Menu Planning Monday: My Menu Plan for the week of 8/12


Is it Monday again already?  Where has my summer gone?  We traveled more than we were at home this summer, which isn’t a bad thing, but I’m trying to ease my way back into menu planning and cooking agani!  This week is also my first full week back at work, so I’ll be cooking a lot of slow cooker meals and some family favorites, too!

If you’re new to menu planning or would like tips for getting started, check out this post here.  You can also view hundreds of meal plans each week at Orgjunkie.com

SUNDAY:  Creamy chicken enchiladas – This is a family favorite and we haven’t had them in awhile, so everyone was super excited!

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% FF kind)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use the 98% FF kind)
2 cans green enchilada sauce
1 8 oz-16 oz. tub of sour cream (depends how spicy you want the enchiladas)
2-3 chicken breasts, shredded (if I’m in a hurry, I use canned chicken)
8 oz cheese, shredded
1 dozen flour tortillas (you could use corn also) – we are using whole wheat!

Add cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, and enchilada sauce to a pan. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally. When sauce is will mixed and starts to thin, add sour cream. Continue stirring occasionally until the sauce is well mixed and thinned out. Place a layer of the sauce along the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with the shredded chicken, sauce, and cheese. Roll and place in the baking dish. When you have filled all of the tortillas (this should make 1 dozen), pour the remain sauce over the top of the enchiladas and then cover with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is well melted.

MONDAY:  Slow cooker chili  – It doesn’t get any easier than this dump and go recipe!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (brown in skillet and then place in crockpot)
1 can dark kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can Ranch style beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 packet chili spices

Mix all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Sprinkle cheese on top.

TUESDAY:  Lemon chicken saute – This recipe has come to be known as “Grandma’s chicken” around our house because it was a recipe from my husband’s grandmother that his mom used to make for them

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (this is what we need for our family, adjust accordingly for yours)
3 T all purpose flour
PAM no-stick cooking spray
1/3 cup butter or margarine (we use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp sugar

Roll chicken in flour to coat. Spray large skillet with Pam or other cooking spray. Add butter and melt over medium heat. Add chicken breast and saute till lightly browned on one side. Turn and brown on second side, 5-7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Stir teriyaki sauce, lemon juice, garlic and sugar into skillet. Return chicken to pan and simmer 3 minutes. Turn chicken over, and continue cooking until fork tender (2-3 minutes)

Serve over cooked rice.

Serve with Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce – I got this recipe from Marci’s blog and it is YUMMY!

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh asparagus
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. butter (We use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. Balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Snap ends off of washed asparagus and place on baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes or until tender. Melt the butter in a sauce pan or in the microwave. Stir in soy sauce and Balsamic vinegar. Pour over baked asparagus and serve.

WEDNESDAY:  Slow Cooker Chile Colorado burritos

THURSDAY:  Steak stroganoff (slow cooker) – My family LOVES this recipe!!

Ingredients:
2T flour
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 3/4 lb. boneless round steak
2 cans 10 3/4 oz cream of mushroom soup (I use 98% FF)
2 c. water (or 1 can 100% FF beef broth for more flavor)
1 envelope beef stew mix
4 oz can mushrooms, sliced and drained
1/2 c. sour cream
1 T minced parsley

Combine flour, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika in slow cooker. Cut meat into 1 1/2 inch strips. Place in flour mixture and toss until meat is well coated. Add soup, water, and stew mix. Stir until well blended. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours. Stir in mushrooms, sour cream, and parsley and then cook on high 10-15 minutes until heated through. Serve over egg noodles. (Depending on the consistency of the sauce, you may need to add cornstarch to thicken or add more water/broth to thin)

To freeze: Pour into gallon freezer bags (I used Ziploc containers for this one). Allow to cool before freezing.

To reheat: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Warm on stove and serve over rice or egg noodles. (Add sour cream when warming if you left it out of the initial recipe)

Friday and Saturday are up in the air at this point because I’ll be watching my sister’s three kids while they go on an anniversary getaway!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information

Frigo Cheeseheads NEW printable coupon!

One of my kids favorite snacks is string cheese.  I feel like I’m constantly buying it!  I was excited to see this new printable coupon for $.40 off Frigo Cheese Heads.  You can get a 12 pack of these for just $2.58 after coupon at Walmart this week.  That’s just $.21 each!

Click here to grab this coupon–> $.40 off Frigo Cheeese Heads coupon

Here’s the breakdown on the deal at Walmart:

Buy Frigo Cheeseheads – $2.98

Use $.40 off Frigo Cheese Heads coupon

Final Price = $2.48 each after coupon

(Thanks Passion for Savings!) 

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more informati

Silkies Insiders: Capri leggings, shapewear, and more as low as $1.50 shipped!

If you’re not a Silkies Insider yet, make sure you sign up now!  They’ve got capri leggings, shapewear, tights, and more!  They’ve even got styles for little ones!  When you sign up today, you can save 50% off the total purchase price plus get free shipping when you spend $40 or more!

Click here to sign up–> Silkies Insider Registration

When you sign up, you’ll receive a code instantly that you can enter at check-out to save 50% off of purchase prices!

Here are some of the deals you can grab:

Scultpz Control Top Capri Leggings 3 pack for $12.49 with your new member discount code.  That makes them just $4.16 per pair!  The regular price is 3 pairs for $24.99!

Silkies Control Top Shorts – $1.49 with your new member discount code (regularly $6.99)

Sculptz Sheer Bliss shaping Pantyhose – $1.50 with your new member discount code (regularly $12)

*This post may contain affiliate links!  Please refer to my disclosure policy for additional information!

Glass Half Empty or Half Full: It’s All A Matter of Perspective

Glass half empty or half full

I woke up at 3:45 this morning so that I could get some blogging in before I started my full time job only to be greeted by some not so nice comments.  I never know what I’m going to wake up to in the mornings.  Sometimes there are really great comments and sometimes there are positively awful comments and sometimes there are no comments at all.  After blogging for almost 4 years now, you would think I would have developed some thicker skin and that comments from complete strangers wouldn’t affect me, but I think sometimes people forget that I’m a person too.  I have a a husband, kids, a full time job, and even a dog and that I do make mistakes or that things don’t always work out, but that I do this with the best of intentions because I honestly want to help people.

On mornings like this one where I woke up to some not so nice comments, I really want to just crawl back in bed, grab a few extra hours of sleep, and forget about blogging altogether.  Then, I started scrolling through my Facebook feed and I saw that a friend I haven’t seen in awhile who has two small boys is battling cancer right now.  Another friend lost her father last night.  There were other sad moments and lots of happy moments, too, but all of the sudden, the nasty comments that started out my morning didn’t seem all that important as I considered all of the things I have to be grateful for.

I immediately thought of the glass half full or glass half empty analogy and I realized that the way I decided to start my day was up to me.  I could have it either way – it’s just a matter of perspective.  I decided to go for the glass half full day!  I hope you do, too!


 

Sunday Night Round-Up: The Day’s Best Coupons, Deals, and Freebies!


If you missed any of today’s posts, here are some of my favorites!

COUPONS:

Toys ‘R Us:  Save $5 on a $5+ purchase

Glade Air Expressions FREE + Moneymaker at Walgreens

Good ‘N Natural bars free after coupons at Walgreens

Wet Ones wipes canisters or singles packs $.74 each at Target

Wisk laundry detergent as low as $1.34 each after coupons

Haribo gummi bears $.49 after coupon at Walgreens

Right Guard Deodorant $.99 after coupon at CVS

Lowe’s:  Get 10% off your TOTAL purchase!

STOCK UP Price on Cereal:  Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios and more for $.49 per box!

Smucker’s Jelly only $.67 after coupon at Walmart!

BACK TO SCHOOL:  3 new Skippy Peanut Butter coupons!

Gerber Organic Baby Food as low as $.57 each after coupon at Target!

Gevalia Coffee as low as $2.90 per bag at Walmart!

GIFT IDEAS:

FREE Vistaprint Back to School Calendar!

Ink Garden Custom Travel photo mug for $2

Custom Photo Grocery Tote and 40 FREE photo prints for just $1!

Custom fleece photo blankets only $19.99 (regularly $39.99)

FREEBIE ALERT:  FREE 8X10 photo canvas (just pay shipping!) – $49 value!

AMAZON DEALS:

Quilted Northern Ultra Plush 3-ply toilet paper for $.26 per roll shipped

Huggies Baby Wipes only $1.58 per package SHIPPED!

Fisher-Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning System for $34.92 shipped (58% off)

Marvel’s Captain America with Spinning Shield only $6 (regularly $15.99)

Twilight Movies:  save up to 80% off regular retail prices!

Pampers Thick Care Unscented wipes (504 ct) for $10.69 shipped

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers only $.89 each shipped!

HSI The Styler Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron Hair Straightener for $39.99 shipped

Playskool Poppin’ Park Pound-N-Pop Carnival for $8.10 (regularly $22.99)

Cascade ActionPacs 60 count container only $9.42 shipped!

Otterbox Defender Series Hybrid Case & Holster for iPhone 4 & 4S as low as $20 (regularly $49.99)

The Hunger Games DVD Pre-Order only $18.96

Maxell AA or AAA batteries (36 to 48 ct) for as low as $9.46 shipped!

DEALS:

Oral B Professional Rechargeable toothbrush for $29.99 shipped

Randall’s:  Smoking HOT stockpile deals (cereal, toothbrushes, and more!)

e.l.f. Cosmetics Endless Summer collection FREE with $20 purchase! ($150 value)

Flirty Aprons Sale:  Save 30% off!

GROUPON:  Diamond Candles only $15 (50% off)

Walmart Top Under $1 Deals for the week of 8/5

E-Poll:  Earn gift cards and cash for completing surveys!

Payoff.com:  Track your savings and debt payoff for FREE!

Back to School Shopping Tax FREE Holidays 2012

Nielsen Home Scan Consumer Panel has openings: earn free gift cards and prizes!

Opinion Outpost:  earn cash for completing surveys and product trials!

All You Magazine for $1.67 per issue PLUS get a FREE $5 Walmart gift card!

Just Fab:  Possible FREE shoes! (or 50% off new shoes)

Pinecone Research is accepting applications:  get paid $3 per survey!

GEVALIA:  Get 4 boxes of coffee and a Coffeemaker for just $9.99!

Rayovac 48 count AA or AAA batteries only $10!

4Checks.com: 2 boxes of personalized checks for $8.95 shipped!

MyPoints:  Get FREE gift cards and more!

Angel Soft Double Roll Bath Tissue (18 ct) $.24 per roll! **STOCK UP*

FREEBIES:

Get 190 FREE photo prints

FREE Neutrogena Cleansing Towelettes at Target and Walmart!

FREEBIE ALERT:  Free travel size sunscreen from CVS!

FREE Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss (purchase required)

Skylanders Cloud Patrol App FREE for iPad or iPhone!

Glade Expressions products FREE after coupon!

Bath & Body Works FREE Signature Collection item coupon (purchase required)

Jif Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Spread FREE at Walmart!

FREEBIE ALERT:  FREE Purina Puppy Care e-Book!

Free Redbox Rental codes round-up!

Check your Credit Score for FREE with Credit Sesame (no payment info needed!)

Chili’s:  FREE Chips and Queso printable coupon!

FREE Kids Haircut at JC Penney in August!

FREE Kindle Download: Swim by Jennifer Weiner!

FREEBIE ALERT:  Procter & Gamble Gather Together coupon book ($25+ in savings!)

FREE Copycat Recipes Cookbook:  Panda Express, KFC, Olive Garden and more!

FREE $1 Amazon MP3 credit = FREE Music

FREE Arthritis Management Guide!

UPS My Choice:  Don’t miss out on packages while you travel this summer

FREEBIE ALERT:  7 free issues of Parents Magazine 

FREE Audio Books:  Fifty Shades of Grey, The Hunger Games, and MORE!

SWEEPSTAKES/INSTANT WIN GAMES/GIVEAWAYS:

Back to School Giveaway:  $350 in Amazon or Walmart gift cards (ends 8/17)

Daily Worth: learn to earn, save, and invest plus win free trips, too!

Hidden Valley Ranch Instant Win Game:  Win coupons and t-shirts (16,000 winners!)

Superpoints:  Spin & Win gift cards or cash!

Wheel of Fortune:  Play online for FREE and win prizes, too!

SWEEPS:  Win FREE VitaminWater or a trip to Las Vegas!

Community Coffee: Wheel of Deals & Prizes Instant Win Game!

Shell Spin to Save Instant Win Game:  Win FREE gas or discounts on gas!

Cracker Barrel American Summer instant win game:  $5 gift card, vacations, and more!

American Family:  Enter to win the $50,000 cash sweepstakes