30 Day Challenge Week 4

This is the last week of the 30 day challenge.  I really can't believe that it's already over.  I will do a summary post later in the week so stay tuned for that.  Let's get down to business and see how this week panned out.  

WHAT I BOUGHT: frozen peas, frozen corn, large bag of baby carrots, whole pineapple, 3 heads broccoli, butternut squash, organic whole milk, soy sauce, black beans, large can of tomatoes, strawberries, eggs, organic spinach, bacon, block of sharp cheddar, jumbo yellow onion, butter, whole grain bread, bananas (2.5 lbs)

WHAT I SPENT:
$48.23
$11.70 prior week's meat purchase
$59.93 TOTAL

Over budget:  $9.93 

BOO!!!  This is the first week I have failed but I have some excuses.  Of course I do!  :)  You can say I failed, and technically I did, but here is my argument to, in my mind, still make it a success.  I still have meat left in the fridge:  a whole chicken and 6 porkchops.  Surely that is $9 worth.  Also, the other prior weeks I was under budget so that makes up for some.  I also went to the store with both kids in a time crunch and we were all hungry!  BIG MISTAKE!  If you are trying to stay within a strict budget, do not take your children with you and under no circumstances go hungry.  You will over buy every time.  I was stressed out and trying to get out of the store because Bailey started throwing a fit because I wouldn't buy her princess yogurt.  UGH!  Stupid kiddie marketing right at their eye level!  It was an ugly scene.  Lastly, I got arrogant and didn't take my calculator this week and tally up purchases as I went.  Doing math in my head while trying to reason with a three year old and keeping a baby happy wasn't the easiest thing to do.  Anyway, there are my excuses.  Take them or leave them.  Trying to be honest here people.

WHAT WE ATE:

Breakfasts:  Eggs, bacon, smoothies, homemade yogurt, homemade whole grain pancakes, fruit

Lunches:  leftovers, salads, grilled cheese, peanut butter

Snacks:  carrots, pineapple, bananas, strawberries, grapes (last week's produce), plantain chips, apples


Baby food:  The only new thing he had was butternut squash.


Dinners: 

 Monday
Mini mexican meatloaf with turnips and turnip greens.  This was a new recipe and I enjoyed it.  They had carrots, onions, garlic, and peppers mixed in and had a spicy mexican kick to them.  Not overpowering but good flavor.  The turnips and greens were from my grandma that she had gotten from a family member.






Tuesday
Dinner at my grandparents'.  My dad was in town and we ordered pizza and had a garden salad to go with it.  I ate WAY too much and LOVED every bit of it.  It had bacon on it!  haha

Wednesday
Pineapple porkchops, fried rice, and roasted broccoli.  This was a great meal that everyone enjoyed every bit of it.  The porkchops had chopped up pineapple, honey, ginger and tamari on them.  The rice was "fried" in coconut oil which is a healthy oil and great for your skin.  And roasted broccoli is my favorite way to cook it.  So easy and tasty.

Thursday
Taco soup.  A simple yummo meal that I will share with you later in the week.  I did it on the stove top but you could also do it in the crockpot and even sub chicken for the beef it you want.  You could probably add more veggies and take out the meat all together if you are vegetarian and it would still be good.  Leftovers are excellent too.

 Friday
Butternut squash soup, salad, and grilled cheese sandwich.  This meal was so so.  Not something I would make regularly but it was a good change of pace from our regular stuff.  Plus it was cheap.  Winter squash is is season and extremely cheap right now.  Eli chowed on some squash too.

Saturday
Salad leftover from a baby shower that I helped with.  Ken and I ate this.  Bailey ate some peanut butter and fruit.










Sunday
Leftovers.  We had a lot.  Soups, salads, and fruit to eat up.