Welcome to the all new Honeybears and SydneyBeans blog site! This has been a dream, years in the making! I want to say thank you to everyone for bearing with me over the years, putting up with my uneven spacing, unprintable recipes, and basic options.
Thank you.
I appreciate you.
Second I wanted to say thank you to Ninja who has lately become more of the chef in the kitchen than just my sous chef. He grocery shops for me when I need help, cuts up vegetables now that my hands won’t allow me to, and helps with the cooking when I can’t keep my thoughts organized.
Thank you.
Lastly, I want to thank Luke from Open Skies Media for working so far out of his comfort zone lol. When Ninja hired him 2 years ago to help me with my website, I don’t think he knew what he was getting into. Luke is an amazing website designer for local businesses in Penticton and Summerland, but this is the first blog he has ever worked on, and he had to learn so many new things to help me make this space what I have been hoping that it can be. This is far from the end of my changes, improvements, and overhaul of this space that has become so important to me over the past 10 years. Actually, in 3 weeks I will be going into my 11th year with HoneyBears and SydneyBeans! Amazing! This post was a lot of work. A LOT! It is far from perfect! it will take me years to go back and reformat all 649 posts that I have published in the past almost 11 years, so please, continue to bear with me! Lol
ALSO, now you can SUBSCRIBE to my blog! (at the time of publishing this feature was having issues. We hope to have them ironed out soon.) Make sure you sign up at the top of my homepage to get my weekly blog post delivered straight to your email! I have no idea what the email looks like, so I really need you to hang in there until ALL the kinks are ironed out! Now you can comment and I can ACTUALLY reply!!! So comment! Let me know what you think! Improvements? YES! Tell me! You think that the green cursive quote at the top is too light? Me too! Let me know!!! Let’s continue to improve… together! Thank you (right here would be a yellow heart emoji, but I don’t know how to do that now, so I will have to figure out another way to show you all my love laughing crying face here)
For my very first post on my new hosting site, I am sharing my January: Meal Plan on a Budget!
According to Canada’s Food Price Report for 2024, a family of 4 will spend $16,297.20 on food this year — that’s up $701.79 from 2023!
That’s $1,358.10 a month.
That’s roughly $313.40 a week.
NEW CHALLENGE!!!
Let’s feed me, my husband, our 15 year old and our 11 year old for about HALF that and make a week long menu plan for under $160.00!
Here is January’s weekly meal plan staying close to my budget of $160.00! I want you to have all the tools to be able to feed your family 7 healthy(ish) meals, while not putting yourself into the poorhouse! I hope you enjoy and please let me know if you follow this weekly plan and if you were able to stick to the budget! NEW FEATURE ALERT!!!! Now you can click on the recipe listed in the MENU below and it will take you directly to the recipe!!
MENU
Sunday: Crock Pot Beef Stew
Monday: Catalina Pork with Rice and Corn
Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pasta
Wednesday: White Bean Soup
Thursday: BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with French Fries
Friday: Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy & Mashed Potatoes
Saturday: Baked Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomato & Mozzarella
Staple Items
These items are ALWAYS in my pantry or fridge. This tip bares repeating… As soon as I see an item running out it goes on the my shopping list. If they come up on my PC Points list or go on sale, I buy them. We have a second fridge in the garage, so I always have eggs, mayo, soy sauce, etc. on hand. It may take you a while and some money to get this system going but once you do… your wallet will thank you 🙂
Things I need for this week’s menu that I already have in my kitchen (my staple items) are listed below on the left. The items that I need to buy are listed on the right.
SHOPPING LIST:
Stocked up Items
3 pork chops
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 package of onion soup mix
1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 bottle of Catalina salad dressing
1 cup rice
salt & pepper
9 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup panko
6 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 carrots
3 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 1/2 cup frozen peas (bought a bag)
1 can of corn
1 can diced tomatoes
6 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 bay leaves
6 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 can of cannellini beans
1 package of bacon
Need to Buy
1 lbs stew meat
9 cups chicken broth
7 cups beef broth
3 yellow onion (bought a bag)
2 heads garlic
4 cups mushrooms
1 bunch parsley
8 russet potatoes
5 stalks celery
1 red onion
1 rotisserie chicken
1 loaf sourdough bread
1 bag French Fries
2 1/2 cups half and half
12 oz egg noodles
1 package of gnocchi
1 small clamshell cherry tomatoes
1 brick mozzarella cheese
¼ red bell pepper (bought a bag of 4)
I also bought some lunch items/snacks/stock up: cookies, granola bars, thousand Island, Ramen, noodles, salted butter, 4 L of milk, bananas, Roma, tomatoes, apples, and cilantro.
Meat
I stock up on meat when it’s on sale so I only needed to buy the steak for this week. This is the meat we need at the prices of each.
1 lb ground beef (not extra lean so I’ll make sure I drain!)
$14.27 for 4lbs = $3.56/lb
1 package of bacon = $3.99
3 pork chops I bought a pork loin for $24.90. It got cut up into 6 meals. Each meal = $4.15
Meat $11.70
Menu $72.39
Lunches & Stock Up $35.50
TOTAL= $119.59
$40.41 UNDER!!
Sunday: Crock Pot Beef Stew
This is my favourite winter dinner. I try to make stew at least once a month starting from late fall and ending in the spring. This stew isn’t as good as my Mom’s stew but it is a close second, it will fill you up and warm you to your core. You can find step-by-step pictures in my original post for Crockpot Beef Stew.
1 lbs stew meat, cut into bite sized piece
4 potatoes, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, cut into quarters
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
4 cups beef broth
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup frozen peas
Directions
Add ingredients from stew meat to beef broth into your crockpot then cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until meat is tender.
Add flour to a bowl then add a ladleful of cooking liquid and whisk until smooth. Pour back into crock pot then stir well to combine and cook on high for 30-45 more minutes, or until broth has thickened.
Add peas then let sit until heated through, 5 minutes, before serving.
Monday: Catalina Pork with Rice and Corn
This is a meal that I grew up eating. Most times it was made with chicken but I also love this dish using boneless pork chops. It is the easiest dish ever but looks and tastes good enough to serve to guests. I usually keep the 3 pantry items on hand at all times for a “go to” dish when I’m feeling lazy. I had lettuce in my fridge that was about to go bad so we made a quick Caesar salad instead of the corn that was on my shopping list. However, I love sweet corn mixed with rice and this Catalina pork, SO GOOD! For my Basic Rice recipe click HERE!
Catalina Pork Chops with Rice & Veg
3-4
servings5
minutes30
minutesIngredients
3 pork chops
1 package of onion soup mix
1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 bottle of Catalina salad dressing
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 can niblet corn
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
Make rice.
Mix cranberry sauce, Catalina dressing, and the onion soup mix in a greased baking dish. Add pork chops and cover with sauce.
Bake until pork is cooked through (about 30 minutes).
Cook corn in covered microwavable dish for 2 minutes. Stirring after 1 minute.
Serve pork with rice, and corn.
Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pasta
This is another dish that we eat regularly. It is one of SBean’s favourite dinners, HBear loves it too because she loves chicken pot pie but doesn’t like the pie part and we love it because it is SO easy to make! This is a recipe that you can make cheaper & easier by buying and using frozen veggies instead of fresh vegetables that may not be in season right now. Always check both prices to get the best bang for your buck!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups of rotisserie chicken
10 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cup chicken broth
2 cup half and half
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 bag broad egg noodles
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, add the butter. Once heated, add the mushrooms, onion, celery and carrots, saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken stock along with the half and half, whisk, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
Cut the chicken into small bite-size chunks and add it to the pot. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, sage, and paprika.
When the mixture begins to boil, add the pasta and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the peas and parsley.
Cook until the pasta is tender and the sauce is thick.
Wednesday: White Bean Soup
I love soup. HBear LOVED this soup. It is filling, comforting, cheap, easy to make and makes delicious leftovers! The smokey flavour of the bacon, the earthiness of the white kidney beans, and the beautiful pops of colour and flavour from the vegetables make this soup a winner!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 slices bacon, minced
1 onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
¼ red bell pepper, finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 ½ tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, finely diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Directions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add the bacon and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the stock, tomato, tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper, and beans, and bring to a boil; turn the heat down and simmer 15 minutes (uncovered).
Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the garlic and thyme, and cook 2 minutes; stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes more.
Turn the heat off and stir in the cream and parsley. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
Thursday: BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with French Fries
Ninja is a big sandwich guy! When I first met him, he used to make me sandwiches every lunch. I remember thinking, I could eat sandwiches with this guy for the rest of my life. Lol. Here I am over 20 years later trying to think up new sandwiches For my Ninja. This one was so easy and tasted so darn good! We love grilled cheeses in our house and on busy nights we will make some grilled cheeses and add a vegetable on the side. This time we added chicken to our grilled cheeses, and made it feel even more like getting greasy pub food by air frying some french fries on the side! Can’t wait to have this one again!
BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with French Fries
4
servings5
minutes15
minutesIngredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced and divided
2 ½ cups rotisserie chicken
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup BBQ sauce
8-12 slices Mozzarella cheese
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoons parsley, minced
8 slices sourdough bread
1 bag French Fries
Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onions until soft, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the shredded chicken, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire sauce and bbq sauce. Stir to combine and cook until everything is heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
Add butter, 2 cloves of garlic and minced parsley in a medium bowl. Microwave until melted.
Lay 8 slices of bread on work surface. Spread melted butter mixture over each piece.
Turn each piece over and top 4 of the bread slices with 4 of the cheese slices and the bbq chicken mixture, dividing evenly. Add the remaining cheese over the top of the chicken and top with the remaining 4 slices of bread (both the bottom and the top should have the buttered side exposed).
Air Fry French Fries according to directions on bag.
Set buttered sandwiches on a griddle over medium heat and cook until the bottoms of the sandwiches are browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn sandwiches over, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the bottom is browned. and the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes longer
Cut sandwiches in half and serve with French fries.
Friday: Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy & Mashed Potatoes
This is another dish that we love and have in our regular rotation. This is NOT your Mother’s meatloaf!! This is a sophisticated comfort food at it’s best! You can find step-by-step pictures in my original post for Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy & Mashed Potatoes.
Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy & Mashed Potatoes
4-5
servings15
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 egg
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, separated
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, separated
1 lb ground beef
½ cup panko
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 1/4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
4 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon thyme
Directions
Boil salted water and add potatoes and cook until fork tender about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the egg with 2 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of the mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Add the beef, panko, onion, and garlic and mix until combined. Shape into 4-5 oval patties about ½ inch thick.
Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, flipping once, until well browned and cooked through (160°F), about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
In a small bowl, stir ¼ cup of the beef broth with the cornstarch.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, rosemary, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes. I added the peppers towards the end and sautéed for a 3 minutes more.
Add the remaining beef broth, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon mustard. Stir the cornstarch mixture again and then whisk it into the skillet.
Cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the patties to the skillet.
Rice or mash potatoes with 2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Serve sprinkled with the parsley.
Saturday: Baked Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomato & Mozzarella
I feel like I saved the best for last this week! This dish is satisfies your eyes, your belly and your soul! This is way too good to be this darn easy to make! Take pictures of this cheesy masterpiece to show everyone how easy it is to bake up something so gorgeous and delicious!
Baked Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomato and Mozzarella
4-6
servings5
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1 package of gnocchi
1/2 package bacon, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 400°f and bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Fry the bacon in a large pan until starting to crisp. Pour off most of the fat then add the garlic and smoked paprika and fry for 30 seconds.
Add all of the tomatoes. tomato paste, and the sugar and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream, parsley and seasoning.
Cook the gnocchi in the salted water until it starts floating to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce. Top with the mozzarella.
Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #362: Tinkering! This week, we get together after a quiet week to discuss: longer days, house repairs, kids and money, lost retainer, Valentine cocktail, dress shopping, new van, 2023 quiz, SOW, and Miley Cyrus.
We began our New Year drinking champagne in the hot tub! We also, played with our new Christmas presents, I organized my “stash” and then started Yoga with Adriene: Flow so that I would feel less guilt about said “stash”. I went grocery shopping, watched the beautiful sunrise, the Kids went back to school, HBear and Ninja finished the Death Star, we took down Christmas enjoyed gourmet take out from Flambe at Home and then Ninja and HBear started a body workout! We finished the week with a celebration for my MIL’s birthday with brunch at Palmer’s Steakhouse, we had a family cuddle and Oliver had a spa day!
4 thoughts on “January: A Week Long Meal Plan on an Budget”
So many scrumptious and tempting recipes.
Thanks so much for participating and sharing at SSPS 292. See you again next week!
Thanks for having me! Absolutely, you will see me again next week and I look forward to seeing what other bloggers will be sharing as well!
It has become super expensive to feed our families nowadays due to the rising inflation rate. Meal planning as you outlined is a great way to save on food and prepare healthy meals for the family. Thanks for sharing.
Super expensive. Meal planning is how we stay on track! Thank for commenting, I appreciate it!