So I seem to have time to jabber today. Usually every 2 weeks I do grocery shopping because that's how our paydays fall.
Here's how I do it (on my good weeks!):
1. Take note pad and head down to deep freeze to take inventory. This past school year I started cooking all my dinners every 2 weeks. It's really worked out well for me. I usually have meals leftover and have some to share. It's been nice to take little gifts of banana bread or cinnamon rolls to friends who invite us over for lunch or a play date! Then with dinners that didn't get used I add them into my next plan to add more variety.
2. Make a list with 14 meals on it from previous meal plans and I try to add something new every 2 weeks.
3. Create my shopping list. I keep a pretty notepad by the phone were I usually have somethings started on a list. applesauce, lemon flavor, etc.
4. We are pretty much all whole foods at our house so coupons are not a huge part of my plan.My bi-weekly money is split into 3 or more areas: co-op, stores, off week sales and incidentals. I also have to keep in mind any presents, toiletries, etc. Anything leftover goes to savings or debt payoff. I do cvs but on a much smaller scale. Thank You CVS!
5. I'm an in season shopper meaning cheapest prices and not fancy! No pomegranates, pineapple, star fruit etc. Just the basics. Strawberries (now) , apples, bananas, cherries. Things that can be dehydrated, made into something else, etc. We do occasionally splurge!
6. So I try an hit everything I need on Thursday afternoon. The best time for me and 1 of my daughters. We have our list and we pray. We don't always get everything on the list, but it usually is filled in by something better. I do get what I need for my meals, but sometimes this changes and works out for the better.
7. Thursday evening is prep time and I usually get 3 of my 4 Sui' (?) chefs in the kitchen to chop and dice.
8. Friday morning I put it all together plus lead my youngers in school work.
9. Then at noon we head for raw milk! I'm excited because we are getting raw skim this week $4 a gallon that's cheaper than our grocery stores regular price! Hooray!
10. Friday night I do beans or whatever to get ready for slow cooking soup or blk. beans on Saturday.
11. Mondays and Wednesday I bake. Or make mixes so the girls can bake. I've lost over 50 lbs. and am struggling a bit with the sweets, so I would rather they do the baking! Daddy needs his W.W. chocolate chip cookies!
12. I've been trying to squeeze a dinner date for the 2 of us out of it. Sometimes we really need it. Our girls are really good about us "Dating" at home. (Usually we say everyone downstairs by 8pm. That's early if your a teen. But there are plenty of good books to read!) Sometimes we make a special meal together.
13. We also have been really utilizing our 4-H garden. We have 4 10 x 10 plots. Right now we have fresh spinach for salads and such, onions, radish, and lots of herbs! We just finished sugar snap peas and have a ton more growing. They usually don't make it home!
So that's were our bi-weekly grocery / household moo la goes. We have tons of deals on processed foods in our area, but we are not willing to go back to eating that way on a regular basis. We feel it keeps us out of the doctors office!
I'm gonna bake cinnamon scones, lemon poppy breakfast bread. I've 3 banana bd. and 4 pumpkin bd. in the freezer already!
I'm really trying to change from an "all or nothing mentality" so it doesn't always happen this way.Over the holidays I did very little cooking because our freezer was still overflowing! Praise the Lord for the break and the supply!
Have a wonderful night!
Here's how I do it (on my good weeks!):
1. Take note pad and head down to deep freeze to take inventory. This past school year I started cooking all my dinners every 2 weeks. It's really worked out well for me. I usually have meals leftover and have some to share. It's been nice to take little gifts of banana bread or cinnamon rolls to friends who invite us over for lunch or a play date! Then with dinners that didn't get used I add them into my next plan to add more variety.
2. Make a list with 14 meals on it from previous meal plans and I try to add something new every 2 weeks.
3. Create my shopping list. I keep a pretty notepad by the phone were I usually have somethings started on a list. applesauce, lemon flavor, etc.
4. We are pretty much all whole foods at our house so coupons are not a huge part of my plan.My bi-weekly money is split into 3 or more areas: co-op, stores, off week sales and incidentals. I also have to keep in mind any presents, toiletries, etc. Anything leftover goes to savings or debt payoff. I do cvs but on a much smaller scale. Thank You CVS!
5. I'm an in season shopper meaning cheapest prices and not fancy! No pomegranates, pineapple, star fruit etc. Just the basics. Strawberries (now) , apples, bananas, cherries. Things that can be dehydrated, made into something else, etc. We do occasionally splurge!
6. So I try an hit everything I need on Thursday afternoon. The best time for me and 1 of my daughters. We have our list and we pray. We don't always get everything on the list, but it usually is filled in by something better. I do get what I need for my meals, but sometimes this changes and works out for the better.
7. Thursday evening is prep time and I usually get 3 of my 4 Sui' (?) chefs in the kitchen to chop and dice.
8. Friday morning I put it all together plus lead my youngers in school work.
9. Then at noon we head for raw milk! I'm excited because we are getting raw skim this week $4 a gallon that's cheaper than our grocery stores regular price! Hooray!
10. Friday night I do beans or whatever to get ready for slow cooking soup or blk. beans on Saturday.
11. Mondays and Wednesday I bake. Or make mixes so the girls can bake. I've lost over 50 lbs. and am struggling a bit with the sweets, so I would rather they do the baking! Daddy needs his W.W. chocolate chip cookies!
12. I've been trying to squeeze a dinner date for the 2 of us out of it. Sometimes we really need it. Our girls are really good about us "Dating" at home. (Usually we say everyone downstairs by 8pm. That's early if your a teen. But there are plenty of good books to read!) Sometimes we make a special meal together.
13. We also have been really utilizing our 4-H garden. We have 4 10 x 10 plots. Right now we have fresh spinach for salads and such, onions, radish, and lots of herbs! We just finished sugar snap peas and have a ton more growing. They usually don't make it home!
So that's were our bi-weekly grocery / household moo la goes. We have tons of deals on processed foods in our area, but we are not willing to go back to eating that way on a regular basis. We feel it keeps us out of the doctors office!
I'm gonna bake cinnamon scones, lemon poppy breakfast bread. I've 3 banana bd. and 4 pumpkin bd. in the freezer already!
I'm really trying to change from an "all or nothing mentality" so it doesn't always happen this way.Over the holidays I did very little cooking because our freezer was still overflowing! Praise the Lord for the break and the supply!
Have a wonderful night!
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