Category: Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday ~ 9 April

Happy Monday!

… at least I think it is – my monkeys are not so sure, either. It’s the first day back to school after spring break and none of us wanted to get up early this morning.

One thing I do have in hand this week is our menu plan, though. Big Girl went shopping with me on Saturday and helped me to plan out what we’ll eat for the week. It was nice having her with me to help.

Here’s what we have planned:

I also made SuperMan some broccoli salad to eat on during the week and we have leftover honey ham from Easter dinner that we’ll have for lunches this week.

Hop on over to orgjunkie.com for some more menu plan ideas.

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Menu Plan Monday ~ 2 April 12

Happy Monday!

We spent an absolutely glorious weekend together as a family – it was bliss for me. Dinners eaten as a unit, good conversation, lots of laughter and even some special time for me with my man. I am a happy girl today thanks to such a nice weekend.

Looking forward to some fun this week – the girls are out for Spring Break. We’re not traveling – SuperMan and I have to work – but I am hoping to sneak some fun in nonetheless.

I’m also planning some yummy meals. Especially things that don’t require me to spend a lot of time in the kitchen (read: crock pots and grills will be involved).

So, let’s move on to the plan, shall we?

  • Monday: Pork Butt (a crock pot yummy) with some sticky rice and veggies
  • Tuesday: Baked potato bar & salads
  • Wednesday: Fajitas (I will share this recipe later this week)
  • Thursday: Grilled chicken thighs & legs (still cooking what I stocked up on when they were 98 cents a pound! they’re marinating in a vacuum sealed bag in my freezer, slathered in Italian dressing and herbs.)
  • Friday: Pizza night
  • Saturday: LUNCH: sloppy joes; DINNER: something yummy on the grill most likely
  • Sunday: Easter dinner: Crock Pot “rotisserie” chicken, rice, veggies, dinner rolls & salad.

I’ve also whipped up a batch of the infamous raisin bran muffins and made a dozen already. I have enough batter for probably 2-3 dozen more, so those will be baked up as needed for breakfasts/snacks this week.

I’m also hoping to try out making some homemade chocolate chip granola bars with the girls.

What’re you cooking this week?

NEED MORE IDEAS?

You can find more yummy recipes on orgjunkie.com where you can find some great recipes and menu plans.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some updates to my Project Life pages.

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It’s Monday… again.

Hello, all, and happy Monday (I think – it is probably too early to tell just yet)

After a happy, but busy, weekend, we’re kicking off the week with a countdown to spring break… the girls and I can hardly wait.  Not waking up at 5 AM is certainly something to look forward to! We have not finalized our plans yet… they have changed several times in the past week or so and so I’ve just about decided to not worry about PLANS and just roll with the tide. Maybe we’ll stay home, maybe we’ll go somewhere. Just not sure yet.

Planning some grill cooking this week – the weather is so beautiful, it is hard to resist dinner on the grill. On Saturday, we cooked our entire meal on the grill. I made these yummy three-cheese potato pockets. They were so good. Although, next time I make them, I’ll probably only put the onion in the pocket for SuperMan. Too much onion for the girls and me. But yummy nonetheless.

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We grilled ribs, corn (wrapped in foil and slathered with butter) and the potato pockets. It was a yummy, yummy dinner. Made especially good because there were very few dirty pots to wash. (my dishwasher is dead)

Sunday night we had guests for dinner – our friends from our Bible Study group at church.  I made a nacho bar. I have to say that this is a terrific idea when you are feeding a crowd. I would think it would be great for a bunch of teens, too.

I made shredded “taco” chicken in the crock pot on Saturday and then browned ground beef on Sunday for a second crock pot-full.  We had toppings galore – cilantro, onion, lettuce, olives, cheese, jalapeños, three kinds of salsa, and on and on and on.  I also made a cheese dip with some Velveeta and salsa.  Yeah, not the healthiest, but it sure was good. Smile

I served this warm bean dip as a side item, but most of us just put it on our nachos. It was a huge hit (another one of my finds from Pinterest)

Everyone was able to fix their own plate of nachos to their liking. I have to say, there were very few leftovers and I like it that way!

This week I’m still working out my menu plan – so far I know we’ll be doing the following:

Monday: Creamy chicken & rice (crock pot)

Tuesday: Leftovers from Sunday – probably turned into quesadillas

Wednesday: Asian Chicken Salad (new recipe for us) – I’ll share this recipe later this week. It’s a yummy salad recipe shared by a friend. After I’ve made it, I’ll let you know all about it!

Thursday: Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak (new recipe for us) Big Girl has a doctor’s appt for her tummy so we will go with slow cooker recipes to make it easier for mama.

Friday: Pizza night

Saturday:  Grilled goodness (not sure what yet)


NEED MORE IDEAS?

You can find more yummy recipes on orgjunkie.com where you can find some great recipes and menu plans.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some updates to my Project Life pages.

Related articles

Menu Plan Monday

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you are having a good week so far. The girls and I are counting down the days until Spring Break – we’re ready, truthfully, for school to be out for the year. It’s these last couple of months that get really hard – the weather gets pretty and we stay outside later and later. It makes bedtime slip later and then we don’t want to get up in the mornings.

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It’s so pretty outside right now – it’s like nature is just showing off, revealing more and more beauty as the weeks progress. Dormant plants turn to buds. Buds turn to blooms, erupting in color and delighting our eyes.

Of course, there’s the pollen and allergies that go with it – but I think that the girls and I are getting a handle on that – thanks to Allegra!

Here’s what we have on our menu for the week this week. Trying to finish off some leftovers we had from the weekend and last week… along with some requests from the family.

  • Monday: Chicken Parmesan (with leftover spaghetti sauce)
  • Tuesday: BBQ chicken, mac & cheese & veggies (leftover from Sunday dinner)
  • Wednesday: Rotel Chicken Pasta bake(Big Girl’s request)
  • Thursday: Asian chicken stir fry (Little Bit’s request)
  • Friday: Seafood (SuperMan’s request) –maybe low country boil or salmon croquettes
  • Saturday: Hamburgers & Hotdogs (if the weather is nice)
  • Sunday: Ham, rice & black-eyed peas

I also made some beef stew in the crock pot last night so that SuperMan has something warm to eat for lunches this week.

NEED MORE IDEAS?

You can find more yummy recipes on  orgjunkie.com where you can find some great recipes and menu plans.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some updates to my Project Life pages and then later this week I’ll be sharing a recipe for something new we tried over the weekend that was a huge hit with the family, thanks to Pinterest!

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Menu Plan Monday ~ 27 February

Wow. What a couple of weeks I’ve had!

To say it has been hectic seems a bit like an understatement.

I finally got everyone healthy in my house (thank goodness) and just in time, it seems… because my work project (the giganotosaurus that it is) has pretty much taken over every single waking (and dreaming) hour of my life.

It’s all OK, though. It is an incredible project and while it is stressing me out to no end, it is also incredibly challenging, stimulating and exciting. I wouldn’t have it any other way, actually.

I just have to survive it. Smile

The menu plans have sort of gone out the window the past two weeks. I’ve kind of had a plan, sort of, but not really.  When Mom was here we ate out (a lot) as we usually do. It was a nice treat to get a break from cooking and that steak I had at Outback the other night was SO good.

Other than that, I have been scouting the freezer and cooking based on what I had available that could either be cooked quickly or cooked in the crock pot.

I’ve also been trying to only purchase meats that are on sale at the store – and then cook either with those sale meats or what is in the freezer. If I don’t use the sale meats they go in the freezer for another week. No more buying meats if they are not on sale, not unless it is a special occasion.

I can’t believe how much money this is saving me. Amazing. I wish I’d done this a long time ago. So obvious and yet I never thought to do it until my friend Beth mentioned it.

This week, I’m trying to get back in the routine. I really need the menu plan for my own sanity.  I need to know what I’m going to cook so that it is one less thing I have to figure out at the end of a busy day. know what I mean?

So, here is what I have planned this week (I think)

  • Monday: Spaghetti & garlic bread. (I made the sauce on Saturday. Easy.)
  • Tuesday: Crock pot rotisserie chicken, saffron rice & veggies (the whole chicken roasters were on sale last week)
  • Wednesday: Shepherd’s pie (the girls have been asking for this for two weeks)
  • Thursday: Grilled chicken & roasted veggies (It’s supposed to be close to 70 here Thursday. I’m ready to get back to grilling some food!)
  • Friday: Salmon Croquettes & Grits
  • Saturday: Mexican or Pizza
  • Sunday: mom’s day off (eat out for lunch)

I’m also considering making either a Sunshine Cake or Apple Cake this week – haven’t decided which one yet.  And (if I have time) maybe some homemade bread – I want to make some homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread.

The girls would rather have homemade goodies in their lunchboxes (instead of Little Debbie – who is going to argue with that?!?) so I try to make something every week. I just haven’t had time the past few weeks. They deserve some Momma-lovin-goodies, I think.

Need More Ideas?

You can find more yummy recipes on  orgjunkie.com where you can find some great recipes and menu plans.

Hope you have a good week!

I’ll be back tomorrow with some updates to my Project Life pages and then later this week I’ll be sharing an update on what I’ve been reading lately.

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Menu Plan Monday 2.6.12

Whew! What a whirlwind the past two weeks have been! I feel like I’m on a crazy ride at an amusement park and I’m just ready for the spinning to stop…

Hoping this week is a little less spastic and crazy, but who knows!

BUT! I am glad that I have my plan in place for our dinners this week.  One of my sanity savers is knowing what we’re having for dinner and not getting caught off-guard with one of those “Uh, oh, what AM I cooking tonight?!?” moments.

Menu Plan:

Here’s what we have planned this week:

  • Monday: Country Fried Steak, gravy & mashed potatoes
  • Tuesday: Chicken Quesadillas (made with leftover crock pot Mexican chicken from this weekend – recipe below)
  • Wednesday: Asian chicken stir fry
  • Thursday: Leftovers
  • Friday: Sloppy Joes
  • Saturday: Chicken Parmesan
  • Sunday: Mom’s day off (eat out for dinner after church)

Great Menu Idea for a Gathering:

We had our small group over for this weekend and I made a Nacho Bar for dinner.  I had all SIX of my crock pots on the counter (I should’ve taken a picture!) filled with yummy goodness.  I made ground beef (seasoned with Rotel tomatoes with chiles and taco seasoning) the chicken (below) and then had another crock with black beans and refried beans (it was a divided crock) and another with a cheese dip to top off the nachos (Velveeta & Rotel) 

On the side, I had the following toppings:

  • shredded lettuce
  • diced tomatoes
  • diced red onions
  • cilantro
  • chile peppers
  • jalepenos
  • sliced black olives
  • three kinds of salsa (including my Tomatillo-Avocado salsa)
  • shredded cheddar cheese

Everyone LOVED it.  I think I’ll be doing it again for another get-together. It was easy because I could do so much ahead of time and then the set-up for the dinner was fairly simple.

I made the cutest sweet “nacho” dessert (found on Pinterest) which was what my baby crock was holding – the chocolate to drizzle over the top… Smile

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken

Here’s the quick, easy and super-yummy crock pot Mexican chicken recipe I made:

1-2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (or thighs)
1 package taco seasoning (I use the low sodium variety)
1 jar salsa (I use Newman’s Own Mild)

Place the chicken in the crock pot. Sprinkle the taco seasoning on top of the chicken & pour the salsa over it.  Then cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.  Shred chicken, return to crock pot (with the salsa juices) and serve.  Makes great filling for burritos, tacos, nachos or quesadillas.

I may even make some chicken tortilla soup with some of the leftovers!

Need More Ideas?

You can find more yummy recipes on  orgjunkie.com or Balancing Beauty & Bedlam, where she has her Pantry Challenge going on again for another month!

tasty tuesday larger logo1 Tasty Tuesday: Pantry Challenge Update

Menu Plan Monday 1.30.12

Well, hello, there, Monday!

Nice to see you again (not really) – and I’m all ready with my menu for the week, so I’m one step ahead of you. (nanny-nanny-boo-boo!)

Taking it easy on the spices this week – Big Girl is still not feeling well (we’re headed back to the doctor today) and so I am trying to fix things that will be easy on her tummy.

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Here’s what I have planned for our week:

  • Monday: Meatloaf, macaroni & cheese, veggies
  • Tuesday: Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake
  • Wednesday: Crock Pot Sesame Ginger Chicken (new recipe) with rice & stir-fry veggies
  • Thursday: leftover night
  • Friday: not sure yet – it is the annual Father-Daughter Dance at school and they may go out for dinner.
  • Saturday: kids- pizza, grown ups- date night (yippee!)
  • Sunday: Small Group dinner here. Still finalizing the menu.

I also made some of my baked oatmeal for breakfasts and am planning another batch of bread for later today. Probably make some muffins for the girls or their favorite chocolate-chocolate chip bread.

What about you? What are you planning this week?

I made these chicken fingers twice last week (they were that good) and everyone loved them.  img_1223And this potato soup, which was a toss-up. They ate it but I don’t think they loved it. Little Bit said it was like a potato milk shake. (hee hee) And since I can’t have the carbs, it will probably not get made very often around here. I was trying for something soothing for upset tummies.

Just thought I’d share!

You can find more yummy recipes on  orgjunkie.com or Balancing Beauty & Bedlam, where she has her Pantry Challenge going on again for another month!

tasty tuesday larger logo1 Tasty Tuesday: Pantry Challenge Update

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Monday, Please be gentle with me…

Oh, my. Is it Monday again?

Sigh.

And a rainy, gloomy Monday at that. I just want to go back to bed and hibernate. All week long.

Had a great weekend. Spent most of Saturday being creative and working on scrapbook pages (more on that tomorrow) and then Sunday was all about family and friendship. Perfect way to spend the weekend.

Saturday night’s dinner was a delicious Low Country Boil, cooked by SuperMan in the pouring down rain.

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Poor man. He loves us (and his shrimp) to be cooking in the rain.

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Today we’re back to the grindstone and everyone was wishing for a little  more weekend as we geared up for the day.

At least I have some yummy meals planned:

(Check out more menu planning ideas over on orgjunkie.com. )img_1135

Now, I’m back to work – got my Pandora radio blasting, the kitty sleeping at my feet and a cup of tea ready for me.  It’s time to focus.

Have a great day!

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Menu Planning 2012

Welcome to 2012! (yeah, yeah, I know it’s already the 5th…)

Are you going to jump on the menu planning bandwagon this year?

I’ve already gotten on my soapbox about the benefits of menu planning (at least a time or two or three!?!) so I won’t go there today.

Just thought I’d let you know that even though I didn’t post my menu plan on Monday, I still have one for the week. I was busy playing with my family and enjoying the last day of holidays with SuperMan.

Here’s what we have planned for our week:

  • Monday: Pork Chops a-la SuperMan with boiled & buttered potatoes & veggies.
  • Tuesday: Chicken & Dumplings (it was a COLD day – not above freezing all day and I wanted SuperMan to have something warm when he got home from working outside all day)
  • Wednesday: Roast (in the crock pot) (but with venison instead of beef) with rice & veggies (again, something warm & hearty)
  • Thursday: Chicken Parmesan (maybe – or leftovers)
  • Friday (or Saturday): Chicken Lettuce wraps. This was on my list of things to make when SuperMan was home. He helps with the prep work and we never got around to it. I’m still craving them, so they go on this week’s menu.
  • Saturday: probably leftovers
  • Sunday: eat lunch out (maybe) and dinner with our Small Group from church.

What about you? Have you changed your eating plans post-holiday? Getting rid of the goodies and going to the heartier winter fare?

Weekly Menu Plan

Well, I’m a day late, but that is because I took a little vacation from blogging to celebrate the holidays with my family. I’m sure you can understand. Smile

The girls really enjoyed their Christmas goodies…

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We had a very nice Christmas – very peaceful and relaxing – which was nice after the whirlwind trip to my mom’s to see my brother and his family.  That was an AWESOME trip, but very tiring.  The girls and I are looking forward to a quiet week this week at home. They  have asked to not leave the house all week. (LOL) I’m sure that they will change their minds by mid-week, but right now, I’m enjoying being at home and having some down time.

The week’s menu is pretty simple, too. After all the rich foods of the past couple weeks – sweets, party foods, Christmas dinners (three of them!) and the like – I’m ready for something simple.

SuperMan asked specifically that we have no beef this week! He is “meated out” he said. So I’m trying to focus on poultry. Of course, I’ll be sprouting feathers before the week is out!!

Here’s what we’ve got going on this week:

  • Monday: Salmon Croquettes & Cheese Grits (pizza for Big Girl who doesn’t like fish) (follow the link for links to cheese grits recipes, too)
  • Tuesday: Turkey in the crock pot (repurposing the leftovers with a creamy base) and rice & veggies
  • Wednesday: Fajitas/Tacos
  • Thursday: Leftovers
  • Friday: Stir Fry Teriyaki Chicken & Rice (trying a new recipe)
  • Saturday: Chili – we’re having a little get-together with some friends & I’m taking chili to share
  • Sunday: Chicken lettuce wraps (PF Chang’s style)

Hop on over to orgjunkie.com for more menu ideas!