Best laid plans and all that..........

I had been muttering on all week that I was going to do a big batch cook and bake on Sunday when the hydro (electricity) is cheaper.  When I got up on Sunday morning, I had as much enthusiasm about doing that as flying to the moon.  However after lunch I did do a mini batch cook of sorts and made some things.

I had picked up a six pack of nice and thick boneless pork chops on clearance for $7.25 and a five pack of boneless skinless chicken breast on clearance for $6.50 at Wal-Mart.  I quite like their meat there and I generally buy from the clearance bin.

With the pork chops I made a pork and bean stew and two packages of bbq pork and onions.

The pork and bean stew consists of two pork chops cut up into cubes and browned off in oil with a sliced onion and a yellow pepper sliced.  To that I added four small diced up potatoes, a couple tablespoons of tomato puree and a can of baked beans in tomato sauce.  To season it I added salt and pepper and an OXO cube.  Cooked it over a simmer heat for around half an hour until the potatoes are cooked through.  

The bbq pork chops and onion, is basically an onion sliced and popped into a plastic bag with the pork chops and some bbq sauce.  To cook them I will pop them in a dish and cook in my toaster oven for half an hour at around 350 oF until cooked through.

With the five chicken breasts I made a chicken, mushroom and onion pasta sauce and a chicken pot pie using two of the chicken breasts.  I had three chicken breasts left over which I individually wrapped in cling wrap and popped into a bag and put into the freezer

I cut two chicken breasts into pieces and browned them off in a pan with two finely diced onions and half a pound of mushrooms chopped up until nice and soft.  In another pan I made a white sauce using 1/4 cup of marg, melted.  I added 1/4 cup of flour and whisked it together, along with a teaspoon of minced garlic.  I whisked in two cups of half and half, but you could use single cream and or milk.  I had probably 1/4 cup of Parmesan which I added in along with salt and pepper.

I added the chicken, mushroom and onion mixture to the sauce and then divided into two.

For the chicken pasta sauce, I added some frozen peas and it will be put over pasta or rice.  If it is too thick I will water it down with some milk.  There will be enough for the two of us for a meal and probably a lunch.

For the chicken pot pie I added a couple of diced cooked potatoes and some frozen mixed veggies.  I will add a sheet of puff pastry and bake in the oven at 425 oF for around 25 minutes......but will check it after 20 minutes.  

I closed out the month of February grocery totals yesterday and my figures were the following.

Total Spent: $310.45

Total Saved: $88.03

I am beginning to see that trying to keep my budget under $300 a month is getting harder and harder to do.

Now I do include all food, toiletries, over the counter medications, and all cleaning products in my monthly totals.  I think I will keep all receipts for the month of March and see what I buy over the month.  I really do need to plan a week's menu at a time.  I also need to be more focused with this.

I "think" this week's menu will be as follows:

Sunday: BBQ Pork chops, potato salad and salad
Monday: Chicken Pot Pie
Tuesday: Chicken with pasta or rice
Wednesday: Pork Stew
Thursday: Mac and Cheese with garlic bread
Friday: Spaghetti Bolognese
Saturday: Chicken burgers and salad

Now the chances of me sticking to this menu is slim to nil but I will try to do it!!

Do you do a menu plan and does it help with your grocery budget

(I am planning on popping some cake/cookies in the oven when I am cooking the chicken pot pie on Monday)