Weekly Menu Plan: 06/20/10 - 06/26/10

I have a pretty uneventful menu planned this week; mostly with stuff I have made in the past. We are pretty well stocked with groceries, so I want to use up some of the items that I have on hand. I think I only have one new recipe on the menu this week. Hopefully, I can put a dent in my surplus and be back to experimenting with new dinners next week. Until then, our meal plan is chock full of old favorites!

Weekly Menu Plan: 06/20/10 - 06/26/10:

Sunday, 06/20/10: Grilled Mahi Mahi, salad, steamed green beans, quinoa (This one is pretty self explainatory...yummy fish on the grill.)

Monday, 06/21/10: Whole Wheat Cheese Ravioli (pre-made) with Jenn Nelson's Fabulous Marinara Sauce, salad

Tuesday, 06/22/10: Falafel Pitas with Tzatiki

Wednesday, 06/23/10: Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken, black beans, steamed veggies or salad

Thursday, 06/24/10: Leftovers!

Friday, 06/25/10: Grilled Pizza (I am not sure what kind I am going to make yet, but probably Pizza Margherita.)

Saturday, 06/26/10: Grilled BBQ Spice Rubbed Salmon (new recipe), veggies, baked or roasted potatoes

Weekly Menu Plan: 06/13/10 - 06/19/10

I feel super productive today, as I just finished meal planning for two whole weeks! Can you imagine??? Two weeks! Hopefully, I can stick to what I have planned, and not deviate too much. We have a lot of activities planned in the evenings lately, so for a couple of days this week I need to make sure our dinners are pretty much no-brainers. I just can't handle any heavy cooking on days where we are running all over town. I hope everyone has a great week!

Weekly Menu Plan: 06/13/10 - 06/19/10

Sunday, 06/13/10: Jen's Swiss Steak, brown rice, glazed carrots

Monday, 06/14/10: Cooking Light's Apricot Prosciutto Pizza (new recipe)

Tuesday, 06/15/10: Jen's Slow Cooker Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, salad (new recipe)

Wednesday, 06/16/10: Marinara and Penne, salad

Thursday, 06/17/10: Bison Burgers, tater tots, steamed broccoli (New recipe...kinda. These are just hamburgers made with Bison meat that we are trying for the first time.There really wasn't a big flavor difference, so I didn't do another post. They tasted like really yummy hamburgers, and I would make this substitution again since bison meat is more healthful than beef.)


Friday, 06/18/10: Middle Eastern Chickpea Burgers & Katz's Tomato Mint Chutney, Salad or steamed veggies

Saturday, 06/19/10: Dinner at my friend, Claire's house!!!

Weekly Menu Plan: 06/06/10 - 06/12/10

I ended up slacking off a little at the end of last week, and just doing leftovers Friday and Saturday. I needed to get the fridge cleaned out anyway, so it was actually a nice change of pace. Once again, my whole roasted chicken (which has been on the menu for the last month, I swear) got pushed back again. Finally, finally, finally we are going to have it tonight. I just kept forgetting to thaw the darn thing out until this morning. Ugh. Anyway, I am trying to get my freezer stores cleared out to make way for some new ingredients. I have a lot of repeats on the menu again this week, with the hopes of clearing the decks to make way for new and exciting stuff in the near future. Some of the dinners are old favorites, and some are twists on meals that I have done in the past. I will make sure to do a separate post for anything radically different. I hope everyone has a great week!

Weekly Menu Plan: 06/06/10 - 06/12/10:

Sunday, 06/06/10: Easy Roasted Chicken, baked potatoes, glazed carrots, and Jen's Homemade Chicken Stock

Monday, 06/07/10: Grilled Margherita Pizza, salad (vegetarian)

Tuesday, 06/08/10: Birds in a Blanket (Turkey dogs wrapped in a swiss cheese slice, bundled in a crescent roll...I was short on time for dinner!)

Wednesday, 06/09/10: Grilled Portobello, Goat Cheese, and Red Pepper Burgers & Jen's Slow Cooker Cheesy-Spicy Hot Hamberger Dip (new appetizer recipe that I am making for my husband's bible study group)

Thursday, 06/10/10: Jen's Slow Cooker Italian Meatball Hoagies, Jen's Cole Slaw

Friday, 06/11/10: Breakfast for Dinner!

Saturday, 06/12/10: Karen's Baked Pesto Salmon, Creamy Parmesean Orzo, steamed veggies

Weekly Menu Plan: 05/30/10 - 06/05/10

I had a great time on my trip, and now it's back to our usual routine. Our meals this week are going to be somewhat easy, since we seem to have a schedule that is going bonkers lately. It seems like I am constantly juggling 2 or 3 tasks at a time...just to get everything I want to get done accomplished. For instance, right now I am in the middle of baking cookies, updating this blog, and starting my dinner preparation. Yikes! So, enough chit-chat (or chit-typing rather...hardy, har, har) and on to my meal plan for the week!!!!

Weekly Menu Plan: 05/30/10 - 06/05/10

Sunday, 05/30/10: Jen's Bean Tostadas, Chipotle Copycat Lime Rice (vegetarian)

Monday, 05/31/10: Happy Memorial Day! Dinner at my friend Claire's house (I am bringing White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies and Pioneer Woman's Sesame Noodles)

Tuesday, 06/01/10: Thai Green Curry Shrimp, brown rice, veggies (new recipe)

Wednesday, 06/02/10: Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff over whole wheat egg noodles, salad (new recipe)

Thursday, 06/03/10: Jenn Nelson's Fabulous Marinara Sauce, Whole Wheat Cheese Ravioli (pre-made), salad (vegetarian)

Friday, 06/04/10: Leftovers and salad

Saturday, 06/05/10: Leftovers again!

Weekly Menu Plan: 05/16/10 - 05/22/10

Here is what we are having for dinner this week...

Weekly Menu Plan: 05/16/10 - 05/22/10

Sunday, 05/16/10: Middle Eastern Chickpea Burgers on Sandwich Thins, hummus, avocado slices, baked potato, & salad (vegetarian)(new recipe)

Monday, 05/17/10: Jen's Pepperoni and Veggie Calzones, salad (new recipe)

Tuesday, 05/18/10: Jen's Chicken Pizzaola (new recipe), mashed pototoes, veggies

Wednesday, 05/19/10: Leftovers

Thursday, 05/20/10: Zucchini Quesadillas, refried beans (vegetarian)(new recipe)

Friday, 05/21/10: Leftovers

Saturday, 05/22/10: Shepard's Pie, veggies

Weekly Menu Plan: 05/09/10 - 05/15/10

I have another fun-filled week planned with a bunch of new recipes! I must have really missed cooking when I was at the end of my pregnancy, because I just can't get enough of it now. Or maybe it's because I have been finding so many tasty things that I am just dying to try lately. Either way, I am excited to have new stuff on the menu again for the next several days.

Weekly Menu Plan: 05/09/10 - 05/15/10

Sunday, 05/09/10: Portobello Mushroom Fajitas, refried beans, salad (vegetarian)

Monday, 05/10/10: Chicken Milanese with Tomato and Fennel Sauce, steamed veggies, salad

Tuesday, 05/11/10: Apple and Horseradish Glazed Salmon, brown rice, veggies

Wednesday, 05/12/10: Leftovers!

Thursday, 05/13/10: Pasta Ponza, salad (vegetarian)

Friday, 05/14/10: Piadina with Fontina and Prosciutto, salad

Saturday, 05/15/10: Dinner out! I am going to the Glee Live show...I can't wait!!!

Weekly Menu Plan: 05/02/10 - 05/08/10

Here are the meals that I have planned for this week...drum roll, please...all NEW recipes!!!

Weekly Menu Plan: 05/02/10 - 05/08/10

Sunday, 05/02/10: Caesar Club Sandwich (new recipe), glazed carrots

Monday, 05/03/10: Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms (new recipe), leftover risotto, salad (vegetarian)

Tuesday, 05/04/10: Smoked Gouda, Spinach, and Red Pepper Omelet Sandwiches (new recipe), salad, baked potatoes (vegetarian)

Wednesday, 05/05/10: Corn and Cheese Enchiladas (new recipe), salad, pinto beans (vegetarian) Happy Cinco de Mayo (and Happy Birthday to my friend, Cindy)!!!

Thursday, 05/06/10: Hibachi Steak with Noodles (new recipe)

Friday, 05/07/10: Salmon with Lentils (new recipe), sauteed green beans

Saturday, 05/08/10: Antipasto-Style Penne (new recipe)

Weekly Menu Plan: 04/25/10 - 05/01/10

Whew! I am officially caught up on my blog with this post. My husband took our kids over to his parents house, so I could have some uninterrupted time catching up on chores and organizing my desk for the coming week. Of course, I started with the fun stuff first. I love cooking and working on my blog, and being able to do it without guilt or having to hurry is heavenly. Anyway, I want to relax and spend time with my little critters tomorrow after church; so it will be nice to have everything I needed to get accomplished this weekend all finished.

Weekly Menu Plan: 04/25/10 - 05/01/10:

Sunday, 04/25/10: Jen's Veggie Parmesan with Jenn N.'s Fabulous Marinara Sauce, bread (I know we just had this dish, but it is my favorite vegetarian meal!!!)

Monday, 04/26/10: Shrimp Roll with Cracked Black Pepper Potato Chips (from Ellie Kriger's So Easy cookbook), Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese (from allrecipes.com...both are new recipes.)

Tuesday, 04/27/10: Jen's BBQ Beef Sandwiches with Rick Bayless BBQ Sauce, Rick Bayless BBQ Baked Beans, salad (These two Rick Bayless recipes are from Claire's blog. I am using beer to cook the roast...yum).

Wednesday, 04/28/10: Ravioli Primavera with Creamy Pesto Sauce (new vegetarian recipe)

Thursday, 04/29/10: Ginger Lime Grilled Mahi Mahi (new to blog recipe), wild rice, glazed carrots

Friday, 04/30/10: Cooking Light's Deep Dish Pizza Casserole, sauteed spinach

Saturday, 05/01/10: Easy Easy Risotto with Marinara (a new vegetarian recipe from my Pasta & Co. Encore cookbook), veggies or salad

Weekly Menu Plan: 04/18/10 - 04/24/10

So far, I am having really good luck with my healthy meal choices. They have all been really tasty and, for the most part, very simple to make. I hope to continue that trend with my current menu plan. I only have two vegetarian meals slotted for the upcoming week, however I have decided to add in a couple of new fish recipes for a little variety. I also have one day that is up in the air, and is all going to depend on whether or not my mom comes to our house for a visit. I won't know until that day what I am going to make for dinner, so I will just post both options below. I must say it has been pretty easy sticking to eating fresh and healthy. I have noticed that as long as I have new things to try, I never get bored with our dinners and I am less likely to eat bad stuff. I just hope to keep the healthy food momentum going!

Weekly Menu Plan: 04/18/10 - 04/24/10

Sunday, 04/18/10: Better Burger with Olives and Creamy Broccoli Slaw (both Ellie Krieger recipes)

Monday, 04/19/10:Ina's White Pizza with Arugula (vegetarian)

Tuesday, 04/20/10: Grandma's Beef Roast, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans

Wednesday, 04/21/10: Buffalo Chicken Lasagna, salad (This is something my friend Claire tried recently--via Stephanie O'Dea's cookbook, Make It Fast, Cook It Slow--and really liked. I need to change it a bit to suit my family, but I am using the same recipe that she used as a blueprint.)

Thursday, 04/22/10: Leftovers!

Friday, 04/23/10: Cooking Light's Cheese Enchilada Casserole, salad (vegetarian)

Saturday, 04/24/10: Salmon Florentine (Ellie Krieger recipe), roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus

Weekly Menu Plan: 04/11/10 - 04/17/10

This week I am bringing you a bonanza of healthy menu items! I recently checked out Cooking Light's Everyday Favorites from the library and found a bunch of good-sounding recipes in it that I can't wait to try. I have three dishes slated for this week from that cookbook; and I think I will pull some other from it for next week, as well. I am seriously considering holding the book hostage from the library until I can sample everything that I have marked in it.

I love trying new things, so I am really looking forward to our upcoming dinners this week. Most of the meals that I have selected are designed to use up the bounty of produce in my fridge, so there are a lot of vegetarian dishes thrown into the mix for good measure. Hooray for variety!

Weekly Menu Plan: 04/11/10 - 04/17/10:

Sunday, April 11th: Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie (I have leftover pot pie filling and biscuits to use up, so I am improvised a meal. Sadly enough, this did not turn out well, and I ended up giving most of it to the dogs. It really was a stinker...not even worth posting. The biscuits did not cook properly and the raw dough mixed in with the filling. Not good. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.), sauteed zucchini

Monday, April 12th: Jen's Veggie Parmesan with Jenn Nelson's Fabulous Marinara Sauce, bread (I am using fresh veggies instead of the TJ's bag of mixed)

Tuesday, April 13th: Bacon, Ranch and Chicken Mac and Cheese (this is a find from Claire's blog via the March 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine), salad

Wednesday, April 14th: Leftovers for the family, and dinner out for me!

Thursday, April 15th: Falafel Pitas with Jen's Homemade Hummus, garlic artichokes

Friday, April 16th: Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Sandwiches with Red Onion and Goat Cheese (from Cooking Light's Everyday Favorites), Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Fries

Sunday, April 17th: Potato Gnocchi with Spinach and Yellow Squash (from Cooking Light's Everyday Favorites)

Weekly Menu Plan: 04/04/10 - 04/10/10

Here is what we are having for dinner this week...

Weekly Menu Plan: 04/04/10 - 04/10/10

Sunday, 04/04/10: Happy Easter! Jenn Nelson's Fabulous Marinara Sauce, Claire's Pesto Pasta Surprise, Ina's Garlic Ciabiatta Bread, salad

Monday, 04/05/10: Jen's Chicken Pot Pie, steamed kale

Tuesday, 04/05/10: Leftovers

Wednesday, 04/06/10: Ina's Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil, salad

Thursday, 04/07/10: Cooking Light's Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa, sauteed zucchini and mushrooms

Friday, 04/08/10: Mushroom-Prosciutto Pizza, salad

Saturday, 04/09/10: leftovers

Weekly Menu Plan....(er, not really)

From here on out, we are officially playing it by ear at my house. My twins are due in a week, and I have been having contractions. Actually, I hope to make it a week!!! Menu planning and blogging will be put on the back burner for awhile, due to my two new arrivals. I have one new meal to post with a photo, but that is about it. Just think of me on vacation...or on sabbatical...or a vacationing sabbatical with lots of pain medication and a major surgery (c-section). Anyway, wish me luck!!!

Weekly Menu Plan: 02/14/10 - 02/20/10

Hello. How're ya doin'?? Good, good...I am okay. Life has been hectic around here (well, as hectic as it can be while I am on bed rest). Our babies are coming in about two weeks, so the frantic preparation continues. Half of our flooring project is complete, while the other half is to be finished at the end of this week. What does that mean for our meal plan, you ask????? Well, it means a lot of dinners on the fly. I hesitate to even post a meal plan this week, because I am not sure if it will be followed or not. Flexibility is the name of the game these days. Last weeks meal plan was a little up in the air as well. We didn't get to our Tater Tot Casserole until last night, and switched around some dinners to accommodate our plans. I think this week will be more of the same juggling, but I need to get a rough idea in place so we are not scrambling at 5pm for dinner ideas.

Weekly Menu Plan: 02/14/10 - 02/20/10

Sunday, 02/14/10: Tater Tot Casserole, green beans

Monday, 02/15/10: Breakfast For Dinner

Tuesday, 02/16/10: Claire's Chicken and Yellow Rice, steamed veggies

Wednesday, 02/17/10: Basil-Mushroom Pork Chops (without the mushrooms...I am out), roasted potatoes, veggies

Thursday, 02/18/10: ????TBD??? I have no idea...so we will just wait and see if inspiration strikes!

Friday, 02/19/10: Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken, baked potatoes, veggies

Saturday, 02/20/10: PW's Shrimp Quesadillas (I am going to attempt these with jarred roasted yellow and red peppers)

Menu Plan: 02/07/10 - 02/13/10

My meal plan is pretty much out the window this week, since we are getting new flooring installed. What you ask??? New flooring??? Right before the new babies arrive and while I am on bedrest???? Yes, it's crazy...I know! Anyway, We won't have access to our kitchen for three nights, so dinner will be whatever the husband picks up on the way home. Sometimes, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Then, there is that big game to consider...sigh. I am not sure what is in store for the rest of the week, so I think I will just make it up as I go along here. There is nothing like meal planning by the seat of your pants!

Menu Plan: 02/07/10 - 02/13/10

Sunday, 02/07/10: Take out pizza and junk food for Super Bowl Sunday!

Monday, 02/08/10: Dinner out!

Tuesday, 02/09/10: Dinner out!

Wednesday, 02/10/10: Dinner out!

Thursday, 02/11/10: Jen's Refried Bean and Brown Rice Burritos, glazed carrots (This is a twist on my usual bean burrito method with some cooked, instant brown rice mixed in.)

Friday, 02/12/10: Leftovers

Saturday, 02/13/10: Jen's Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/31/10 - 02/06/10

It's been 'more of the same' around here this week, and I am still feeling pretty sub par. I have a few new recipes sprinkled in throughout the week that I am hoping to try; but happily, none too labor-intensive. Yada, yada, yada...I think that will do it for my weekly commentary. Can you tell that I am a woman who is tired of being pregnant and not even in the mood to type???? Sigh. At least I am not a total slacker, I did change my blog background to give everyone something new to look at. ;) What the heck...I will add a few random comments to each menu item, so you don't feel entirely cheated out of my thoughts for the week.
I have approximately four more weeks to go (with fingers crossed), and I am looking forward to moving on to the next stage of motherhood. For now, here is what we are planning for dinner this week...

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/31/10 - 02/06/10

Sunday, 01/31/10: Croissant Chicken Salad Sandwiches

(My mother in law brought us some prepared chicken salad and mini croissants that she had leftover from a church function, so we just called that our Sunday night meal.)

Monday, 02/01/10: Claire's Shepard's Pie

(This is a new (to us) recipe. We have some leftover mashed potatoes that need to be used, so I thought that this would be a good application. I have never made a Shepard's Pie before, but it looks totally easy and I have everything on hand for it.)

Tuesday, 02/02/10: Jen's Easy Green Chile Pork Enchiladas

(Again, I am using leftovers...pork roast from our Saturday night Green Chile Pork Roast feast.)

Wednesday, 02/03/10: Broiled Tilapia Parmesan, orzo, roasted broccoli

(I have only tried this dish once before, with good reviews. Hopefully, it will be a hit the second time around.)

Thursday, 02/04/10: Sandwich night! Grilled Cheese and Tomato sammies, tater tots, and roasted cauliflower

(My son is gonna love this dinner! This is as kid-friendly as it gets, I think. Just in case you are wondering...my lactose issues are improving, but I will probably still skip the cheese on my sandwich.)

Friday, 02/05/10: Roasted Chicken Thighs, Trader Joe's Piccata Simmer Sauce over pasta, glazed carrots

(This was a holdover from last week's menu. I needed to bump it in lieu of the pork roast that needed to be used right away. There is really no "recipe" involved, since this dinner barely qualifies as cooking. I plan to just do a simple roast on the chicken (with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice), add some jarred sauce to pasta/veggies and call it a night.)

Saturday, 02/06/10: Ina's Indonesian Ginger Chicken, brown rice, stir fry steamed veggie medley

(This is another new recipe. My friend Claire recently made this Barefoot Contessa dish and loved it. I will agree, it sounds delicious!)

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/24/10 - 01/30/10

I have been officially put on bed rest, so my dinners will be easier to prepare than usual and probably a bit repetitive. Since it is now my mission to just lay around and gestate, the husband has taken over cooking duty from here on out. I don't know how many new recipes we will try in the next 5 weeks (until our babies arrive), as I am going to try and make cooking dinner as easy as possible for him. We have a couple of carry-over meals that we did not get to last week, so that certainly fills up a some days, planning-wise. I hope everyone has a great week!

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/24/10 - 01/30/10

Sunday, 01/24/10: Blackened Fish Tacos, and Jen's Pinto Beans

Monday, 01/25/10: Jen's Indian Butter Chicken Surprise with Naan, rice, salad

Tuesday, 01/26/10: Spaghetti and Meatballs (pre-made baked meatballs, jar sauce, and cooked noodles...no recipe required!!!)

Wednesday, 01/27/10: Breakfast for Dinner: Sausage, Eggs, and Pancakes

Thursday, 01/28/10: Claire's Pork Chops and Swamp, steamed green beans, mashed potatoes

Friday, 01/29/10: Pasta & Co. Tomato Cheddar Soup, fresh baked bread, side salad

Saturday, 01/30/10: Jen's Green Chile Pork Roast and Potatoes (I had to bump my previously scheduled dinner, because my mother in law brought us a fully thawed pork roast that she decided not to use for a church function. Since it has to be cooked pronto, I am going to make my husband's favorite dinner with it.)

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/17/10 - 01/23/10

This past week went smoothly with the ol' meal plan; only having to put one meal on hold (last night chicken dinner) in lieu of using up some leftovers instead. I have an amazing group of friends that threw me a fantastic baby shower yesterday, and I was able to bring home a bounty of food from the party. We happily munched on the leftover shower food for dinner; and we still have enough for lunches today, as well.

For the upcoming week, I am still trying to do limited grocery shopping. Again, most of my meal planning ideas are all about using stuff I already have on hand. Preparation for the arrival of our twins is in full swing around here, so the last thing I want to deal with is grocery shopping/lengthy dinner preparation. At my house, it is all about babies, babies, babies right now!!!!

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/17/10 - 01/23/10

Sunday, 01/17/10: Slow Cooker 20 to 40 Garlic Chicken, roasted potatoes, glazed carrots (new recipe from last week) and homemade chicken stock

Monday, 01/18/10: Jen's Mushroom and Edamame (Peas) Risotto, side salad (I originally made this dish with edamame, but I don't have any on hand this time. For a quick edamame substitution...I am going to follow this recipe, but just substitute green, frozen peas for a similar result. Also, I am going to wilt some fresh spinanch into the dish for a little extra nutrition and crumble some bacon on top for garnish. Afterall, everything is better with bacon on it!)

Tuesday, 01/19/10: Chicken Oreganato, couscous, steamed green beans (new recipe)

Wednesday, 01/20/10: White Castle-style Sliders, side salad (new recipe)

Thursday, 01/21/10: Dinner out!

Friday, 01/22/10: Loaded Broccoli-Cheese Baked Potatoes, salad (new recipe)

Saturday, 01/23/10: Pizza Take Out (My In-Law's are bringing a pizza over for dinner. No cooking for me!)

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/10/10 - 01/16/10

My mother in law ended up bringing dinner over to us last night, so my Baked Deviled Chicken Legs recipe is on hold until this evening. She made a yummy Taco Soup with 3 kinds of beans, hominy, corn,tomatoes, taco seasoning, and ground beef. Actually, it was more like a stew. It wasn't overly spicy, but had plenty of Tex-Mex inspired flavors. I will have to bug her for the recipe, because we all really liked it. Thankfully, she brought a huge slow cooker full of the soup/stew, and then left all the leftovers for us. We have enough food for at least one more dinner. I love it when that happens!

Other than that, I think I will continue on doing light grocery shopping and only buy the necessary items, while focusing on getting most of my meal planning ideas from my freezer and pantry. I am getting low on protein items, but I still have a couple of weeks to go before I totally run out. With two meals already accounted for, I only have to figure out five more dinners for the rest of the week. Yippee!

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/10/10 - 01/16/10

Sunday, 01/10/10: Baked Deviled Chicken Legs, Creamy Parmesan Orzo, veggies (see previous post)

Monday, 01/11/10: Leftover Taco Soup/Stew

Tuesday, 01/12/10: Jen's Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs (for Hoagies), salad

Wednesday, 01/13/10: Loaded Baked Potato Soup, salad (new recipe)

Thursday, 01/14/10: Vegetarian Frittata (with mushrooms), salad

Friday, 01/15/10: Jen's Swiss Steak, mashed potatoes, roasted zucchini and yellow squash

Saturday, 01/16/10: Leftovers

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/03/10 - 01/09/10

It is so hard to get back into the groove of normal life after the holidays! The first Monday back is always a killer. Why is that??? While I am looking forward to my son getting back to preschool tomorrow (and my precious few hours of alone time), I always regret the passing of the long winter break; and lots of family time spent with the husband and the boy.

Sigh...

Anyway, since we are already a couple of days into the new week I felt that I should stop slacking and get my weekly menu up on the blog. We have quite a few carry-over dinners this week, since we ate out more than anticipated last week. Trust me, I am not complaining. As I said last in my previous post, we are in overdrive around here trying to get everything ready for the birth of our twins in the next couple of months. I am nesting, big time! The good news is that progress is being made and I am feeling a little more prepared for the big event. Hopefully, things will continue to run smoothly and all of our projects will get completed. Until then, here is what we are having for dinner this week...

Weekly Menu Plan: 01/03/10 - 01/09/10

Sunday, 01/03: Dinner out!

Monday, 01/04: Jen's Easy Shrimp Pasta Alfredo (a no-brainer dinner)

Tuesday, 01/05: Jen's Grilled Steak Kabobs, saffron rice, steamed veggies (new recipe)

Wednesday, 01/06: Pioneer Woman's White Chili (new recipe), salad

Thursday, 01/07: Saito Chicken, baked potato, steamed veggies

Friday, 01/08: Claire's Pot Roast: Jen's Variation

Saturday, 01/09: Baked Deviled Chicken Legs, Creamy Parmesan Orzo, steamed veggies (new recipe)

Amended Weekly Menu Plan: 12/27/09-01/02/10

I decided to tweak a couple of days on my menu plan for the week. I ended up changing meals for tonight (Wednesday 12/30) and tomorrow (Thursday 12/31). My decision to amend things mid-week was based on two critical factors. (1) I had an upset tummy all day today, and I wanted something light that did not require real "cooking". A simple Tomato Sandwich and salad fit the bill. (Think of the tomato sandwich as a BLT without the B and the L.) (2) I am getting sick of eating meat. It seems like all we have been eating around here lately is pork, beef, or chicken. Meat, meat, meat, meat, meat! I just needed a change. I made an unplanned purchase and bought some catfish at the grocery store. You see, I just absolutely needed to switch things up a bit. My two skipped meals will probably show up on next weeks menu, so don't feel as if you been cheated or anything. It feels good to shake things up once in awhile!