Week 12 Meal Plan

Wednesday- Trying something new!
Cajun Rice Dish, Carrots, Peas

Thursday
Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Carrots, Cucumbers

Friday- Breakfast for dinner!
Omelets, Hashbrowns, Fruit

Saturday
Go out or eat leftovers

Sunday
Marinated Steak, Homemade Rolls, Broccoli, Cauliflower

Monday
Creamy Chicken and Pasta, Broccoli, Cauliflower

Tuesday
Jalapeno Burgers, Round Fries, Celery Sticks

Week 12 Grocery List - with Prices!

This week I shopped at Macey's.

Ingredients for Week 12 Dinners
I will be buying:
1 dozen rolls ($2.99)
1 bunch celery ($2.00)
carrots (2 lbs for $1.00!)
cucumber ($.50)
broccoli ($1.16)
cauliflower ($.96)
1 tomato ($.22)
1 potato ($.29)
1 large onion ($2.37)
fruit (bananas $.60)
8 oz frozen cut okra (16 oz bag $1.99)
1 dozen eggs ($1.25)
milk (1 gallon $1.97)
2 lbs cheddar cheese ($3.99)
2 cans tuna ($.98)
1 bottle spaghetti sauce ($.98)

In total, I spent $19.28 on this week's dinners.
The breakdown is approximately as follows:

Cajun Rice Dish, Carrots, Peas $4.14
Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Carrots, Cucumbers $3.95
Omelets, Hashbrowns, Fruit $5.10
Marinated Steak, Homemade Rolls, Broccoli, Cauliflower $2.56
Creamy Chicken and Pasta, Broccoli, Cauliflower $1.04
Jalapeno Burgers, Round Fries, Celery Sticks $4.67

I will be using from my pantry:
1 1/2 lbs steak
1 lb ground beef
about 4 chicken breasts
1 head garlic
chopped ham for omelets (optional)
mayo or Miracle Whip
1 pkg cream cheese
Parmesan cheese
butter
yeast
Italian dressing
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts
spaghetti sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can jalapenos
vinegar
soy sauce
lemon juice
lime juice
8 oz pasta
bread crumbs
rice
frozen peas
frozen hashbrowns
olive oil
oil
flour
sugar
fennel
curry powder
ginger
ground cloves
chili powder
dried onion
poultry seasoning
garlic powder
seasoning salt
unseasoned meat tenderizer
lemon pepper
parsley flakes
dried basil
cayenne pepper
dried oregano
salt
pepper

I also stocked up on these deals:
3 more pasta sauce (.98 each with in-store coupon =$2.94)
Western Family olive oil ($3.99)
4 Farm bread (.98 each with in-store coupon = $3.92)
3 Kellogs pop tarts (.98 each with in-store coupon = $2.94.. plus I had a $1.25/3 coupon)
3 (44 oz) bags Malt o Meal cereal (2.38 with in-store coupon = $7.14)
2 ALL 2x Laundry detergent (2.99 each plus I had 2 $1/1 coupons = $3.98)

Cajun Rice Dish, Carrots, Peas

This recipe comes from My Creative Stirrings. I have been looking for more ways to incorporate fish into our diet without costing a million dollars. I know canned tuna is a cheap option, but I don't prefer the taste. I was intrigued when I saw this recipe, and Ms. Creative Stirrings said she couldn't even taste the tuna! I can't wait to test it out.

I copied this recipe directly from the Creative Stirrings blog.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon fennel

4 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup dried onions

2 cups chopped celery stalks

8 oz. frozen cut okra stir to coat (optional)

2 cans tuna, drained

1 teaspoon ginger (I didn't have any!)

1/4 teaspoon cloves

14.5 oz. chopped tomatoes

2 cups water

1/4 cup lime juice

5 cups cooked rice (or more for a milder flavor)

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large pot. Stir constantly on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the next 7 ingredients, mix, and then heat on medium for 30 minutes. Add the lime juice and rice and continue to cook for 5 additional minutes on medium low.

Serve with cooked peas and carrots.

This was a hit with my toddler and my husband. Since my man is originally from the south, he was SUPER excited to eat a little Cajun cooking for dinner. Unfortunately, I realized I'm not a huge fan of Cajun spices. I loved the celery, okra, tomatoes, and rice (what a cheap way to fill up! I think brown rice would have also been delicious.). I also thought the tuna was pretty well masked; you could easily replace it with shrimp or blackened halibut if you had the budget and preference for either one. I think I would have preferred this much more, however, if the spices stayed more in the garlic, onion, salt, pepper, chili powder range. Maybe I just don't like cloves?? I thought this was a great cheap and healthy meal, but Cajun spices are not best friends with my particular palate. A big thanks to Creative Stirrings (and her Other Half) for sharing a creative recipe that was unique and family friendly!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Carrots, Cucumbers

This chicken salad recipe is adapted from Taste of Home Magazine. It is the absolute best chicken salad recipe I have ever tried. I think the key is the poultry seasoning, but the water chestnuts also make for an important secret ingredient.

1/2 c mayo or Miracle Whip
1/2 t salt
3/4 t poultry seasoning
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t black pepper
1 T lemon juice
3 c diced, cooked chicken breast
1/2 c finely chopped celery
1/2 c chopped onions (red, white, yellow, or green)
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 1/2 c grapes, halved (optional- I usually skip them)

4-8 rolls or 8-16 slices of bread
lettuce leaves (optional)

1/3 lb baby carrots

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced


Whisk together may, salt, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and lemon juice. Toss with chicken, celery, onions, water chestnuts, and grapes (if desired). Serve chicken salad on rolls/bread with lettuce leaves.

Omelets, Hashbrowns, Fruit

I love a good omelet for breakfast or dinner. To be honest, I usually use half eggs and half egg whites, but you can use all eggs if your cholesterol (and your doctor) won't mind.


8 eggs
1/4 c milk
1 t salt
1 t pepper

omelet fillings, such as:
chopped ham
shredded cheese
chopped onion
chopped peppers
mushrooms

frozen hashbrowns

fruit of your choice

In a bowl, beat eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper. Coat a skillet well with cooking spray and heat to medium heat. Make omelets one at a time by pouring about 1/4 of the egg mixture into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until partially set. Flip the omelet with a spatula and cook another 2-3 minutes or until eggs are cooked. Sprinkle filling ingredients inside and use spatula to gently fold omelet over filling. Cook another minute or so, then remove to a plate and begin the next omelet.

Prepare hashbrowns according to package directions

Grandma's Homemade Rolls

This roll recipe is from my grandma. My entire extended family is in love with these rolls; they've become quite an integral part of every holiday meal. They are certainly not as healthy as other rolls, so we only make them on special occasions. They also take a couple hours, so we only make them when we have time.

1 c milk
1/3 c butter
1 t salt
1/2 c warm water
3 T sugar
1 T yeast
2 eggs
about 4 c flour
additional butter (a few tablespoons), melted

In a medium saucepan, heat milk on medium heat. Remove from heat before it boils. Add butter and salt; stir to allow butter to melt. Meanwhile, add sugar and yeast to warm water. Let sit 5 minutes. In a large bowl or mixer, beat eggs. Stir in yeast mixture. Stir in milk mixture when it is still slightly warm but no longer hot. Slowly add flour until a soft dough forms, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Let rise until double, about 1 hour.

Divide dough into thirds. With each third, roll into a 10-12 inch circle on a floured surface. Brush with melted butter. Cut circle into 8 equal pieces (they should be sort of triangular in shape). Starting with the wide end at the bottom, roll each roll over your finger, butter side in, and pinch the end tight.


Place three rows of eight on an ungreased cookie sheet. Let rise for about 20 minutes. Bake at 370 for 15-20 minutes, until rolls are golden brown and the bottoms are cooked. Brush the tops with the rest of the melted butter. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.


The lovely thing about the crescent shape is that you can easily open your rolls to add butter, honey, or jam!
Enjoy!

Marinated Steak, Homemade Rolls, Broccoli, Cauliflower

This steak recipe is adapted from AllRecipes. The roll recipe is from my grandma; these rolls are a favorite family tradition among my entire extended family.

1 1/2 lbs steak
unseasoned meat tenderizer
1/3 c oil
2 t lemon juice
1 t seasoning salt
1/4 t lemon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t parsley flakes
2 t vinegar

broccoli florets
cauliflower florets

1 recipe Grandma's homemade rolls


Score top and bottom of meat with a 1 1/2 inch square pattern. Sprinkle meat liberally with meat tenderizer. Refrigerate for an hour. In a small bowl, mix together salt, lemon juice, seasoning salt, lemon pepper, garlic, parsley, and vinegar. Reserve a small amount of sauce in a separate container. Pour remaining marinade over meat and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Preheat grill (or broiler) for high heat. Lightly oil grate. Discard marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes. Turn meat over, brush with reserved sauce, and cook another 5 minutes.

Steam broccoli and cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper.

Creamy Chicken and Pasta, Broccoli, Cauliflower

This chicken and pasta recipe is adapted from Kraft Food and Family Magazine. I had one more package of cream cheese in my fridge that I needed to use up, so I turned to this tasty pasta recipe.

8 oz pasta
3 T Italian dressing
2 chicken breasts, sliced very thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c spaghetti sauce
1 T chopped fresh basil (or 1 t dried basil)
1/2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

broccoli florets
cauliflower florets

Cook pasta according to package directions**. Drain; return to pot. Meanwhile, heat dressing in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and garlic and cook 5 minutes. Turn chicken and cook a few minutes more, until cooked through. Reduce heat to medium-low and add spaghetti sauce, basil, and cream cheese. Stir for a few minutes, until cream cheese is melted. Add sauce to the pasta pot and stir to coat.

**Steam broccoli and cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper.


**To use one less pot in preparing this meal, cook pasta according to package directions but add broccoli and cauliflower to the cooking water for the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain and return the pasta/vegetable mixture to pot. Follow the rest of the directions as given, and you'll end up with an all-in-one meal in the end!

Jalapeno Burgers, Round Fries, Celery Sticks

1 lb ground beef
1/4 c bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 T minced onion
1/8 t cayenne pepper
pinch of dried oregano
1 t soy sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 (4 oz) can jalapenos (add more if you want spicier burgers)*

4-6 buns
4-6 slices of cheese

burger toppings, such as:
onion slices
lettuce leaves
tomato slices
guacamole


1 large potato, cut into thin circles
steak seasoning or salt and pepper

celery sticks
salad dressing


Put all burger ingredients in a bowl (first 9 ingredients). Mix well with your hands. Divide the meat mixture and form 4-6 patties. Grill or broil until cooked through. Immediately place cheese slices on the burgers and allow to melt. Assemble burgers with desired toppings.

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place potato slices in a single layer. Spray with more cooking spray. Season with steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.

*I added just over half a can of jalapenos, and BOY! these were nice and spicy. Obviously, we didn't feed these burgers to our toddler, and they might have been just a tad too spicy for me. The best bet is to start with a small amount of jalapeno, then just cook up a miniature patty (on your grill or in a frying pan). If you think you need more heat, go ahead and add more peppers!