Meal Plan 3/18 - 3/22

I'm going to keep things short this week as I'm preparing my very first vegetable garden. Squee!

Monday: Minestrone Soup
Tuesday: Dinner with in-laws
Wednesday: Salad
Thursday: Beans and Cornbread
Friday: Dinner at our friends' house

We got lucky this week with a couple dinners out. I love sharing meals with my family and friends and this week we got lucky to have two nights off!


As for the beans this week, I use HamBeen's 15 Bean Soup bag from the grocery store. I add chopped onion, a can of Rotel diced tomatoes, a dash or two of chili powder, 2 cloves of pressed garlic, and generally some salt, to taste. In the past I have added some ham hock or bacon fresh from the butcher. This time, even though we've been eating vegetarian, I opted for a couple ham hocks from the butcher who sold them to me for $3! That's a good price for fresh ham hock. Dump it all in a crockpot with a few cups of water (just to cover the beans) and set it on low for 6-8 hours. It's a great meal that will have lots of left overs for our small little family. Add hot sauce or shredded cheese when serving.

My grocery bill was pretty high, about $160. I needed honey, flour, EVOO (which costs an arm and a leg), and a few other staples. As I mentioned in previous posts, my staples were dwindling. The cost for the actual meals this week rolled in at a whopping $47.

If you are ordering your Bountiful Basket this week, don't forget you have until tomorrow to make your donation.

Also this week, I am making whole wheat bread using a recipe on the side of the flour bag, a cinnamon raisin bread for breakfasts, and I'm going to try out that cornbread recipe on Thursday. A very bread-y week. Part of me wishes I had a nice mixer that could knead the bread for me, but I am very grateful for the stress relief and arm workout making bread gives me.

Hope you all have a great week eating healthy!