Monday Meal Planning and Still No Oven

 

 Soooo, the oven problems continue... we were hoping changing the element would be the trick, but apparently not. So for the foreseeable future, I am ovenless. :/ I do have a crockpot and a microwave along with the use of the broiler and the stove top. But of course, when I sat down to make the meal plan, the only things I could think to make all involved the oven, haha. So stovetop meals are the future! 

 This week we are trying two new recipes, but with substitutions to accommodate our budget. Anymore, I make a meal plan and shopping list, but keep in the back of my mind ideas for substitutions as sometimes the store is just completely out of what I went there for, or more commonly, the recipe calls for ingredients that are too expensive. 

 I saw this Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir fry on Facebook and thought it sounded really good! But chicken breasts this week are $3.99 a pound. Pork Chops are only $1.99 a pound, so I will be making the recipe with cubed pork chops instead of chicken and I think it will be equally yummy as we like pork.

 The other new recipe we are trying is a Stuffed Pepper Skillet. It calls for a pound of ground beef, and while ground beef is on sale for $2.99 a pound this week, I am still trying to cut as many corners as I can since now we have to get the oven fixed. So I will be using half a pound of ground beef mixed with lentils, just like I do for tacos and sloppy joes. I think black beans would also work in this recipe in place of lentils. 

Substitutions seem to be the name of the game anymore. Either because of price or lack of options. Being flexible and thinking on the fly of what can work in place of something else are important skills to exercise. Another option is to make a menu plan and grocery list, and as you make the list, make a note of your second choice options.

 Here is our menu plan for the week, hope you have a good one!

Monday-

• Breakfast- Leftover pancakes, banana
  
• Lunch-  Sandwiches, crackers, carrots and celery
  
• Dinner- Spaghetti, green beans, garlic toast

Tuesday-

• Breakfast- Oatmeal, banana
  
• Lunch- leftover spaghetti, bread and butter, apple
  
• Dinner- Stuffed Pepper Skillet, corn, bread and butter
  

Wednesday- 

• Breakfast- Peanut butter toast, banana
  
• Lunch- Homemade microwave burritos, carrots and celery
  
•  Dinner- Chili, peanut butter sandwiches

Thursday-

• Breakfast- Oatmeal, banana
  
• Lunch- Sandwiches, pretzels, canned peaches
  
• Dinner- Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir fry, applesauce, garlic toast

Friday-

• Breakfast- Peanut butter toast, banana
• Lunch- Ham and cheese roll ups, pretzels, apple
  
• Dinner- Chili mac, peas, garlic toast

Saturday-

• Brunch- Fried bologna sandwiches, fried potatoes and onions
  
• Dinner- Black bean burgers, pasta salad, microwave baked potatoes

Sunday-

• Brunch- Pancakes, homemade pancake syrup, scrambled eggs, canned pears
• Dinner-  Pork with Sweet Potatoes using pork chops and leaving out the cranberries, coleslaw, bread and butter
  

 Have a good week!

~ Sarah