Meal Plan for June 23 - 29 and MORE

There is a method to my meal planning madness. The goal is to feed my family, for a week, for $100 or less. This is out of necessity, not some desire to save tons of money. So far I've done okay. I have back up food in my freezer, and I budget a little extra for quick stuff from Schwans. This week I went to the store before I had everything planned out and I spent almost $100 for less than the full week. I have a reunion coming up on Saturday and I still have to buy the food for my dishes - lucky for me, they are pretty simple.

Meal Plan for June 23 - 29

• Monday - Chicken Stir-fry with eggrolls and rice.
• Tuesday - Crab and Red Pepper Alfredo over angel hair pasta with broccoli and cauliflower.
• Wednesday - Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and corn.
• Thursday - Spaghetti and garlic bread.
• Friday - Chicken strips and parmesan garlic french fries.
• Saturday - Family Reunion, Watermelon/Strawberry salad, potato salad and baked beans.
• Sunday - I have no idea... Kraft Macaroni and Cheese with Hot Dogs?

I've learned how to make several dishes with some of the same basic ingredients - stirfry and spaghetti have onion, peppers and mushrooms - stirfry and chicken strips off the same large package of chicken. You get the idea. I have enough veggies to throw together a salad with any meal or to take to work.
In other news...? I'm frustrated with my mother-in-law (but how many of us aren't at some point). I just can't deal with the selfish attitude right now and I'm even having bad dreams about the situation I've found myself in with her. I woke up to one this morning and when I'd doze off I'd end up right back in the same dream, so upset with her that I was crying. I cry when I get angry. There is nothing I can do about it, I just start to sob. It's a frustrating personality flaw that I have.

I found a Queen Anne Wing Back chair at a garage sale this weekend. They had a matching pair for sale and I only wanted one, which they agreed to sell me for $5. Since I was on a bike ride with Lindsay, I promised I'd be back after I got home and went to the ATM. I called Jake to come with his truck - the Altima could never haul a chair - and when I got back to the sale, the man told me to take them both - for $5! I had to think about where the other would go, but I took it. They are old and tattered, but that was what I was looking for. Queen Anne Wing Back chairs are expensive and I hadn't found a nice one for under $250. So now I have a comfy chair at my desk to curl up in to read a book, watch a video on my little television on my desk (the only place in the house to watch a video) or Netflix online, or write... whatever! I'm so happy. Lindsay gets the other chair. She's made a place in her room but we've found a spot for it right next to my desk - she can watch movies with me or just curl up and read her own book.

I tried to load some photos of a sleeping girl and my 'clean' desk. Clean is a relative term when it comes to my desk. Anyway, I'll load some later - if google cooperates.

Easy dinner tip: Calzones, REALLY! Refrigerated pizza dough cut into quarters, fill with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, pepperoni, thin sliced veggies of your choice, pinch close with fork, poke holes to vent and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust your fillings to taste but serve pizza sauce on the side, it just works better that way. Great easy meal!