Looking Back at 2012 Reviews

December 31, 2012 By 2 Comments

We featured a fair number of product reviews in 2012 so I thought I would give a summary of what we still love (and don’t love!)

A few of my Friday Favorites are still Favorites … (Remember we bought all of these ourselves!)

Logitech Wireless Mouse M305 … I still use this every day at work and it doesn’t suck batteries dry in a week like my old mouse did!

Keurig Platinum Plus B60 Model … this was Brian’s anniversary present but I probably use it more than he does. Brian does use it to make coffee. I use it to make tea. I love my hot tea in the morning so has been of on my favorite finds of 2012!

Cool Gear Insulated Tumbler … I still use this cup. It works great and has held up which is a true test to how great a product is. This is a true testament that some of our favorite products are just regular items you find at shops like Walmart!

Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit … we still use this weekly. I would love say daily but yeah that doesn’t happen. I love that we haven’t had to buy new cleaning pads for this mop kit. I just wash them the constant laundry cycle we already have. Plus I just buy a regular cleaner when it is on sale so no special solution is needed! This is a great budget saver for sure!

Oneida Trigger Cookie Scoop … my Christmas therapy … umm, baking wouldn’t be the same without this cookie scoop. It is still well loved and is another regular item that we found and use all of the time. If you don’t have a cookie scoop yet, get one in 2013 for sure!

Amazon Prime … Christmas shopping at our house wouldn’t have happened without Amazon Prime. If you shop on Amazon at all, check out Amazon Prime. I could save you a ton of money by covering your shipping … plus it is 2 day shipping. I don’t even want to think about the gas money we saved by not driving down to town trying to find products and not finding them. It would be a ton for sure.

For the kids …

The MoneySmart Family System … we don’t feature a lot of book reviews as time is very limited and book reviews take a significant amount of time. This is one book review we feel blessed to have accepted though! We STILL use this system in our house. It has changed how we run our house and how the kids act in our house. The respect the kids has really changed along with their willingness to pull their weight in the household activities. We have had less fighting and more helping. Grace’s spend account has almost $50 (and she spent some at the Book Fair at school earlier this year!) This system is working and we love it!

Wee Believers Floor Puzzles … this puzzle is still pulled out several times a week at our house!

JC Toys Baby Dolls … the girls still love these baby dolls. Sophie actually got another JC Toys Baby Doll for her birthday. They love the size of these dolls. They are perfect for their bigger hands but let them still baby doll/mommy!

KEEN Alamosa WP … this was the first pair of KEEN’s in our house and I think there are many more to come. I love how well these shoes have held up with little man wearing them. He is so rough on shoes and they still look great. Not replacing shoes every few months is a good budget saver at our house!

Aquaphor Baby Gentle Wash & Shampoo … this review was back in September and I am still using the same bottle of shampoo since then … even with all three kids using it! This is a great value and it has really helped during bath time because I don’t have the kids screaming about the soap being in their eyes. When this bottle runs out (it has to as some point, right?!), I will buying more of this without a question. It is worth every penny and stretches so easily that it fits in our budget for sure!

A is for Ketchup book … We just went through ALL of the kids books in our house. This book was sure to stay. Grace still laughs and laughs as she reads this book. I can’t wait until Sophie can read it because I think she will the laugh same way Grace does!

For us …

Kirkland’s Blue Ultra Coconut Throw Pillows … we moved the basement couch upstairs and these pillows now sit in our living room. I still love them! The next time I need throw pillows, I am headed to Kirkland’s for sure!

Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace Basket … this basket still sits out on our bar area where you often Brian’s keys or receipts. We are still debating on if it will stay there or be hung up with the other Rwandan baskets we have. We love this program though and hope to continue to support it in 2013!

Linksys EA2700 Wireless Router … this router is still used today and has worked great for us! We still love the guest channel on our router!

LiftMaster 8550 Elite Series … a new garage opener was one of the best upgrades we had to the house this year. It actually works which is a HUGE improvement over the old door opener that sometimes didn’t work. We still love this garage door opener and recommend it to anyone that asks!

NIVEA Olive Oil & Lemon Moisture Rich Lip Care – I love this lip care. I thought I lost it over Thanksgiving when we traveled to my sister’s house. I was ready to call her to have her search her house from top to bottom and then found it in my purse. Yes, I know it is just a lip care but I seriously love it and will be buying for sure. Maybe I should buy a back up tube now so I don’t panic over losing it again?

What we aren’t still lovin’ …

Bake Pops … these were super cute but they took forever to bake. Every time I went to make them again, I didn’t because I honestly don’t have that much time on my hands these days. Maybe after I finish graduate school, I will have more time and will like this again. I am not sure though.

Betty Crocker Shake-N-Pour Dessert Mixes – I went to buy more of these and was in a bit of a shock over the prices. I had a coupon but still the price was more than a cake mix. Sure it saved some effort by adding just water but honestly I always have eggs and oil in the kitchen so I just bought a regular cake mix instead.

Waterpik Flossing without the pain … I was certain it would get easier to use to this but it hasn’t. It has been retired to live under the cabinet in the bathroom and the dental floss now sits in its place!

 

What is your favorite find of 2012? What do you hope to try in 2013? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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October 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

October 1, 2012 By 7 Comments

We often buy food based on sales at the grocery store.  When ribs or pork shoulders or chicken are on big sales, we stock up.  Unfortunately, this often means filling up our freezer with way too much meat.  Even when preserved in the freezer, the product is only good for so long.  This month’s meal plan focuses on cleaning out our freezer a little.  We hope to gain some extra space in our freezer and lower our grocery bill for the month.  We also plan on trying out a number of slow cooker recipes that we will introduce to you over the next couple of months.


October 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (September 30 – October 6)

With a couple of busy days this week, we decided on some easy dishes.  We already have virtually everything that we need for the meals this week.  A little fresh produce to supplement the frozen components make for some healthy (and tasty!) meals.

Sunday–Check out the September Meal Plan!
Monday–Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Tuesday–Sub Sandwiches
Wednesday–Fishstick Tacos
Thursday–White Bean and Turkey Chili
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Spaghetti

Week 2 (October 6 – October 13)

Using some ground turkey leftover from the chili makes great use of a large package of meat.  Half-priced ribs get amazing all-day cooking taste and the Pork BBQ will be used over and over again next week.  The slow cooker gets used three times this week.  That’s great for eating well with our busy schedule.

Sunday–Pizza
Monday–Bruschetta and Israeli Cous Cous
Tuesday–Turkey Nachos
Wednesday–Slow Cooker Ribs
Thursday–Appetizer Dinner
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Slow Cooker Pork BBQ Sandwiches

Week 3 (October 14 – October 20)

The pork that we cooked on Saturday gets three completely different uses this week:  with peppers and onions for a yummy cheesesteak, as spicy enchiladas, and as a quick fried rice.  We don’t use the slow cooker at all for dinner this week, but every weekday meal is quick and easy to throw together.

Sunday–Ham Dinner
Monday–Veggie Casserole
Tuesday–Pork Cheesesteak
Wednesday–Pork Enchiladas
Thursday–Pork Fried Rice
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Sub Sandwiches

Week 4 (October 21 – October 27)

Another three slow cooker meal week!  Corn chowder, chicken and rice, and beans and rice are filling, cheap meals that our whole family will love.  Fried shrimp on Saturday will be such a yummy treat!

Sunday–Quesadillas
Monday–Corn Chowder
Tuesday–Breakfast
Wednesday–Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo
Thursday–Beans and Rice
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Fried Shrimp Dinner

Week 5 (October 28 – November 3)

Extra shrimp gets double duty as a quick fried rice and the slow cooker gets another workout with lasagna and chili this week.  Pizza and candy on Wednesday is no trick; it’s a Halloween treat.

Sunday–Shrimp Fried Rice
Monday–Slow Cooker Lasagna
Tuesday–Slow Cooker Chili
Wednesday–Pizza and Candy for Halloween
Thursday–See November’s Meal Plan!
Friday–See November’s Meal Plan!
Saturday–See November’s Meal Plan!

 

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?  Leave us a comment and let us know.

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September 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

September 8, 2012 By 3 Comments

We actually had the meal plan made up the first day of this month but we have failed to get typed up and posted. As sad as that is, we hope to impress you by noting we have followed the meal plan so far this month. So here is some meal planning inspiration for you!


September 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (August  26 – September 1)

With a busy holiday weekend of household chores, we decided Saturday’s dinner would be an easy dinner when it came to both cooking and cleaning up!

Sunday– Check out the August Meal Plan!
Monday– Check out the August Meal Plan!
Tuesday– Check out the August Meal Plan!
Wednesday– Check out the August Meal Plan!
Thursday– Check out the August Meal Plan!
Friday– Check out the August Meal Plan!
Saturday–#DipDipHooray Chicken Nuggets and Fries

Week 2 (September 2 –  September 8)

We decided to try a few new dishes this and even experiment with some friends who came over to dinner on Thursday night. The Fry Bread Sandwiches were a huge hit and a recipe I need to get time to post soon … think homemade hot pocket!

Sunday– Spaghetti Squash Casserole 
Monday–Veggie Burgers and Hot Dogs for the kids
Tuesday–Turkey Tacos
Wednesday–Fry Bread Sandwiches
Thursday–Quinoa Appitizeters
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday– Lasagna w/ Salad

Week 3 (September 9 –  September 15)

We hope to plan a Sunday dinner after a day out and about! For the rest of the week, we went back to some basic meals that are family favorites and won’t add to the busy schedules this week!

Sunday– Pork Tenderloin
Monday–Squash Chowder
Tuesday–Macaroni and Cheese
Wednesday–Pancakes
Thursday–Fajitas
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Pizza

Week 4 (September 16 –  September 22)

This week combine some easy to make dinners and some comfort food dinners. We are starting to get into the school year routine which includes evening activities so we try to plan our meals around what the evening activities are!

Sunday–Spaghetti Dinner
Monday–Veggie Fajita Nachos
Tuesday–Sausage and Peppers
Wednesday–Chicken and Waffles
Thursday– Chicken Stir Fry
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Sub Sandwiches

Week 5 (September 23 –  September 29)

We decided to go for a nice Sunday dinner and then make it a point to use some of fresh produce with the spaghetti squash fritters and  probably the quesadillas. At the middle of the week, we decided to go with kid friendly meals and end the week off with a break for the cook … pizza night!

Sunday–Roast Chicken Dinner
Monday–Spaghetti Squash Fritter
Tuesday–Quesadillas
Wednesday– Breakfast for Dinner
Thursday–Appetizer Dinner
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday– Pizza

 

Week 5 (September 30 –  October 6)

Gnocchi is something I learned to make a few years ago and to Beth’s surprise, she loved it. Now the debate is if this meal will be potato gnocchi or pumpkin gnocchi. You will have to wait and see what I post come October!

Sunday–Gnocchi
Monday– Wait for October’s Meal Plan!
Tuesday– Wait for October’s Meal Plan!
Wednesday– Wait for October’s Meal Plan!
Thursday– Wait for October’s Meal Plan!
Friday– Wait for October’s Meal Plan!
Saturday– Wait for October’s Meal Plan!

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?  Leave us a comment and let us know.

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August 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

August 6, 2012 By 2 Comments

Summer is a time for rest and relaxation, a time when one should not be constrained by the boundaries of a monthly meal plan, right?  Well, that’s what we were thinking, anyhow.  We figured that we would try planning weekly meals, but when it came time to shop, we didn’t have a plan together to start from.  So we’d pick up a few things that we thought would be easy.  We’d sort of plan on having a meat, a starch, and a veggie, but when it came time to cook, well, no plan turned into not much cooking.  When you try to plan night to night, the tired brain just chooses pizza or hot dogs.  Sure we’ve had a few good meals over the course of the summer, but we’ve had trouble planning healthy meals that we can count on night after night.

With all of that having been said, we are back to our monthly meal plans.  The little bit of planning that goes in at the beginning of the month saves so much time and headache throughout the rest of the month.  If we slip from time to time, that’s no big deal.  If you have a plan, you can get back on track.  Without a plan, however, that slip can make it really easy to get onto the wrong track altogether.  Here is our plan for this month.  We’ll try to post some links to some of the recipes that we have already posted.  We hope that you enjoy our humble offerings and that you join us for dinner from time to time.

August 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (July 29 – August 4)

We started out the week with some grilled chicken and brown rice, so we are just using the leftovers and some fresh farm veggies to make a fried rice.  We are using a large pack of ground turkey to make the burgers and meatloaf and are even using the leftover meatloaf to make sausage and cheeseburger pizzas for lunch one day this weekend!

Sunday–
Monday–
Tuesday–
Wednesday–Fried Rice
Thursday–Turkey Burgers
Friday–Turkey Meatloaf
Saturday–Dinner Out!

Week 2 (August 5 – August 11)

We are off to the mountains for some camping this week so hot dogs and grilled chicken are on the menu.  Pizza is easy for when we get back on Wednesday and we’ll make tacos and lasagna using another big pack of ground turkey.

Sunday–Corn Pancakes with Sauteed Veggies
Monday–Hot Dogs
Tuesday–Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
Wednesday–Pizza
Thursday–Tacos
Friday–Lasagna w/ Salad
Saturday–Leftovers:  Lasagna w/ Salad

Week 3 (August 12 – August 18)

Really easy meals this week as we work on ending the summer before school starts.  The chicken gets to serve two uses.  Cook once, eat twice!  Sausages, apples, veggies and pita will make up a nice easy dinner on Saturday.

Sunday–Breakfast for Dinner
Monday–Pasta Dinner
Tuesday–Chicken Fajitas
Wednesday–Picnicking with Girl Scouts
Thursday–Grilled Chicken Salad
Friday–Pizza!!
Saturday–Appetizer Dinner

Week 4 (August 19 – August 25)

School starts this week and we want to have a couple of nice family meals that are easy to put together after a long day for our big First Grader.

Sunday–Pork Tenderloin with Baked Apples
Monday–Mac and Cheese
Tuesday–Stir Fry
Wednesday–Chicken Nugget Parmesan
Thursday–Cobb Salad
Friday–Spaghetti Dinner
Saturday–Sub Sandwiches

Week 5 (August 26 – September 1)

We love using the grill as it starts to cool off, so grilling some chicken and veggies for the week is right up our alley.  Easy open-faced chicken cordon bleu makes a nice family meal while sausages serve double duty as an appetizer and then paired with yummy cheese tortellini.

Sunday–Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Monday–Grilled Veggies with Bruschetta
Tuesday–Chicken Cordon Bleu
Wednesday–Appetizer Dinner
Thursday–Pasta with Sausages
Friday–Nachos!
Saturday–

 

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?  Leave us a comment and let us know.

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May 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

May 2, 2012 By 4 Comments

Our monthly meal plan is a staple of our budgeting process.  We look at it this way.  We are planning meals one way or the other.  We can do it on the fly, trying to figure out each day what we are going to feed our kids; we can plan week to week, spending the time planning while we make our grocery list or letting the grocery store choose for us while we shop; or we can put in a little time at the beginning of the month and make it easier each week to just write out a shopping list and get what we need.  Since we’ve started planning month to month, we have found that we actually spend less time planning what we eat.

This month, we are focusing on a number of different comfort foods.  These are foods that we love to eat, that the kids will eat, and that pair well with large salads and multiple sides of veggies.  On several nights, we will actually be recreating that idea of a “Blue Plate Special”–a meat, a starch, and two veggie sides, served with a side salad.  We are upping the veggie quotient this month.  Why don’t you check out what we’re having and join us for a couples of meals?

 

May 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (April 29 – May 5)

Sunday–See April Meal Plan
Monday–See April Meal Plan
Tuesday–Spaghetti Dinner
Wednesday–Veggies and Cold Cuts
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Pizza Night!
Saturday–Fish in a Pouch

Week 2 (May 6 – May 12)

Sunday–Beef Bourguignon
Monday–Veggie Subs
Tuesday–Eggs, Bacon, and Western Hash
Wednesday–Veggie Spanish Tortilla
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Fried Fish
Saturday–Picnic Dinner!

Week 3 (May 13 – May 19)

Sunday–BBQ Chicken (Beth’s Mother’s Day request)
Monday–Broccoli Rice Casserole
Tuesday–Taco Tuesday!
Wednesday–Turkey Sliders
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Meatball Subs
Saturday–Dinner Out!

Week 4 (May 20 – May 26)

Sunday–Pork Stir Fry
Monday–Quinoa and Potato Stew
Tuesday–Smothered Chicken
Wednesday–Baked Potatoes
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Pizza
Saturday–Baked Fish

Week 5 (May 27 – June 2)

Sunday–Steaks
Monday–Fried Mac & Cheese
Tuesday–Chicken Fried Steak
Wednesday–Quiche
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–See June Meal Plan
Saturday–See June Meal Plan

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?

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April 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

April 1, 2012 By 2 Comments

We are so very happy to be back to our normal meal plans.  Our little experiment went very well with both of us losing a fair amount of weight, but the draw of meat and the need to feed our kids healthy food that they will actually eat just became too much.  We did learn quite a bit about eating meat more sparingly and focusing our meals more on healthier grains and vegetables.

This month’s meal plan is almost like a “greatest hits” of many of our favorite dinners.  Some of it is time intensive (but so worth it), some things are convenient cheats, and others are just plain good.  We hope that you give some of these great ideas a try!

April 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (April 1 – April 7)

Sunday–Chicken and Mushroom Pizza
Monday–Vegetarian Tapas
Tuesday–Pork Stir Fry
Wednesday–Lasagna
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Chicken Sandwiches
Saturday–Coffee Rubbed Beef Sandwich with Chipotle BBQ Sauce and Apple-Parsnip Slaw

Week 2 (April 8 – April 14)

Sunday–Easter Dinner!
Monday–Portobello Mushroom Sandwich
Tuesday–Tacos
Wednesday–Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Pizza
Saturday–Date Night!!

Week 3 (April 15 – April 21)

Sunday–Fish with Tempura Veggies
Monday–Pancakes
Tuesday–Chicken and Rice
Wednesday–Chili w/ Cornbread
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Chicken Pot Pie
Saturday–Shrimp Kabobs w/ Rice Pilaf

Week 4 (April 22 – April 28)

Sunday–Chicken and Waffles
Monday–Panzanella
Tuesday–Cheese Quesadillas with Corn Salsa
Wednesday–Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Subs
Saturday–Shrimp and Grits

Week 5 (April 29 – May 5)

Sunday–Fried Chicken Dinner
Monday–Spinach Ravioli
Tuesday–See May Meal Plan
Wednesday–See May Meal Plan
Thursday–See May Meal Plan
Friday–See May Meal Plan
Saturday–See May Meal Plan

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?

 

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March 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

March 1, 2012 By 4 Comments

Our Monthly Meal Plan has kind of become a staple of our budgeting process.  Rather than planning for meals from week to week, we put in a little extra time and effort and knock it out right away.  It takes a little discipline, but sticking to the plan can keep costs down and lead to a healthier and closer knit family.  Research supports the notion that having dinner as a family has a number of benefits for the kids (http://children.webmd.com/guide/family-dinners-are-important).

I’ve had a few people remark in the past that they just don’t have the time to plan a menu like this.  My response is that we don’t plan because we have time; we have time because we plan.  Taking the time to plan out our meals makes our shopping list easier to make.  We simply look at our plan and buy the things that we need for the week.  That keeps us from buying all sorts of extras and it saves us the time of planning our meals and our shopping list at the same time.  Other people tell me that they just aren’t disciplined enough to stick with it.  Here’s a “not so secret”:  neither are we!  We have a plan to keep us on the right track, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t get cravings or just not feel like cooking sometimes.  Rather than having no ideas as the default, however, we have our plan to fall back on.  This becomes one of our main rationales for keeping up with it.

March is the last month of our New Year’s diet plan.  I’ve heard that, after a few months of not eating meat, many people lose a taste for it altogether.  Let me just say that we are not those people.  We are anxiously awaiting the last week of the month when we are able to enjoy a nice thick hamburger or some fried chicken.  As it is, adding cheese and milk back into our diet have given us a lot more options for our menu.  We made it a point to go back to our Thursday night leftover plan.  Otherwise the fridge just backs up with leftovers that we wind up throwing out at the end of the week.  I hate wasting like that.

We hope that you enjoy our humble offerings.

 

March 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (February 26 – March 3)

Sunday–See February Meal Plan
Monday–See February Meal Plan
Tuesday–See February Meal Plan
Wednesday–See February Meal Plan
Thursday–Tortellini
Friday–Subs
Saturday–Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Week 2 (March 4 – March 10)

Sunday–Lasagna
Monday–Tortellini Soup
Tuesday–Quiche
Wednesday–Quinoa Pancakes
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Veggie Quesadillas
Saturday–Fried Calzones

Week 3 (March 11 – March 17)

Sunday–Veggie Pot Pie
Monday–Brocolli Fettucine Alfredo
Tuesday–Veggie Cheese”steak”
Wednesday–Veggies, Pita, Hummus
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Baked Potatoes
Saturday–Gnocchi

Week 4 (March 18 – March 24)

Sunday–Mushroom Risotto
Monday–Veggie Lo Mein
Tuesday–Veggie Fajita Nachos
Wednesday–Morrocan Rice
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Subs
Saturday–Polenta with Mushrooms

Week 5 (March 25 – March 31)

Sunday–Roast Chicken!!
Monday–Baked Penne
Tuesday–Caesar Salad
Wednesday–Fish with Noodles and Veggies
Thursday–Leftovers
Friday–Pizza
Saturday–Burgers

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?

 

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February 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

February 1, 2012 By 3 Comments

Our Monthly Meal Plan has kind of become a staple of our budgeting process.  Rather than planning for meals from week to week, we put in a little extra time and effort and knock it out right away.  It takes a little discipline, but sticking to the plan can keep costs down and lead to a healthier and closer knit family.  Research supports the notion that having dinner as a family has a number of benefits for the kids (http://children.webmd.com/guide/family-dinners-are-important).

We made through our first month of the year.  We finished the 2012 Whole Living Action Plan and continued the month eating a vegan diet.  So far, Brian is down over 20 pounds and Beth has lost 12.  These are pretty good accomplishments for our first month!  We are hoping to continue these gains (or losses…it all depends on how you look at it) and to learn from our experiences as we move forward.

February is kind of a transition month for us and our diet program.  Half-way through the month, we switch from a vegan diet, eating no animal products whatsoever, to a vegetarian diet, introducing dairy products, eggs, etc, but still refraining from eating animal flesh.  Thankfully for Beth, this changeover occurs on her birthday.  How easy is cheese pizza for a birthday present, eh?

We hope in our meal plan this month that you find a variety of healthy, meatless meals that your family will enjoy and ask for again.

 

February 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (January 29 – February 4)

Sunday–See January Meal Plan
Monday–See January Meal Plan
Tuesday–See January Meal Plan
Wednesday–Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas
Thursday–Twice Baked Potatoes
Friday–Spaghetti
Saturday–Vegetable Minestrone

Week 2 (February 5 – February 11)

Sunday–Super Bowl Menu
Monday–Veggie Stir Fry
Tuesday–Pita, Hummus, Veggies, and Cous Cous Salad
Wednesday–Stuffed Peppers
Thursday–Taco Salad
Friday–Veggie Subs (nothing says Happy Anniversary like a sub! =P)
Saturday–White Bean and Mushroom Stew

Week 3 (February 12 – February 18)

Sunday–Pizza!!  (Happy Birthday Beth!)
Monday–Corn Chowder
Tuesday–Pizza!!  (Yes, again!  For Valentine’s Day this time!)
Wednesday–Veggie Quesadillas
Thursday–Chef Salad
Friday–Southwestern Scramble
Saturday–Veggie Fried Rice

Week 4 (February 19 – February 25)

Sunday–Mushroom Risotto
Monday–Veggie Lasagna
Tuesday–Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Wednesday–Spanish Tortilla
Thursday–Quinoa Pancakes and Eggs
Friday–Veggie Pot Pie
Saturday–Falafel

Week 5 (February 26 – March 3)

Sunday–Chili with Cornbread
Monday–Baked Potatoes
Tuesday–Macaroni and Cheese
Wednesday–Subs
Thursday–See March Meal Plan
Friday–See March Meal Plan
Saturday–See March Meal Plan

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?

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January 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

January 1, 2012 By 4 Comments

Our Monthly Meal Plan has kind of become a staple of our budgeting process.  Rather than planning for meals from week to week, we put in a little extra time and effort and knock it out right away.  It takes a little discipline, but sticking to the plan can keep costs down and lead to a healthier and closer knit family.  Research supports the notion that having dinner as a family has a number of benefits for the kids (http://children.webmd.com/guide/family-dinners-are-important).

It’s a brand new year and with a new year comes a feeling of renewal and a great opportunity for a fresh start.  For us, that means kick starting our diet.  We are starting the year off with the 2012 Whole Living Action Plan, a 21 day detox designed to give you more energy, help you sleep better, and help you lose weight.  Basically, it cuts out every that we eat from day to day and replaces it with the produce section.  The plan eventually adds in seafood and eggs, but we are pushing the envelope a bit.

For the first six weeks of 2012, including the 3-week detox, our diet will be totally vegan.  No meat, seafood, cheese, eggs, milk, or even honey will be included in our meal plan during that time.  For the following six weeks, we will adjust to a vegetarian diet, reintroducing animal products, but not animal flesh.  Many of our dinner leftovers will be re-purposed as lunches.

We hope that this 12-week plan will not only help us to accomplish some much needed weight loss and increase our energy levels, but to give us a greater appreciation for what we are putting into our bodies.  We hope that it helps us to focus our meal plans less around meats and processed starches and more around healthy grains and fruits and vegetables.

With that, here is our first meal plan for the new year.  We hope that you find it intriguing, varied, and, most of all, delicious.

January 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (January 1 – January 7)

Sunday–Potato, Cabbage, and Chickpea Stew
Monday–Steamed Broccoli and Butternut Squash w/ Tahini Dressing
Tuesday–Roasted Peppers and Cauliflower w/ Almonds
Wednesday–Stir Fry Veggies
Thursday–Butternut Squash Soup w/ Steamed Cauliflower and Sauteed Mushrooms
Friday–Greek Salad
Saturday–Roasted Ratatouille

Week 2 (January 8 – January 14)

Sunday–White Bean and Mushroom Stew
Monday–Red Lentil Soup
Tuesday–Roasted Vegetables and Cannelini Beans
Wednesday–Baked Sweet Potato w/ Broccoli
Thursday–White Bean and Mushroom Stew
Friday–Red Lentil Soup
Saturday–Falafel

Week 3 (January 15 – January 21)

Sunday–Acorn Squash w/ Quinoa and Pistachios
Monday–Chickpea Brown Rice Burger
Tuesday–Veggie Fried Rice
Wednesday–Kale, White Bean, and Potato Stew
Thursday–Rice Noodles w/ Broccoli, Kale, and Mushrooms
Friday–Polenta w/ Mushrooms and Tomato Sauce
Saturday–Lentils w/ Rice and Kale

Week 4 (January 22 – January 28)

Sunday–Chickpea Curry w/ Naan
Monday–Veggies w/ Lentils
Tuesday–Quinoa Salad w/ Almonds
Wednesday–Spaghetti Dinner
Thursday–Baked Sweet Potato
Friday–Veggie Stir Fry w/ Rice
Saturday–Polenta w/ Mushrooms

Week 5 (January 29 – February 4)

Sunday–Dahl w/ Naan
Monday–Pasta w/ Peas and Mushrooms
Tuesday–Squash and Kale w/ Rice
Wednesday–See February Meal Plan
Thursday–See February Meal Plan
Friday–See February Meal Plan
Saturday–See February Meal Plan

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?

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