Menu Plan Monday ~ June 24, 2024

                                         

My Frugal Week

On Thursday I cut up a watermelon into bite sized pieces and stored it in the fridge. I also grated a two pound block of cheddar cheese to have on hand. 

If you have a double wall insulated cup you can use it to bring freezer pops, squeezable yogurt, or string cheese for those days when you are going to be out of the house for a long time. The cup will keep them nice and cold.

Have you been seeing all the profee (protein shake + coffee = profee) videos on social media? I'm not a fan of coffee, but I do enjoy tea, so I bought a box of salted caramel tea, brewed some and added a salted caramel protein shake along with ice and it was really tasty and refreshing. I enjoyed the salted caramel better in a vanilla shake than I did the green tea.

Grinder Salad

Grinder Salads or Sub in a Tub have become popular on TikTok. They are like an Italian submarine sandwich in a bowl, chopped up, without the bread. I've saved several of the recipes to try and decided to make one this week.

I used a base of a salad mix and added chicken, cheese, turkey pepperoni, pickles, red pepper, tomatoes, and a green apple. The dressing included mayonnaise, mustard, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and raisins. It turned out really tasty and I think olives would make a great addition next time.

Recipe of the Week

I made some Carrot Raisin salad while Bailey was gone on her trip. We both love it, but she is allergic to raw carrots and I feel bad making it when she can't eat it, so with her out of the house I'm going to enjoy it.

Carrot Raisin Salad

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups fresh carrots, finely shredded
1 - 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained (2/3 cup)
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.

Makes 13-14 servings.

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Grilled Chicken Salads with a side of Cucumber Salad. 

Tuesday ~ Sub in a Tub. 

Wednesday ~ Cottage Cheese Taco Dip that I made with cottage cheese, onions, and taco seasoning. I added tomatoes, black olives, red peppers, and cheese and had it with tortilla chips. 

Thursday ~ Watermelon, Carrot Raisin Salad. 

Friday ~ Chicken Fajitas, Cucumber & Tomato Salad. I used romaine lettuce cups as my "tortilla" shell and they were really good plus saved me the carbs from the real tortillas. 

Saturday ~ Bailey is off to her book club, so I was on my own for dinner. I decided to make a Chicken Taco Salad for dinner. 

Sunday ~ I put chicken breasts in the crockpot and added a packet of ranch taco seasoning and a jar of Trader Joe's pineapple salsa. I served this with corn on the cob, Brussel Sprouts, and Cucumber Salad. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

These are the items we have on hand that I can use to make meals this week. 

Salmon, 15 Bean Cajun Soup Beans, BBQ Pork,  Cube Steaks, Chicken Fajitas, Taco Chicken. 

Please come back next week to see what side dishes we have with these meals.  

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Third Frugal Friday of June 2024

                                                     

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
I ordered a new shirt in my smaller size and when it came I realized how much I liked it, so I ordered one in each color. Lucky me they were having a 50% off sale, so each shirt shirt was $20 off, so I saved $60 when I ordered them. 
I went through all of my clothes again and got rid of the ones that were too big for me and gave them to Bailey to sell in her online shops. 
We went to the pool on Friday night and I swam laps for a little over an hour. Bailey did the weight room, walked the walking path, and then got into the pool. My insurance pays for my membership to the YMCA, so I definitely want to use it. 
Our electric bill is so much lower than this same time last year. In June of 2023 we used an average of 83.03 kWh per day while this year it was down to an average of 49.59 kWh per day. That is a savings of $110.51 from the same time last year. 
On Monday I went to the retina specialist for injections in my eyes as it's been six weeks already. He had good news for me, there was no swelling in my left eye and just a tiny bit in the right eye, so now I can move to injections every eight weeks instead of four or six weeks. It made me a happy camper. 
Bailey left out bright and early on Tuesday for her trip to Georgia to visit with a friend for a few days and made it safely back home on Thursday evening. The laundry had piled up while she was washing her clothes for the trip, so I had the washer going before she even got out of the driveway. LOL
It has been a LONG time since I've had the house all to myself for a few days. I'm not only caught up on the laundry, but I rearranged the office area of my bedroom, decluttered a little, cleaned out and organized the hallway closet along with my bedroom closet, and tackled several projects that needed doing. 
I also dealt with several phone calls concerning my Dad and his business. I will be glad when the majority of this is behind us. 
Freebies & Pollinator Week
June 17th through the 23rd is National Pollinator Week. 
Pollinators are a diverse group of species that includes birds, bees, butterflies, bats and beetles. They are critically important to life and their numbers are in steady decline as a result of habitat loss, pests, pathogens, pesticides and other stressors.
 The TDOT is doing their part to protect the Monarch butterflies. As a result they are offering free milkweed seeds to all Tennessee residents. 
Here is a link:
Free Milkweed Seeds
Also free this week, a friend of mine had a spaghetti squash that she wasn't going to use, so she gifted it to me. 
Cat Update
I fear that something has happened to our outdoor cats. We have seven outdoor cats and some of them have not been around for well over a week. I have seen very little of four of them in the last few days, but three of them are definitely missing. I hope it's just hot and they are in the woods staying cool and are not gone for good.
Savings of the Week
Have you read the story of Rachel Veitch? In 1964 she purchased a brand new Mercury Comet Caliente and paid $3,300 for it. She kept that car well maintained for over 50 years and drove it 567,000 miles. 
One of her secrets was regular maintenance, and she would buy lifetime guarantees’ whenever possible. As a result, she only paid once for three sets of shocks, eight mufflers and eighteen batteries.  She was smart and wise when it came to car ownership.
How was your week?

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ June 17, 2024

                                         

My Frugal Week

Something I learned this week is that it takes eight to ten eggs to make a cup of egg whites. No wonder a carton of egg whites cost so much at the store. Bailey wanted pizza eggs for breakfast, but was out of egg whites. I had a box of 60 eggs, so I just used some of them t0 make egg whites. 

GNC sent me a $10 reward to use on anything this weekend, so I ordered some protein shakes, but the order got cancelled as they were out of stock. So, I called GNC and they are sending them to me via snail mail and gave me free shipping to boot. Now that's what I call great customer service. 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Hamburgers, Corn on the Cob, Sweet Potato Fries. 

Tuesday ~ Bailey had her movie night, so I was on my own for dinner. I made a bowl of Jello with Fruit & Cottage Cheese and then had a coconut yogurt later .

Wednesday ~ Chicken Sausages, Cabbage & Onion Stir Fry, Sweet Potato Slices in the air fryer. 

Thursday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl, Cooked Carrots, Stir Fry Vegetables. 

Friday ~ Chicken Fajitas, Corn on th Cob. 

Saturday ~ BBQ Pork, Cucumber & Tomato Salad, Bean Salad. 

Sunday ~ Hamburgers, Corn on the Cob, Cucumber & Tomato Salad. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

Bailey will be gone a few days this week visiting a friend in Georgia, so I will be on my own for dinner a few nights. I'll be making Minestrone soup and enjoying that for several lunches and dinner at least one night. 

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Second Frugal Friday of June 2024

                                         

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
Last Friday we went to the YMCA to go to the pool, but first in the weight room to exercise. We spent so long in the weight room that we decided not to get in the pool. We will be going again today and h opefully getting in the pool afterwards. 
Saturday morning we were up bright and early for yard sales. We went to fourteen yard sales in all and Bailey restocked her inventory for her online shops. I found a broom and stand alone dustpan set for $1.00. I already had one, but took it downstairs to use and do not want it back upstairs, so now I have one for upstairs too. 
On Tuesday I went to Whole Foods and picked up a few things. I bought Siggi yogurt and used the $1.00 off two coupon from their website. I bought Amylu chicken sausages to try, and Bailey really like them. 
I bought some turmeric and ginger root and also bought some tumeric for my spice shelf as I was out. I also picked up a fennel bulb and will make some minestrone soup this week. I also found a box of mixed spring greens marked 50% off that day. 
Question of the Week
I decided to send my brother a box of our  Dad's things to him for Father's Day. One of the things I sent were some papers and photos that our Mom & Dad had kept over the years, which prompted me to go through my papers. 
Do you keep papers of yours from when you were in grade school? I have several that are special to me, so I've kept those including all my report cards and yearbooks. But, I know that they won't mean anything to anyone else. How do you come to terms with tossing items that are sentimental?
How was your week? 

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ June 10, 2024

                                         

My Frugal Week

This week I made a gallon of green tea, a gallon of sweet tea, and we used drink packets to flavor some of our water. I mostly drink my water plain, but this week I used one Gatorade Zero Glacier Freeze while Bailey loves the Starburst Cherry ones. She also likes to add the Mermaid Skinny Syrup to her water. Someday I would like to try the Cotton Candy Skinny Syrup and see if it tastes good. 

We stopped at the Farmer's Market while we were out at yard sales on Saturday, and picked up fresh tomatoes, a head of cabbage and a watermelon, all for $15.00. I chopped up two of the tomatoes to go with dinner that night and they were delicious. 

Recipe of the Week

Spiced with ginger and cinnamon, this is the perfect warm drink. Both turmeric and ginger have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, so this is also a healthy drink. 

Golden Turmeric Latte

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Honey

Pinch of Turmeric Powder

Pinch of Ginger Powder

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 cup Nonfat milk your of choice 

Pinch of Pepper (Turmeric needs pepper to work)

Directions:

Warm milk in a small pan and add honey, turmeric, ginger, pepper and cinnamon and whisk until combined.

Heat on low to medium heat until warm.

Pour in a mug and enjoy!

Photo of the Week

Vegetables diced in my food chopper and sauteing for dinner of Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice.

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ We went out to eat at Golden Corral to celebrate getting the property deeds all transferred. I had a steak, a couple of shrimp and one chicken tender along with a really nice salad. 

Tuesday ~ Salmon, Brown Rice, and Steamed Broccoli. 

Wednesday ~ Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice. 

Thursday ~ Meatloaf, Carrots, Pinto Beans. 

Friday ~ Chicken Tacos with all the fixings. 

Saturday ~ Chicken Stir Fry, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Golden Honeydew Melon. 

Sunday ~ Lemon Pepper Salmon, Sweet Potato, Brussel Sprouts, Sliced Tomatoes. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

So far I am thinking we will have Cube Steak, Chicken Fajitas, and I'm undecided after that. 

How about you?

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

First Frugal Friday of June 2024

                                                 

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
On Saturday we went to several yard sales. I found myself a new pair of capri pants in my smaller size for 50 cents, which thrills me to pieces. 
I met with the attorney on Monday at the courthouse and signed the new property deeds, now all the property, both Moms and Dads,  is in mine and my siblings names. Our first attorney didn't work out, but the title attorney was just what we needed. 
That was the only time I've been out of the house this week, so no shopping or spending money this week. I even have a full tank of gas still, which is down to $2.86 per gallon here. 
I worked through ore of my Facebook groups and have whittled it down to only 68 groups. Many of them were for yard sale groups that were inactive. 
How was your week?

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ June 3, 2024

                                        

My Frugal Week

We went grocery shopping on Saturday and spent more than I wanted to spend, but we were out of many items and I was stocking up on several items. 

On Sunday I boiled eggs for the week, and made deviled eggs and a cucumber tomato salad to go with dinner. 

Recipe of the Week

I created this recipe using ingredients I had on hand and it turned out really well. You can always substitute chopped cabbage for the Cruciferous crunch. It made enough for dinner and then three lunches afterwards. I will definitely be making this again. 

Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon EVOO

8 ounces cooked chicken

1 - 10 ounce bag Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch

1 - 12 ounce bag Trader Joe's Cauliflower Rice 

1 packet Sunbird Fried Rice Seasoning Mix

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped red, orange, or yellow bell peppers

1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil

1 teaspoon ginger

Soy Sauce 

Directions: 

Heat EVOO in skillet until warm.

Add onions & peppers and saute for a few minutes.

Add Cruciferous Crunch, Riced Cauliflower, and Chicken.

Add Sunbird Seasoning packet.

Saute and heat through.

Add toasted sesame oil & soy sauce.

Stir to combine.

Enjoy.

Photo of the Week

Round steak, all browned, and ready to go into the crockpot to make Swiss Steak for Sunday dinner.

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice, Cucumber & Tomato Salad, Carrots. Oh wow, this was so good to me. I used Trader Joe's cauliflower rice and Cruciferous Crunch and it turned out really well. Afterwards, I had enough left to pack for three lunches for this week.  

Tuesday ~ Movie Night for Bailey, so I had a Grilled Chicken Salad. 

Wednesday ~ Minestrone Soup

Thursday ~ Enchilada Bake, Sweet Potatoes, Baked Beans. 

Friday ~ Bailey has book club, so I am on my own for dinner. I made Lemon Pepper Salmon, Baked Sweet Potato, and Tuscan Kale with fig balsamic vinegar. 

Saturday ~ I found a rotisserie chicken on markdown for $3.04, so I took the meat off the bones and added onions, spices and crushed tomatoes and make a chicken taco filling for dinner. I had mine via a burrito bowl while Bailey had tacos with hers. 

Sunday ~ Swiss Steak, Deviled Eggs, Pickled Beets, and Steamed Broccoli. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

I have several ideas planned for dinner this week including Tacos, Hamburgers, Cube Steak, and Salmon Patties. Please come back next week to see what sides we have on our menu this week. 

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27