Menu Plan Monday 12/31/12

It's the last week of 2012. We have no big plans to bring in the New Year, other than the usual watching of the Times Square Ball Drop. We would like to wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year!

Here is our menu for this week:

Monday:
Pork Chops with Mushroom Soup
Rice
Lima Beans (from Wegmans, Aldi doesn't carry them...)

Tuesday:
Crock Pot Turkey Chili
Homemade Rolls

Wednesday:
BBQ Country Style Ribs
Mashed Potatoes
Corn
Rolls (if there are any left from yesterday!)

Thursday:
Chicken
Rice
Carrots

Friday:
Homemade Pizza

As always, be sure to check Organizing Junkie for lots of great menu planning ideas!
Happy New Year!

Snowy Saturday Pizza Night

I really meant to do a post about our yummy Christmas Ham that I purchased at Aldi. But with the busy day we had, I completely forgot to take any pictures! It was a wonderful dinner though... and the Aldi Spiral Ham was delicious!

 

 

And now that the holidays are almost over, it's back to reality. And trying to save money and eating well at the same time. My husband found these pizza crusts yesterday at Aldi and wanted to try them for dinner. They come two to a pack. And there's even a bag inside to store the other one if you only eat one at at time. (Which we did.)

 

We covered with pizza sauce (not bought at Aldi, as they do not carry pizza sauce... ahem...) then we added the yummy shredded mozzarella cheese to the top.

And after a pepperoni addition, we threw it in right on the top rack the oven. It was really good! I love a nice thin crust pizza. This was perfect for a snowy Saturday night. And we figured the total cost was about $4 for the whole pizza.

Pumpkin Cookies

 

I've wanted to do this for awhile. Compare Pillsbury Pumpkin Cookies to Aldi's Baker's Corner Pumpkin Cookies. Tonight was the night. I have been using a fabulous Pumpkin Cookie recipe I found years ago, that uses Pillsbury Quick Bread as its main ingredient. They are probably one of my favorite all-time cookies, and they're super easy to make.

You take the bread mix, add a 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 egg into a bowl and mix it all up. Then you roll a ball of the cookie dough in a cinnamon sugar mixture, place them on a cookie sheet, then bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. That's it! Easy, right?

 

Well, they're also very tasty. I made 2 separate batches tonight with each bread mix. They were very similar, but noticeably different at the same time. The one on the left was the Aldi brand, the one on the right was the Pillsbury version. I'm not sure if I prefer the Pillsbury brand purely because that's what I am used to making. But I will be honest, I did prefer it. The Aldi brand was quite good though. I think it would just be personal preference on this one. You'll have to try each one and see which you prefer. I'm taking them to work tomorrow to see if anyone notices a difference... it might just be all in my head!

 

Menu Plan Monday 12/17/12

The flu has stuck our house, so I'm a little late posting the Weekly Menu plan. Hoping it goes as planned.

Here is the menu for this week:

Sunday:
Beef Stew
Corn Bread

Monday:
Chicken with Rice
Baby Carrots

Tuesday:
Potato Soup with Bacon

Wednesday:
Out

Thursday:
Meatloaf
Mashed Potatoes
Zucchini

Friday:
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Baked Beans

As always, be sure to check Organizing Junkie for lots of great menu planning ideas!

Fit & Active Multi-Grain Flatbread

* * * Update: ShopAldi has moved to a new home! Come visit us!  * * *

This was my favorite new find of the week. I've always like the Fit & Active brand, so I love when I find new products with that brand. This Multi-Grain Flatbread is fabulous. We not only made sandwiches, but we also made Flatbread Pizza. They were both delicious!

Another favorite Fit & Active product. This turkey complimented the Flatbread nicely. Such a healthy lunch!

Hot Chocolate Brownie Mix

 

I found this brownie mix last weekend at my local Aldi and had to have it. Yes, they're a "name brand", but honestly, I didn't even notice that until I brought them home. I made them last night.

They were a hit at work today. They went wonderfully with that White Chocolate Chunk coffee I posted about yesterday.

Beaumont White Chocolate Chunk Coffee

A co-worker brought in this fabulous coffee for us to try today. Beaumont White Chocolate Chunk flavor. Up until now, I really haven't been a fan of chocolate flavored coffee. But today, that all changed.

This was really, really good coffee! I'm not just saying that either. I would be honest if I didn't like it. I liked this. I think I'm going to have to get some for myself during my next Aldi trip.

Menu Plan Monday 12/10/12

I took a short "leave of absence" with my online Menu Planning. Rest assured, I was still planning menus at home. I was just lazy about posting them on the blog.

Here is the menu for this week:

Sunday:
Pork Roast
Mashed Potatoes
Zucchini

Monday:
Fried Onion Chicken
White Rice
Baby Carrots

Tuesday:
Meat Sauce with Ziti
Garlic Bread

Wednesday:
Ground Turkey Chili

Thursday:
Cube Steak
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Broccoli

Friday:
BBQ Pork Chops
Baked Beans
Brussels Sprouts

As always, be sure to check Organizing Junkie for lots of great menu planning ideas!

Multigrain Style Bread Mix

 





My husband discovered this during one of our trips to Aldi. It looked kind of fun. It's a bread mix that you make right in the container that it came in. And it's "multigrain style". (Meaning it's "like" multigrain, but it's not really multigrain... )

It wasn't quite as easy as the directions and cover made it out to be. "Just add water". Yes. That is true. But when you add the water to the tiny tin bread pan that the mix came in, it's not that easy to stir without making a mess. I would recommend pouring the mix into a mixing bowl and stirring it there. Once that is done, spray the pan with a little non-stick spray, then add the mix back into the pan once it's been mixed together. I did this on the 2nd loaf, and it was much better! Plus it was easier to remove from the pan once it was cooked.

The bread itself is very hearty. But it's pretty good. It wasn't terribly cheap (I think it was over $2 for the small loaf.) But it was fresh and made the house smell wonderful. And it was kind of fun too.

Chocolate Mint Milk

Here's a great treat for the Holiday Season! Chocolate Mint Milk by Friendly Farms. It is absolutely delicious. I would like to add that it's pretty high in fat. I almost wish they had used less heavy cream and maybe some 2% milk. But for a treat, it's wonderful as is. Thick, minty and wonderful.

Halloween Tortilla Chips

Aldi is going all out this fall with all of their fall related items. How fun are these orange and black tortilla chips? The bag was only $1.49. So go get some for your Halloween party! Or just to eat because they're fun.

Menu Plan Monday 10/8/2012

 

Well, last week went by really fast! The menu went according to plan, and now it's on to the next week. The first part of this week will feature some nice comfort food, fall is here and it's getting chilly. The second half of our week is going to be really busy, so there are some quick and easy dinners ahead.

 

Sunday:

Chicken & Stuffing Bake

Mashed Potatoes

Corn

 

Monday:

Grilled Pork Chops with Maple-Apple Glaze

Rice

Zucchini

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Betty Crocker.com

 

Tuesday:

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tomato Soup

 

Wednesday:

Chicken with Rice

Carrots

Crescent Rolls

 

Thursday:

Hot Dogs

Baked Beans

Salad

 

Friday:
Out!

 

As always, be sure to check Organizing Junkie for lots of great menu planning ideas!

Berryhill Apple Butter

I was so thrilled to see this at Aldi yesterday. I love Apple Butter, and it is expensive. This is a huge jar at 28 oz. and it was only $2.29. The only Apple Butter I could find at Wegmans was almost $5 for only 17 oz. So you can imagine how excited I was to see this! Especially since I love it on English Muffins for breakfast. I also have a great recipe this week that I will be using it in, with pork chops. Stay tuned to tomorrow's menu plan for that recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix

Aldi is going all out with fall flavored treats this year! They had a whole special section of goodies. Here's another one to try. I can't wait for my next shopping trip to see what else I can find.

Menu Plan 10/1/2012

Here is my menu plan for this week, it might be a little late, but it's still Monday!

Sunday:
Baked Mac and Cheese with Ham
Broccoli

Monday:
Turkey Chili
Crescent Rolls

Tuesday:
Spaghetti Casserole
Zucchini

Wednesday:
Grilled Ham Steak
Mashed Potatoes
Corn

Thursday:
Egg McMuffins

Friday:
Pizza

Head over to Organizing Junkie for more menu plan ideas!

Reggano Spaghetti Sauce

Aldi makes a great spaghetti sauce. We love this sauce. I use it for so many things; spaghetti, lasagna, baked ziti, chicken parmesan, you name it. It's a nice flavor, and doesn't have too much "stuff" in it. We like our sauce without chunks. This is perfect. And it's only 99 cents!

Menu Plan 9/24/2012

Here is my Menu Plan for this week. I'm trying to find new recipes, I feel like we've been recycling the same things lately.

Sunday:
Chicken and Dumplings
Mashed Potatoes
Peas

Monday:
Baked Bow Tie Pasta
Garlic Bread
Salad

Tuesday:
Chicken Stroganoff
Egg Noodles
Carrots

Wednesday:
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Tortillas
Corn

Thursday:
Leftover night

Friday:
Potato Soup with Bacon Bits

Saturday:
Cross Country Family Picnic

As always, please go check out Organizing Junkie for more fabulous menu planning ideas and recipes.

Pumpkin Muffins

 

Yep, another fall inspired baking project! This time, pumpkin muffins

And yes, they were as good as they look. And the mix was only $1.99 and super easy to make. From mixing to eating, it was about 35 minutes.

Thin Wheat Crackers

Do you like Wheat Thins? These are practically identical. Except for the price. They're $1.29 per box. The name brand Wheat Thins are usually $2.50 per box.

Menu Plan Monday 9/17/12

I almost forgot to post my menu plan this week! Last week went perfectly. Hoping for another great week!

Monday:
BBQ Ribs
Rice
Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Not from Aldi)

Tuesday:
Turkey Chili
Crescent Rolls

Wednesday:
Chicken with Rice
Carrots

Thursday:
Turkey Burgers on Whole Grain Skinny Bread
Au Gratin Potatoes
Broccoli

Friday:
Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Don't forget to check out Organizing Junkie for more fabulous menu plans and recipes!

Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread Mix

 

I found this bread mix at Aldi this weekend. I had to have it. I love anything and everything apple. Especially in the fall. It did not disappoint.

 

 

I chose to make bread instead of muffins, and it was fabulous! The mix was only $1.99.

Menu Plan Monday - Sept 10

I forgot about last week, I think that the Labor Day holiday threw me off! I'm back this week with a great menu plan. I added Sunday this week because it was a fantastic meal. And because we're skipping Friday because we're going out to eat.

Here is this week's menu:

Sunday:
Ground Turkey Meatloaf w/ gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Lima Beans

Monday:
Baked Scallops
Rice
Broccoli

Tuesday:
Cheese Tortellini with Chicken
Zucchini

Wednesday:
Hamburgers & Whole Grain Sandwich Skinny's
Baked Beans
Corn

Thursday:
Baked Chicken with Fried Onions
Rice
Carrots

Friday:
Going out!
Don't forget to check out Organizing Junkie for more fabulous menu plans and recipes!

Savoritz Cheese Crackers

Yesterday I posted the "kids" cheese crackers, today I'll post about the "grown up" cheese crackers. These little cheese crackers are addicting. Very, very addicting. They're very similar to Cheez-Its, except in my opinion, much better! They are seriously really, really good. And they're only $1.29 for the box.

Savoritz 4 Kids Penguin Crackers

* * * Update: ShopAldi has moved to a new home! Come visit us!  * * *

I found these cute Penguin crackers during my last Aldi outing. I'll be honest, I bought them for myself. I love Goldfish crackers, so I figured these would be very similar. And I was right! They're cute and tasty. I kind of liked them a teeny bit more. And they were only $1.49. Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers generally run around $2, unless they're on sale.

Clancy's Kettle Chips & Onion Dip

I am a big potato chip fan. They are my downfall. I can live without chocolate, but potato chips? Not a chance. Aldi has a great variety of potato chips, and I've yet to find one I didn't like. Kettle chips seem to be all the rage, and these are fantastic. And they're also really good with their French Onion dip!

 

 



I can't believe I haven't raved about Aldi's French Onion Dip yet. Our whole family loves it! It goes great with not only regular chips, but with their tortilla chips too. That's one combination my husband introduced me too, and it's really good! This big container (16 oz!) of dip is only 99 cents. Wegmans has a French Onion Dip that's only 12 oz. and it's $1.39. This Aldi dip is a great deal!

Berryhill Hot Fudge Topping

I don't know what took me so long to find this at Aldi, but I finally discovered it. My husband loves hot fudge on his ice cream. And the price of this is almost half of what a similar jar is at Wegmans. It's only $1.99 at Aldi, and it tastes great!

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese

Fall is here at Aldi! I saw this over the weekend and had to have it. I love fall and everything about fall, especially the food. This cream cheese has a wonderful pumpkin flavor to it, and it went very well with their mini whole wheat bagels. And it's only $1.49 for the container.

Menu Plan Monday for August 20th

Last week's menu went almost according to plan, minus the one night we went out to dinner. But then we just shifted from that point and finished out the week a day off each day. So it all worked out in the end. Hopefully this week will go according to plan.

Here is this week's menu:

Monday:
Grilled Ham Steak
Mashed Potatoes
Corn

Tuesday:
Chicken & Rice
Carrots

Wednesday:
Jennie-OTurkey Burgers
Sauted Mushrooms
Whole grain rolls (from Wegmans)
Zucchini

Thursday:
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with Ham
Rolls

Friday:
Pizza

If you'd like to check out more menu planning ideas, head over to Organizing Junkie!

Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars

Greek Yogurt is all the rage these days. And Aldi is right up with all the trends. Their new Fit & Active Frozen Yogurt Bars are wonderful. A nice healthy dessert. And the price isn't bad either at $2.99. The only brand of frozen yogurt bars I could find at Wegmans was almost $5. So this is a great deal! And they taste good too.

Guacamole Tortilla Chips

It's the best of both worlds! These guacamole chips are fantastic. I only wish I had thought to buy some more guacamole to dip them in. I bet they would be fabulous together. These are great with salsa, or just by themselves. And they're only $1.69 for the bag.

FIt & Active Lean Turkey Polska Kielbasa

This Turkey Kielbasa looked interesting to me and I will say I enjoyed it very much. We cooked it in a pan with olive oil and added some peppers and onions. It was very tasty. It cost $2.49. Hillshire Farms has a similar item that cost $3.49 at our local Wegmans. So once again, Aldi is cheaper.

Mini Choceur Chocolate Bars

You must know by now if you're a follower of this blog, we like chocolate. I saw these little chocolate bars this weekend and had to get them!

They're only 1.4 oz. each, just the perfect size for a nice treat, without feeling the guilt of eating a giant chocolate bar. And the price wasn't too bad either. $1.99 for 5 bars. That's only 40 cents each. And they taste amazing!

Menu Plan Monday 8/13/2012

I can't believe how fast this past week went! Here's our plan for this week. Our grocery bill was about cut in half this week as my 15 year old son, who eats more than 3 grown men, is at running camp all week...

Monday:
Turkey Burgers on Wheat Rolls
Corn

Tuesday:
Open Faced Tacos (click for super simple recipe)

Wednesday:
Turkey Chili (recipe here)

Thursday:
Pork Chops w/ cream of mushroom soup
White Rice
Lima Beans (from Wegmans, as Aldi doesn't carry Lima Beans...)

Friday:
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches (using 99 cent/lb chicken from Aldi!)
Baked Beans

* Don't forget to check out Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan link-up for more great menu ideas or to join in on the menu planning fun.

Avocado, Turkey and Spinach Wrap

Here is a simple and healthy lunch, using only Aldi products. Avocado seems to be all the rage these days. And why not? It's delicious! I particularly like it in guacamole. And it's excellent in a sandwich.

I didn't count the calories in this particular wrap, but I can't imagine there are too many. I made my wrap with oven roasted turkey breast, flat leaf spinach, a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella, and spread some Fit & Active mayonnaise along with a tbsp or so of guacamole. And it was delicious!

Fancy Clancy Chips

We took a Finger Lakes winery tour this weekend and at one of the wineries, we noticed they had Clancy tortilla chips for sale. I was impressed that a classy winery (Miles Wine Cellars) would sell Aldi chips. I mean, I know how good Clancy Muligrain chips are, but somehow seeing them in a fancy winery really made me smile.

Nature's Nectar Iced Sweet Tea

This Iced Sweet Tea was a new discovery for me during my last trip to Aldi. I am a big fan of iced tea, especially Sweet Tea. This tea did not disappoint. Within a day, it was almost gone. I will certainly pick up this Sweet Tea again during my next trip to Aldi. The cost for my new favorite drink is $1.79.