My name is Julie Turner, I am a wife of just over a year to my husband James. I love to cook and James loves to eat, so we've got a pretty good thing going on. Here you'll find recipes, menu plans, as well as my triumphs and failures in the kitchen. You can also find more from me over at DesiringVirtue.com from time to time contributing to the homemaking periodical "Foodie Files."

24

Oct. '11

Taste of Fall Menu Plan

We’re finally getting a real fall weather here in Texas, so I’m excited to be incorporating the tastes of season into our meals! You can expect more pumpkin, butternut squash, baking, and crock-pot recipes to be featured on our menus in the coming weeks!

I’m loving this fall bouquet James brought home Friday for date night:

This week I’ll be cooking fewer meals as we will be going out of town over the weekend to celebrate James’s great-grandma’s 99th birthday! Just incredible. :)

Here’s what we’ll be enjoying this week:

Menu Plan October 23rd-29th, 2011

Breakfasts:

Lunches:

Dinners:

  • Linguine w/ Clam Sauce
  • Italian Roast (Crockpot), mashed potatoes, rolls
  • Roasted Veggie Enchiladas*
  • Dinner Out for Date Night!
  • Dinner w/Hometeam friends
  • Pizza Night
  • Dinner with Family 

*I found this veggie enchilada recipe on Pinterest that looked delicious! I’m going to be tweaking the recipe for fall produce and what we have on hand. I love saving money (and a few calories) by having a meatless meal whenever possible. If this turns out well, I’ll be sure to share my version the recipe!

I’m linking up over at Desiring Virtue! Join the fun!

16

Oct. '11

Shopping & Saving Weekend

Its been a fun weekend of shopping, crafting, and saving :) 

Yesterday James and I ventured out on a rare trip to Walmart for office supplies, printer ink, etc… One of those not so frugal, but necessary kind of trips. After that, though, we were able to find some great deals on items needed for craft projects I’ll be putting together as Christmas gifts. While I can’t disclose the details on everything I’ll be making (for obvious reasons) I will say I was pleased to make my first ever burlap wreath!

I still need to add ribbon and some accents for finishing touches, but I’m glad it came together as well as it did.  It gives me confidence that I can accomplish everything I plan to do this holiday season :)

Costco was our next stop. Thanks to the monthly coupons they send out to members I picked up two 8 can packs of S&W Organic diced tomatoes for $.48/can as they were “buy one get one free”- it was a steal!   We used diced tomatoes in everything from pastas and pizza to soups and anything in between, so this was a pretty exciting purchase!

I also picked up this 72 oz. bag of chocolate chips for $6.25 and this commercial baking sheet set: 1/4 sheet, 1/2 sheet w/lid and cooling wrack for $14.99. What great finds to have on-hand for holiday baking!

This afternoon, I had a few girlfriends over for a coupon party. As each of us are at different stages in life-singles, marrieds, moms, novices and seasoned pro’s in couponing we were able to learn from each other about the variety of ways to save on grocery shopping.  Each of us took away a stash of coupons and motivation to save more on groceries! 

Coupons in tow, James and I took off to Kroger tonight to pick up groceries for the week. From our store card and coupon savings we spent $49. 36 and saved $21.19, a savings of 33%. It feels so good knowing that with very little effort-a few coupons and a solid meal plan we cut our grocery bill by 1/3 this week! Here’s what we bought:

Even better, many of these items will carry over into the coming weeks. :)

I’ll be making a run to Sprouts tomorrow for a few fresh produce items, but otherwise I’m caught up on shopping after not doing a major shopping trip in two weeks since I created my last menu plan.  We’re back on a one-week menu plan this week, here’s what we’ll be having:

Breakfasts:

  • Lemon Zucchini Muffins (from freezer)
  • Pumpkin Coffee Cake -So delicious! I even made ours without the glaze and it was good. I’m obsessed with all things pumpkin this fall :)
  • Oatmeal
  • Cereal x2
  • Bagels w/cream cheese
  • Big Saturday breakfast @Home- Eggs, bacon, biscuits mmm!

Lunches

  • We skipped lunch today-this never happens, ha!
  • Sandwiches & fruit x2
  • Leftover Pizza
  • Leftover Chicken Enchiladas
  • Leftover Bolognese
  • Lunch out!

Dinners

  • Leftover Pork Loin, steamed broccoli, bread
  • Supreme Deep Dish Pizza 
  • Chicken Enchiladas
  • Pasta w/Bolognese Sauce (In the Crockpot)
  • Chicken Stir-Fry
  • Date Night Out @ Palio’s w/ Groupon
  •  PW Linguine w/Clam Sauce

I’m linking up with Desiring Virtue each week for Menu Planning Mayhem!

10

Oct. '11

Two-Week Plan Update!

When we linked up last week, I mentioned I was trying out my first-ever two week menu plan.  Although it took a little more time and effort in planning, I really enjoyed being able to go out of town this weekend without worrying about groceries! I actually think I saved more money this way too- after coupons and sales last weekend I only spent about $60 on two weeks of meals. The only thing I’ll really need to pick up this week is some fresh produce to carry us over until I make our next “big” trip to the store this weekend.

Here is part 2 of our two-week plan…

Week 2

Breakfasts:

  • Brunch out w/family
  • Cereal x2
  • Oatmeal x2
  • Muffins (from freezer) fruit
  • Big Saturday Breakfast- Eggs Bacon, etc…

Lunches:

  • Late lunch w/family
  • PB & Jelly, applesauce, chips x2
  • Leftover Chicken Pasta
  • Leftover Skillet Pot Pie
  • Pantry Pizza Pockets
  • Lunch out using coupons/gift cards

Dinners:

Be sure to link-up with us over at Desiring Virtue!

02

Oct. '11

Menu Plan-On the Road Edition

We’ll be going out of town next weekend, so this means that a.) I won’t be planning as many meals for this week b.) We’ll be back late Sunday so I will not have a chance to go grocery shopping next weekend.  

“Back in the day” before I menu planned, we would just leave town, not giving groceries for the following week a second thought. Many times this no-plan approach was something that made the Monday back to work really frustrating. The milk was expired, we were out of bread, we had nothing on hand for me to throw together, so we would usually end up eating lunch and sometimes even dinner out that day. Running by the store afterward to load up on groceries, making for a very late night. 

Rather than fall back into that frustrating habit, I’ve decided to do things differently this time around! So, I made my first ever Two-Week Menu plan! I’m excited that I can make one trip to the store this week and still feel confident going into a new week next!  

Here’s whats coming to the Turner Table:

Week One

Breakfasts:

  • Scones & Coffee (Scones leftover from Tea Party)
  • Cereal x2
  • Oatmeal x2
  • Eggs and Bacon
  • Breakfast on the road

Lunches:

  • Leftover Italian
  • PB & Jelly, apples, graham crackers x2
  • Leftover Taco Pot Pie
  • Turkey Sandwich, fruit, chips
  • Leftover Orange Chicken & Veggies
  • Lunch with Family x 2

Dinners: 

  • Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas
  • Taco Pot Pie-Flavour Cookbook
  • Chicken Marsala
  • Orange Chicken w/ rice & veggies
  • Dinner with Hometeam friends
  • Date night- restaurant gift cards
  • Dinner with family
  • Dinner on the road

Week 2

Breakfasts:

  • Breakfast w/family
  • Cereal x2
  • Oatmeal x2
  • Muffins (from freezer) fruit
  • Big Saturday Breakfast- Eggs Bacon, etc…

Lunches:

  • Lunch with family
  • PB & Jelly, applesauce, chips x2
  • Leftover Chicken Pasta
  • Leftover Skillet Pot Pie
  • Pantry Pizza Pockets
  • Lunch out using coupons/gift cards

Dinners:

There you have it! We will see how this 2-week plan works for our family!

I’m linking up over at Desiring Virtue! Join the fun!

26

Sep. '11

Menu Plan

We’re trying out a new menu plan style this week…

I’m focusing more on preparing more quick dinners during the week that carry over into hot lunches too. I’m hoping this will be better for James and I in this season. 

I’ll also be hosting a Bridesmaids Tea for my sister Katie and the wedding party girls this Saturday afternoon. I’ll be serving several flavors of tea, scones, etc… and I’ll be documenting the food and fun to share later here on the blog! 

In the meantime, here is a taste of what’s cookin’ at our place this week:

Week of September 25-Oct 1

Breakfasts:

  • Oatmeal w/ Fresh Strawberries x2
  • Bagels w/Cream Cheese x2
  • Cereal x2
  • James-Breakfast @ Church; Julie-Breakfast Salad

Lunches:

  • Chimichangas w/Chips & Salsa
  • PB & J w/Strawberries & Bananas x2
  • Linguine w/Clam Sauce (didn’t make this last week)
  • Leftover Chicken & Broccoli over rice
  • Leftover Salsa Verde Beef
  • Lunch out on Saturday

Dinners:

  • AB Beef Tenderloin filet and Au Gratin Potatoes (see previous post)
  • Barbecue Chicken Pizza-Monday night football!
  • Salsa Verde Beef 
  • Slow Cooker Chicken and Broccoli over Rice
  • Dinner with Hometeam friends
  • Dinner out/on own (James @ Men’s Conference)
  • Chicken Marsala w/ Mashed potatoes

25

Sep. '11

Adventures in Grouponing

James and I had a pretty open Saturday, so we took advantage of spending some of the Groupon’s we bought recently. If you haven’t used Groupon, let me tell you how much of a fan I am…

We took a long weekend trip to Napa & San Francisco for our 1 year anniversary at the end of July. A few months before that, I subscribed to the San Francisco and Napa Groupon’s in addition to our local ones- I think you can subscribe to up to five at a time. Almost everyday I would pull up the Groupon’s to see if anything sounded something we might want to do. We ended up getting our favorite tour, a great dessert and a night out on the town all half price! It made the trip that much more enjoyable knowing we had stretched our trip money by leveraging Groupon’s. So, if you’re planning a trip, I highly recommend it. 

Going back to our most recent adventure in Grouponing, I was able to get some fun things for the Bridesmaid’s Tea I’ll be hosting this Saturday (I’m the MOH in my kid sisters wedding in January). I’m really  excited to have this group of gals over at our place to celebrate and get to know them better before all of the festivities roll around. I’m going to do my best to document all of the tea party preparation so I can share some ideas here too!

Our other exciting Groupon adventure of the day was going to a meat and fish market nearby. We didn’t know what to expect, part of me was hopeful to fill the freezer with $30 worth of meat that we had  only pay $15 for. Upon arrival, we quickly realized that this was more of a high-end market. The market happened to carry Allen Brothers steaks, the kind served at places like Bob’s Steak and Chop House.

We decided it would be fun to splurge on two AB Beef Tenderloin filets for a romantic date night at home. We also got a couple of au gratin potatoes to go with as well some ground chuck I’m planning to use later in the week. We only went over our credit by $1.13, so that put us at about $16 total out of pocket. You just can’t beat that! I think this is a great alternative to a fancy night out. I actually think the steak tasted better at home for $16 than it would if we had spent $80 at a renowned steakhouse! Even with Groupon, this isn’t something we do on a regular basis, but its a fun treat every once in a while. ;)

18

Sep. '11

Menu Planning-Slow Cooker Edition

Turner Menu Plan September 18th-24th

Breakfasts:

Lunches:

  • Lemon and Chicken Soup
  • PB & J on homemade bread, fruit or celery x2
  • Turkey sandwiches, pita chips & hummus x2
  • Leftover chicken spaghetti
  • Spinach and Cheese quesadillas, chips and salsa

Dinner:

  • Bacon, Mozzarella & Tomato Pizza
  • Crockpot Baked Potato Soup
  • Chicken Spaghetti
  • Flank Steak salad w/ Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette (recipe to come)
  • Linguine w/ Clam Sauce
  • A favorite as well as a way to finish off the cream I bought for the soup!
  • Date Night out at the Ballpark
  • Family Dinner- I’ll be bringing a homemade Caesar salad (dressing and all!)

Snacks and other fun things:

  • No Bake Energy Bites- I tried these for the first time this past week in a desperate attempt to avoid buying store-bought snacks. They were delicious and so easy to put together.  This will be our new go-to for afternoon snacks! 
  • Muffins from the freezer (Lemon Zucchini and/or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip)

I’m linking up over at Desiring Virtue! Join in the fun! 

    11

    Sep. '11

    Menu Planning and Unexpected Blessings

    September has definitely been an interesting month for menu planning…

    In August, we literally didn’t go out to eat, not once. I guess we’re making up for it this time around!  We’ve been blessed by our family with dinners out, and received an abundance of leftovers from my Dad who loves to grill.  We also opted to grab lunch out yesterday while running errands out of convenience.  Rather than for-go the meal plan all together when such things arise, I’ve been able to make sure we eat the meals with fresh produce and hold off on the meals made up of pantry staples. So, you’ll find that if I repeat a meal that was listed last week (or even the week before)  it just means we didn’t get to it yet. ;)

    Turner Menu Plan Sept 11th-17th:

    Breakfasts

    • Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake (x2)- I love the Reduced Very Berry Coffee Cake from Starbucks. This is my attempt to re-create this at home. If it turns out I’ll be sure to post the recipe soon- here’s hoping! 
    • Cereal x2
    • Oatmeal x2
    • Eggs and Turkey Bacon
    • Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls- My in-laws will be visiting over the weekend next Saturday and Sunday, I’m hoping to make these ahead for Sunday morning!

    Lunches

    • Fish & Chips
    • Leftover Enchiladas w/ Tortilla chips
    • PB & J, fruit x2
    • Turkey Pesto Panini’s w/Pita chips
    • Salad, Italian Bread
    • Lunch out with James parents

    Dinners:

    • Pioneer Woman Enchiladas
    • Coffee/Dinner with a friend/James dinner @ church event
    • Honey Barbecue Chicken, baked potatoes & corn - a favorite from last month!
    • Mac N’ Cheese, Salad, Italian bread (Thanks Jessalyn)
    • Dinner with our Hometeam (Married Small Group from church)
    • Spring Chicken Pizza (Friday night is pizza night!)
    • Flank Steak with Mango salsa- Making our “Anniversary” meal for James’s folks

    I’m linking up over at Desiring Virtue- you can too! Join us in the Mayhem!

    06

    Sep. '11

    Labor Day Link Up!

    This three day weekend has been such a treat! 

    James and I had the opportunity to host some good friends in our home Friday night. A recipe for Chicken and Waffle Pops I found on Pinterest made for a fun dinner with Southern flair! It was a great way to start the weekend.  We spent Saturday sleeping in, I finally finished reading The Help (so good!),  best of all we had quality time together-just James and I. Sunday was a day of church, then celebrating a special 1st birthday with friends. Today, Monday, James and I snuck in lunch and a movie (The Help) with my mom, then went over to my dad and stepmom’s place for an afternoon with family. 

    As it turns out, we had some unexpected meals come our way last week-breakfast at La Madeleine and a rack of ribs from my dad-such a blessing! Some other things came up too, so you’ll notice that I’ll be including a couple of items we didn’t quite get to last week in this weeks meal plan. Here’s what we’ll be having at our place this week:

    Turner Menu Plan: September 4th-10th, 2011

    Breakfasts:

    • Oatmeal x2
    • Cereal x2
    • Free Chick-Fil-A 
    • Breakfast Burritos

    Lunches:

    • Out with Julie’s mom
    • (Epic) Hot Dogs & Chips
    • Adult Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
    • Turkey Sandwiches on Rye w/Fruit  x2
    • Black Bean Veggie Wraps w/ Pita Chips
    • Chicken Enchiladas-leftover from dinner

    Dinners:

    • Steaks on the Grill (Julie’s Dad’s)- We brought a fruit/cheese tray & brownies
    • Coconut Lime Chicken w/Sweet Potatoes
    • Steak Salad using steak from Dad’s
    • Meatball Siders-These were a big hit at the church last week!
    • Chicken Enchiladas from the Flavour Cookbook
    • Church event-dinner provided
    • Pizza Night!

    I’m linking up over at Desiring Virtue! 

    28

    Aug. '11

    Mayhem Month In Review

    As August comes to a close, so does our first month of Menu Planning Mayhem on Desiring Virtue. Overall it has been a great experience! I’ve had so much fun scouting out new recipes and James and I have definitely saved money by sticking to a specific grocery list each week. 

    Even as a foodie, I have to admit, I was a tad overly ambitious this month when it came to trying new recipes-18 of them. If you’re considering starting to menu plan, I would suggest only trying maybe1-2 new recipes a week in with meals that you already know you/your family enjoy regularly. 

    Seeking a little more direction in the coming weeks, I thought I’d have James choose which recipes he liked the best, and the ones he liked the least, from our first month so that I would have a better idea of which recipes to recycle and which ones to not bother making going forward.

    James Top 5 Favorite Recipes-August:

    ·      Bacon Avocado Pizza

    ·      French Toast Casserole-Paula Deen

    ·      Honey Barbecue Chicken

    ·      Tuscan Pork Chops-Flavour Cookbook


    ·     Simple Stromboli

    As I’ll be making these five favorites again this month, I’ll be posting recipes and instructions for the three recipes that are my “own”-Bacon-Avocado Pizza, Honey Barbecue Chicken and Simple Stromboli.  I’m looking forward to sharing these with you! For now, here’s what we’ve got cookin’ this week…

    Turner Menu Plan August 28- September 3rd, 2011

    Breakfasts:

    Lunches:

    • ·      Black Bean Veggie Wraps w/ pita chips
    • ·      Turkey & Jarlesberg Sandwich on Homemade Bread, carrots
    • ·      Peanut Butter and Homemade Jam Sandwich, graham crackers
    • ·      Leftovers for lunch
    • ·      Baked Fish and Mac N’ Cheese
    • ·      Hot Dogs and Chips

    Dinners:

    • ·      No-Bun Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries
    • ·      Chicken Scallopini over Pasta
    • ·      Grilled Mango-Shrimp Kabobs w/Brown rice
    • ·      Lime-Coconut Chicken w/ Baked Sweet Potatoes
    • ·      Dinner with Nursing Home team
    • ·      Date Night Out* Piranha Sushi!
    • ·      PW Perfect Enchiladas

    *This is our first date night out since we got back from our 1-year trip at the end of July! Its kind of hard to believe that we haven’t eaten out in over a month- it certainly wasn’t easy. Meal planning definitely made it possible to enjoy eating at home every meal (with the exception of a couple of meals with extended family).

    It was well worth the savings, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to going out Friday night. ;) Piranha Sushi is my favorite, but also a rare treat-we wouldn’t be going if we hadn’t gotten a Groupon!

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    Be sure to join in the “Mayhem” by linking up YOUR menu plan on Desiring Virtue!

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