The way I meal plan & budget!

So I had a request to make a blog post regarding how I meal plan and budget. Some of you may know we are following Dave Ramseys plan for getting out of debt. If you are familiar with Dave he always says while following the debt snowball you have to sacrifice things such as going out to dinner a lot, expensive meals etc, and to "eat beans and rice, rice and beans" while paying off debt if you have to. So I have to get creative with finding some less expensive meals than I may NORMALLY make if that makes sense. Having some meals be meatless help with cost, as well. So its not often we grill up some steak! Sometimes I do better than other times, its a process and something you have to learn and practice.

The way I meal plan is every two weeks. I sit down on the days my husband gets paid (bi weekly), and I figure out a menu. Then, I go through my kitchen as I am writing my shopping list and see what ingredients I may already have (for instance, I may already have rice or carrots leftover from the last shopping trip). So essentially I only grocery shop twice a month. It works for us. We shop at Trader Joes almost exclusively and its not around the corner from us, so I would rather only go twice a month than 4 times to save on gas. I also occasionally have to go to Stater Brothers to get the few things Trader Joes does not carry and Costco for some other things, although Costco is only every month-two months give or take.

What we also do is add EVERY SINGLE ITEM into our calculator as we add it to our cart. That allows us to know whether or not we are on budget, under budget or over budget. This is KEY. This last shopping trip we were really under budget, so we splurged on a couple little items, and still were under.

So for instance, I will share my most recent menu, shopping list, and cost for everything.

For the next two weeks I budgeted for $160.00 at Trader Joes and $60 for Costco. Normally I don't go to Costco often, so I wasn't quite sure how much I would need to spend. We needed compactor bags as well as a couple food items. So I over budgeted to be safe.

My Menu-
Cheese Raviolis & side vegetable (something I have frozen in my freezer)
Lemon Chicken & Vegetable bake
Vegetable Burritos
Salsa Chicken in the crockpot (can be tacos or burritos)
Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
Italian Vegetable Soup
Toastadas
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, double batch to have once per week
Breakfast Frittata with Chicken apple sausage
Taco Salad
Chicken Scarpariello (basically chicken, cooked with onions, garlic & stock over brown rice, served with vegetable)
Homemade Apple Muffins
Homemade Blueberry Waffles (husbands weekend Sunday tradition)
Crazy Bites (little snacks, balls made out of different nuts, flax seed, coconut, dried fruit & a little chocolate chips)

Ok so in general thats my menu that I made. My husband usually has breakfast at work, and I will normally have either cereal, frozen waffles, oatmeal or eggs. I dont really meal plan for these things since its staples I always have in my home. But its still ingredients I need to buy (ie cereal). So when making your shopping list you still need to remember these staple items and account for them in the budget. Lunches are generally leftovers, sandwiches (ie lunch meat or tuna) or I will throw something together random that I have.

Shopping list for Trader Joes:
Brownie Mix-splurge item
Mint Chip Ice Cream- Husband splurge item
Turkey lunch meat
Frozen blueberry waffles
Baked Alaska-splurge item, new dessert for TJs to try out!
Crackers
Shredded Coconut
Sliced cheese
Tortilla Chips
2 packages ground turkey
Salsa Verde
2 cans Tuna
28oz can whole Tomatoes
2 containers of chicken stock
2 packages cream cheese
2 small cans Tomato paste
Frozen Peas
Oatmeal
Frozen Blueberries
Cheddar Cheese
2 cans of corn
Pancake Syrup
2 jars of Marinara
1 can white beans
Sour Cream
1 can salsa beans
2 gallons milk
Dried Mango
2 packages tortillas
Cereal
1 can Tomato sauce
Package of Organic tomatoes on the vine
2 Organic Bell Peppers
8 Bananas
Half & Half
Sour Dough Boule (for homemade croutons)
Garlic
Fresh Green Beans
Celery
5 Lemons
Head of Lettuce
Package organic carrots
3 Limes
3 Potatoes
7 Onions

Total: $137.30

Shopping List for Costco:
Cheese Raviolis
2 packages eggs
Frozen Chicken Breasts (which last us WAY longer than two weeks)

Total: $35.60

Total for two weeks (even though the frozen chicken will last us more than two weeks) $172.90. Average per week $86.

So there you go! You just have to get creative, and figure out what you can make that is not to expensive, or unhealthy. I make ALL my meals. No boxed processed meals. That stuff is EXPENSIVE! And bad for you! Make cooking fun, and easy for yourself.

I hope this helps those of you who are having trouble either menu planning, or sticking to a budget. Its not easy, but with time it gets easier. Just remember to stick to your list and your menu, and to add up what you put in your cart. That way when you get to the register, you won't be surprised with going over your budget.

One Pot Chili Mac!

One Pot Chili Mac

This is similar to something you could maybe make from Hamburger Helper, but its HOMEMADE not processed and SOOOO much tastier! AND its all in one pot, so hardly any dishes to wash!

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon Olive Oil

-1 lb lean ground beef or turkey

-4 garlic cloves minced

-1 onion, diced

-2 tablespoons flour

-1 tablespoon chili powder

-3 to 4 dashes of cayenne depending on how much 'kick' you want

-1/2 teaspoon paprika 

-sprinkle to taste of Oregano (im not a huge herbs person, so this is totally up to your tastes)

-8oz tomato sauce

-2 cups beef broth

-2 cups dry macaroni (or any of your favorite small pasta)

-1 can corn, drained

-cheddar cheese for topping

Add olive oil to large pot over medium high heat, and add your diced onion and ground beef. Mince garlic while that's cooking. Cook until brown and drain fat. 

Add garlic to beef and onion mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add your flour. Stir constantly and cook for a minute or two. Don't let the flour burn. 

Add your spices, tomato sauce, and broth. Combine.

Add the dry pasta. Bring to a simmer, not quite a boil. Place lid on top and turn down to medium-low. Simmer for around 15 minutes. Stir a few times while its cooking so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.  

Check pasta, once its done, serve with shredded cheddar cheese on top!!

Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

-3 cups tomato soup *I used Trader Joes boxed tomato soup*

-1 small onion, diced small

-2 cups half & half or milk

-2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

-1 package cheese tortellini

-4 garlic cloves, minced

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-sprinkle of Italian seasoning *however much you like*

-few dashes of cayenne for kick, totally optional

-Salt & Pepper to Taste

-Parmesan cheese for topping

In a large pot over medium/high heat cook the onion until softened. Add in the minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, be sure not to let the garlic burn.

Add the tomato soup, half & half, stock, and the spices. Bring to a boil. Add Tortellini.

Reduce to simmering and cook about 12-15 minutes until Tortellini is cooked through.

Serve topped with Parmesan cheese!!

This soup was SO easy and delicious. I was missing a vegetable though, so next time I plan to add about 1/2 cup cooked peas to this to see how that works. 

Enjoy!

Creamy Mexican Crockpot Dinner

Creamy Mexican Crockpot Dinner

This dish is SO simple and delicious! You literally throw everything in the crockpot and serve it over rice.

Ingredients:

-8 oz block of cream cheese

-4 to 5 chicken breasts (or substitute tenders)

-1 can drained and rinsed black beans

-1 can of corn drained

-1 can of fire roasted tomatoes

-1 4oz can of green chilies

-10 oz packet Trader Joes frozen brown rice, cooked (or cook whatever rice you would like, that amount is good for two people for dinner, there is lots of leftovers so additional rice would need to be made)

-Add whatever seasonings you liked, I literally just sprinkled cayenne, taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. You know me, I dont measure. ;) 

Throw all ingredients EXCEPT the rice into the crockpot, and cook on low for about 6.5 hours. I stirred this a couple times while cooking because you wont be able to combine the cream cheese in the beginning very well.

Once done, break up or shred the chicken.

It will be somewhat soupy. Its supposed to be. The rice will soak it up. However, letting it set for 30-45 minutes after the 6.5 hours will let it set up more if you prefer it thicker. 

Serve over rice!

Delicious, and easy! :)

Chili, Vegetarian Style!

So first, I apologize for the cell phone pictures. AND that these are from the next day when I warmed some over for lunch. I totally forgot to take a picture after I made the dinner, but you get the idea of how it looks. But how it TASTES is what matters right? My husband kept sneaking into the kitchen to eat more, does that tell you it was a hit? lol! 

Ingredients:

1 Onion Chopped

1 Bell Pepper

Few cloves of garlic, however many you liked. I did about 4

Handful of pickled Jalapenos, chopped

1 can of corn

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 can drained and rinsed black beans

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

10oz of Brown Rice, I used a packet of Trader Joes frozen Brown Rice (SO good! My go to rice) cooked

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, optional, but its oh so good! :)

Directions:

If your cooking your rice from scratch, start that first. 

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Dice your veggies. Add the onion, bell pepper and jalapenos. Cook until they soften. I never add the garlic right away, Ina Garten from Food Network taught me to only add it the last few minutes of sauteing to not burn the garlic. But if you prefer to add it while the other veggies cook, you can. 

Once softened, add the garlic and the corn. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the spices, beans, crushed tomatoes, and stock. Stir well, and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer for around 20-25 minutes. 

Add rice to the pot, you can add pretty much as much of this as you would like. I added the whole pack of the Trader Joes brown rice (found in the freezer section) and it was the perfect amount for us. But you can add more or less for the thickness your going for. 

Top with your desired toppings. We did a little sour cream and shredded cheese. 

YUM. Seriously...YUM. Definitely going to be a new favorite in our house! I plan on making a huge batch of this and freezing some for when Baby R arrives (in about 60 days SAY WHAT!?, I know time is flying) so I can defrost and cook real fast.

Enjoy!

Lentil, Sausage and Spinach Soup

Lentil, Sausage and Spinach Soup

This was the first time making this recipe, and it was SO good I had to make a blog post about it even though I forgot to take pictures of each step. However, its basically just throwing it in the crockpot so its pretty easy!! 

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 2-3 carrots, diced 
• 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 T olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (or dried if that's all you have)
• 1/2-1 tsp cayenne (this is definitely to taste, add a little and add more in the end if you want more kick)
• 4 links precooked chicken sausage, I used garlic herb chicken sausage from Trader Joes
• 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid 
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 cup lentils 
• 1 package of Trader Joes 10 oz brown rice, found in the freezer section, cooked in the microwave (or make your own brown rice)
• 2-4 (per taste) cups fresh spinach
• 2.5 T Balsamic vinegar 
• Salt and Pepper to taste. Its a large batch so it will definitely take a little bit. You can add more at the end if need be. 

Dice your carrots, celery, and onion. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute until softened. Around 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Cook an additional few minutes. Add to crockpot.

Slice your sausage, add to crockpot. 

Add the stock, canned tomatoes, lentils, a little more salt and pepper and cook in the crockpot on high for 3 hours. 

Add the rice and spinach, cook for 1 more hour. 

Stir in balsamic vinegar and cook an additional 15 minutes. 

Serve!

This soup is SO good, AND healthy! Perfect for a cold evening. Enjoy!

Third trimester!

Guess who is in their third trimester! =D Ah! I haven't updated this blog since September, and lots has happened!

I am going to try to make it a New Years Resolution to post more in this blog. I miss doing my recipe posts, and obviously now with the baby I will have lots to post about, we'll see if I can stick to it.

Currently, I am 29 weeks pregnant. I can't believe it! It still seems like such a wonderful dream. After six years, it just doesn't feel like it will ever happen, and when it does, you can't believe it!

We found out the gender, and we are having a little boy! We were shocked! Louie and I were both convinced it was a little girl from pretty much day one. Of course we are very excited. Honestly I'm most excited for Louie in a way. He never had a Dad growing up and missed out on a lot of those father son memories, so the fact he gets to do ALL of those things he never had, with his own son, is going to be amazing I think.

We had a small gender reveal party at my moms, which was a lot of fun. We did a type of scavenger hunt with clues. Louie and I had fun making all the little clues for everyone. The morning of the party, on accident I let it slip we were having a boy. I was SO mad at myself! But it ended up being fun because we both tried to make the cake together we would cut into at the end of the night (blue cake of course) and it was a DISASTER. It was just a simple box cake! I dont know how we messed it up, but it looked like a 2 year old tried to bake and frost it. It ended up being pretty hilarious though.

Here is a video of the party:

The holidays definitely helped with making this pregnancy fly by. I cant believe within about 9ish weeks, our baby will be here. I love the holidays so on one hand it was a little sad they passed by so fast, I felt like I couldn't really enjoy them (I guess I am a bit distracted though lol!) and on the other hand Im grateful because Im so ready to meet our little boy!

The nursery hasnt even been started on lol! We were waiting until after the holidays, and now that they are over, and the decorations are put away we can finally begin. He will be having a vintage themed nursery (with a few vintage disney things thrown in) and I can't wait to see it brought to life. I hope it turns out as adorable as it is in my head!

Our shower is in a little over 2 weeks. I CANT BELIEVE IT. I have dreamed for six years about having a baby shower and Im SO excited. Its also got a slight vintage theme to it. I can't wait to celebrate with everyone.

Finally my sickness has passed. Only took about 6 months though. I was so sure I was just going to be one of those people who are sick the entire way through. I finally had stopped loosing weight and was maintaining so that was good, but I still had food aversions to EVERYTHING pretty much, and nothing helped. Nothing. So I am HAPPY I can finally cook again, and hold down my meals.

Louie had gallbladder removal surgery the day before Thanksgiving. Took multiple doctors, and months to figure out what it was. I have never seen someone in so much pain in my life. It was horrible. Thankfully though, we found an amazing surgeon and Louie is pain free now.

Well, in short, thats catching you up to speed I think. Next up is the nursery, and baby shower! Can't wait!