Menu Plan Monday

I've not been doing very well with menu planning lately. I've had loose plans but I'm finding that things aren't getting used up as well. So...I decided to participate in Menu Plan Monday today after a couple of months hiatus. At least for this week, I think it will help me to do a better job at using all the produce we have.

- Spaghetti & Meatballs, Salad, Sauteed Zuchini, Garlic Breadsticks

- Hamburgers w/mushrooms, caramelized onions, balsamic mayo & cheese, Carrot Salad, Fruit Salad, Chips

- Pizza (probably vegetarian or cheese), Veggies & Dip, Apples

- Grilled Steak & Black Bean Mixed Green Salads w/avacado, tomatoes, etc. :), Bread, Fruit

- Eggs, Pancakes, Yogurt

Friday night will hopefully be a date night this week. So there you have it - the plan. I'm hoping the weather is nice and we can enjoy eating out on the deck and using our grill. Check out orgjunkie.com for menu inspiration. :)

Easter Menu?

I'm spending today prepping for the Easter dinner that may not happen. :) Between everyone in my family, there are about 4 different illnesses going around. Lovely. We have two of them but seem to be on the mend after a rough night of fever and stomach illness for one of the boys. It's a beautiful day and we are hoping that tomorrow's brunch/dinner will happen!

I've been going back and forth on the menu a bit but I think this is where it landed (there will be 17 of us):

Appetizer:
Assorted Cheeses w/crackers, apples, and pears

Menu:
Baked Glazed Ham
Egg Casserole (1 - zucchini, pepper, onion, and cheddar & 1 - spinach, mushroom, and swiss)
Potatoes (scalloped or roasted - my SIL is making them)
Asparagus & Tomato Mixed Green Salad
Cucumber Salad
Fruit Salad
Bread Basket

Dessert:
Carrot Cupcakes
Lemon Cupcakes
Mini Cheesecakes w/balsamic strawberries
Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies

Beverages:
Juices
Coffee
Tea

We'll see if I get everything done. :) It's 11:15 and I have yet to start. I need to go grocery shopping later (we opted to wait and see how people were feeling today). Andrew is helping my sister and BIL in move this morning. It's a full weekend. Easter baskets and Easter outfits are just about ready to go and I'll have some help with the food contributions and house preparations.

We are rejoicing in the knowledge that Christ is risen and for the wonderful plan of salvation!

Happy Easter, everyone!

MPM: 1/25-2/1

Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew, Salad w/Pears & Pecans
Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Peas
Black Bean Enchiladas, Applesauce, Chips & Salsa
Chicken Curry, Rice, Salad
Pizza, Fruit, Veggies

That's the plan! Have a great week! And check out orgjunkie.com for more menu plans! Check back tomorrow for a giveaway. :)

MPM: Original Recipe Week

Last week was great - my menu plan worked for me and we enjoyed everything. I did have to change the black bean tart to black bean quesadillas due to time crunch but they were still good. This week (and for the next few weeks), I want to work on some recipe development and tweeking - I not only have the goal of working on a personal cookbook this year but I also plan to enter some original recipes in a couple of contests. I don't have illusions of winning anything but I think it will be fun to try!

Mexican Lasagna, Fruit
Thanksgiving Sandwich, Baked Beet & Sweet Potato Chips, Fruit
Sausage Bean Soup, Cheese & Herb Biscuits, Salad
Baked Chicken, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Salad
Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Crackers, Applesauce

I'm also planning to create some new cookies this week - if they turn out, I will post the recipe on my recipe blog. Should be a great week of experimentation and enhancing recipes! Thanks to Laura for hosting Menu Plan Monday every week! I've been menu planning for about 1 1/2 years and it has made such a difference! Have a wonderful week!

MPM: 1/12 - 1/18

Well, last week was interesting. I made meals but not necessarily the ones I had planned. Oh well. I never really did a regular grocery trip like I intended so I didn't have everything I needed for a couple of recipes. I put the spinach casserole back on the menu - I need to get to the store for cheese so I can make it! I planned two vegetarian meals this week and the pizza may be vegetarian as well. I think we will have company one night and I will be out of town visiting one of my sisters one night (Andrew will probably make the pancakes, then). I've been cleaning out my kitchen and working on it's functionality so I can't wait to get cooking this week!

Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad, Molten Lava Cakes
Chili, Cornbread, Applesauce
Pancakes, Eggs w/Ham, Applesauce
*Spinach Bread & Butter Casserole, Fruit Salad (carried over from last week)
*Black Bean Tart, Fruit, Chips & Salsa

Pizza, Veggies, Fruit

Most of the links are to my recipe blog. As always, feel free to ask questions, request recipes, leave comments, and check out orgjunkie.com for more plans! Happy Cooking!

* = vegetarian

What Shall We Eat?

I decided not to make a plan last week and we actually did pretty well. But I'm ready to get back at it - I can't believe how much it helps our budget and helps me to use what we have. It also keeps me interested in dinner. :)

Pizza, Veggies, Fruit
Lentil Soup, Salad, Biscuits
Moroccan Chicken Stew, Couscous, Steamed carrots
Spinach Bread & Butter Casserole, Roasted Root Vegetables, Applesauce
Pancakes, Eggs, & Bacon

I feel like I should offer more recipe commentary and review but I think I'll just post my menu today. I'll work on reviews for next week. :) Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu inspiration. And as always, feel free to leave questions, recipe requests, comments etc.

Holiday Menu Plan & Family Favorites!

I've been sitting here and debating whether I should menu plan this week and decided that even if it doesn't go as planned, it still helps keep my week organized. So...here's this holiday week plan with several of our family favorites!!!

I marked our FAMILY FAVORITES with ** - most are annual traditions!

CHRISTMAS MENU:
Brunch - **Egg Casserole (bacon, cheese, & spinach), **Raspberry Coffee Cake, Fruit Salad (pears, apples, and oranges)
Dinner - **Sweet 'n Tangy Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Carrots, Applesauce, Salad, Sweet Potato Cornbread w/Orange Butter, Goodies (**Sugar Cookies, **Double Chocolate Fudge, **Butter Pecan Fudge and more :))

The Rest of the Week: :)
Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Salad
BBQ Meatballs over Rice, Steamed Vegetables
Sweet Potato, Sausage, & Kale Soup, Bread
Teriyaki Vegetarian Stir-fry, Rice

We'll see if all this happens - I'm using up leftovers from our open house this past week in many of the recipes. Hope you have a wonderful and blessed week filled with family, friends, and celebration. Thanks to Laura for hosting every week.

MPM: 12/15-12/21

It's that time of week again! This week we will be hosting our annual Christmas Open House on Friday. So the week will be busy with preparations! I'm planning by day this week:

MONDAY - Ham, Sweet Potatoes, Fruit
TUESDAY - Chicken Fingers w/Honey Sauce, Celery Sticks, Apple Slices
WEDNESDAY - Lentil Soup, Biscuits, Salad
THURSDAY - Take-out
FRIDAY - Open house (I'll be making a ton of food :) - antipasti platter, cheeseball, veggies & dip, fruit, bbq meatballs, and more plus many, many sweets)
SATURDAY - Christmas at my in-laws
SUNDAY - Open House Leftovers or Brunch

Kind of boring in the dinner department but it will work. :) Orgjunkie has many more menu plans! Have a great week!

This Week in Food :)

My menu plan is going to be very simple this week for a simple reason - my husband will only be home for dinner a couple of nights. And while I do cook for the kids (most of the time :)), I make it easy and we eat leftovers. You can guess which meals will be for when Andrew is home. :)

- Pizza, Apples, Carrots

- Mac 'n Cheese, Steamed Veggies, Applesauce

- Sweet n' Tangy Pot Roast, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Zuchini, Spinach Salad (w/oranges, red onion, almonds & homemade vinaigrette)

- Eggs, Toast, Tangerines

- Pasta, Garlic Bread, Salad

- Egg Casserole (bacon, swiss, & spinach and sausage & cheddar), Hashbrown Casserole, muffins, coffee cake, fruit salad, juice, coffee, tea, & hot chocolate (this will be the brunch for a little more than 20 people on Sunday after Titus' baptism)

That's it. Easy, easy. The roast goes in the crockpot and the mac 'n cheese may or may not be from a box :). I am hoping to do some baking and candy making this week - butter pecan fudge, peanut clusters, and maybe some chocolate fudge and some kind of cookies - we'll see how the week goes. This week I made chex mix, muddy buddies, and sugar cookies.

Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu plans! Have a great week!

Menu Plan: 12/1 - 12/7

Can you believe it's December?!! We had a fun and busy week celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends - I baked and cooked a lot! This week, I'm taking it easy with simple recipes and salad, fruit, and bread for side dishes.

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Sausage Bean Soup
Pizza
Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
Crockpot Sesame Pork Chops, brown rice

I'll be using my crockpot a lot this week! On a side note, I scored a 6 qt, stainless steel, Hamilton Beach crockpot for $8.50 on Black Friday - it was originally $40. I can't wait to use it - my current one, while very nice, is quite a bit smaller.

We did not get to decorate our tree on Friday due to illness so we will probably do it next weekend and I always make some snacky foods for our tree trimming party. Perhaps some Chex Mix, Cheeseball, Cookies, Tomato Caprese on Bread...we'll see. I'm working on adding more recipes to my recipe blog - feel free to check it out! And, as always, feel free to ask questions, leave comments, or share your menu ideas. Thanks to orgjunkie.com for hosting every week. Have a wonderful week!

Thanksgiving Week Menu

This will be a very full week for us! We will be celebrating alot and enjoying wonderful time with family and friends. First, I want to share two seasonal recipes - Amy recommended these pumpkin pancakes so I made them tonight for my family and they were fantastic (seriously, best pancakes ever!) and I also made pumpkin cranberry crumb muffins for our breakfasts this week! And I will be making pumpkin cheesecake for our Saturday gathering - we love pumpkin!

So here's the plan for this fun week:
Monday: Mexican Lasagna, Guacomole & Chips, Salad

Tuesday: Lentil Soup, Biscuits, Applesauce

Wednesday: Leftovers (hors'devours w/sibs after Thanksgiving service - Honey Fruit & Nut Brie, Tomato Caprese on Bread, Veggies & Dip, Fruit)

Thursday noon (pitch-in at my parents): Cherry Pie, French Silk Pie, Pecan Pie, Blueberry-Raspberry Pie - can you tell I'm responsible for some of the pie? :), Catherine's Sweet Potato Cranberry Streusel Casserole

Thursday evening (my in-laws will be coming): Thanksgiving Sandwich, Corn & Potato Chowder, Baked Sweet Potato Chips, Salad

Friday: Snacky food, egg nog - we will be decorating our Christmas tree during the day! In the evening, we will spend time with friends from highschool - not sure what I will take, yet...

Saturday (extended family gathering): Pumpkin White Chocolate Cheesecake, Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake, Double Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies (I'm responsible for some of the dessert), Cheese, Crackers

Sunday: Leftovers

I think that's it! Lots of baking this week which I love but don't get to do very often anymore! Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu plans. I've also been adding recipes to my recipe blog so feel free to check it out.

Menu Plan: 11/17-11/22

BBQ Pork Sandwich (leftover from our open house), Veggies & Dip, Chips
Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Salad, Rolls
Butternut Squash Soup, Bread
Pancakes, Bacon, Eggs, Fruit
Chili, Carrot Salad (for our church chili cook-off)

Not much commentary today. :) We had a full but great weekend. Andrew will be working many hours this week. Check out orgjunkie for more menu plans!

MPM: 11/10 - 11/16

Here's my plan for this week (last week was not the best :)):

- Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Salad, Breadsticks or Biscuits
- Lentil Soup, Salad, Crackers
- Sausage & Egg Casserole, Toast or Blueberry Muffins, Fruit
- Sweet 'n Tangy Pot Roast, Rice Pilaf, Roasted Butternut Squash, Fruit
- BBQ Beef or Pork Sandwiches, Macaroni & Cheese in Crock pot, Veggie Tray, Fruit Tray, Jello Jigglers, Chips, Salsa, Cookies, Cake (our open house celebration for Ty's adoption finalization!)

It will be a busy week and Andrew is working a lot of hours lately so hopefully we will get to enjoy all of these! We'll see. :) Thanks to orgjunkie.com for hosting every week! Have a great week!

Fall Menu Plan

Last week I planned four meals and we ate three of them - not too bad. ;) We were busy! I made the Curried Split Pea Soup and it was amazing. The kids even loved it! I'm adding it to my recipe blog with the changes I made. So here is the plan for this week:

Beef & Broccoli Noodle Stir-fry, Brown Rice, Fruit
Pizza, Vegetables, Apples w/Dip
Sweet Potato Pancakes w/Spiced Pecan & Peach Butter*, Yogurt
Butternut Squash Risotto*, Mixed Green Salad w/ Pears
Award Winning South Fork Chili, Cornbread, Salad

Hopefully, we'll be able to enjoy several nights of family meals - Andrew will probably work late a couple of nights. We also start back to hosting our highschool Bible Study this week - we can't wait! I may also make some muffins and cookies this week - we'll see how it goes!Hope you have a wonderful time around your table. Thanks to Laura for hosting!

* = new recipe

Menu Plan: 10/27 - 11/2

So much for blogging this weekend. :) I feel like we have been fighting illness (nothing serious) for several weeks now and have been so busy that we've had little time to rest...so yesterday and today we have rested. I didn't even do a menu plan last week but we missed it. I did make a big pot of soup and a big pasta dish - we ate on both for at least two meals. It was also Andrew's birthday so we enjoyed a night out at the Melting Pot! Yum!

Here's the menu plan for this week:

Meatloaf, Green Beans & Potatoes, Apple & Pear Romaine Salad
Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries (minus the dill :)), Fruit Salad
Butternut Squash Risotto*, Peas, Blueberry Muffins, Salad
Curried Split Pea Soup*, Biscuits, Oranges

I think that will do it - if we need another meal it will either be leftovers or breakfast for dinner. :) We will be with family on Friday night - I will probably take German Apple Cake and a salad. I'll be doing a giveaway tomorrow so feel free to stop back by! Have a great week and as always, thanks to Laura for hosting MPM every week!

* = new recipe :)

MPM: 10/13-10/19

Last week was pretty good - I made ALL the meals! Okay, I know there were only three but still... :)

This week, I'm in the mood to try a couple of new recipes and in my farm fresh bin, I received a giant leek and some yams (sweet potatoes) so I thought I would find new recipes to use those ingredients. Both of the new recipes are from Food Network and received rave reviews!

Monday - Sloppy Joes, Corn on the Cob, Chips, Grapes

Tuesday - Crockpot Sesame Pork Chops, Brown Rice, Salad

Wednesday - Potato & Leek Soup, Pear & Apple Romaine Salad (I will use some spring mix in addition to romaine & pecans instead of walnuts), Bread

Thursday - Flex day - Andrew will probably work late at least one night...

Friday - Sausage & Mushroom Pizza, Pretzels or Chips, Apples, Carrots, Cookies

Saturday - Dinner with Andrew's Firm

Sunday - Sweet Potato Pancakes w/Spiced Pecans and Peach Butter, Sausage or Bacon

I did it by day this week - based on schedule and the order some ingredients need used. This week will hopefully be a bit calmer than the last few! Check out orgjunkie.com for more menus!

This Crazy Week's Meals :)

Another week has come...last week was fairly successful though we weren't at home for as many meals as I thought we would be. I did create a creamy broccoli cheese soup (instead of the lentil soup) and it was hit even with my 3-year-olds. :) And the lettuce wraps were great! I made them with sausage because that's what I had and we loved them.

This week will be busy - my brother is getting married and yes, if you're keeping count, that's two siblings to get married within a month. :) Lot's of celebrating around here! Monday my sister is cooking, Tuesday is Mom's Night Out, Friday is rehearsal dinner, Saturday is the wedding, and Sunday is a family dinner. I think that leaves two nights of cooking...I will probably have my family over on Thursday since my mom is doing the cake again. :) Anyway, here's the plan for those two days and I'll probably make a pizza for Tuesday or Friday (the boys will have a sitter during the rehearsal):

Chili, Cornbread, Sauteed Rainbow Kale, Apple Salad
Pizza, Pretzels, Fruit
Corn & Potato Chowder, Bread, Crackers, Cheese, Fruit (dinner for my family)

That's it! Have a wonderful week. Thanks to Laura for hosting MPM every week!

Dinner...Again :)

We are still fighting illness (mostly me) and Andrew is still working a lot of hours so meals are happening but I've not attempted any of the new recipes I'd hoped to. Oh well, such is the season of life right now. I think this will be a tried-and-true week though I still really want the Asian wraps so I'll tentatively plan them in since I have all the ingredients. :) Our pantry and refigerator are stocked so hopefully no grocery shopping this week - yay! Here is the plan (always subject to change :)):

Amy's Asian Wraps, Fruit
Irish Colcannon, Fruit
Lentil Soup, Salad, Bread
Black Beans & Rice, Salad
Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Fruit

I think that's about it...orgjunkie has many more menu plans and recipes! Hope you have a great week and that your family enjoys wonderful time around the table.

Favorite Dinners!

I started menu planning about a year ago and it has truly been one of the single most effective things at helping me stay more organized about meals. We eat better, I'm not stressed, our budget has improved, and I have a chance to be more creative.

This week was overall good but the kids were sick so I never made it for my grocery shopping and Andrew had to work late a couple of nights. The new recipes didn't happen but we did still manage to have meals every night - most of them planned - though by the end of the week I was getting a little desperate as I pulled things out of the pantry and freezer. :) So here's the plan for this week:

Lentil Soup with a Curry Crema and Lentil Crackers, Pear & Apple Romaine Salad
Amy's Asian Lettuce Wraps, Fruit Salad
Taco Soup, Cucumber Salad, Applesauce or Apple Slices
Sweet 'n Tangy Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans or Broccoli, Rolls
Pizza, Veggies & Dip, Sliced Fruit

We will be at a wedding next weekend and we have at least one or two nights this week that one of us will be gone so I think this will do it! The first two are new recipes and the last three are family favorites...especially the Sweet 'n Tangy Pot Roast! It is sooo good and super easy! You can find more of our family favorites on my recipe blog.

Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu plans and favorite family recipes! Have a wonderful week!

Dinner Time

We had a very full week! We had a wonderful weekend participating in and witnessing the marriage of my sister and now brother-in-law. It was a beautiful wedding!

Thursday I ended up making chili, fruit & nut brie, cornbread, homemade applesauce, and peach cobbler for my family. Most of the later part of the week was consumed with making and packaging wedding favors. I made (with some help from my mom and youngest sister) molasses crinkle cookies. They are a family favorite and a huge favorite of Steph, the bride. :) It was a suprise for her. Our other sister (I have three :)) designed the tags with a comic book theme - a favorite of the groom and integral in his proposal to my sister. They turned out great but were extremely time consuming! I think we made about 220 favors and there were maybe 30 left.

This week will hopefully be a little more laid back. I'm hoping to try a new recipe or two and get back to some cooking! I'm also hoping to make a trip out to the raspberry patch to pick some for the freezer - I'll probably get some apples at the same time. So here's the plan for this week in no particular order.

- Chicken Fajitas, Applesauce
- Meatball subs, Corn on the Cob, Fruit Salad
- Amy's Asian Lettuce Wraps (I'll probably use chicken since that's what I have), Fruit
- Black Beans & Rice, Vanilla or Plain Yogurt w/Fruit
- Vegetarian Pizza, Veggies & Dip, Fruit
- Lentil Soup with a Curry Crema and Lentil Crackers , Salad

The lettuce wraps and lentil soup are new recipes this week! I'm starting to get into the mood for soups so I'll probably try to make at least one every week...we'll see. Lentils are one of our favorite legumes so this seemed like a good soup to start with. :) Well, that's about it from here! I'm feeling inspired this week so let's hope it lasts. Check out orgjunkie.com for many more menu plans!