OUR FAMILY MEAL PLAN for WEEK OF 08/01/2018 - £65

I'm back and I've given my blog a refresh, the new look is taking me a bit of getting used to. Our youngest son will be starting Nursery this week so I will have 2.5 child-free hours each day to work on my blog developing recipes, and having some much needed creative me time in my little corner of the internet.  

It's a New Year and January is the longest month ever, both financially and from a lack of energy and awful weather point of view.  We're on a tight budget as always, but even tighter this time of year.  It seems no matter how well you plan and budget there's always something to catch you out - new school shoes were needed for our 3 older children just before Christmas, and then Nursery uniform for youngest boy too.  I was fortunate to get some supermarket school uniform bargains for him, thankfully. Oh, and there's the small matter of an overdue invoice from 6th Form College which we knew nothing about until it arrived in the post yesterday.

It's our first proper week back at school and college, complete with before and after school clubs, and evening events at Church.  I need quick dinners on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights.  Tuesday night is complicated with our children out and home all at different times.  My Meal Plan will hopefully keep us all fed and me sane this week, as I've planned simple and tasty dinners because by Friday we'll all be exhausted.

Please note: This Meal Plan, along with most of the other Meal Plans on my blog, does not include drinks, condiments or the cost of some herbs and spices. I make our jams, chutneys and pasta sauces, and we grow our own fresh herbs and some salad greens. I’m also not a nutritionist or dietician so you will need to consult a professional if you have specific dietary or calorie controlled dietary needs.

Meal Plan 

Breakfasts will be either wheat biscuits and milk with a banana or piece of fruit, or porridge/overnight oats with fruit.  Snacks will be popcorn, flapjacks, or yoghurt with berry compote. I might bake some scones during the week for a treat too.

Packed lunches will be Quick Vegetable Tagine with Couscous, and some fresh fruit. I've added some sweet potato and butternut squash to the tagine because they bulk it out and they are seasonal, filling root vegetables. I'll also bake a Crustless Quiche which can also be had as packed lunches with fruit.

Weekend lunches will be homemade pizza on Saturday and a Chorizo Frittata on Sunday to use up any vegetables leftover at the end of the week.

Dinners

Macaroni Cheese - I make my own cheese sauce using a roux base and add frozen mixed vegetables to the pasta during the last few minutes of cooking time. Our Macaroni Cheese usually has plenty of vegetables with the pasta in a rich cheddar cheese sauce.

Bean Burgers with Sweet Potato Wedges

Roast Chicken with steamed mixed vegetables and roast parsnips

Chicken and Orzo Bake

2 onions, diced

2 handfuls frozen pepper strips 

1 clove garlic, minced

170g dried orzo pasta

500ml hot chicken stock

300g - 500g leftover cooked chicken

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Mix together all of the ingredients in a large baking dish until well combined. My Pyrex baking dish measures 9 x 12 inches (23 x 33cm). Put the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with steamed mixed vegetables.

Twice Baked Potatoes with steamed mixed vegetables

Red Lentil Bolognese with Spaghetti, I'll add peppers, carrots and celery to the bolognese recipe.

Bolognese Pasties served with mash and steamed mixed vegetables.

Shopping List

43 items: £65.26

Packets and Cereals

1x   Mornflake Superfast Oats (2Kg)                                            £2.22

2x   ASDA Smartprice Wheat Bisks (24x18g)                               £1.38

1x   ASDA Wholewheat Spaghetti (500g)                                      50p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Plain White Flour (1.5Kg)                           45p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg)                          45p

1x   Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (500g)                                   54p

1x   ASDA Cous Cous (1Kg)                                                        £1.35

1x   ASDA Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g)                            59p

1x   ASDA Wholewheat Penne (500g)                                           50p

1x   ASDA Orzo (500g)                                                                65p

1x   ASDA Dried Red Lentils (500g)                                             75p

Frozen

3x   ASDA Smartprice Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)                            £2.46

2x   ASDA Scratch Cook Sliced Mixed Peppers (600g)                 £2.00

1x   ASDA Frozen for Freshness Berry Medley (1Kg)                    £2.75

Tins, Jars and Cooking

6x   ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g)                         £1.74

1x   ASDA Light Mayonnaise (500g)                                             70p

2x   ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g)                                        70p

2x   ASDA Mexican Style Bean Mix (300g)                                   96p

1x   Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (200g)                            70p

Dairy and Eggs

5x   ASDA British Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints (2.27L)                   £5.45

3x   ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g)                   £1.35

1x   ASDA Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs (15)                           £2.00

2x   ASDA Best for Baking (250g)                                                £1.10

1x   ASDA Smartprice Mature White Cheddar (830g)                    £3.69

Meat, Fish and Poultry

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Cooking Bacon (500g)                             57p

1x   ASDA Extra Special Chorizo Casero Sausage (225g)             £1.85

1x   ASDA Butcher's Selection Whole Chicken (1.6Kg)                 £3.20

Fruit and Vegetables

30   ASDA Grower's Selection Bananas by Weight                        £3.00

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Seedless Red Grapes (500g)         £3.00

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Carrots (1Kg)                                90p

1     ASDA Grower's Selection Butternut Squash (1.2Kg)               90p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Celery                                           55p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Courgettes (3)                               £1.20

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Garlic (3)                                       60p

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Sweet Potatoes (1Kg)                    £2.00

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Apples (1.2Kg)                              £3.00

3x   ASDA Grower's Selection Sweetclem (600g)                          £3.00

3x   ASDA Farm Stores Pears (500g)                                           £2.10

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection British Parsnips (500g)                  59p

2x   ASDA Farm Stores Brown Onions (1Kg)                                £1.18

1x   ASDA Farm Stores White Potatoes (2.5Kg)                           £1.15

2x   ASDA Farm Stores Round Lettuce                                         80p

1x   ASDA Farm Stores Salad Tomatoes (6)                                 69p

Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery website My Supermarket and are correct as of 7^th January 2018. Prices may vary in different in-store locations.

My lovely blogging buddy Ciara from My Fussy Eater has created a fab Meal Planning Facebook Group so we can inspire each other.

And Katykicker, and Naomi from The Organised Life Project have a Meal Planning Linky full of fabulous Meal Planning posts with lots of tasty ideas.