Menu Plan 6/13/11

Wow, it is past time to re-do my blog header for summer, huh?

I went to Costco last week for some staples such as olive oil, almonds, frozen vegetables, Kerrygold butter, etc.  I hope to go to Aldi early this week for some fruit (on sale: watermelon, grapes, cherries, strawberries, and blueberries).  I also might swing by Price Chopper.

Over the weekend, we had chicken and broccoli salad, hot dogs/hamburgers, etc.

Breakfasts:

Eggs, Homemade Turkey Sausage, Fruit

Smoothies

Banana Almond Pancakes

Milk

Lunches:

Leftovers from the previous evening

Dinners:

Hmm. I'm feeling anti-recipe this week.  Just want to keep it simple by throwing some meat and veggies in a pan to cook.  So, here's the selection.

Monday - Ground beef, onions, peppers, avocado, salad

Tuesday - Sticky chicken in the crock-pot, salad, leftovers for soup

Wednesday - Salmon burgers, peas, carrots

Thursday - Pesto chicken, zucchini

Friday - Uncured hot dogs, sweet potatoes, homemade coleslaw

Saturday - Out to eat

Sunday - Cashew chicken, green beans

Happy Sunday!

Menu Plan 6/6/11

Breakfasts:

Pumpkin Paleo Muffins

Eggs and Fruit

Coconut Milk Smoothies

Lunches:

Tuna Salad with Avocados

Various Chicken Salads

Fruit

Dinners:

Monday - Cashew Chicken Stir Fry (didn't have on Sunday)

Tuesday - Grilled Sausage and Veggies; Bible study dinner for me

Wednesday - Turkey Chili, Carrots & Celery

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad

Weekend: TBD

Drinks: the usual, real milk or water

Sometimes, especially in the summer, my daughter and I like to add in some True Lemon, to add a little flavor to the water.

I've found that our experience eating grain-free, legume-free, and (pasteurized) dairy-free seems to be similar to Katie's at Kitchen Stewardship - the stuff my family eats the best is just the normal meals, minus those certain items.  No fancy imitations or replacements.  Keeping the menu plan favorites, removing the unallowable items, and adding in more of the healthy, allowable foods is what works best for us.  It is really quite simple.  More thought and planning in regards to the shopping because we are eating more fresh food, but quite simple when it comes to the actual cooking.

P.S. I'm loving the ice cream maker!  We were at the lake over the weekend, and I made a batch of this chocolate stuff (super easy, way chocolatier and way richer than I predicted), and some standard vanilla (which was actually my favorite of the two, made with real cream and milk!)  Of course, ice cream is not exactly paleo (even homemade)... We had several "treats" this weekend on our excursion ;)

Have a great week!

Menu Plan 5/23/11

Hello!  How is your weekend?

So last week, I actually used this cabbage roll recipe (instead of the link on my menu plan), doubled the sauce, used shredded cabbage, and threw it all together in a pot on the stovetop.  It looked like chili, but didn't taste like it.  I had neither heard of nor had cabbage rolls before (apparently they are Russian?), until I started searching around for a meal to make with ground beef and cabbage that could be adapted to be paleo-friendly.  So, we basically had cabbage roll stew :)  My kids liked it, even though it was "different" and I did, too.  My husband wasn't home for dinner that night, so the final verdict is still out.

Late last week I got lots of pineapples and cantaloupes at Aldi (99 cents a piece) and bananas, too.  I happened to look at their "nicer" jarred spaghetti sauce and was happy to see that if I read the label correctly (I was in a hurry) the marinara sauce ($1.79, I think) does not contain any added sugar or soybean oil.  That sauce might be on my list in the future!

We finished the week out by adding some more Pizza Chili and some Chicken Fajita Salad to the menu plan.

And now, here's the menu for this week.

Breakfasts:

Coconut Milk Smoothies

Eggs and Fruit

Quick Banana Pancakes

Grain-free Apple Flax Muffins
Milk

Lunches:

Leftovers
Fruit and Nuts -or- Celery and Almond Butter

Dinners:

Monday - Hamburgers & Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday - Almond Crusted Chicken, Salad, Broccoli

Wednesday - Beef Taco Salad

Thursday - Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes

Friday - Shepherd's Pie (made with sweet potatoes?)
Saturday - Grilled Sausage and Veggies
Sunday - TBD

Have a great week!

Menu Plan 5/16/11 and a Shopping List

Whew!  Back in town and getting organized for the week... Maybe things will be a little slower this week???  For dinner tonight, we had breakfast casserole (w/ spinach, no cheese) and I made some little pumpkin custard cupcakes things (not completely paleo with all the honey) using this pumpkin pie filling recipe.

I don't have a full menu planned, but here's what is down so far:

Breakfasts:

Banana Almond Pancakes

Coconut Milk Smoothies

Eggs and Fruit

Lunches:

BLT Salad with Chicken

Carrot-Apple Salad with Chicken

Waldorf Salad with Chicken

Dinners:

Monday - Pizza Chili (with leftover meat sauce from last week)

Tuesday - Taco Salad (might get adventurous and make some homemade salsa!)

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - (unrolled) Cabbage Rolls (I have a bunch of frozen shredded cabbage.)

Friday - Leftovers

Weekend - TBD after an end-of-the-week shopping trip

A couple non-paleo things I am going to make this week:

Feta Dip (for a pot-luck party)

Chocolate Cupcakes (from a mix on sale, for my husband to take to work)

I ran to Price Chopper tonight to get some strawberries so we'd have some fruit for tomorrow.  Also got some bacon on sale, some green onion, and some dried sage.  Spent $8.

I hope to get to Aldi early this week.  Here's my list, since I will likely be a slacker on the photos:

salad mix (sale) - 4

grape tomatoes (sale) - 4

mushrooms (sale) - 2

bell peppers (sale) - 2 pkgs.

red onions

olives

avocados or guacamole

feta cheese

bread or pitas for dip

apples

carrots - 2 lbs.

celery

bananas - 2 pkgs.

eggs - 2 dozen

ground turkey - 2 lbs.

nuts

raisins

cinnamon

diced tomatoes - 2

tomato sauce - 2

tomato paste

large ziplock baggies

diapers

Should be about $55.

This post shared at Musings of a Housewife, with other gluten-free menus!

Menu Plan 5/9/11

Two books that were on hold at the library for me came available the time last week:
1. Grace Based Parenting
2. Light's Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival
So I am going to try to get through both, one at a time, in the next two weeks, because I've really been looking forward to reading them both!

I listed some of my baby stuff on craigslist... Sniff.  I've loved all our baby stuff.  I had so much fun spending hours researching to find the good deals on what I wanted without costing a fortune.  A lot of it was given to me as gifts or hand-me-downs.  Some of it I am passing on to others... but most of my friends are past the first baby stage, so they don't need much besides clothes.  So, I'm going to try to sell some of it, too.  I want to get my infant cloth diaper stuff to someone who really wants it and will appreciate it.  (We're still using the toddler stuff.)

I went to Costco and Aldi last week, but no pictures.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Here's the plan for the week, short and sweet:


Breakfasts:

Quick Banana Pancakes

Fried Eggs & Fruit

Strawberry/Banana/Orange Coconut Milk Smoothies

Milk

Lunches:

Leftovers

Paleo Chicken Salads

Salmon Burgers (loosely based on this salmon melts recipe)
Carrot Sticks

Dinners:

Monday - Hamburgers, Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday - Tuna Salad Stuffed Peppers, Tomatoes

Wednesday - Red Wine Meaty Tomato Sauce & Spaghetti Squash, Green Beans

Thursday - Leftovers

Weekend - TBD (after an end-of-the-week shopping trip) -or- eating with family

Menu Plan 5/2/11

It is May 1 right now, so happy May Day!  Also, cilantro, tomatoes, avocados, lettuce, and limes are all on sale this week for Cinco de Mayo...Yum!  I took a break from posting about the grocery shopping this past week... it was a little hectic.

Breakfasts:

Quick Banana Pancakes (this recipe uses coconut oil instead of almond butter, I like them either way)

Eggs and Fruit

Coconut Milk Smoothies

Lunches:

Leftovers from dinner the night before
Chicken Vegetable Soup (for the weekend)

Dinners:

Monday - Chicken Taco Salad

Tuesday - BBQ Brisket, Mashed Cauliflower, Salad

Wednesday - Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce, Salad

Thursday - Salmon Burgers, Peas (my kids especially love this meal)

Friday - Out to eat :) to celebrate Mother's Day early!

Saturday - Fresh Grilled Sausages, Green Beans, Carrots

Sunday - Chicken, Broccoli, and Carrot Stir Fry

Snacks:
Apples & Almond Butter
Crispy Almonds & Walnuts with Raisins Snack Mix

It was a fun weekend, with lots of rich food, celebrating a graduation... donuts, Cheesecake Factory, cake pops... Mmmmm :)...

Here's to a good (and healthy) week ahead!

Menu Plan 4/25/11

Breakfasts:

Almond Banana Pancakes

Sausage (w/onion and cayenne) & Sweet Potato Hash
Fried Eggs
Fruit
Milk

Lunches:

Egg Salad over Lettuce x2

Chicken Salad #1 x2

Sherried Tomato Soup with Chicken
Fruit

Snacks:
Crispy Almonds & Walnuts with Raisins
Celery & Almond Butter

Dinners:

Monday - Cabbage Leaf Chicken Tacos

Tuesday - Homemade Salmon Burgers, Peas
Wednesday - Beanless Chili, Green Beans
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Leftovers

Weekend:

Eating with family to celebrate my little sister's graduation!  Making gluten-free cake pops! (experimenting with gf cake mix)

Sunday Brunch:

Breakfast Casserole (w/ bacon, spinach, and cheese)
Sweet Potato Homefries
Fruit Salad

Menu Plan 4/18/11

So, 30 Days of Paleo should be over sometime this week, but we are going all the way until Easter... Because we are hard core.  Not really.  But sorta.

Breakfasts:

Almond Banana Pancakes

Eggs and/or Homemade Turkey Sausage (add dried onion and cayenne)

Fruit

Lunches:

Broccoli & Cabbage Slaw (with chicken, bacon, raisins, almonds, mayo)

Waldorf Salad (with chicken)

Chicken, Nuts, Fruit

Notice a theme?  It is just easy to think, "Chicken for lunch, other meat for dinner."

Taco Salad (lettuce, homemade taco meat, tomatoes, guac)

Dinners:

Monday - Hamburger Soup (with ground turkey; omit grains, add more veggies), Salad

Tuesday - Homemade Salmon Burgers, Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday - Salsa Verde Pork, Salad, Carrots, and Guacamole (didn't get to this last week)

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Meatballs with Sauce (new experiment) Sweet Potatoes, Salad, Peas

Saturday - Leftovers, Green Beans

Easter Sunday - Chicken Dive-in!, Salad... Our Paleo challenge is "officially" over, so I wonder if I will make a dessert? :) ...Taking suggestions for chocolate and/or peanut butter recipes that don't involve beans or grains!  Perhaps something like these?

For anyone wondering:
I don't miss bread.  Or really many baked goods, for that matter.  I do occasionally miss chocolate, homemade popcorn, pizza, and ice cream.  Oh, and a bowl of crunchy granola for breakfast.  I couldn't do this without the support of my husband.  Yay for teamwork :)  We have yet to decide the eating plan after our 30 day challenge is over.

Menu Plan 4/11/11

Last week, I made the mayonnaise recipe found here.  The stick blender came in very handy.  By itself, the mayo tasted very olive oil-y, but it was great mixed with canned salmon and in a chicken salad with apples, raisins, and crispy almonds.  I will be using the recipe again.  Here is the plan for the coming week...


Breakfasts:

Eggs

Almond Banana Pancakes

Homemade Turkey Sausage

Fruit (Bananas, Grapes, Oranges)

Milk

Lunches:

M-T - Chopped Chicken Salad

W-Th - Grilled Chicken Salad
F - Sa - Chicken Tortilla Soup (my own version)
Su - Leftovers

Dinners:

Monday - Tuna & Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes, Green Beans
Tuesday - Paleo Salisbury Steak, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans
Wednesday - Paleo Lasagna with Zucchini and Spinach (my own creation), Salad
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Homemade Salmon Burgers, Peas, Baked Apples
Saturday - Salsa Verde Pork, Carrots and Guacamole, Salad
Sunday - Leftovers

Snacks:Apples & Almond Butter, Crispy Nuts and Raisins

Non-Paleo, but Grain-free Dessert for Bible Study:

Black Bean Brownies (I promised my husband I am not going to taste any... this is going to be torture!)

Menu Plan 4/4/11

I think I'm a little more comfortable with the prep and cooking this week, so I'll go back to my regular format...  Sticking with normal stuff I know we like, just omitting the grains, legumes, sugar, and cheese and adding in more veggies.

Breakfasts:

Paleo Pancakes

Spinach Oven Omelet (haven't tried it, yet)

Scrambled or Fried Eggs

Chicken-Apple Sausages

Fruit (pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, apples, or bananas)

Lunches:

Chicken Vegetable Soup

Chicken, Almonds, Grapes x2
Grilled Chicken Salad x2

Taco Salad x2

Fruit & Nuts or Carrots & Guacamole on the side

Dinners:

Monday - Veggie-packed Shepherd's Pie (no starches or dairy)

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Meatballs (going to experiment) and Roasted Vegetables

Thursday - Nitrate-free Hot Dogs and Green Beans (no buns)

Friday - Homemade Salmon Burgers and Peas (no buns)

Saturday - Chicken Stir Fry with Broccoli

Sunday - Leftovers

Salads one the side with dinner, too.  Olive oil & balsamic vinegar for dressing.

I might try to make some homemade mayo for the first time this week.  As soon as we get some more farm fresh eggs.  My husband and I both think the Costco eggs are watery and tasteless.  And homemade mayo contains raw egg, which I feel safest doing with a farm fresh one, not a factory one.

I've thought for a while that eating this way (Paleo-style) is probably good for you, but I never really wanted to do it until after I read Rob's book.  So, if you are intrigued, I'd encourage you to read the book, too, and see what you think. 

Menu Plan 3/28/11

OK, here is my creative menu plan.  Or uncreative, depending how you see it.  It is a lot harder to come up with these grain, dairy, and legume free meals, but I am getting better... I am more excited about the menu this week.

Breakfasts:
Spinach Oven Omelet (no cheese or cooked milk)

Eggs (with nitrate-free bacon or sausage, bell peppers, and/or sun-dried tomatoes)

Paleo Pancakes
Fruit

Lunches and Dinners:

Monday - 

Chopped Chicken Salad

Beef Burgers, Green Beans

Tuesday - 

Salmon Burgers, Peas & Carrots

Pork Loin & Roasted Veggies

Wednesday -

Chopped Chicken Salad

Leftovers

Thursday - 

Taco Salad (use chimichanga filling minus the sour cream)

Turkeyburger Soup

Friday - 

Turkeyburger Soup

Nitrate-free Hot Dogs & Sweet Potato Fries

Saturday - 

Meaty Sauce over Spaghetti Squash

Crock-pot Sticky Chicken, Broccoli

Sunday - 

Meaty Sauce over Spaghetti Squash

Chicken & Vegetable Soup

Sides:
Real Milk

Pineapple

Cantaloupe

Strawberries

Oranges

Bananas
Carrots & Guacamole

Apples & Almond Butter

Crispy Almonds

Fruit and Nut Snack Mix

Happy eating, everyone!

Menu Plan 3/21/11

OK, I am crazy tired from the weekend because I stayed up too late with my little sister, watching Jersey Shore reruns and eating powdered sugar donuts :)  But I've got to get this menu plan organized because 30 days of Paleo starts tomorrow!!  So here goes...

Breakfasts

Eggs, Leftovers, Fruit, Nuts

Monday

L - Chicken, Strawberries, Almonds

D - Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

Tuesday

L - Chicken, Spinach, Apples

D - Pork Curry

Wednesday

L - Taco Salad

D - Leftover Pork Curry

Thursday

L - Taco Salad

D - Paleo Chicken Alfredo over Green Beans

Friday

L - Paleo Pancakes

D - Hot Dogs and Sweet Potato Fries

Sides & Snacks

Dried Fruit and Nut Snack Mix

Homemade Strawberry Milk

Blueberries, Apples

Saturday and Sunday

Leftovers

Paleo "Pizza"

Salmon Burgers & Veggies

Some of these recipes are from the book... I'll let you know if they are any good.

I've been out of commission on blogging for the past week because my old laptop finally gave out.  It had a good run, but it was time for a new one.  I hate spending money on one, but in this world, it seems a computer is pretty much another standard household appliance you just gotta suck it up and replace... and my husband got me one that is pretty sweet.  Don't you love the super fast feeling of a new computer?  OK, sorry, I don't mean to rub it in if you are feeling like I was for the past few months.

Happy Monday!

Menu Plan 3/14/11

I'm trying out a little bit of a new format: a more detailed menu plan for the weekdays, less detailed for the weekend.  I think this will help to make sure we eat the fresh produce at a good pace (so that is lasts us several days, but before it spoils).

I think I'm feeling springish. I made some Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares yesterday. Yum.


You might notice some not-so-healthy things on here that we are going to eat up during this transition week... so we don't have them lying around tempting us when we start eating Paleo for real next Monday.

There might be a little lull in recipe linkage on the menu plan in the next few weeks, but hopefully I can learn to adapt some recipes and then share them!

Monday
B - Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting (using frozen bread dough)
L - Chopped Chicken Salad
D - Bean Burritos, Broccoli

Tuesday
B - Waffles
L - Chopped Chicken Salad
D - Crock-pot Pork and Cabbage

Wednesday
B - Italian Omelets
L - Chicken, Salsa, Avocado
D - Leftover Pork and Cabbage

Thursday
B - Western Omelets
L - Tuna and Cabbage Salad
D - Fish Sticks, Sweet Potato Fries

Friday
B - Hard Boiled Eggs, Fruit
L - Chicken, Salsa, Avocado
D - Fish Sticks, Sweet Potato Fries

Snacks or Sides
Carrots and Ranch
Crispy Almonds
Oranges, Pineapple, Strawberries
String Cheese

Saturday and Sunday
Either eating with family or cleaning out the fridge!

Menu Plan 3/7/11

Last week, we enjoyed some orange juliuses for a fun snack one day.  It had been awhile since I'd had one of those.

Here's the meal plan for this coming week...

Breakfasts:
Baked Soaked Oatmeal
Granola with Blueberries and Milk
Eggs and Toast

Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches
String Cheese
Crispy Almonds
Carrots and Ranch (double the spices)
Apples

Dinners:
Monday - Cheeseburger Macaroni, Broccoli
Tuesday - Waffles (new recipe experiment) with Syrup
Wednesday - Black Bean Burritos, Lime Rice, Fruit
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Tuna Cheesies, Sauteed Vegetables
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Gourmet Garlic Chicken Pizza

Menu Plan 2/28/11

Last week I went to Costco (not a big shopping) and Super-Target twice (diapers, clementines, peanut butter, hair products, etc.) so our monthly total is about $355.  That leaves enough money for our monthly grass-fed beef order, and some to put towards our coconut oil.  Not quite my goal (I wanted to have the full amount for our coconut oil) but not bad.  I ended up spending more on diapers than I had planned because I bought a $20 box at Target since they come out to about 13-14 cents a diaper that way.  It is a box of 144 so hopefully I can stretch that through April since we use cloth at home.  I think I will be doing some major food shopping early this week for the first half of March.

Breakfasts:
Baked Soaked Oatmeal
Cranberry Vanilla Muffins
Eggs & English Muffins

Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches
String Cheese
Mini Sweet Peppers (in a bag from Costco, these are amazing)
Fruit

Dinners:
Monday - Leftovers
Tuesday - Chinese Chicken Salad (going to experiment on some msg-free dressing)
Wednesday - Cheese Tortellini Soup & Toasted Pesto Chicken Sandwiches on Ciabatta Bread
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Beef & Bean Soft Tacos, Creamy Crockpot Corn (have to make a batch of this anyways...)
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Homemade Pizza (PW's crust)

It has really been helping me these past few weeks to be almost out of sugar and butter!  When I can't make baked goods, I can't eat them :)  I found a fruit and nut mix at Costco that we really like - kind of like Larabars, but not in a bar.  So that has been a good, crunchy snack.

Have a great week!

Menu Plan 2/21/11

Breakfasts:
Waffles (freezer) with Syrup
Eggs and English Muffins
Granola and Blueberries with Milk
Baked Soaked Oatmeal

Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches
or Leftovers
Cottage Cheese
Fruit

Dinners:
Monday - Costco Take & Bake Pizza, Veggies and Ranch (double the spices)
Tuesday - Spaghetti, Red Wine Meaty Tomato Sauce, Green Beans
Wednesday - Pork & Broccoli Stir Fry
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Cheesy Bow Ties, Peas
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Breakfast for Dinner

Menu Plan 2/14/11

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day :)

I made cinnamon rolls on Saturday for a Valentine treat since this Monday is a typical weekday schedule, no lazy morning.

No crazy rants this week (hopefully).

Breakfasts:
Eggs and Cinnamon Raisin Toast
Homemade Granola with Milk
Smoothies

Lunches:
Leftovers or PB&J Sandwiches
Carrots
Yogurt
Apples

Dinners:
Monday - Sliders, Oven Fries
Tuesday - Beef, Bean, & Brown Rice Burritoes
Wednesday - Spinach Stuffed Shells, Broccoli
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Nitrate-free Hot Dogs, Peas, Potatoes
Saturday - French Toast - I love this from when I was a kid and haven't made it in forever.
Sunday - Homemade Italian Sausage Pizza

Groceries and Menu Plan 2/7/11

Hello and happy February to you... I have returned from a long week of housesitting.  It was nothing to complain about at all, aside from being stuck indoors due to the massive winter storm... The housesitting was actually a very pleasant break from the ordinary routine.  Still, I am glad to be home again and back in my own kitchen, eating my own food.

I am going to try to be underbudget in February.  With it being a shorter month, and considering the fact that we are already almost a week into it, it seems like a reasonable goal right now.  I could use the leftover money for a gallon of coconut oil that will be needed soon...

This past week, I hit up Hy-Vee, Aldi, and Price Chopper.  I think I did pretty well, considering I got the makings for nearly all the dinners for the month, I think... (the necessary chicken and ground beef are already in the freezer).  Phone pics below.

Hy-Vee $49

Deals: organic apples for $1.18/lb (I think this special runs all of February.), green peppers 2/$1, red pepper $.88 each, cottage cheese $.99 each, full fat organic yogurts $2.88 each (all Feb.)

A note on the frozen bread dough and frozen roll dough: I looked at the ingredients.  I know they are not very wholesome.  But, I justified it by thinking that if one item at one or maybe two meals each week contains an item with HFCS, it is probably still healthier than eating out at most places.  These items were on sale and I have been seeing a few recipes I want to try that use them.  So, for fun, I got them.

Notice the white loaf of bread?  Or, I should say, loaf of Country White bread?  I will likely be brain-dumping my thoughts on bread soon.  Stay tuned if you like obsessing over ingredients as I sometimes tend to do.

Aldi $37

Deals: $.29 Avocados!, $.89 grape tomatoes
That's romaine lettuce in the front if you can't tell because of the glare.
The crescent rolls are for an appetizer for this evening... a recipe invention that I will share if it turns out well.

Price Chopper $30 (everything was a store special, saved $15)
No pic!  2 pints of blueberries, 2 lbs. fresh Italian sausage, 2.5 lbs. pork tenderloin, 2 fresh Italian bread loaves, 4 lightbulbs, 4 blocks cream cheese, 2 bags frozen peas.

Total: $116 out of $400 for February.

Will buy milk and eggs this week.

And now on to the menu plan!

Breakfasts:
Baked Soaked Oatmeal
Shredded Wheat with Milk
Eggs and Toast
Cinnamon Rolls (Valentine's Day)
Bananas and/or Blueberries with each day

Lunches:
Leftovers
PB&J Sandwiches
Cottage Cheese or Yogurt
Apples

Dinners:
Monday - Lasagna (semi-new), Salad
Tuesday - OK, my last BS cooking night was postponed, so now I am planning the Sundried Tomato & Brie Pasta with Chicken again, with Green Beans, Bread, and Divine Brownies
Wednesday - Lentil Soup (new), Salad, Garlic Breadsticks
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Shepherd's Pie
Saturday - Pork Stir Fry (new) over Rice
Sunday - Leftovers

Have a great day!

Menu Plan 1/24/11

Last week's menu invention:  Instead of pizza, I decided to make a calzone/pizza pocket sort of thing.  I was inspired by this idea of chicken and herb and garlic cheese spread baked in crescent rolls.  For the cheesy spread, I found a recipe for a tasty dill, feta, and cream cheese spread, and I happened to have everything it required (I used garlic powder in place of fresh garlic.)   I had pre-cooked chicken that I pulled from the freezer.  If I make it again, though, I will use crescent rolls instead of the pizza dough which I used.  Crescent rolls probably would have turned out better than the pizza dough because it was a little heavy, but altogether, the creation had good flavor and my husband agreed.  I supposed if you used crescent rolls, premade herb cream cheese spread, and canned (or just pre-cooked) chicken, this would be a pretty easy, quick dinner.

Breakfasts:
Cereal with Milk
Eggs and Toast
Smoothies
Cranberry Vanilla Muffins

Lunches:
Leftovers
Sandwiches
String Cheese
Crispy Almonds
Carrots
Oranges, Bananas

Dinners:
Monday - Shepherd's Pie
Tuesday - Chili & Cornbread (For Bible Study, taking Sundried Tomato & Brie Pasta with Chicken, Salad, and Divine Brownies)
Wednesday - Nitrate-free Hot Dogs, Oven Fries
Thursday - Burritoes, Corn
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Salmon Melts & Potato Soup
Sunday - Homemade Cheese Pizza

Still a little overwhelmed, but trying to pace myself, so feeling better... Have a great week!

Completely unrelated thought:  Isn't it time for another Will Smith movie at the theatre?  Wintertime is movie watching time for me (via netflix) and he hasn't had a new movie out in awhile...  Or is it just all about his kids now...?

Menu Plan 1/17/11

Not much to share this past week, just trying to keep up with things around here (and failing)...soooo, not much time to blog, anyways.  You'd think these extra snow days and federal holidays would help me get caught up on life, and I am trying hard to use them to my advantage, but still feel behind!  Hope you all are well.

One success: banishing paperwork from the kitchen.  We used to have a basket that it all went in, and I'd sort through it from time to time.  Now, I have a drawer for my (paper) calendar and notepad.  All other papers have to be dealth with and put away before the day's end.  I love having a paper-work free kitchen!  My husband loves it, too.

Breakfast:
Granola with Milk
Soaked Oatmeal Pancakes
Bananas

Lunches:
Burritos
Pears

Dinners:
Monday - Breakfast Burritos and Hash Browns
Tuesday - Easy Beef BBQ on Rolls, Green Beans
Wednesday - Tuna Cheesies, Salad
Thursday - Homemade Pizza
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Beef Rice Medley
Sunday - Leftovers

Ok, Costco shoppers, I've probably said this before, but if you like Mexican food, you have to try the refrigerated tortillas that you cook yourself.  They are SO good; my family agrees they are definitely worth the little extra effort.  Only one of the two Costcos closest to me carry them, so I always get some when I am at that one.  I can eat them plain, right off of the skillet.

I think I am going to blow the grocery budget this month.  Somewhat.  Guess I should start posting about it again to hold myself accountable?

Take care.  I'm dreaming about a summer vacation... what about you?