Menu Plan Monday

Can I just say that I so missed the menu plan last week? We ended up eating out several times because of the lack of planning on my part. I am going to really try not to let another week slide.

So I begin with my last menu that you can find here.
~The Cheesy Crockpot Chicken was super bland. So I added some Monterrey Chicken Spice and it was just the thing to make it edible jazz it up.
~The Mexican Casserole was Oh Mah Gaw good. We all loved it. I ended up doubling it for our family because when I made it it just didn't look like it was enough for us. When I doubled it I added a can of plain diced tomatoes instead of Rotel because I didn't want it to be too spicy for Zach. Gary and I were fighting over the leftovers the next day (he won).

This week:
Monday: Pizza
Tuesday: Steak and Baked Potatoes
Wednesday: Sherry Chicken
Another I got from that great recipe exchange. I am looking forward to trying this one.
Sherry Chicken
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small sour cream (8 oz)
1 cup cooking sherry
salt/pepper to taste
paprika to garnish

In a mixing bowl combine cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, & cooking sherry. Use a whisk to mix it quickly. Add a dash of salt and pepper to the mixture as you whisk it.
In a medium sized casserole dish, cover the chicken breasts with mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.
Depending on the thickness of the breasts, bake at 400-415 for one hour.
Serve over a bed of rice.

Thursday: Frito Pie Casserole
I know the crowd from Cleburne is watching for this one so here it is. I got this from my friend Nikki. It is a new one for us and I agreed to be the guinea pig.
Here is the recipe as given to me by her:
1 lb of browned & drained hamburger
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can drained kidney or red beans
1 can Ro-Tel
about 4 cups sharp cheddar or colby jack (your choice) grated cheese
1 big, normal size bag of regular size Fritos

Brown & drain hamburger. Mix beef, enchilada sauce, drained Ro-tel and drained beans together. In a greased (I have always sprayed my pans and dishes, even if it says not to, my mother and Meme have drilled it into my head to ALWAYS GREASE IT UP) casserole dish.....put a layer of fritos (1/2 the bag) in the bottom. Place beef mixture on top, then half of cheese, rest of fritos, then top with remaining cheese. 350 degrees for, I dunno, 20-25 minutes......everything is cooked, your just heating it all through.
*Personally, on recipes like this, I would chop an onion and cook it with my hamburger, for some added flavor. This is just one of those casseroles you can easily play with and season any way you want*
This shows a bit of her great personality. Hey, speaking of great personalities, you should totally start your own blog! You would be hilarious! And as long as you didn't share many stories (ahem...as in none!) about me as a child, I would be your biggest fan!
Moving on...
Friday: Tortellini with marinara sauce

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Grocery Savings

I got some good deals in the past few weeks and want to share.

At CVS I spent $71.64, saved $54.98 plus I got $25 in CVS cash I can spend next time. That, my friends, is a total savings of 111%. I got batteries, Triaminic, and Gain. Whoo-hoo!

And you could also follow along and save this kind of money! If you are in the Metroplex you can go to Groceries Dirt Cheap. If not, you can go to The Grocery Game. And no, I do not get anything for pointing you their way. Also, this blog, Mommy Making Money on I mentioned a few weeks ago turned me toward a coupon for a Star Wars Lightsaber on Coupons.com that Zach had been saving up for. What an amazing true-to-his-life lesson on coupons and saving money. We have recently worked out a deal for him to earn extra money around the house. He had about $7 left to save before he had enough for the toy. With this $5 coupon and his money from the tooth fairy, he was able to get it. He proudly handed over that coupon at Toys R Us and was able to get his toy this week instead fo a few weeks from now. He finally "got" the value of those papers I have been carrying around at the grocery store. Thank you hands on life lessons!!

Did you try any of the recipes? Let me know what you think.

Sara