Goodbye to Yesterday Book Review

This was a book that I was excited to read but sad because it was the shorter books that said that it was Part 1 of 6 and I knew that I didn't have the other books to read.  Goodbye to Yesterday: Part 1 (The Discovery - A Lancaster County Saga) by Brunstetter, Wanda E. (2013) Mass Market Paperback is a shorter book which is part of an group of books which kind of make up the whole book.  I still thought it was worth my time to check it out and see what it was about even though I didn't have the other books.

Book 1 of an exclusive 6-consecutive-month release Amish serial novel.  In Goodbye to Yesterday, part one of New York Times Bestselling author, Wanda E. Brunsetter’s The Discovery--A Lancaster County Saga, Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus, an Amish couple, are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives. Financial struggles. Arguments. A suspected pregnancy. A last-minute trip to Middlebury, Indiana. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Will their love and faith be enough to bring them back together again, against all odds?  Follow their story in this exclusive 6-consecutive-month serial novel.

Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus were going through a lot of things in their life and marriage.  Luke not having a job was making it hard to have a happy life at home.  Luke was taking out his anger with his wife but then he gets an opportunity to work out of town.  He is going to learn a trade from his uncle but that means that he needs to leave home to learn before coming home and starting the business there.  Meredith is going through the pressures of thinking that she is pregnant with her first child but she is afraid to tell her husband.  The pressure was building and it had me wanting to read straight through.  It was an interesting mystery introduction to the series but it was over quickly and I really wanted to find out what happens next.  I was glad that I read it because it was a good story and it certainly had me wanting to see what happened next.  Have you ever read a book that was broken into 6 books??

Second Chance Proposal Book Review

I normally put off the historical books which I am not sure why because I don't hate them as much as I think that I do.  There was a little price tag on the side of the book so I know that I got it from a library book sale.  Second Chance Proposal (Amish Brides of Celery Fields Book 4) by Anna Schmidt was an interesting look back to older and more simple time but nothing in the story was simple.

Homecoming Reunion:  John Amman left his Amish community and sweetheart Lydia Goodloe to make his fortune in the outside world, while Lydia stayed behind to devote herself to teaching. She can accept spinsterhood, and even face the closure of her beloved school. But John's return after eight years tests her faith anew. Lydia hasn't forgotten a single thing about John Amman—including the way he broke her heart.

John risked becoming an outcast to give Lydia everything she deserved. He couldn't see that what she really wanted was a simple life—with him. Lydia is no longer the girl he knew. Now she's the woman who can help him reclaim their long-ago dream of home and family…if he can only win her trust once more.

John left the Amish community after joining the church so he was shunned.  He decided to return and repent because life with the English was not great and he lost all his money.  He also wanted to rekindle his life with Lydia.  He was going to marry her when he left but he wanted to make money to support her which is why he left.  She told him that she didn't need money and all she needed was him but he didn't think that he could support his family.  Lydia was working as a school teacher when he returned and decided that she was going to spend her life single.  There are a lot of things that happen when he returns and she has to make a choice whether she still has those old feelings for him.  I thought it was a really cute story with good characters.  It shows how the town pulls together to support their members and work to keep them.  I hope that you check out this book and enjoy it as much as I did.  I wish that I could read some others in the series but it looks like this is an older series that isn't as available anymore.  I did reserve everything at the library by the author so I will see what else I can find.  I will keep my eyes open at future sales and libraries to see if I can check out the rest of the series.

Menu Plan Monday 5/25

Spaghetti with meatballs and pan fried zuchini (Penne for my son) with garlic bread
Fried Rice with egg rolls, pot stickers, and edamame
Grilled Chicken with rice and corn on the cob
Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni and Buffalo Chicken)
Chicken Tacos or Enchiladas
Chicken Nuggets (maybe stir fry)
Chicken Fries or Chicken Wraps with homemade fries

Last week we had everything according to plan until Saturday.  I went to the store and got a good deal on a whole chicken which I was going to freeze but it was really juicy.  I moved Saturday's meal until Tuesday of this week so that I could make the chicken.  We had a whole roasted chicken with hash browns and corn on the cob.  I spent the weekend trying to prep things for the coming week after boiling and shredding some chicken last week.  I made a big pan of enchiladas for the freezer, shredded cheese for the fridge, cutting hash browns for dinner that night, cutting french fries for dinner Sunday. 

On a Coastal Breeze Book Review

I got the opportunity to read the new book by Suzanne Woods Fisher so I jumped on it.  I read the brief description on the back of the book but I can tell you that I was in after seeing the cover of this book.  Doesn't it look like a vacation?  I didn't even really know what it was going to be about but I was ready to jump in and find out.  Obviously I have read other books by this author and I love all of her writing so that was a bonus.  The sad part was of course that this was a second book in the series but I decided to try and I wasn't disappointed because it stands on its own as an independent book and has me wanting to check out the first one.  On a Coastal Breeze (Three Sisters Island) by Suzanne Woods Fisher quickly arrived on my door step and I couldn't wait to pick it up.

For Madison Grayson, life is good. Newly licensed as a marriage and family therapist, she can't wait to start her practice. Despite the unfortunate shortage of eligible bachelors on the island--they're all too young, too old, or too weird--Maddie feels like she's finally found her sweet spot. Not even one panic attack in the last year. Not one.

And then Ricky O'Shea drops in. Literally. Floating down from the pure blue sky, the one man in the world she hoped never to see again--the one who'd been her archnemesis from kindergarten through her senior dance--parachutes into town, landing on Boon Dock, canopy draping behind him like a superhero. Ricky O'Shea. Now Pastor Rick, the new minister on Three Sisters Island.  Time to panic.  With wit and a bit of whimsy, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to Three Sisters Island where family, forgiveness, and a second chance at love await.

I was immediately taken in by the small town and the characters and it felt like you knew them already (even though I hadn't read the first book).  I was pulling for Madison Grayson while she was trying to open her practice and start her life on the small island where her family lives.  It was great to meet all the other members of her family and the town.  Her sister comes back into town to cook at the local restaurant for the summer and help her other sister get married.  Things are always changing with this fun family including their father.  In addition to all of the family things going on, Ricky O'Shea moves back to town to be the new minister.  Maddie has a life long issue with Ricky and wonders why he would come back.  They fight back and forth through the book and it leaves you yelling at the book (just like you would a good movie) because these two have obviously changed and they have a history that just might work toward the future.  There are lots of changes with all three sisters in the book but you have to pick it up to find out what happens because it is a page turner that you will have trouble putting down.  You have to make sure you pick up the book and find out what happens to all of the characters in this great small town.  I hope that you check out this book even if you haven't read the first.  Of course after finishing you might be looking for the first book in this series too! Since there are three sisters, I can only assume that there is also going to be a third book so I will keep my eyes out for that one too!!  I hope that you check out the whole series and let me know how you like it.

**I was provided a copy of the book for my review but all opinions here are my own and a positive review was not required.

Menu Plan Monday 5/18 (maybe Tuesday)

Spaghetti Pizza Bake (Penne for my son) with garlic bread
Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Corn on the Cob
Grilled Chicken with rice
Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni and Buffalo Chicken)
Grilled Hamburger and Chicken with Mac and Cheese
Fried Rice with egg rolls and pot stickers, and edamame
Chicken Fries or Chicken Wraps with homemade fries

 Last week went fairly well according to plan.  I forgot to put the pizza dough in the bread machine Thursday so we switched it with Friday's meal.  We are doing an amazing job of eating the leftovers in the fridge whether in dinners or for lunches.  The pizza night was the one thing that we weren't eating before but now switching to homemade crust has made that a tasty leftover too.

We had everything on the meal plan for this week but I was in charge of school on Monday morning and I totally forgot to post the meal plan for the week.  We are sadly out of ground beef but have tons of chicken so I know that we have tons of food to go for the next month but I just need to sit down and plan out June.  We have used up a lot of things in the freezer including most of our soft pretzels and lots of our chicken broth.  We are almost out of chocolate chips and oatmeal!!  We have tons of pumpkin, applesauce and bananas in the freezer to make lots of quick breads.  We have lots of frozen fruit, sausages, and meatballs which we will be seeing a lot of in the next month. I am doing my best to use up things in the freezer and pantry so that we don't have to get as much at the store since they aren't well stocked.  Hope that you are doing well!!

Need You Now Book Review

I had read this author in the past and enjoyed her book so I picked up this book most likely off the free shelf at the library.  Need You Now by Beth Wiseman (2012-04-09) by Beth Wiseman was another book that I found in my pile.  I decided that I would read that next and put that in my new pile of books that I didn't have any shelves for because my already read shelves are totally full.  Before this stay at home order, I was doing pretty well selling the books that I had in the house so that I could not hold on to them but now nothing is going out for a little bit.  Hoping that I will get back in the habit once things go back to normal.

When big-city life threatens the safety of one of their children, Brad and Darlene Henderson move with their three teenagers from Houston to the tiny town of Round Top, Texas.  Adjusting to small-town life is difficult for the kids, especially fifteen-year-old Grace who is coping in a dangerous way.  Married life hasn't always been bliss, but their strong faith has carried them through the difficult times. When Darlene takes a job outside the home for the first time in their marriage, the domestic tension rises.  While working with special needs children at her new job, the widowed father of one of Darlene's students starts paying more attention to her than is appropriate. Problem is, she feels like someone is listening to her for the first time in a long time.  If Darlene ever needed God . . . it's now.

I had no expectations going into this book but I quickly learned about the Henderson family, Brad and Darlene with Chad, Grace, Ansley.  They moved their whole family because Chad was getting into trouble with friends in high school so they decided to start over in a more rural area with the house that they were left from their family.  The move caused a lot of things to change and there were lots of ups and downs while everyone got settled into the new small town and the new life that they were building.  Chad turned his life around and had all the people making bad decisions pushed out of his life while Grace who was the model child before was having lots of problems.  Ansley decided to embrace country living and get chickens (which her mother hated after a bad experience getting pecked as a child).  At the same time when things settled down and the kids were taking care of themselves, Darlene got a job as an assistant at a school.  Things started to fall apart even more and everyone blamed themselves.  You have to pick up the book to find out what happened but I know that there will be lots of surprises that you will enjoy.  This book had a lot of religious over tones so if that isn't your interest, make sure you skip this one but I thought it was natural and not forced.  I hope that you check out this book and enjoy it as much as I did.  I know that I this author is known for Christian fiction so many fans may come for the religious parts of the book but I like the great characters and towns that the books are set in.  I hope that you enjoy this book as well.

Used to Be Lovers Book Review

I picked up the next book in the stack which was Used-to-Be Lovers& Into His Private Domain: A 2-in-1 Collection (Harlequin Bestselling Author Collection) by Linda Lael Miller.  I love that the authors name is larger then the name of the book now.  It is literally on all four books that are sitting on my pile.  I guess the answer is that many people pick up a book because the author is someone that they have read and enjoyed in the past.  It is interesting because I just noticed it was the same with all of the books that I had just read.  Has anyone else noticed this??

A PROMISE OF PASSION 

Tony Morelli had always pursued the things he wanted with single-minded tenacity and authority. It had been a very successful strategy in business, and it had been just as successful with Sharon Harrison. From the moment they met, he and Sharon had had an explosive chemistry. Tony had been sure they would follow their heart-stopping passion into happily-ever-after.

Then everything fell apart—Sharon wanted more, and Tony was no longer sure of their future. But he did know he wasn't ready to let Sharon go. And if a determined seduction had won her once, this time he would wage a passionate war to keep her, no-holds-barred…

BONUS BOOK INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME! 

Into His Private Domain by USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard

Reclusive billionaire Gareth Wolff doesn't tolerate trespassers on his mountain, even though the beautiful stranger claims to have amnesia. Gareth knows she wants something. Something he's spent a lifetime trying to forget…

The first book was written by an author that I hadn't read before but I picked this book up so I figured that there was something that sounded interesting on the summary.  It was about Tony and Sharon Morelli who were married but in the process of getting separated.  They have two children so they are splitting living in the house so that the kids don't have to move.  Sharon is dealing with the fact that she wanted to leave the marriage but she was in love with her husband still.  It was hard to keep different lives because of the link with the children.  Tony was trying to put the marriage back together but he wasn't doing a very good job at it.  It was a funny story with lots of drama like a bad movie that I love to watch because you are yelling at the TV to tell them that they are doing the wrong thing.  Pick up the book and see for yourself if you want to yell at both of the main characters for their actions.  The second book was great with a women showing up Gareth Wolff's front porch and falling and getting amnesia.  They quickly learn that her name is Gracie from her license but she can't remember any of her past and her father is out of the country.  Gareth takes her in and they quickly find a comfortable life in his small and secluded cabin.  Life is going well although Gracie can't remember anything from her past but she is seeing glimpses but nothing is long lasting.  There are ups and downs and you have to pick up the book to find out what happens and if Gracie gets her memories.  I hope that you pick up the book and enjoy both stories yourself.

Blue Hollow Falls Book Review

I have started looking my shelf for books to read.  Many of them are parts of a series but I was happy to see that this was the first in the series.  Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman was the book that I got to read next.  I haven't read others by this author or in this series but it was a fun start.  I went on the library reserve system to reserve the second book when the libraries open so that I can check out the rest of the series but I could only find one more so I put the next one in the series on reserve.

From her free-spirited mother, Sunny Goodwin learned the value of peace, love, and Jerry Garcia. The inheritance from the father she never knew? That’s a little more complicated... Sunny never expected to find herself owning a centuries old silk mill in the shadow of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains . . . or becoming a half-sister to a ten-year-old named Bailey. Once the shock subsides, she plans to cash in and head back home. But the overgrown greenhouse she finds on the property calls out to the gardener in her, and she senses Bailey’s need for nurturing too... And someone else is making it hard for Sunny to leave: Sawyer Hartwell, an Iraq War hero who wants to make the old mill a creative hub for the artisans of Blue Hollow Falls . . . and wants Sunny to share his vision, and his life. But sexy as this ex-soldier may be, she’s not sure she’s ready to give love a chance...

Sunny grew up with her hippy mother and ended up being very prepared because she was always ready to be the responsible one in the family.  She made decisions based on her mother's actions but she recently lost her mother.  Shortly after that, she found out that she lost the father that she never met.  She found out that she was in her father's will so she drove out of DC in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains to find out that she is now part owner of a mill and that she had a half sister.  She was overwhelmed to learn everything but she decides that she should put her part of the mill into a trust for her sister so that she has something for her future.  It is amazing to see the turn around in all the characters in this story.  You have to pick up the book to find out what happens but I know that you will be surprised by all the things that happen in the story.  I hope that you check out this book which is the first in the Blue Hollow series. I know that you will enjoy these great characters and the amazing settings in DC and Virginia.

Menu Plan Monday 5/11

Easy Chicken Parmesan with garlic bread
Tacos with corn bread and corn chips
Hamburger, Pineapple Chicken Burger and Tater Tots
Homemade Pizza
Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken with Mac and Cheese
Grilled Chicken with rice
Chicken Fries or Chicken Wraps with homemade fries

Last week we enjoyed our Lasagna on Monday which was great because I got to stick it into the oven while we did a car parade for a neighbors birthday and then came home to partially cooked dinner.  Tuesday was Chili (already prepared and from the freezer) with corn bread and corn chips topped with cheese.  It was colder and they were both super tasty but we needed to finish them because the weather is getting warmer and warmer out so we won't want to heat up the kitchen too much.  Wednesday was Grilled Spiedies Chicken with white rice.  Thursday I made homemade pizza dough so that my son could try it side by side with his declared favorite naan and he loved them both equally and ate 5 pieces of pizza.   Friday I had Rosemary Chicken and Potato on the menu but we changed it out for Grilled Hamburger for my husband and Teriyaki Chicken with grilled pineapple for me with tater tots on the side and some chicken fries for my son.  Everyone enjoyed the yummy meal even though they were all different.  Saturday was Simple Fried Rice with Grilled Chicken (done earlier in the week) and egg rolls and my son had hashbrowns.  Sunday is my son's favorite meal with Chicken fries for him and Chicken Wraps for the rest of us with homemade fries.

We used to have leftovers with pizza night so that we shared one pizza and made it stretch so that we didn't have to make two pizzas but now I am making dough which is actually two pizza crusts. We have plenty of pizza for all of us to have more then our fill.  This week I made one and a half pizzas and then had enough to make fried dough for everyone for dessert with cinnamon and sugar which was amazing but there was still dough leftover that I stuck in the fridge to use over the weekend.  I was thinking that I might have to have a leftover night added back in on another night but I do try to do leftovers for lunch at least a few days during the week which has been helping a little but I need to make a better try to do that more often to use up the things that we have in the house.  I guess we will see what the coming week brings but we are certainly enjoying the yummy meals from last week and looking forward to the meals for this week.

Seriously Good Freezer Meals Book Review

I got a bunch of freezer cooking books out of the library to try to get into more freezer cooking.  Seriously Good Freezer Meals: 150 Easy Recipes to Save Your Time, Money and Sanity by Karrie Truman was one of the books that I found.  Funny enough I was watching someone make pizza crusts using this cookbook and they said that they loved it.  I wonder if this is the book that I went looking for in the first place!

Don't Freeze Up at Meal Time -- Reach Into the Freezer Instead
Let's admit it: we all want to save time and money while still putting healthy and tasty homemade food on the table. But how? Karrie Truman, creator of the much-beloved blog Happy Money Saver, is going to let you in on a secret: the answer is freezer meals.
When she was an exhausted young mom, Karrie found herself serving processed or fast food at the end of a busy day even though she knew it wasn't what she wanted her family to be eating. Then she discovered freezer meals. Immediately, she had home-cooked, easy and delicious food at her fingertips and more time to spend with loved ones.
In Seriously Good Freezer Meals, Karrie shares 150 recipes photos that will change the way you think about freezer cooking. You won't find your mother or grandmother's freezer meals here (except lasagna, of course). Her recipes include Morning Energy Bars, Empanada Hand Pies, Coconut Cashew Basil Curry Soup, Smoky Grilled Louisiana Turkey Legs, and Layered Chocolate Mousse Cake with tons of vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan options, too. Plus, she adds a bulk-batch chart for ease in making large quantities of each freezer-meal recipe.
Karrie gives you all the tools you need to become a freezer-meal genius: information on shopping, cooking, freezing, thawing and everything in between. The book includes beginner, intermediate and advanced meal plan programs to guide you in cooking 7 to 50 meals in a day. You read that right: 50 meals in a day. No more excuses: it's time to start cooking delicious meals that will have you feeling anything but left out in the cold!

I have different expectations of cookbooks but I love reading them.  I love looking at the different stories that go with the recipes and the pictures of the different meals.  I thought that one of my favorites was Cinnamon Roll Granola and I have the things that I need to make it at home except the icing.  There are some Pepperoni Blossoms that sounded interesting and I have the ingredients.  The Sweet and Sour Meatballs sounded interesting to me but no one else in my house is going to be eating it so not worth making.  There was a recipe for Blackberry Almond Crumble that also sounded tasty.  The funny thing about all these recipes is that they are not ones that I would make and freeze so they aren't super helpful to further that mission but they still sound and look like great recipes.  I am interested in the pizza kits but I am not sure if I will use them but it is an option for the future because we are out of the refrigerated dough and most of the frozen naan.  There are some interesting beef dishes but I currently don't have any beef to try them with.  I am going to look at the soups again because I think that some of them sound good too but we mostly just eat baked potato soup and chicken (or turkey) and rice soup that I throw together.  We might try another one to add to the rotation.  I hope that you check it out for yourself and see if there are any recipes that your family might love.

Menu Plan Monday 5/4

Lasagna with garlic bread
Chili with corn bread and corn chips
Grilled Spiedies Chicken with rice
Leftovers or Homemade Pizza
Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes (Hashbrowns for my son)
Stir Fry with rice and egg rolls
Chicken Fries or Chicken Wraps with homemade fries

Last week was the end of April and I decided to go through and plan the next two months of meals.  I did I great job getting most of the spots filled on the menu except that I was hoping to go out and grab some ground beef to fill in the last few spots but there wasn't any when I went out.  I am going to wait on adjusting the menu and hope for ground beef to show up but we have enjoyed eating our regular favorites for so long so I am sure that we will enjoy other and more flexible meals with the rest of the items in our stockpile.  I hope that you are finding groceries without problems and able to get things for your families.

April Month End Budget Update and Eating Out

Normally, I start this section with a statement that our family has set a $160 monthly budget for food and household goods for our family. I shop sales and use coupons and anything else that I can do maintain our monthly budget.  I make most of our bread and treats at home so that we have lots of food to enjoy. This month has definitely seen the rise in creative cooking and making things from the freezer and pantry to make the most out of everything we have.

However, our stay at home order has brought a lot of thoughts up that aren't things that I normally spend a lot of time thinking about.  Do I spend too much time at the grocery store?  Now we are trying to reduce the times out of the house so I have been trying to put in more thought to stocking up on the things that we need to last longer which I thought with a little planning, I would be able to do.  Have you tried to shop less often?  This once a month shopping trip goal is hard to do!!

If someone asked me how many times I went to the store, I would have to say that I have a lot of quick trips and a few bigger or longer trips in a month.  I didn't think that it was way more then other people went to the store.  I have come to wonder if people who say they go once a week really only check out at one store so they have four receipts for groceries for the month.

In the last three months, I went 18 times in January, 25 in February and 23 in March.  Going back and looking for 2019, I averaged 19 check outs every month.  After thinking about it, this doesn't mean that I have gone to the store that many times because many times I do more then one checkout for rebates and to use different coupons but I was amazed.

Check out what I got this month below with the price and the picture.  I think that you will see a lot less trips for the next few months but I am going to have to work a little harder on my planning for what we need.  My biggest problem is that I need to focus on the fact that we are going to be spending a lot more money on groceries because 20 trips to the store isn't going to happen to search for the lowest price and stock.

Giant $20.06

I went to the store to get ketchup because it was on sale and we were out which is a big issue in our house.  I try to stay aware of what we have in the pantry and when we are running low but I guess I missed someone taking the last few out because we were down to no ketchup.  I had been to a few stores last month and not had any luck finding any in stock.  I decided that while  I was there that I would pick up my son's favorite chips because they were on sale (still crazy high pricing).  I also got my husband and son's favorite cereal (way more then I ever spend on cereal and one is missing from the picture because it already got broken into and the box recycled). I also grabbed a Cran Grape because I walked by it on the way to the chips and it was on sale (for more then I ever pay but we were almost out).  Forgot to look to see if they had carrots in the store because I hate the way the store is arranged because I come in to the store in the middle and I was wearing all my protective gear and trying to fit all my stuff in my hands and not use a cart.

Target $0

used Gift Card (my husband got at work)

I went there to see if they had any clearance jellybeans.  Yup, this is what my life has come to!! My husband and my son were out of jelly beans and what would be a normal pop in trip with other errands turned into trying to find parking and figure out how I could walk up the escalators with no hands and then walk around the whole store to get to the back without passing out for heat exhaustion with my mask on.  I got barely on sale jelly beans and decided to do self checkout because they only had two registers open and I forgot to enter my phone number for my cartwheel or scan anything for that matter.  Super bummed because of course there was a discount but do you know how hard that is to do with gloves?  Used a gift card and walked away with candy so going to call it a win.

Safeway $0

used Gift Card (earned from Monopoly game)

I went to the store to get ice cream because it was on sale there and I had the gift card we got for free with our points.  Well, the ice cream aisle was empty but I managed to get a few other things that I had coupons for to get free.  I added a few other things into my cart that I thought my family might enjoy with my free gift card but making sure that I left enough for the ice cream at another store.

Safeway $0

used Gift Card (earned from Monopoly game)

I stopped at the second Safeway and they have some of the ice cream but most importantly, the one that my son wanted.  I got three and one mint chocolate chip for all of us to share.

Lidl $37.90

I went with a long list to try to get at Lidl and Aldi which are across the street from each other.  This was the first time that I have had to stand in line to get into the store because they are limiting the number of people in the store.  It was a fairly quick moving line with larger stickers on the ground where to stand and there was an employee at the front cleaning carts so that we could have a clean one when got to the front.  I was glad that they had lots of stock and my very small cart was over flowing with things...mostly junk food.  I got some refrigerated stuff that got wiped down and brought in including three big blocks of extra sharp cheddar cheese, two blocks of mozzarella cheese, two dozen eggs, a package of pepperoni, a package of lunch meat, and head of ice berg lettuce.  I left all the other food in the garage for 5 days because we didn't need them right away.  I got 9 different bags of chips, box of brownie mix, box of penne, graham crackers, bottle of ketchup, crispy rice cereal and two bags of marshmallows, and clearance jelly beans.  I forgot to write down the juice that my husband had liked and I didn't go into the last aisle so totally didn't even see it but I was happy with what I got.

Aldi $52.83

I went to Aldi and waited in a much longer line with so many people and there were no marks where to stand so you had to hope that other people kept their distance.  I had gone through the list and crossed through the things that I had already gotten and made sure that I kept my eyes out for anything we might want or need.  I went a little crazy stocking up on things we use to try to last a month.  I think that was because I really didn't like the line and I don't know how often I am going to be able to do that store.  For freezer stuff, I got three bags of chicken fries and two boxes of ice cream bars (not pictured because I think my husband put them in the freezer first).  For the refrigerated items, I got milk, 2 dozen eggs, baby carrots, two mozzarella cheese, shaky cheese (as it is known in our house), 5 packages of stick margarine, two tubs of butter and sour cream.  I got potatoes because we were almost out of all those ones that I picked up at the Lidl opening.  I got minced onion because I was out for awhile and keep forgetting but I finally added it to the list.  I got 5 bags of chips (in case all the ones that I bought at Lidl weren't enough).  The graham crackers were purchased to compare to the Lidl ones so that my son and husband could pick their favorite ones.  My husband also wanted bananas so I got him two.  I am certainly going to try a different time next time I have to go and maybe a different location but it was well stocked and I got a ton of things.

Total Retail $225.85
Total Savings $116.84
Total Rebates $0.75
Total OOP $108.26

Moral of the story is that I am not ready for once a month shopping but I did try to plan out my trips for the best.  I only three trips out this month.  I didn't plan enough or add things to the list this month like I did last month.  I am going to put the list on the fridge again and add things when I think of them or use them up.

I have planned out my monthly menu plan using the things in the house but I don't often think about the other small things because I normally pick them up during my other shopping trips so I have to put more thought into ingredients in baking and other products we might need for breakfasts and lunches.  I am working on it but I think that three trips out of the house isn't that bad in comparison to previous months.  I stayed well under budget but didn't actually get anything to help in coming months so this low budget will catch up with us in the next few months.  How are you doing??

Eating Out 

We haven't spent anything on eating out this month because we decided as a family that it was safest and easiest if we stayed at home as much as possible so eating out budget was $0.