Menu Plan Monday

This is a short week for us as we have friends coming to visit for the holiday weekend. So my plans for Thur through Sunday are TBA based on what the group decides to do. I don't even have plans to cook for Easter as we may visit family.
If by chance upcoming house guests are reading this blog, they are welcome to make any requests for meals because I'm more than happy to cook for them.

Monday- I'm going to make what is pictured above; Orange Beef Stir Fry. In our house we don't care for bell peppers, so I just use whatever other vegetables I might have, this week it will be broccoli and asparagus. I love how this stir fry has orange segments in it as well as plenty of fresh squeezed juice in the sauce.

Tuesday- Chicken noodle soup, I've got some vegetables and a chicken carcass to use up. I'd link the recipe I use, but it's in my head and not written out. (yet)

Wednesday- Shredded pork nachos*. I made carnitas for a potluck party and took the leftovers home, we'll have that with guacamole and some beans and rice. This will be a quick and easy meal with few dishes, so I can spend more timing preparing for our house guests.

This weekend, I baked Snickerdoodle Blondies, try them, they rock.


*For the pork- Super easy; cook a pork shoulder or picnic roast in a slow cooker. No water added, but season the pork; salt, pepper, garlic, chunks of onion (if you want), sometimes I use Pampered Chef Southwest seasoning; you could use taco seasoning or mostly I don't measure but just sprinkle all sides of the meat with chili powder, paprika and cumin. Cook it on low for 7 hours or until it falls apart. You can serve it just like that or I get a pan hot with a little oil and fry the meat in batches until it's crispy. I also season it more while frying. Serve it like tacos or add it on nachos. Freeze the leftover meat and serve it again the same way or add bbq sauce for pulled pork or toss it in a chili.

Menu Plan Monday

So this past week went well, I made one change on Sunday due to have a late lunch and a toddler who for some reason took the carton of buttermilk and poured it all over the counter. So I didn't make ricotta cheese for maniccoti.

This week is a bit more hectic and I am trying to focus on cooking with what I have on hand. I generally shop at the start of a month with just a few additional trips for replenishing perishables. However, on Friday I have company and will shop for the ingredients needed for that dinner.

Monday- Hamburger Stroganoff - I cooked this ahead because we'd be out in the evening for sports. I knew it wasn't really the sort of thing that you let sit and then eat, the sauce is best fresh off the pan. But we ate it anyway and it was fine. I just doesn't look as good.

Tuesday- We're going to be incredibly indulgent and have fried chicken, mashed potatoes and collard greens. I saw my husband's eye's light up when I announced this. This meal is for him. I received greens in my CSA box and decided to pick up some more at the store last week so there would be enough to make them Southern bbq style, so I just decided fried chicken and potatoes should go along with them.

Wednesday- To counter-balance Tuesday's heart attack meal, on Wed we're having a very low fat ground turkey stir fry. I'm going to experiment with making one that is not Asian in flavor, but using seasonings and balsamic vinegar.

Thursday- I've had a jar of Trader Joe's Thai Green Curry sauce for about a month and I should really try it. So I'm cooking it with chicken, green beans and some jasmine rice. We have sports and will be home late for dinner, so I'm going to prep this in advance.

Friday- This is when I have company coming. I'm again going to embrace The South and fix shrimp, cheese grits, a salad and caramel cake for dessert. This is thematic for my book club meeting; we just read The Help.

Saturday- We're attending a dinner party that's a sort of cook-off competition. The theme is Mexican. I'm leaning toward crispy pork tacos, however someone might already be bringing tacos so I may make a flan. Pray for me, I think it's been well over 10 years since I made flan.

Sunday- I'm tempted to roast a chicken, but I think by the end of the week I'm going to want to go out for sushi. So we're keeping this day TBA.

Menu Plan Monday

There are a lot of bloggers out in the Internets that do this Monday post. Being that meal planning is my "thing" I decided I should really get on the bandwagon and do this too. Not to mention that I am the worst blogger ever since I never update my blog. I think it's because each week I'm writing my newsletter for my weekly subscribers and that often takes all my energy and I've got no time to blog. I sort of feel as if the newsletter is like a blog, even though I try to not write in first person and it's not too personal. I should use the blog more often to write more about what's cooking with me personally and with the business.

Anyway, let's not get off track.

Our schedule recently changed with the start of soccer for the older daughter and new gymnastics class for the little one. Not that it wasn't a busy schedule already, but the nights and times have changed and in the transition to this I've been off track with a few more nights eating take out food than I care for. Monday is going to be the toughest with gymnastics and then straight to soccer. Today is the first day of this. It happens to be no school too, but I'm thinking a big snack in the afternoon and either a pre-cooked and ready to re-heat dinner or using the crock pot so we can eat when we return home from soccer.


Monday- Easy Slow Cooker Chili from my friend Savour. I don't usually fix a side dish with chili, with the exception of corn bread. I can't get into having a salad with it or a vegetable dish. I feel like the beans and diced tomatoes provide some fiber and vitamins. Plus a bowl or 2 of chili with cheese and sour cream (my personal preference) is filling enough.

Tuesday- Glazed Pork chops, oven roasted asparagus and fingerling potatoes

Wednesday- Happy St. Patrick's Day! Corned beef w/ cabbage, potatoes and vegetables (I'm the only one in the house who eats the cabbage and cooked carrots, so I usually include green beans or something too). Plus Irish Soda bread. I'm really excited to finally make the local, grass fed corned beef brisket that I got with my other beef.

Thursday- Chicken and Yakisoba noodle stir fry

Friday- Crispy pork tacos, chips and guacamole. 2 weeks ago I slow cooked a pork shoulder roast and froze the unused portion, this is another busy night so I can defrost it all day and then quickly fry it up for tacos (or nachos if the mood strikes).

Saturday- This is an eat out or get take out night.

Sunday- Homemade Manicotti, BLT salad

Have a good week!

(Let's hope I actually keep this blog updated)