Menu Planning 3/1

Two themes this week: Ham and Taste of Home cookbook :)

Ham was on sale this week at HT. I maybe could have spent less on meat but I have been dying to have this soup with ham that I made over Christmas so when I saw a huge ham at half off I decided that would be our meat for the week. It was still $15 of my week's budget but it will be worth it as it will be the meat for the next week. Next week I'll pretty much have no meal plan since I will be working a local consignment sale all week and won't be home to cook.

This week I found recipes from 2 Taste of Home cookbooks but this was the main one and is brand new:



I'll let you know how I like the recipes from it next week.

Monday: Pork Loin with baked beans and corn (no recipe)

Tuesday: Ham with potatoes and carrots (no recipe just baking the ham)

Wednesday: Cheddar Ham Soup (TOH Simple & Delicious p. 124)

Thursday: Moms of Multiples Club Meeting

Friday: Set of for yard sale - fast food

Saturday: Quick Calzones (TOH Mom's Best p. 77)

Sunday: Ham 'n' Cheese Pasta (TOH Mom's Best p. 74)

In order to have all the ingredients for this week's meal and Friendship bread (I had no idea the darn thing required so much stuff and I never bake except from a box so I had to get everything!!) I took a trip to Safeway. I thought I would use some coupons and do well but I came home disappointed.

No picture because I didn't even feel like I got any good deals to pass along.

I spent: $51.15
And saved: $22.06

Sad right? And because of a trip to CVS I am already $150 into my monthly budget! Yikes! Thankfully next week will be light since I won't be cooking :)

Menu Plan Monday 1/4

I thought a fun way to find new recipes was to pull out cookbooks that I already have and each week pick out a few recipes that I can make for the week. After all, what is the point of having a cookbook if I don't use it. If I pick a cookbook where I can't find a recipe that I like that cookbook should just leave the house! How's that for an extra organizational step?

First up - a brand new cookbook that I got for Christmas. Wow! I think I have found an awesome cookbook. I first saw it at my sister-in-law's house during Thanksgiving and just flipping through it made me want it. So, what did I do? Asked my mom for it for Christmas, what else? :)

And yea, it was under the tree!


Last week I tried 2 turkey recipes from it and they were great: Turkey Tenderloin Supreme (p. 42) and Creamy Turkey on Mashed Potatoes (p. 34). On Christmas Day I made Cheddar Ham Soup (p. 124) - I had all the ingredients on hand and the soup was fabulous - I can't wait to make it again!

So for this week I had chicken which I purchased last week and came up with this meal plan:

Monday: Quicker Chicken n' Dumplings (p. 30)

Tuesday: Chicken Shepherd's Pie (p. 76)

Wednesday: Cheesy Wild Rice Soup (p. 40)

Thursday: Moms of Multiples monthly meeting

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Friends over - making Pork Roast

If you're looking for a cookbook full of easy recipes to make for dinner this is a great one! I'm really enjoying it and hope to pick up other Taste of Home cookbooks in the futre. To find this one go to Amazon.