Meal Plan Monday

In no particular order, these are the meals I plan on making and serving this week. As usual, we have plenty of salad and vegetables to serve with these meals. 
1. Meatball Stroganoff with Egg Noodles2. Tacos x 23. Loaded Baked Potatoes 4. Len Penzo Macaroni and Cheese5. Cheeseburgers & Tater Tots6. Dirty Rice with Sausage
Come back on Friday if you're interested in reading which side dishes we chose for each meal.
BelindaMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Second Frugal Friday of July 2022

Welcome to Friday! 
Quote of the Week

We should always be honest because honesty is the best policy. If we’re honest we will have a clear conscience in all matters, and we will truly be free. ~ Titus Yoder

My Frugal Week
Since we didn’t yard sale last Friday, I decided to rearrange the furniture in my bedroom. I now have two tables set up in there to form an L shape in the corner to use as a desk. Someday I want to replace them with a real desk, but until I find a great deal, the tables will do just fine. 
We’ve continued to declutter this week, organize things we’re keeping,  sell some things, and price some things for an upcoming Sweet WeePeets consignment sale in September. We also sold a set of shelves for $20 on Facebook Marketplace.
I filed all of the paperwork from the last month into the appropriate files. I also tossed a lot of paperwork that I no longer needed. After cleaning up my Mom’s paperwork, some from the early 1960s, I want to make sure I’m not leaving stuff for someone else to have to go through and toss someday. 
The top of my cedar chest, which is upholstered, my footstool and armchair were all shampooed by me this week using our Little Green Clean machine by Bissell. They look and smell so good and make the whole room cleaner. 
Bills were paid this past week including my auto insurance. I keep a sinking fund for that expense and put the appropriate amount of money in there each month even though it’s not due every month. That way when the bill does come due, I already have the money to pay for it. 
It’s a good way to stay ahead of the game and ensure the money is there when I need it. Keeping or getting your finances straight will go a long way in giving you peace of mind. 
Bailey went to Kroger on Thursday to look for markdowns. She found 4 packages of lemon pepper chicken on markdown. They are now stored in the freezer for future meals. 
Joy of the Week

Mr. Bo Gatsby

My joy this week has been in having a new kitten. The cats we already have are older and not nearly as playful as having a kitten around. We named our newest addition Bo Gatsby, but now I’m wishing we would have named him Mr. Bojangles or Bocephus. I’ve been calling him Mr. Bo Man, so that name might stick. He provides a lot of free entertainment. 
Question of the Week
Do you know how much money you need in order to live each month?
The book I’m currently reading by author Annie Jean Brewer states she knew she needed at least $500 every month in order to make it. She wanted to be able to stay at home with her daughter at the time and looked for ways to keep their expenses under that amount. 
I’ve crunched my own numbers and know what it takes for me to make it each month. If you’re interested in knowing yours, crunch your numbers and find out for yourself. 
Avoiding Spending
I couldn’t avoid spending money this week as I had an RX to pick up for Vitamin D. 
Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen
We ran out of yellow onions this week, so I went to add a three pound bag to my grocery order this week. Walmart was out of stock, so I kept looking, comparing prices online and ended up going with a locally owned grocery store for the best price. 
Walmart $3.48 and out of stockAldi $2.65Fresh and Low $1.79
Comparison shopping will save you money. I’m going to the doctors office on Wednesday and I’ll drive right by Fresh and Low, so it will be no problem to get a curbside pickup. I’ll also be picking up an rx, going to the post office, dr’s office, and the grocery store. Combining errands when I’m going out will also help us save money by using less gas.
The egg rolls we normally buy have increased in price to almost $1.00 per egg roll, so that prices that brand out of my budget. What to do? Get out my tried and true recipe for homemade egg rolls. I can get 20 egg roll wrappers for $2.48, so making our own makes sense. 
We’ve done the usual things we do in the kitchen this week to save money including eating all leftovers and using up items we bought. One day I was rummaging through some cookbooks I bought when I came across a recipe card for sweet potatoes. 
The recipe called for pumpkin pie spice, so I decided to make it for dinner. I used some sweet potatoes that needed using and thought Bailey would like it and she did, so I’m counting that as a win since she isn’t a fan of sweet potatoes. The recipe will be In next weeks recipe of the week.
I’ve been making ice tea every day since it has been so hot this week. Several days this week I made two gallons just to keep up with thirsty people. 
Meals This Week
Friday:  Swiss Steak, Buttered Rice with Peas, Salad.
Saturday: Tostadas, Salad, Corn.
Sunday: Beefy Baked Beans, Fried Rice, and Salad. I took the leftover rice and mixed vegetables from Saturday night’s dinner and added toasted sesame oil, butter and seasonings to make a new side dish for tonight. It used up some leftovers, which was the goal in order to save money.
Monday: Fluffy Baked Omelet, Sweet Potato Casserole, Mixed Vegetables with Rice. 
Tuesday: Movie Night ~ Pizza.
Wednesday: Out all day running errands, but made it to the grocery store and bought stuff for sandwiches as it was too hot for anything else. Sandwiches, macaroni salad, watermelon. 
Thursday: Meatloaf, macaroni salad, watermelon. 
Recipe of the Week
One of the packages of meat I bought at the Food City priced at the 5 for $14.99 sale a few weeks ago was round steak, which I bought to make Swiss Steak.  I found this recipe in the instruction booklet for the crockpot received as a wedding present in 1989. It’s been a tried and true recipe all these years and doesn’t disappoint. 
Swiss Steak
Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 to 2 pounds round steak2 teaspoons flour1 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper2 tablespoons vegetable oil1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce1 large onion, sliced1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
Directions:
Cut steak into serving size pieces.Coat with flour, salt, and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in skillet and brown the meat. In your slow cooker add the meat, tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, and celery. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 
There was enough left over for both of us to have for lunch the next day.
Saving on Entertainment
Bailey and I are continuing to watch North & South this week and have started season two. Bailey went to McKay Used Books in Chattanooga on Thursday. She found North and South season two for 95 cents and season three for $2.95, so we will continue the mini series rather inexpensively. 
What I've been Reading This Week
The Shoestring Girl: How I Live on Practically Nothing & You Can Too, written by Annie Jean Brewer. She has a blog called Annienygma, if you’re interested in reading more of her writings. 
This book reminds me of both Dolly Freed in her book titled Possum Living and Amy Dacyczyn of The Tightwad Gazette fame. The lengths these three writers go to save money is very similar.
The Feel Good Contacts website demonstrates how to tighten glasses that are fitting loosely. Warming the arms up with a hairdryer and bending them back into place is one of the suggestions. 
Freebies

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.

BelindaDebt Free &~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree

Menu Plan Monday

Meal planning is an good tool for saving money, time, energy, and stress.

Here is what I'm planning for this week, sides to be determined later:

1. Macaroni and Cheese with Ham, Salad 
2. Big Mac Sloppy Joes
3. Vegetable Lasagna, Salad 
4. Chicken Parmesan
5. Chili 
6. Grilled Chicken Salads 
7. Grilled Salmon, Salad

As always these plans are held loosely. They could change based on my energy level that day or any other circumstance. But it is nice to have some type of plan for the week.

What is on your menu for the week?


Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me to earn a living here at Frugal Workshop.

Menu Plan Monday ~ August 17 through August 23, 2020

Menu Plan Monday 

Monday: This day we still had Taco meat on hand from the night before. Wanting to prevent food waste, I decided to use that up for dinner. 

Tuesday: Grilled Chicken, Baked Sweet Potato, Steamed Broccoli, and salad.

Wednesday: Grilled Salmon, Brown Rice, Steamed Carrots, Sliced Red Peppers. 

Thursday: Grilled Chicken Salads with romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, red bell peppers, carrots, radishes, and onions. 

Friday: Asian Chicken Buddha Bowls

Saturday: Soup Beans, Turnip Greens, Sliced Tomatoes, Cornbread 

Sunday: Grilled Chicken with Roasted Sheet Pan Vegetables.

What was on your menu for the week? 

Belinda

~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me to earn a living here at Frugal Workshop.

Menu Plan Monday ~ July 13 through July 19, 2020

Menu Plan Monday

This was my original meal plan for this week with sides were to be determined later:

1. Egg Roll in a Bowl

2. Cheesy Potatoes

3. Chicken Pot Pie

4. Spaghetti

5. Easy Sausage Quiche

6. Loaded Baked Potatoes

7. Meatloaf
8. Chicken Tenders

And this is what we ended up eating this past week:

Monday: This day I decided to make Egg Roll in a Bowl along with some baked homemade egg rolls . I made enough to have leftovers for lunches this week. I used the egg roll dish to make the egg rolls too. I served steamed broccoli alongside. 

Tuesday: I took chicken out of the freezer on Monday and placed in the fridge to thaw for Tuesday night dinner. I've been wanting chicken tenders for a while now, so I just decided I was going to have to make some, photo above. I also made some homemade cole slaw to go with them.   

Wednesday: There was still chicken left from Tuesday, so I went off menu, cooked it and made Chicken & Chile Chimichangas. 

This is such a simple, but good recipe and one I made back when I was married. I ordered a Chimichanga in the Mexican restaurant we went to on my first real date back in the early 1980s. 

Thursday: Since we've had meat several days in a row, I decided to do a meatless dinner tonight. Loaded Baked Potatoes is what we had for dinner on this night. 

Friday: Dinner tonight was homemade pizza with pepperoni and black olives. I also made a salad to go along with it. 

Saturday: Dinner tonight was grilled chicken, with rice and a side salad. 

Sunday: Dinner today was Spaghetti using sweet Italian sausage, onions, tomatoes, and a new to me sauce from Italy. I also made some garlic bread using us some hamburger buns we had on hand. 

Beverages this week included Sweet Tea, Almond Milk, Sprite, Lemonade, V8-Juice, Pineapple Juice, or YooHoo.

Here is what I'm planning for this week, sides to be determined later:

1. Meatloaf

2. Chicken Pot Pie

3. Cheese Enchiladas

4. Sticky Pineapple Chicken

5. Chow Mein & Egg Rolls

6. Hamburgers with Cheese

7. Loaded Baked Potatoes

Of course this could change based on my energy level that day or any other circumstance. :)

Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me to earn a living here at Frugal Workshop.

Menu Plan Monday ~ July 5 to July 12, 2020

Menu Plan Monday

This was my original meal plan for this week and sides were to be determined later:

Tacos & Dos Bros Corn Salsa
Chicken Pot Pie

Spaghetti

Subway Sandwiches

Homemade Chicken Strip Sandwiches

Grilled Chicken Tenders

Easy Sausage Quiche

Loaded Baked Potatoes

(Cheese, Green Onions, Black Olives, Sour Cream, Butter, Bacon Bits, Chives)

I went off menu plan midweek and ended up having enough food for the next three days. So, some of this past week's menu has been added to this coming week. 

Here is what we ended up eating this past week:

Sunday: On this day I decided to make the corn salsa and make Tacos to go along with it. I roasted the poblano peppers and made the salsa and cut up lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and shredded cheddar cheese. Tacos & Dos Bros Corn Salsa

Monday: Lately I've been wanting to make some Carrot & Raisin Salad. It's taken some time to get the supplies though. I ordered the raisins and pineapple and had to wait on them to arrive. The raisins took longer than anything else.

I made a batch of this today, but also made my daughter some cooked carrots. She loves the salad, but is allergic to raw carrots,and I didn't want her to feel left out.

Since it was so hot today, I made baked submarine sandwiches, and served it with this salad, cucumber salad, and the corn salsa. All three salads have been made recently and are easy to pull from the fridge for a quick supper. Submarine Sandwiches, Carrot Raisin Salad, Cucumber Salad, Corn Salsa. 

Tuesday: This is our movie night and my daughter wanted to make something she saw on Tik Tok. So we watched "A Perfect Storm" and she made us a Big Mac Pizza for dinner. 

Wednesday thru Friday: On Wednesday I pulled out  chub of ground beef from the freezer and once it thawed I browned it along with a couple of onions. For dinner I made us a Mexican inspired taco dish with plenty of lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. We were able to eat on this for three days. 

Saturday: We had salad stuff that needed to be used up, so I made some grilled chicken for dinner and placed that on top of our salads. Grilled Chicken Salads

Sunday: We had ham and potatoes and I made a side dish of the Knorr Rice Sides Cheddar & Broccoli. This is my daughter's favorite one, it has milk in it, which makes it creamy.

Beverages this week included Sweet Tea, Almond Milk, Sprite, Lemonade, V8-Juice, Pineapple Juice, or YooHoo. 

Here is what I'm planning for this week, sides to be determined later:

1. Egg Roll in a Bowl

2. Cheesy Potatoes

3. Chicken Pot Pie

4. Spaghetti

5. Easy Sausage Quiche

6. Loaded Baked Potatoes

7. Meatloaf

Of course this could change based on my energy level that day or any other circumstance. :)

Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me to earn a living here at Frugal Workshop.

WFD: Salmon Patties & Coleslaw

On Tuesday I made Salmon Patties for dinner and served them with Cole Slaw, Green Peas, and Mashed Potatoes. 
I've not shared my recipes for Cole Slaw or Salmon Patties before, so here they are:
This is what the salmon looks like after it is drained and comes out of the can:

And this is what it looks like after I crush the bones, mix it well and make it a uniform consistency. 
What it looks like with all the ingredients:

What they look like afterwards:
Salmon Patties 
Ingredients: 1 large can of Salmon
2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons dill 

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 or 2 eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Open and drain juice from one can of salmon.

Place into a bowl and break up the bones. 

Using your hand, combine to a uniform consistency. 

Add the onion, dill weed, cornmeal, and egg.

Mix well and form into patties.

Add vegetable oil to your skillet and heat up.

Add salmon patties and cook until browned.

Flip and cook on the other side until brown.

Remove from skillet & drain.
Serve with tartar sauce.

Now I like my coleslaw to be diced into tiny little squares and if I'm in Kroger or Food Lion, I like to pick up ChefBuddys Diced Cabbage & Carrots. They have different versions with cabbage only or with peppers and onions, but I prefer the cabbage and carrots only version. Unfortunately, ChefBuddys has went out of business and is no longer offering this product. 

Coleslaw

Ingredients:

8 cups cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrot 

You can substitute one bag of cole slaw mix instead of the cabbage and carrots. 

Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup buttermilk

1 & 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Chop cabbage and carrot into very fine pieces and place in bowl. 

Combine the mayo, sugar, milk, buttermilk, vinegar, salt & pepper.

I normally add these to a jar and shake well to combine. 

Add to the cabbage and carrots and toss together. 

Refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.

Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me to earn a living here at Frugal Workshop.

Belinda's Homemade Potato Salad

Listed below is my own recipe for potato salad. I made a batch of this yesterday before we went to Sweetwater to pick up our hamburger. We came home and I made hamburgers and served it with this potato salad.

Belinda's Homemade Potato Salad

Ingredients:

6 medium white potatoes  ~ Skin On, Quartered

1/2  red onion, diced

4 hard boiled eggs peeled

1 & 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup dill pickle relish

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard

1 teaspoon dill

1 & 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Paprika for Garnish

Directions:

Cover potatoes with water in a saucepan &  bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. 

Drain and cool slightly.

Combine mayo, sour cream,  relishes, mustard, vinegar, dill, salt & pepper in a large bowl. Add potatoes, onion and eggs and toss gently. 

Sprinkle with paprika. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

I've been working on my recipe organization this week and posting some of them on the blog and making sure they are listed in the recipe section. Just in case you're wondering why so many recipes lately. I'll be continuing this for the next few weeks. I hope you have a great Saturday!

Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me to earn a living here at Frugal Workshop.

Frugal Friday ~ June 5, 2020

Welcome to Friday!
My exciting news for the week is this...The United Grocery Outlet in Sweetwater had a contest on their Facebook page to win a free package of their Butcher's Blend Burger. 
I mentioned on their Facebook page that we had trouble getting hamburger down towards Cleveland and they mentioned the UGO in Cleveland had been talking about putting in a meat counter for some time now. That would be so terrific!  
I said all of that to say this: we won the package of meat! This is the first hamburger we will have had since we've been staying home due to COVID19. 

In other news this week...

When the shutdown for the pandemic first started and schools were closed, I tried to file for unemployment. The online system was bogged down so much so that I had trouble getting it to take my information correctly. So, I gave up and didn't complete my application. 
Then I spoke with my brother in law and he said he didn't think I would qualify for unemployment. In my mind I tended to agree with that statement, so I didn't bother even trying to apply again. 
This week I saw a post from one of the other substitute teachers here who is receiving unemployment benefits. So, I messaged her and sure enough, she is eligible for this for subbing. 
So, I filled out my application this week. She told me it took her about three weeks to start seeing any money, so if I do qualify for this,  it will be around the end of June for me if it happens. I'll keep you updated. 
On Thursday evening I tried a new recipe for Sausage Green Bean Potato Casserole. It had a lot of flavor and was a big hit. Here is the recipe if you're interested:
Sausage Green Bean Potato Casserole

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 lbs pounds sausage kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut into slices

2 pounds potatoes, diced

2 - 15 oz cans green beans, drained

1/8 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup butter

1 cup onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400° and spray a 9x13 baking dish with a non-stick spray.

Wash potatoes and dice. 

Add to a bowl along with oil, seasonings, pepper, and then stir to combine. 

In a large frying pan, add sausage and water and cook over medium high heat until sausages have browned and most of the water has evaporated.

Remove sausage from the pan and add to the bowl.

Melt butter in a frying pan and add onions and garlic, cook until onions are translucent.

Add to the bowl and stir to mix.

Add green beans to the bowl, stir to mix, then empty the contents into a baking dish.

Cover with foil and place in the oven. 

Bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

In other news this week, I unsubscribed from multiple emails that were trying to sell me stuff since I'm on a spending freeze right now. I also sold one item on eBay this week. 

How was your week? 

Belinda ~ Living within our Means ~ My Linktree

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay and it helps me to earn a living here at Frugal Workshop.