Budget Meals 2 - Eating On A Very Low Budget

I like to try to post a meal plan that is as bare as possible.  This way, if you have extra cash, you can add in the items that you or your family like without blowing the budget. 


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Grocery List:

Potatoes

Carrots

Onion

Paprika if you can afford it or don’t have it already

Eggs

Bread

Oats

Apples

Bananas

1 whole chicken either cut up or not

Low sodium soy sauce

Rice

Frozen vegetables

Cabbage

Spaghetti

Spaghetti sauce

jam

Ingredients to make your favorite cole slaw dressing (for me that is miracle whip, sugar, apple cider vinegar) I use a simplified version of KFC (I don’t use the celery salt) https://www.centercutcook.com/kfc-coleslaw-copycat/

For the chick fil a one here:  http://kfor.com/2016/01/03/chick-fil-a-releases-their-cole-slaw-recipe-before-removing-it-from-the-menu/    ps:  I sub plain old mustard for “dry mustard”.  No one has ever noticed.    For this one you will need mustard, mayo and vinegar)

When you debone chicken thighs, you can never get all the meat off the bone, but I don’t try.  I fry them for a meal or snack just like you would chicken wings.  

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal with banana or apples

Breakfast hash – potatoes, onion and carrot with paprika

Eggs & Toast

Lunch-

Soups – use the bones from the chicken to make broth or use a boullion cube if you have them

Leftovers

Peanut butter sandwich

Homemade fries (we bake them)

Snacks:  jam and bread, fruit

Dinner:

Breakfast for dinner (we love this and do it weekly) pancakes, eggs, toast

Stirfry – use chicken thighs, frozen veg, soy sauce and rice

Potato hash.  Use your white meat chicken – cook it and shred it, then fry or bake cubed potatoes until golden brown.  Add onion and chicken and cook until onion softens.  

Falafel or chick pea burgers or black bean burgers, French fries, cole slaw

Spaghetti  (if you feel you need protein some smashed up cooked beans added to it works nicely)

Potato pancakes and any chicken you have left over cooked and shredded, cole slaw

Healthy Apple Pie Cookies

2 cups oats 1/2 cup oat flour (see below) 5 tbsp apple sauce 2 tbsp almond butter http://amzn.to/2yx5Cdy 4 tbsp maple syrup 1 chia egg (2 tbsp chia, 6 tbsp water) http://amzn.to/2hOifaC 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon





Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir. Remove 2 tablespoons mix and pat into a cookie shape. Place on baking tray and bake 25 to 30 mins. You will want them slightly golden. Store for up to 3 days or freeze for later.

For Oat flour, place 1 cup oats into a blender until fine. Measure out 1/2 cup for this recipe. Store remaining in freezer for later use (it makes good pancakes).

View My Recipe Index Here

Warm Breakfast Hash

This is so good on a cold morning and is my favorite go to breakfast.


1 medium potato
1 tsp olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
1 large tomato 1 cup frozen/fresh spinach salt & pepper


Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Cook in a pan with 1 tsp olive oil until they are lightly brown on the outsides. Add onion and cook until soft. Add tomato and spinach. Cook until spinach is hot and wilted down. Season with salt and pepper.


If you want to see my other recipes, Click Here For Recipe Index



I also have a list of meal plans here:  Meal Plans

Warm Weather Breakfast Granola

This recipe is so good on a cool fall morning. This recipe is so forgiving! You can double up on one of the nuts and omit another.



2 cups oats (not instant)
1/2 cup almonds pieces or chopped http://amzn.to/2yujmWx
1/2 cup pecans pieces http://amzn.to/2zwdZEy 1/2 cup walnuts pieces http://amzn.to/2zv3G3M 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds http://amzn.to/2zv8K8a 3 tbsp maple syrup http://amzn.to/2zf7VQ8
A splash of orange juice (can be omitted) 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup dried cranberries


Mix everything together in a bowl. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes and again after 20 minutes. Cool then store in an airtight container. This makes four servings.


Want to see my other recipes? Check out my Recipe Index Here

Falafal Recipe

2 cups soaked chick peas
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp dried parsley (if you can afford fresh, add 1 cup chopped it has a wonderful taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon (can be omitted)
1 tsp cumin (can be omitted)


Pulse ingredients in a food processor.  Remove about 2 tablespoons of mix, form into a ball.  Place on a lined baking tray and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.


These can be frozen and stored for later.


View my recipe index here:  Recipe Index

Cheap Eats - Eating on a Really Low Budget

My disclaimer is that this is not a healthy, rounded meal, this is a meal plan for someone on an extremely low budget.  You will have eggs and beans left over at the end of the week.  You can make both beans into patties and freeze for later.

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In most places this should cost less than $30 for this food.  If you are a really good shopper, you can get it for under $25.

1 16 ounce bag black beans
1 bag chick peas
1 package hamburger buns 
1 lb tomatoes
peanut butter
loaf bread
jam
potatoes
frozen veg mix
garlic
carrots
self rising flour
spaghetti
spaghetti sauce
1 can broth for soup
1 large onion
eggs




breakfast for the week:
Oatmeal with bananas or jam

snack:  toast with jam

Lunches:
peanut butter and jelly on bread
egg salad
rice stir fry
frozen veg on pasta with soy sauce or pasta sauce
sides:  banana, egg, carrots, frozen veg or homemade fries




dinners:

black bean burgers, potato wedges, frozen veg mix
hummus made with chick peas and garlic, carrots and flat bread
spaghetti with sauce, mix some smashed beans into the sauce for protein (either black beans or chick peas)
falafals, flat bread, hummus carrots Falafal recipe
soup - mix black beans, frozen veg, potatoes, onion and broth
stirfry- rice, egg, frozen veg, soy sauce










to make the flatbread mix flour and water, then cook on high heat in a hot skillet, turning once
to make black bean burgers, mix soaked beans with salt and any other spice you choose, form into patties
potato wedges- cut potatoes, coat with oil and salt, roast until brown
hummus- in a blender place soaked chick peas with cooked garlic (i chop mine, then place in a skillet until golden in color.



There is no a lot of variety in this menu, you will probably get bored with it pretty quickly, but since you will have beans left over, you will not need to buy them for the next week and that will add money to add variety.


I assume you have salt, pepper, oil and some basic spices in your pantry.

Best Gift For Christmas 2017

I get so tired of all the lists that offer Christmas Gifts and when you click on them, they are outrageously expensive. I am going to do a series where the gifts are affordable. I love this garlic press. Once you use it, you wont go back to using the old kind. You know garlic presses... the garlic gets caught in the holes, they are hard to clean, it's hard to get the garlic out and sometimes you end up juicing the clove instead of mincing it. This garlic press by Joseph Joseph is my favorite new find this year, and with the inexpensive price tag, it's easy to get it for anyone on your list. You simply place the garlic clove on a firm surface and rock the press back and forth over it. The garlic comes out minced and it's easy to clean the back of the press. I will never go back to the other kind of garlic press. I love this one.

Free or nearly free Books this week

Join us on facebook for cooking and cleaning and other household stuff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263214524048715/

The links I use are affiliate links, but since the books are free, any percent of zero is zero. I do not get paid for posting this, I do not get paid if you visit this site and if you "buy" a free book, I don't get paid. I do this for motivation. I am a very lazy person and without a lot of new motivation, my house would be a wreck..ok sometimes it still is, but my hope is to motivate myself and you with these free books. I wish you luck!



Even if you dont have a kindle, you can get these free books. First go to the link below and download the free kindle reader for your computer. It's FREE!!! Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices



Next check out the books below.  The books change often, so I will try to keep these updated, but If one stops being free, there are others you can buy.

When you want to buy a book for free, simply click the "buy now with 1 click" button and tell it to send it to your kindle or your kindle app, then you can open it and read it.  It does not require you to have kindle unlimited.

So why do people give their books away?  They would like you to review them.  They cannot require you to review them though, so they offer them for free hoping you will.  Some books are only free for a short time though, so grab it when you see it!


Here are some I found:




This one is a little different...it is a pay book, but if you really have an issue with things, I liked this book a lot.

Weekly Meal Plan Week 15

I started this blog because my cooking was pretty sketchy.  I ran through fast food at least a few days a week because I had no idea what to cook.  So this year I decided that I will plan a weekly menu.  It was going great until I got bored.  So I decided to keep me going, I will add a cookbook to the mix.  For the next six weeks or so, I will add at least a recipe per week from the cookbook below.  You can get a copy new, or they also have used ones that are pretty cheap.  I figured the price of this cookbook is less than one fast food meal for the family, and they eat a lot more nutritiously when I cook than when I buy fast food.

Don't forget to Join US ON FACEBOOK for more recipes and household fun.


 The cook books is The Best and Lightest from Food Network Magazine.  So far I'm loving it.  The food is good, but simple.  I've tried a lot of different recipes from it and it's a keeper.


So Here is my menu plan:

Turkey and Green bean Stirfry - Page 114 of the menu.  I didnt sub out the turkey for chicken this time.  It was really good and I would think that you could easily sub chicken for the turkey.  This recipe is the entire meal, so I didnt have to cook anything else.

Roasted Pork with Cajun Slaw - Page 141 on the book.  This recipe makes a pork tenderloin and a slaw.  The slaw is made with a slaw mix, so it was fast and easy to make.  Will make it again!

Cornmeal Crusted Trout - Page 168 of the book.  This recipe makes a trout with tomatoes and also a green bean side.  I really do love that this book includes the sides as part of the meal.

Grilled Steak Kabobs - I love grilling out in the summer!  I served this with grilled corn on the cob.

Chicken and Leeks with Mashed Potatoes - Leek and potato taste good together


Don't forget to Join US ON FACEBOOK for more recipes and household fun.



Want to see other weeks?  View the Index Here  Weekly Meal Plans

Weekly Meal Plan Week 14

I started this blog because my cooking was pretty sketchy.  I ran through fast food at least a few days a week because I had no idea what to cook.  So this year I decided that I will plan a weekly menu.  It was going great until I got bored.  So I decided to keep me going, I will add a cookbook to the mix.  For the next six weeks or so, I will add at least a recipe per week from the cookbook below.  You can get a copy new, or they also have used ones that are pretty cheap.  I figured the price of this cookbook is less than one fast food meal for the family, and they eat a lot more nutritiously when I cook than when I buy fast food.

Don't forget to Join US ON FACEBOOK for more recipes and household fun.


 The cook books is The Best and Lightest from Food Network Magazine.  So far I'm loving it.  The food is good, but simple.  I've tried a lot of different recipes from it and it's a keeper.


So Here is my menu plan:

Stacked Enchiladas - If you are in a hurry, you can buy the pre-fried tortillas, then you only need assemble the stacks.  My kids eat 2 each and I serve them with rice.

Healthy Chinese Chicken Breasts - we love these.  If you cant find hoison sauce or if it's expensive, buy it on amazon.  The amazon price is about half my local grocery.  Again I serve this one with rice and green beans.



Rigatoni with Spicy Shrimp- page 228 of the cookbook.  Shallots add a depth of flavor above what onion would, and the red pepper gives the shrimp a kick, but it's not too spicy.  It was good.   I served it with a green salad.

Pork and Wild Rice Salad- page 149 of the cookbook.  There is just a little bit of yogurt in this that adds a little zip, and the cranberries add sweetness.  It was so easy to make and because it contains the rice, salad and meat, I did not have to make anything else.

Turkey Cutlet with Plum Sauce - I sub'd chicken breast.  I just didnt have time to run to the store for turkey breast and I had chicken breast on hand.  It was still really good.  Plums and lemon go really well together.  This recipe has a salad with it, so that was what I served.


Don't forget to Join US ON FACEBOOK for more recipes and household fun.



Want to see other weeks?  View the Index Here  Weekly Meal Plans

Weekly Meal Plan Week 13

I started this blog because my cooking was pretty sketchy.  I ran through fast food at least a few days a week because I had no idea what to cook.  So this year I decided that I will plan a weekly menu.  It was going great until I got bored.  So I decided to keep me going, I will add a cookbook to the mix.  For the next six weeks or so, I will add at least a recipe per week from the cookbook below.  You can get a copy new, or they also have used ones that are pretty cheap.  I figured the price of this cookbook is less than one fast food meal for the family, and they eat a lot more nutritiously when I cook than when I buy fast food.

Don't forget to Join US ON FACEBOOK for more recipes and household fun.


 The cook books is The Best and Lightest from Food Network Magazine.  So far I'm loving it.  The food is good, but simple.  I've tried a lot of different recipes from it and it's a keeper.


So Here is my menu plan:


American Goulash, salad   - Everyone in my family loves pasta, and this one is easy and does not contain nearly as much sugar as the jar sauces.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Kale- Page 94 of the cookbook.  When I first saw this recipe I thought there was no way my family would eat KALE...but it's tossed with tomato, potato and cheese, and they loved it.  I was surprised.

Sirloin with Teriyaki Broth -  Page 126 of the cookbook.  This steak is served with a light broth that makes it so juicy.  The recipe calls for sweet potatoes but I added carrots as well because they are a family favorite.  They all ate it.  I didnt think the radishes would go over very well, but they are thinly sliced and they add a peppery bite to the soup.  YUM!

Baked Fish and Chips-  Page 192 of the Book.  A lighter version of fried fish and chips.  It uses rice cereal as a topping and is light and delicious.  The homemade fries have become a lunch favorite too.
Teriyaki Chicken Bowls - Grilled Pineapple is so good and since the weather has grown warmer, cooking outside is a welcome change.  This recipe is easy to change up to add your family favorite veggies.



 


Want to see other weeks?  View the Index Here  Weekly Meal Plans

Free Motivation- Free Or Nearly Free Books On Decluttering

If you are a KonMarie fan, did you know you can already pre-order her next book? It's due out in June and if you pre-order, it comes in the mail. I got my last book on the release date and I didn't even have to put on shoes to go get it! I can't wait to read this one.



Join us on facebook for cooking and cleaning and other household stuff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263214524048715/




Even if you dont have a kindle, you can get these free books. First go to the link below and download the free kindle reader for your computer. It's FREE!!! Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices




Next check out the books below.  The books change often, so I will try to keep these updated, but If one stops being free, there are others you can buy.

When you want to buy a book for free, simply click the "buy now with 1 click" button and tell it to send it to your kindle or your kindle app, then you can open it and read it.  It does not require you to have kindle unlimited.

So why do people give their books away?  They would like you to review them.  They cannot require you to review them though, so they offer them for free hoping you will.  Some books are only free for a short time though, so grab it when you see it!


Here are some I found:

Dash Diet Books for Free Or Nearly Free

You can get free or nearly free cookbooks for the dash diet on amazon and you don’t have to have a kindle!
First, you will need to download the free kindle reading app for your computer. You can find it here:
Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices
Next, check out the cool books below. At the time I wrote this, they are all 99 cents or free. If they pop up in price it is because the publisher was running a promotion for a limited time. Why do publishers give away free books? They would like you to review them once you have read them. They can’t require you to review them though, so they just offer some free hoping you will review them.
When you find a book you want, click “buy now with 1 click” and use the pulldown box to say where you want it sent. Your book will arrive and you can read it. You do NOT need kindle unlimited. Amazon wants people to buy kindle unlimited, so they make that the first choice when downloading the book, the “buy now with 1 click” button is just below it. Slim pickings this week...
Here are the bargains I found today:

Carrot Soup with potato, lentils and leeks

I am bad. I hide good things in soup so my family will eat them. My only problem with this is hubby who says that soup is not food, but if I cook soups for lunch, they get eaten. I serve this with white rice.


 Ingredients:
 - 1 onion, diced
 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
 - 1 leek, thinly sliced
 - 2 cups carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- Herbs & spices: 1 tsp tumeric, 1/2 tbsp curry powder, 1/2 tbsp rosemary, 1 tsp cumin, black pepper - 2 stock cubes, melted in water


 Method:
 1. Fry onion, garlic & leek for 2-3 minutes 2. Add in remaining ingredients except water. Cook for 2 minutes 3. Add in enough water to cover the ingredients, bring to the boil then cook covered on low heat for 40 minutes. 4. For a chunky soup, simply use a potato masher to mash up the ingredients. For a smooth soup, blend using a stick blender. 5. Serve with rice/crusty bread and enjoy.



 Some people in my family do not care for the taste of indian spices, so if I am making the soup for them, I add 1 tsp ginger, salt and pepper instead. I like it both ways.


Recipe Index Here:  http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/p/recipe-index.html

Week 12 Weekly Meal Plan.

Last week in the Skinny Taste Cookbook!

My goal this year is to cook more for my family.   We are very busy and as a result, we eat out a LOT.  This year, I want to serve food at home that is fast, easy and nutritious.  No frozen dinners high in sodium, I want real food.

I would love for you to join us on our facebook group here:  FACEBOOK
The first 2 months, I looked online at blogs and found recipes.  I want to try something different though.  I want to try out different cookbooks.  Each month, I will cook recipes from a different cookbook.  It could be a side, main dish or dessert, but I will try to incorporate new dinners into our rotation.  So far the family is loving it.


This month, I am cooking out of this book:






This is in addition to our typical meal plans.    On Saturday nights, we have a family pizza night, and sometimes one other night per week we do not eat at home (usually at a friends house, we rotate).  This means 5 to 6 meals per week I need to plan.

Please note that some of my meals may seem a little heavy.  I am feeding three teen boys, so I cook to fill them up.  Some people may omit the starch from the meal and be just fine with the meal plan.

This week's meal plan:

Not Your Mama's Chicken and Rice  So good.

Grilled Salmon with Favorite Greenbeans

American Goulash and salad

Teriyaki Glazed Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa page 198 of the cookbook.

Skinny Salisbury Steak and Mushroom Gravy.  page 201 of the cookbook.


I hope you have enjoyed cooking out of the skinny cookbook with me.  We are definately keeping some of the recipes in our rotation.  My family loved the chicken pasta, the mongolian beef, the buttermilk "fried" chicken and the pork chops best.



Want to see other weeks?  View them Here http://emmafrancisisathome.blogspot.com/p/weekly-meal-plans.html

Weekly Meal Plan Week 11

My goal this year is to cook more for my family.   We are very busy and as a result, we eat out a LOT.  This year, I want to serve food at home that is fast, easy and nutritious.  No frozen dinners high in sodium, I want real food.

I would love for you to join us on our facebook group here:  FACEBOOK
The first 2 months, I looked online at blogs and found recipes.  I want to try something different though.  I want to try out different cookbooks.  Each month, I will cook recipes from a different cookbook.  It could be a side, main dish or dessert, but I will try to incorporate new dinners into our rotation.  So far the family is loving it.


This month, I am cooking out of this book:






This is in addition to our typical meal plans.    On Saturday nights, we have a family pizza night, and sometimes one other night per week we do not eat at home (usually at a friends house, we rotate).  This means 5 to 6 meals per week I need to plan.

Please note that some of my meals may seem a little heavy.  I am feeding three teen boys, so I cook to fill them up.  Some people may omit the starch from the meal and be just fine with the meal plan.

This week's meal plan:


Spaghetti with Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce  Salad

Mahogany Chicken with Rice   You really have to try this one.  It's my version of a hard to make prize winning recipe.  It taste really good.   If you cant find  hoison sauce at your grocery try here:





Tex Mex Chicken Casserole  I make this ahead and head it, then add the tomato and lettuce.


Naked Persian Turkey Burgers pg 156 of the cookbook.  These are bunless and the salad recipe is included.  Looks really good.

Chicken Pasta Caprese  pg 184 of the cookbook.  Normally I dont care for pasta dishes with vegetables, but this one looks really good with chicken, cheese and tomato.  Nothing difficult.

Weekly Meal Plan Week 10

My goal this year is to cook more for my family.   We are very busy and as a result, we eat out a LOT.  This year, I want to serve food at home that is fast, easy and nutritious.  No frozen dinners high in sodium, I want real food.

I would love for you to join us on our facebook group here:  FACEBOOK
The first 2 months, I looked online at blogs and found recipes.  I want to try something different though.  I want to try out different cookbooks.  Each month, I will cook recipes from a different cookbook.  It could be a side, main dish or dessert, but I will try to incorporate new dinners into our rotation.  So far the family is loving it.


This month, I am cooking out of this book:






This is in addition to our typical meal plans.    On Saturday nights, we have a family pizza night, and sometimes one other night per week we do not eat at home (usually at a friends house, we rotate).  This means 5 to 6 meals per week I need to plan.

Please note that some of my meals may seem a little heavy.  I am feeding three teen boys, so I cook to fill them up.  Some people may omit the starch from the meal and be just fine with the meal plan.

This week's meal plan:


Buttermilk Oven "Fried" Chicken  Page 151 of the cookbook.  I plan on serving this with cole slaw and potato wedges baked in the oven.

Mongolian Beef and Broccoli  Served with rice.  Page 190 of the cookbook.

Teriyaki Chicken Bowls.  Here  A family favorite

Steak Kabobs and roasted corn on the cob.  Steak Kabobs

Taco Casserole  Recipe  I plan on making this one ahead then heating it up to eat.

Leek and Garlic Chicken  Recipe  If I told them they were eating leeks and garlic they would probably refuse, but I serve this recipe with mashed potatoes and I never have leftovers.



If something isnt to your taste, check out my other weeks for different recipes.  Weekly Meal Plan Index

Declutter Your Home Free or Nearly Free Books - Free Motivation!

If you are a KonMarie fan, did you know you can already pre-order her next book? It's due out in June and if you pre-order, it comes in the mail. I got my last book on the release date and I didn't even have to put on shoes to go get it! I can't wait to read this one.



Join us on facebook for cooking and cleaning and other household stuff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263214524048715/




Even if you dont have a kindle, you can get these free books. First go to the link below and download the free kindle reader for your computer. It's FREE!!! Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices




Next check out the books below.  The books change often, so I will try to keep these updated, but If one stops being free, there are others you can buy.

When you want to buy a book for free, simply click the "buy now with 1 click" button and tell it to send it to your kindle or your kindle app, then you can open it and read it.  It does not require you to have kindle unlimited.

So why do people give their books away?  They would like you to review them.  They cannot require you to review them though, so they offer them for free hoping you will.  Some books are only free for a short time though, so grab it when you see it!


Here are some I found:

Weekly Meal Plan Week 9

My goal this year is to cook more for my family.   We are very busy and as a result, we eat out a LOT.  This year, I want to serve food at home that is fast, easy and nutritious.  No frozen dinners high in sodium, I want real food.

I would love for you to join us on our facebook group here:  FACEBOOK
The first 2 months, I looked online at blogs and found recipes.  I want to try something different though.  I want to try out different cookbooks.  Each month, I will cook recipes from a different cookbook.  It could be a side, main dish or dessert, but I will try to incorporate new dinners into our rotation.  So far the family is loving it.


This month, I am cooking out of this book:






This is in addition to our typical meal plans.    On Saturday nights, we have a family pizza night, and sometimes one other night per week we do not eat at home (usually at a friends house, we rotate).  This means 5 to 6 meals per week I need to plan.

Please note that some of my meals may seem a little heavy.  I am feeding three teen boys, so I cook to fill them up.  Some people may omit the starch from the meal and be just fine with the meal plan.

This week's meal plan:


Petite Baked Crab Cakes.   These are on page 115 of the cookbook and they look really good.  My family will eat salmon patties, so I figure this will be a light refreshing change that they will eat.  I plan on serving it with steamed green beans and rice on the side.


Bangin' Good Shrimp.  Page 116 of the cookbook.  My entire family loves bang bang shrimp, and I cant wait to try this lighter version.  I got some shrimp on sale this week, so it's time to try it!   I will add oven fried potatoes.

Baked Ribs, broccoli and carrot mix, baked potato halves.  You can find this recipe here:  Baked Ribs

Tostadas    In a rush this week, so I am buying premade tostada shells (they are sold near the tortillas in the grocery).  I am  making them with chicken, so I will add a little taco seasoning to the shredded chicken meat, top with cheese then place them under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese (watch carefully they burn quickly).  I then serve them bar style with chopped tomato, peppers, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, extra cheese and beans in bowls.  The family tops them with their favorite toppings and dinner is done.

Best Beef Stew Ever.   Crock pot meal!  This is one of those busy days when we all arrive home at different times, but everyone arrives home hungry.  I've found the best result of keeping them out of mcdonalds is to know that they have food waiting in the crockpot.   I buy dinner rolls and place them beside the crockpot.  Everyone eats when they have time.  The recipe is here:  Best Beef Stew Ever


Hope you enjoy!  Here is to eating at home!

ps: If you cant see the book, turn off your ad blocker.  I've had many posts that they can't see the book until it's turned off.



Want to see other weeks?  Here is the index  Weekly Meal Plan Index

My review of the Shark Vacuum nv752 Rotator Powered Lift Away TruePet Bagless

I really really wanted a Dyson Cinetic Pet vacuum, but hubby refused to budge.  He flat out refused to pay over $500 for a vacuum.  I still have a vacuum cleaner at home,  but I noticed that it is losing suction and it's well over 10 years old.   I started my search while I still had my eye on that Dyson.

First, I had to narrow down which Shark to get. The choices seemed endless and the differences between them weren't always clear.  I nearly bought one that did not have a hepa filter, but a washable filter.  Who wants to wash a filter????  Why would they even make that model?

My needs were a vacuum cleaner that can do stairs easily, that can switch from hardwood to carpet easily, a bagless model and of course, one with a hepa filter.

After much sweating, I decided on










I got free next day shipping and it arrived the next day.  I was a little worried when I tried to get the box into the house, because it was HEAVY.

I opened the box and found it on the easy side to put together.  There is only one design flaw that I found putting it together.  If you have the cord rapped up, you cant use the lift away because the cord is in the way.  You have to unwind it to remove the canister.


There seemed to be a lot of parts that I was not using.  It came with a huge bag of tools and a piece that makes it a canister vac.   It also had a swiffer looking piece that cleans up dust on a wood floor.  I will try to use that later.


After about 20 minutes of assembly time (I am not good with assembly and it only took me 20 minutes), I was ready to go.   I took the vacuum to my front room.  It's a room we dont use very often, but I wanted to test out the carpet thickness.

The first thing I noticed is that if you put the setting for the highest carpet pile, it feels like the vacuum pulls itself away from you.  I did not see that it is self propelled, but it felt like it was.  I still am not sure if it's self propelled, but that was different.

I vacuumed the front room we rarely use, then decided to have a look in the canister.  It was almost full.  WOW.   My other vac did not get hardly anything up from that floor.  I also noted that it was dust and dirt and not carpet fibers.  I've had a vac before that pulled my carpet up as I vacuumed and made it wear out fast, so I was happy to see only dirt in the canister.

Next I decided to tackle the stairs.  I knew the stairs would be bad because my other vac wasnt really cleaning them and I could see the dirt on them.

I had to empty the canister halfway up.   The stairs look new now.

I then went upstairs and vacuumed my daughters room.  This was when I found the second design flaw with the machine.  My daughter has long hair and she leaves it all over the floor in her room.  Our other vac was not picking it up, but boy this one was....but it was also rapping itself around the roller.

I tried several different ways, but there was no easy access to the roller to remove the hair.  Hubby walked in and saw me poking a screw driver into the machine and offered to do it for me.  He used the screwdriver to remove the hair from the roller and there was more around the roller than in the canister and let me just say that the ball of hair he pulled out was larger than our small dog.    I do wish there was an easy way to remove hair from the roller, but this is common with vacuums.  The last one we had did not even allow screw driver access.  The machine had to be taken apart to clean the roller.  At least I could get to it, but in a perfect world, the roller would be right there for me to access.


I am going to end this review before I even get to all the other wonderful tools and I will do a followup.  We all know that vacs lose suction over time, and I want to see how well this one does over time.  Over the coming week, I will try out the tools and post about how well they work.

I am only one day in and have used this vac only a few hours, but I am in love with it.  I cant wait to pull out the attachments and clean under things, and I am also going to try to clean the curtains later this week.


If you have questions, post them below and I will try to answer them.

Free or Nearly Free Books on Decluttering and Organizing Your Home

If you are a KonMarie fan, did you know you can already pre-order her next book? It's due out in June and if you pre-order, it comes in the mail. I got my last book on the release date and I didn't even have to put on shoes to go get it! I can't wait to read this one.



Join us on facebook for cooking and cleaning and other household stuff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263214524048715/




Even if you dont have a kindle, you can get these free books. First go to the link below and download the free kindle reader for your computer. It's FREE!!! Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices




Next check out the books below.  The books change often, so I will try to keep these updated, but If one stops being free, there are others you can buy.

When you want to buy a book for free, simply click the "buy now with 1 click" button and tell it to send it to your kindle or your kindle app, then you can open it and read it.  It does not require you to have kindle unlimited.

So why do people give their books away?  They would like you to review them.  They cannot require you to review them though, so they offer them for free hoping you will.  Some books are only free for a short time though, so grab it when you see it!


Here are some I found:



If you want to join us in organizing our home, our 5 weeks to a clean and organized home starts Tuesday of this week! You can read about it here :
5 weeks to a clean and organized home

Instant Pot Cookbooks for Free or Nearly Free

Join us on facebook for cooking and cleaning and other household stuff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263214524048715/





Even if you dont have a kindle, you can get these free books. First go to the link below and download the free kindle reader for your computer. It's FREE!!! Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices




Next check out the books below.  The books change often, so I will try to keep these updated, but If one stops being free, there are others you can buy.

When you want to buy a book for free, simply click the "buy now with 1 click" button and tell it to send it to your kindle or your kindle app, then you can open it and read it.  It does not require you to have kindle unlimited.

So why do people give their books away?  They would like you to review them.  They cannot require you to review them though, so they offer them for free hoping you will.  Some books are only free for a short time though, so grab it when you see it!


Here are some I found:

Instant Pot Cookbooks for Free or Nearly Free

Join us on facebook for cooking and cleaning and other household stuff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263214524048715/





Even if you dont have a kindle, you can get these free books. First go to the link below and download the free kindle reader for your computer. It's FREE!!! Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices




Next check out the books below.  The books change often, so I will try to keep these updated, but If one stops being free, there are others you can buy.

When you want to buy a book for free, simply click the "buy now with 1 click" button and tell it to send it to your kindle or your kindle app, then you can open it and read it.  It does not require you to have kindle unlimited.

So why do people give their books away?  They would like you to review them.  They cannot require you to review them though, so they offer them for free hoping you will.  Some books are only free for a short time though, so grab it when you see it!


Here are some I found:

Get Free Instant Pot Recipe Cookbooks On Amazon

Join us on facebook for cooking and cleaning and other household stuff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263214524048715/



Just an FYI Update:  Most of the books below are now charging..check back here once a week for new lists of free books.

Even if you dont have a kindle, you can get these free books. First go to the link below and download the free kindle reader for your computer. It's FREE!!! Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices




Next check out the books below.  The books change often, so I will try to keep these updated, but If one stops being free, there are others you can buy.

When you want to buy a book for free, simply click the "buy now with 1 click" button and tell it to send it to your kindle or your kindle app, then you can open it and read it.  It does not require you to have kindle unlimited.

So why do people give their books away?  They would like you to review them.  They cannot require you to review them though, so they offer them for free hoping you will.  Some books are only free for a short time though, so grab it when you see it!


Here are some I found: