Weekly Meal Plan for 8/22-8/26: Plus Recipes and Shopping List!

Monday 8/21: Strawberry and Candied Pecan Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
Fresh Express Salad, $1.49 (Safeway)
Use $2/1 Fresh Express Salad Coupon from Safeway August Fresh Ideas Magazine
Total OOP: Free (possible overage) 

1 lbs of Strawberries, $2.50 (Albertsons or Costco)

1 bag of Honey Candied Pecans, $1.49 (Safeway)

Mozzarella or Feta Cheese (This is a staple that I buy at Costco every month)
* if you have to buy this the best price is Walmart for Feta:
Buy Athenos Feta Cheese 4 oz. $3.12
Use B1G1 Athenos Feta Cheese
Total OOP: $3.12 for both 0r $1.56 each!!

Balsamic Vinegar (This is a staple I buy at Costco every month)
*if you have to buy it, try and use previous weeks Catalinas at Fred Meyers to get if for cheap!

Olive Oil (This is a staple I buy at Costco every month)
*if you need it the best deal is at Safeway:
Filippo Berio Olive Oil, 17oz, $3.99 wyb 2
Use (2) $1/1 Filippo Berio Olive Oil
Total OOP: $2.99 each wyb 2

Grape Tomatoes or Sugar Snap Peas, $1.49 (Safeway)

Here is how I would do my Safeway transactions for this week:
Buy (4) Bagged Fresh Express Salad, $1.49 
Buy (1) Grape Tomato or Sugar Snap Peas, $1.49
Buy (1)  Bag Honey Candied Pecans, $1.49
Use (4) $2/1 Fresh Express Salad (Fresh Ideas Magazine, August)
or (4) Fresh Express Salad Printable  
Total OOP:  $0.94 for all (6) items!!!

Recipe for Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Place 1 tablespoon Strawberry jam and 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar in a bowl and whisk. Then add 1/4 cup Olive Oil and continue to whisk until combined. Season with salt, pepper and garlic.

Total cost for meal: as low as $0.94 to $3.05 (price varies on what is in your current stockpile and refrigerator)

Tuesday 8/23: Tuna Casserole and Garden Salad
Ingredients: 

(2) Cans Tuna, $0.33 (Fred Meyers w/in-ad coupon)

1/4 cup Walla Walla Sweet Onion, $0.79/lb (Fred Meyer)

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese, $2.50 (Fred Meyer w/in-ad coupon)
*hopefully you already have some in your refridgerator

 1 cup Frozen Peas, $0.88 (Fred Meyer w/in-ad coupon)
*hopefully you have this in your freezer already from a stockpile purchase

(2) Cans Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
*hopefully you have some in your stockpile, if not I am unsure of the best place this week

(1) Can Panko Bread Crumbs
*hopefully you have some in your stockpile, if not I am unsure of the best place this week. ***Or you can do what I do and use the heels of your bread and make your own!

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix noodles, onion, 1 cup cheese, peas, tuna and soup. Transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish, and top with Panko bread crumbs and remaining 1 cup cheese.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is bubbly.

Total cost for meal: approx. $4.83 if you have to buy everything! (price varies on what is in your current stockpile and refrigerator)

Wednesday 8/24: Hawaiian Style Polish Dogs, Corn on the Cob and Garden Salad
Ingredients:
Polish Dogs (Safeway, Bar-S $4.49 or QFC, Hebrew National, $5.99 BOGO or Fred Meyers Kroger Bratwurst $3.00) 

Hot Dog Buns (QFC)

Corn on the cob (QFC, $0.25 each)

Salad (Safeway use from same purchase made for Mondays salad)

Orange and Yellow Bell Peppers (Fred Meyer, $1.25 each or Albertsons, $0.99 each for Red Peppers)

(1) Walla Walla Sweet Onion, (Fred Meyer, $0.79/lb)

Pineapple (Costco, unsure of prices at stores)

Directions: 

1. Slice 1 cup each of Yellow/Orange Bell Peppers, Onions and Pineapple.
2. Saute until soft (slightly al dente).
3. Toast Buns until golden brown.
4. Serve peppers, onions and pineapples over hot dog.

Total cost for meal: $12.98 (price varies on what is in your current stockpile and refrigerator)

Thursday 8/25: Ground Turkey Burgers over Lettuce/Spring Mix
Ingredients:
Ground Turkey (QFC, Jennie-O $3.00 or Fred Meyer, Foster Farms  $3.99 w/in-ad coupon) *look for $1/1 Foster Farms Peelies on the product! 

Feta Cheese (Use Feta from the same purchase for Mondays meal)

1 bunch of Cilantro (usually around $.70/bunch)

1/2 cup finely diced Walla Walla Sweet Onion (Fred Meyer, $0.79/lb) 

Lettuce mix or Sprint mix (Safeway, use the same from meal on Monday) 

Directions: 

1. Dice 1/2 cup onions. 1 cup Cilantro and 2 cloves garlic.
2. Mix the above mixture and 1 cups Feta cheese into the ground turkey. Make sure to really mix it well!
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. BBQ until fully cooked.
5. Serve over a  bed of lettuce/spring mix! And top with your favorite condiments. (my favorite topping is avocado and a little bit of ketchup!)

Total cost for meal: $4.49 (price varies on what is in your current stockpile and refrigerator)

Friday 8/26: Summertime Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
Whole Fryer Chicken (Safeway, $0.79/lb)
***this is a stock up price…might want to buy a couple and put them in the freezer!

Farfalle Pasta (you should have them in your stockpile, if not Albertsons $0.95 after coupon)
Buy (1) Barilla Piccolini Pasta
Use (1) $0.55/1 Barilla Piccolini 6/26/2011 SS Insert
Total OOP: $0.95 (not a great price)

Yellow and Orange Bell Peppers (use left over peppers from Wednesdays meal)

3/4 cup sliced carrots (cheapest at Costco! Fred Meyer, Organic $1.50 for 1 lb bag)

3/4 cup sliced Celery (Fred Meyer, Organic $2.00 per bag) 

1 cup Italian Dressing (Safeway, WishBone Balsamic Vinaigrette $0.99 or home made)
Buy (2) WishBone Salad Dressings, $2.99 on sale BOGO  (preferrably Italian or Balsamic Vinaigrette)
Use (1) $1.50/2 Wish-Bone or Western Dressing 7/31/2011 RP Insert

1/2 cup Feta Cheese (use from previous meal purchase this week)

Optional Ingredients to add: Artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and/or mozzarella cheese.

Total OOP: $1.49 wyb (2) or $0.75 each

Directions:

1. Place whole chicken in a 9×13 casserole dish
2. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover with aluminium foil.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 3 hours or until golden brown and tender.
4. Once done let sit and cool, before cutting or shredding the chicken for the pasta. You will only need 1 cup of chicken for the pasta and then put the rest of the chicken away for another meal (perhaps sandwiches for lunch tomorrow!)
5. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook 1 cup of pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
6. Combine pasta, 1 cup shredded chicken, and all veggies in a large bowl.
7. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, and toss gently.
8. Cover salad and chill.

Total cost for meal: at most $8.20 (price varies on what is in your current stockpile and refrigerator)

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