Saturday's Projects including this week's menu!

Today has been a busy day to be sure. However, it started nice and lazy, which is just how I like it!

After we got started on our day, I went over to the church and finished projects for Sunday School. While I was there, I met up with my grandma and had a fun chat!

Later I took my 6yo, Bob, to go grocery shopping. Here is my routine: Before I go shopping, I start by looking through my pantry, freezer and frig. I make a menu based on what I already have. I get out my coupon folder, the weekly ads and open up the internet to my favorite coupon sites. I spend about an hour, sometimes less, and look for the deals. Then I make the grocery list. I try not to shop for anything I don't need unless it is a great deal (ON things we use and need) and I can stock up on it. For instance, this week there was a sale on our favorite BBQ sauce, 10 for $10. This was an almost 50% savings! There were a couple other deals like that, so I stocked up on those.

Here is our menu for this coming week:

Monday: (B) Oatmeal (L) Noodles (D) Bean Burritos
Tuesday: (B) Waffles  (L) Tuna  (D) Spaghetti
Wednesday: (B) Cereal   (L) Leftovers   (D) Chicken
Thursday: (B) Oatmeal   (L) Smorgasborg* (D) Cheesy Chicken and Noodles
Friday: (B) Cereal   (L) PB&J   (D) Leftovers

*Smorgasborg for us, is when we look at the frig, the pantry and the freezer and see what we can come up with. It is always interesting and each time it is different!

So after grocery shopping and putting things away, it was time to head over to my maternal grandma's house to help out there. Today Peter hung some wind mobiles on grandma's patio while I vacuumed and tidied up inside. The kids were in and out enjoying the good weather! Then I took grandma to feed her kitty cats.

Now we are settled at home, we have done some house projects this afternoon. We are having fun with my friend's kids who are hanging out for the evening. Hubby even got his BBQ going again for dinner! YAY!

Tonight's Menu: Homemade Chicken and Bean Soup

Yesterday I tried making a new recipe with my Crockpot chicken. I poured a can of Tomato Bisque Soup over my chicken breasts and cooked them up. They were a hit! After taking the chicken out, there was the lovely soup base leftover, so I decided to try my hand at soup. Here is what we did:

1. Took the the leftover chicken breasts, broke them up and put them in with the soup base.
2. Then put the Crockpot on low all night.
3. This morning, I took some beans leftover from making refried beans for tomorrow night's meal, they had not been mushed yet, and added that.
4. I also took the black beans I had soaking all night, boiled them on the stove and added them.
5. An hour or so before dinner, I am going to add some lentils. As well as some leftover corn and rice from last night's dinner. 

This meal is smelling good already!!! Not sure how we will last till dinner, but we will try! I figure this meal will cost us about $.50 for the whole meal, for seven people! Top that!!! I would say free as it is mostly leftovers, but we did add the lentils and beans, so it cost a little something. 

All in all, feeling happy about feeding my family in a frugal yummy way!