I have not been the best at posting my meal plans lately, but we have been eating, I promise. We sort of fell off the wagon, so to speak, with the Eat From the Pantry Challenge. Actually, I'm being pretty hard on myself, because really, eating from the pantry is what we always do! The challenge to not buy any groceries during the month of January is the part we failed on. I'm not that good with rules, I guess :)
We really do eat from the pantry/freezer/storage in the basement very regularly. I always take stock of what we have, what we need to use up and come up with our meals from there. I am definitely not the type of cook that gets a taste for a dish and then goes out and buys all the ingredients for them, no matter the cost. January's challenge wasn't all that different from my normal life, but I had a hard time going to the grocery store for a couple staples without picking up other items also. We did end up spending less than we usually do, so that's a success in my book!
On to the meal plan for this week:
Monday: Leftover "Jeff Casserole," ham, frozen corn
Tuesday: Turkey tortilla soup from the freezer, cheese toast, zucchini from the freezer
Wednesday: Arabic lentil soup, sauteed Brussels spouts with bacon and onions, ham sandwiches
Thursday: Mashed potato/carrot/kale/smoked sausage casserole with saurkraut using keilbasa from our 1/4 pig
Friday: Tacos with refried beans, rice, corn
I'm planning on making the taco meat on Thursday, so that it is ready to just heat up on Friday after work. I am always starving and tired on work nights, so anything I can do to make life easier on myself, I'm going to try!
I've got some soup and a new recipe for Brussels sprouts to try today, so I guess I had better get cooking while Molly is napping. Eat well and enjoy your week.
Showing posts with label meal plans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meal plans. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Eat From the Pantry Challenge: Recap of Week 2 and Week 3 Plan
Well... except for the incident last Tuesday, all is well with January's Eat From the Pantry Challenge. I haven't been doing too much cooking, because it took us some time to get through all the food I made during week 1! We've just been eating leftovers and scraps here and there all week, and I've taken a little time off from cooking. Strangely... we're not exactly going hungry.
Our refrigerator is looking a little bare, so I'm back on the bandwagon and have plans to do some cooking this week. I'll try to control myself so we're not eating leftovers for a week and a half again! Here's our plan for the week:
Saturday: Homemade pizza with dough, sauce and toppings from the freezer
Sunday: Oven hamburgers, roasted vegetables, potato smiles, super easy black bean soup
Monday: Sweet potato black bean burritos (frozen) from last week's beans and rice with avocado and salsa
Tuesday: Country BBQ pork ribs in the crock pot, kale, potatoes
Wednesday: Chicken tikka masala, lentil biryani, broccoli
Thursday: Marinated pork chops, spatzle, salad, potato/bean/ham soup
Friday: Pancakes, farm fresh eggs, grapefruit
I'm not sure when I'll go to the grocery store next. We're set for most of the week with milk and bananas, so we'll see how long I can go! We had quite the glut of produce last week, so I'm happily working my way to the bottom of that in preparation for my produce delivery next week. Eat well and enjoy your week!
Our refrigerator is looking a little bare, so I'm back on the bandwagon and have plans to do some cooking this week. I'll try to control myself so we're not eating leftovers for a week and a half again! Here's our plan for the week:
Saturday: Homemade pizza with dough, sauce and toppings from the freezer
Sunday: Oven hamburgers, roasted vegetables, potato smiles, super easy black bean soup
Monday: Sweet potato black bean burritos (frozen) from last week's beans and rice with avocado and salsa
Tuesday: Country BBQ pork ribs in the crock pot, kale, potatoes
Wednesday: Chicken tikka masala, lentil biryani, broccoli
Thursday: Marinated pork chops, spatzle, salad, potato/bean/ham soup
Friday: Pancakes, farm fresh eggs, grapefruit
I'm not sure when I'll go to the grocery store next. We're set for most of the week with milk and bananas, so we'll see how long I can go! We had quite the glut of produce last week, so I'm happily working my way to the bottom of that in preparation for my produce delivery next week. Eat well and enjoy your week!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Eat From the Pantry Challenge: Recap of Week 1 and Week 2 Plan
Week 1 of my family's Eat From the Pantry Challenge went very well, or at least I think so. Here was our meal plan for last week, and we basically followed it. The only thing I did differently was on Thursday, instead of making a bean and cornbread casserole with red cabbage on the side, I decided it would be wise to use up some of the turkey from the Trash Can Turkey we made last weekend. I made turkey divan and turkey-black bean-tortilla soup instead. Delish.
One thing I did not totally account for with my meal plan, is the sheer quantity of food all of those recipes would make! Not that it's a bad thing, but here we are on Sunday, and we still have lots of leftovers from last week to eat. Also, making at least one beef, pork and chicken dish each week is a lot of meat. At least it is for us, a family of 2 adults and one little one. You see, when I cook, I make enough for at least 4-6 people, because I'm a big fan of the cook once / eat many times idea. Sure enough... we are eating some of these dishes many times!
I haven't always cooked such meat-laden foods. Since I've been in the pregnancy/breastfeeding season of my life for the past couple years, during part of which I couldn't have ANY dairy, soy or nuts, meat became one of my few options for protein. So now I'm a bit torn, because I don't think we need to eat meat every day, but I am also anxious to move along some of that meat taking up valuable real estate in my freezer. I'll come up with a happy medium at some point. But for now... I'm cooking up a storm.
My schedule is a little busy early in the week, so it will be a bonus to have all these leftovers available. Here's my plan for this week:
Saturday: Meat pie from the freezer - an incredibly delicious annual Christmas gift from friends
Sunday: Trying a new recipe for beans and rice in the crockpot, roasted vegetables. Possible "Jeff Casserole"
Monday: Leftovers, broccoli
Tuesday: Leftovers, salad
Wednesday: Marinated pork loin chops, red cabbage, potatoes of some sort
Thursday: Baked Mediterranean chicken, kale, roasted root vegetables
Friday: Potstickers, broccoli
So far so good on the grocery spending. I did go to Trader Joe's this week for milk, bananas, yogurt and the month's worth of rice milk, and spent around $35. I only anticipate going once or twice more for the bare necessities, so I think we're still on track. I was also lucky enough to be given a dozen of the freshest eggs I have ever had (I saw them be plucked from their nests) when I visited this farm, where I am thinking of becoming a member of their CSA this summer. What a treat!
And, while I am enjoying this Eat From the Pantry Challenge, my husband and I are developing a little grocery wish-list of things we can't wait to have once we can grocery shop again! Here is our list so far:
:: shrimp (lots of good shrimp recipes in my cooking magazines lately!)
:: peanuts (for his rice cream)
:: dried blueberries (for Molly's oatmeal)
:: white miso (to make this fabulous salad dressing, which I have been craving lately)
This is good, we're coming up with alternatives and using what we have instead.
Have you decided to participate in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge for a week, two weeks, or even the whole month? How is it going for you?
One thing I did not totally account for with my meal plan, is the sheer quantity of food all of those recipes would make! Not that it's a bad thing, but here we are on Sunday, and we still have lots of leftovers from last week to eat. Also, making at least one beef, pork and chicken dish each week is a lot of meat. At least it is for us, a family of 2 adults and one little one. You see, when I cook, I make enough for at least 4-6 people, because I'm a big fan of the cook once / eat many times idea. Sure enough... we are eating some of these dishes many times!
I haven't always cooked such meat-laden foods. Since I've been in the pregnancy/breastfeeding season of my life for the past couple years, during part of which I couldn't have ANY dairy, soy or nuts, meat became one of my few options for protein. So now I'm a bit torn, because I don't think we need to eat meat every day, but I am also anxious to move along some of that meat taking up valuable real estate in my freezer. I'll come up with a happy medium at some point. But for now... I'm cooking up a storm.
My schedule is a little busy early in the week, so it will be a bonus to have all these leftovers available. Here's my plan for this week:
Saturday: Meat pie from the freezer - an incredibly delicious annual Christmas gift from friends
Sunday: Trying a new recipe for beans and rice in the crockpot, roasted vegetables. Possible "Jeff Casserole"
Monday: Leftovers, broccoli
Tuesday: Leftovers, salad
Wednesday: Marinated pork loin chops, red cabbage, potatoes of some sort
Thursday: Baked Mediterranean chicken, kale, roasted root vegetables
Friday: Potstickers, broccoli
So far so good on the grocery spending. I did go to Trader Joe's this week for milk, bananas, yogurt and the month's worth of rice milk, and spent around $35. I only anticipate going once or twice more for the bare necessities, so I think we're still on track. I was also lucky enough to be given a dozen of the freshest eggs I have ever had (I saw them be plucked from their nests) when I visited this farm, where I am thinking of becoming a member of their CSA this summer. What a treat!
And, while I am enjoying this Eat From the Pantry Challenge, my husband and I are developing a little grocery wish-list of things we can't wait to have once we can grocery shop again! Here is our list so far:
:: shrimp (lots of good shrimp recipes in my cooking magazines lately!)
:: peanuts (for his rice cream)
:: dried blueberries (for Molly's oatmeal)
:: white miso (to make this fabulous salad dressing, which I have been craving lately)
This is good, we're coming up with alternatives and using what we have instead.
Have you decided to participate in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge for a week, two weeks, or even the whole month? How is it going for you?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Eat From the Pantry: Week 1
Yesterday I made my plan for our take on the Eat From the Pantry Challenge. I did a rough inventory of our freezers, pantry and cupboards to see what needed to move along, and started various lists: meal ideas, vegetables and fruit available and other misc food items that needed to be eaten, among others. It went fairly quickly, since we are busting at the seams with food somehow. We could probably do this for two months instead of one!
Just to recap, one of my goals is to cook at least one beef, pork, chicken and bean dish each week, as well as two pots of soup/stew. Lunches are leftovers and mainly the soups, as well as anything else we come up with on the fly.
To keep you in suspense (and because I'm not sure when we'll be in the mood for what), I'll just share our meal plan for Week 1.
Saturday: Chili, bread
Sunday: Trash Can Turkey, lentil sausage soup
Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs, roasted vegetables
Tuesday: Braised pork steaks with olives and mushrooms, sauteed zucchini, potatoes, applesauce
Wednesday: Southwest bean casserole with cornbread topping, some sort of red cabbage side dish
Thursday: Turkey and dumplings with lots of peas, carrots and celery
Friday: Rump roast in the crock pot, carrots, potatoes, prunes
So far so good. There have been a couple occasions that I had to remind myself that I couldn't really add anything to my grocery list, so this is already working! It's all about creatively using what you have and not just picking up everything you want from the grocery store.
Are you participating in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge? Tell us about your progress! Eat well and enjoy your week.
Just to recap, one of my goals is to cook at least one beef, pork, chicken and bean dish each week, as well as two pots of soup/stew. Lunches are leftovers and mainly the soups, as well as anything else we come up with on the fly.
To keep you in suspense (and because I'm not sure when we'll be in the mood for what), I'll just share our meal plan for Week 1.
Saturday: Chili, bread
Sunday: Trash Can Turkey, lentil sausage soup
Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs, roasted vegetables
Tuesday: Braised pork steaks with olives and mushrooms, sauteed zucchini, potatoes, applesauce
Wednesday: Southwest bean casserole with cornbread topping, some sort of red cabbage side dish
Thursday: Turkey and dumplings with lots of peas, carrots and celery
Friday: Rump roast in the crock pot, carrots, potatoes, prunes
So far so good. There have been a couple occasions that I had to remind myself that I couldn't really add anything to my grocery list, so this is already working! It's all about creatively using what you have and not just picking up everything you want from the grocery store.
Are you participating in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge? Tell us about your progress! Eat well and enjoy your week.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Meal Plan For This Week
OK, I admit that last week I didn't come up with a meal plan, and I could really feel the difference! Things were much more chaotic at dinner time, but since we had a meeting Wednesday night and were heading out of town Friday, I slacked off and didn't come up with a plan. Thankfully I had done some cooking last weekend, and that saved us for many lunches and dinners during the week.
For more information on why I think meal planning is so great, check out this post and this post. In fact, I am actually considering trying to plan out two weeks of dinners in advance, but because I am short on time tonight, I will stick with one week and start thinking about next week.
Here is my plan for the week:
Monday: Leftover potato kale soup using potatoes from the farmers market and our kale, brats on homemade buns using this recipe and fresh ground flour from my new grain mill!
Tuesday: Homemade baked beans and cornbread using bacon from our 1/4 pig and navy beans that I cooked and froze previously
Wednesday: Experimental day - something with round steak from our 1/8 cow, a new carrot dish with my father-in-law's carrots and potatoes, possibly cooked in the crock pot and mashed
Thursday: Another new recipe - a chicken simmered in a soy sauce brine and roasted, sauteed zucchini from the freezer and leftover potatoes
Friday: Homemade pizza using this recipe for crust, veggies from the freezer, italian sausage from our 1/4 pig and anything else I can find that would be good on pizza
We'll see how cooking adventure Wednesday goes. I am going to come up with a recipe for the round steak and my pressure cooker, which I have never used except for some canning a few years ago. I am terrible about using some of the cuts of meat from our cow that I am less familiar with, so I'm trying to get motivated. Perhaps the speed of the pressure cooker will be just what I need to light a little fire under me! I am starting a new job too, so maybe my new schedule of working Mondays and Fridays will help me do a little more cooking during the week, which I have not been as good about lately. Maybe my husband will start making his famous casseroles on Monday nights! Hmmm... that's a lot of maybe's... Eat well and enjoy your week!
For more information on why I think meal planning is so great, check out this post and this post. In fact, I am actually considering trying to plan out two weeks of dinners in advance, but because I am short on time tonight, I will stick with one week and start thinking about next week.
Here is my plan for the week:
Monday: Leftover potato kale soup using potatoes from the farmers market and our kale, brats on homemade buns using this recipe and fresh ground flour from my new grain mill!
Tuesday: Homemade baked beans and cornbread using bacon from our 1/4 pig and navy beans that I cooked and froze previously
Wednesday: Experimental day - something with round steak from our 1/8 cow, a new carrot dish with my father-in-law's carrots and potatoes, possibly cooked in the crock pot and mashed
Thursday: Another new recipe - a chicken simmered in a soy sauce brine and roasted, sauteed zucchini from the freezer and leftover potatoes
Friday: Homemade pizza using this recipe for crust, veggies from the freezer, italian sausage from our 1/4 pig and anything else I can find that would be good on pizza
We'll see how cooking adventure Wednesday goes. I am going to come up with a recipe for the round steak and my pressure cooker, which I have never used except for some canning a few years ago. I am terrible about using some of the cuts of meat from our cow that I am less familiar with, so I'm trying to get motivated. Perhaps the speed of the pressure cooker will be just what I need to light a little fire under me! I am starting a new job too, so maybe my new schedule of working Mondays and Fridays will help me do a little more cooking during the week, which I have not been as good about lately. Maybe my husband will start making his famous casseroles on Monday nights! Hmmm... that's a lot of maybe's... Eat well and enjoy your week!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
This Week's Meal Plan
Uh oh, I almost went to bed without posting my meal plan for the week. I have to say, posting my meal plans for the last few weeks has been interesting! There is nothing like making a commitment and putting it in WRITING to inspire me to do more cooking. I feel like I am more accountable this way, which is motivating even when I'm tired and don't feel like cooking something interesting. I have pretty much followed my meal plans so far, though sometimes the days are rearranged based on what is going on and what we feel like eating.
This week, my husband is out of town for work until late Tuesday night, so dinner is just Molly and I for those evenings. Last night I made a one-dish-meal of spanish rice, and tonight I made a cheesy lasagna (and two small loaf-sized lasagnas for the freezer) for us to have for a few meals. Since I had the oven on for the lasagna, I decided to also try a new recipe for baked oatmeal to have for breakfasts and snacks this week. It turned out pretty well - Molly gobbled up a piece before bed tonight. I think next time I will experiment with some dried fruit or maybe pumpkin puree instead of applesauce (I skipped all but about a tablespoon of the oil) to change things up and add a greater variety of nutrients. I made a half batch, cut it up in pieces, and we will enjoy it warmed up this week.
Here is our meal plan for this week:
Monday: leftover spanish rice that I made with ground beef from our 1/8 cow, carrots from my father-in-law, green peppers and corn that I froze from the farmer's market, taco sauce that I canned and homemade chili seasoning, organic green salad from Costco
Tuesday: leftover lasagna, the last of the zucchini from our garden
Wednesday: baked Mediterranean chicken, Brussels sprouts, garlic bread
Thursday: roasted beets, potatoes, broccoli, marinated pork chops
Friday: Friday night pizza using this recipe for crust, Italian sausage from the 1/4 pig we bought this summer, green peppers that I froze from the farmer's market and any other leftover morsels that would be good on pizza
This week I am working Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday's meal is more easy-going than it looks. It is already prepared and waiting for me in the freezer, so all I have to do is thaw it in the refrigerator the night before, pop it in a baking dish when I get home and put it in the oven. Eat well and enjoy your week!
This week, my husband is out of town for work until late Tuesday night, so dinner is just Molly and I for those evenings. Last night I made a one-dish-meal of spanish rice, and tonight I made a cheesy lasagna (and two small loaf-sized lasagnas for the freezer) for us to have for a few meals. Since I had the oven on for the lasagna, I decided to also try a new recipe for baked oatmeal to have for breakfasts and snacks this week. It turned out pretty well - Molly gobbled up a piece before bed tonight. I think next time I will experiment with some dried fruit or maybe pumpkin puree instead of applesauce (I skipped all but about a tablespoon of the oil) to change things up and add a greater variety of nutrients. I made a half batch, cut it up in pieces, and we will enjoy it warmed up this week.
Here is our meal plan for this week:
Monday: leftover spanish rice that I made with ground beef from our 1/8 cow, carrots from my father-in-law, green peppers and corn that I froze from the farmer's market, taco sauce that I canned and homemade chili seasoning, organic green salad from Costco
Tuesday: leftover lasagna, the last of the zucchini from our garden
Wednesday: baked Mediterranean chicken, Brussels sprouts, garlic bread
Thursday: roasted beets, potatoes, broccoli, marinated pork chops
Friday: Friday night pizza using this recipe for crust, Italian sausage from the 1/4 pig we bought this summer, green peppers that I froze from the farmer's market and any other leftover morsels that would be good on pizza
This week I am working Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday's meal is more easy-going than it looks. It is already prepared and waiting for me in the freezer, so all I have to do is thaw it in the refrigerator the night before, pop it in a baking dish when I get home and put it in the oven. Eat well and enjoy your week!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
This Week's Meal Plan
Once again, 5 minutes of meal planning saves me much needed time, sanity and money. See my posts here for more of an explanation on how. Here is our meal plan for our dinners this week:
Monday: Tofu stir-fry with veggies from the freezer and brown rice that was cooked as a big batch and frozen in single serving sizes (microwaves in 2 minutes)
Tuesday: Crock pot beef stew using carrots and potatoes from my father-in-law's garden and stew meat from the 1/8 of a cow we bought last year, organic green salad from Costco
Wednesday: Marinated and grilled chicken breasts, organic green salad from Costco, perogies
Thursday: Dinner salad of organic greens, leftover chicken, veggies and chopped up apple
Friday: Friday night pizza using this recipe for crust
I try to choose very low-maintenance meals on days I work - this week it is Tuesday and Thursday. On those days I only have about an hour or a little more to get Molly fed and to bed as well as get our dinner going so we can eat at a decent hour. If I plan easy meals in advance, I don't feel quite so overwhelmed. Eat well and enjoy your week!
Monday: Tofu stir-fry with veggies from the freezer and brown rice that was cooked as a big batch and frozen in single serving sizes (microwaves in 2 minutes)
Tuesday: Crock pot beef stew using carrots and potatoes from my father-in-law's garden and stew meat from the 1/8 of a cow we bought last year, organic green salad from Costco
Wednesday: Marinated and grilled chicken breasts, organic green salad from Costco, perogies
Thursday: Dinner salad of organic greens, leftover chicken, veggies and chopped up apple
Friday: Friday night pizza using this recipe for crust
I try to choose very low-maintenance meals on days I work - this week it is Tuesday and Thursday. On those days I only have about an hour or a little more to get Molly fed and to bed as well as get our dinner going so we can eat at a decent hour. If I plan easy meals in advance, I don't feel quite so overwhelmed. Eat well and enjoy your week!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Meal Plan For This Week
Spending just 5 minutes planning out our dinners for the week saves me a lot of things:
:: Time - no wasting time thinking about it during my busy day at one of my two jobs: working outside the home or staying home chasing my 14-month-old Molly.
:: Angst - no more fretting over what to make for dinner when I've already thought about it and defrosted what I need.
:: Money - no stopping for take-out because I'm too tired and overwhelmed to prepare a nice meal. Also, meal planning helps me look at what food I already have that needs to be eaten and get creative instead of deciding on a meal and then going to the store and buying all of the ingredients, on sale or not.
I always regret it mid-week when I haven't made a meal plan. I am guilty of stockpiling food with the best of intentions and then forgetting about it in the pantry, freezer or fridge. Meal planning helps me remember these items and get them onto our plates! So, when you see strange items in my meal plan, it is probably something I'm trying to get out off my shelves :)
Here is our meal plan for this week:
Monday: Cranberry Chicken from "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer", organic green salad from the farmer's market, perogies from the freezer
Tuesday: Turkish Pork Loin Chops from "Fix Freeze Feast," kale from our garden, corn on the cob (probably the last of the season!)
Wednesday: Black Bean Chilaquile from "Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites" using onions from our garden, corn I froze this summer, home-canned salsa and tomatoes from my father-in-law's garden
Thursday: Friday night pizza with homemade crust from this website for one of my favorite books. Toppings will include zucchini and onions from our garden and diced bell peppers I froze this summer. I know it's not Friday, but we're traveling Friday night and we didn't get to have homemade pizza last Friday either!
Friday: Ham or Turkey sandwiches on homemade bread from this great website, apples we picked at the orchard and some kind of treat for our road trip for a family wedding this weekend.
Between the usual chaos of my days at home with Molly, I'm also attempting to make some honey apple butter today with apples we picked at the orchard and honey from our bees. Yes, our bees! Stay tuned for a future post dedicated to our first honey harvest this year.
:: Time - no wasting time thinking about it during my busy day at one of my two jobs: working outside the home or staying home chasing my 14-month-old Molly.
:: Angst - no more fretting over what to make for dinner when I've already thought about it and defrosted what I need.
:: Money - no stopping for take-out because I'm too tired and overwhelmed to prepare a nice meal. Also, meal planning helps me look at what food I already have that needs to be eaten and get creative instead of deciding on a meal and then going to the store and buying all of the ingredients, on sale or not.
I always regret it mid-week when I haven't made a meal plan. I am guilty of stockpiling food with the best of intentions and then forgetting about it in the pantry, freezer or fridge. Meal planning helps me remember these items and get them onto our plates! So, when you see strange items in my meal plan, it is probably something I'm trying to get out off my shelves :)
Here is our meal plan for this week:
Monday: Cranberry Chicken from "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer", organic green salad from the farmer's market, perogies from the freezer
Tuesday: Turkish Pork Loin Chops from "Fix Freeze Feast," kale from our garden, corn on the cob (probably the last of the season!)
Wednesday: Black Bean Chilaquile from "Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites" using onions from our garden, corn I froze this summer, home-canned salsa and tomatoes from my father-in-law's garden
Thursday: Friday night pizza with homemade crust from this website for one of my favorite books. Toppings will include zucchini and onions from our garden and diced bell peppers I froze this summer. I know it's not Friday, but we're traveling Friday night and we didn't get to have homemade pizza last Friday either!
Friday: Ham or Turkey sandwiches on homemade bread from this great website, apples we picked at the orchard and some kind of treat for our road trip for a family wedding this weekend.
Between the usual chaos of my days at home with Molly, I'm also attempting to make some honey apple butter today with apples we picked at the orchard and honey from our bees. Yes, our bees! Stay tuned for a future post dedicated to our first honey harvest this year.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
This Week's Meal Plan
I don't know about you, but I work much better if I have a plan, especially in the kitchen. I love cooking, and mostly from scratch, but I am often terrible about keeping track of what I have on hand in the refrigerator, pantry and our two (yes, two!) extra freezers. The fact that we have two freezers probably gives you a clue that we often have quite the stockpile of food.
In the past several months I have been making more of an effort to simplify, reduce waste and save money, and one area I have focused on is food. A few minutes of meal planning each week has done wonders to help us eat the food we have grown or spent hard-earned money on before it goes bad, rotate our food supply and lose the 5pm panic of figuring out what to have for dinner.
Each person/family is different, but for us, I prefer to just plan out our dinners. Breakfast is usually cereal, fruit, bagel and cream cheese, PB&J or oatmeal with bananas, raisins and maple syrup during the week, and pancakes or eggs and toast on the weekends. Lunch is usually anything - leftovers or a sandwich. It's not usually too hard for me to come up with breakfast and lunch. Dinner during the week is the struggle, but really important, especially since this is where our lunch leftovers come from! If I don't cook for a couple days, our lunch options begin to dwindle and the temptation of going out to lunch gets stronger and stronger. That option is neither wholesome, healthy nor frugal, so this is where meal planning comes in to save the day.
Here is our meal plan for this week:
Monday: Casserole of potatoes, kale, onions and smoked sausage with sauerkraut and German mustard
Tuesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, zucchini, garlic bread
Wednesday: Indian dal and butter chicken simmer sauce with brown rice and naan (Yuck, when will I ever stop thinking that what comes out of a jar will taste anything like what you get in a restaurant??) I have BAD luck cooking Indian food. Any advice is appreciated.
Thursday: Disappearing zucchini orzo and salmon burgers
Friday: Homemade pizza using this recipe for the pizza dough (stay tuned for a future post about our Friday Night Pizza tradition)
So far we've stuck to the plan, and I'm so glad I'm back on the meal-planning wagon. We eat far better and it's less stress for me, even though I typically end up cooking more this way. All it takes is 5-10 minutes a week and a couple of peeks in the fridge and freezer to see what needs to move along. Result: less rotting produce, happier bellies and healthier bodies.
In the past several months I have been making more of an effort to simplify, reduce waste and save money, and one area I have focused on is food. A few minutes of meal planning each week has done wonders to help us eat the food we have grown or spent hard-earned money on before it goes bad, rotate our food supply and lose the 5pm panic of figuring out what to have for dinner.
Each person/family is different, but for us, I prefer to just plan out our dinners. Breakfast is usually cereal, fruit, bagel and cream cheese, PB&J or oatmeal with bananas, raisins and maple syrup during the week, and pancakes or eggs and toast on the weekends. Lunch is usually anything - leftovers or a sandwich. It's not usually too hard for me to come up with breakfast and lunch. Dinner during the week is the struggle, but really important, especially since this is where our lunch leftovers come from! If I don't cook for a couple days, our lunch options begin to dwindle and the temptation of going out to lunch gets stronger and stronger. That option is neither wholesome, healthy nor frugal, so this is where meal planning comes in to save the day.
Here is our meal plan for this week:
Monday: Casserole of potatoes, kale, onions and smoked sausage with sauerkraut and German mustard
Tuesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, zucchini, garlic bread
Wednesday: Indian dal and butter chicken simmer sauce with brown rice and naan (Yuck, when will I ever stop thinking that what comes out of a jar will taste anything like what you get in a restaurant??) I have BAD luck cooking Indian food. Any advice is appreciated.
Thursday: Disappearing zucchini orzo and salmon burgers
Friday: Homemade pizza using this recipe for the pizza dough (stay tuned for a future post about our Friday Night Pizza tradition)
So far we've stuck to the plan, and I'm so glad I'm back on the meal-planning wagon. We eat far better and it's less stress for me, even though I typically end up cooking more this way. All it takes is 5-10 minutes a week and a couple of peeks in the fridge and freezer to see what needs to move along. Result: less rotting produce, happier bellies and healthier bodies.
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