Thank you everyone for being so flexible in the time change. It may not be forever but it certainly helps me during this change of season. So here we are on a Monday. I’m getting ready to go on my usual Monday morning at 8:30 am like clock work grocery shop. Do you know that the grocery store is practically empty at that time of the morning? It’s a beautiful thing. Get in and get out. My kind of shopping! When do you do your grocery shopping?
Speaking of grocery shopping two menu planning helper links this week center around saving money on groceries. Danielle at Transforming Home talks about how she saved $1500.00 at the grocery store and The Frugal Novice shares how she created a coupon binder to organize her coupons.
So my potluck casserole dish went over pretty well I think, I came home with an empty dish anyway :) The Potato Sausage Casserole was super easy to make and cost effective as well. Next time I would double it and prepare it in a 9×13 pan though. Taste of Home comes through for me once again, yay!!
This week on our menu I’ve got SEVEN new easy recipes to try…woohoo!!
Monday: Turkey BLT Wraps
Tuesday: Crispy Rosemary Chicken and Fries
Wednesday: Mediterranean Herb Chicken Pizza (using leftover chicken)
Thursday: Leftover buffet
Friday: Vegetable Chowder and Cheese Bread (missed from last week)
Saturday: Baked Salmon with Tomatoes, Spinach and Mushrooms
Sunday: Church Potluck ~ Tater Tot Casserole
WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK?
Menu Plan Monday guidelines and banner selections are here.
image courtesy of Elizabeth Thomsen
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{ 72 comments… read them below or add one }
Tator tot casserole, I wonder if my kids would eat that, it sounds really good!
Toni
It’s SO GOOD!
My ds LOVES tatertot casserole! I don’t make it nearly often enough for his tastes! I would definitely try it, Toni!
My kids love Tater Tot casserole! We usually go with a “taco” themed casserole, like this one: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tater-Taco-Casserole/Detail.aspx
I add a layer of sauteed red peppers before the corn.
Laura – your salmon recipe looks amazing and I may just have to sneak it in on the weekend.
Have a great week!
Oops – my link title got totally messed up and posted an old one from the last time I used this computer! It links to the correct place but the title is wrong. I’m so sorry!
No worries :)
Sounds like another yummy week! I typically shop on Mondays too.
I don’t mind the time change at all, kinda hectic first thing in the morning, but it’s fine! Thanks!
~Liz
Hi there!.
This is my first time linking up. I tend to do my main grocery shop on Tuesday Mornings…then pick up odds and ends on the weekends.
The crispy Rosemary Chicken sounds great – I’ll have to try that for sure.
Hope your shopping trip is a success. Have a great Monday.
Thanks for the great links! I LOVE saving money – especially when feeding my family. I love The Frugal Novice’s binder, it’s so cute. The plan is the same as mine (http://tastezone.blogspot.com/2009/10/coupon-binder.html) but her’s is much prettier.
YEa for new recipes – it’s so great to get out of the cooking rut. I always am gone on Sunday evenings, so now maybe I can remember to link up on Mondays…yea :)
Laura, the BLT wraps sound great! What are you going to serve with them?
I think I’ll serve some fruit salad with these.
I shop at an Army commissary, so no matter when I go, it’s always crowded! I do one big shop at the end of the month (for the following month) and usually try to get there no later than 9 a.m. and get out about 2 hours later. I do one mid-month quick shop that takes me 15 minuets to 30 minutes and I do that one in the morning whenever possible, too. The worst times to shop? Payday and right after church. It’s NUTS in there.
We love Tater Tot Casserole, but I always forget about it. Your menu sounds yummy!
The salmon looks so good. I love salmon!
Me too Lynn, but I’ve only cooked it a few times. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe!
I like the time change:-) It gets me higher on the list:-)
Sounds like good eatin’! We’re trying a new chicken n biscuit idea at our house this week…as well as enjoying a sauce I created and loved–and I’m not a ‘creating’ cook!
~~
Sorry for the delay this morning girls. I had my post scheduled and it didn’t work. Anyone know why that could be in WordPress? So frustrating. I’d even remembered to adjust the time for daylight savings.
Hi Laura!
I like the time change, too. :)
New recipes are so invigorating. Fun! Thanks for the link to the Vegetable Chowder. It looks delicious. Did you keep the bacon in or plan to?
Thanks, too, for the link to the Tater Tot Casserole. I’ll be trying that next week, and I’m sure my kids will thank you. :)
Have a great week!
Yes I’ll most likely keep the bacon in for flavor but I’ll probably use turkey bacon.
Sounds like you have an awesome week planned in the menu department! Have a great week:)
The Mediterranean Herb Chicken pizza sounds delish!
I do my shopping on Sunday mornings very early, usually around 8am. The store is always quiet so I can move through it pretty quickly. We do a SAMs trip about once a month to stock up on bulk items and I go to the farmer’s market about once every couple of weeks to see what’s in season and to support our local farmers.
I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out when the slow times are at all of these places and so I’m spoiled :-) When I have to shop at a peak hour, say early Sunday afternoon, I remember why I love those slow times.
You’ve got a great menu! The Mediterranean Herb Chicken Pizza looks delicious. I’ll have to try it on pizza day.
Allie
Learningtobefrugal.com
I like to do my grocery shopping in the evening so I can go without the kids–especially when I have to concentrate!
My kids love Harris Teeter, so I take them there. Lucky for me, they are great at the store so it’s some times a great field trip for us.
I love shopping Sunday nights. That’s the only time Wal-Mart seems empty. Except for Wal-Mart, most of our stores here stay bare during the week. So I can shop pretty much anytime convenient for me.
The rosemary chicken recipe sounds wonderful!
I wish my schedule was “like clockwork”. I am pretty inconsistent, but would love to wake up one day and stay focused and on track. Because of this wonderful trait of mine, I tend to go to the store at random times throughout the week – almost always during school hours, so the kids are not a distraction for me. I seem to have enough distractions without them fighting beside me.
I love your menu this week. The rosemary chicken and potatoes looks delish. I think I will give it a go. I just love the flavor of olive oil, rosemary, thyme and sage – and that crusty skin! Oh my!
Thanks for always hosting and sharing so many great ideas and recipes!
I shop when everyone else’s schedule is amenable. LOL. Not mine necessarily.
I saved a few of your ideas and am sure they will show up on my menu one of these days!
Lovely to find your beautiful blog again. I have been visiting for four years now and it is better than ever. Thank you.
1st time linker here :)
We usually do our shopping on sunday mornings, after church, as a family! Sometimes I think it would be much easier to go by myself, but with both of us working full-time we try to take full advantage of quality time :)
It’s always a treat to go grocery shopping with hubby!
Thanks for the great couponing links! I love shopping when the store is empty as well. For some reason, I’ve gotten into the habit of shopping late Friday night by myself….I get in and out quickly without the kids, and am able to hit multiple stores for which I’m purchasing their “loss leaders”! It’s a real adventure!
Have a wonderful week!
Carrie
http://www.organicthrifty.com
Laura, your menu sounds good as usual. I keep forgetting about BLT wraps but we might have those for lunch this week. Thanks for the reminder!
That pizza looks wonderful. I really need to get on the homemade pizza bandwagon. I love pizza and it makes for a great meal paired with a salad.
Here is my Menu Plan Monday (Vegan Style personal Pantry Challenge). :)
Thanks for the linky. Great idea!
We had Turkey BLTs last week. YUM-O my family said.
You are a bit daring than me to plan 7 new recipes in one week for your family! I could handle 7 new recipes but I know the rest of my family would flip out with that many new recipes in a week! :)
Your week looks like a yummy week! Enjoy!
I am sticking to simple, family favorite meals out of the freezer and pantry this week. :)
It’s not so daring really, I’m reeaallllyyyy picky about the recipes I pick :)
My kids know to expect something new every DAY. lol I like to experiment. I try to include at least ONE familiar meal or snack each day. The rest is up for experimentation.
I am looking forward to trying the Tator Tot Casserole! Thank you for including the links to the recipes you are trying. My family loves it when we try new stuff. :)
OK, that Potato Sausage Casserole is sounding YUMMY! I’m going to have to bookmark that recipe for our future church potlucks. I’m excited to see how your Mediterranean pizza turns out . . . that sounds delicious! Good thing it’s almost lunch time here :)
Hi! Back again for another MPM. Hope everyone has a fabulous week! :)
I have to admit this menu plan monday is really helping me stay on track with my menu planning. I’m really enjoying checking out what everyone else is eating too!
I made almost the exact same salmon last week and just posted the recipe on my blog. Lol (minus the mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes instead of fresh)! It was so healthy, simple, and delicious. Definitely a keeper.
Hey, this is my first time posting! I’m hoping to keep myself accountable. This week I’m cooking out of the pantry and trying to keep it simple. We’ll see how it goes!
I go grocery shopping Monday mornings too! The only thing I don’t like about it is that there aren’t usually any markdowns on meat yet, but still, I agree it’s so nice just to zip through and be done.
I agree…great time to go shopping but the markdowns are not there. I think the time is saves getting in and out is worth it!
How do I get the Org Junkie button for these posts?
The buttons are all here for you to pick from:
http://orgjunkie.com/menu-plan-monday
I have a wonderful cookbook written by two area moms (west Michigan). It is called the Stocked Kitchen. I works from one grocery list in order to do away with “specialty items.” Once you are” stocked” you can make any recipe from the book. We love it!!!
mmmmmmm…your menu looks yummy this week!! turkey blt wraps…yum!! :) thnx!
Oh that salmon sounds great! We are doing more fish so I’m always looking for more recipes. Thanks.
I could definitely use redundant help with my coupons, thanks for that link :)
Your menu sounds fabulous, have a great week!
I do my shopping on Friday morning. I hate grocery shopping on the weekends, yet I like to make a nice dinner on Sunday night, so I go on Friday and hope the produce will stay fresh.
I have tried to do the homemade pizza, but my crust attempts did not work out well and our neighborhood pizza place has great coupons and opportunities for socializing, so for now it makes more sense for us to go out for pizza occasionally…
Our budget is really tight right now and I’m enjoying trying to figure out how to get the food bill low and still eat well. Love the menu plan Monday.
Laura, I can’t wait to hear what your kids think about the Tater Tot Casserole. Janice and I actually created a recipe for Smiley Face Casserole using smiley face fries. It’s so cute, has some healthy ingredients mixed in, and is oh-so yummy. Here’s the link if you’re interested: http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/2009/05/22/recipe-rescue-tater-tot-casserole/
Mmmm that sounds delicious too, thanks!
My first post is wrong…I put in the wrong link. Sorry! I have corrected it with my second.
Okay! Your BLT’s and Herb Chicken Pizza sound great! I am going to have to put those in my list to try in the next couple weeks! Can’t wait to see how they all turn out for you!
Blessings to you,
Lisa
I (try to) do my grocery shopping whenever I am kid-free. I have four and I just find it so much easier to think about my purchases and remain frugal and practical without my kids present. So that can very from right after work to Saturday or Sunday when my parents have them for a while. *That’s* my kind of shopping! :)
I have not many links this week. I am sorry.
I am a Monday morning-like-clock work shopper too! I’m not usually that early but it beats going on the weekend anytime! I am a creature of habit and I like it. :-)
I love to do my shopping quickly as soon as the shops open so I can get a good parking! I make the most of a super organized pantry and usually only have about 10 ingredients to buy each week which are fresh. Organization is absolute key!
I love your menu this week. I will be adding a few of those dishes to my menu soon. Thanks.
I’m so excited that I have my menu planned out for the week. Now, I just hope that the grocery shopping is just as easy! :)
Thanks for the linky!
I don’t know why I thought of this today, but while playing with my new-to-me iPhone, your menu plan monday came to mind. :-)
Hope y’all have a Happy Easter this weekend!!
I’m incredibly slow and just noticed that you linked to me last week. Thanks so much for sharing my coupon binder project!