This Week's Menu

This is what we'll be eating for the next seven days. Our budget was a bit tight since we went grocery shopping for Papa Joe on Saturday, spent $138.00 on groceries, and he forgot to pay us back. We didn't have the guts to ask him for the money. In the long run, we're still way ahead of the game, but December is a rough month to come up with the extra $$$. Anyway, I attempted to use a bit more out of my pantry this week. The only meat I bought was a 3 lb. bag of boneless/skinless chicken breast and an 8.72 lb. pork shoulder for Sunday's meal. I'm improvising a bit, because chops were over $3/lb, and the shoulder roast was $1.38/lb.

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal/Toast/Oatmeal
Lunch: Pizza Rolls I added pepperoni
Banana Crunch Bars
Dinner: Leftovers

Friday
Breakfast: Brunch Pizza Squares
Lunch: Sour Cream Enchiladas
Dinner: Leftovers

Saturday
Breakfast: Cereal/Toast/Oatmeal
Lunch: Frito Pie
Dinner: Cheddar Corn Chowder

Sunday
Breakfast: Cereal/Toast/Oatmeal
Lunch: Apple Smothered Pork Chops
Layered Peanut Butter Bars
Dinner: Leftovers

Monday
Breakfast: Apple Baked French Toast
Lunch: Bean Burritos
Chips/Salsa
Dinner: Creamy Wild Rice Soup

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cereal/Toast/Oatmeal
Lunch: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Rice
Dinner: Leftovers

Wednesday
Breakfast: Overnight Coffee Cake (recipe below)
Lunch: Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
Dinner: Creamy Potato Soup

I spent about $125.00 this week. Let's do the math:

10 people X 3 meals/day X 7 days = 210 meals

125 / 210 = ~$.60/meal

Better than last week, but I used a lot out of my cupboards. I was able to stretch last week's food out another day because we had a ton of leftovers in the fridge, so I went on a cooking strike until they were gone (or until someone took them out to the dog).

Here's the Overnight Coffee Cake recipe. In the past I have made a huge batch of this mix and put all of the dry ingredients in baggies. I put the ingredients for the topping in a smaller baggie and put it inside the big one. When I wanted to make the coffee cake, all I had to do was add the wet ingredients and mix it all up. It saved time not having to measure everything. The kids were able to do it, too. It also works to do this the morning you want to eat it. I just swirl the topping ingredients into it a bit.

2/3 cup Oil
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 c. Buttermilk (I just use regular)
Topping:
1/2 cup Brown Sugar (I usually use more--yum!)
1/2 cup Chopped Nuts
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Mix in order given, up to and including milk. Pour into greased 9X13 pan. Mix remaining topping ingredients and sprinkle over cake mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Next morning, bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.

I have also been known to stick this in the oven on Saturday night and set my timed bake for Sunday morning. It just seems easier to get out of bed when you can smell coffee cake baking!

"He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction." Proverbs 13:3