Menu Plan - December 26th to January 1st

Well, I am gearing up for my Live on Less challenge this coming year! I am so excited, I hope I will be this excited in 4 more weeks!

Since I have company (which I love play hostess!) I need to be sure that my meals are feeding 7-12 people each night. I also am coming off of spending hundreds of dollars for Christmas dinner and gifts (which I am purposing not to do this next year! In part by planning ahead.) SO....I am going to reuse a lot of leftover meats and make them into totally different meals.

Here is my plan:

First week of $75 budget
- Actually use $25 for this weeks budget
- $50 for the next week

7 Dinners
Turkey stew – turkey, pasta, veggies (leftover turkey &veggies/pasta is in the freezer)
Gumbo – Chicken & sausage (all leftover)
BBQ beef – (leftover brisket)
Roast w/rice & gravy – gravy packet (roast is in freezer, I bought it on sale)
Spaghetti w/fresh garden salad (ground beef I bought on sale - in freezer)
Beans & rice (in the cupboard - always a low price go to! Keep bacon fat/lefovers to flavor)
Beef & cheese quesadillas (use part of that leftover brisket for these)

Breakfast
Leftover quiche & fruit
Yogurt w/fruit (I make my own yogurt to save a TON of money and it is whole fat)
Eggs & cheese w/toast
Oatmeal w/cane syrup
Cinnamon & sugar nuggets w/ syrup
Cereal

Lunch
Tuna sandwiches
ramen noodles
Pb & J fruit & yogurt
Mac N Cheese w/hotdogs wienies
smoothies
Italian chicken w/corn
Hot dogs w/buns & fruit

All of these items I have in my storage except I will need the following:
- milk (whole milk) - 3 gallons - $4.50/gallon - $13.50
- creamer (coffee is my major weakness) - 2 quarts - $2.70/quart - $5.40

$18.90 + tax

I may need to pick up the 3 packs of ramen noodles as well (my kids LOVE these stinkin things!)

This menu will use lots of leftovers (not wasting food is key when trying to keep a low budget) and it will provide larger 1 pot meals for feeding big groups.

Now lets just see if I can get out of that store without spending a ton of money! haha!

UPDATE: I did make it out of the store without buying ANYTHING extra!! YEAH!!

MY secret: I sent Billy to the store...hahaha