How My $17 Kroger Markdown Haul Will Feed My Family For An Entire Week!!

This week I prove you don't have to spend a boatload of money to feed your family!   

I just posted about my great Kroger markdown deals.  My weekly menu plan will be based on that $17.40 grocery store purchase!  Let's see how those items translate into feeding a family of five for an entire week!

I had to use a few items that I already had on hand.  But, even factoring in the price which I already paid for those items, the total cost of this week's menu is still well under $50! 

Here's a reminder of what I got.  

1 pound of mustard greens - $1.49
1 "Nourish" bowl for just $.49!
6 assorted organic yellow and green zucchini - $2.00
2 pounds of pea pods - $3.99
1 container of Baharat blend seasoning - $2.49
1 container of chocolate fruit dip - $.99 for our high school Christmas party
2 - 32 oz. organic vanilla Greek Yogurts - $2.89 each

To see photos and descriptions, read this post.

This Week's Menu: 

 Breakfast:   

Yogurt parfaits

Steel cut oats with blueberries

Cream of wheat

Pancakes

Museli

Lunches: 

Homemade baked beans - easy and delicious!

*All lunches are served with a salad, carrot and celery sticks, and fresh fruit

Split pea soup

Smoky white bean soup

Homemade baked beans (These are the best and easiest baked beans I have ever tried! I make them in the crockpot.  I follow the recipe exactly as it is printed except I add a touch of liquid smoke.)  
Sauteed mustard greens with garlic and lemon

Chili mac

Chili and peanut butter sandwiches (We call this "school lunch" because when I was a kid, the school cafeteria always served a bowl of chili with a peanut butter sandwich on white bread.)  

Supper:   

(I bulk cooked! Be sure to check out the photos and descriptions!) 

Creole zucchini over brown rice

Tomato Mexican Cabbage over brown rice

Lentil Shepherd's pie

Nourish bowl tortillas 

Garbanzo beans in tomato and cream sauce

Thai Peanut Noodle Stir Fry

 Photos and Descriptions:  

Thai Peanut Noodle Stir Fry

 

This was awesome!  I let the 14 year old sous chef pick the pasta for this dish.  He chose multi-colored rotini.  It was very, very tasty! 

Tomato Mexican Cabbage over brown rice

I got this recipe from a fellow reader on a vegan FB page.  It's simple and delicious.  Here are her instructions:  "water sauté onion and garlic till translucent. Then I add 1/2 head of cabbage thinly sliced into strips, 6 oz tomato sauce,2 T tomato paste, cumin and oregano , frozen corn and cook on medium about 10 minutes. Add beans at the end. Top with scallions, or olives, or avocado or jalapeños! Or all of the above! I serve it with tortillas and rice." 

Nourish bowl  

There was $1.00 manufacturer coupon on the front!  So, I paid just 49¢! 

My boys said this was delicious!   The container was enough to fill a serving bowl and cooked in the microwave in just 4 minutes.  Although the package indicated that it was one serving, it is easily large enough for two.  If you are sensitive to dairy, be aware that the sauce contains milk.  It contained 540 mg. of sodium, which is a little high for me.  But, unless you are severely salt restricted, it's not too bad. The real food ingredients: butternut squash, kale, kohlrabi, and brown rice were amazing!  

The boys ate some of it plain and then opted for it rolled up in a tortilla with either vegan sour cream or regular sour cream.  

 Garbanzo beans in tomato and cream sauce

It tastes as good as it looks!

 This recipe came from my amazing readers.  I sent out a "help a girl" plea for ideas on how to use the baharat spice blend that I got marked down to $2.49.  It turns out that this blend is very similar to one of my favorite spices, garam masala.  

My readers came through with suggestions and instructions.  They ranged from:  

"a great add-in to rice"

"a rub for chicken"

"whole roasted cauliflower"

I chose the vegan version of the recipe from my reader,  Tamara.  Here are her directions:  

"Onions, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, butter, cream. Simmer together. Add sauteed boneless, skinless chicken thighs-cut in small pieces. I have also added green beans. It has to simmer so if you want to add zucchini I would saute separately and serve with it. If you want vegetarian chick peas are good in it. If vegan substitute olive oil for butter and almond milk for cream. I don't do soy but it would probably be good with tofu. Serve over basmati rice. Baharat seasoning is a middle eastern, Indian seasoning mix, very similar to garam masala blend." 

Creole Zucchini over Brown Rice

I used to beg my mother to make creole green beans.  When I got those six organic yellow and green zucchini for just $2.00, I wanted to make creole zucchini and put it over brown rice.  It's a great main dish meal for just pennies! 

Shepherd's Pie

  

Warm and tasty comfort food!  The base is comprised of lentils and vegetables in a flavorful tomato sauce.  It's all topped by fresh mashed potatoes!  It fills a huge 11 X 14 inch pan!  In case you missed the recipe link in my listing of dinner meals, here it is again.   

What's for dinner this week at your house?  

Let us know in the comments section. 

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope