Frugal Accomplishments & Blessings for the 2nd Week of February, Next Week's Menu

We had a mix of weather again this week.  We spent more time outdoors on the warm days, hanging laundry, cleaning up the yard and enjoying the sunshine.  On colder days we worked on indoor projects and managed to stay busy.



I gathered some things from around the house to decorate a little bit for Valentine's day.

We heated with wood at night and on the cold days to save on propane usage.

I used homemade laundry soap and hung the laundry to dry when I was able.  I hurt my back mid-week, and the stairs were such a challenge that I used the dryer.  I very rarely use the dryer...it felt kind of strange!

We borrowed books and media from the library.  I also picked up some old issues of Mother Earth News from the free magazine bin.  I will check them against my collection and return them if they are duplicates.

I trimmed Daughter's bangs, as well as my own, and gave Husband a hair cut.

I made simple Valentine treats for Husband and Daughter by using stamps and some materials I had on hand to embellish a bag of gummy bears for Daughter and some chocolate for Husband.

I mixed up a batch of homemade granola and some homemade biscuit mix.  I subbed in healthier fats and whole grains/whole grain flours.  (I only used some whole grain flour for the biscuit mix, because full whole grain makes for very heavy biscuits)

I did a couple of surveys for Pinecone Research.

We cleaned and de-cluttered Daughter's room.  We will sell and/or donate some items that that she has outgrown.  Her room looks much more spacious.  We added the butterfly wall-stickers this weekend - we got them for $1 at Dollar Tree.

I took some bulk packages of shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar) and packaged them into smaller containers, then froze them.  That way we don't run the risk of spoilage from having cheese in the fridge too long.  Shredded cheese seems to freeze and thaw just fine.

I had saved the syrup from a couple of cans of pears and used it to sweeten some fruit punch.  I used the drippings from the night that I baked chicken (skimmed of fat) to add flavor to some rice.  We utilized leftovers for lunches.  I made popcorn for snacking.

There were a few good sale prices this week - fresh broccoli crowns for .99/lb, yellow onions for .50.lb, several apple varieties for .99/lb and Blue Bell ice cream for 2.99/half gallon after sale and coupon.  Oats were .69/lb. from the bulk bin, so I stocked up on those for the coming months too.  At King Soopers I got some pasta for .19 per box and spaghetti sauce for .69 per jar....and since the balance was paid with the gift card from last month, they were essentially free.

When I made blueberry muffins, I used almond extract instead of vanilla and topped them with slivered almonds.

They are very good!

This past week, we fell off the menu-plan wagon a little bit....none of us were feeling like tuna croquettes, so we had burgers, tater tots, salad and the last of the fresh veggies I'd cut for another meal.  Husband picked up the burgers when he was out on an errand and I made the other items in the mean time.  We'll try again for the tuna croquettes this week.  Here is the dinner menu we have in mind:

M - franks and beans over rice, oranges
T - spaghetti w/meat sauce, broccoli, garlic-cheese toast, pears
W - Asian chicken salad, plums
R - tuna croquettes, rice, kimchee, carrot-raisin-apple salad
F - breaded baked chicken, green beans, butternut squash, peach cobbler
S - grilled cheese, homemade tomato-basil soup, green salad, apples
S - sesame-Parmesan turkey cutlets, Indian rice, steamed carrots

I will make a half-batch of the tomato-basil soup, since it's a new recipe for us.

I hope you had a frugal, blessed week!  You're welcome to share your adventures and accomplishments in the comments.  Thank you for stopping by!