I have the same routine every four weeks:
Brainstorm on meal ideas
See what’s in the kitchen
Ask the family for meal requests
Shop for “the usual”
Finish writing the menu
I kinda got stuck on bullet #2 this month because the kitchen feels really full. It’s not jam packed by any means, but it seemed kinda pointless to do MORE shopping when there’s at least a week or two worth of meals that can be cooked and eaten.
At the same time, the kitchen isn’t so stocked that we can pull off a full blown pantry challenge. Oh no. It’s more like a little of this and a little of that going on. And we need to use up all those littles before adding more to the pantry. Because one jar filled with just a tablespoon or two of sesame seeds, then another with 1/2 cup or so of barley, and another with 1/4 cup of lentils because for some reason or another, “lentil macaroni” never seems to get made despite the NUMEROUS times it’s been on the meal plan…
Well all of that combined drives the type A personality inside of me just a little bit bonkers.
Ok, maybe more than a little bit.
But eating what we already have saves us a bit of money too, so it’s all just a wash in the end. 
Before making any plans, I did a complete inventory of our freezer to see if it really was really full. My oh my – we have WAY more meat than I thought we did.
The culmination of a bigger-than-normal beef purchase that I’ll explain in more detail in Counting Crumbs (my bi-weekly grocery budget accountability sessions) and slowly stretching the other regular meat purchases has made our freezer feel like its bursting at the seam.
You know how that goes, right? 1/2lb shrimp here, 2 sausage links there, 1 cup of shredded chicken from cooking the carcass after butchering a whole chicken into parts… well the time has come to make a plan for it and eat it all up!
Baseball season is in full swing, so you’ll see that we have soup night planned for every Thursday (as usual). Per Mr. Crumbs’ request, we’re also having salads every Tuesday (not usual). I know we’ll get bored if it’s just a plain-Jane garden salad every week, so I’ve actually planned for specific salad recipes. This way you guys get some good ideas too!
PSST – I’ve been keeping track of some soup/salad recipe on my Pinterest board. You might want to come and follow so you can stay in the loop!
I am absolutely determined to get my sourdough starter going again, so “fresh bread” means either something made with the sourdough starter (like biscuits or rolls or something) or a variation of a soaked whole wheat/spelt bread recipe I found. In either case, homemade bread makes even the simplest soup or salad night delicious!
Notes on this Frugal Real Food Meal Plan:
This meal plan is exactly what my family of four eats on a $330/month budget. You might need to change portion sizes according to your own family size and budget.
Meals are based around 1 1/2 whole chickens, 1/2lb shrimp, 6oz sausage and 2lbs beef.
Certain meals are for certain reasons. I’ve included our reasons in [brackets] to help you better plan your own meals.
WEEK 1
(S) Whole Roasted Turned Chicken, Roasted Veggie Medley (Leeks, Carrots, Potatoes), Soaked Whole Wheat & Spelt Bread [FAMILY DINNER]
(M) Summer Squash Pasta
(T) Steak & Blue Cheese Salad, Fresh Bread [BASEBALL]
(W) Cheesey-Mexi Lentil Macaroni [AWANA]
(T) Kale & Quinoa Soup (from the freezer), Fresh Bread [BASEBALL]
(F) Homemade Pizza
(S) [DINNER WITH FRIENDS]
WEEK 2
(S) Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Spice Bars (pictured above) [FAMILY DINNER]
(M) Shrimp Creole w/Extra Veggies over Rice (double portion)
(T) Southwestern Chicken Salad, Fresh Bread [BASEBALL]
(W) Baked Ziti [AWANA]
(T) Tortilla Soup, Fresh Bread [BASEBALL]
(F) Homemade Pizza
(S) Tri-Tip Sandwiches: Whole Grain Buns, Homemade BBQ Sauce, Side Salad, Seasonal Veggie
WEEK 3
(S) Flourless Banana Custard Cake [FAMILY DINNER]
(M) Orange Beef over Rice, Seasonal Veggie x2
(T) Taco Night: Beef/Chicken/Lentil (leftovers), Coconut Rice, Mango Salsa, Homemade Red Salsa, Black Bean & Corn Salsa [BASEBALL]
(W) BLT Salad, Fresh Bread [PASSION WEEK]
(T) Hearty Minestrone Soup w/Barley, Fresh Bread [BASEBALL]
(F) Homemade Pizza
(S) Buffalo Chicken Wraps on Homemade Tortillas, Side Salad, Seasonal Veggie x2
WEEK 4
(S) Dessert, Traditional Veggie & Homemade Bread [FAMILY DINNER/EASTER]
(M) Shrimp Creole w/Extra Veggies over Rice (from the freezer)
(T) Chopped Asian Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, Fresh Bread [BASEBALL]
(W) Leftovers a la Veggie Fried Rice [AWANA]
(T) Tomato Basil Soup, Fresh Bread [BASEBALL]
(F) Homemade Pizza
(S) Grilled Veggie Paninis, Side Salad, Seasonal Veggie x2
BREAKFASTS
Breakfasts are pretty “standard” around our house. We tend to enjoy the same things routinely, like oatmeal or muffins or pancakes, but add variety by switching up the fruits and flavors and such. I try to make at least a double batch of something when I’m cooking, so often times one morning of breakfast will last several days. It all depends on how much I feel like cooking and how hungry every one is. Nevertheless, there’s always a plan and every meal includes a fruit! Here are some of the breakfasts we’ll enjoy this month:
Overnight Soaked Oatmeal with Bananas, Cinnamon and Honey
Overnight Soaked Oatmeal with Apples or Other Seasonal Fruit (not Bananas)
Toast and Smoothies
Pear Breakfast Crumble
Spelt Pancakes
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Sourdough Waffles
LUNCHES
Similar to breakfasts, lunches are fairly standard. Every day, the kids have their choice between the following, depending of course on what’s available in the kitchen:
leftovers from dinners or breakfast
peanut butter & fruit sandwiches/wraps
snack-y lunch
scrambled eggs
homemade yogurt with granola and/or fruit
What’s on your FRUGAL meal plan this month?