February Menu Plans

This month will be all about using up some of what is in our pantry and freezer.  We're grateful to have what we do, but also know that if it's not used, it becomes a loss if it's just sitting there and not being consumed.  Since I've switched to a mostly Paleo diet, there are some things in our pantry that we may be donating to our local food pantry (wheat pasta, evaporated milk, etc.), but we're ok with that since it means better quality health for me, and all of us, in the long run.  So, this month will try to be a low-spend month as far as the grocery budget is concerned.  We have some other expenses to try to tackle this month, so saving here will help.

Right now, we have a lot of meat in our freezer, as well as dried beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, and other pantry staples in the pantry.  We also have some winter squash that has been hanging out and needs to be used, as well as some potatoes.  This means that we'll be making good use of these items, as well as using our crock pot to help us conserve energy.

Since our boys are still small, they don't eat a lot at each meal.  These dinner menus will feed us for at least two meals, and sometimes three.  That, combined with our community meals at the Children's Council and shared meals with friends or Mom means that we generally only have to cook twice during the week.

Breakfasts:

• overnight crock pot oatmeal with steel cut oats, dried fruit, and spices
• smoothies with greens and winter squash as base
• banana bars with rolled oats, almond flour, and raisins/craisins
• egg scramble with sauteed mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes 
• overnight breakfast casserole with potatoes, eggs, mushrooms, venison sausage (freezer), peppers (freezer) and sun dried tomatoes

Lunches:  

• leftovers
• salads with seeds and nuts for protein
• fruit
• yogurt

Dinners:

• chicken stir fry with veggies served over rice or quinoa with Asian slaw
• chicken or venison chili with northern beans, peppers, and tomatoes from the freezer
• chicken divan (if I can figure out a dairy free alternative)
• taco night with black beans, corn tortillas, and fixin's
• wild rice pilaf with chickpeas and mushrooms and fruit
• sloppy joes with ground turkey served over bread/quinoa with salad and/or roasted veggies/oven fries
• my favorite butternut squash and chickpea salad served over salad greens
• breakfast for dinner with paleo pancakes, breakfast meat, and fruit
• quiche with bacon, mushrooms, dried tomatoes, and dried onion served with salad/fruit (I can make this with non dairy milk)
• lentil pasta with meat and mushroom/onion sauce and salad
• coconut corn chowder (using my standard recipe except using coconut milk instead of evaporated milk) with bacon, onions, and potatoes
• maybe a chicken pot pie using bits of leftover veggies and partial bags of frozen veggies

Snacks:

• popcorn in the air popper
• fresh fruit
• nuts
• yogurt parfaits with granola and raw honey

Groceries to purchase (some may come from the food pantry or purchased at Walmart with gift card):

• frozen pie crust
• salad greens
• fresh fruit
• frozen berries for smoothies
• onions (red and white)
• canned coconut milk
• frozen egg rolls (if on sale)
• cabbage
• eggs

How do you plan to live and save green this month?  I'd love to hear from you!