Sunday - Stuffed Pepper Casserole
I have a bag of frozen green pepper strips in the freezer. So instead of traditional stuffed peppers, I'll layer the dish and make a casserole out of it. I'll also be using brown rice instead of white and some mashed white beans mixed in with that (Thanks for that idea Dani!)
Monday - Pizza
Tuesday - Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with fresh baked bread
this will be so easy as I made the chicken noodle soup tonight. I'll freeze a portion and just toss the frozen soup in the crockpot mid day for a nice easy dinner
Wednesday - Leftover night
Thursday - Herb Crusted London Broil with tuscan salad and baked potatoes. Apple Bread for desert with light whipped cream.
This week I cleaned my spice jars and restocked up on fresh herbs at the health food store. 10 varieties of fresh, organic, dried herbs cost me $7.81! Plus I have no big jars lying around with herbs that will go stale.
Friday - Malaysian Fried Chicken and rice 
I'm going to try this in a crockpot, less fat then frying the chicken and Joe can put it on mid day.
Saturday - Spaghetti and meat balls

If anyone is wondering how Joe managed with the hip surgery and the crockpot... he did just fine. He walked out of the surgery with no crutches or cane, fully weight bearing... and managed to avoid lifting the crockpot completely.

My new crockpot has been given a very thorough test run this week. It has made a couple of batches of bbq chicken drumsticks (good for lunches) , a crockpot roasted sticky chicken (too salty, I'd almost leave the salt out), chicken noodle soup, baked ziti and tomorrow it's making the brown rice for the week. It has performed like a champ and my only near miss was the ziti.. but that should have had more sauce anyway.

What the heck - let's toss everything in one post, lol.

The weather is turning cooler and my thoughts are going to heartier, warming meals. This time of year is so changeable that I may be starting too early though, lol.

Lost the shopping list somewhere btwn the house and the store... menu has changed...


Menu
Sunday - turkey chili with rice
Monday - Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup - ok I know you're looking at the grilled cheese sandwich link and thinking I'm nuts. A 'RECIPE' is needed for grilled cheese? its more for a different way to cook them that I'm trying out, lol.
Tuesday - Slow Cooker Chicken and dumplings
Wednesday - chicken parm and mac and cheese - frozen entrees
Thursday - moo shu chicken - oops - corrected wrong link, now this goes to the moo shu recipe i use, lol
Friday - kielbasi and saurekraut
Saturday - chicken enchiladas

Shopping List
Ground turkey - $1.99 per frozen tube - 2 tubes = $3.84
Split chicken breast - $1.49lb - $7.50
26 oz can diced tomatoes - $2.00? - $2.00
1 can each pinto and kidney beans - $1.00
3 cans cream of chicken soup $1.50
2 refrigerated containers of bisquit dough $2.48
kielbasi - $2.44
4 oz can green chilis - $1.34
chili mix $1.76
tortillas $2.09
dish soap $1.76
napkins $1.97
McCormick mixes (future meals) $4.00
milk $3.06
peanut butter - organic $3.88
sauerkraut $.62
premade small lasagna - $4.98
misc fruits/veggies $4.97

'planned' list - $51.19

xtras:
2 caramel apples with nuts - $2.00
espresso coffee - loving my $3.00 yard sale find espresso maker :) - $3.16
oyster sauce - for our always popular malaysian fried chkn $1.78
matchbox cars for "JP" (suuure Joe) $6.00
Deodorant - $1.88
light bulbs - $1.44
funtensils for JP - $2.12
new toothbrish for JP $2.87
parchment paper $ 2.34
candy for Joe $4.98
lipstick (splurge for me) $9.97
water $1.38
mysterycharge - can't figure out or remember what these are - on the receipt its listed as: pfbabybag 2 @$1.50
Pert 1RL 2 @ $.72

$44.36 - I either need to get MUCH better at lists, or I need to set an 'extras' budget. 50% of grocery costs should NOT be 'extra's.

now there is a missing receipt and I've no idea what I did with it. I went to another store for a few more things. I'll up date this when I find it. Some of the items above were updated as I remember what I spent at the other store. The nice thing is that while still way too high for my liking i was determined to do very little shopping next week. I went thru everything we have and planned next weeks meals with whats on hand. The only thing we 'should' need is milk, eggs and bread.. the usuals in the life of a family with a toddler, lol.

I can't believe how much we spend on food. There has to be a better way and I am determined to cut our grocery bill to $50-$75 weekly. .....somehow. I kept my receipts from this weekend beacuse there was no reason to spend that much! I only needed a few things to finish out the weeks already planned meals and STILL spent $80.00!


Hannafords Grocery Store $87.38

$22.13 was for ingredients for raw Food recipes for my presentation on Monday night .

$6.25 for a coworkers bday cake

Grocery total of $60.50. Acording to my estimates this should have been no more than $25. Which puts me about $35.00 over budget.

What was needed:
Milk $1.90
eggs $1.42
bread $1.39
cheese for 2 different dinners - $10.00
chkn nuggets $4.99
bologna and cheese $9.23
elbow mac $.75
sour cream $.89
4oz can green chiles $1.39
cream cheese $1.19

$33.15

extras:
conditioner $1.76
veal patties for Joe $2.19 - has some thought he was low
cukes $1.78
soda $1.34 - joe's big weakness, i can live on filtered tap water mostly
disposable casserole dishes - $2.74 - makes freezer meals so easy
potato salad $2.07 - don't go shopping hungy
smoked ham $4.27 - don''t go shopping hungry
stage 3 veggie mix $1.29 - trying to get JP to eat veggies again
gerber turkey sticks $1.19 - snack idea - JP says never again, lol
buttermilk pancakes $1.69 - me being lazy and not making the mix I have at home
box mac and cheese $1.00 - tired and thinking of lunch
salad dressing 2 for $4.00 - not necessary, but we did need some new bottles

$25.32

adds up to $86.35 but the difference is tax.

Not terribly over budget, I just estimated wrong. One meal I did make though was an add on of homemade mac and cheese. I'm sick of how I'm letting my weight go up again so that will be a rarity. I'm going back on my Take Shape For Life Program of which I already have a ton of meals.