Menu Plan Monday- Tuesday Edition- Again!

I haven't posted my menu in a while and to be honest I've been flying by the seat of my pants. Not working so well, so here we go again!!

This week's plan:

Monday: Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken and broccoli, salad with fresh pears and Italian Herb Artisan Bread

Tuesday: Pinto Beans with Ham, Green Beans, Corn Bread

Wednesday: Chicken Stew, Biscuits

Thursday: Dinner on the Run- Dance night

Friday: Beer Battered Fish, Chips (British style french fries), Cole Slaw

Saturday: date night

Sunday: I'm going to let mom decide what she wants for dinner. She's been in DC since Saturday for a Conference and doesn't get home til Thursday night. I'm sure she'll have something she'd love to have since she'll have eaten out so much all week. 

I have a question for all you meal planners out there. How do you plan breakfast and lunches? I feel like I do a good job with lunches in general. Breakfast around here tends to be cold breakfast cereal or oatmeal during the week and then pancakes, french toast, egg dishes on Saturdays when everyone is eating at the same time. During the week everyone is staggered at the times they need to be up and I don't want to cook 3 or 4 different times. But I feel guilty sometimes that they aren't eating anything other than cereal. Any advice??

Check out other menu plans at Org Junkie. Happy Eating!

Menu Plan Monday-1st Week of Lent

It's that time again...time for a new Menu Plan. This week holds Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Valentine's Day and the first Friday of Lent. My goodness...could we pack anything else into this week?!? And if you are Catholic like we are you woke up to some pretty incredible news coming out of the Vatican this morning. I am shocked to hear about Pope Benedict XVI stepping down! I am not a huge fan of Pope Benedict (I have a very soft spot in my heart for JPII) but it's incredible to see this happening! I believe they said the last time a Pope resigned office was in the 1400's! But, if the reasoning behind the resignation is accurate I have to have a lot of admiration for him. He is the oldest Pope to be elected in decades (elected at the age of 78). I can't imagine the toll it takes on one's mind, body and spirit to be the religious leader of 1.2 billion people around the world. And over the last few months he seems to have aged rapidly. I hope he will be able to take care of himself now. Our prayers are with him! And how exciting is it to think we'll get to witness another conclave in a matter of weeks!?!? And a new Pope by Easter...kind of fitting I think! Anyways, enough of the religion lesson! On to last weeks recap!

Monday's Corn Chowder was filling and delicious like always. I didn't get that recipe up last week, hopefully I can get it up for whoever is interested in it this week.

Tuesday was Paula Dean's Pot Roast. Now, this one I screwed up big time! I added WAY too much of the house seasoning in the recipe to the roast. Like I mean, I coated that puppy both sides! I didn't read that you were supposed to use only 1/2 tsp of the house seasoning to season the roast. Whoops! But that was totally my fault. The roast itself was really good but the gravy was inedible! Kind of bummed too because the gravy looked AMAZING!! But we will try this again and this time I will follow the directions! lol

Wednesday's Hawaiian Pork Roast was fantastic! One of my favorite meals. I cook it in the crock pot and we end up getting three meals out of it! What's not to love about that!?! This was my first time making roasted sweet potatoes and they were so yummy! I set some sweet potatoes aside and made baby sweet potatoes for Eli. He LOVED them! Not exaggerating either. Saturday I was shopping with my mom and Steven called to tell me that Eli had eaten an entire Baby Bullet jar of them! Success!!

Thursday was dance night. Hello Chick-Fil-A! lol

Friday we had the sweet and sour meatballs made from the sauce of the pork roast. I made the meatballs with a mixture of ground beef and ground pork. Added some garlic powder, minced onion, parsley, soy sauce and egg. Yum! I'm loving experimenting with homemade meatballs. Why did I pay for those at the store?!?

Saturday was supposed to BBQ sandwiches but Brianna had a friend over to spend the night and my mom offered to order pizza. Hello Papa John's! We're glad you came to visit! lol

So the BBQ sandwiches got moved to Sunday. We put the shredded leftover pork in the crockpot, added some Sweet Baby Rays and let it work its magic! Add some coleslaw and fried onion rings (which we bought at GFS! ;-p) and you've got a perfect lazy Sunday dinner. The neglected goulash gets moved to this week!

OK! Enough wrap up...onto this weeks eats! Thank you Pinterest! You inspired out of this weeks 7 dinners! What would we do without you!?!? ;-p

Monday: Goulash, Salad, Garlic Toast

Tuesday (Pancake/Fat Tuesday): Peanut Butter Cup Banana Pancakes and Bacon....LOTS of bacon!!

Wednesday (Ash Wednesday): Tuna Pot Pie, fruit

Thursday (Valentine's Day and Dance Night): maybe Steak and Shake for burgers and shakes??

Friday (1st Friday of Lent): Southwest Rice and Beans Burittos, Chips and Salsa (and maybe margaritas...virgin of course for this children! wink!)

Saturday: Steven and I plan to go out for Valentine's Day (since he works nights and won't be home Thursday til after 9!) and then we have tickets to go see a play at church. Normally I would be in this show but I took this year off. Maybe next year!

Sunday: Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce, California Veggie Mix

So there it is my friends. Another menu plan. Be sure to check out Org Junkie for hundreds more if you need more inspiration! Happy Eating!

Menu Plan Monday- Tuesday Edition!

It's time for another weekly menu plan. And as some weeks go, I'm just getting around to posting it today. I wrote it yesterday, but yesterday was one of those days. And last week was one of those weeks when you get to the end and the plan just falls apart! That's what I get for not paying close attention to my calender when making my plan! So without further ado, last weeks recap:

Monday's chili made with ground chicken instead of ground beef was yummy. I love chili!

Tuesday the Kielbasa and Potato Bake was a hit like always. This is a standby that I almost always have the ingredients for, Kielbasa defrosts quickly if you forget to take it out the night before, and it's cheesy, so the kids go to town! Win! Win! Win!

Wednesday we had the Paprika Chicken. I first tried this dish when a friend from high school gave me a recipe she had been making that she loved. I remembered seeing a recipe similar to it on one of my new favorite websites Global Table Adventure. I went there to try Sasha's version this time and it didn't disappoint! One of our new favorite dishes, and because of it I am now out of paprika! :-) Spend some time browsing Sasha's site...you will not be sorry!

Thursday was dance night so it was the McDonald's drive thru for us!

And this is where things started to fall apart! The kids have been wanting tacos for a while now and while Brianna was at dance on Thursday mom and I took the boys and went price comparing at GFS. Have I mentioned lately how much I love GFS? It is my new favorite place to shop for bulk items especially since you don't need a membership and everything has been such good quality. While we were there I found soft taco shells on sale for $0.99. So I picked some up. Mom bought a huge thing of ground beef which she broke down into pounds and put in the freezer. So Friday we had tacos. I think we might start a new tradition: Fiesta Fridays. Anything Mexican/Latin complete with Sangria! Sounds good to me! lol

Saturday I forgot we had a dinner date out with some very dear friends, one of whom was celebrating his 50th birthday this weekend. So the kids went to grandma and grandpa's and we went out for some amazingly good food and great company! 

Sunday I totally had forgotten was the SuperBowl. So we made pizzas, potato skins, hankie pankies and had carrots and celery, strawberries and chips and salsa. I don't know if that turkey dinner is ever gonna happen! lol

So, onto this week we go!

Monday: Corn Chowder and garlic bread- this recipe is orginally from Cooks.com but I've made some adjustments to make it more us. I will share it later this week and come back and link it up. If you like a good (and easy) Corn Chowder come back and check it out!

Tuesday: Paula Dean's Pot Roast, mashed redskin potatoes and gravy, steamed carrots

Wednesday: Hawaiian Pork Roast, Roasted sweet potatoes, Broccoli, Hawaiian Rolls

Thursday: dance night- hopefully Chick-Fil-A this week! (I have a coupon for a free chicken sandwich!!)

Friday: BBQ Pork Sandwiches (made from the leftover pork roast), Cole Slaw, Onion Rings

Saturday: Sweet and Sour Meatballs (using the leftover sweet and sour sauce from the pork roast) over Rice

Sunday: Goulash, Green Salad, Fruit, Rolls

So, that's our menu this week! Be sure to check out Menu Plan Monday at Org Junkie for more menu plans. Happy eats! 

Menu Plan Monday 1/28/13

Week 2 of being back to menu planning. I have to say I loved having a plan last week and we ate some really yummy stuff! And cleaned a little out of the freezer, which is always good too! This week we are once again back to cleaning out the freezer, and hopefully keeping the week's grocery shopping to a minimum. But first, a recap of last week. 

Monday's vegetable beef soup was yum-o like always! And the leftovers were even better!

Tuesday's Italian Sausage spaghetti was fantastic. A little secret: I had never made spaghetti sauce from scratch before! I always bought a jarred spaghetti sauce. Well, no more! It was so good and the taste was far superior! This Italian Sausage sauce was from All Recipes and it will go in my recipe box of keepers (can't find the recipe link right now but when I do I will add it!). I will also be trying a recipe that my mom always used that is a ground beef version with peppers, onions, etc.

Wednesday I ended up doing the beef and broccoli stir fry instead of the Tangy Apple Chicken Loaf.  I wasn't too impressed and neither was anyone else. I just kind of dumped things in as I went, no recipe. Think I need to do some more investigating on this one!

Thursday I ended up taking the kids to Chick-Fil-A before dance. They are always so hungry after school and expecting them to make it til after 7 to eat is just mean! So I think Thursday is going to end up being an eat out day. It's just going to make my life a whole lot easier! And makes for happier kids!

Friday we got a happy surprise when Steven got off 4 hours early. So that meant he was home for dinner and the Tangy Apple Chicken Loaf. Let me just say, if you have ground chicken in your freezer click on this link, go to All Recipes and grab this recipe! You will not be sorry! It was sooo good. Almost everyone went back for seconds. The only thing I wish is that I had made a little more of the glaze to eat with the finished product like I do with ketchup when I make a regular meatloaf. This one is definitely a keeper!

Saturday we went to the Homecoming basketball game for our Alma Mater and ended up going out for hoggies after.

Sunday we went over to Steven's dad's house after church and stayed for dinner. So the turkey and all the fixings will be moved to this week. 

OK...recap over...on to this weeks menu plan!

Monday: Chili (made with ground chicken instead of ground beef) and cornbread

Tuesday: Kielbasa and Potato Bake, Green Salad

Wednesday: Paprika Chicken over egg noodles (from one of my new favorite food blogs Global Table Adventure), Green Salad, Egg Bread

Thursday: Drive thru before Dance

Friday: Pot Roast, Roasted Veggies (maybe sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips-which we've never tried but I want to!)

Saturday: Sausage Gravy and Biscuits, Fried Potatoes, Apple Turnovers

Sunday: Turkey, Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Beans, Yeast Rolls

Shopping List:

cream of mushroom soup

shredded cheddar cheese

salad

sweet potatoes x2

baby carrots

parsnip

apples x3

dried cherries

frozen puff pastry (2 sheets, 17.3 oz each)

OJ

Lemishine or Citric Acid (for my homemade dishwasher detergent experiment)

Shampoo and Conditioner

Milk

That's it for me for this week! Don't forget to check out Org Junkie for more menu plans and recipes. Happy Eating!

Menu Plan Monday

I'm sitting here this morning watching the 2nd Inauguration of President Barack Obama. I am feeling very grateful today that we live in a country where we have such a peaceful exchange of power every 4 years. True this time the presidency isn't changing hands, but there was a lot of change in Congress. And again, everything moved peacefully. I think it's amazing and I feel blessed. Today it doesn't matter if you voted for the President or not. It doesn't matter if you like him or his policies. Today we are witnesses to history! And today we see a black man inaugurated as President of the United States of America, on Martin Luther King Jrs. birthday celebration. That my friends, is history! And I'll admit it gives me goosebumps and a little thrill! OK, moving on!

In order to save money this year and help us eat healthier I have to get back to menu planning. I used to do this all the time and I loved it! I loved knowing what was going to be for dinner every night. I knew if I needed to take meat out the night before to defrost. I knew if I needed to run out and get carrots if I forgot them so I could make the roast. It saved us a buttload every month and I got very good at it! And then, I stopped! lol- but it's coming back this year! Oh it's coming back! I will be rejoining Menu Plan Monday over at I'm An Organizing Junkie. Laura has such a great, inspiring blog. She hosts this wonderful Link-Up every week. So far this week there are almost 100 menu plans linked up! And it's only 11:36 on Monday morning. Need some inspiration for this week? Go check it out! But warning, do not browse on an empty stomach! You've been warned!! lol

I went looking in the freezer in the garage to see what we had in there. Let's just say I don't need to buy meat for a while! We have 2 large turkeys, 5 pounds of ground chicken, 2 pounds of sausage (1 Italian and 1 regular), 2 packages of polish kielbasa, several chuck roasts, 1 rump roast, some chicken breast, 4 pounds of beef stew meat! And that's not even all of it I don't think! All I really need to do this week is buy milk, fresh veggies and fruits and juice. So, here's my plan for this week. As I make things I will try to remember to take pictures and then come back and write up recipes and link them back to this post. So if you see something that looks good check back. Oh and I'll also be making bread again in a day or so and I'll link up my bread recipe then. 

Monday: Vegetable Beef Soup, Honey Biscuits

Tuesday: Italian Sausage Spaghetti, Garlic Bread Sticks,Green Salad

Wednesday: Tangy Apple Chicken Loaf (a new to us recipe from All Recipes, I'll let you know what we think!), Mashed potatoes, Glazed carrots, Dinner Rolls

Thursday: Leftovers (it's dance night-things are crazy! We won't eat til after 7! Keep it simple, clean out the fridge, win win!)

Friday: Beef and Broccoli Teriyaki Stirfry, Steamed Rice

Saturday: Date night for Mom and Dad, whatever the sitter decides to feed the kids!

Sunday: Roast Turkey, Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Beans, Stuffing, Dinner Rolls

So that's what's on the plan this week. Don't have to get much from the store. Some applesauce and Dijon mustard for the chicken loaf, carrots, salad, sweet potatoes, a couple of onions (one to stuff up a turkey butt (lol), one for the chicken loaf). Other than that I have everything else on hand. Love weeks like this!! I'll be putting the veggie soup in the slow cooker soon. I'll take pictures and post the recipe. So easy but sooo yummy!!

Okay, so I'm a little late today but it is Monday and time for another Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura over at Orgjunkie! If you've never checked this out you should wander over. There are usually close to 200 (sometimes more) people from all over the globe that post what they are eating this week! You can find some great recipes and it helps keep me focused and make sure I'm menu planning (which in turn helps keep the food costs down!) You'll notice that several of my recipes have links to the Kraft Foods website. If you have never tried any of their recipes you should give them a try! They are so good, so fast and so easy. Plus, they often use staples that are already in the pantry! Yeah! So without further ado, here's what we are eating this week!

Monday: quick taco salad This was so good and so easy! The romaine lettuce made it so crispy and tasted so fresh! If you are looking for a quick and easy light supper this is super!!!

Tuesday: Hawaiian Pork roast at mom's house!

Wednesday: oven-baked chicken parmesean, salad

Thursday: golden mushroom pork chops, baked potatoes, green beans

This is a super easy recipe that I do in the slow-cooker. You take boneless pork chops and put them in the slow cooker with a can (or 2 depending on how much gravy you want) of golden mushroom soup. I then layer on some sliced onion and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook it all day and by the time dinner rolls around pop some potatoes in the microwave. Serve the pork chops with potatoes and the soup as gravy. I love to put the gravy on the potato too! YUMMY!!! I also serve it with green beans to round it out! Enjoy!

Friday: sweet and sour chicken stir-fry

Saturday: egg salad sandwiches, fresh fruit salad

Sunday: Stouffer's chicken lasagna, salad

Menu Plan Monday

Boy have I been slacking lately! I haven't done a menu plan in about 6 weeks and I have to be honest we've been totally lost. I realize now how awesome these plans are with making sure we are eating well and eating early (instead of at 7 or 8 because we had to defrost something!!!!) So without further ado, here's what we're eating this week.

Monday: Leftover Easter ham, baked sweet potatoes, fruit salad
Tuesday: dinner at Mom's
Wednesday: Pinto beans and ham (using Easter ham bone), cornbread
Thursday: Fiesta Chicken Pasta, salad, rolls
Friday: No-Fuss Tex-Mex Roll-Ups, refried beans, mexican rice
Saturday: Stir-fried Rice Pot, pineapple
Sunday: Whatever we didn't get to eat this week!

Have a great week everybody and happy eating! (Oh, I'll be posting Easter pics tomorrow so stop in and see what we did this Easter!)

Menu Plan Monday

Monday is upon us again and so is another Menu Plan Monday hosted by OrgJunkie. I didn't post a menu last week cause things were soo nutty, and I'm late with this one since it is now almost 3:30 in the afternoon but better late than never!

Lent begins this week so you'll notice seafood or vegetarian dishes on Wednesday and Friday of this week and every Friday from here until Easter! Some weeks I might get lucky and we'll hit up a local fish fry since there are a million in this area but we'll see! So here's what we're eating this week!

Monday 2/04: Dinner at Mom's after school

Tuesday 2/05: Pinto beans and ham, corn bread

Wednesday 2/06 (ash Wednesday): cheesy pepper quesadillas, spanish rice

Thursday 2/07: spinach turkey burgers, french fries

Friday 2/08: Maryland crab cakes, salad

Saturday 2/09: date night!

Sunday 2/10: savory herb chicken, brown rice, green beans (this has been on the menu for like 2 two weeks now, but I'm determined it will get made this week!!!!)

So happy eating everyone! And check out Orgjunkie for over 200 menu plans from around the world! (Literally!!!)

Menu Plan Monday

So it's time once again for another Menu Plan Monday hosted by orgjunkie. This week there are over 200 menus posted so if you need to find something to eat, take a stroll over there and see what other people are having. I get great ideas there all the time:)
This week's plan is not very well thought out because I've been super busy this weekend, but since the cold weather is going to be sticking around here this week I think I'll be doing a lot of soups and stews. Here is the rough plan:

Monday: we ate with Steven's aunt and her family tonight!

Tuesday: dinner at mom's after I pick up the kids (I have class til 6:05)

Wednesday: turkey chili, corn bread or rolls

Thursday: herbed chicken, potatoes, green beans (didn't get to do this last week)

Friday: beef stew, corn bread or rolls (whichever we don't eat on Wed)

Saturday: Date night!

Sunday: probably leftovers- or whatever doesn't get cooked during the week!

Oh, just to let anyone out there know- we got three meals out of the Hawaiian Pork Roast that was on last week's menu! After dinner with the roast we had an entire half leftover which I shredded and used for BBQ sandwiches one night, and the sauce was like a sweet and sour sauce so we saved that and used it with frozen prepared meatballs one night to make swedish meatballs! It was the greatest recipe- I will definantly use it again! Here is the recipe if you want it:

1 boneless whole pork loin roast (about 3 lbs)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 C unsweetened pineapple juice (I use sweetened and it tasted great!)

1 can (8oz) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained

1/2 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C sliced celery

1/2 C cider vinegar

1/2 C soy sauce

1/4 C corn starch

1/3 C cold water

• Cut pork roast in half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown roast in oil on all sides; drain. Place in a 5 qt slow cooker.
• In a large bowl, combine the pineapple juice, pineapple, brown sugar, celery, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.
• Remove roast and keep warm. Let stand for 10 min before slicing. Meanwhile, strain cooking juices; transfer to a large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 mins or until thickened. Serve with the pork.

Like I said, this was soooo good and by the end I got three nights (more with leftovers) of meals out of this recipe (and we had 3 adults, a toddler and a one year old eating it!). So if you like pork give this recipe a try! Have a great week everybody and happy eating!!!

Menu Plan Monday

It's Monday- time for another menu plan Monday hosted by Orgjunkie.
Last week's menu went pretty well, although I did have to rearrange some days due to crazy schedules, but for those who wonder the Santa Fe chicken was fantastic (although next time I think I'll serve it over rice or noodles), the potato soup was sooo good (even though I did have a melt down because I thought it tasted too much like flour at first- you have to make a rouge (???) and I had never done that before- but hubby gave it an A+!!!) and the Hawaiian pork roast is going to be done today instead!
Classes resume for me today at NKU so this week's menu isn't incredibly amazing or even 100% set in stone, but by looking at the pantry this is what it looks like we'll be eating this week!

Monday 1/14: Hawaiian pork roast, festive rice, stemmed broccoli

Tuesday 1/15: chili, corn bread

Wednesday 1/16: breakfast casserole, fruit salad

Thursday 1/17: herbed chicken (recipe on the back of the Lipton savory herb soup mix box!), potatoes, green beans

Friday 1/18: chicken and tomatoe rice soup

(This recipe is sooo easy and sooo good! You take 5 cans of chicken and rice soup- don't add the water, 2 cans of chopped tomatoes- 1 with jalapeno if you want a little kick, 1 0r 2 cans chunk chicken. Mix it all together and heat 20 minutes @ a simmer. Serve with corn chips or tortilla chips and shredded cheese!!! YUMMO!!!)

Saturday 1/19: Date night! Kids with Grandparents!

Sunday 1/20: No idea! Probably whatever we didn't eat during the week or leftovers!

So there it is! Here's to a week of good eating! For more great menu ideas check out Orgjunkie's website!

Menu Plan Monday

So, it's the second week of January. Time for my 2nd meal plan of the year! When we were down in Bowling Green this week I came home with my Granny Lynda's copies of Taste of Home's Simple and Delicious magazines for 2006-2007. I love the recipes so we're trying a couple this week!

Monday 1/7: Three cheese pizza, salad

Tuesday 1/8: Santa Fe chicken, salad, cornbread

2 lbs chicken tenders

2 cans corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups salsa

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

Combine all ingredients except chicken. Stir to incorporate spices. Place tenders in the crockpot. Top with salsa mixture. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours. (recipe from mommy cooks)

Wednesday 1/9: Hawaiian Pork Roast, Festive Rice Medley, steamed broccoli

Thursday 1/10: baked potato soup, rolls

(The recipe for the baked potato soup is kind of involved, but if anyone really wants it let me know and I'll post it!!!)

Friday 1/11: spaghetti, salad, garlic bread

Saturday 1/12: date night!! (using Longhorn gift card from Christmas!!!!)

Sunday 1/13: whatever meal we don't get to end up doing due to going to family, etc.

Well, that's it for this week! I'm looking foward to some good eating! Hope you are too!

Menu Planning Monday- New Years' Eve

One of my New Years' resolutions is to begin weekly meal planning for the family. Meal planning helps prevent that 5 pm "Oh my gosh, what are we going to have for dinner?" panic, helps you make meals that are healthier and well balanced, and can help the checkbook too. Especially if you plan your weekly meals around what's on sale that week at the grocery store. This post is part of a blog sharing that is hosted by Org Junkie. Check out her blog-it is awesome! She has the best ideas on getting organized and staying that way- something I really struggle with! I'm hoping by joining this that I will be more consistent about planning out our meals, because I'll know that I'll be posting them every week. Each week I'll post what we'll be having for dinner, even though I 've planned out breakfast, lunch and snacks also! So here's this week's menu. And here's to New Years' Resolutions! (This week only includes 3 days worth of meals because we will be out of town Wednesday through Saturday, or at least the kids and I will be. Steven's on his own!)

Monday 12/31 (New Years' Eve Party): Make your own pizzas, veggie tray, fruit tray, cheese tray, wassail, sparkling juice, chocolate chip cookies

Tuesday 1/01: red beans and rice, corn bread, Green Briar bread pudding

Wednesday 1/02: Out of town!

Thursday 1/03: Out of town!

Friday 1/04: Out of town!

Saturday 1/05: Out of town!

Sunday 1/06: golden mushroom porkchops, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli

(These porkchops are super easy! Put your chops in a crock pot, add 1-2 cans of golden mushroom soup [depending on how much gravy you want]. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Serve gravy over chops, or my favorite, on your baked potato! YUM!!!)