by Katie on September 28, 2011
Last week while we were in Florida, I mentioned that I had made the majority of our meals before we ever left Cincinnati. Over the years, I have found this to be an easy way to save money while we’re on vacation. Plus, since the prep work is already done, it makes putting dinner together a snap – allowing us to spend more time enjoying our vacation.
Several weeks before our scheduled vacation, we sit down as a family, and decide what meals we would most enjoy while we are away. We try to choose meals that would travel well in a cooler, and can be frozen ahead of time. Once we have our list together, I plan to make one or two meals each week before we leave, ensuring they are all completed in advance of our trip.
To make clean up easier this year, I chose to use disposable foil pans which I picked up at the Dollar Store for $1 per two pack. Once the meal was made, I covered the pan in saran wrap, followed by aluminum foil. I marked each dish with a Sharpie marker, indicating what was in the pan, as well as the necessary cooking instructions (time, temperature, etc.).
Before we left, we layered rows of ice and frozen meals into the cooler. Lots of miles and many hours later, we pulled the pans out of the cooler, and popped them into our freezer. It made our vacation so much more relaxing to know that there was very little we had to do in order to make dinner each evening. Plus, since we quickly found out that groceries were a lot pricier than we are used to in Ohio (almost $4 for a gallon of milk – ouch!), we were relieved that we only needed to purchase a minimal number of items.
Later this week, I’ll be sharing more ways we found to trim corners and save money on our vacation.
by Katie on September 20, 2011
Even though we’re on vacation this week, I’m still cooking the majority of our meals, with the exception of the two birthday evenings we have this week. I pre-made most of these meals prior to coming to Florida, in order to make meal prep quick and easy. I’ll be posting about this as well as a few other money-saving techniques we implemented in order to save our family money on this trip.
Here’s what’s on our menu plan for this week:
Monday – Hamburger pie, green beans, tossed salad
Tuesday – Birthday dinner out
Wednesday – Tacos, rice with cilantro, corn
Thursday – Burrito casserole, side salad, watermelon
Friday – Birthday dinner out
Saturday – Cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, fresh fruit
Sunday – Crockpot chicken, baked potatoes, peas
by Katie on September 13, 2011
Here’s what’s cooking at our house this week:
Monday – Sausage & egg casserole, French toast, fresh fruit
Tuesday – Homemade meatballs & spaghetti, breadsticks, tossed salad
Wednesday – Marinated crockpot chicken, baked potatoes, green beans
Thursday – Leftovers
Friday – Chicken bake, rolls, corn on the cob
Saturday – Tacos, rice with cilantro, fresh fruit
Sunday – Stuffed shells, garlic bread, fresh green beans
by Katie on September 7, 2011
When I started my cooking day last week, I had every intention of posting updates and pictures throughout the day. However, between the unexpected MainStreet Market Triple Coupon Event and trying to get all of my ducks in a row for our first week of school, time just managed to slip away faster than I had planned.
I did manage to complete quite a few of the items on my list before the afternoon turned into total chaos, including:
- 2 pans of stuffed shells
- chicken bake
- taco meat
- 2 pans of burrito casserole
- peanut butter cookies
I am planning to finish the remainder of last week’s list over the weekend, and also intend to make a pan of lasagna and hamburger pie. Here’s our menu plan for this week:
Monday – Cookout at family’s house (brought mac & cheese and brownies)
Tuesday – Crockpot whole chicken, cheesy biscuits, fresh fruit
Wednesday – Sausage & potatoes, garden salad, fresh fruit
Thursday – Meatloaf, potato wedges, corn on the cob
Friday – Italian pasta florentine, homemade breadsticks, cantaloupe
Saturday – Layered chicken-black bean enchiladas, tortilla chips, fresh fruit
Sunday – Dinner at local festival
by Katie on September 2, 2011
Despite the predicted 100 degree temps for today, I am planning to squeeze a partial cooking day in this morning and early afternoon. I will be cooking in between accomplishing some much needed housework and preparing for our first week of school.
I’m hoping to complete the following by the end of this afternoon:
stuffed shells
chicken bake
chicken parmesan
burrito casserole
cook up 4 pounds of ground beef
bake cookies
bake brownies
I’ll post updates throughout the day, as well as recipes for the meals that I am making. Hope you all are having a great start to your Fridays as well!
by Katie on August 31, 2011
Over the Fourth of July weekend, we enjoyed a grill-out together with family members. The hostess of the party put together a station for make-your-own shish kabobs. Guests could choose between marinated chicken or steak as well as an assortment of vegetables – tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, peppers, onions, and carrots. We all assembled the kabobs to our liking, and they were then grilled to perfection.
We all enjoyed them so much that we were anxious to try them out for ourselves. I bought a package of chicken as well as a pack of steak and cut them all into medium-sized chunks. I poured marinade into two different resealable bags, and placed the steak in one, and the chicken in the other. I put both bags in the fridge to marinate while I cut up the vegetables.
Since fresh vegetables are so reasonably priced during the summer, I picked up fresh zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and onion. I had previously inherited a set of metal skewers from my parents, so I assembled them all, alternating between the meats and vegetables. My husband grilled the kabobs until the meats were cooked and the veggies were tender.
We served the kabobs over steaming hot rice along with fresh fruit – yum! Such a simple dinner that is both economical and easy to prepare.
by Katie on August 29, 2011
After more than four weeks of eating a very bland diet and doing just minimal cooking, I am more than ready to jump back into cooking (and eating!) a variety of foods. In addition to cooking meals for our family this week, I’m also planning to accomplish an afternoon or two of freezer cooking. As those plans begin to take shape, I’ll be sure to post the recipes that I’m working on.
Here’s our menu plan for this week:
Monday – Grilled shish kabobs, rice, watermelon
Tuesday – Chicken fingers, seasoned potato wedges, corn on the cob
Wednesday – Burrito casserole, rice with cilantro, fresh fruit
Thursday – Dinner out
Friday – BBQ cheddar chicken roll-ups, baked tortilla chips, fresh fruit
Saturday – Grilled cheeseburgers, homemade fries, fresh fruit
Sunday – Chicken bake, fresh snap peas, homemade rolls
by Katie on August 16, 2011
You might have noticed that my menu plan has been missing the last several weeks. I’d love to say that I paused our menu plans because we won the lottery and now we have a professional chef catering all our meals….but, I’m afraid it’s a much less exciting reason!
About two and half weeks ago, I landed in the Emergency Room with abdominal pain, only to discover that my gallbladder and I will soon be parting ways. Until that momentous occasion occurs, I need to avoid as many sources of fat as possible, so I don’t have another flare up prior to surgery (not that the first experience wasn’t a barrel of laughs!).
Besides being privileged enough to eat such delicacies as toast and jam, plain baked potatoes, and pasta with plan spaghetti sauce, I also have the joy of an overwhelming sense of nausea – which I’ve been assured will disappear once my gallbladder is evicted.
So, while I’ve still been cooking meals for the rest of the family, I have been focusing on very basic meals, ones that take a very minimal amount of preparation time. I’m also steering clear of meal planning; I’ve found that contemplating what meals to make tends to turn me a lovely shade of green! Needless to say, we’re all looking forward to a normal routine once again.
Until then, I will be continuing to take a short hiatus from posting our meal plans. Once I resume, I’m looking forward to trying out some new recipes, as well as scheduling in a few freezer cooking days.
by Katie on August 1, 2011
I had every intention of putting together a meal plan last week, and somehow it managed to slip through the cracks. However, I am much more prepared for this upcoming week, and plan to make the following meals:
Monday - Chicken parmesan, pasta and sauce, fresh fruit
Tuesday – Crockpot chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans
Wednesday - Grilled shish kabobs, rice, corn on the cob
Thursday – Ritzy chicken, baked potatoes, fresh green beans
Friday - Soccer pool party
Saturday - Burrito casserole, rice with cilantro, fresh fruit
Sunday - Chicken barbecue, seasoned potato wedges, watermelon
by Katie on July 21, 2011
One of the new recipes we tried last week was Chicken & Rice Bowls. I found a basic recipe online, and as per usual, I tweaked the recipe to match our family’s preferences. The recipe is one of the easiest I’ve ever made, and everyone loved it (trust me, that’s not an easy feat around here!).
Chicken & Rice Bowls
5 large boneless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1 jar salsa (I used Chi-Chi’s mild salsa)
1 bag frozen corn
4 cups cooked rice
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Place chicken, broth, salsa, and corn into crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Serve over cooked rice. Top with cheese and sour cream.
This meal was perfect for the hot days we’ve had in Cincinnati over the last few weeks. Instead of heating up the entire house by using the oven, I popped everything in the crockpot, and was finished with dinner prep in less than 10 minutes!
I think I would also enjoy adding black beans to this recipe; however, since my oldest hates beans, I would most probably cook them on the side, and add them to each bowl according to individual preferences.
