Menu Monday 5/7/2012

This Week’s Meal Plan 5/7 – 5/13

Last week’s vacation was wonderful! Despite having rain nearly every morning, we still had sun and dry weather every afternoon and sometimes in the late morning too. The rain was usually light and we were still able to take hikes in the rain. The kids spent most of their days outdoors – riding horses, playing with the dogs, helping Opa with a project or Oma with the horses, taking rides on Opa’s new tractor or on the four wheeler, fishing and lots of hiking! Our menu varied a bit from what I thought we might have, one night we had a wonderful walleye fish fry with oven fries along with a salad and another night we had tacos with refried beans and rice. My mom sent me home with one of the pot pies she had made and both my dad and his friend got their turkey. My dad’s friend doesn’t care too much for eating wild game, but enjoys hunting so we took home about half of it and get to try wild turkey for the first time this week.

Breakfast

Soaked and Dehydrated Granola with Yogurt; Spelt Pancakes and Sausage; Homemade Raisin Bran; Eggs and Bacon; Irish Oats with nuts; Cottage Cheese Pancakes; Muffins with Smoothies

Lunch

Leftovers; Sandwiches; Hot Dogs or Brats; Quesadillas

Snacks

Fruit and String Cheese; Trail Mix; Cheese and Pretzels; Pistachios; Popcorn with nutritional yeast; Banana Flax Muffins; RaspberryRhubarb Quinoa Muffins (didn’t get to this before our trip last week)

Dinner

• Monday: Chicken Pot pie

• Tuesday: Venison Stroganoff with salad

• Wednesday: Wild Turkey Carnitas with black beans

• Thursday: Sesame Maple Tofu Stirfry over rice

• Friday: Hamburgers and Salad

• Saturday: Crockpot Split Pea Soup

• Sunday: Pizza and salad 

Please share your favorite lunch ideas, we are always looking for new ideas. Later this week I hope to share my Homemade Raisin Bran recipe.

Menu Monday 4/30/2012

This Week’s Meal Plan 4/30 – 5/6

Ryan is on vacation this week (HURRAY!) and we are planning to add two more "square foot gardening" sections to our garden as well as a trip to my grandparent’s cabin. My dad will be turkey hunting and my mom is bringing up her horses and of course the dogs too (my kids will be in heaven). Trout fishing opens on the Peshtigo River, so Ryan will enjoy some fly fishing and the kids and I will do lots of hiking/exploring, riding the four-wheeler, and some horseback riding with Oma. Because of our trip, I am a bit unsure of what exactly our menu will be, but I tried to give you an idea of what it might be like.

Breakfast

Fench Toast Casserole; Soaked and Dehydrated Granola with Yogurt; Pancakes and Sausage; Homemade Raisin Bran; Eggs and Bacon; Oatmeal with nuts

Lunch

Leftovers; Sandwiches; Hot Dogs or Brats; Hamburgers; Split Pea Soup

Snacks

Fruit and String Cheese; Trail Mix; Veggies & Dip; Cheese and Crackers; Pistachios; Rhubarb Bars; Raspberry Rhubarb Quinoa Muffins

Dinner

• Monday: Meatloaf with baked beans and coleslaw

• Tuesday: Bokchoi Pasta and salad (I need to thin out my bokchoi from the garden)

• Wednesday: Ham, salad and potatoes or baked beans (at the cabin)

• Thursday: Ham casserole and salad (at the cabin)

• Friday: Chicken Pot Pie (at the cabin)

• Saturday: Dinner out – Broasted Chicken with Coleslaw and Fries

• Sunday: Pizza and salad (home)

I made another batch of Homemade Raisin Bran last week and it turned out much better than last time. Soon I will share the recipe. If you have any favorite breakfast recipes, please share them! I am starting to get tired of some our options/traditions.

Menu Monday 4/23/2012

This Week’s Meal Plan 4/23 – 4/29

This is the end of the month and we had some bulk purchases, so we are mostly using what is on hand this week. I didn’t get to try another batch of the Homemade Raisin Bran last week, but maybe this week. The carrot cake (sugarcane free) was a success. Even the frosting ended up without powdered sugar since I forgot that I was out. I used maple syrup instead and it was a very pleasant, subtle sweetness, rather than an overpowering sweet frosting.

Breakfast

Soaked and Dehydrated Granola with Yogurt and Strawberries (x2); Egg Puff; Homemade Raisin Bran; Eggs and hashbrowns; Oatmeal with nuts (x2)

Lunch

Leftovers; Quesadillas; PB&J; Egg Salad Sandwiches

Snacks

Fruit and String Cheese; Date Balls; Yogurt with nuts & honey; Granola Trail Mix; Veggies & Spinach Dip; Bananas and PB; Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dinner

• Monday: Venison Tacos with Black Beans

• Tuesday: Grilled Steelhead with EVOO, lemon and oregano with salad and potatoes

• Wednesday: Crockpot Indian (from freezer) with chapatis and veggies

• Thursday: Chicken Parmesan Peppercorn Salad

• Friday: Venison Spaghetti (from freezer) over brown rice noodles with a salad

• Saturday: Grilled Chicken with baked beans and coleslaw

• Sunday: Cheeseburgers and salad

This week I need to get started on making another batch of granola and start getting my seedlings outside for some fresh air and sun during the day. I could be making something with bok choi soon, I may need to thin out the ones growing in the garden. The kale, lettuce, and spinach may have some leaves for picking soon too. Last week my kids sampled a couple of radishes. Everything outside seems to be doing quite well. My seedlings are not nearly as far along as the Fenrick's tomato seedlings, but they should do fine.

Menu Monday 4/16/2012

This Week’s Meal Plan 4/16 – 4/22

I was so excited to finally make it to my second trimester, for many reasons, one of which was gaining back some energy. These last two months have been exhausting for me – making everyday tasks 10x more difficult than normal. Unfortunately I am running into the feeling I had when I was pregnant with my son – lack of motivation. Meal planning is an extreme challenge at the moment as well as cooking meals. Not because I’m tired, I just don’t want to; which is not very typical for me. I may need to take a break from blogging for awhile, but should continue my meal plans - as I need to keep myself accountable. If you see any menu ideas that you would like a recipe for, please let me know.

Breakfast

Oatmeal (x2) with nuts and fruit or boiled eggs; Soaked and Dehydrated Granola with Yogurt and Strawberries (x2); Egg Puff; Homemade Raisin Bran; Eggs with toast or rice; French Toast Casserole

Lunch

Leftovers; Quesadillas; PB&J; Egg Salad Sandwiches

Snacks

Graham Crackers and milk; Smoothies; Yogurt with nuts & honey; Granola Trail Mix; Veggies; Frozen Smoothie Pops; Bananas and PB; Carrot Cake – I’m going to attempt to avoid sugarcane of any sort and use dates and maple syrup, but maybe I’ll sacrifice and use some powdered sugar for the frosting

Dinner

• Monday: Sweet and Spicy Tofu Stirfry* over Brown rice

• Tuesday: Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas with tomatillo salsa and black-eyed pea salad

• Wednesday: Grilled Venison Salad with walnuts, Gorgonzola and pears

• Thursday: Grilled Steelhead with Asparagus and Butternut Squash

• Friday: Skillet Chicken Parmesan over Brown Rice Noodles and Broccoli

• Saturday: Soup from freezer

• Sunday: Pizza and Salad

The new dehydrator is working great, but because of my lack of motivation/planning it took me a lot longer than I had anticipated getting all of my granola ingredients soaked and dehydrated. Needless to say, this did not get made last week, nor did the raisin bran or the yogurt. Now that the ingredients are soaked and dehydrated, I can make granola this week. And yogurt hopefully today.


*The magazine also has a Sweet and Spicy Sauce version which our family prefers - unfortunately it is not listed in this posting of the recipe, but at least you can get an idea of the recipe/details.

Menu Monday 4/2/2012

Dandelion Greens Salad

This Week’s Meal Plan 4/2 – 4/8

This week I finally got around to making homemade Raisin Bran Cereal, and it wasn’t bad. But I still need to work on it to make the flakes thinner and tastier. We also made a Dandelion Greens salad with orange slices and poppy seed dressing. A bit on the bitter side, but the oranges and dressing helped balance it. Oh and I almost forgot to mention that if you do decide to go foraging for Dandelion greens, be sure to forage somewhere there has not been fertilizer applied. The first shoots in the spring are supposed to be the most tender, and the smaller the shoots the better.

Breakfast

Homemade Raisin Bran

Oatmeal and boiled eggs (x2); Homemade Raisin Bran cereal; Over Easy Eggs over Seasoned Rice; Smoothies and muffins; Cottage Cheese Pancakes; Out of Town

Lunch

Leftovers; Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas; Chicken Salad Sandwiches; Hot Dogs & Mac n Cheese; Easter Lunch; Easter Brunch (out)

Snacks

Ants on a Log; Smoothie pops; Yogurt and fruit; Hummus & Veggies; Popcorn; Soft Pretzels; Carrot Cake

Dinner

• Monday: Venison & Bean Enchiladas (from freezer)

• Tuesday: Potato Soup

• Wednesday: Mustard Glazed Corned Beef with cabbage salad (skipped this a few weeks ago)

• Thursday: Birthday Dinner – out:)

• Friday: Out of Town

• Saturday: Reuben Sandwiches and Wilted Spinach Salad

• Sunday: Pizza

Menu Monday 3/26/2012

This Week’s Meal Plan: 3/26 – 4/1

I’m looking forward to a bit of cooler weather this week. Don’t get me wrong, we have been thoroughly enjoying this early spring, but there is some baking that I've been meaning to get to. Not to mention, I'm in need of re-stocking my Stock/Bone Broth stockpile in the freezer. There are two bags in my freezer that are almost at overflowing – chicken bones and veggie scraps, all ready for making stock and my chest freezer is out of jarred stock. The cooler weather will allow me to do this without feeling like the house is getting overheated.

Breakfast

Baked Oatmeal (x3); Yogurt and Granola; Peach and berry Smoothies; Eggs & Toast; Homemade Raisin Bran? (didn’t get to this last week, but again with the cooler weather, maybe I will)

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; Chicken Salad Sandwiches; Peanut Butter & Peach Jam (our last jar of homemade jam)

Snacks

Yogurt with honey and nuts; Apples & Peanut Butter; Hummus & Veggies/Pita Chips; Quinoa muffins (maybe I will actually make these this week); Ants on a Log; Oranges

Dinner

• Monday – Crockpot Paneer Masala with Roti
• Tuesday – Chicken Potpie
• Wednesday – Grilled Chicken with grilled potatoes, carrots & celery
• Thursday – Grilled BBQ Steelhead and Cabbage Salad
• Friday – Hungarian Venison Stew over Egg Noodles and Roasted Cauliflower
• Saturday – Dinner out/take out
• Sunday – Grilled Pizza

What’s for dinner/breakfast/lunch or snack at your house this week?

Menu Monday 3/19/2012

This Week’s Meal Plan: 3/19 – 3/25

This week is a bit different since Ryan will be out of town for three nights and I’m hoping that my parents can watch the kids for a couple of days while I get some projects done around the house. My plan is to eat from the freezer while Ryan is gone and do minimal cooking so that I can focus on organizing my craft/sewing area, sewing 1-2 more sets of curtains, mending clothes, decluttering, and some major spring cleaning! It’s probably too ambitious for me to get all of it done, but if I even get a portion of it accomplished I will be HAPPY!

Breakfast

Sourdough Crepes; Granola and Yogurt (x2); Fried Eggs & Toast; Egg Puff; Homemade Raisin Bran? (something I’ve been wanting to try)

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; Egg Salad Sandwiches; Reuben Sandwiches; Peanut Butter & Honey Toast

Snacks

Fruit; Cheese & Crackers; Hummus & Veggies/Pita Chips; Quinoa muffins; Ants on a Log

Dinner

• Monday – Reuben Sandwiches, pineapple, and cabbage salad

• Tuesday – Paella (from freezer)

• Wednesday – Enchiladas (from freezer)

• Thursday – Soup (from freezer)

• Friday – Potluck dinner at Bible Study

• Saturday – Glazed Corned Beef and Cabbage Salad

• Sunday – Pizza and Salad

Please share your meal plans! I love getting inspiration from you.

Menu Monday (on Wednesday) 3/12/2012

This Week’s Meal Plan 3/12 – 3/18

I am woefully behind on my blogging. Finally our family is feeling much better after another round of colds, but I am still catching up on sleep and with the nice weather we have been enjoying the outdoors a bit more. It is 3:30am and now I can’t sleep, so I guess I should blog, right? I’m guessing this won’t actually help me go back to bed any faster. Oh well.

Breakfast

Steel cut oats with boiled eggs and grapefruit; Granola; Yogurt with honey and nuts; Eggs and Toast; Granola & Yogurt; Sunrise Sandwiches (on the go); Out of Town

Lunch

Taco left-overs (yum); Hummus wraps with fruit and veggies; PB&J; Egg Salad sandwiches; Quesadillas; Out of Town

Snacks

Ants on a Log; Cheese & Crackers; Fruit; Hummus & Veggies or Pita Chips; Granola Trail Mix; Soft Pretzels (I froze some dough from the last batch)

Dinner

• Monday: Tacos with Black-eyed Pea Salad

• Tuesday: Ham Casserole and Salad

• Wednesday: Grilled Chicken Parmesan Peppercorn Salad

• Thursday: Grilled Steelhead, Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes

• Friday: Venison Hungarian Stew in the crockpot and a salad

• Saturday: Out of Town

• Sunday: Out of Town

Last  week due to our illness I was feeling rather unmotivated to make what was on our meal plan. One night we made Chef Salads and another night we ordered in some sub sandwiches. And due to being sick we did not go out of town as planned on Saturday, so we had our split pea soup on Saturday and our regular Pizza dinner on Sunday while we watched Mary Poppins. I have actually been enjoying not watching TV during Lent and our new family movie night tradition. When we were all sick, however, I desperately just wanted to sit in front of the TV and veg out; instead I usually went to bed early, probably better for me anyway.

Menu Monday 3/5/2012

Bibimbap

This Week’s Meal Plan: 3/5 – 3/11

Breakfast

Soaked Buttermilk Coffee Cake with yogurt & fruit or eggs (x2); Granola; Cottage Cheese Pancakes; Scrambled Eggs & Toast; EggPuff; Quiche

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; Egg Salad Sandwiches; Quesadillas; Peanut Butter & Honey Toast

Snacks

Homemade Soft Pretzels (so good we need to do it again); Popcorn with Spike & Nutritional Yeast; Fruit and cheese curds; Smoothies; Apples and peanut butter; cheese and crackers

Dinner

• Monday – Bibimbap
• Tuesday – Grilled Venison Carne Asada with refried beans
• Wednesday – Ham, sweet potatoes au gratin, and salad
• Thursday – Grilled Steelhead, butternut squash, and salad
• Friday – Spaghetti with cottage cheese and salad
• Saturday – Out of Town
• Sunday – Pizza or split pea soup

I finally made it to the Paoli Local Foods Market and got some grassfed corned beef (for St. Patty’s Day), pastured ham, and some grassfed liver – we’re going to try liver and onions (organ meats are supposed to be extremely good for you and I’ve been meaning to get them into our meal plan). Oh and I picked up a 50 lb bag of oats this week from our co-op. We go through oats like crazy, so I decided to get some in bulk. It will be interesting to see just how long 50 lbs lasts! There is currently about 3-4 inches of snow on the ground, but it should all be gone tomorrow as the forecast is calling for 55 degrees! I’m looking forward to using my grill more this week.

Please share your meal plans! I love getting inspiration from you.

Menu Monday 2/27/2012

This Week’s Meal Plan: 2/27 – 3/4

Breakfast

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal (3x); Multi-grain Waffles; Morning Hot Cereal Mix and grapefruit; Eggs & Sourdough English Muffins; Yogurt with nuts and honey

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; OR Chicken Sandwiches or wraps; Peanut Butter & Honey Toast; Pot Roast and Pickles  Sandwiches (a family tradition)

Snacks

5-Layer Dip with Pita Chips; Cheesy Bread; Homemade Soft Pretzels (didn’t get to this last week); Popcorn with Spike & Nutritional Yeast; Fruit and string cheese; Veggies & Hummus

Dinner

• Monday – Crockpot Pot Roast, potatoes, and salad
• Tuesday – Grilled Chicken and Butternut Squash with Wild Rice Pilaf
• Wednesday – Meat Loaf and Baked Beans with Wilted Spinach Salad
• Thursday – Fish Fry with Hall Family Coleslaw (recipe coming soon) and oven fries
• Friday – Shrimp and Broccoli Alfredo with Soba Noodles
• Saturday – Lentil Soup
• Sunday – Pizza

So, I’m not sure that the order of my meals matters that much. This week I had to tweak the order a bit according to what I have on hand and when I am going to the store. Also, it is the end of the month, so I need to wait until my budget replenishes as of March 1^st before doing my next major grocery run. Well, I never made it to the local meat store that I was hoping to get to, but was able to get a few cuts of meat from our CSA that we haven’t had an opportunity to get earlier in the season. I’m still craving ham (and split pea soup and other ham related meals that we often make with the left-overs) and need to pick up some corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day, so my plan is to go this coming Saturday to check out the store with lots of local grassfed meat!

Menu Monday 2/20/2012

This Week’s Meal Plan: 2/20 – 2/26

Breakfast

Yogurt and Granola; Steel Cut Oats with grapefruit; Morning Cereal Mix; Eggs and Toast; Cottage Cheese Pancakes (from the freezer)

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; Frozen soup; Grilled Cheese; PB&J; Quesadillas

Snacks

Banana Flax Muffins, Popcorn, Hummus and Carrots, Apples and Peanut Butter, Butternut Spice Bars (still have not had a chance to make these), Homemade Pretzels

Dinner

• Monday – Venison & Bean Enchiladas with Mexican Rice
• Tuesday – Shrove Tuesday Crepes with Bacon and fruit
• Wednesday – Chicken and Mashed Potatoes with Corn
• Thursday – Spaghetti with Broccoli
• Friday – Game Night = Appetizers (I’m bringing Cheesy Rye Crisps and Chocolate Mousse Pie)
• Saturday – Soup from the freezer
• Sunday – Pizza

This week is a bit different with  the start of Lent and a Game Night thrown in there too. Next week should be back to our normal schedule. I was looking through some Cook’s Illustrated Magazines today, not sure why as I have the next two weeks of meals already planned out, but it made me want warmer weather for some of our favorite summertime meals. I know I could make them, but I try to stay away from veggies that are currently not in season. I might have to cave since Gyros have been on my mind for awhile now. What is on your menu for the week?

Cook's Illustrated, one of my favorite food magazines.

Menu Monday 2/13/2012

Peach and Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

This Week’s Meal Plan: 2/13 – 2/19

Ryan’s birthday is this week, he is a Valentine’s Day baby. And we have realized that going out on his birthday is not fun! So, we will have a nice dinner at home with the kids and go out another night and hopefully take in a play.

Breakfast

Peach and Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (left-over from last week); Granola with yogurt; Cottage Cheese Pancakes; Eggs and Toast; Egg Puff; Fritatta

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; Black Bean Quesadillas; Frozen soup; Grilled Cheese; PB&J

Snacks

Butternut Spice Bars (didn’t get to these last week); Hummus and Veggies; Cheese and Fruit; Nuts and Fruit; Banana PB Chocolate Smoothie; Strawberry Smoothies; Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Dinner

• Monday – Venison Fried Rice

• Tuesday – Dungeoness Crab, Asparagus and Coconut Pie (Ryan’s Birthday)

• Wednesday – Chicken Potpie with lima beans

• Thursday – Chicken Cordon Bleu and Salad

• Friday – Venison Stroganoff with peas

• Saturday – Soup from the freezer

• Sunday – Pizza

Menu Monday 2/6/2012

Three successive batches of bone broth*

This Week’s Meal Plan: 2/6 – 2/12

Last week our family encountered the stomach bug, so our menu changed a bit. I’ll share my original plan for this week and our changes. Thank goodness for lots of nourishing soups in the freezer! Oh and the kids will be visiting my parents for a couple of days, so our typical meal schedule will take a break.

Breakfast

Yogurt with Honey and Nuts; Peach and Blueberry Baked Oatmeal; Eggs, Bacon and Sourdough English Muffins; Whole Wheat Sourdough Crepes with Homemade Jam and Almond Spread; Tasty Frittata (didn't get to this last week)

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; Frozen soup; Grilled Cheese; PB&J

Snacks

Granola with nuts and dried fruit; Banana Flax Muffins; Butternut Spice Bars; Black Bean Salsa and Chips; Black Bean Brownies; Strawberry "Milk" Shake; Veggies and Hummus

Dinner – Original Plan

• Monday – Paella

• Tuesday – Crockpot Pork Roast with White Beans and Cranberries, and Salad

• Wednesday – Parmesan Tilapia

• Thursday – Meatloaf with Baked Beans and Salad

• Friday – Skillet Parmesan with Brown Rice Vermicelli and Salad (we ended up having this last week and it was DELICIOUS!)

• Saturday – Crockpot Zuppa Bastarda and Bread

• Sunday – Pizza 

Actual Dinner Plan will look more like this:

• Monday – Out for dinner

• Tuesday – Scallops, Butternut Squash Polenta, and Salad

• Wednesday – Crockpot Pork Roast with White Beans and Cranberries, and Salad

• Thursday – Paella

• Friday – Baked Pasta in the Manner of the Lady of the House and Winter Salad (see last week's menu for more details)

• Saturday – Crockpot Zuppa Bastarda and Bread

• Sunday – Pizza

Please share your menu for the week, so that anyone who reads this post will have even more inspiration!

*The picture above is what happens with my bone broth (from chicken bones) after the first 24 hours = well flavored, dark stock. Add more water, another splash of vinegar and go for another 24 hours in the crockpot = mildly flavored stock and after the third addition of water, vinegar and third 24 hour period is the least flavorful and lightest stock which can be used for oats, rice, pasta, beans, or just about any place you would cook something in water. Why would I do three successive batches of bone broth with the same bones? Nutrients are still being pulled out of the bones and add nutrients to the other things we eat daily. While we had illness in our house we used bone broth a lot! I used it to make miso noodle soup for the kids, congee (rice porridge), and the soup in the freezer is always made with one of the various batches. This is so easy to do in your crockpot to add more nutrients to your family's meals.

Menu Monday 1/30/2012

Caldo Verde

This Week’s Meal Plan: 1/30 – 2/5

Breakfast

Strawberry & Pineapple Oatmeal Bake, Yogurt and Granola, Tasty Fritatta (this was so good last week and I still have some sauce left), Boiled Eggs and Banana Flax Muffins, Egg Puff

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; Frozen soup; Quesadillas; PB&J

Snacks

Spelt crackers with cheese (didn’t get to this last week), Banana Flax Muffins, Popcorn, Trail Mix, Hummus and Veggies, Fruit

Dinner

• Monday – Chickpea & Kale Paneer with Rice and Chapatis
• Tuesday – Chicken and Bean Sopes/Chorreadas
• Wednesday – Scallops and Salad
• Thursday – Braised Venison with Cinnamon Red Currant Marmalade (p. 94) and Butternut Squash Polenta
• Friday – Baked Pasta in the Manner of the Lady of the House (p. 116) and Winter Salad (p.214)
• Saturday – Soup from the freezer
• Sunday – Pizza

I haven’t done the exact calculations yet, but I believe that I saved about $50 this month on groceries by planning and shopping for two weeks at a time instead of just one week. And that’s not including the fact that I spent a lot less on gas this month, even though we traveled out of town twice instead of our usual once a month trip. Only time will tell if this is a fluke or a trend. I do have plans this month to visit a local store that carries organic meat from a nearby farm. I have been craving some meat cuts that I haven’t found reasonably priced through my CSA or co-op.

This week I am trying some recipes from a cookbook that I received for Christmas, Regional Foods of Northern Italy. I’m very excited to try them and I’ll let you know how they turn out. I’ve noted the pages above in case you have a desire to purchase the book (or check to see if your local library carries it). I may even try making fresh pasta per the recipe in the book, but I should probably make sure I have lasagna noodles on hand in case I run out of time or it doesn't go well. I do, however, plan on making mascarpone cheese and possibly ricotta too - we'll see how much time I have for this one recipe.                                                                                                                                                              

Menu Monday - 1/23/2012

Tasty Frittata

Last week when I grabbed a jar from the freezer thinking that it was frozen broccoli pesto for my double broccoli quinoa I was delightfully surprised to find that it was actually the sauce for this incredible frittata (pictured above). We usually only make it in the summer when we are overflowing with zucchini/yellow squash, but when I smelled the sauce and discovered that I had cauliflower left in my fridge - I knew that it had to go on this week's meal plan.

This Week’s Meal Plan: 1/23 – 1/29

Breakfast

Cauliflower & Potato Fritata; Steel cut Oats & Boiled Eggs with Oranges; Apple Cinnamon Porridge Pancakes; Fried Eggs with Kale, Beans and Rice (didn’t get to this last week), Smoothies and Muffins

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; Frozen soup; Grilled Cheese; PB&J

Snacks

Kale Chips, Raisin Bran Muffins, Spelt crackers with cheese, Pears and Cottage Cheese, Hummus Spread and Pita Chips, Popcorn, Squash Custard

Dinner

• Monday – Korean Bibimbap
• Tuesday – Black Bean Soup
• Wednesday – Barbecued Steelhead and Beet Salad
• Thursday – North African Lemon Chicken with Cilantro and Olives served with Couscous
• Friday – Ravioli and Salad
• Saturday – Attending my cousin’s wedding
• Sunday - Pizza and Salad

Adjustments have been made to my weekly meal planning themes, hopefully they will work better this way. Monday = Rice/Salad, Tuesday = Beans, Wednesday = Fish, Thursday = Meat, Friday = Noodles, Saturday = Soup and Sunday = Pizza. This two week meal planning and themed planning is still working wonderfully for me. Sorry I keep mentioning this, but I am really surprised. I thought for sure I would get bored with the same types of meals each week, but I feel like there is enough room for me to still have some creativity and variety in our weekly menu. I guess it is only January and I may make changes once summer hits and we don't want soup and noodles each week. Do you plan your menu according to themes? What are they?

Menu Monday - 1/16/2012

Black-eyed Peas, Corn and Shrimp Salad over Quinoa

The new two week meal planning/grocery shopping is going well.  It’s like I suddenly have more time with fewer places to go and less time spent on meal planning.  Although my idea of keeping the Wisconsin tradition of Friday night Fish Fry (without the fried fish) was good in theory, it is not working with our schedule.  Oh well – somethings just have to change.

Breakfast

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Toast with Hard Boiled Eggs and Fruit, Yogurt and Soaked Granola, Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal, Berry & Yogurt Smoothies, Rice and Beans with Kale and Fried Eggs, Sourdough Swedish pancakes

Lunch

We had so many left-overs last week we never got to the other options.  We will likely do the same this week = left-overs, PB&J, grilled cheese and tomato soup, bean and cheese quesadilla

Snacks

Kale chips, Popcorn with EVOO and Spike, Raisin Bran Muffins, Hummus and Veggies, Oranges, Yogurt with Honey and Soaked Walnuts, Chocolate Tapioca Pudding, Date Balls

Dinner

• Monday: Soba Noodle Stirfry
• Tuesday: Venison, Beef and Bean Enchiladas & Cabbage Salad
• Wednesday: Chili Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Butternut Squash and Sautéed Kale
• Thursday: Salmon and Double Broccoli Quinoa
• Friday: Finger Food Game Night with Bible Study = Taco Dip and Hummus App
• Saturday: Venison Stew
• Sunday: Pizza and Chocolate Tapioca Pudding

Note about the picture above: Last week I had planned for seafood on Friday, but I often don't plan too much ahead what exactly that will be so that I can get something fresh from the local seafood market.  Well, Friday came and I decided not to run errands that day (see my post on Friday) so I needed to use the shrimp that I already had in my freezer.  I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a shrimp recipe  and my cousin suggested this.  I made a few changes due to what I did and did not have on hand, but it was delicious and worked well over the quinoa.

What is on your menu this week?  Do you have any favorite Real Food Recipes to share?

Menu Monday - 1/9/2012

Venison Provencale

Last week was my first official two week meal planning session.  So I will share with you what was planned for last week and what is planned for this week.

This Week’s Meal Plan: 1/9 – 1/15

Breakfast

Yogurt & Soaked Nuts, Sourdough English muffins & Cantaloupe; Soaked Steel cut Oats & Boiled Eggs with Grapefruit; Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes; Sunrise Egg Sandwiches and Fruit; Soaked Morning Cereal Mix with dried fruit and nuts; Egg Puff and Fruit; Judy’s Breakfast Casserole

Lunch

Left-overs mostly; Grilled cheese and tomato soup; PB&J

Snacks

Banana Flax Muffins; Carrots and PB; Orange slices; Cheese & Crackers; Popcorn; Smoothies

Dinner

• Monday – Venison Stroganoff and green peas
• Tuesday – Meat and Bean tacos
• Wednesday – Roasted Chicken and Butternut Squash
• Thursday – Crockpot Paneer over rice with Turmeric Veggies
• Friday – Fish and Veggies
• Saturday – Caldo Verde Soup
• Sunday - Pizza

Last Week’s Meal Plan 1/2 - 1/8

Dinner

• Monday – Spaghetti and Salad
• Tuesday – Rice and Beans with Greens and Fried Egg
• Wednesday – Venison Provencale and Brussel Sprouts
• Thursday – Chicken and Salad
• Friday – Fish and Veggies
• Saturday – Curried Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk
• Sunday – Pizza

When I made out our two week meal plan I was so excited to plan for two weeks that I forgot we would be out of town the first weekend.  So our meal plan did change a bit.  Ryan and I got a date night (sushi) on Saturday so we moved the soup to earlier in the week and cut out of Fish on Friday.  But everything else went as planned for dinners.

Please share your meal plan for the week with us.

Healthy on a Budget - Meal Planning

 

One of the best ways to make sure we eat healthy meals along with saving money is planning out our meals ahead of time.  Not only does it help with the craziness of the pre-dinner hour, but at the grocery store you will know what to buy (and what not to buy).  There are many ways to plan out your meals - one week at a time, two weeks, a whole month, using the sale ads at your local stores (more money savings), freezer cooking, etc.  There are even websites specifically for meal planning; Meals Matter is free, E-mealz has a cost of about $1.25/week, Food on the Table is free and there's an app for that, Nourished Kitchen provides Real Food meal plans for about $10/month, GNOWFGLINS is another website that provides Real Food meal plans for $15/month and there are many more meal planning options out there.  In addition to meal planning websites, many blogs (including this one) share their weekly menus for you to get ideas and recipes from.

Avoiding the recommendations of having themes or a regular schedule of meals such as Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, etc. (because I didn't want to have the same meals all the time) ended up with me spending more time than necessary on my meal plans - always searching for new recipes to try.  Finally as of 2012 I have decided to try a "schedule/themed" meal plan style in hopes of streamlining the process. According to Simplicity Parenting it is also good for the children to have some sense of "routine" - for example, "on Sundays we always have pizza for dinner." I'm even trying to plan for two weeks at a time, in hopes of saving even more money (and time with less trips to the store).  I'll let you know how it goes.  Here is my plan:

• Monday = Noodles
• Tuesday = Beans
• Wednesday = Meat
• Thursday = Rice or Salad
• Friday = Seafood
• Saturday = Soup
• Sunday = Pizza

I'm feeling pretty good about my plan, I think it will still allow me to have freedom in my planning (and our meals), but it should save me lots of time and I'm guessing money too.  Although I may end up changing my plan when summer rolls around - when I do much less cooking at the stove and more grilling.  Oh and it may look like we only eat Meat once a week, but that isn't the case, that just happens to be my chance to roast a whole chicken, grill fajitas, make a pot roast or something like that.  Breakfast isn't always as set in stone around here - it is more fluid with many things on hand and often a decision made the night before so that I can get the sourdough pancake sponge going, soaking oats  or prep a breakfast strata.  We rarely eat boxed cereal, the closest we come is homemade granola.