Announcement: Centsible Cooking

Are you wondering what happened this week to Meal Plan Monday? It isn't gone. It just relocating. Since so many of you enjoy cooking with me and sharing my recipes, I'm going to start a new adventure.

To be honest, I'm still a novice cook, but I'm learning and eager to start expanding my skills. You'll now be able to follow me at Centsible Cooking where I will share my meal plans, favorite money saving meals, grocery shopping adventures, cooking and food tips, and more!

Coming soon... delicous, easy recipes for your Thanksgiving left-overs!

Centsible Cooking is slowly rolling out, but you can be the very first to get the in on the action by subscribing below! And, stay tuned for more news.

Meal Plan Monday

It's the beginning of a new week and it's almost Halloween. In honor of the upcoming holiday and all the pumpkins throughout town, I'm going to spend the week sharing with you a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes! You can check out my full recipe list and see what will be coming soon on the Recipe Page.

Below are the dinners we're planning to enjoy:

• Sweet & Sour Pineapple Chicken w/ Brown Rice & Crab Rangoon
• Shredded Chicken Subs w/Baked Chips & Cole Slaw
• Pumpkin Ravioli w/ Pumpkin Seed Pesto w/ Garlic Bread & Side Salad
• Pomegranate Salad w/ Chopped Walnuts & Feta Cheese
• Italian Parmesan Baked Chicken w/ Green Beans & Cottage Cheese
• Smoked Sausage w/ Cheesy Potatoes & Diced Peaches
• Lunch/Dinner Combo at Major's for the FSU Game!

And stay tuned for my recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli and Pumpkin Seed Pesto!

Meal Plan Monday: The Meal Chain (Beans)

Money Saving Mom inspired me this week to try a meal chain. What is a meal chain? Well, they are when you make one meal then you all or parts of the left-overs to make another meal. This week, I'm taking a page from Money Saving Mom's book and starting with beans, because beans are not only nutritious, but they are also cheap and my family loves them.

There are many benefits to a meal chain. You'll save on ingredients, since you'll be using similar ingredients though out the chain of meals. However, to do a week's worth of chain meals, you do have to be one of those people who does not get sick of eating the same thing over and over. Luckily, my family doesn't have a problem with that. If I was not around, they would live on hot dogs and baked chicken forever without complaint.

We're starting out this morning making beans! I usually use the long method of getting beans ready. I soak them overnight in a huge bowl and next, I put them in a large pot on the stove and heat on high until they boil. Next, I lower the heat to simmer or low and sit back until they are done, stirring every so often. Make sure to add more water if it evaporates during soaking or boiling.

We'll use 1/2 of our beans tonight and stick the other half in a bag for later this week.

Come back later tonight to see what we enjoyed for dinner and get the recipe!

Meal Plan Monday

With a newborn in the house, I've been mostly making quick breakfasts and using left-overs for our lunches. I put most of my time and efforts into dinners, so I'm going to keep it simple and just share those for now.

A quick tip... I always get asked, "How do you get your kids to eat that?" Well, they don't always "eat that". But we do offer it to them anyway. However, you'll notice edamames on our list today. My kids love them. Why? I leave them in the shell, so they get to play with their food while the pop them open to get the tiny beans inside.

DINNERS
Cranberry Roasted Chicken w/ Red Potatoes in Chive Sauce and Raspberry Salad
Kickin' Chicken w/ White Cheese Macaroni & Baked Cinnamon Pears
Beer & Brown Sugar Steaks w/ Steamed Green Beans & Baked Potatoes
Turkey Smoked Sausage & Sauerkraut w/ In-Shell Edamames & Rolls
Dinner Out for An Escape Plan Workshop
Salad Night (Raspberry-Almond & Shrimp Salad)

Salad Night (Taco Salad)

Grab more great recipes HERE and watch for a recipe for Raspberry Almond & Shrimp Salad for Somethings Cooking Saturday!

Meal Plan Monday

BRUNCH
Quiche w/ Cinnamon Toast & Raspberries

BREAKFAST
Homemade Breakfast Pockets
Scrambled Egg Bowl
Granola Bar & Smoothie
Hot Oatmeal w/ Apple Slices
Granola & Yogurt
Cereal & Milk

LUNCH
Turkey & Avacado Wraps w/ Apple Slices
Fruit Salad w/ Yogurt
Lunch at Pizza Hut
Lunch at the Zoo
Left-Overs
Left-Overs

DINNER
Lemon Peppered Chicken w/ Steamed Pea Pods & Pineapple
Ham & Cheese Pita Pocket Sandwiches w/ Baked Potato Chips & Cole Slaw
Spicey Garlic Chicken on White Rice w/ Egg Rolls
Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Pasta w/ Italian-Herbed Bread
Black Bean Enchiladas w/ Tortilla Chips w/ Cheese & Spanish Rice
Left-Overs
Salad Night

Grab more great recipes HERE and watch for a recipe for Homemade Tortillas on Friday!

Meal Plan Monday

BRUNCH
Biscuits & Gravy w/ Scrambled Eggs & Raspberries

BREAKFAST
Smoothies w/ Toast
Raspberry Pancakes
French Vanilla French Toast
Strawberry Muffins w/ Yogurt
Cereal & Milk
Cereal & Milk

LUNCH
Avocado & Chicken Pita Pockets w/ Cottage Cheese & Watermelon
Left-Overs
Left-Overs
Left-Overs

DINNER
Bean Burritos w/ Chips & Queso & Spanish Rice
Beef Stroganoff w/ Whipped Potatoes & Fruit Salad
Lasagna w/ Garlic Bread & Herb Dip & Side Salad
Chicken & Noodles w/ Mash Potatoes & Buttered Corn
Salad Night
Lunch/Dinner Combo at Buffalo Wild Wings
Lunch/Dinner Combo at Major's Sports Cafe

Grab more great recipes HERE and watch for a recipe for Homemade Noodles on Friday!

Meal Plan Monday

BRUNCH
French Vanilla French Toast, Strawberry Muffins, Blueberries, & Bacon

BREAKFAST
Vanilla French Toast
Omelets w/ Side of Blueberries
Strawberry Muffins & Yogurt
Granola Bars w/ Orange Slices
Cereal & Milk
Cereal & Milk

LUNCH
Chicken Wraps w/ Cheese Cubes & Applesauce
Fruit Salad & Cottage Cheese
Left-Overs
Left-Overs
Left-Overs

DINNER
Vegetable Soup w/ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Chicken & Noodle Manhattans (all-in-one meal)
Sweet & Sour Pineapple Chicken w/ White Rice & Egg Rolls
Mini-Meatloaf Pizzas w/ Steamed Mixed Vegetables, Garlic Bread &
Salad Night
Lunch/Dinner Combo at Buffalo Wild Wings
Dinner at In-Laws

Grab more great recipes HERE and watch for a recipe for French Vanilla French Toast on Friday!

Meal Plan Monday

Are you ready for some football? We are guilty of splurging a bit much during football season, since we are Broncos fans in Colt's territory. Often to see the Bronco's game, we have to head to a local kid's friendly sports bar. Plus, we meet with the Circle City Seminole's Club to cheer on the FSU Seminoles too! It's rough being a football fan!

BRUNCH
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, Crepes, & Diced Pears

BREAKFAST
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls & Yogurt
Egg, Cheese, & Ham English Muffins
Breakfast Burritos
Applesauce Pancakes w/ Diced Apples & Cinnamon
Cereal & Milk
Cereal & Milk

LUNCH
Peanut Butter & Honey Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, & Diced Watermelon
Ham & Cheese Cracker Sandwiches w/ Cottage Cheese & Pineapple
Tuna Roll-Up w/ Celery & Edamames
Left-Overs
Left-Overs

DINNER
BBQ Pork Chops, Edamames, & Broccoli/Herb Noodles
Baked Herb Chicken Breasts w/ Rolls & Sliced Tomatoes w/ Cottage Cheese
Spaghetti w/ Italian Beef & Cheesy Garlic Bread
Vegetable Pizza w/ Side Salad & Bread Sticks w/ Cheese
Salad Night
Lunch/Dinner Combo at Buffalo Wild Wings
Dinner at Major's Sports Cafe

Grab more great recipes HERE and watch for a recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls on Friday!

Meal Plan Monday

We'll still be out of town for part of this week and only home 5 days. Here's our meal plan for those 5 days:

BREAKFAST
Quiche
Vanilla, Honey, & Almond Oatmeal
Fruit & Yogurt
Cereal & Milk w/ Bananas
Soy & Fruit Bars w/ Cottage Cheese

LUNCH
Leftovers
Leftovers
Chicken Nuggets w/ Steamed Veggies & Cottage Cheese
Grilled Turkey Melt Sandwiches w/ Baked Chips & Cinnamon Applesauce
Hot Dogs w/ Cold Italian Pasta Salad & Baked Beans

DINNER
Chicken Buffalo Wraps w/ Baked Chips & Cinnamon Applesauce
Vegetable Soup w/ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas w/ Black Beans & Spanish Rice
Sweet & Sour Chicken w/ Veggie Egg Rolls & White Rice
Salad Night

Grab more great recipes HERE and watch for a recipe for chicken buffalo wraps on Friday!

Meal Plan Monday

I still have a pile of meals in the freezer, but I'm going to be using those and cooking a bit too! However, we'll only be home 4 days this week, because we are visiting family all over Indiana and introducing our newest family member to his great-grandma.

BREAKFAST
Vanilla, Almond, & Honey Oatmeal w/ Soy Bars
Blueberry Pancakes & Yogurt
Smoothies w/ Diced Peaches & Cottage Cheese
Strawberry Muffins

LUNCH
Chicken Nuggets w/ Left-Over Macaroni & Veggies
Kiddie Kabobs
PB&J Cracker Sandwiches w/ Left-Over Pears & Yogurt
Ham & Cheese Wraps w/ Bananas & Cottage Cheese

DINNER
Sloppy Joes w/ 3-Cheese Macaroni & Steamed Veggies
Chicken & Broccoli Fetticini Alfredo w/ Garlic Bread
BBQ Pork Chops w/ Garlic Mash Potatoes & Sliced Pears
Chicken Manhattans

Grab more great recipes HERE and watch for a recipe for whole-wheat blueberry pancakes on Friday!

Meal Plan Monday: Eating from the Freezer

Our newborn is almost an entire month old and with so many family events, we've barely touched our stockpile!

Here's what we have left:

DINNER (QUANTITY)
Bean & Onion Enchiladas (2) (1)
Meatball Subs (1)
Spaghetti w/ Meatballs (2) (1)
Cheese Ravioli w/ Italian Seasoned Beef (1)
Mexican Seasoned Beef Tacos (1)
Mini-Meatloaf Pizza Cups (3)
Easy Sloppy Joes (1)
Chicken Manhattans (1)
Orange Chicken (1)
Baked Chicken Nuggets (2)
Sticky Chicken (1)
Chicken-Biscuit Casserole (2) (1)
Tomato-Basil Baked Chicken (1)
Italian Seasoned Baked Chicken (1)
Garlic & Onion Baked Chicken (1)
Beer & Brown Sugar Steaks (1)
Teriyaki-Marinated Pork Chops (1)
Beef & Vegetable Soup (1)
Cheese & Veggie Quesadilla Kit (1)
Vegetable Soup (1)
Quiche (3) (2)
Salad Night (4) (2)
Left-Over Night (8)(4)
Frozen Pizza (2) (1)

Meal Plan Monday: Eating from the Freezer

After ordering pizza once this week when we had family in town, eating at my in-law's house, and dinner out one night here's the meals we have left in our freezer:

DINNER (QUANTITY)
Bean & Onion Enchiladas (2) (1)
Meatball Subs (1)
Spaghetti w/ Meatballs (2) (1)
Cheese Ravioli w/ Italian Seasoned Beef (1)
Mexican Seasoned Beef Tacos (1)
Mini-Meatloaf Pizza Cups (3)
Easy Sloppy Joes (1)
Chicken Manhattans (1)
Orange Chicken (1)
Baked Chicken Nuggets (2)
Sticky Chicken (1)
Chicken-Biscuit Casserole (2) (1)
Tomato-Basil Baked Chicken (1)
Italian Seasoned Baked Chicken (1)
Garlic & Onion Baked Chicken (1)
Beer & Brown Sugar Steaks (1)
Teriyaki-Marinated Pork Chops (1)
Beef & Vegetable Soup (1)
Cheese & Veggie Quesadilla Kit (1)
Vegetable Soup (1)
Quiche (3) (2)
Salad Night (4) (2)
Left-Over Night (8)(4)
Frozen Pizza (2) (1)

Meal Plan Monday: Eating from the Freezer

After ordering pizza once this week when we had family in town, eating at my in-law's house, and dinner out one night here's the meals we have left in our freezer:

DINNER (QUANTITY)
Bean & Onion Enchiladas (2) (1)
Meatball Subs (1)
Spaghetti w/ Meatballs (2)
Cheese Ravioli w/ Italian Seasoned Beef (1)
Mexican Seasoned Beef Tacos (1)
Mini-Meatloaf Pizza Cups (3)
Easy Sloppy Joes (1)
Chicken Manhattans (1)
Orange Chicken (1)
Baked Chicken Nuggets (2)
Sticky Chicken (1)
Chicken-Biscuit Casserole (2) (1)
Tomato-Basil Baked Chicken (1)
Italian Seasoned Baked Chicken (1)
Garlic & Onion Baked Chicken (1)
Beer & Brown Sugar Steaks (1)
Teriyaki-Marinated Pork Chops (1)
Beef & Vegetable Soup (1)
Cheese & Veggie Quesadilla Kit (1)
Vegetable Soup (1)
Quiche (3) (2)
Salad Night (4) (3)
Left-Over Night (8)(6)
Frozen Pizza (2) (1)

Meal Plan Monday: Eating from the Freezer

As you know, in order to bond as a family and spend less time cooking, I pre-cooked a lot of meals. Instead of Meal Plan Monday, here's a list of the freezer meals I'll be dipping into for the next month! Since we mostly ate at the hospital this week, crossed out are the few meals we've already used!

DINNER (QUANTITY)
Bean & Onion Enchiladas (2) (1)
Meatball Subs (1)
Spaghetti w/ Meatballs (2)
Cheese Ravioli w/ Italian Seasoned Beef (1)
Mexican Seasoned Beef Tacos (1)
Mini-Meatloaf Pizza Cups (3)
Easy Sloppy Joes (1)
Chicken Manhattans (1)
Orange Chicken (1)
Baked Chicken Nuggets (2)
Sticky Chicken (1)
Chicken-Biscuit Casserole (2)
Tomato-Basil Baked Chicken (1)
Italian Seasoned Baked Chicken (1)
Garlic & Onion Baked Chicken (1)
Beer & Brown Sugar Steaks (1)
Teriyaki-Marinated Pork Chops (1)
Beef & Vegetable Soup (1)
Cheese & Veggie Quesadilla Kit (1)
Vegetable Soup (1)
Quiche (3)
Salad Night (4, Scott, Ady, & Izy's Night to Cook!)
Left-Over Night (4-8) (will use some for lunches)
Frozen Pizza (2) (1)

TOTAL MEALS: 37-41

On top of this, I have a few hot dogs, which we indulged in while our kids were out camping with their Grandpa and Grandma!

Freezer Series: Post Baby Meals

As you know, in order to bond as a family and spend less time cooking, I pre-cooked a lot of meals. Instead of Meal Plan Monday, here's a list of the freezer meals I'll be dipping into for the next month!

DINNER (QUANTITY)
Bean & Onion Enchiladas (1)
Meatball Subs (1)
Spaghetti w/ Meatballs (2)
Cheese Ravioli w/ Italian Seasoned Beef (1)
Mexican Seasoned Beef Tacos (1)
Mini-Meatloaf Pizza Cups (3)
Easy Sloppy Joes (1)
Chicken Manhattans (1)
Orange Chicken (1)
Baked Chicken Nuggets (2)
Sticky Chicken (1)
Chicken-Biscuit Casserole (2)
Tomato-Basil Baked Chicken (1)
Italian Seasoned Baked Chicken (1)
Garlic & Onion Baked Chicken (1)
Beer & Brown Sugar Steaks (1)
Teriyaki-Marinated Pork Chops (1)
Beef & Vegetable Soup (1)
Cheese & Veggie Quesadilla Kit (1)
Vegetable Soup (1)
Quiche (3)
Salad Night (4, Scott, Ady, & Izy's Night to Cook!)
Left-Over Night (4-8) (will use some for lunches)

TOTAL MEALS: 36-40

On top of this, I have a few frozen pizzas and hot dogs, so hopefully we can enjoy these meals for a while!

Meal Plan Monday

BRUNCH
Homemade Breakfast Hot Pockets w/ Diced Kiwi & Bananas

BREAKFAST
French Vanilla French Toast Sticks
Smoothies
Granola Bars w/ Cottage Cheese
Cinnamon Toast w/ Yogurt
Cereal & Milk
Cereal & Milk

LUNCH
Chicken Salad Sandwiches w/ Grapes & Carrot Sticks
Tuna Salad Sandwiches w/ Strawberries & Celery Sticks
Cheese & Crackers w/ Watermelon
Cottage Cheese w/ Pineapple Slices
Hot Dogs w/ Chips & Baked Beans
Left Overs

DINNER
Stuffed Pasta Shells w/ Garlic Bread & Side Salad
Chicken Tacos w/ Refried Beans & Spanish Vegetable Rice
Chunky Potato & Bacon Soup w/ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Baked Nachos
Left-Over Night
Left-Over Night
Salad Night (Scott, Ady, & Izy's Cooking Night!)

Looking for some delicious recipes? Check out the recipe page HERE!

Meal Plan Monday

We are kid-free for the weekend, so we're going to take advantage and splurge while we hit the town to have some fun, which means I'm not cooking! We won't have another opportunity to have some "date nights" again until after baby.

BRUNCH
Brunch Out!

BREAKFAST
French Toast Sticks w/ Strawberries
Smoothies w/ Fruit
Pancakes w/ Cottage Cheese
Waffles w/ Powdered Sugar & Turkey Bacon
Cereal & Milk
Cereal & Milk

LUNCH
Tuna Salad Sandwiches w/ Baked Chips & Celery Sticks
Kiddie Kabobs
Crackers & Cheese w/ Diced Vegetables & Dip & Blueberries
Left Overs
Lunch Out
Lunch Out

DINNER
Chicken & Biscuits w/ Mash Potatoes & Side Salad
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo w/ Garlic Bread
Pork Chops w/ Baked Potatoes & Grilled Zucchini
Salad Night
Dinner at In-Laws
Dinner Out
Dinner Out

Looking for some delicious recipes? Check out the recipe page HERE!

Meal Plan Monday

BRUNCH
Broccoli Quiche w/ Cottage Cheese & Cantaloupe Slices

BREAKFAST
Cinnamon Bread w/ Yogurt
Banana Smoothies & Toast
Pancakes w/ Sausage
Yogurt w/ Strawberry Muffins
Cereal & Milk
Cereal & Milk

LUNCH
Pita Pockets w/ Chicken Salad, Celery Sticks, & Blueberries
PB & J Sandwiches w/ Fruit Salad
Celery w/ Peanut Butter, Crackers, & Pineapple
Egg Salad Sandwiches w/ Carrot Sticks & Cottage Cheese
Pizza w/ Garlic Bread
Left-Overs

DINNER
Mini-Meatloaf Pizza Cups w/ Side Salad & Cottage Cheese
Garlic Baked Chicken Breast w/ Mash Potatoes & Buttered Peas
Cheese Ravioli w/ Italian Seasoned Meatballs w/ Garlic Bread & Side Salad
Left-Over Night
Salad Night (Scott, Ady, & Izy's night to cook!)
Dinner Out
Dinner Out

Looking for some delicious recipes? Check out the recipe page HERE!

Meal Plan Monday

BRUNCH
Whole Wheat Waffles w/ Strawberries

BREAKFAST
Banana Nut Muffins w/ Yogurt
Smoothies w/ Diced Bananas
Pancakes w/ Turkey Bacon
Egg in a Basket w/ Sausage Links
Cereal & Milk
Cereal & Milk

LUNCH
Tuna Salad Pita Pockets w/ Celery Sticks & Cheese Cubes
Small Salads w/ Honey-Wheat Bread & Butter
Peanut Butter Bananas w/ Carrot Sticks & Cottage Cheese
Left-Overs
Lunch at Dad's
Church Volunteer Picnic

DINNER
Cheese Quesadillas w/ Spanish Rice and Refried Beans
Sloppy Joe's w/ French Fries & Macaroni & Cheese
Spinach Fettucini Alfredo w/ Side Salad & Bread w/ Parmesan & Oil Dip
Slow Cook 3-Can Soup w/ Bread Sticks & Side Salad (Watch for my Mom's recipe on Friday!)
Salad Night
Dinner Out
Dinner at Dad's

Looking for some delicious recipes? Check out the recipe page HERE!

Meal Plan Monday

BRUNCH
Quiche w/ Muffins & Applesauce

BREAKFAST
Blueberry & Cinnamon Muffins w/ Yogurt
Pancakes w/ Sausage
Scrambled Eggs w/ Toast & Turkey Bacon
Strawberry Bread w/ Cottage Cheese
Cereal & Milk
Cereal & Milk

LUNCH
Peanut Butter & Jelly w/ Cheese Cubes & Applesauce
Ham & Cheese Sandwiches w/ Diced Apples & Small Side Salad
Left Overs
Lunch at Grandpa's (Father's Day)
Lunch Out w/ Mom
Picnic for Church Volunteers

DINNER
Chunky Garden & Herb Spaghetti w/ Garlic Bread & Side Salad
Sloppy Joes w/ Mixed Vegetables & White Macaroni & Cheese
Hamburgers w/ French Fries & Pasta Salad
Left-Over Night
Salad Night (Hubby's Night to Cook)
Dinner Out (Father's Day)
VBS Family Night (Dinner Being Served)

Looking for some delicious recipes? Check out the recipe page HERE!