Cheap and East Budget Friendly Meal Plan: 10-6-12, 2014

I am SO excited!!!  

This week I decided to become an Independent Consultant for Jamberry Nails!! This is a vinyl nail wrap company featuring 300+ designs of the most fashionable and gorgeous designs, french manicures and if that isn't enough customers can create customizable wraps using Jamberry Nails' Nail Art Studio!! 

One of my favorite Jam'icures using: PuppyLove,MadMod, Wh MiniPolka& StormySeas

Another ex: Autism Awareness w/White Clear Chevron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOVE this french w/Skyline JN Wraps!!

 

 If you would like to order directly from me or host a FB party click here!

To order a sample (FREE SHIPPING) please inbox me your address and I will send you a free accent nail to try before you buy!!:  fashionistafingertipsandtoes@gmail.com

Ok, now on to the menu plan!! This week with so much activity  launching my Independent Jamberry Nails Consultant party and getting the word out about my newest venture plus taking care of my Social Media Marketing Business, homeschooling, Co-Op, AHG, AWANA, my Bi-monthly facial treatments, teacher's conference, bible study, soccer lesson, and Fall Festival trip on Sat...I NEED something QUICK & SIMPLE this week!

Budget Friendly Easy & Quick Family Meals: Sept 29-Oct. 5, 2014

Phweeee! We just had one of the busiest weeks yet! 

Most days we had 3 events in 

3 different cities on the SAME day!!

Thankfully this week is decidedly slower with only 4 events spread out over the entire week. Our budget has gotten tighter so we really needed to buckle down on the fast food runs...so hard when you are all the state and you have kids to feed lunch and snacks. Not only does it get costly it is void of any REAL nutrition, so I had a ton on prep work on grocery day that paid off!

Here are some tips on road trip lunch & snacks*

• Good eating starts with GOOD PLANNING! Plan your snacks and all other meals so you have good tasty options PLUS you won't go back to the store and spend extra $ on things you inevitably will purchase along with those snacks for the kids.
• Look at the prepackaged snacks for inspiration! They have some nifty ideas that you can duplicate at home for nickles on the dollar!
• As soon as you get home from grocery store scrub, clean, dice, peel, slice, & package produce for a quick "grab & go" snack
• Designate a "lunch/Snack Grab & Go" area in your fridge and pantry. I remove all dry snack items from boxes and place in a bin in the pantry to save space and allow easy viewing of supplies. Maybe it's only my house, but it never fails if I leave snacks in the boxes, I will think we are fine on snacks bc of ALL those boxes still in the pantry...HA!  Empty boxes...Ergo, all snacks are REMOVED from boxes, neatly arranged in their bins & boxes are PROMPTLY placed in recycling bins.
• Freeze drink boxes, they will help keep food cold until lunch time and will thawed but icy cold in a few hours! BE sure to wrap in strong paper(cloth would be best) napkin. This has double duty: #1- will hold in moisture from thawing juice box and prevent soggy sandwiches & #2- you will be have a nice moist towel to wipe that jelly off your fingertips and face!

*More on this on a future post-will link here once posted! 

Breakfast Choices:
cold oatmeal cereal, Pancakes, Toast w/Jelly, Smoothies, Fresh Fuit, Cold Whole grain Cereal, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Bacon and eggs of choice.

Lunch Options:

• Left Over zucchini patties & carrots with dippings, 
• pizza-dillas w/ applesauce & chopped salad
• Fish-cakes on whole grain w homemade tarter sauce and dilled potatoes with grilled asparagus, 
• Cheese, Crackers, Veggies munchies w/dip and fresh fruit, Chopped Veggie Salad w/chilled fruit cup
• PBJ on toasted rounds with veggie chips and fresh fruit
• Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup
• Grilled Veggies, hummus, Felafels on homemade pitas, and fresh fruit

Supper Selections:

Meatless Monday:
Zucchini Patties w/Tahini Sauce, Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf
Tomato & Cucumber Salad
 
Tuesday:
Beef Stroganoff over Noodles w/Mixed Greens Salad

 
Wednesday:
Crunchy Coated Chicken w/Tomato & Basil Cream Sauce over Pasta, Mixed Greens Salad, Fresh Fruit Cup 

Thursday:
Kielbasa Sausage Links w/Romanian Cabbage, Mac & Cheese and Jello Cup

Fish Tacos w/Honey-Cumin Cilantro Slaw & Chipotle Mayo

Fish Friday:
Fish-Tacos w/Honey-Cumin-Cilantro Slaw and Chipotle Mayo on Homemade Puffy Tacos (Seriously? YUMMY!)

Saturday:
Homemade Pizza & Calazones w/homemade Pizza Sauce, Fresh Salad Green w/Balsamic Vinegar, Grilled Nilla Banana Pudding Boats.

Sunday:
Crock Pot Carribbean Jerked Chicken, Artichoke Hearts w/Herbed Couscous, & Chilled Fresh Fruit. 

Snacks Offerings:
Salted Caramel Greek, Vanilla or Peach Yogurts, Cottage Cheese, String Cheese, Puddings, Jellos, Chunk Cheese, Grapes, bananas, Peaches, Apples, Cucumber Spears, Carrots, Broccoli florets, Cauliflower, whole grain crackers, Dip, popcorn, applesauce, juice boxes, water, Hard boiled eggs, peanut butter crackers, dried fruit, & granola bars.

Linked to Menu Mondays!

Budget Friendly Easy & Quick Family Meals: Sept 22-28,2014

My daughter and husband are going camping with her American Heritage Girls Troop this weekend, they will have a great time and it will also mean mommy and son time too! 

The menu will reflect those 2 not eating dinner on Friday but a small meal with my son and a side dish for the "Cracker Barrel" style meal they will be eating. Saturday's plans are equally exciting as we are going to a "SIT-IN" movie theater at my bestie's house, so simple side dish and dessert to share there too! 

I am looking forward to all this FUN this weekend!! Funny as I am typing the menu I see a pattern... LOL!! Someone is CRAVING Mediterranean food!!

Kitchen Sink Frittata...The EASY way!!

Nearly every Sunday evening we have this for dinner, I do a plan a meal for Sunday, but we typically eat that meal when we get home from church famished!! By 5:30 we are all ready for a light bite!

 I will take a peak in the produce drawer of my fridge and see what is left or the "Smoothie" bin in my freezer. Typically I will use whatever is on hand and ready to go bad since I do my grocery shopping on Mondays- it's "use it now or pitch it!"  

Pic Credit

In my 20's before I was married, I had a roommate whose parents were straight from Sicily and the food...oh the FOOD, I was introduced to!! Delicious treats such as Frittatas that I am featuring today. Her technique is fussy & I never could master it, so when I have found the technique I am showing much simpler without sacrificing taste I was excited!

Menu Mondays: March 17-23, 2014- Weekend Potlck Recipes~ Sandwiches for DINNER!!

I love searching "WEEKEND POTLUCK" for INSPIRATION from ALL of the delicious recipes that other bloggers submit to this awesome linky party for my weekly menus! 

I will often contribute my own recipes & have gotten to dialog a bit with a few of the 5 Hostesses, whom oversees this linky party, & they are very nice ladies!! 

 

 

 How it works: The recipe with the most "clicks" will be featured the following week, on each of the 5 hostesses' blogs, plus what recipe caught the 5-H's attention collectively, then each individual hostess will mention their personal favorite entry recipe...

Knock OFF Shamro## Shakes

I know everyone and thier mother has a recipe...this one really tastes just like the real thing to my family!!

Now you don't have to wait all year for March come so you can savor the minty sensation of a Shamro## Shake...

You have the power to make it whenever you are feeling a little Irish!!

Making Iced Tea SMACK! DAB! in the middle of winter!!

I am soooooooooooooooooo 

OVER this winter!!!

... And that says a lot, because I love winter, the snow looks like diamonds, the air is crisp and clean PLUS~ I know freezing temps will KILL BUGS & SPIDERS!!! 

Well at least keep them from getting to a mutant-steroid size like you guys or y'all get down south!!

 

Nonetheless, I am in the mood for REAL Iced Tea, I have been "fudging" it with instant Peach Iced Tea packets, but they are only an imitation not worthy of the freshly made counterpart!!