2-18-13

What an exciting weekend this has been!  I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that my husband and I are going to Boston.  He had an opportunity to get tickets to see the Red Sox play the first full week of May and that's what led to us planning tis trip.  We've known since the end of December that we would be going, but we've been waiting until we got our taxes done to actually book anything.  I am happy to report that we got our tax refund Saturday morning and we have now booked and paid for our entire trip!  We leave here on May 6 and come home on May 10 and we're staying at the Revere Hotel.  We are so stinking excited!!!!! 

We also went to see a movie Saturday morning which we haven't done in quite a while.  We saw Identity Thief with Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy.  We loved it!  It was so funny!  Sunday I planned what meals we'll have for the next couple weeks and went grocery shopping.  We came home and I premade some stuff.  Today was a State holiday so Michael and I have had the day off.  we went out this morning and got new car insurance.  I know that doesn't sound exciting at all, but trust me it is.  We're saving money and we'll no longer be doing business with Nationwide.  Win, win.  Since we've been home I've done some more cooking. 

When we decided to go to Boston, we knew we would have to try to save money so that we can afford to do everything we want to.  One of our biggest money sucks has been picking up dinner on the way home from work.  Not only is that not frugal, it's also not very healthy in the long run.   I knew I had to figure out something that would be convenient, but healthy.  I started digging around Pinterest and found a ton of recipes that i could premake and freeze.  I've been planning 2 weeks of meals and shopping the weekend after each payday.  Then the day I do my grocery shopping I cook and prepare as much as I can. 

Here is my meal plan for the next while:
Quinoa, Spinach and Mushroom salad (use less salt than recipe calls for)
Chicken and Mushroom Casserole (added one onion, thinly sliced and 1 tsp. chopped garlic)
Shrimp Pie
Pork Carnitas (don't change a single thing!  Seriously.  Don't do it.)
Baked Tilapia and Sweet Potatoes
Chicken Sandwiches and corn on the cob
Chicken Pot Pie
Quesadillas
Chicken and Apple Meatloaf (used extra lean ground turkey instead of chicken)
Chicken, Kale and Rice bake (I'm using chicken instead of smoked turkey)
Chicken in White Wine Sauce, Sauteed Kale and Sweet Potatoes

Yesterday I made the Pork Carnitas and put it in the fridge.  We'll have burritoes with it on Tuesday night.  I also made the Quinoa, Spinach and Mushroom salad for supper last night.  Michael took the chicken off of two rotisserie chickens for the Chicken and Mushroom Casserole and the Chicken, Kale and Rice bake.  Today I made the Chicken and Mushroom Casserole and the Chicken and Apple Meatloaf.   Now, all I have to do, for the most part, is heat stuff up when I get home and that definitely counts as a plus in the win column!