditures down.  We enjoyed some shared meals with friends, which was great in terms of social time and also lightening the load on the grocery budget and the cooking prep.

We also worked hard to keep the house clean and tidy for showings, weeded the herb beds, and split a few plants to share with friends.  Once the house is under contract, I'll begin splitting things from the garden that I want to take to the new house for the new gardens there.  We're really looking forward to having neighbors there who enjoy gardening and can help us with some ideas for plantings there.

Here's what we did last week to live and save green:

• Cooked most meals at home including:  double batch of quiche (swiss chard, onion, dried tomato, and bacon) and salad, grilled chicken sausages with grilled veggies and portabellos, banana nut muffins, turkey tacos with refried beans, greens, onions, and radishes, scrambled eggs with greens and sausage, and smoothies with greens and frozen fruit.
• It was the first week of our CSA share, so we loved all the wonderful fresh produce.  Loads of greens, green onions, radishes, and a dozen eggs.
• Collected about 20 eggs from our friends' chickens.  Well worth the short drive over there, and the chickens love our kitchen scraps.
• Benny picked up items from the food pantry including two large cartons of organic plain yogurt, a gallon of milk, loaf of bread, some veggies, and some good quality gluten free snacks.
• Enjoyed a pot luck meeting in the new neighborhood.  We took a lemon chess pie that I had in the freezer, and most of it was eaten.  This was a gift from a student, and I was glad to share it.  It also helped clear out our freezer space a bit.
• Gladly accepted a turkey carcass and extra turkey meat from a new neighbor.  They took turkey to the meeting and gave us what was left.  I'll use the meat in turkey taco bowls this week, and we'll make stock from the carcass.
• Grateful for pretty weather and the boys getting to play on the playground.  We spent a few afternoons this way, and it was time well spent.  The sunshine was great for us all, and I think they slept better for the hard play.
• Continued with hanging laundry, but mostly inside this week due to scattered showers.  We're still using cloth diapers, but will hit potty training hard this summer.
• The boys shared a bath a few nights, saving on water.  I should have saved some of the bath water to use for potted plants, but forgot.
• Enjoyed getting the grill out this weekend.  It was a great time with friends, and was nice to not have to heat up the kitchen.
• Received a stipend check for student teaching mentoring.  It's a small amount, compared to the work involved, but it's nice to have the little extra income.
• I renewed my teaching liscense.  It was $35, which kind of stinks because it used to be free, but at least I was able to do it with professional development that was free and I didn't have to pay for.
• Enjoyed a date night on Friday night while Mom kept the boys.  We made quiche and salad for dinner at home, and enjoyed watching an episode of Downton Abbey after we got the baby down.  It was a good date night, and minimal cost, aside from the "splurge" of ice cream I got and the bacon for the quiche.  (I did have a coupon for the ice cream.)
• Made some herbal tea at home with herbs from the garden (lemon balm, orange mint, and pineapple mint) and some lavender I had in the pantry.  It was very good, and a combination I think I'll make in a pitcher to have cold this summer.  
• Started another bag for Goodwill, and have another box of books to take to the library for donation.  It would be nice if the tax receipts worked for next year, but even if they don't, it will be good to have the clutter gone.
• Used some citrus vinegar for cleaning, and olive oil to polish the stainless steel appliances.  It's nice to be able to use things we have for cleaning, and puts fewer toxins into our home, keeping us healthier.
• Even amidst rain showers, we managed to get the yard mowed.  It's nice when Benny can do it because it entertains the boys while I can get some stuff done in the kitchen.
• Enjoyed free yoga class and dinner.  I also worked out using free YouTube videos.
• Benny and I began looking at kitchen design ideas for the new house.  We've chosen most of our paint colors, are pretty sure of cabinet design, and are working on choosing flooring.  We're trying to make as many decisions as possible ahead of time so that once we can begin building, decisions are made and things can move as quickly as possible.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments Third Week of May

This past week was pretty good for us.  We got the house listed for sale and had four showings last week and another scheduled for early this week.  We're hopeful that it will sell quickly so that we can begin the process of building our new house.  We had a few doctor's appointments, and they were great.  Our health seems to be continually improving with our dietary changes, for which I'm grateful. 

Here's the list of our accomplishments for this past week:

• Made all meals from scratch including:  spaghetti and meatballs with gluten free pasta (which was a disappointment... I won't be purchasing that brand again), pancakes and sausage for dinner with fruit, homemade pizza with salad, "nibble" dinner of gluten free crackers, hard boiled eggs, sliced apples, and veggies.  We also did eggs, smoothies, and crock pot steel cut oats for breakfasts.
• Enjoyed shared meals twice this week with Mom and through the Children's Council with yoga.  I'm so enjoying the yoga class and the parent support group.  It's such an amazing resource.
• Grateful for items gleaned from the food pantry.  Fresh produce is in abundance now that they're gleaning from the farmer's market again:
• kale
• swiss chard
• leaf lettuce
• radishes
• eggplant
• coconut milk
• gluten free red pepper crackers
• Won a gift card to Harris Teeter for participating in the school fitness challenge.  I never win anything, and this is something we'll definitely use!
• Took all meals to work, saving on the cost of lunches.  I keep snacks at work too, so that I'm not tempted by things in the vending machine.
• Worked hard to use things from the pantry and freezer in meals, including meatballs, marinara sauce, turkey carcass and veggies (for stock), and mint for tea.
• I worked out for free using YouTube videos and the yoga class at the Children's Council.  We also took a walk a few evenings when the weather allowed, which was nice.
• The boys helped me with weeding in the garden, which was nice.  It's nice to begin seeing flowers pop up in the garden.
• Enjoyed lots of fresh eggs from our friends' chickens.  It's such a nice arrangement to have us collect from them a few days a week, and it makes their life easier to have a regular chicken sitter when they're on vacation.
• Worked really hard to keep the house clean for showings, and I think it's paying off.  It's also nice to begin getting in some habits that will hopefully keep things cleaner in the new house, like taking shoes off at the door and having the boys clean up before bed.
• Enjoyed our membership to the Children's Playhouse a few times, and even got to see some baby goats one day!  So fun with the boys!
• Began looking at the new house plans more diligently, thinking about how we can use our existing furniture to make that new space most efficient.
• Explored tae kwon do classes for little man.  I think we'll sign him up for next month as a trial.  He really needs the discipline and structure, and I think it will help with some things at home too.  My mom has offered to pay for these classes for him, which would be a huge help.  He's really excited about the opportunity.
• Making plans to use some of our existing supplies for the boys to make something special for Father's Day.  I hope it will be special, and something we'll enjoy in the new house.
• Reposted Craigslist ads, and working to week out a few more things to send to Goodwill and other donations.  I ordered another bag for ThreadUp to consign some items through them.  It's an easy way to get rid of some items I don't want, but are still in good shape. and earn a little extra money in the process.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments for Last Week of April

This past week we did pretty well frugally.  I tried to purchase produce that was on sale, and we tried to use up some more things from the pantry and freezer.  We also enjoyed some time with friends, which we all found fulfilling.  I had a few friends come over this weekend to help pack boxes and help clean the house for staging photographs, and that was a huge help!

Here are all of our accomplishments in detail:

• Cooked all meals at home including Thai coconut chicken soup, salad, roasted veggies, eggs, smoothies, meatballs over rice with peppers and onions, and homemade pizza (gluten free and regular).
• We also made a batch of spiced nuts, popcorn, and fermented sauerkraut.  These will be used for snacking and the sauerkraut will be a great addition to salads.
• Hung some laundry on the clothes line outside, which was nice because we've had so much rain lately.
• Enjoyed shared meals with family and friends twice.  This saved on cooking, as we only had to prep one dish instead of several.
• Grateful for friends who came to help clean the house.  We got the china hutch packed, the whole house vacuumed and mopped, counters cleared, bathrooms cleaned, clutter stashed, etc. 
• Used natural cleaners for cleaning including citrus vinegar, baking soda, and olive oil for polishing stainless appliances. 
• Rented a storage unit to begin moving larger items like appliances into, and once the house sells, our furniture will go there as well.
• Sent three more bags of items to Goodwill and the library for donation.
• Packed all lunches for school and work, saving on that cost.
• Used YouTube for working out.  
• Enjoyed free yoga and dinner at the Children's Council.  The parent support group that meets afterward is great too.
• Used my rice and lavender bag for a heating pad when my back was sore so I didn't have to use an electric heating pad.
• Enjoyed making homemade herbal tea with lavender, mint, and lemon balm from the garden.  (The lavender was ordered from an herb company, as it doesn't grow well here.) This has improved my mood greatly, and I believe has helped my kidney health some too.

What did you do to live and save this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!