Top of the World Savings and this week's Menu

It was a smooth week back to school! My students reviewed for finals last week and this week will be semester exams, so three days will be early student release days!  Another interesting thing that happened this week is my hair has become curlier.  I always let my hair air dry when I shower at night and I noticed one night it was curly all over not just underneath like usual.  This makes my hair styling time much shorter, so I hope it stays!  In other good news, I ate very well this week, walked 30 minutes each day and am already down 4 pounds from my holiday 10!

Savings this week:
* The Stratosphere is offering locals free tower rides every weekend this month, so I took the kids on Saturday.  Austin really wanted to ride the Big Shot, so I splurged and bought him a ticket.  Afterward, we had lunch at one of the cafes inside the casino that had a 20% off coupon for locals.  This was the only meal we ate out all week.

 At the top of the Statosphere

My fearless children looking down at the city

*I made banana breakfast muffins and pancakes to freeze.

*Ryan cut Austin's hair.

*I made two freezer meals for nights this coming week that I will not have time to cook.

*Made homemade chocolate pudding pops

YUM!! I love this popsicle mold set!  

*Ryan finished restoring the kitchen from our water damage in December.  We were able to order the tile for the rest of the house.

*I compared prices and found a great deal on cloth napkins on Amazon with free shipping and got them in three days.  

*I popped a few batches of popcorn with the air popper and put handfuls of popcorn in Ziploc bags for grab and go snacks for the kids.

*I brought water infused with DoTerra Lemon Oil in a reusable container to work each day. 

What's cooking? This week's meals:

*All recipes should feed a family of 4.  

Monday:  This is my monthly stamp club night and we do a potluck, so I shredded some crockpot chicken for Ryan to use for chicken tacos.

Tuesday:  Italian casserole with salad.  (Boil 2 cups penne, brown 1 lb of ground beef and drain fat.  I save 1/2 the meat to freeze for another meal and use the other half in the casserole mixed with 1 can of pasta sauce, 4 oz light cream cheese cut in small pieces.  Pour in baking dish, top with shredded mozzarella and bake 350 for 25 min.  If you freeze it, thaw in fridge the night before).  I made this over the weekend so Ryan can put it in the oven while I'm heading home from taking Austin to an appointment. 

Wednesday:  Crockpot Tangy Chicken (prepare the night before, 2-3 frozen breasts in bottom of crockpot, mix 1 can cream of chicken soup with 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 T dried onion and pour over chicken, top with 4 peeled potatoes and 2 cups of carrots, refrigerate and put in crock on low for 8 hours in the morning)

Thursday:  hamburger stroganoff with egg noodles and salad (using the 1/2 lb frozen beef from earlier in the week, thaw and in a pan add 1/4 C melted butter, 1 T dried onion, a can of cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup sour cream, add a little milk for desired consitency, serve with cooked egg noodles)

Friday:  Baked chicken strips and sliced pan fried potatoes with veggie sticks (thaw chicken and cut in strips, dip in flour/egg/Panko bread crumbs, I like mine a little spicy so I add lemon pepper to the Panko for the last half of them, bake 350 for 25-30 min until cooked)

Saturday:  Breakfast:  oatmeal

Lunch: I will prepare sandwiches to take for a picnic lunch

Dinner:  White Chicken Chili  link to recipe

Sunday:  Breakfast: french toast
Lunch: leftover chili
Dinner at the in-laws