Our Family Meal Plan For School Holidays Week 1 - £70

It is the Easter school holidays here so my 3 girls will be off school for 2 weeks.  That means our grocery bill will be slightly higher than normal.  I try not to make sure that we have 3 main meals and 2 snacks each day otherwise my daughters tend to graze on and off throughout the day.  Keeping them busy helps too so they are not eating because they're bored and making sure they have plenty of drinks keeps them hydrated and happy.  I usually have a jug of water in the fridge for drinks, sometimes we add some homemade cordial or slices of lemon/orange to it.  

Breakfast will be porridge this week to fuel our holiday fun.  The wraps and bread/rolls for lunches will be homemade to keep the kids occupied and save money.  Snacks will be fruit with homemade yoghurt in the morning and a small baked treat, popcorn or Scroggin in the afternoon.  I have deliberately kept dinners low faff as I am bound to be exhausted from keeping all 3 girls amused and busy all day every day.  Holidays are always lots of fun and I love loads of time with my 3 girls but they do rather wear me out sometimes.  

Our grocery shopping this week cost £70.02 from Asda on 30/03/2013 and would've cost £84.10 from Tesco or £89.78 from Sainsbury's according to the My Supermarket price comparison website.

Dinners

We're taking advantage of the 2 for £10 Meat Offer from Asda again this week so our menu is slightly more meat-heavy than usual.

Lentil and Mince Bolognese – Monday with pasta and Tuesday with baked potatoes

675g minced beef

2 large onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 peppers, deseeded and finely diced

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 x 400g tins lentils, drained

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

Heat a little in a frying-pan and sauté the onion, garlic and peppers together until softened.  Add the minced beef and brown well, breaking up the mince as it browns.

Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, and dried herbs.  Stir well to combine and let simmer for at least 20 – 30 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the sauce is simmering, cook your pasta according to pack instructions.  Serve over the pasta with steamed greens or vegetables on the side.

Thrifty Sausage, Vegetable and Pearl Barley Hotpot  - Wednesday and Thursday (using 10 sausages)

Meatball Minestrone - Friday

12 meatballs

1 onion, finely diced

2 peppers, deseeded and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely sliced

2 stalks celery, finely sliced

400g tin chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

4 cups vegetable stock

400g tin cannellini beans, drained

400g tin kidney beans, drained

1 cup dried pasta

1 tsp dried basil

200g spinach leaves

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, peppers and garlic over a low heat until softened.  Add the carrots, celery, and frankly any other veggies you have on hand that may need using up.  Make sure all the vegetables are cut the same size so they cook evenly.

Cook the vegetables over a moderate heat until the carrots start to soften.  Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and stock then bring everything to a gentle simmer.  Add cannellinni beans, kidney beans and pasta then simmer gently for at least 20 minutes or until the pasta has softened.

Fry meatballs in a little olive oil until lightly browned all over.  When the pasta has softened, add the meatballs and spinach.  Simmer for another 5 – 10 minutes then serve.

Fish Pilaf - Saturday

Spaghetti and Meatballs - Sunday

Lunches

We'll have crudites along with Savoury Scone Swirls or falafel and salad wraps for lunches.  One day this week we'll have baked potatoes with baked beans and cheese, probably mini frittatas (using ingredients on hand) at some point during the week and I might make some rice pudding using the basmati rice too.

Baking

There will of course be lots of baking to keep my 3 daughters both busy and fed. I've supplies to make fruit scones, flapjacks, muffins/cupcakes and cookies.  We'll be using cereals to bake with (cornflakes and rice crispies) which should also help quell hunger pangs.

Shopping List

45 items: £70.02                                                                             

Packets and Cereals                                                                   

                                                                                                          

1x   Mornflake Superfast Oats (2Kg)                                £1.88 

1x   ASDA Smartprice Cornflakes (750g)                        46p    

1x   ASDA Smartprice Crispy Rice Cereal (440g)          77p    

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Fusilli Twists (500g)           50p     was 95p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Spaghetti (500g)                          19p    

1x   Allinson Strong Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg)     £1.27    was £1.50

1x   Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg)                     88p    

2x   Asda Wholefoods White Bread Flour (1.5Kg)       £1.60   

1x   ASDA Basmati White Rice (1Kg)                              £1.48 

1x   Great Scot Pearl Barley (500g)                                  58p    

1x   Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast (6 pack - 42g)  65p      

1x   Allinson Wholemeal Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg)    £1.60 

Tins, Jars and Cooking                                                              

                                                                                                          

1x   Loyd Grossman Bolognese Sauce (425g)              £1.00  was £1.98

1x   ASDA Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (4x410g)    £1.24 

3x   ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g)        93p    

1x   ASDA Cannellini Beans in Water (300g)                64p    

1x   ASDA Smartprice Red Kidney Beans  (400g)          27p      

2x   ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g)                           £1.40 

2x   ASDA Chosen by You Green Lentils  (400g)           £1.24   

1x   ASDA Double Concentrated Tomato Puree (200g)      55p      

Frozen                                                                                             

                                                                                                          

2x   ASDA Smartprice Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)             £1.50 

1x   ASDA Whitefish Fillets (500g)                                   £2.00 

Dairy and Eggs                                                                             

                                                                                                          

6x   ASDA British Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints (2.27L) £6.00 

1x   Stork (1Kg)                                                              £2.00 

2x   Cathedral City Extra Mature Cheddar (350g)          £4.00 

1x   ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g)  45p    

2x   Suffolk Farm Medium Free Range Eggs (6)           £2.00 

Fruit and Vegetables                                                                   

                                                                                                          

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Pitted Dried Dates (500g)  £1.00  was £1.20

1x   ASDA Smartprice Sultanas (500g)                           98p    

20  ASDA Smartprice Apples by Weight (100g)            £2.36 

20  ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g)                            £1.36 

2x   ASDA White Potatoes (2.5Kg)                                £3.50  2 FOR £3.50

3x   ASDA Whole Cucumber                                          £1.50 

2x   ASDA Round Lettuce                                                £1.00 

1x   ASDA Celery                                                              89p    

2x   ASDA Garlic Loose                                                   60p    

2x   ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g)                            £3.50 

1x   ASDA Spring Onions                                                  75p    

1x   ASDA Spinach (350g)                                                 £1.50 

1x   ASDA Plums (500g)                                                    £1.00 

2x   ASDA Brown Onions (1Kg)                                        £1.00 

2x   ASDA Carrots (1.2Kg)                                                 £2.00 

Meat, Fish and Poultry                                                                

                                                                                                          

1x   ASDA Extra Special Pork Sausages (10 per pack - 756g) £3.33  any 3 FOR £10.00

1x   ASDA Butcher's Selection Beef Meatballs (730g)            £3.33  any 3 FOR £10.00

1x   ASDA Butcher's Selection Lean Beef Mince (675g)         £3.33    any 3 FOR £10.00

Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery website My Supermarket and are correct as of 29 March 2013.  Prices may vary in different in-store locations.

Check out the Meal Planning Monday linky on At Home With Mrs M

8 comments Beef, Dinners, Fish, Lunches, Meal Plan, Pork, Snacks