May 2013 Meal Plan

This month we decided we are going to do our shopping a little different. 

The past few months we have been stocking up on pantry and freezer essentials, and now as a result we are out of space! 

Our cupboards and freezer are full. 

So we decided we are going to do our shopping week by week instead of once a month to save on space. 

I have designed our meal plan to require purchasing items to be limited to fresh products, and very few pantry items. 

By doing our meal plan this way we are going to eat the food we have already purchased, and make space in both our freezer and pantry. 

I will be posting photos every week of our shopping trip and breaking down the cost. 

We are budgeting around $30 per week for food and plan to stick to it as best we possibly can. 

01 - Soup & Sandwiches 

02 - Crock Pot Ravioli 

03 - Homemade Pizza & Salad 

04 - Beef Soft Tacos 

05 - Quarter Chicken Dinner 

06 - Pork Chops, Potatoes, Veges 

07 - Breakfast For Dinner

 

08 - Chicken 'Pot Pie' Casserole 

09 - Vegetable Quesadillas 

10 - TAKE OUT! 

 11 - Hamburger Helper 

12 - Mothers Day ~ At My Parents 

13 - Homemade Won ton Soup 

14 - Vegetable Stir Fry With Ground Chicken 

  15 - Honey chicken With Snow Pea Rice

16 - Ham, Scallops, Corn 

17 - Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo 

18 - Spaghetti and Salad 

19 - Pad Thai with Chicken 

20 - Leftovers 

21 - Subs 

 22 - Homemade Chinese Food 

23 - Pork chops, Potatoes, Vegetables 

24 - Buffalo Chicken Wraps 

25 - Pizza Bread 

26 - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetables 

27 - Pancakes or Waffles 

28 - BBQ Hot Dogs and Sausage On Buns with Pasta Salad

29 - Chicken Parm with Pasta 

30 - Grilled Cheese & Soup 

31 - Nothing Planned 

 

Spring Cleaning ~ Kitchen

K I T C H E N ! 

 

 

Today I decided to tackle my kitchen. 

This room required most of my attention this year as it seems i have been ignoring it. 

It took me nearly all day but when it was done it felt great to look at. 

I almost never want to cook in it again!

 

{ CHECK LIST ;}

 

Stove; Inside and out. If you also have a stove that requires the silver burner liners change them and scrub the bowls that hold them. Seriously though, when was the last time you cleaned the inside of the oven or the racks?! Do you have a stove drawer? When was the last time it was cleaned and organized?

Cupboards / Pantry; I take everything out and place in on the counters, then wipe down the inside shelves of them with a damp cloth and all purpose cleaner. I let it air dry then put everything back and organize it as I go. This is also a great way to do inventory. I usually find a few things I forgot I even had in there! I also wipe down the fronts of the cupboards as well.

Microwave; This is an annoying one. Things often explode in my microwave when hubby uses it and there is usually dried on food everywhere. I recommend spraying the whole microwave then closing the door and letting it sit for awhile before scrubbing it with a sponge. Don't forget to wash the microwave tray too! 

Fridge; I pull everything out of the fridge and wipe it down really well. I'm always surprised about the amount of guk that accumulates. Throw out any expired food products and wipe down containers before placing everything back in. Don't forget the vegetable drawer! I also wipe down the shell of the fridge really well while I'm at it. Don't forget the top of the fridge either.

Freezer; This is a great time of year to pull everything out of your freezer, inventory it and place it back more organized. I always find food I forgot I've purchased. I highly recommend wearing gloves during this process! 

Pots & Pans; I have a few pots and pans kicking around that I have been meaning to donate. There is no better time then now to get rid of old, but functional kitchen gadgets. 

Drawers; I highly suggest pulling everything out of the drawers and wiping them down and putting everything back more organized then before. Do you have a junk drawer? One of those places where everything that is random ends up? I sure do. Now is a great time to throw out old papers, flyers, or coupons yo have collecting dust. 

Sink; SOS pads! They works wonders when it comes to sinks. It sparkles like never before! 

Keurig; If you have one, now is a great time to descale it. I will be posting an article on this soon. 

Baking Sheets; I always scrub my cooking sheets and other bake ware at this time of year too. Sometimes it gets forgotten, and now is a great time to make sure it gets cleaned! 

Walls & Ceiling; Swiffer the walls and corners. I always find that a few spider webs will accumulate on top of the cupboards. 

 

Counters; This is the second last thing I will do. After everything is put back into its place. Wipe down the counters really well, moving appliances as you go. 

 

Floors; Always do this last! At this time of year I will usually hand scrub the floor really well. Sometimes I do it twice. With two dogs running around it gets more dirty then I would like to admit. 

 

Banana Oat Muffins

 

Ingredients; 

1 1/2 cups of flour 

1 cup of oats 

1/2 cup of white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

~

1 egg

3/4 cup of milk 

1/3 cup of vegetable oil 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of mashed bananas

Combine flour, oats, sugar, powder, and soda together in a medium bowl. 

In a large bowl, lightly beat egg. Add milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir together. Add mashed bananas and combine well. 

Stir dry mixture into wet until it all comes together. 

Pour mixture evenly into lined muffin tin. 

Makes 1 dozen. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

 

 

 

Ingredients;

- 2 cups of cooked white rice

- 1 chopped cooked chicken breast

- 5 slices of swiss cheese

- 4 slices of deli ham chopped

- 2 cans of cream of chicken soup

- 1/2 cups of sour cream

- 1/2 cup of milk

- 13 crushed soda crackers

- salt and pepper

- dried parsley

 

 

First, greas a large casserole dish.

Spread the cooked white rice evenly on the bottom of the dish.

Top with cooked chicken pieces.

Cover completely with swiss cheese.

Top with cut up ham pieces.

Wisk together soup, milk, and sour cream.

Pour topping on casserole and spread completely.

 

 Crush together crackers, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 tsp of dried parsely.

Sprinkley evenly over top of casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.

 

Casserole Dinner.

Yum!!



Latest Finds

 

 

Retail therapy!

It works wonders I tell yah!

 

 



Grey Open Cardigan

Ambiance Apparel

Barely Worn

Small Hole That Needs Stiched

 

Pink Tshirt

American Eagle

Barely Worn

 

Purple Tank Top with Braided Top

American Rag

Never Worn

 

Mens Jeans

Bluenotes

Barely Worn

 

 

Sweat Pants

Campus Crew

Barely Worn

 

Red Button Up Cardigan

Cleo

Never Worn

 

Grey Sweater

Joe Brand

Barely Worn

Black Three Quarter Sleeve Shirt

Old Navy

Barely Worn

 

Brown Ruffle Sleeve Cardigan

Rickis

Never Worn

Crockpot Manicotti

 

 

Easy, delicious, and hubby's new fav!

 

Ingredients;

- 2 cups of cottage cheese

- 1 can of tomato sauce

- Parmesan Cheese 1 tbl

- Grated Cheese 1/2 cup

- Manicotti Noodles

- Seasonings (salt and pepper, parsley, oregano) 1 tsp each

 

First, mix together cottage cheese, and all seasonings. Place in a ziploc baggie.

Next spread a generous amount of sauce on the bottom of the crock pot. Make sure it is completely covered so the pasta doesnt burn.

Next, cut a small hole in the corner of the bag an pipe filling into manicotti shells.

Line shells evenly along bottom of pot until out of space.

Layer with sauce.

Add more noodles until you either run out of noodles or filling.

Cover everything with sauce completely.

Make sure noodles are generously covered to prevent burning.

Spread grated cheese on top.

Cook on high for 2 hours or until noodles are soft.

Makes great leftovers the next day too!

 

After two hours in crock pot

Ready to be served

 

Coupon Lingo

 

 

There are lots of different short cuts used in the couponing world.

I thought I would compile a list to help you understand everything better!

 

 

cpn - coupon

wub - when you buy

bogo - buy one get one

b1g1 - buy 1 get 1

b2g1 - buy 2 get 1

oop - out of pocket

exp - expiry

upc - universal packaging code, bar code

ymmv - your mileage may vary

ets - excludes trial size

gc - gift card

cp - Canada post

mir - mail in rebate

pm - price match

rp - Red Plum insert

p&g - Procter & Gamble

ss - smart source

mfr - manufacturer coupon

raincheck - when an item is on sale but sold out, you can ask for a raincheck to get the product for the sale price at a later date

tp - tear pad

ac - after coupon

tmf - try me free

fpc - free procut coupon

sase - self addressed stamped envelope

scop - scanning code of practice

lf - looking for

rlf - really looking for

hv - high value

rack - random act of coupon kindness

sdm - Shoppers Drug Mart

wm - Walmart

rcss - Real Canadian Superstore

nf - No Frills

 

 



Spring Cleaning ~ Bathroom

 

Oh The Joys of Spring Cleaning!

 

I decided to start off my spring cleaning small.

I put all my cleaners on the kitchen table and they sit there until the whole project is complete. It is motivation, and a constant reminder to get it done.

 

Today I am starting with the bathroom.

Smallest, and easiest room in my house to clean!

{ Check List }

 

- Toilet ; Scrub it like you never have before! I put the toilet bowl cleaner around the bowl and then close the lid for a good 10 - 15 minutes while you clean other spots of the bathroom. Don't just clean the inside of the toilet! Don't forget about the rim, lid, and outside shell of the toilet. Now is a great time to wipe it all down and get it sparkling!

 

- Shower / Tub ; This is the part that takes me the longest in all of the bathroom. I start with a sponge that has a soft side and a rough side. I spray it section by section and scrub it until I am satisfied. Being short I have found it is a great help to bring a stool into the tub so you are able to scrub the tiles all the way out of reach. While you're at it you should pull down the fabric shower curtain and any other bathroom linens you may have that are just for show and throw them in the wash. This is also the time of the year I put up a new plastic shower curtain. They can get so mucky and they only cost $2.00 at walmart. After I am satisfied that the tiles are up to my standards, I remove all products from the shower and clean the rim of the tub. I wipe down everything very well and then lastly I will scrub the tub its self. This is always a tiring job on my arms but it makes it well worth it.

 

- Sink / Vanity ; I don't know about you, but my bathroom counter becomes a bit of a dumping ground. Products, hair elastics, makeup, toothbrushes, and bobby pins seem to always make a home, all over. After tidying those up, and find thing the actual counter part, i begin cleaning. Spray everything, and wipe it down well. Scrub the sink with a sponge and swish it out with clean hot water.

 

Ceiling / Lights ; Swiffer. The key to all my shortness problems. I swiffer the roof, tops of the door frames, and all light fixtures really well.

 

Door Knobs / Light Switches ; The need disinfecting too! Seriously how many times a day do you touch them? And when was the last time you cleaned them?

 

Linen Closet ; There's never a better time to sort through old towels, thrown out expired products, or wipe down all the shelves.

 

Floors ; Always saved for last. I hand wash my bathroom floor because I find with the grout the mop doesnt get it nearly as clean as I would like.

 

 



 

 

That's it folks.

It's sparkling.

Welcome to spring cleaning day 1.

 

BTW - does anyone elses hubby have to use the washroom less then 2 minutes after you are done cleaning?!

 



Vegetable Tray

 

 

Recently, I was pondering ways to eat all of the fresh produce we love in a timely manner. More then once I have thrown something into the crisper drawer and then completely forgotten it was there only to find it has gone bad the next time I venture into that drawer. Then having to throw it out, basically throwing out cash every week.  

I found this great tray at the local dollar store and knew it would be perfect for this project.

The container was 4 large section, and one smaller section.

It was only $3.00.

 

Currently In Our Vege Platter:

~ Baby Carrots

~ Cucumber Slices

~ Celery Sticks

~ Pepper Slices

~ Broccoli

 

These Veges Would Also Work Great:

~ Cherry Tomatoes

~ Mushrooms

~ Cauliflower

~ Radishes

~ Green Beans

~ Snap Peas

 

 

I pull this tray out every day with lunch and sometimes in between for snacking.

It is great to be able to have fresh, ready to go produce ready for eating.

At the end of the week I take whatever is leftover and chop it up and add it to whatever dinner e are having that night.

Pasta, soups, stir fry, sauces.

These vegetables are so versatile that there are tons of things you can throw them into!

 

What are your families favorite veges for snacking on?



Brownies

I love brownies.

They are not only delicious, but easy and quick to make when you have a sweet tooth.

I make large quantities of the mix and keep in in a canister on my counter so when I have a sweet tooth, they are right there to whip up.

 

 

*I make half of this at a time*

*makes enough for 6 batches*

 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Store in an airtight container.

 

To Make Brownies

combine above ingredients and pour into greased 8by8 pan

bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes

until knife comes out clean



 

finished brownies.

perfect treat!!

Spring Cleaning Supply List

 

 

 

List of my recommended cleaning supplies to complete your spring cleaning!

 

Sponged

Dusting Cloths

All Purpose Spray

Window / Glass Cleaner

Rubber Gloves

Paper Towels

Carpet Cleaning Spray

Trash Bags

Air Freshener

Duster

Floor Cleaner

Lysol Wipes

Magic Eraser

Plastic Brush

Bucket

Mop

Broom

Swiffer

Vaccuum

Baking Soda

Essential Oils

Stove Cleaner

Vim Cream Cleaner

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Shower / Tub Cleaner

Tile Cleaner
SOS Pads
Swiffer Cloths (dry + wet)

 

 

 

 



Cornflake Chicken

 

 

A new chicken recipe was just what I needed to add to our monthly rotation.

This recipe is easy, quick, and doesn't require a lot of ingredients.

 

 

All You Need;

~ 1 chicken breast per person

~ 1 egg

~ 2 tablespoons of water

~ Olive Oil

~ Salt & Pepper to taste

~ Approximately 1 cup of Corn flakes

 

All You Need To Do;

In a shallow bowl, beat together egg and water.

In a seperate shallow bowl, place cornflakes.

Drizzle olive oil in bottom of baking dish to prevent sticking when cooking.

Rinse each piece of chicken under water and pat dry with a clean paper towel.

Salt and pepper the chicken to preference.

Dip chicken in egg mixture then dip the top of the chicken in the cornflakes.

Place chicken in baking dish with the cereal side up.

Place in preheated 400 degree oven and cook for about 4 minutes until chicken is cooked through and cereal is golden.