Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Meal Plan Monday...on Tuesday..AGAIN!

Happy New Years! I can't believe another year has passed and oh so quickly! Things have been exceptionally busy lately...even for the holidays. I haven't had much time to think more than a day or so ahead so a meal plan rather low on my list of things to do...even though I find it exceptionally helpful. I also haven't really thought about resolutions because I don't think much of them! I will say one thing I have been focused on at the end of this year that I will continue to focus on with this new year and that is spending!

I have worked really hard to decrease my weekly grocery bill. My first goal was to increase the amount of groceries I was able to purchase with my weekly budget of $100. Then, the goal became to reduce my weekly grocery budget to $75. I have successfully accomplished both. I spend on average $75 a week and purchase between $150-$200+ worth of groceries. I have really struggled to lower my weekly bill below $75, but my goal over the next few months is to reduce it by another $15. Ultimately, I would love to spend about $50 a week on groceries. This is truly a challenge for me (esp. when my husband comes shopping with me), but it can be done! I know I can do it! So, that is my challenge/resolution for this year!

Monday and Tuesday: Bean Soup with Cornbread
Wednesday and Thursday: Sarma (Stuffed Cabbage...I can't wait!)
Friday: Chicken Chipolte Style burritos
Saturday: Marinated Chicken over Tortellini
Sunday: Homemade Pizza

Baking for the Week: Blueberry Streusel and a Birthday cake

The Sarma will be a lot of work..ok...not really a lot of work, but time consuming. Yet, it is SO WORTH THE EFFORT!!! The rest of the week will be really simple stuff! Should make for a really easy cooking week!

Pinto Bean Soup...Croatian Style

We STILL had ham left over and I needed to make something to use it ALL up. We are all a bit HAMMED OUT!! So, I thought it was time for some bean soup.

Pinto Bean Ham Soup
1 bag pinto beans
Left over bits of ham and the ham bone
(Or purchase a ham steak)
1 small bag sauerkraut, crained but NOT rinsed

1. Soak beans overnight OR use canned beans. Drain.
2. Place drained beans in the slow cooker along with all other ingredients. Cover with water and cook on LOW for 6 hours.

Serve with yummy fresh bread or cornbread!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Hot and Sweet Cornbread

We are going to a BBQ for the football games today and I wanted to bring something. Needless to say I have yet to go shopping, so my selection was rather slim. Hence, Hot and Sweet Cornbread to the rescue. This is slightly different from the cornbread I usually make, but I thought it basic cornbread just wouldn't do! Oh and the sweet thing about this cornbread is that you can make it using Jiffy mix if you don't want to go through the hassle of making truly homemade cornbread!


Cornbread
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 t baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
(OR, make Jiffy mix according to package and skip the above ingredients)
1/2 t salt
1 cup of sweet corn kernels (or about 1/2 a can)
1 jalapeno (sliced and chopped)

1. Mix everything together and pour into a baking dish. (You may want to grease). Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (I made it in a loaf pan and it only needed about 12 minutes)

I also made an extra one for tonight to serve with my Pinto Bean Soup! Super yummy!