Meal plan

Week 3
23rd - 30th July

Monday
Peppered steak with Jacket potato & salad
 
Tuesday
mushroom stir fry

Wednesday
Gammon, Oven chips, pineapple & peas

Thursday
Fish, new potato's & green beans

Friday
Tandoori chicken

Saturday
Mushroom soup & warm bread

Sunday
Chicken, roast potatos, carrots, parsnips onion, mashed swede


Lunches will be Tuna salad, pasta salad, boiled egg on toast, Ham salad sandwich and any left overs from previous day

Snacks will be  HM biscuits, yoghurt or fruit

Going really well with meal planning,  we are all managing to stick to it everyday, My son is trying new foods cos he has no alternative which is fantastic! 
I'm also sticking to what is on my shopping list so no random purchases which is saving me money! ... Can't be bad

My motivating post....

 Since I've been back doing my meal plans this has really helped as I feel so organised with my food, I know a week in advanced what we will be eating and I just sort it without even thinking really, I buy the stuff I need for the week to last us and that is that .. DONE!

This got me thinking, I wonder if I could manage to do it with my everyday life


 So yesterday myself and Shane had a test run......
I wrote down a list of things I needed to get done that day

The list consisted of everything from digging up the spuds in the garden to doing a load of washing! ... and it really did work!

I managed to do everything I set out to do and more... and I sat down last night on my sofa and was able to just sit there and relax! there was no feeling guilty cos I had sat down when I could have been doing something that I had put off earlier on in the day


From now on I think the list is the way to go!

And for that extra bit of motivation some days I might even post my list on here.

Here is today's list :

Done so far.....

Done a white load of washing
Washed the dog blankets
Put the breadmaker on
Made 2 x cheesey loaves
Put the lamb in the slow cooker
Hoovered downstairs
Polished living room
Made the beds


Still to do :

Menu plan for next week
Shopping list for next week
Sew Jacks badges onto his Beaver jumper
Make a start on the ironing
Prepare veg for dinner
Make a salad
Go for a walk with the dog
Pick some pine cones to stash for christmas Crafts
Parcel up Ebay items
Feed the dog
Bath Jack
Do 30mins of reading/writing with Jack.




I would love to eventually get myself into a routine where things are done on certain days for example,
Ironing is done on a Tues
Washing is done on a Monday
Beds changed every friday
Cooker cleaned every 3rd Thursday
Wed will be my baking day etc etc etc


I will get there :) x

Todays Tesco bargains

On the way back from dropping Jack off at Beavers I had to nip into Tesco to get some salad leafs, whilst there I thought I would have a nose at the reduced section, was just in time too as the lady had just reduced the last of the bits for the night and no one was there so I had first dibs on everything! I couldn't believe my luck cos normally its like a rugby scrum to get with 2 foot of the reduced section


This is what I got :)

Ideal for our weekly Saturday morning fry up.

If I slice it thinly I will get 2 meals out of this

Ideal for one of our "Fake-away" Fridays when I'm doing Donor Kebab .. so that will be one evening meal and just enough left for hubby's sandwiches the next day

Normally I would make my own but with these being so cheap I thought they would be great to freeze for Christmas ... So that is one thing off my Christmas food list :D

This is what I had originally went into Tesco for so really chuffed I managed to get it for less than half price!

£15.06 worth worth of food for £7.09 not bad when you think there is 4 main meals and 1 lunch there without counting the sausages wrapped in bacon.

Meal plan...

Week 2
15th - 22nd July

Sunday
Roast Chicken with Stuffing balls, Cabbage, Carrots, Sliced green beans, Roast potatos & gravy
Chicken was reduced to half price at Aldi (Leftovers will be portioned off and froze)

Monday
Macaroni cheese served with Salad

Tuesday
Pork Chops, New potato's & Garden peas
Using Reduced pork chops from out of the freezer

Wednesday
Spag bol using a reduced pk of mince from out the freezer

Thursday
Mushroom omelette served with salad

Friday
"fake-away" night This week is going to be home made Pizza ( topping will be anything that needs using up in the fridge) with garlic bread

Saturday
Jacket potato, Baked beans with HM quiche

Sunday
Roast leg of lamb (Reduced from Tesco) Served with mashed potato, Roast veggies and gravy

Breakfasts will be: Cornflakes, porridge, pancakes & toast

Lunches will be Tuna mayo, chicken and ham sandwiches or any left overs from day before

Snacks, Home made Honey biscuits, Banana cake, fruit, or Yogurts


Week 1 went really well, I managed to stick to it and only buy what I needed for the week, I already have most this weeks food in so it will just be a case of grabbing fresh fruit, veg and milk.

More bargains & freebies.....

Just a quickie to show off a few of my treasures that I have come across this week ......

Whilst browsing on Ebay the other day I noticed a pine shelving unit that had a "Buy it now" on it for £10 now me being a pine lover I found this too much of a temptation, in the listing it did say it was a little rough and would need rewaxing ... ( The seller wasn't kidding either!!) It was filthy & had splashes of paint all over it, along with "Steven is the best" written on the bottom corner in felt tip! ...  when I went to collect I was shocked by the condition but it was the right size for the wall I wanted it to go on and I knew that there was potential and £10 isnt a great deal of money to lose if it did go horribly  wrong and it finished off being used in the shed to hold hubbys odd and ends... So yesterday out came my sander and here it is...

 Really pleased with it and sooooooo glad I took the chance and feeling very smug cos I shot my hubby right up the bum ... Whilst I was sanding he was making space for it in the shed ready as he was so sure that is where it was going to end up... :)
 


After tea I always switch on on the computer and have a little look on freecycle, and couldn't believe my luck when I saw this!

I have been after a rocking chair for years but whenever I see them they are either too expensive or I'm too late! The lady couldn't get shot of it quick enough!. it is a little rough due to age but nothing abit of TLC won't put right, I'm so chuffed with it.


I also spotted this in a local charity shop yesterday ... its a beautiful vintage Crochet table cloth couldn't believe the label when I read it  ....£1! .. think it is going to look lovely draped over the back of my chintzy sofa (Well it will when I eventually get a chintzy sofa! )

And last but not least On Monday I spotted this bookshelf on the local selling page on facebook, the lady only wanted £5 for it as it had been chipped at the front, It was the usual vile orange pine .....after 10mins in mine and my sanders company here it is.

   £5 well spent I think..........

Today's charity shop finds...

I am trying really hard to stay out of the Charity shops but had to nip in today to get rid of a bag of books that has been lurking on my stairs ...... I have been meaning to donate them for the last few weeks  & today was the 2nd time I have tripped over them so they just had to go before I broke my neck! 

So with me being in the shop anyway it would have been rude of me not to have a look... Within minutes I have spotted this flower press... It was only the other day myself and hubby were talking about things I could do over the school hols with Jack, and I did mention pressing some wild flowers..

                                             and only priced at £1


Next I spotted these......

3 x loose bottom cake tins, small medium & large and Ideal for my Christmas cakes! and @ £1.50 for the 3 ... bargain!

I love Tupperware .. I remember the parties my mum used to host years and years ago, I love the stuff!  .... so when I spotted this for 50p ...

                                                                  I had to get it


Also spotted this Carnival ware glass Jug, I collect jugs, not normally  keen on glass jugs but this one caught my eye, I love the colour and at £1 I though it was a good buy

     Photo really does this no justice... Took it in bad light!

Then I saw these.... I try to collect  Enoch wood & sons 'woodland- pink' I first fell in love with it when I bought a coffee pot a few years back and since then I've picked little bits up as and when I have seen them at bootfairs/ charity shops, although I have never come across dinner plates nor a gravy boat so these were a welcomed surprise...

 For the lot it came to £2.50 ... really cannot work charity shops out, cheap tacky Primark style clothing they seem to charge over the odds for but beautiful vintage items like this they may as well give away for the measly amount they ask for them...


Not that I'm complaining... ;) x

Had time to think...

I've been  suffering with a cold for the last 4 days so not been anywhere nor done much so I've had time to think about the dreaded C word! ... normally I start planning Christmas in Sept just after the kids go back to school but whilst I've been vegging out on the sofa waiting for this blooming cold to pass I have worked out that if I  aim to get all presents bought by the end of Sept I can then use Oct to put money away for the food then Nov can be used to pay Dec & January bills upfront, which will then leave me to enjoy the run up to Christmas stress free and the whole of January to take advantage of the Jan sales to buy birthday/Christmas presents for next year.

so in in order for me to do the above I have got to be even more organised than I am now, I do feel there is room for improvement where my food shopping/meals are concerned so I am reverting back to meal planning! ... when I first jumped on the money saving wagon I found meal planning to be a god send as it kept me focused so here I am again,
Every week from now I intend to update my blog with my weekly meal plan.

For the next 3 weeks I plan on using the only food that I already have in shopping only for fresh veg/fruit and milk, All bread will be home-made 

Week 1  8th - 15th July

Sunday
Pork casserole made using half a pk of reduced pork strips, celery, sbbede, carrots, onions and peas in stock slow cooked for a few hrs and served with roast potatos

Monday
Pork & mushroom curry .. made using the other half of the pk of reduced pork strips,served with basmati rice

Tuesday
Chicken drumsticks marinated in  yoghurt and tandoori powder, served with Jacket potato & salad

Wednesday
Potato salad, with Gammon steak and salad

Thursday
 Mushroom soup, made using half a pk of Tesco value mushrooms, served with half a reduced part baked baguette I have lurking in the freezer


Friday
Our 'fakeaway' night .. this week it is going to be homemade donor meat with salad and pitta bread

Saturday
spag bol made using half a pack of reduced Beef mince I have in the freezer, the other half will be made into a lasagne for a meal next week.

Sunday
Roast Chicken, Roast potato, Carrots, cabbage, sliced beans, stuffing balls and gravy ....Chicken was reduced to half price from Aldi

Breakfasts will be Porridge, weetabix, toast & pancakes

Lunches will be, Ham, cheese or Tuna sandwiches, Tuna Salad or any leftovers from previous day

Snacks will be Home made Honey and oat biscuits, fruit cake, Yogurts or fruit.