Happy December, everybody!
We definitely started the month with a bang. Friday night we visited Kings Island for their Winterfest, and Saturday John and I went on a date to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was a busy weekend, but so much fun!
So if you stuck with me through all of November, you saw my 4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer series and how I spent the entire month putting all sorts of recipes in my freezer to use in December. Well, we’re here! The majority of our meals this month will be from the freezer, which will give me extra money to fill my pantry with essentials.
I got this book out of the library once before and I wanted to get it again. It’s Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (Yep, Jerry Seinfeld’s wife), and this book contains recipes with lots of hidden veggies. I’m at my wit’s end getting Allison to actually eat something besides bread, so I’m trying new things to get some nutrition in her.
I’m starting small, so yesterday I roasted and pureed some butternut squash. Some of it will be used this week, but the rest went in the freezer in half cup increments. I’m so hoping I can sneak in some vegetables while offering her everything else, too. She’ll give in eventually, right?
Oh, and if it looks like I bought a lot of junk… I did. I found a recipe for Christmas Crack which looks AMAZING, and I’m making it to bring to my women’s group. The problem is it requires so many ingredients, but I think it’ll be a big hit.
Here’s my shopping from the weekend:
Aldi
2 packages white almond bark: $2.69
Sweetener packets: $1.39
Eggs: $.59
Bananas, 3.84 pounds: $1.69
Spinach: $1.19
Applesauce: $1.89
Grapes, 2.24 pounds: $2.22
Butternut squash, 2.93 pounds: $2.02
Strawberries: $2.49
Turkey kielbasa: $2.29
3 cans Great Northern Beans: $.49 each
2 cucumbers: $.49 each, for Allison’s school snack
Pepperoni: $2.19
Tortillas: $1.39
Vanilla extract: $3.55
Corn starch: $.89
Graham crackers: $1.45
Onions, 3-pound bag: $1.59
Flour: $1.15
Milk: $1.45
Total: $37.26
Meijer
Carrots: Free with a coupon
Buttermilk: $1.39
Gum: $2.69
Sriracha sauce: $2.99
Cauliflower: $2.99
1 bag M&Ms baking chips: $3.49
2 boxes Chex: $1.79 each, part of the Buy 5, Save $5 sale
- Used $1/2 mPerks
3 bags Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips: $1.79 each, part of the Buy 5, Save $5 sale
- Used $1/2 mPerks
Bag of peppermints: $1.50
Gogurt: $1.25
Bugles: $1.00
3 rolls ground turkey: $1.00 each, they all went in the freezer
4 bags frozen veggies: $1.00 each, got one free from the 10 for $10 sale
Pretzels: $1.00
Total: $35.66
Weekly Total: $72.92
Menu
Lunch is always leftovers. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were purchased in previous weeks.
Dinner
Sausage, White Bean, and Spinach Soup, Bread Machine French Loaf
Santa Fe Chicken Freezer Lunch*, grapes
Pizza Waffles (Waffle batter with pizza ingredients put in a waffle maker- Stay tuned for a recipe!)
Freezer Baked Penne*, frozen broccoli
Boomerang Pies*, grapes
Chicken/Butternut Squash Quesadillas, Sweet Potato Fries*
Breakfast
Whole Wheat Waffles from freezer*
Pumpkin Pancakes (Check back Wednesday for a recipe!)
Oatmeal
Allison’s Lunch
Graham crackers, strawberries, Banana Marshmallow Dip (From Deceptively Delicious cookbook- Banana puree, butternut squash puree, marshmallows*), string cheese*
Miscellaneous
Christmas Crack for my women’s group
What’s on your menu this week? Share in the comments below!
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.