Saturday, December 27, 2008

Weekly Menu Planner Grocery Shopping Lists

Hi. It's your weekly menu planner here with your grocery shopping lists and menus to print out and use for the week. Since we have another holiday, New Year's Eve, we will have lots of fun leftovers again. I've planned for lots of meals, using the same roast beef and turkey, you can do whichever you want, first. Our family likes turkey on New Years, but Roast Beef is also really good. So, switch them around if you want, but switch the leftover dinners as well.

Day 1 Roast Beef, Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Bread, Berry Pie
Day 2 Beef Stroganoff, Rice, Green Beans, Berry Pie
Day 3 Beef Stew with Vegetables, Barley, and Noodles, Baked Apples
Day 4 Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Rolls, Sparkling Apple Cider, Potato and Tortilla Chips, Onion Dip, Guacamole, Salsa, Jello, The Best Chocolate Cake In the World
Day 5 Turkey Sandwiches, leftover side dishes
Day 6 Turkey Soup, Bread, Crackers, Peach Cobbler
Day 7 French Toast, Bacon, Eggs, Sliced Oranges, (I can't eat vegetables with this dinner, but knock yourself out if you can get away with it)


10 lbs. Potatoes
2 lb. Carrots
2 Avocados (for guacamole)
3 Onions
Garlic (for guacamole)
1 lemon (for guacamole)
4 Oranges
1 lb. Rice
1 Bag Really Good Noodles
2-3 Boxes Turkey Stuffing Mix
2 Cans Green Beans
1 Can Cranberry Sauce
2 Cans Peaches
2 Bottles Sparkling Apple Cider
2 boxes Jello
Milk Chocolate Cake Mix
Baking Cocoa
Bittersweet or Unsweetened Chocolate
Potato Chips
Tortilla Chips
Dip Mix
Salsa
Beef Roast
Turkey
3 Gallons Milk
2 lbs. butter
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
Large Sour Cream (for dip and stroganoff)
3 dozen eggs
Bacon
Pie Crust (or make your own)
2 Bags Frozen Berries
1 Bag Frozen Vegetables
Rolls (or make your own)

3 loaves Bread

Check your pantry for flour, shortening, vinegar, seasonings, Barley, lunch items, and breakfast items as well as snack food. We have leftovers for lunch, except on vacations from school and work, then I make lunch.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Grocery Shopping Lists For Last Week of December

Hi, your weekly menu planner here. Sorry I'm late, but the grocery shopping lists and menus for the week are finally ready. I was going to post yesterday, but got caught up holding my sick baby. She's got an ear infection and doesn't want me to type. So, here are the online printable grocery lists for the week.

Day 1 Meatloaf, Rice, Gravy, Mixed Vegetables, Sliced Oranges.

Day 2 Biscuits and Gravy, Green Beans, Cottage Cheese, Peaches

Day 3 Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Peas, Rolls, Fruited Jello with Whipped Cream, Pumpkin Pie

Day 4 Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Peas, Rolls, Fruited Jello with Whipped Cream, Pumpkin Pie

Day 5 Chef Salad with Ham, Eggs, Cheese, Raisins, Sunflower Seeds

Day 6 Ham and Beans, Carrots, Rolls, Peach Cobbler

Day 7 Roasted Chicken, Rice, Biscuits, Salad, Peach Cobbler

5 lbs. Potatoes, (or instant mashed potatoes)
3 Oranges
1 Onion
1 Bunch Celery
Lettuce
1 Green Pepper
1 lb. Carrots
2 Cans Green Beans
3 Cans Peaches
Canned Fruit Cocktail
1 Can Pumpkin
1 Can Evaporated Milk
1 lb. Rice
1 lb. Great Northern Beans
3 packages of homestyle gravy
1 package country gravy
2 Boxes Jello
1 box Raisins
Sunflower Seeds
1 Ham with bone in
1 Whole Chicken
1 lb. Sausage (for sausage gravy)
2 lb. Ground Beef
2 Package Refrigerated Biscuits (or make your own)
2 Dozen Eggs
Cottage Cheese
2 lbs. Butter
3 Gallons Milk
Cheddar Cheese
Whipped Cream (to top Jello and Pie)
1 Pie Crust (or make your own)
1 Bag Frozen Peas
2 Bags Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1 bag frozen rolls (or make your own)

Check your pantry for baking powder, flour, oatmeal, salt, sugar, yeast, brown sugar, seasonings, breakfast items, lunch items, and snacks

Friday, December 12, 2008

More Online Grocery Lists From Your Weekly Menu Planner

I'm so glad to be your weekly menu planner, offering free printable online menus and grocery lists. I love doing this for people. It makes me more organized myself. My family has had much better meals since I began this project. So, once again, I present you with the cheapest menus and shopping lists for my picky family on a budget. By the way, if any of you would like recipes for any of the dishes in the menu, I usually use the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, mixed with recipes from family and things I've made up or looked up on the internet, so you can easily find recipes for the things I do, if a recipe is needed. For the chocolate cake, you can use the ones I have posted or your own. I have planned for leftover ham to be used the next day in beans and then in soup.

Day 1-Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Peas, Rolls, Berry Pie

Day 2-Ham and Beans, Cornbread, Green Beans, Berry Pie

Day 3-Split Pea and Ham Soup, Crackers, Peaches, Chocolate Cake

Day 4-Baked Potatoes, Sour Cream, Cheese, Chili, Pears, Chocolate Cake

Day 5-Burritos, Corn, Mexican Rice, Fruit Salad

Day 6-Biscuits and Gravy, Green Beans, Fruit Salad

Day 7-Spaghetti and Meatballs, Garlic Bread, Mixed Veggies, Apricot Pie


Potatoes
Carrots
2 Onions
Fruit for salad
Instant Brown Gravy
Country Gravy Mix
Saltine Crackers
Chocolate Chips
Chopped Walnuts
1 Can Peaches
1 Can Pears
2 Cans Apricots
3 Cans Chili
4 Cans Green Beans
1 Can Spaghetti Sauce or Make Your Own
1 lb. Beans
1 lb. Split Peas
1 lb. Rice
1 Package Spaghetti
Salsa
1 lb Butter
2 Dozen Eggs
3 Gallons Milk
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese
Instant Biscuits or Make Your Own
Ham with Bone In
1 lb. Sausage
1 lb. Hamburger
Frozen Peas
Frozen Corn
Frozen Mixed Veggies
2 Bags Frozen Berries
2 Double Pie Crusts or Make Your Own
Rolls or Make Your Own
Tortillas
Sour Dough or French Bread

Make sure you have flour, cornmeal, shortening, vinegar, baking powder, sugar, salt, cocoa, oatmeal, walnuts, brown sugar, baking soda

Friday, December 5, 2008

The 2nd Best Chocolate Cake in the World

Since I already posted the world's best chocolate cake, I am posting the 2nd best chocolate cake recipe. When my "Grandma Edith" was alive, she would make this cake for us each time we visited. It was so heavy and rich and chocolaty that it soon became a household favorite. We always claimed it was healthy because it had oatmeal in it. Make sure you use real butter for added calories and cholesterol. It doesn't matter because it's healthy, right? Get the best chocolate chips and make sure you use a lot of them. The original recipe called for less chocolate, but you know me and my family.

Grandma Edith's Chocolate Cake:

1 3/4 Cups Boiling Water
1 Cup Oatmeal
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cube Butter
2 Eggs
1 3/4 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1 Package Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts (We use walnuts)

In a large bowl, stir together boiling water and oatmeal. Let sit 10 minutes. Add brown sugar, white sugar, and butter. Stir until the butter melts. Then, add eggs. Mix well. In a different bowl, stir together flour, soda, salt, and cocoa. Add to wet ingredients. Mix 1/2 of the chocolate chips into the batter. Pour into greased and floured 9x13" pan. Sprinkle the other half of the chocolate chips on top with the nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Weekly Menu Planner Online Printable Grocery Lists

Your weekly menu planner is back with more online printable grocery lists. Ok, I'm posting at a weird time because of the Thanksgiving Holiday. We had tons of leftovers and we were gone at relatives houses, so I didn't post for last week. However, we have a turkey that was given to us and a couple of lambs that were given to us as well. This week, I only spent about $60 on groceries and cleaners because, I just planned on using what we had in the house already. So, here's the menus for the food we are having and the shopping list you will need to shop with to follow these menus.

Day 1-Potato Soup with Corn and Sausage, Cornbread, Blackberry Pie

Day 2-Turkey, Stuffing, Peas, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Gravy

Day 3-Turkey, Glazed Carrots, Rice, Cranberry Sauce, Gravy

Day 4-Turkey Soup with really good quality Noodles like Grandma's and Carrots and Celery, Berries with Cream for dessert

Day 5-Leg of Lamb Roast, Mixed Vegetables, Rice, Fruit Salad

Day 6-Lamb and Barley Soup, Biscuits, Fruit Salad

Day 7-Tacos, Corn Bread, Green Beans, Apricots

Breakfast Cereal or whatever you eat for breakfast
Chocolate Chips to make cookies or whatever you like to snack on
Taco Seasoning or make your own
Taco Shells
1 lb. Rice
Grandma's Old Fashioned Noodles (or your favorite kind)
2 Cans Green Beans
1 Can Apricots
1 Can Cranberry Sauce
1 lb. Hamburger
Whole Turkey
1 Leg of Lamb or Beef Roast
1 lb. Polish Sausage
2 doz. eggs
4 gal. milk
1/2 pint Cream
1 lb. Butter
Frozen Corn
2 Frozen Blackberries
2 Frozen Mixed Berries
Frozen Peas
Potatoes
Bananas
Tangerines
Carrots
Celery
4 Onions
Bread

Check staples for corn meal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, oil, vinegar, corn starch, barley, shortening, honey, lemon juice,

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Best Chocolate Cake in the World

I've been a little preoccupied with chocolate lately as anyone on Twitter could testify. I thought it was high time I posted the best chocolate cake recipe in the world. Our family makes this cake for every birthday party, family gathering, holiday, or pretty much any reason we can think of. I know it's the best because I've tasted it and I know.

Here's what you need:

Cake:
4 squares of chocolate unsweetened
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. soda
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Line 2 -9"pans with parchment or waxed paper cut to fit. Mix shortening and dry ingredients. Beat in 1 cup evaporated milk and vanilla. Beat on low 2 minutes. Add eggs and rest of milk and half of melted chocolate. Beat one minute on medium. Pour into 9" pans. Swirl in remaining chocolate in each pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Frosting:
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 dash salt

Beat all ingredients until thick and spreading consistency. Be careful not to turn the cream into butter.

If you are the type who wants to eat great food without all the work, try using Betty Crocker's milk chocolate cake mix and swirl in 2 Dove dark chocolate bars. Then, make the frosting as usual. It tastes sooooo good.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Weekly Shopping List and Menu for Saving Money

Hey, it's time once again to go shopping for the family and stock up those cupboards. Since I already went to the trouble of planning the menus and shopping lists, I'll be your weekly menu planner and offer you the online printable grocery lists. You just have to print them off and go shopping, as long as your kids are as picky as mine. I try to keep things simple and easy on the budget. I like gourmet stuff, but my kids don't and I get tired of hearing them whine. I've tried those fancy menus and grocery lists, but my family turned up their noses and the expensive ingredients didn't help our pocket book. So, here's my frugal menus for the week.

Day 1
Pizza, Salad with Hidden Valley Ranch, Bread Sticks

Day 2
Macaroni and Cheese with Ham (homemade), Broccoli, Peaches

Day 3
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread, Salad, Berries with Whipped Cream

Day 4
Tacos, Mexican Rice, Corn, Pears

Day 5
Baked Beans, Mixed Vegetables, Rice, Applesauce

Day 6
BBQ Salsa Chili (recipe following), Corn Bread, Baked Apples

Day 7
Shepherd's Pie, Fruited Jell-O, Salad

Shopping List:
6 cans Tomato Sauce
1 can Diced Tomatoes with Chilis
1 can Diced Tomatoes Italian Style
3 cans Baked Beans
2 cans Chili
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Corn
1 can Green Beans
1 can Peaches
1 can Pears
1 jar Applesauce
1 can Fruit Cocktail
1 can Pineapple
1 box Jell-o
1 bag Raisins
Instant Potatoes or Real Potatoes, your choice
Rice
Taco Seasoning (or make your own)
Tomato Bouillon
Salsa
1 package Macaroni
1 package Spaghetti
French Bread or Sourdough Bread
Bread for lunches
Garlic
6 Apples
1 head Lettuce
3 Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
1 cup Whipping Cream
1.5 lb. Cheese
4 Gallons Milk
1 lb Butter
1 bag pepperoni
1 package Canadian Bacon
1 package Ham (for Mac and Cheese)
3 lbs. Hamburger
1 bag Frozen Berries
1 bag Frozen Broccoli
1 bag Frozen Corn
1 bag mixed vegetables

Make sure you have flour, yeast, cornmeal, oil, brown sugar, sugar, salt

recipe for BBQ Salsa Chili
1 can kidney beans
2 cans Chili
1 can diced tomatoes with chili
1 can corn
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
salt and pepper and seasonings to taste

Mix all in a pot and heat it up. Easy as that. Tastes great. My kids helped me invent this one.

By the way, my kids usually cook dinner with me, which is why I choose easy stuff to make.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Our Trip to the Library






I don't think most of you realize how lucky you are to have good libraries in your towns. Our library is a bit small and doesn't have much room for a large selection of books. Occasionally, we go to a neighboring town for a real treat in librariness and have a great time.

Yesterday was one of those days. We went on a whim. My son was staying home, pretending to be sick and was very bored with TV. He wanted to go somewhere, so I told him it would be a while, since I hadn't had a chance to shower and get ready. The baby had woken up too early and I would need to wait for her to take a nap. Out of the blue, he offered to watch the baby and let me have my shower. What a wonderful son! I took him up on his offer and quickly showered and we were off.

The long drive to the library proved to be just what the baby needed to take a nice nap. When we got there, we had a fun time lounging on beanbag chairs, choosing books, and walking with the baby. After a rapid checkout with baby's temper being tested, we took off to grab a hamburger and a chicken wrap from McDonald's. This is another treat we don't have too often in our remote location.

Last, but not least, we stopped at Wal-mart to savor the Christmas decorations and the new remodel. Oh yeah, and we bought a few things we were out of. After running into some friends and chatting about life and business, we hurried back home, snacking on chocolate chips along the way. We got there right before the school bus delivered my younger son from school.

Things like this may seem ordinary and boring for some, but I relish moments like these when I can hang out with my kids and have so much fun. They truly do bring me joy.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Blogging, Twittering, Facebooking, and Rocking Baby


I woke up this morning feeling so much better. Yesterday morning, I woke up with the flu. No fun. I was sad to have to miss church. I was supposed to be singing yesterday, but we'll have to reschedule again. After spending most of yesterday lying around doing nothing, and eating nothing, this is a great improvement.

Today has been full of blogging, Twittering, Facebooking, listening to webinars, and rocking my sweet baby. Working as an online entrepreneur can be pretty busy, but it's all fun. I love to connect with old friends and talk with new people that I just met. And I love being at home in my pajamas sipping hot chocolate and hugging my little one.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

We Just Found the Puppies

I've been hearing about the puppies on the internet making a huge hit with tons of viewers. I guess when I first heard it, I thought, "How pathetic. People are sitting around wasting time watching a bunch of puppies sleeping? Then, I decided to click the link http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.49.swf?cid=317016 and I was instantly hooked.

It took a while for them to wake up. First, they were all just sleeping soundly. Then, they started twitching and moving a bit. I was watching with my baby, who was fussing until she saw the puppies. When they started waking up, she was laughing and pointing at them. I don't know if it was more fun watching her or the puppies. Then, my two sons walked into the room and asked what we were watching. They began in the fun of getting excited over every change the puppies made.

The boys nicknamed the one with the purple collar "Tail-biter" and the one with the black collar "Fish-wrestler". The blue collared puppy got the nickname of "Mr. Sleepy". After a while, the baby fell asleep and all was well. My dear daughter came in and said, "Are you for real? People are sitting around watching this? Wow!" Then, she began to watch and laugh at how cute they were.

After a while of puppy fun, the puppies all left the box and we were left with 18,000 other viewers, staring at a blanket with some toys spread out on it. We laughed at how 18,000 people could all be sitting around watching nothing. Then, the funniest thing happened and Fish-wrestler came in the box with a stuffed fish toy. We all laughed out loud as the puppy shook the fish and tumbled all over, tail wagging, rump in the air, chasing all the toys. It was as if this puppy was so happy to have the lair of toys all to himself. We looked up the puppies real names, but stuck with our nicknames in the end.

Who knew that wasting time on a Saturday morning could be so fun? Our dog will probably have puppies soon. We're thinking it might be fun to buy a webcam and do the same thing. Keep posted.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

I Think I Broke Twitter!

I think I just broke Twitter! I can't get it to come up. Maybe there are too many people twittering in Twitterville, but it's broken and I don't know what to do. Does that make me a blogaholic?

I'm having a great party tonight to let people know about how to get out of debt. It should be lots of fun.

I had a concert last night and it went well. Got to go and eat some lunch. I love working at home.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Menus for the Week

I thought since I've gone through all the trouble of making a menu and a shopping list, I should share it and let you use it if you want to. I plan to do this each week. Feel free to come back and get next week's menus, too. You can also comment on what your family liked, didn't like if you decide to use any of these menus. That doesn't mean I'll change my menus, it just means I'll know if you liked it or not.

Day 1: Chili, Corn Bread, Applesauce, Green Beans

Day 2: Baked Beans, Rice, Apricots, Corn

Day 3: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green Beans, Breadsticks, Peach Cobbler

Day 4: Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Sour Cream, and Ham, Corn, Salad, Fruit Salad

Day 5: Roasted Chicken, Rice, Grapefruit-Spinach Salad, Green Beans

Day 6: Cabbage Stew, Rolls, Baked Apples

Day 7: Potato-Sausage-and-Corn Chowder, Rolls, Fruit Jello

Shopping List:

1 can Fruit Cocktail
1 box Jello
4 cans Chili
Applesauce
6 cans Green Beans
3 cans Baked Beans
1 lb Rice
2 cans Apricots
6 cans Corn
1 can Tomatoes
1 lb Spaghetti
1 jar Peanut Butter
1 bottle Pancake Syrup
1 can Peaches
1 can Spaghetti Sauce
1 lb Ground Beef
1 Whole Chicken
1 lb Stew Meat
1 lb Sausage
2 lbs Potatoes
4 Gallons Milk
8 oz. Cheese
1 dozen eggs
1 lb. butter
1 tub Sour Cream
1 Head of Lettuce
1 Head of Cabbage
Onion
Celery
Mixed Fruit for Salad & Lunches

Check to make sure you have flour, sugar, oats, brown sugar, yeast, corn meal, and whatever you eat for breakfast and lunch

I Finally Gave In and Started Blogspot

I finally gave in and started a blog on blogspot. I've got other blogs, but when I try to comment on blogspot blogs, I find that I can't do many of them unless I have a google ID, so here I am, blogging once again! I'm Amy Boyack, if you couldn't tell by my title. I have a huge family because it's kind of a yours, mine, and ours situation. We have three of his, three of mine, and one of ours. There are also grandkids, which I think is hilarious because I'm too young to be a grandma.

I live in a great little tiny town in Idaho and I love the community. With such a small town, I get to sing all the time, play for concerts, have lots of friends, and still stay home with my youngest daughter in the day. I work at home, helping people get out of debt, so I can spend most of my day with her.

I have four sisters, and two brothers. They are tons of fun and very musical. When we get together, it's a song waiting to burst forth. Often, it's like being in a musical and people just start singing for no apparent reason.