This week I wanted to make a meatloaf, its been a while. As I said at week 26 our goal was to not repeat a weekly menu. I think we’ve done that but I don’t want to avoid eating things I enjoy. So three recipes from the past are on the menu. Meatloaf red beans and rice,(found a package in the pantry, its amazing how things seem to hide there. Take stock of what you have on hand.) and pizza. Actually these days I use the dough and sauce recipe but the toppings are always evolving. The quick tomato soup is a recipe I will post soon and you make it from inexpensive diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Also I hope you are making your own chicken broth from the bones of the whole roast chickens we have. The secret is to simmer the bones for 4-5 hours. Just add the pieces of onion celery and carrots you might toss. Then strain when done. So good. A can of tomato soup is inexpensive but contains a lot of sugar.

SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, fruit salad
Dinner Meat loaf, roasted Brussels sprouts, baked potato

MONDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange or clementine
Lunch peanut butter sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner quick tomato soup, grilled cheese, fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange
Lunch meatloaf sandwich, fruit
Dinner baked cod,roasted vegetables, fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast granola, orange
Lunch egg salad sandwich or tomato soup, fruit
Dinner red beans and rice, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange
Lunch meatloaf sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner chef salad or leftovers, fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast granola hot or cold, orange or clementine
Lunch cheese sandwich fruit
Dinner pizza, salad (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash or poached eggs and toast, orange
Dinner Roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, fruit

SHOPPING LIST
Grass fed beef or ground turkey, chicken, Brussels sprouts,diced tomatoes, eggs, bread, cheese, fruit

Every week I try to buy one thing that is a staple to my regular diet. This week it was more than one. Eggs were very cheap this week. $.59 cents a dozen so I bought two. With the extra eggs I made a quiche for dinner and put leftover cheese ends that I grated along with some herbs and onion. I also found some sausage in the freezer that I browned. I put it in the quiche but also used some as one of the toppings for pizza Friday night. I think the recipe for the pizza dough on this site is quick and easy. Also it’s fun to have friends and family over for a pizza night. Tell each person to bring one or two of their favorite toppings. I then set the table with a huge bowl of salad. As we sit down to eat the salad one or two make a pizza with their favorite toppings. The sauce is an inexpensive can of diced tomatoes that I purée with extra herbs and garlic. You’ll find that as the evening goes on everyone will make their special pizza and share it with the table. Just make the dough ahead of time or make a new batch depending on needs. It doesn’t take long. It will be a fun evening and you will find it cost less than a single pizza ordered in. I got a great buy on chicken breasts and farm raised pork chops which I included in the menu. I cook an extra chicken breast that I then use the meat to make chicken salad sandwiches.

SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, fruit salad
Dinner Pork chops,fresh asparagus, salad

MONDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange or clementine
Lunch salami sandwich , carrot sticks
Dinner pasta salad, fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange
Lunch peanut butter sandwich, fruit
Dinner baked chicken breast stuffed with asparagus , fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast granola, orange
Lunch chicken salad, fruit
Dinner quiche , fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange
Lunch egg salad sandwich, carrots
Dinner leftovers or chef salad,(use ham and fresh vegetables on hand) fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast granola hot or cold, orange or clementine
Lunch cheese sandwich fruit
Dinner pizza, salad (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash or poached eggs and toast, orange
Dinner baked cod w roasted vegetables, fruit

SHOPPING LIST pork chops, chicken breasts, romaine, Roma tomatoes, eggs, bread, cheese, fruit

This week I saw fresh spring vegetables and the asparagus were a good buy so I’m having them again. You have to eat them when they are at their best and so asparagus soup is back. If you bake a great crusty bread or have a very good baker near you support them and eat it with the soup. I have such a baker and he has taken it to another level by grinding his own flour. The bread is so good fresh and toasted so a loaf does not go to waste. Also I found a good deal on turkey kielbasa and had some sauerkraut left over. I combined them in a casserole for a quick and easy meal.

SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, fruit salad
Dinner Roast chicken, asparagus, mashed potatoes

MONDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange or clementine
Lunch salami sandwich , carrot sticks
Dinner asparagus soup, fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange
Lunch peanut butter sandwich, fruit
Dinner spaghetti with simple sauce, fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast granola, orange
Lunch brat, fruit
Dinner roasted vegetables with chicken, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange
Lunch asparagus soup, carrots
Dinner leftovers or soup and salad, fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast granola hot or cold, orange or clementine
Lunch cheese sandwich fruit
Dinner baked cod with roasted tomatoes  and asparagus (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash or poached eggs and toast, orange
Dinner turkey kielbasa w/ sauerkraut , fruit

SHOPPING LIST
Chicken, turkey kielbasa, eggs, bread, cheese, fruit, pantry fill ins,

This week was busy and I had to buy prepared food that I find acceptable to eat. A $5 rotisserie chicken for me goes a long way and by Saturday I found myself making a chicken soup with the carcass. I love soup and wanted another pot of chicken soup before the weather gets too warm to enjoy it. Salads for me are quick and I enjoy the freshness of them. Still have a little of the ham for sandwiches. Also I found a good buy on a package of cooked smoked brats that didn’t have too much sodium in them. They were great for a couple of meals including an old fashioned meal of brats, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. I don’t eat sauerkraut very often because it does have a lot of salt but it does have a couple of good vitamins in it and I like the tang.

SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, fruit
Dinner Rotisserie Chicken,fresh asparagus, salad

MONDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange or clementine
Lunch ham sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner bean soup, brats, fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange
Lunch peanut butter sandwich, fruit
Dinner chicken roasted vegetables, fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast granola, orange
Lunch ham sandwich, fruit
Dinner brats with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange
Lunch bean soup, carrots
Dinner leftovers or chicken salad,fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast granola hot or cold, orange or clementine
Lunch cheese sandwich fruit
Dinner baked cod with roasted potatoes and asparagus (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash or poached eggs and toast, orange
Dinner chicken and rice soup, salad, fruit

SHOPPING LIST
Rotisserie chicken, brats,asparagus, romaine,potatoes,Roma tomatoes, bread, cheese, fruit

When I quit sugar ice cream was what I craved. The only thing I could find that would fill that void was to make my own. Good heavy whipping cream is sweet tasting when you don’t eat sugar so adding two tablespoons of local honey to a batch to me tastes better than any gourmet ice cream that costs $5-10 a pint. When I serve it to guests they are licking the bowl. I first started to make with only heavy cream. To me that was too fatty tasting. So I started to use a two to one ratio of heavy cream and half and half.

I bought an ice cream maker in which you freeze the mixing container overnight. After each use I now clean it dry it very well and cover it with a plastic bag and store it in the freezer all the time so it’s always ready to go. I found one for $39 at a big box store. It is an electric model. The only way to go. A single batch costs a little over $2 and takes less time to make than it does to drive to the grocery store and buy a pint of it.

Ice Cream
Prep Time 2-5 min
Time to Freeze a Batch 15-20 min
Ingredients
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup half and half
2 tbsp honey (add more if you want it sweeter)
2 tsp vanilla (add more if you want a strong vanilla flavor)

Mix ingredients in a 4-5 cup measuring cup and blend well. Pour into the ice cream maker and mix for 15-20 minutes. It will be a soft serve consistency at this point. I put it in a glass bowl with a tight-fitting lid and freeze for a couple of hours for a firmer ice cream if you can wait that long. Try adding many different flavors like cinnamon. Enjoy.

Having given up sugar fruit has become the new candy in my life. You cannot believe how sweet fruit becomes when you give up sweets and refined food with added sugar. So I like to buy fruit at its best in the season at hand. In the fall that means I stock up on apples. In the spring I’m looking at the remaining apples and how to use them. Some of them don’t look appealing enough to eat as a snack, some had to be composted, but those on the edge are great for cooking with. Also I found a pie crust in the fridge that needed to be used up. So I made this pie that is kind of cross between a crisp and a pie. A single crust apple pie. I’m making homemade ice cream to go with it.

Leftover Apple Pie
Prep Time 10-15 min
Cooking Time 55-60 min
Ingredients
5-6 medium apples peeled, cored, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter cut into 3-4 pieces

Peel, core and slice apples place in a glass pie plate. (you can do this in a bowl and then pour into pie plate) Add spices, honey, lemon juice and flour. Toss until coated. Add pieces of butter on top. Cover with pie crust. Roll edge over the rim of the pie plate and crimp with a fork. Put pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

@25bucksaweek We will let you know of new menus and recipes!! Thanks for visiting us.

This week I got a great buy on a spiral cut ham. It has lots of flavor and makes quick meals. Starting with a big Sunday dinner to breakfast sandwiches to scalloped potatoes and ending the week a hearty bean soup. Yes you eat a lot of ham this week but it does freeze if you want to use it later, especially the bone for a future soup. I’m trying to point out that even though the ham is a big part of the budget this week it is versatile and stretches your money. Also this week for a special occasion I have ice cream on the menu. I usually get a pint of heavy whipping cream for under $1.70. I make my own because I don’t eat sugar( I make a batch with 2 tablespoons of locally sourced honey) and it tastes so good that most people lick the bowl. Will post it soon. The secret is a good vanilla. Serve it with a great fruit crisp.

SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, fruit salad
Dinner Spiral cut ham,fresh asparagus, cauliflower gratin, ice cream

MONDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange or clementine
Lunch ham sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner asparagus soup, fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast Granola, orange
Lunch peanut butter sandwich, fruit
Dinner scalloped potatoes and ham, fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast granola, orange
Lunch ham sandwich, fruit
Dinner roasted vegetables with sliced ham or chicken, fresh fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange
Lunch asparagus soup, carrots
Dinner leftovers or chef salad,(use ham and fresh vegetables on hand) fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast granola hot or cold, orange or clementine
Lunch cheese sandwich fruit
Dinner baked cod with roasted potatoes and asparagus (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash or poached eggs and toast, orange
Dinner bean soup (use ham bone), fruit

SHOPPING LIST
Spiral cut ham, asparagus, cauliflower, cream, half and half, eggs, bread, cheese, fruit