Weekly Shopping Trip--Savings $74.25

It definitely has been an interesting week!  I actually worked at staying home more rather than going out shopping!  I decided to actually wait until payday to do my shopping. I also prayed before shopping that I would still be able to take advantage of some of the great deals at the store despite not going early in the week and for clarity in knowing if I was getting the item because of the great deal or just to spend money needlessly.

I am doing an eat out of the pantry challenge for the month of May. However, I am still doing my weekly shopping just limiting the amount I am spending to $100 each week for my family of seven! So far, the last two weeks I have come under the $100 mark with change to spare! I need to update my freezer and pantry checklist from shopping based on my mental calculations I should be able to feed my family with what I have on hand through the end of the month.  

I also made my monthly Sam's run this week and ended up spending more than I usually do each month. However, we are doing a mini vacation in the next couple of weeks and also have come into a very busy time of year so I got some "on the go" ready snacks.  I know that I could bake my own ready to go snacks but these days are just not accomodating to spending extra time in the kitchen baking snacks. 

Here is a breakdown of what I purchased:(sorry no pics!)

Family Fare:

• 4 boxes breaded chicken nuggets $9.96
• 9lbs potatoes $2.97
• 1 pkg flour tortillas 99¢
• 2 jars Jif peanut butter $3.38
• 10 cups yogurt $4.60
• 1.16lbs summer squash $1.15

Total OOP: $18.42

Total Savings: $10.51

Total without sales & coupons: $28.93

Big Top Market:

• 4.60 lbs ground beef $8.70
• 3 bottles(64oz) juice $5.00
• 4lbs margarine sticks $2.76

Total OOP: $16.46

Total Savings: $4.56

Total without sales & coupons: $21.02

Save A Lot(SAL): 

• 8 cans cream of chicken soup $4.72
• 2 jars pizza sauce $1.98

Total OOP: $6.70

Meijer:

• 8.07 lbs bananas $2.26
• 2 gallons milk $3.96
• 2 boxes Nabisco snack crackers $3.00
• 1 1/2 lbs cheese $3.00
• 2 gallons Hawaiian Punch $3.38
• 2 bags Doritos $3.99
• 1 cantaloupe $2.00
• 1 bottle Miracle Whip FREE
• 2 boxes Ziploc bags $2.00
• 3 jars applesauce $5.00
• 1 box Ritz crackers 50¢
• 2 boxes Ritz Bits $3.00
• 1 box Nabisco 100 cal snacks 50¢
• 1 box Oreo fun stix $2.50
• 1 pkg swiss cheese $1.00
• 1 box Corn Pops 80¢
• 1 box Froot Loops 80¢
• 4 Tombstone Pizzas $11.32($2.83 each)
• 1 bottle St Ives body wash $1.50

Total OOP: $53.93

Total Savings: $59.18

Total without sales and coupons: $113.11

Grand Total OOP: $95.51

Grand Total Savings: $74.25 plus shopping at SAL

Grand Total without sales and coupons: $169.76

This post is linked at: 

• MoneySavingMom's Super Saturday Savings
  
• BeCentsAble's Centsable Savings Stories
• The Grocery Cart Challenge Weekly Shopping
  
• Mom's Need to Know's Best Deal of the Week

Weekly Glimpse of Pantry Challenge #2

Sara over at Learning The Frugal Life is having an "Eat from the Pantry Challenge" during the month of May and I am joining in even though I did something similar last month. I am thinking that doing these challenges is helping me to use those items that have been sitting in my pantry & freezer over the last few months. It also is helping me to keep my grocery budget low and in check as well.

So here is the results or update of how things have gone this week:

1. I put a new twist to a tried & true dessert recipe with great results! Doing the twist of the dessert used up 16 oz. of cream cheese in my fridge that needed to be used before it went bad!
   
   
2. This was "payday week" so it was time to do some restocking of items that I consider as staples.  However, I was able to do my weekly shopping trip for under $100 out of pocket! There was some good deals at my local stores this week! I should be able to just have to worry about getting milk, eggs, & bread  at the end of next week to round out my shopping for the rest of the month. 
   
   
3. I did my monthly Sam's run this week as well.  This month's shopping trip to Sam's was to restock some essentials along with getting some vacation food so my total was more than I usually do for a month at Sams.
   
   
4. I still need to get some baking done that would help a lot in diminishing some of my pantry supplies. 
   
   
5. Menu plans for the week went very well, I didn't have anything planned for Saturday's dinner but that will be filled up with the family going to a church sponsored event where we can get pizza (all you can eat) for $5 per family!
   
   
6. Before I did my shopping this week, I actually saw bare spots on my pantry & freezer shelves!!  That must mean that we are using up things that are on the shelves.
   
   
7. I know this fact doesn't have anything to do with food, but I stayed home 3 out of 5 week days this week!  That means I still have a more than 3/4 tank of gas in my van! 

I think that about covers the week in the area of food details at Sonshine's house. Take the time to let me know how you did this week!  Also don't forget to blog about it and then link up the post over at Sara's!

This post is linked at: 

• Eat from the Pantry Challenge at Learning The Frugal Life!

Monthly Sam's Run--May

Oh this run to Sam's was a bit of a painful one as I was out of a lot of items that I get every 3-6 months. I am low on several other things that I am pretty sure that I can wait until June to purchase so I already have started a list for June.

Also for this month, I purchased a few convenience things that I normally do not purchase but decided to have on hand for our mini vacations we are taking this spring and summer.   I also am a "soccer mom"(times 2) so this is my Saturday to bring snacks for the teams! 

Here is what I purchased for the month:

• 4 pk Capri Sun $6.68 (vacation food)
• 36 ct mini bags Cheez-its $8.46 (soccer snack)
• 28ct mini bags variety snacks $10.38 (vacation food)
• 30 lbs french fries $17.28
• 60 ct. Eggo waffles $7.79
• 48 ct. Go-gurt $7.83
• 72ct Kraft American slices $6.39
• 4 pks bagels $8.72
• 48 ct granola bars $8.05 (vacation food)
• 24oz. shaved smoked deli turkey $6.78
• 140ct pizza rolls $8.88
• 2-96oz apple juice $4.32
• 3-44oz ketchup $6.23
• 48 ct string cheese $7.12
• 3-45oz Ragu spaghetti sauce $8.16
• 3lbs real bacon bits $7.06
• 5lbs margarine $4.42
• 2-60oz Mrs. Butterworth's syrup $5.84
• 6lbs shredded hash browns $4.88
• 36ct frozen biscuits $5.46
• 5 quart pail ice cream $4.77
• 5 lbs mild cheddar cheese $9.47
• 16oz cajun seasoning $6.44
• 16oz garlic powder $3.87
• 4lbs idozied salt 88¢ (lasts me a year!)
• 8 cans green peas $6.52
• 12 cans green beans $7.97
• 1.25 gallons canola oil $8.67
• 6 big bags assorted chips $17.64
• 12.04 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts $23.72 ($1.97/lb)
• 5.37lbs boneless pork loin chops $14.39($2.68/lb)
• 4.66lbs eye of round beef roast $13.42 ($2.88/lb)
• 90 oz bottle Palmolive dishsoap $7.42 (lasts me 6 months or more!)
• 150 loads Downy fabric softener $9.77
• 1 gallon Softsoap $6.39 (lasts me 3-6 months)
• 90ct 33 gallon trash bags $11.62 (use 2/week)
• 720 ct. Huggies natural care baby wipes $14.86(hopefully this box will be my last-- my 2 1/2 yo is working on potty training!)

Total with $3.00 sales tax for non-food items: $321.55

Used $10 gift card that I got for renewing my membership in the store!

TOTAL OOP: $311.55

FREEBIES #7--Homeschooling Resources

**these freebies are no longer available, however you can purchase them at CurrClick!

The LAST DAY of freebies over at CurrClick!!! 

To celebrate Mother's Day, CurrClick has been giving away FOUR freebies for you to download each day for the last seven days!! The freebies have changed each day! This is the last day so do not delay in taking advantage of these wonderful resources!!


Today's Freebies are:

1. Family Worship as Directed by our Forfathers--Twenty-one discourses and letters on family worship by our godly forefathers. We learn from men such as John Bunyan, J.W. Alexander, A.W. Pink, George Whitfield and more! Lovely artwork graces the pages. You will also find a list of helpful resources and links within this ebook.
   
   
2. Activity Bags Sampler #2--5 preschool activities in a bag instructions, 5 craft kits in a bag instructions, 5 Math Games in a bag instructions, 5 science experiments in a bag instructions and a 30 day challenge devotional and journal page are included in this sampler packet.
   
   
3. Prince Caspian Literature Unit--this is a different unit study from the 1st day of freebies! Topics to be covered are kings and queens, castles, knights, trees, celestial navigation, astronomy, and more. This unit includes a book list, a website URL list, and daily lesson plans that include vocabulary, reading assignments, writing assignments, notebooking page assignments, activities and crafts.
   
   
4. My Name Is Gene-Third Edition--The newest edition of the popular textbook "My Name is Gene". The book is written with a Christian perspective and demonstrates God's intricate handiwork, reflecting His glory and wisdom. Much of what makes each one of us unique and special is traced to our genetic code. This book is filled with information on genetics and the scientific advances in biotechnology. It is an easy-to-approach read with many colorful illustrations and several exercises. This book is appropriate for late elementary/middle-school students in either the classroom or homeschool. The workbooks "Fun with Gene" and its accompaniment "My Name is Gene" can be studied as a unit covering genetics.
   

Don't miss out!!!

Where to find the freebies: You can click on the picture above to get to CurrClick's homepage (or the CurrClick links in this post)and then click on the same picture over on the homepage to find the freebies!!

Summer Blues or the "Mom, I'm bored!"

Summer is coming! Which means our children will be on summer break and inevitably they will come to you saying that they are bored!

Here is a list of 13 free or low cost things that you can do with your children to help combate the summer boredom blues:

1. play board games together
   
   
2. go for nature walks--we have several area parks with nature trails.
   
   
3. bake goodies
   
   
4. visit grandparents(or if they are too far away, visit to a nursing home or senior assisted living center)--my parents live twenty minutes from us and they live in on an acre of land, which is great for exploring!
   
   
5. pretend we are at the movies---stick in a movie and do up some popcorn.
   
   
6. play hide n' seek
   
   
7. read books together--don't forget to find those different summer reading programs like at the public library or at your local bookstore like Barnes & Nobles.
   
   
8. brush up on the Math facts by quizzing each other. It always seems that my kids do a "data dump" when it comes to Math facts so we play the game who can get the most facts right in 2 minutes. :)
   
   
9. if we do any traveling, I like to make up a backpack full of goodies for them to do on the trip. I use some of the many ideas over at Mom's Minivan as well to fill the pack.
   
   
10. do a craft project together.
    
    
11. when stuck inside due to the weather, using our imagination to play games from tea parties to hide n' seek to I spy. An article of ideas to have fun indoors.
    
    
12. create an obstacle course or water park or a carnival in your backyard and together with your kids have a fun afternoon playing at the "park".
    
    
13. work in the garden.
    
    
    

These are just a few things that you can do to help keep the "Mom, I'm bored!" saying at bay. There is also a few more suggestions here!

I am always looking for more ideas! I would love to hear what are some things that you do with your kids to keep the boredom at bay??

This post is linked at:

• 3 Moms Thursday Thirteen at Happy to be at Home!
• Frugal Friday at Life as Mom!

Romantic Meal & Recipes

Looking for an elegant meal for 2!?!  I have just the menu for a low cost meal dining in rather than out. 

Here is what was on the menu:

Chicken Cordon Bleu

or

Homemade Breaded Chicken Tenders(if you want to go simple)

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Steamed Corn

Iceburg Lettuce Salad

Hot Biscuits

No Bake Cheesecake

Now to explain how I managed it!

For the Chicken Cordon Bleu, I used this recipe as my guide. I use 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast that I got for $1.89/lb ($3.74). I got a 1.87lb mini half portion boneless ham for $7.46($3.99/lb--cheaper than ham from the deli counter) and thinly sliced it with my electric slicer. I used only 3 thin slices so I figured just 75¢ for the ham. I used 3 slices of swiss cheese out of a 24ct. pkg. that I got for $1.88 so that figures to 24¢ for the 3 slices. 

Then for the 1 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1/2 stick margarine and spices, I figured about another 75 cents. That brings my total just for the meat portion of my meal to $4.73. I used the 1/2 stick of margarine as my "oil" for the pan. However, instead of melting it in the pan before adding the chicken to the pan, I used little pats of it on top of the chicken and it melted in the oven as the chicken cooked. Doing it this way makes it where you don't have to worry about flipping the chicken at the halfway point of cooking. 

I used 2 lbs of white pototoes which costed me 65 cents. I got a 5lb bag of white potatoes from Save A Lot for $1.29! You can figure in 1/4 cup milk, 3 heaping tbsps. sour cream and the other 1/2 stick of margarine for another 25 cents brings the total for the potatoes to 90 cents.

I used 1 can of sweet corn that I got on sale for 67 cents/can and simply heated the corn up(steamed it in the microwave).

For my salad, I used a head of iceburg lettuce that I got at Save A Lot for 50 cents and 1 large carrot. I also sprinkled shredded cheese, real bacon bits, and croutons on it so I figured that the salad costs me $1.00. It is hard to know exactly how much the cheese, bacon and croutons costs as these are a few things that I get in a monthly Sam's run.

The biscuits was a tube of Pillsbury biscuits that I got for 66 cents with a sale and coupon!

To whip up one of my no bake cheesecake recipe, I usually buy my supplies for that at Aldi's, I get a graham cracker crust for 99¢(its less hassle than making my own!), 8oz bar of cream cheese for 99¢, a can of sweetened condensed milk for $1.39, and then for lemon juice and vanilla, these are staples in my pantry so I am going to figure in another 20¢ for them. So for $3.57 I have a whole cheesecake!  Now if I divide the cheesecake into 8 pieces each piece is only going to cost me roughly 45¢!

So the grand total for this restauraut style meal  for two with dessert was $8.20!!! If  hubby and I were to go out to eat at a  nice "sit-down" restauraut we would have spent at least $20 or more if you include the tip! 

I can make this entire meal with the dessert for my family of seven for a little over $5 more!!  

Here is the recipe for the Chicken Cordon Bleu:

3 boneless/skinless chicken breast
3 thin slices of ham
3 slices of swiss cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup flour
1 tsp. onion powder*
1 tsp. garlic powder*
a few dashes of black pepper and paprika*
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning*
1 egg
1 tsp. water
1/2 stick margarine

Combine flour and spices together in one bowl. Combine the egg and water in another bowl. Butterfly cut the chicken breasts just about all the way thru to where if you were to cut them totally apart you would have two pieces that look the same. Put one piece of cheese folded in two and one slice of ham in between the two pieces of chicken. Dip chicken pieces in the egg wash first and then in the spiced flour mixture. Place in a jelly roll pan or 9x13 pan. Place pads of margarine on top of each piece of chicken. (This is the secret to it tasting so delicious.) Bake 400 for 1 hour. I don't worry about spraying or oiling the pan as the pads of margarine work in keeping the chicken from sticking to the pan.

*spice amounts are approximate

This post is linked at:

• Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom!
• Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge!
• Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker!

Freebies #6--Homeschooling Resources

**these freebies are no longer available, however, you can purchase them at CurrClick's website!**

Another day of freebies over at CurrClick!!! Looking today at their site, I see that today is NOT the last day, like I stated yesterday.  So you actually have today and tomorrow to get your freebies!

To celebrate Mother's Day, CurrClick has been giving away FOUR freebies for you to download each day for the last five days!! The freebies have changed each day! This is the last day so do not delay in taking advantage of these wonderful resources!!

Today's Freebies are:

1. Hero Tales of American History--Looking for great short stories to supplement your student's American History--here are some exciting accounts from famous Americans in history: from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln and everywhere inbetween, 26 accounts that are sure to spark interest in your student (and solidify those historic facts)
   
   
2. Math Mammoth Add & Subtract 4--concepts geared for the 3rd or 4th grade level that covered in this book are mental addition and subtraction strategies; adding and subtracting in columns; Roman Numerals; the addition and subtraction connection, missing addend problems, and word problems with bar diagrams; order of operations; and graphs and money.
   
   
3. A Little Web Page--Make a fun web page with your child, aged 8 and over, using free-trial drag and drop software. Go ahead and get silly! Web Studio software has lots of fun features. This is a recipe for a fun afternoon that you can use over and over. When you are done, you can save the result as the page that pops up on your own computer when you open your browser.
   
   
4. Novel Ideas - Betsy Byars' The Summer of the Swans--This print and use workbook is a child-directed literature study that requires no teacher or parental prep time. The format is an exciting new approach to studying literature. Each page engages the student in many interesting activities. Children will explore new vocabulary in its context and answer questions that involve them in the story. Learners reflect on their own experiences to better understand those of the characters. This process ensures full comprehension of the novel. Additional activities involve illustrating, sequencing, analyzing characters, and point of view. The literature study concludes with an organized and detailed book summary.
   

Don't miss out!!! 

Where to find the freebies: You can click on the picture above to get to CurrClick's homepage (or the CurrClick links in this post)and then click on the same picture over on the homepage to find the freebies!!

These freebies are really working for me in helping me to prepare for my summer and fall curriculum.

This post is linked at: 

• Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family!

Pasta with Asparagus & Yellow Squash

Pasta with Asparagus & Yellow Squash

1/2 lb. asparagus spears
1/2 lb. yellow squash
1/2 red pepper, sliced thinly
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb. thin spaghetti or Angel hair pasta
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely broken
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Trim asparagus spears and cut into 1- inch lengths. Halve squash lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/4- inch thick half moon slices. Slice the red pepper in thin strips. Simmer vegetables until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly and rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking. Drain again and set aside.

Cook pasta in lightly salted, boiling water as directed. Drain and return to cooking pan. Mix Alfredo sauce with pasta, vegetables and walnuts. Turn pasta onto a warm platter, top with cheese and serve immediately.

Cooking Notes: Being that I am not very fond of nuts, they are optional in this recipe and do not effect the overall taste.  Also, you could use homemade alfredo sauce as well, however, I have not found a homemade Alfredo recipe that I like so I have stuck with using the jars of sauce for the recipe.

This dish could be served as a vegetarian meal or adding some cubed ham or along some Italian grilled chicken.

This post is linked at: 

• In Season Recipe Swap at Tammy's Recipes!

FREEBIES #5--Homeschooling Resources

**these freebies are no longer available, however, you can purchase them at CurrClick.

Another day of freebies over at CurrClick!!!

To celebrate Mother's Day, CurrClick is giving away FOUR freebies today for you to download each day for the next five days!! The freebies will change each day! The days that they will still be offering the freebies are today(12th) and tomorrow(13th)!!!! So do not delay in taking advantage of this wonderful resource!!

Today's Freebies are:

1. Bookmaking Bonanza--includes over 50 resesarch-based, classroom-tested bookmaking activities that expand writing time into a literacy adventure! Students will transform empty cereal boxes, paper napkins, cardboard tubes, and other household objects into books that explore the five critical areas of balanced reading instruction.
   
   
2. Dan's Doodles Coloring Book--keep busy hands busy by coloring in the doodles.
   
   
3. Daily Discoveries for JUNE: Thematic Learning Activities for EVERY DAY--In this series, each day has been researched around the history of a specific individual or event and has been developed into a celebration or theme with integrated curriculum areas. Use the activities to spice up language arts, social studies, writing, math, science and health, music and drama, physical fitness and art. Reproducible patterns for writing assignments and art projects, lists of correlated books and bulletin board ideas are also included
   
   
4. Seeds--This unit study covers what is a seed, seed identification, drawing seeds, seed anatomy, germination, how animals help with germination, seed dispersal, and a seed experiment.
   

Don't miss out!!!

Where to find the freebies: You can click on the picture above to get to CurrClick's homepage (or the CurrClick links in this post)and then click on the same picture over on the homepage to find the freebies!!

A New Twist to a Tried & True Recipe

Last week, I had the privelege of providing a meal for a young couple in my church that just had a new baby girl!  While I was there I even got to hold her...just a week old! Oh what sweetness!

One of the items that I brought was my tried & true no bake cheesecake recipe.  However, knowing that it was just the couple I didn't want to make a full recipe and take it and then it possibly get wasted from them not being able to eat all of it.

I decided to make a double batch of the cheesecake and make some mini cheesecakes. So I decided to pulled from my pantry a box of mini foil/paper liners and a bag of Nilla wafers.  I know you think I am crazy because I didn't want to make full recipe for fear of it going to waste so I make a double recipe instead?!?  Anyway, having never used Nilla wafers with my cheesecake recipe, I wasn't sure as to how it would turn out but I figured they would be less messy than making up homemade graham cracker crust to press into each mini cup. 

The fun part of this whole process was that the Nilla wafers were exactly the size I needed to cover the bottom of each of the mini cup liners, which I separated the paper and the foil liners so I had twice as many to work with.  I did learn that the cheesecake holds it form and doesn't soak through on the foil liners so next time I do this I will just use the foil liners and save the paper ones for baking muffins or brownies.


Once I had the cheesecake mixture made up I used my large scoop to put the mixture on the Nilla wafers.  As you can see from the picture, one scoop was plenty to fill each liner.  The other thing I did was put those liners on a cookie sheet rather than in my mini muffin pans because it was easier and less trouble than trying to pull out full cups out of the pans.  

Since I was running short on time the day I was making these little mini cheesecakes, I decided to speed up the process of "firming" the cheesecake up by sticking the cookie sheets with the mini cakes in the freezer for about an hour. In doing the "firming" in the freezer it kept the Nilla wafers from going mushy.  I ended up with a crisp crust.  A word of warning....if you stick them in the fridge afterwards you will find that the Nilla wafers will soften and you will have soft crust.  So it is your choice as to which type of crust you would like to have with your cheesecake. 

I left them plain and did not add any garnish to them. I placed eight of them on a paper plate and then into a ziploc bag(something disposable so I did not have to worry about getting a container back from them) to take with the meal for this couple.  

I will be making these again because they were quick and easy to put together. They are small enough for little hands to handle yet big enough for adults to get a couple bites of a sweet, delectable dessert.  Also having them as mini cheesecakes rather than one big one allows for several different garnishes to be put on them.  This dessert would be great to make up plain for gatherings and serve several garnishes on the side for guests to choose their favorite. 

Here is the recipe:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. package cream cheese
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can of pie filling (cherry, blueberry...)
1 graham cracker crumb pie crust or Nilla Wafers

Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk. Stir in lemon juice. Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate until firm and then add pie filling on top if desired. Can use fresh fruit(strawberries, blueberries are best) for garnish as well.

This post is linked at: 

• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace!
• Kitchen tip Tuesday, over at Tammy's Recipes!
  
• I am Blissfully Domestic at Blissfully Domestic!
  
• Fearless Fridays at Home Ec 101!
• Friday Feasts at Mom Trends!

FREEBIES #4--Homeschooling Resources

***These freebies are no longer available!  However, you can still purchase them at  CurrClick!***

Another day of freebies over at CurrClick!!!

To celebrate Mother's Day, CurrClick is giving away FOUR freebies today for you to download each day for the next five days!! The freebies will change each day! The days that they will still be offering the freebies are May 11, 12, 13!!! So do not delay in taking advantage of this wonderful resource!!

Today's Freebies are:

1. Simple Rhymes for Little Children Coloring Book--rhymes and poems found in the book are being reprinted from a booklet by the same title put out by the American Sunday School Union in the 1830’s.
   
   
2. My Book of Continents-- geared towards ages 5 to 8 years old. help you teach your early elementary-aged children about the seven continents. Introduced to the physical world and the different cultures that live on it. Included a list of the books we read for this study.
   
   
3. Psalm 16 Copywork Notebook--includes a cover page as well as both basic and primary-line options. Memory cards with a pocket are also included for ease of memory work.
   
   
4. Silly Snail: Parts of Speech Game--Review parts of speech (common noun, proper noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, and adverb) with this game. Reinforce your language arts curriculum in a fun way!
   

Don't miss out!!!

Where to find the freebies: You can click on the picture above to get to CurrClick's homepage (or the CurrClick links in this post)and then click on the same picture over on the homepage to find the freebies!!

Menu Plan Monday 5/10-5/16

Last week's menu plan went pretty smoothly!  I did have to rearrange a few days due to schedules and “stacking” the same meat day after day.  I am not sure what it is about my family but they just do not like having chicken meals three days in a row! LOL!

For this week’s shopping trip, I only had a $100 to work with and I was determined with calculator in hand that I was not going over that amount. I did it and still have some change leftover.   Sara over at Learning the Frugal Life is having an Eat from the Pantry Challenge during May and you can read a glimpse of the positives and negatives of the week here.

The new recipe in last week’s menu did NOT go over well with the family!  I ended up having to throw a majority of it away! So for this week, I am taking a breather from trying new things and sticking with the tried & true meals.

Lunches listed are for the kids & me. Unless we are having leftovers, our lunches are served with apple slices or baby carrots along with fruit juice or water.  Hubby usually takes a dinner leftover along with various snacks for his work lunch.

A special thanks to Laura-Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Need help with your menus; go check the over 400 other delicious meal plans that have been linked at Laura-Organizing Junkie’s site or look down in my right sidebar for my menu suggestion lists! 

Sunday (5-10) Happy Mother’s Day!

Breakfast: eggs, sausage or steak, hash browns, and jiffy muffins

Lunch: Wendy’s for Mother’s Day

Dinner: “Mom’s Buffet” aka leftovers

Snack: snack basket

 

Monday (5-11)

Breakfast: cereal, and toaster strudel

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: chicken rice casserole served with homemade honey oatmeal rolls

Snack: snack basket

 

Tuesday (5-12)

Breakfast:  waffles and sausage

Lunch: sandwiches & chips

Dinner: roasted pork loin served with mashed potatoes & gravy, and corn on cob

Snack: snack basket

 

Wednesday (5-13)
Breakfast: bagels, and cereal

Lunch: sandwiches & chips

Dinner: spaghetti served with garlic toast and leafy green salad

Snack: cookies & milk 

Thursday (5-14)

Breakfast: French Toast and sausage

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  bacon cheeseburgers served with pan fries and fresh veggie tray

Snack: snack basket

 

Friday (5-15)

Breakfast: cereal and toaster strudel

Lunch: sandwich & chips

Dinner: grilled chicken & fish served with fries and corn

Snack: ice cream night                                          

 

Saturday (5-16)  

Breakfast: “Cook’s Choice”

Lunch:  chicken nuggets

Dinner:  probably leftover makeover of the pork loin and ??

Snack:  snack basket  or popcorn