Menu Planning Monday: My menu for the week of 6/12

I’m so glad that my summer vacation is here!  The past few weeks have been a bit of a “bust” between the end of the school year for me and the kids plus all of their activities.  I’m hoping now we can start getting back on track!

The plan listed here just includes our dinner menu and recipes. I have calculated some Weight Watchers points values using the e-tools Recipe Builder, and points values this week are based on the new Points Plus program! (I will update with points values on the others as we have the meals)

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, then you know that for the past two years, I have done a $40 weekly budget. With the changes to our eating habits, I’m going to increase our budget to $50 per week and I’m really going to try to stick to that, but I’m not even sure that will be enough. This will be a trial and error experience, so stay tuned!

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: Pancakes – Not fancy, I know, but my husband was out of town and I didn’t want to fight with the kids over dinner or waste time making something they wouldn’t eat.  They were thrilled about being able to have breakfast for dinner.

MONDAY: Chicken cups – I found this recipe on Spark People – I needed something that was “portable” and quick and easy to make since we’ve got a swim meet tonight.

Ingredients:
1 can Buttermilk Biscuits (10 biscuits)
1 cooked chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1 can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
2/3 c. FF Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 TBS dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place each biscuit into a muffin pan. Press the biscuits into the holes (and up the sides) to form cups. In a bowl, combine chicken, soup, cheese, parsley, and pepper. Mix well. Spoon evenly into cups.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

WW points = 5 points for 2 cups or 7 points for 3 cups

TUESDAY: Monterey Chicken – This recipe is so yummy and so easy!

Ingredients:
4 (5 oz.) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts1/4 Cup Barbecue Sauce
1/4 Cup Hormel Real Bacon Bits
1 Cup 2% Colby and Monterey Jack Shredded Cheese*
1 (14 oz.) Can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, drained (I’m just going to use regular diced tomatoes)
Sliced Green Onions
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out the chicken breasts to flatten. Season each with a little pepper. Cook the chicken in a skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray over medium-low heat until no longer pink.

Place each breast onto a baking sheet and top each breast with 1 tablespoon of barbeque sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup tomatoes, green onions and 1 tablespoon of bacon bits. Place into the oven and bake until the cheese has melted (about 5 minutes).

Per Serving: 263 Calories; 8g Fat (29.0% calories from fat); 39g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 108mg Cholesterol; 840mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

WW points = 6 points per serving

WEDNESDAY: Turkey chili – I got this recipe from the Shady Brook Farms website.  I’m going to dump all of these ingredients in the crockpot and cook them on low all day (I’ll brown the meat first!)Ingredents:

1 package Shady Brook Farms® 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cans (14-1/2 ounce each) chopped stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 ounce) spicy chili beans
3 teaspoons chili powder

THURSDAY: Teriyaki chickenI got this recipe from a freezer swap I did.  It’s yummy and so easy to make!  In this case, I’m making a double batch.  I’ll make it the night before and let one sit in the marinade and the other one will go into the freezer for another time!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
4 chicken breasts

Directions:
Mix marinade ingredients together and throw in a freezer bag with the chicken breasts. If you use it as a freezer meal, just defrost and cook as you please when ready to eat!

We’ll serve this with some grilled pineapple – YUM!

FRIDAY: Creamy chicken enchiladas – This is a family favorite and I haven’t made them in awhile

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.

WW points = 6 points per enchilada
Sides:  green beans and green salad

SATURDAY: Swiss chicken – I found this recipe on “Mommy Meals” – it was a hit and very easy to throw together!!Ingredients:

4 – large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 – tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted (I’m going to cut this)
8 – slices Swiss cheese
1 – 10 3/4-oz can condensed cream of chicken soup (I will use 98% FF)
1/4 – cup white wine (I will substitute chicken broth)
1/4 – cup sour cream ( will use reduced fat)
1 Tbs. of olive oil
10 oz. fresh cut mushrooms
1 1/2 – cups Pepperidge farm stuffing mix, crushed, I used savory cornbread
kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Season Chicken to taste
3. In a large frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil brown chicken(about 2-3 minutes per side). Meanwhile in a medium bowl, add the soup, sour cream and the wine.
4. Add the chicken to a shallow baking dish that has been spared with non stick spray.
5. Then in the frying pan cook mushrooms until golden brown. Layer the mushroom over the
6. Top chicken with cheese slices.
7. Pour soup mix over the cheese.
8. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

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

 

Straight from my Mailbox Sunday: 6/12 edition!

This week, I’m going to be adding some new daily features that I hope you will enjoy!  Sunday will be “Straight from my Mailbox Sunday” where you can share the freebies you’ve gotten during the week along with tips for using all those freebies!

Here’s what I got in my mailbox this week:

Frosted Mini Wheats Fruit Touch of Fruit in the Middle Mixed Berry from Vocalpoint (sounds interesting)

-Kroger dairy coupon booklet (you get these by registering your Kroger Plus card)

Garnier Moisture Rescue from Target

-Biolage sample (I don’t even remember signing up for this!)

Omaha 6-in-1 screwdriver set from 1SaleADay

Sunday Samples Tip: Have you gotten tons of free laundry detergent samples?  You can, of course, just use it to do laundry, but I keep them to take with us when we go on vacation!  That way we have laundry detergent and we can do laundry if we need to (and we almost always do).

What samples did you get this week?  Do you have a tip to share about how you use your samples?

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

 

 

Business of the Week: Esuredesign.com

Meet Amber, the freelance designer behind our latest business of the week:  esuredesign.com! She is a work-at- home mom who has been designing web sites for the past ten years.  She caters to small business owners and other WAHM’s and specializes in setting up affordable and easy to manage custom E-commerce solutions. She also has a little print shop and can design business cards  and rack cards with unique printing techniques like silk finishes and rounded corners at competitive prices!  She also offers custom invitations!

Check out her latest projects here!

Esuredesigncom

How would you like to win a free set of custom business cards?  All you have to do is “like” esuredesign.com on Facebook and you’re entered to win! Make sure you tell them hello from Melissa’s Bargain Blog!

DISCLOSURE: This is a paid advertisement sponsored by Esuredesign.com. Although Esuredesign.com paid for this advertisement, this post was written independently by me. If you are interested in being the “Business of the Week” please check out this post here.

BOGO free Bob Evans printable = cheap sides!

Did you get your Bob Evans printable coupon yet?  Right now, you can get a printable BOGO free Bob Evans side dish coupon here.  To find the coupon, sort by “Foods” and use the zip code 77079. There was also a coupon for $1/1 Bob Evans refrigerated side dish in the 5-22 SS.  These are $3.99 at my Walmart stores, so you should be able to get them for cheap if you combine the coupons.

Here’s the breakdown:

Buy 2 Bob Evans side items – $3.99/each

Use BOGO free coupon
Use $1/1 coupon

Spend $2.99 OOP for both ($1.49/each)

If you’re not familiar with Bob Evans products, they have a variety of side items including mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese that just have to be heated!  Paying $1.49 to save me the time of making actual mashed potatoes is worth it.  Their mashed potatoes are delicious and no one in my family can even tell that they aren’t homemade!

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

 

Free sample alert: Tub-O Towels

Right now, you can get a free sample of Tub-O Towels here. If you’re not familiar with Tub-O Towels (I wasn’t), they can be used for a LOT of things at home and on the job!

Here are some of the things that it removes:

-Adhesives/Decals
-Duct tape
-Epoxies
-Food and drink spills
-Glue
-Grass tains
-Gum
-Lipstick
-Nail polish
-Paints
-Permanent marker
-Scuff markers
-Tar
-Tree sap
-Wax

WOW!  I think I definitely need to try this stuff out!  I can’t wait to get my free sample!  Has anyone tried these?  Are they as amazing as they sound?

(Thanks Mojo Savings!)

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