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Saturday, 10/2

Saturday, October 02, 2004

Today is Michelle's Birthday! Having 8 extra kids here. Michelle will pick dinner but hasn't told me yet. She picked breakfast.

Breakfast...
Pancakes
Sausage
Hashbrowns
Cereal
OJ

Lunch...
Grilled Cheese (30 sandwiches!)
Cream of Tomato Soup (10 10.75oz cans, condensed...leftovers)
Soda

Dinner...
Hamburgers, Hot dogs, Kielbasa
French Fries
Veggies and dip
Soda

PHEW! This party thing is putting a dent into my menu. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful I have everything here to be able to feed whomever drops by. I just feel like I've lost a few days worth of meals. So far I've used...

turkey breakfast sausage meant for 2 meals
all the cheese single slices
all the cans of tomato soup
combined what would normally 3 meals for one (burgers, dogs, kielbasa) have leftovers though so not so bad.

Oh well, I still have plenty of food to get through this week. Next week will be a tight week, so it'll be interesting to see how it goes....coooome ooooon good sale! (sales start on Sunday here)

Drew and Pat went to WM for me after classes on Friday. I haven't seen the receipt yet so not sure how much to add to my totals, so I'm approximating. They bought...

14.52 - 2 birthday cakes (clearance)
3.57 - gal bucket of ice cream
6.60 - 3 gal milk
2.40 - 4 gal drinking water (have sulfur water and like to have bottled for company)
2.00 - 4 2lt soda

Total...$29.09
Payperiod Total...$536.17
Year Total (starting 9/24/04)...$536.17


Pancake Mix

10 c. flour
2 c. powdered milk
1 c. sugar
1/4c. baking powder
1/2Tbsp salt

Mix dry ingredients together, Add

8 c water
8 eggs, beaten
3/4 c oil
1 Tbsp vanilla

Stir until just mixed.

This makes a LOT of pancakes. I sometimes half this when I don't want any extras to freeze. Freezes well (single layer until firm then place into a freezer bag) Microwave from freezer to serve.

Friday, 10/1

Friday, October 01, 2004

October...WOW! Having girls overnight for Michelle's birthday. We're also having a party tomorrow. all day according to her (7am - 11pm! lol)

Breakfast...
Waffles with ice cream (think they are all gone now) :o(
Leftover Meatballs and sauce

Lunch....
Bunch of snacks, not feeling well

Dinner...
Snacked, feeling worse
Ham Sandwiches, fixed their own

I went to the bread store yesterday. They didn't have a GREAT sale but I did find some good things. I bought....

(all 22oz loaves, all cost $.50ea)
4 - Multigrain
4 - Whole Wheat
6 - White
4 boxes Friehoffer Chocolate Chip Cookies BOGOF $.90ea
1 bag Wise Honey BBQ chips (snack for Olivia and I)

Cost...$11.58
Payperiod total...$507.08
Year Total (starting 9/24/04)...$507.08

I'm sending Pat and Drew to WM. They are picking up my meds and buying milk, a cake and a few things for Michelle's party. So unfortunately that total will be increasing. I'm dumbfounded that I'm spending this much! And I wondered where all our extra funds were going! :o( The good thing is that a lot of what I bought will allow other grocery shopping trips to be a little lighter. (which is why I think a YTD total is more accurate)

Thursday 9/30

Thursday, September 30, 2004

Breakfast....
Waffles (I'll cry when we finally run out of these)
Bagels
Cereal

Lunch....
Olivia and I will be grabbing something on the road...we actually had frittatas at my dad's house. YUM!
Kids are eating at school

Dinner... Cost $11.27 (leftovers)
Meatball Subs
Salad



Wow! Can't believe that September is over. I have a dr appt in the suburbs today. I'm hoping to stop at the bread store and stock up while I'm in. I'll also have to stop for a milk restock. I'll add what I spend to the payperiod total. I'm thinking I might keep a running yearly total too. I figure it'll be more accurate seeing as I will use things I bought this payperiod in the next one.

We've been talking groceries on a message board I visit. I see what other people feed their family and feel like my family is just a bunch of PIGS! Someone mentioned that perhaps some were taking the budget thing to a level that put their children's health as a low priority. I was slightly offended and disagreed with justification of coming to this conclusion. I do appreciate that she voiced this opinion though. I does remind me to analyze our diet more often. It's one of the reasons I've started this. So I have it written down and can look at it later. I also tend to work harder to feed my family well when I have to hold myself accountable to it. (instead of telling them to grab a sandwich or make some toast lol)

I'm amazed we still have chips and cookies left! I put them in a new place....way up high ontop of the cupboard over the fridge. It stops anyone from just grabbing it when they're hungry, or even myself from doing that. It's too much trouble to climb up there. I've also noticed this week that the kids aren't snacking as much. Always a good thing in my book. Maybe it's because I've been making meals in a timely fashion, thanks to having a "menu". Maybe it's because they've been taking more time to eat breakfast and such because I have a variety of fast and yummy food. I just hope it continues. Snacks can really break my budget!

Wednesday, 9/29

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Half day for High schoolers, Open house night for Elementary School

Breakfast....
Bagels,
Cereal,
Waffles

Lunch....
Spinach and blue cheese dressing,
Grilled Cheese
Leftover hotdogs

Afterschool snack...
Ice cream
waffles

Dinner....
Cheeseburger/hamburger on a bun
Pasta Salad

Snack....
Sunkist fruit and cereal bar

I didn't really want to have the hamburgers today. I was distracted and forgot about open house tonight. So needed a quick dinner. I think Michelle might want them for her birthday party dinner on Saturday. So how can I feed 20+ people with 12 burgers (that's what's left lol).

Pasta Salad



1lb Tri colored garden rotini
1 can black olives
fresh vegetables
cucumbers
tomatoes
green peppers
celery
12oz Italian or Ceasar Dressing
Parmasean Cheese if not using Ceasar

Boil rotini, drain and cool, chop veggies and slice olives, add to pasta
Toss well with dressing and parm cheese

Sometimes make this more a meal by doubling pasta and dressing and adding chicken or pepperonis, and mozzarella cheese chunks

Tues 9/28

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Half day for Elementary and Middle School kids. A few kids stayed home.

Breakfast...
Cereal
Bagels
Leftover Pasta

Lunch....
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Microwave Popcorn

Dinner...
Hot dogs with bread
Salad

Cost...$6.10




I'm having a hard time choosing what to serve for dinner. LOL I know that sounds insane with my freezers filled, but EVERYTHING sounds good. I also want to plan it so my fresh stuff gets used up first or at least before it spoils. The other problem is making sure I don't eat everything so I only have one type of meat left for the last week. :o)

Monday 9/27

Breakfast... Waffles, Cereal, Bananas

Lunch....Leftover Sloppy Joe and French Onion Soup (instant)
Lunchboxes...Ham Sandwiches, Green Grapes, Cheese curls, Cookies and Juicy Juice

Afterschool Snack...Waffles, leftovers from lunch

Dinner...
2# Angelhair pasta
Sauce (3 cans)
Sausage
Garlic Bread
Chocolate Milk

Dinner Cost...$13.52
Leftovers...Angel Hair left

I finally got the basement upright freezer going. I'm happy to report it is now safe to open the kitchen freezer door. Also rhere is no worry that your bread or roll will be moldy by the time we get around to serving it. I made up 8 loaves of garlic bread (other two rolls...dog got a hunk out of one Sat morning, they ate one on Sunday). So we had 2 loaves of garlic bread with our dinner and 6 more are in the freezer (3 meals). It's been so long since I've made it that I think my family would have eaten all 8 loaves last night if I'd let them. LOL I also put up a baggie of BBQ chicken and chicken fajita meat. (made in my crockpots)

Garlic Bread

2 loaves Italian Bread
2 sticks butter or margarine, soft
garlic powder to taste
aluminum foil (I prefer the wide heavy duty stuff)

Stir garlic powder into margarine.
Slice Bread
Butter each slice on both sides (although you can skimp and do only one side)
Reform the loaf onto a sheet of foil, seal the loaf in the foil.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 mins until center of loaf is heated through.

This is a recipe you want to use margarine that doesn't list water as it's first ingredient.

Sunday... I found the secret to save money

Monday, September 27, 2004

Buy groceries and then don't use them! LOL

I took Liz, Carrie, Eileen and Olivia to my sister's house for a birthday party. So we didn't eat lunch or dinner at home. I have NO idea what they ate while I was gone. Or even if they ate at all. (if they didn't eat it's not my fault...it's their DAD's! lol)

I'm not so sure how I'll do the cost analysis. I feel like no matter how I do it, it won't be accurate. So for now just keeping track of the total amount I spent is enough for me. Maybe once I get this thing rolling along I'll change my mind.