August: Meal Plan on a Budget!
It’s August! Summer eating is lighter, veggie forward, cooked outside and hopefully with the least amount of dishes as possible lol.
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 the August 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: Lemon Basil Grilled Pork Chops with Summer Veggie Saute
Monday: Mongolian Beef & Noodles
Tuesday: Sausage and Veggie Skillet
Wednesday: Mexican Egg Bake
Thursday: Basil Tomato Ravioli
Friday: Asian Hotdogs
Saturday: Blackened Salmon Tacos
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:
Staple Items:
3-4 pork loin chops
1 pound ground beef
2 4-5 oz. Salmon fillets
4 hotdogs
12 oz smoked sausage
7 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can black beans
1/2 cup cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 beef broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lime juice
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
4-8 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups basil
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 onions
salt and pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Need to Buy Items:
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 zucchini
5 ears of corn
4 cups cherry tomatoes
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
1 jalapeño
4 cups shredded coleslaw mix
6 green onions
13 cloves garlic
1 2 oz. can diced green chiles
8 eggs
4 Tortillas
1 pound cheese ravioli
4 hotdog buns
1 package linguine
Garnish:
feta cheese
sesame seeds
cilantro
red onions
sour cream
SUNDAY: Lemon Basil Grilled Pork Chops with Summer Veggie Saute
This was my first dinner after my nightmare stomach flu! I was craving nourishment, comfort, and flavour and boy did I get it! These grilled pork chops were bursting with flavour and so easy to make! This veggie sauté is a go to side dish for us and whatever vegetables are in the fridge, go in a pan to accompany any and all delicious grilled meats! This was a summer winning dish for sure!
Lemon Basil Grilled Pork Chops
4
servings25
minutes12
minutes5
minutesIngredients
3-4 pork loin chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup basil, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
Directions
Add oil, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a bowl and mix well.
Spread both sides of the pork chops with the mixture and let the chops set for about 20 minutes.
Grill chops over direct heat for about 5-6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 orange bell pepper, seeded & diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
Directions
In a large saute pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add the diced red and yellow bell pepper, zucchini and whatever other vegetable you you have in your fridge (I had a few mushrooms). Saute, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow them to get a nice sear. Don't stir the vegetables too much, let them brown.
Stir in fresh corn and tomatoes. When vegetables are cooked through, remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and stir in chopped basil.
MONDAY: Mongolian Beef & Noodles
We love, easy dinners that are saucy and delicious! The positive of this meal was that nobody complained! The negative about this meal is that there was absolutely no leftovers! Lol I had a red bell pepper that was about to go bad so we cut that up and tossed it in! Feel free to use up any leftover vegetables in this tasty weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup beef broth
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground beef
10 oz linguine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
4 green onions, sliced for garnish
Directions
Cook the linguine according to the package instructions in a large pot of boiling water. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set it aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until it’s no longer pink. Drain any excess fat.
Add the garlic to the browned beef and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, ginger, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with cold water until smooth. Stir this mixture into the skillet with the beef and sauce. Allow it to simmer gently until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
Add the cooked and drained linguine to the skillet with the beef and sauce. Toss everything together until the noodles are fully coated. Garnish with sliced green onions.
TUESDAY: Sausage and Veggies Skillet
This is another go to meal for us! It varies in the type of vegetables I use and the type of sausage I put in, but this one pot meal is mostly healthy, and fully 100% scrumptious! It’s easy to make, easy to clean up, and if you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, crazy easy to reheat the next day!
Ingredients
3 ears of corn, cooked & cut off the cobs
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 oz smoked sausage
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 zucchini, sliced
½ teaspoon chili powder
cilantro, chopped
Directions
Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Slice cooked sausage into coins and add to the skillet.
Cook on medium heat in a cast-iron skillet for 5 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook for about 3 minutes on the other side. Remove from skillet to a large plate.
Leave some oil in the skillet for the veggies. Remove extra oil to a small, heat-proof bowl, and reserve.
To the same skillet, add bell pepper, and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Remove cooked bell pepper to the same large plate with sausage.
To the same skillet, add zucchini, and cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat. You might have to add some reserved oil to the skillet to prevent veggies from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
In the same skillet combine cooked sausage, cooked bell pepper, cooked zucchini, and cooked corn kernels. Mix everything well. Add reserved oil from cooked sausage, and mix. Add chili powder and reheat on low heat. Remove from heat. Top with chopped cilantro.
WEDNESDAY: Mexican Egg Bake
We love breakfast for dinner and when you combine eggs with our favourite, Mexican, you get a flavour bursting dish that is ready in under 30 minutes, is filling, and is super healthy… But doesn’t taste like it! Winner winner, eggs for dinner!
Ingredients
½ jalapeno, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes with juice (do not drain)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained well
2 oz. can diced green chiles
8 eggs
1/2 cup cheese, shredded
tortillas, for serving
cilantro, chopped for garnish
sour cream, garnish
Directions
Preheat oven 450F.
Heat olive oil in a ovenproof skillet with deep sides and saute onions and jalapeños 2 minutes. Add ground cumin and chili powder and saute 2-3 minutes more. Add diced tomatoes with juice, black beans, and diced green chilies to the pan and let cook at very low simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture is slightly thickened.
Using the back of a spoon, make an indentation in the mixture, and crack an egg into the little pocket. Repeat around the pan with all eggs. Spoon the rest of the mixture around eggs, avoiding the yolk. Place skillet in oven for about 5 minutes, or until the eggs are starting to look set but are still fairly wet looking. Remove and change oven to broil.
Sprinkle cheese over the top and place under broiler for 1-3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Be sure to remove while egg yolk is still soft. If you don't like runny eggs, cook 2-3 minutes longer (it is still very good this way). Serve hot, with tortillas to dip into egg, salsa and sour cream on top.
THURSDAY: Basil Tomato Ravioli
I found that if you use good fresh ingredients, you can have a gourmet dinner without having to spend gourmet money. This meal is the perfect example of that! Just using a few fresh ingredients like cherry tomatoes and basil and by adding them to fresh ravioli, you get this standout pasta dinner that is ready in under 15 minutes!
Ingredients
1 pound cheese ravioli
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ cup basil leaves, packed
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Place cherry tomatoes in a single layer. Cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until they start to burst. Press on the back of the tomatoes with a fork to release the juices.
Add salt, black pepper, chili flakes, Italian seasoning and minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
In the meantime, add ravioli to the pot with boiling water and cook, for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.
Add basil leaves to the skillet, stir to combine. Deglaze with ½ cup cooking water, cook for 1 minute. Toss in ravioli and simmer for 1 minute more. Add more cooking water, if needed. Taste and adjust salt. Top with parmesan.
FRIDAY: Asian Hotdogs
We like hotdogs. SBean might actually be made of 65% hotdog lol. We’re pretty boring hotdog people though, to be honest, SBean eats them plain and the rest of us are basic ketchup, mustard and relish hotdog eaters. Boring! So I decided to shake things up by mixing 2 of our favourite dinners, hotdogs, and Asian coleslaw! Oh. My. God. This may have ruined me for a regular hotdog for the rest of my life! This was so good! Definitely a fantastic alternative to a typical boring BBQ hotdog!
Ingredients
4 hotdog buns
4 hotdogs
2 cups shredded coleslaw mix
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice, separated
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2-4 teaspoons hot sauce
Garnish: pickled red onions and chopped cilantro
Directions
Toss together cabbage, cilantro and green onions in a medium bowl.
Whisk together soy sauce, peanut oil, sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and 2 tablespoons of lime juice in a small bowl.
Pour the prepared dressing over the slaw base and toss to coat; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Stir together mayonnaise, Sriracha, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice until well mixed; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Grill the hot dogs.
Place each hot dog on a bun, top with Asian Slaw, drizzle with Spicy Mayo, and garnish with pickled red onions (we also did some pickled cucumber) and cilantro.
SATURDAY: Blackened Salmon Tacos
Sometimes I make salmon. Ninja and HBear love fish, especially salmon! However, SBean and I are not as big of fans, as in not fans at all. However, put it in a taco? I’m in! This blackened salmon taco was surprising and delicious with flaky salmon, fresh coleslaw, crunchy tomatoes, spicy mayo, and we added pickled vegetables, which took these tacos to a whole new level!
Blackened Salmon Tacos
4
servings15
minutes10
minutes5
minutesIngredients
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 4-5 oz. Salmon fillets
1 tablespoon oil
4 tortillas
2 cups shredded coleslaw mix
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice
Directions
Combine the smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, cumin and chili powder together in a small bowl, and stir until well blended. Sprinkle the seasoning over the flesh side of the salmon (both sides for skinless salmon, flesh side for skin-on salmon). Drizzle the seasoned salmon with a little olive oil, and set the salmon aside to rest at room temperature for about ten minutes.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, and let the oil get hot. Swirl the oil around so it coats the surface of the pan, then add your salmon filet flesh-side down. Cook for about three minutes, then use a fish spatula or a wide spatula to gently flip the salmon. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until it’s cooked the way you like it.
Transfer the cooked salmon to a plate and let it rest for 4-5 minutes. Flake the salmon apart into bite-sized pieces.
While the salmon rests, stir the mayonnaise, hot sauce, and lime juice together in a small bowl until totally blended. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Warm the tortillas in a sauce pan, then load them with flaked salmon and divide the toppings between them. Drizzle each taco with spicy mayo.
Last week I was lucky enough to be featured on Eclectic Red Barn’s Thursday Favorite Things post!
Another busy week of summer! This was JQ’s last week visiting, and they made the most of it! The Kids had JazzCool camp all week learning how to read jazz music, play multiple instruments and how to solo in small groups. On Wednesday they went to Highway 97 Brewery to watch their teachers perform. SBean took JQ to drop in gymnastics and then the whole crew went to LocoLanding for the evening! On Friday, the Kids had their jazz recital and then JQ came over for a sleepover! I finally managed to get out for a visit with the family on Saturday! We met my Sis and her family at the beach and the Kids went on the Wibit, had ice cream at Lickety Splitz and then back to Grandma and Grandpa‘s for pizza and a swim. SBea got a henna tattoo at her Besty‘s birthday party on Sunday and then after one last family dinner, Ninja, and HBear went with Aunty to see the new Deadpool!
