mb

menu plan monday : january 28, 2013

 

can't begint to tell you how successful our menu plan was last week.  we were eating better, everyone was happy getting a pick for the week and we had great leftovers for lunch.  win, win, win.

this week's menu ended up being very crockpot heavy.  probably a good thing.  my head is swimming with a very large to do list.  what we're going to have for dinner is not something i want to be worrying about at the end of the day.

here's what we'll be dining on this week :

meatless monday : crockpot picadillo.  i was instantly intrigued by this recipe when it popped up in my google reader.  she promises the whole family will love it.  considering the middle child is having issues with actually eating her dinner as of late, this will be the perfect test.

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : crock pot italian sloppy joes.  another new recipe this week.  i'm thinking of putting them on wraps or sandwich thins instead of buns.  so trying to kick buns to the curb.  too.  much.  bread.  

wednesday : crock pot chicken enchilada soup.  my third of three new recipes.  all from skinnytaste.  we're big soup eaters - at least andy and i are - so i'd love to add a new one to our line up.

thursday : slow cooker beef and tomato stew.  andy's pick for the week.  we just had this a few weeks ago but it was obviously a hit.  easy to throw together with the stew in the crockpot and rice in the ricemaker.

friday : oven baked chicken fajitas.  one of my all-time fave recipe finds on pinterest.  my version has approximately three times more veggies than the original recipes and it's oh so tasty.

 

recent recipe reviews

homestyle chicken and noodles.  awesome.  it's like the inside of a pot pie with noodles.  great leftover the next day for lunch.  will definitely make again.

 

Related articles

menu plan monday : 1.7.13.

menu plan monday : 1.21.13.

menu plan monday : 1.21.13.

 

happy half birthday to me!  a day made even sweeter by the fact that andy is home from the hospital because of the holiday.  it's barely above zero today so we're enjoying a day at home in comfy clothes.  even if i'm doing fun things like organizing and purging and a bit of packing.

here's what we'll be dining on this week :

meatless monday : homestyle chicken and noodles.  first, i'll explain that we ate meatless for lunch, so i'm still going to call today meatless monday.  for dinner we're going to with this recipe i had on our menu plan a few weeks ago and didn't get a chance to make.  a nice and hearty comfort food dish on a cold evening?  yes, please!

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : turkey fried rice.  a recipe from my binder that i've pulled from magazine.  again i'm sad that everyday food is no longer.  the recipe calls for ground pork, but i'm making it a bit leaner by using turkey.  a perfect use for the large amount of brown rice that's in my fridge from meals we had at the end of last week.

wednesday : spinach and artichoke baked pasta.  i let everyone select a meal for us to enjoy this week and this was camryn's pick.  which i found mildly amusing.  [1] because i've only made it once and was shocked that she remembered it as it was back in october and [2] becuse her sister has a "thing" about spinach lately and insisting she doesn't like it.  dinner should be interesting...

thursday : chicken and wild rice soup.  i made this soup the week after christmas from one of the five new cookbooks i received.  i *heart* me a great cookbook.  a nice, hearty soup that everyone enjoyed and easier for leighton to eat with the rice instead of noodles.

friday : chicken nachos.  andy's selection for the week and an easy one to throw together.  for the record, i enjoy this best as a quesadilla filling.  the girls side with daddy as they enjoy the treat of having chips for dinner.

 

recent recipe reviews

slow cooker beef and tomato stew.  yum!  really enjoyed this and was great as leftovers as well.  i served it over rice as the recipe recommended but didn't think it needed the yogurt it called for as a topping.  it was an odd combo to me.

menu plan monday : 1.7.13.

 

my first meal plan of the new year - woot!  we had a bit of a kitchen mishap last week when the crock of my crockpot slipped from the mound of dishes that were drying in the sink and, as the two year old of the house says, "broke into a million pieces."  thanks to amazon, the new one arrived on friday and i've already used it twice.  i love the kind that i have so much i bought it again.

here's what we'll be dining on this week :

meatless monday : lemony lentil soup.  i had pulled this out of an issue of parents magazine a few months ago.  if i remember correctly, this is the soup that leighton threw on the dining room rug the first time i made it.  and then deemed it "delicious!" the next day.  a super easy soup that i was able to pull together during carson's psuedo-nap this am.  my favorite part?  he was able to eat it as well!  just in a more mushed texture.  our first dinner where all five of us ate the same thing!

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : slow cooker beef and tomato stew.  another recipe that i pulled from a magazine - can you tell i recently went through my cookbook cabinet to tidy things up?  i keep pulled recipes in a binder divided by type so when i'm looking to try something new i have them at the ready.  andy is a big stew kind of guy so i have a feeling this will go over well.  this is also where i should note i'm still i mourning that everyday food will no longer be published. *sniff, sniff*

wednesday : leftovers.  time to clean out the fridge...

thursday : homestyle chicken and noodles.  this looks like comfort food at it's finest!  kristin hasn't steered me wrong yet so i'm excited to give it a try.

friday : pizza.  andy's parents are coming into town so that we can celebrate faux-christmas, what i've deemed our holiday celebration on the years that we aren't together on the 25th.

Related articles

menu plan monday : 11.12.12.

menu plan : the thanksgiving 2012 edition.

menu plan monday : 11.12.12.

 

ack.  i haven't posted our menu in the last two weeks!  i've continued planning, but blogging has taken a bit of a backseat.  there truly aren't enough hours in my day...  here's what we'll be eating this week.

 

meatless monday : baked potato soup.  i made this for the first time last fall/winter and it is AMAZING.  it's also beyond easy as it's made in your slow cooker and makes six quarts.  perfect for leftovers!

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : leftovers. we'll no doubt have soup leftover and we have some baked spasanga left over from last night's dinner as well.  a win/win!

wednesday : crockpot mexican stuffed peppers. andy really likes stuffed peppers and when i saw this version for the crockpot where you don't even have to brown the meat for the filling first it was immediately added to my need to try soon list!

thursday : breakfast casserole. totally getting into the holiday mood as this is the breakfast we'd eat every holiday morning when i was younger.  it also makes a great dinner as you put it together in the morning and then it sits in the fridge until you're ready to bake it in the evening.  as it bakes for 90 minutes it works so much easier for me as i don't like to rise early to put something in the oven.

friday : garlic pesto chicken with tomato cream penne. i had originally pinned this as it was marked a crockpot recipe and was a bit disappointed to see that it actually wasn't.  it looks so good that i'm going to give it a chance.

menu plan monday : 10.16.12.

 

so i really need to come up with a new name for this as obviously i'm menu planning on a tuesday and it seems to be almost working.  i'll take almost at this point.  with a baby still on a napping strike and two other kiddos, menu planning every other week is working at the moment.

 

wednesday : oven baked chicken fajitas.  we had these two weeks ago.  a-maz-ing.

thursday : peperoncini beef sandwiches.  andy will FLIP when he comes home to these.  a favorite of his and super easy to throw together.

friday : white chicken enchiladas.  i still have a batch of these in the freezer.  a perfect no thinking required meal.  as long as i get them out in the morning to thaw.  target has a fabulous cilantro lime rice mix that i love to serve with this.  it tastes like chipotle rice with the addition of corn.  yum!

saturday : spinach orzo soup.  a new recipe for us.  i love making soup on saturday nights.  most of the time, the girls don't join us for soup as it's more difficult for leighton to eat without making a huge mess and i let them pick whatever they want to eat.  usually pb&j or mac and cheese.  whatever.  for one night i'm not aruging with them about it.  

sunday : pizza.  camryn has soccer on sundays so we need to do easy!

meatless monday : rocco's fettucine alfredo.  hoping leighton goes for this.  she's my little carb lover and this should make her day.  not that it likely won't make mine too.

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : lasagna soup. i made this back in february and dug through my blog history to find it again.  score!  a way easier and just as tasty version of lasagna for a week night.

 

last week's new recipe reviews

spinach and artichoke baked pasta.  think of this as spinach artichoke dip meets pasta.  camryn and i both enjoyed this.  in fact, she stole the last portion of it from me yesterday at lunch.  leighton stated she didn't like spinach (a complete fabrication of the truth) so she hardly ate any of it.  andy wasn't home for dinner the night that it was made so he doesn't get a vote.  this would be a great dish to bring to someone for a meal as it reheated nicely too.

oven baked chicken fajitas.  AWESOME.  everyone loved it.  camryn deemed it scrumptious.  super easy for me to put together as well.  i did make quite a few changes to the original recipe.  i used three whole peppers and two onions.  i also drained the can of tomatoes + chiles and then squeezed a lime over everything before baking.  absolutely delicious.  obviously as it's on the menu again for this week!

quinoa pizza bites.  these were fine.  nothing out of this world, but i made them last saturday for lunch and they were great as a quick lunch that wasn't takeout.

grilled cheeseburger wraps.  another easy recipe to put together.  a good thing as i made this one night after 8p for andy and i and enjoyed leftovers with the girls for lunch the next day.  i almost always have everything on hand so will definitely be turning to this in the future for a quick meal.

menu plan monday : 10.2.12

 

ugh.  why is menu planning so hard these days!  it didn't help that last week i skipped the grocery store run in hopes that my son would nap.  i lost out on stocking my freezer with ice cream and on the napping front.  so here's to a better week all around.  and menu planning a date late...  perhaps if i menu plan mid-week for the next week it'll go better?

wednesday : grilled cheeseburger wraps.  still haven't made this one even though it was on my menu two weeks ago.  a perfect dinner choice for what looks to be our last warm day.

thursday : quinoa pizza bites.  we haven't had pizza in almost two weeks.  we love quinoa so this looks to be a good alternative.  the girls should be in heaven.

friday : oven baked chicken fajitas.  when we lived in missouri, i took a cooking class taught by a guy that was on the very first season of food network star.  when i make fajitas, i always use his recipe but it's super time intensive.  hoping this quicker version is an okay substitute.  

saturday : chicken dumpling soup.  it's supposed to be much colder and it's football day so soup it is!  this is andy's favorite.  i always double the dumpling part as it's my favorite part of the dish.

sunday : pizza.  camryn has soccer on sundays so we need to do easy!

meatless monday : spinach and artichoke baked pasta.  another new recipe found on pinterest.  this looks perfect as a comforting fall dish.  hoping to serve fresh bread on the side.  hello carbs!

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : thai chile peanut meatballs. andy's request for the week.  much better than the girls' request for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

 

last week's new recipe reviews

spaghetti with meat sauce.  the author claims it as the best sauce ever.  and although i loved the heartiness of it, it was missing one key ingredient for me.  garlic.  will make again as camryn loved it but will tweak just a bit.

lemony lentil soup.  super easy and surprisingly hearty.  camryn and i enjoyed it but upon the initial eating, leighton threw her bowl on the floor.  let's just say it didn't go well.  will make again.

menu plan monday : 9.17.12.

 

ack.  a few weeks out of practice in the meal planning department.  not good at all.  looking to get things back on track as our schedules continue to be chaotic at best.

meatless monday : southwestern black bean, quinoa and mango medley.  this was awesome the first time i made it a few weeks ago.  something i can easily put together throughout the day or even more in advance if i have my act together.  will likely make a double batch for an easy lunch option this week as well.

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : crockpot tex mex chicken lettuce wraps.  i made a quadruple batch of our typical lettuce wraps last week for a meal swap but didn't make an extra one for us - ugh.  so i'm going to give this recipe a whirl as i already have everything on hand.

wednesday : grilled cheeseburger wraps.  found this one on pinterest.  who doesn't love a good burger?

thursday : lemony lentil soup.  from an issue of parents magazine that i was flipping through before donating it to camryn's preschool class to use for collage photos.  putting my friend the crockpot to use and hoping for a a great soup to add to my aresenal.

friday : spaghetti with meat sauce.  the author claims this is the best sauce ever...  i usually make a marinara sauce for pasta so i'm going to change things up a bit with this meat sauce.  i know my meat loving husband will rejoice.  thinking comfort food is the perfect start to the weekend.

 

last week's new recipe reviews

chili chicken lime burgers.  andy and i were out to dinner on friday night and were discussing the weekend and something reminded me of this recipe i had stumbled across earlier.  run, don't walk, to make these!  if you've ever had the trader joe's version these blow the original out of the water.  so wishing i would've doubled the recipe to put extra in the freezer for another night.  will definitely be making these again.

mini funnel cakes.  at 9:30p last sunday night, i was in the kitchen making funnel cakes.  and couldn't have been happier.  so absolutely amazing.  although a bit worried that now that i know how easy they are to make i might make them a little too often!  hint : i used one of the popular "pancake pens" to squeeze my batter into the oil and it was the absolute perfect gadget for this recipe.  i doubled the recipe and was able to make five regular sized cakes.

 

menu plan monday : 8.13.12.

 

i'm still trying to figure out when the best time to plan our weekly menu is.  thus, the lack of a posted menu the past few weeks.  that and the fact that andy and i are dieting - good times.  

meatless monday : quiona puttanesca.  the girls love quinoa, the only downside is the the mess created by both of them when eating it.

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : easy lemon chicken.  a family favorite.  especially when served with israeli couscous.

wednesday : leftovers.  

thursday : chipotle chicken taco salad.  a great low calorie meal for lots of veggies.  might have to make something else for the girls, although camryn tends to love salad so we'll see.

friday : lentil burritos.  let's just say if my meat loving husband requests a meatless dish, it has to be good.

 

menu plan monday : 7.16.12

 

i fell off the menu planning bandwagon last week with andy traveling but this is a new week, so time to get back to it.

meatless monday : french toast.  leighton has been requesting it for every meal so we're going to have breakfast for dinner.  i'm already looking forward to it.

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : easy lemon chicken.  it's supposed to be something like 105 degrees tomorrow and i'm not turning on the oven.  instead my friend the crock-pot will be helping with dinner.  i didn't get to this one a couple of weeks ago due to having fourth of july leftovers but i have lemons waiting in the fridge and they will be put to use.

wednesday : dinner from a friend.  a friend from bible study offered to bring us dinner as she wasn't able to earlier.  i'm learning to accept help on occasion so i gladly accepted.

thursday : creamy tomato pasta.  i'm sneaking in another meatless meal this week.  we haven't had pasta in a while and when i saw this recipe on pinterest, i immediately pinned it.

friday : pizza.  not sure if we'll go homemade or delivery but it's always a great start to the weekend.  and my birthday weekend no less.

 

recent new recipe reviews :

baby red potato salad - this was okay.  nothing earth shattering but not terrible.  i actually enjoyed it better the next day after the flavors had melded a bit more.  i prefer pioneer woman's potato salad recipe better.

judy's baked beans - A-MAZ-ING.  in fact, i made it twice in five days.  everyloved it and i don't think i'll ever make baked beans any other way.

twix brownies - di-vine.  gooey and delicious.  will definitely be making this one again.

menu plan monday : 7.2.12.

 

well...  after being spoiled the past three weeks and having meals delivered by friends every other night, it's time to get back to menu planning and making dinner myself.  we'll see how things go...  

monday : teriyaki chicken.  well, so i have one meal from a friend left.  my friend sally dropped off a meal for our freezer on saturday morning - so nice of her! - and it looked so good that it's already made it's way from the freezer to my crockpot.  all i'll need to do is make some rice and i'm hoping to also roast some broccoli that was in our latest csa box as well.

tuesday : sloppy joes.  an easy meal to throw together.  i'm thinking i could also make the sandwich filling in the am during carson's nap if needed and then reheat at dinner time to insure everything gets done.

wednesday : happy fourth of july!  i'm in charge of sides and dessert while my dear husband mans the grill (in insanely hot temps).  here's what i'll be making :

• baby red potato salad - it's an unwritten rule you have to have potato salad on the fourth and this year i'm giving this recipe a whirl.  it's a "skinny" recipe because - hello! - i have baby weight to lose.
• judy's baked beans - from one of my favorite food bloggers.  as soon as i saw this i thought of andy.  baked beans that include keilbasa AND bacon?  he'll be in heaven.
• twix brownies - um yeah, so this isn't going to help my cause any in the losing weight department.  i've had everything on hand but the caramels to make these since pre-baby so i'm going to make sure they happen for the holiday!

thursday : easy lemon chicken.  we haven't had this in a few months and it truly is EASY.  and also nice and light.  perfect for the insanely hot weather we're experiencing.

friday : pizza.  we'll see how things go that day and make a game time decision whether i'm placing an order for delivery or making homemade.