Menu Monday

How can it be Monday already? My weekend was busy. I had to squeeze my normal amount of weekend work into one day so that I could go see Wicked with a friend on Sunday. So much fun and a great dinner afterwards. But it's back to real life today. We are preparing to have 10 mouths to feed at our house for the first week of April. We are doing some spring cleaning and filling the freezer full of treats and goodies this week. Here's what is cooking.

Breakfasts: (choice of)

Smoothies, oatmeal, or eggs

Dinners: (usually I come up with a side dish on the fly and yes, we have bread with most meals)

Pizza Pasta Casserole (doubled and one put in the freezer)
Crockpot Veggie soup with homemade rolls
Grilled Cheese and veggies with dip
Spaghetti and Steamed Broccoli
Hot Dogs and French Fries
Egg Salad Sandwiches
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

Well last week I'm not sure quite what happened but I ended up not making something on my menu. So since I still have all the ingredients that will be the first thing we eat this week. Also, a surprise from my husband arrived. This little beauty that I've been drooling over for a few years. I've had it for about 5 days and still haven't had a chance to use it yet.

So today....I may just fill my entire freezer with goodies. Here's what is cooking this week.

Breakfasts: (choice of)

Strawberry Banana Smoothies, Oatmeal, muffins from the freezer or Poached Eggs

For quick lunches I'm throwing together a few salads to keep in the fridge all week so I have something to count on when I get busy. The rest of the family has a free-for-all at lunch time around here, making whatever they can create. The only rule is they have to actually eat it.

Waldorf Coleslaw
Ambrosia


Dinners:

Chicken and Rice Quiche
Three Cheese Enchiladas
Crock Pot Veggie Soup
Baked Ziti
Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken over noodles or Broccoli
Grilled Cheese and Soup
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

I came across a free bunch of Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and the Rice Counsel recipe booklets that you find by the magazines at the checkout stand so I'm drawing from them for my recipes this week. I managed to find most of the recipes online so you can have them too. Here's what we'll be eating this week.


Breakfast:

Breakfast in a Cup, Pumpkin Muffins, oatmeal or fruit

Dinners:

Portabella Mushroom with Spinach and Feta Lasagna
Turkey (or chicken) and Rice Quiche
Ranch Style Turkey (or chicken) Kabobs
Traditional Irish Shepherds Pie
Dinner with Extended Family
Attending a Function that serves Dinner
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

It's my 40th birthday this week. I'm not real thrilled about that number but I like the fact that I don't have to cook that day. Here's what's cooking this week.

Breakfast:

Blueberry muffins, oatmeal or fruit

Dinners:

Sausage Crescent Breakfast Casserole with fruit
Meatloaf, crock pot baked potatoes, broccoli
Grilled cheese, tomato soup, fruit
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta, green beans
Birthday (not cooking)
Homemade burgers and tater tots
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday - Keeping it Easy

I'm going into this week feeling like I'm trying to fight off a cold and biting off more tasks than I can chew. So meals this week need to be E-A-S-Y! Out comes the crock pot and the meals with only a few ingredients. And did I mention it's snowing here? Yahoo! I can still make soups.

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal, fruit smoothies or farina.

Dinners:

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore
Cheese Enchilada Chowder
Beef and Bean Burritos
Egg Salad Sandwiches
Pancakes for Dinner
Chicken Pesto
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

I had some over ripe bananas to use up so I pulled out the best ever banana bread recipe. Currently the house is silent as all 4 kids are stuffing their faces with warm bread. I'll have to freeze the second loaf or it will all disappear today. Here's what is cooking at our house this week.


Breakfast:

Sour cream banana bread, oatmeal, farina and/or fruit

Dinners:

Crock Pot Cheesy Ravioli Casserole
Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas
South of the Border Hash Brown Bake
Party with Family
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

We have a special meal planned for Valentines Day this week. Since I'll be at work all afternoon I'll be making most of it ahead in the morning so that when I come home the kids will have already cooked and assembled what was left to do and made the table all pretty. I thought about taking everyone out so that I could have the night off but really, I just want to be home and cozy. We may even eat Valentines Dinner in our jammies.

Here's what is cooking this week.


Breakfasts:

Blueberry muffins, oatmeal or fruit

Dinners:

Beefsteak Tips and Noodles
V-day: Baked Ziti, salad, garlic bread, and chocolate mousse
Creamy Burrito Casserole
Cheating Swedish Meatballs
Easy Crescent Samosa
Grilled Cheese
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

I'm sitting here watching the tail end of the Superbowl and finishing up my menu plan. No rest for us busy moms. Our bellies are full of Superbowl snacks and we are all vowing to not eat again for days. (groan).

My freezer has a whole chicken in it, so I think that's what will be first on our menu. Here's what is cooking at our house this week.

Breakfasts:

Apple Oat Bran Muffins, oatmeal, or fresh fruit.

Dinners:

Whole Crockpot Chicken, Baked Potatoes and green beans.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Hungarian Goulash in the Crockpot
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Family Birthday Party
Crockpot Hamburger Potato Casserole
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday- New Cookbooks!

I came across a stack of Weight Watchers cookbooks so I'm going to be giving some new recipes a try. I made my kids look through them and put sticky notes on the recipes that they would like to eat so we'll see how it goes this week. If you're interested in any of the recipes, the books I'm working from are pictured here.

Here's what's cooking this week!

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal, farina, pancakes or fruit and yogurt smoothies


Dinners:

Huevos Mexicanos
Corn and Cheese Griddle Cakes
Zucchini Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes
Turkey and Penne Casserole
Meatloaf with Carmelized Onions and Mushrooms.
Leftover Buffet
Superbowl Party!

Menu Monday

A couple of nights last week, I came home from work too tired to cook so I assigned kids to pull something together. We all got fed, they had a nice little lesson in cooking and serving and Mama was happy. It also left me with a few recipes that I have all the ingredients for, so they will get moved to this weeks menu. And since I blew last weeks budget out of the water, it's really going to help for this week. Here's what's cooking.

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal, farina, fruit smoothies or muffins

Dinners:

Crock Pot Falafel (from last week)
Pasta con Broccoli (from last week)
Tasty Turkey Burgers, french fries
Parmesan Sage Pork Chops, crock pot garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli
Paula Deen's Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese, green beans
Freezer soup and rolls
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday - Mostly Vegetarian

Having a vegetarian in the house is complicated. Even when she was a little girl she would pick a green pepper over a hotdog and peel the meat off her hamburger before eating it. It was inevitable I guess. But living with 5 other carnivores can be rough on her. I try and cook a portion of each meal without meat in it but sometimes that doesn't cut it. So this week she requested a vegetarian week. The uproar from the carnivores will probably be heard two states over. My daughter sat down with me this week and helped pick meals. We threw in a meat meal just to appease the savages in the house. We also did a build-your-own-pizza night where the boys can throw a hunk of meat on there if they feel like it. Here's what is cooking.

Breakfasts: (the usual choice of...)

Farina, oatmeal, smoothies, or pancakes

Dinners:

Spinach Garlic Pizza (pepperoni or Hawaiian for the guys)
Crock Pot Falafel
Clock Watchers Chicken Skillet
Baked Vegetarian Chimichangas
Pasta con Broccoli from Pasta House
Birthday Party
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

I'm planning a whole crockpot roasted chicken this week. It will not only become a main dish meal but will also be part of a salad with greens and chicken, and then boiled down into broth for future meals. I love when a recipe calls for chicken broth and I can pull out homemade broth from my freezer. It just has better flavor and a richer taste than the canned stuff. Here's what's cooking this week.

Breakfasts:

Pancakes, yogurt, smoothies, or oatmeal.

Dinners:

Chicken Stroganoff over brown rice, green beans
Shepherds Pie
Crockpot Roast Chicken, steamed veggies
Potato soup, homemade rolls
Spinach and Roast Chicken Salads
Pizza Party with family
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

Tomorrow is my first day balancing work and school with the kids. Since my day hours are going to be packed, I'm trying to find a time that works for grocery shopping. I'll be experimenting over the next month to figure out where I'll be able to fit it in. I'm also experimenting with assigning meal-making turns to us all (including the hubs) this week. I can't do it all and I'm not ashamed to admit it. In the meantime, this is our meal plan for the week.

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal, farina, smoothies, fruit

Dinners:

Spaghetti with garlic bread and green beans
Crockpot Baked Potato Bar (sour cream ,cheese, bacon, chili and broccoli toppings)
Crockpot Paula Deen's Macaroni and Cheese, green salad
Eggs, Sausage Links, Toast
Crockpot Ham and Beans
A night out!
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

We had a great week of Christmas this year. We spent time with friends and family, ate lots of goodies, played a few games and had a Christmas movie marathon all day in our jammies. It was relaxed and fun and much too short. I'm a little shocked that we have to jump right back into real life so soon. I came home from my mom's with a big ol' meaty ham bone that will be turning into a yummy crockpot meal.
Here's what's on the menu for us.

Breakfasts:

Blueberry muffins, smoothies, oatmeal, fruit or cream of wheat

Dinners:

Crockpot Ham Bone and Beans, cornbread
Hungarian Goulash over noodles with steamed veggies
Crockpot Onion Chops
Baked Potato Bar
Fried egg sandwiches, veggies and dip
Freezer soup and rolls
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

Sunday I had a Christmas Shopping Blitz and managed to get it all done. I have a few stocking stuffers left to finish but the presents are wrapped and under the tree, just taunting the kids until Christmas eve. This week is crazy with Christmas parties, appointments, work and kids rehearsals. Here's what is cooking at our house this week.

Breakfasts:

Choice of...Oatmeal, fruit smoothies, Cream of Wheat, or Lemon Poppy Seed Scones,

Dinners:

Monday: no cooking....Party.
Tuesday: Meatball soup and bread machine rolls
Wednesday: Southwestern Baked Spaghetti
Thursday: no cooking....Party
Friday: Eggs, toast, and sausage
Saturday: Christmas Eve Pizza
Sunday: Christmas with Family

Menu Monday

Remember last week when I was all Zen about Christmas? This week I'm freaking out. I have a dent done in my list but just a little dent. I'm still not going to go all hard core trying to make a perfect Christmas for my family....they don't even really expect that from me....but I still need to shop! Holy Moly! Today is our family Christmas Card picture....dogs or no dogs? Can't really decide. And two kids have oral surgery this week. Phew...I'm really going to need that easy Crock-Pot to get dinners on the table....it's going to be a busy one.

Breakfasts:

Choice of: Farina, oatmeal, freezer muffins or smoothies

Dinners:

Crockpot Baked Potatoes with toppings
Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup in the CrockPot
CrockPot Chili dogs (gross...but the kids will love it)
Freezer Chicken Chili with rolls
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

It's been a busy month. I've been doing lots of volunteering which means I'm gone in the afternoons. My crock pot has been my friend so that we aren't tempted to eat out at night when I'm too tired to come home and cook my normal meals. So this week you'll see many recipes that can either be cooked right in the crock pot or adapted to fit into it. Here's what is cooking at our house.

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal, pancakes, or some form of eggs

Dinners:

Crock pot Chicken with black beans and cream cheese
Ground Turkey Chili
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Leftover Chicken Stew from the freezer
Fried Egg Sandwiches and fruit
Spaghetti night
Leftover Buffet

Menu Monday

I hope you all had a tummy full of good food and great family times over the Thanksgiving holiday. And now comes one of my favorite foodie weeks of the year. The week AFTER thanksgiving when all those leftovers get re-created into scrumptious new meals. I have a freezer FULL of homemade turkey stock and I'm ready for some good meals this week. We also have our final birthday of the year on Sunday. My only daughter, who happens to be a vegetarian, turns 15.

So here is what's cooking this week.

Breakfasts:

Pumpkin Muffins, pancakes, fruit or smoothies

Dinners:

Creamy Turkey Soup and Homemade Rolls
Turkey Pot Pie with Stuffing Crust
Quick Turkey Tetrazzini
Egg Salad Sandwiches and veggies with dip
White Chili and cornbread
Leftover Buffet
Birthday - Cheese Ravioli in Marinara, green salad, garlic bread and Cappuccino Cheesecake.

Menu Monday

Well this is the week that all those freezer meals and frozen leftovers I've squirreled away pay off. We'll be eating creatively but well the first few days of the week so that I can focus my money on our delicious Thanksgiving feast. Then, it's smooth sailing on yummy leftovers the last part of the week. So really, all I have to do is cook one and a half (I cook a lot the day before)days this week. Here's what's stocked up in the freezer and cupboards....

Baked Potato Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chili
Muffins
Pancakes
Loaves of bread

The pantry is full of tuna, home canned applesauce and pickles. The fruit and veggie drawers are full of salad fixings and fresh fruit.

This Thanksgiving I'm responsible for the Roast Turkey,(already purchased last week) crock pot stuffing, gravy, buttery bread machine rolls, peanut butter pie and make ahead mashed potatoes.

Check back tomorrow for the big shopping trip.

Menu Monday

I had one of those Mondays that was crazy and busy and stressful. It took me all day in between orthodontist appointments, haircuts, school presentations and all the everyday stuff and I STILL couldn't think of a darn thing for my menu plan. So I called in reinforcements and asked everyone in this house what they wanted to eat this week.

5 minutes later the job was done. (Why didn't I just do that in the first place?)

So here is our menu for the week.

Breakfasts:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, oatmeal, fruit



Dinners:

Spaghetti with sausage, steamed broccoli, garlic toast (hubs)
Eggs, sausage, rye toast and hashbrowns (hubs)
Loaded baked potato soup, salad, french bread (teen daughter)
Grilled cheese and tomato soup (teen daughter)
Hot Dogs, fries (teen son)
Homemade Pizzas (teen daughter)
Leftover Buffet (me....whew)