Menu Plan Monday - Apr 12, '10

I am SO ready for the good weather! We had a little rain last week but enough good days to rev me up - I love being able to spend the day outside, watching my toddler play. We're getting ready to put up our square foot garden, I'm pretty sure we're finally beyond the frosty nights and my hubby should have a day free this week to build the raised bed :) I found out that I can get FREE leaf compost from the town! Mixed with some of the manure from my mother-in-law's horses, and that should give us some good, rich, FREE planting soil!

The menu last week went really well! The Tandoori Chicken was SO GOOD and EASY!! My toddler was scarfing it down, and we even let the baby try some of the curried couscous. We never got to the Pork Roast, so that's making a return appearance this week. I'm also going to try a few new recipes, I've got kielbasa to use up and I scored some REALLY fresh tilapia for $2.99/lb - it pays to live in a fishing town!

Here's our table for the week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more recipes and menu ideas!

monday - Quick Curry Quiche (using leftover Tandoori Chicken) with mango chutney(from The Once a Week Cooking Plan), canteloupe slices (cost tbd)

tuesday - Crockpot Kielbasa Dirty Rice ($4.40 for 6-8 servings)

wednesday - Dijon Crusted Tilapia, green beans, rice (cost tbd)

thursday - Pork Roast with Apples & Pears (from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook), peas, rice - OAMC ($5.37 for 4-6 servings)

friday - Sloppy Joes on homemade rolls, green salad ($4.62 for 4 servings)

saturday - leftovers (Free!)

sunday - Dinner at the in-laws! (free!)




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Menu Plan Monday - Jan 18, '10

I hadn't planned on it, but it looks like I'm all in for the Eat from the Pantry Challenge! Last week we did GREAT with the menu plan, and my weekly grocery trip (including bulk diapers from BJ's) was under $40 - only $10 of that was spent on actual food! I'm trolling the depths of my pantry for this week's menu to see how far I can go.

I've got a HUNGRY 5 month old on my hands to boot - so a good chunk of last week's shopping was for fresh veggies for baby food! So far he's been doing GREAT with solid foods, eats his homemade baby oatmeal twice a day plus fruits and veggies! He's built big and solid, I'm starting to wonder if he'll be too heavy for the infant carrier before his 6 month checkup...it's a good thing he's so cute...






This week, aside from baby food making, I only have 5 meals to account for - hubby's rescheduled holiday party is Sunday, and Tuesday is MY BIRTHDAY! Woot! We got some gift cards for Christmas so we're going OUT. I have most of what I need for all the recipes, so I'm anticipating another super cheap shopping week!

Here's our table, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menus, recipes, and pantry challengers!

monday - Autumn Chowder, homemade breadsticks from the freezer ($4.26 for 6 servings)

tuesday - It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Date night :)

wednesday - Chinese Beef and Broccoli over rice ($5.20 for 4-6 servings)

thursday - Black Bean Quesadillas, sliced avocado ($3.50 for 4 servings)

friday - Homemade pizza, veggies ($3.45 for 6-8 servings)

saturday - Cabbage Roll Casserole leftovers from the freezer, leftover breadsticks - FREE!

Sunday - Hubby's work holiday party! Free!




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Menu Plan Monday - Jan 11, '09

So I've noticed a good number of folks are participating in the Eat from the Pantry Challenge put out there by Money Saving Mom and FishMama, and as luck would have it, we're currently in a position where eating from the pantry is becoming a necessity. My stockpile is good (thankfully!) and we had a few financial curveballs to start the year that created the need to tighten things up. This week I am attempting to plan completely out of the pantry - the only thing we *should* need is milk.

Last week went well, we had an unexpected night out of the house and were treated to some yummy chili at my sister-in-law's! Other than that we stuck to the menu - the Asian Pork Stew was good, but I think I need to tweak it a bit more before I include it in my recipe box. We have some leftovers, but not so many that I'm afraid to cook! I hit a CRAZY sale at Trucchi's this week and scored breakfast fixin's for SUPER CHEAP (try $0.33 packages of English muffins!) so I'll be making bacon egg & cheese muffins for the freezer - hooray for OAMC breakfast!

Here's our delve into the pantry - don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for lots more menus and recipes!

monday - Homemade Pizza ($2.94 for 6-8 servings)

tuesday - Burgers on homemade buns, veggie, chips ($3.70 for 4 servings) **the dough will be made into enough buns for 2 dinners plus dinner rolls for later in the week

wednesday - Shredded BBQ chicken on homemade rolls, veggie ($2.90 for 4 servings)

thursday - Breakfast for dinner! Eggs, pancakes, fruit ($2.60 for 4 servings)

friday - Sausage and Penne Bake ($7.45 for 6-8 servings)

saturday - Leftovers - we're both working (free!)

sunday - Dinner at the in-laws! (free!)




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Menu Plan Monday - Jan 4, '10

Happy 2010! I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year's!

I am still working through my goals for the coming year, but one thing at the TOP of my list is more pro-active meal planning! We do pretty well each week, though I know many times when Menu Plan Monday became Menu Plan Wednesday, Thursday...you get the picture. My household goals for this year include incorporating both MONTHLY meal planning (even if it's just a rough framework that I can switch around), and more active Once a Month cooking into our routine! We did pretty well sticking with the plan last week but our schedule was busy enough that I was really missing having meals ready to go in the freezer. And speaking of the freezer, I NEED to do a full freezer inventory - we'll see how that goes :)

My husband's still working every night that I'm off, so next week there are no nights we're all home for dinner. It looks like that's how our schedules will be for a while, especially once hubby starts school in a few weeks. I've got to find a rhythm that works for this new schedule, so I'm going to try meals this week where the ingredients can be prepped the night before to save time when I'm juggling both kids in the evenings.

Here's what I came up with, don't forget to visit Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more recipe and menu ideas!

monday - Italian Sausage Hawaiian over rice - never got to it last week! ($4.90 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Shredded BBQ chicken, cornbread, veggies ($3.75 for 4 servings, plus leftover cornbread!)

wednesday - Stuffed Zucchini, leftover cornbread, veggies ($6.30 for 4 servings)

thursday - English Muffin Pizzas, veggies ($2.50 for 4 servings)

friday - Leftovers (FREE)

saturday - Crockpot Asian Pork Stew over rice (cost TBA)

sunday - Dinner at the In-laws (FREE)




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Menu Plan Monday - Dec 28th, '09

How's your house recovering from the holiday rush? I confess, I haven't actually seen the floor of my living room since Friday...but we're slowly finding a place for everything. Our parents like to spoil their grandbabies :)

In spite of the busyness of last week, we still stuck to the menu plan - the Chicken Fajita Soup and Cinnamon Rolls were VERY tasty - those cinnamon rolls are to DIE for, and I'll be making them as long as my arteries hold out :) I also ended up throwing some leftover sloppy joe in with the Mac & Cheese, which was awfully good!

This week and next I'm struggling with the menu plan - usually I save the bigger cooking for nights when we're all home for dinner, but for the next few weeks one of us is working every night. I have a tough time justifying more than easy meals or leftovers when it's just the toddler and I, and I'll have to get over that or we'll be eating nothing but pizza and grilled cheese all week! I am missing my OAMC meals that's for sure - so on my agenda is to be more diligent in making freezer foods!

Here's what we'll be (hopefully) dining on this week, don't forget to visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons of ideas and menu posts!

monday - Frozen shrimp stir fry meal ($4.50 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings with added veggies ($4.29 for 4-6 servings)

wednesday - Cheesy Kielbasa Bake - OAMC meal, half batch ($6.87 for 8 servings)

thursday - Leftovers (free)

friday - Italian Sausage Hawaiian over rice ($4.90 for 4 servings)

saturday - Leftovers (free)

sunday - Dinner at the in-law's (free)




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Menu Plan Monday - Nov 30th, '09

We came. We saw. We ate. (and ate, and ate and ate!) Turkey day is behind us, and while we may still be enjoying the leftovers we can now focus on Christmas madness! This is actually my favorite time of year, a happy bright spot at the beginning of my least favorite season: winter. Yeah, I live in New England and can't stand the winter. So sue me ;)

Last week we did very well sticking to the menu, and I only had to make a minor adjustment on Friday because we had family at the house - thankfully my pizza recipe doubles and triples easily! This week I have a craving for spinach, so it's showing up in a couple of recipes (all of which freeze well so I'll probably make doubles!). I have an itch to try something I saw on Laura's menu a few weeks ago - a mexican dish with cinnamon rolls on the side - but I think it'll have to wait till next week when I have more time. If I can get the kiddos to cooperate though, I may be trying Amy's cinnamon roll recipe this week and pop them in the freezer :)

Here's what's on our table, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for MANY more recipes and menu ideas!

monday - Leftover Sausage Potato Soup from the freezer (free!)

tuesday - Crockpot Vegetable Curry over rice ($6.06 for 8-10 servings)

wednesday - Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup ($2.10 for 4 servings)

thursday - Turkey Veggie Lasagna ($5.78 for 6 servings)

friday - Shrimp Scampi with broccoli and linguini ($7.00 for 4 servings)

saturday - Unbelievable Chicken & Pasta ($6.35 for 6-8 servings)




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Menu Plan Monday - Oct 12th, '09

I love the fall! I especially love apple season - and since I came across several great recipes for apple butter among the bloggers, you can bet my crockpot will be working overtime :)

And a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to the far northerners, too!

The Sausage Potato soup from last week was awesome! (Thanks, Laura for sharing!) I actually made a double batch and froze half of it, I don't know when I'll be able to do a true OAMC cooking session so I'm trying to just double recipes where it's possible for now. I did squeeze in a baking day and made breadsticks and muffins, and I'm on a quest for the perfect sandwich bread recipe...

Here's our table for the week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds of menu ideas and recipes!

monday - Sausage and Penne Bake, salad ($7.00 for 6 servings)

tuesday - Enchiladas using leftover Mexican chicken and rice, mixed veggies ($3.70 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Leftovers - Clean out the fridge! (free!)

thursday - Beef and Biscuit bake, in the crockpot ($5.50 for 6 servings)

friday - Homemade pepperoni pizza ($3.84 for 8 servings)

saturday - Grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit ($3.60 for 4 servings)

sunday - Going to a friend's wedding!




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Menu Plan Monday - Oct 5th, '09

Short and sweet today - I was a bad mommy and fudged with the new baby's schedule a little last night. Paid dearly when he decided that 3AM would be a GREAT time to stay awake. And 4AM. And 5AM. Several pots of coffee later and I'm just barely conscious enough to assemble the menu plan for the week. But since my first day back to work is TOMORROW, I definitely need to get the menu in order!

This MPM is COMPLETELY out of the existing pantry and freezer - we had a VERY tight week financially (my Short term disability for maternity leave just ran out and hubby had a slight reduction in his work schedule) so this will be a bare minimum shopping week. I go back to work Monday so things will get a little easier, but I'm SO thankful to have built up my stockpile enough to cover us when these times come!

Here's my table for the week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for MANY more awesome menus and recipes!

monday - Crockpot Beef Stew ($7.20 for 8-10 servings)

tuesday - Spaghetti Pie, salad - OAMC ($8.28 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Mexican Chicken with beans and rice ($5.45 for 6 servings)

thursday - Sausage Potato Soup, homemade breadsticks ($4.21 for 8-10 servings)

friday - leftovers - FREE!

saturday, sunday- Visiting friends for the weekend




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Menu Plan Monday - Sept 14, '09

I know I missed last week's MPM, we've been dealing with some colic from the new little one so sleep and free time are in short supply :-)

I have still been working off my freezer meals and quick dinners, but the time is coming fast when I need to get back to my old cooking routines. I can probably stretch my OAMC meals one more week, but I need to start planning for cooking days and figure out how that will work with the baby's schedule.

Here's what we'll be eating, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menu ideas!

monday - leftover Cheesy Kielbasa Bake - OAMC - FREE

tuesday - Homemade Vegetable Soup, breadsticks - OAMC - ($4.27 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Spaghetti and freezer meatballs, leftover breadsticks - OAMC ($4.11 for 6-8 servings)

thursday - Hamburgers, tater tots, veggies ($3.50 for 4 servings)

friday - Pizza Rolls (with pepperoni), veggies and ranch dip - OAMC - ($5.90 for 8 servings)

saturday - leftovers - FREE

sunday - dinner at the in-laws - FREE




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Menu Plan Monday - Aug 31st '09

I hate being so crazy right now! I know I haven't blogged much lately, but at least MPM keeps me slightly connected to you all :) The new babe is doing very well, he clocked in at 8lbs 11.5oz and 21 3/4 inches long at his 2 week appointment - that means he's gained more than a pound since leaving the hospital! We've had some trials in the breastfeeding department, but I'll save that for another blog post. He's alert, adorable, and big brother is loving on him tons (even if he's giving us a run for our money!)

We did pretty well sticking to the menu last week, had to shuffle things around a little but otherwise did OK. I'm still not feeling up to the whole process of cooking so the freezer meals have been a godsend! I vaguely remember things getting easier after the first month, so I'm hopeful there's a light at the end of the tunnel :)

Here's what we're planning for this week, don't forget to visit Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons of great menu and recipe ideas!

monday - Spaghetti Pie - OAMC ($7.78 for 6 servings)

tuesday - Turkey Veggie Lasagna - OAMC ($5.78 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Cheesy Kielbasa Bake - OAMC ($6.87 for 6-8 servings)

thursday - Burgers, veggies, tater tots ($3.85 for 4 servings)

friday - leftovers (Free!)

saturday - French Toast, scrambled eggs and fruit - Brinner day! ($3.50 for 4 servings)

sunday - leftovers (free!)




Stumble It!

Menu Plan Monday - Aug 24th, '09

We're into week 2 of the new baby and I actually managed to get both kids down for an afternoon nap at the same time! The quiet in the house is heavenly ;)

Last week I did *ok* with sticking to the menu, though one night when I was home alone with the kids I resorted to mac & cheese for my toddler instead of thawing something...we'd had a rough morning and I totally forgot to thaw dinner! This week I'm hoping to do a little better, hubby is back at work so I'm on my own for dinner most nights. It's tough to be motivated when the only other mouth I need to please would vote for grilled cheese sandwiches every night should I give him the choice!

Here's what we're (attempting) eating this week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menus and ideas!

monday - Black Bean Quesadillas, sliced green peppers ($5.80 for 6 servings)

tuesday - Chicken Cordon Bleu over egg noodles - OAMC ($6.75 for 6 servings)

wednesday - BBQ shredded chicken sandwiches, mixed veggies ($4.30 for 4 servings)

thursday - Leftovers - free!

friday - Homemade veggie soup, Whole Wheat Biscuits - OAMC ($6.81 for 8-10 servings)

saturday - leftover Cabbage Roll Casserole from the freezer, leftover biscuits - free!

sunday - Clean Out Fridge Night - free!








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Menu Plan Monday Aug 17, 09 - the Epic Fail edition

Yes, I know - it's THURSDAY...I have a good excuse! (Said excuse is currently asleep on my shoulder looking thoroughly angelic...)

I am SO glad that I took the time to stock up freezer meals before the baby came! You forget how tough the first few weeks are, and having one less thing to worry about makes a huge difference. But I do need to get back in the saddle and plan my daily meals instead of standing over the freezer the night before (who am I kidding...maybe by noon that day..) and shopping for something to thaw out.

Here's what I've done this week and what we'll attempt to stick to for the rest of the week - make sure you visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds of other menus from folks who actually planned ahead ;)

monday - Spaghetti Pie - OAMC ($7.78 for 6 servings)

tuesday - Meatball subs - OAMC ($5.20 for 4 servings)

wednesday - kidnapped by my in-laws for baby visiting!

thursday - Chicken Bombay, couscous, broccoli - OAMC ($9.15 for 6-8 servings)

friday - leftover Cabbage Roll Casserole from the freezer - free!

saturday - Clean Out Fridge Night - free!

sunday - dinner with family - free!







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Menu (un)planning - Day 2, and baby update

Since I'm posting about supper tonight, you'd be correct in assuming that the child STILL has not decided to make its appearance. This is one stubborn little person, let me tell you...though knowing its father, I shouldn't be so surprised :)

I did have a non-stress test and a doctor's appointment today - if you missed the tweets (then you should be following me!) we had a very UNeventful test, nothing crazy going on and not a single contraction to be seen. My doctor's appointment was a bit more turbulent, after waiting an HOUR AND A HALF to get into an exam room, he stripped my membranes (yummy) and then scheduled me for an induction for Saturday morning. So, if the extra poking and prodding doesn't get things going in the next few days, I will be checking into the Hotel St. Hospital and will be holding my new baby by Saturday night! Woot!

Dinner tonight was relatively uneventful too, when I was scouring the fridge for dinner ideas I found a HUGE bowl of leftover Kielbasa and Pasta that I had forgotten about. From THREE days ago. Thank you, baby brain. Anyway, it was perfect because I'm a little crampy from the procedure today and not really in the mood for big cooking. I also moved it to the FRONT of the fridge so that we can use it up over the next few days, and I packed one Tupperware container full for Hospital day, whenever it comes. Don't want to be stuck with hospital food if I'm in the mood for something else!

T-minus four days till baby gets evicted from the Uterine Hilton..stay tuned!










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Menu Plan Monday - Aug 3rd, '09

As I sit here with my FrankenFeet propped up on a pillow, I still can't believe that my due date is THIS FRIDAY! EEP!

We haven't seen any major movements towards labor yet, I was only 1 cm dilated at my appointment last week...but with the Boy Wonder I spent 2 weeks at 2cm and then blew up to a "stretchy" 8.5cm dilated in 2 days. My labors are rather dramatic :) They're also rather fast, which only means that I am pretty much constantly on edge looking for labor signs so that my OB has time to get to the hospital!

I hesitated to make any major menu plan this week, so I decided instead to make a brief list of easy meals that we will draw from as the week goes on. I expect I'll be dining on hospital fare before too long but I have to make sure we have some kind of plan in place! Once the baby comes, we have a pretty good stockpile of dinners in the freezer but I don't want to tap into that until we REALLY need it!

For more (and more detailed!) menu plans don't forget to visit The Happy Housewife while Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie is on a much needed break!

Menu options for the week:
-Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Fruit salad
-Breakfast for dinner - Western Omelette with toast and fruit
-Chicken Quesadillas made with shredded salsa chicken
-Pizza Rolls
-Hot dogs and veggies
-Kielbasa and pasta supper
-any leftovers






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Menu Plan Monday - July 20th, '09

Man, prego brain is really kicking in! I thought I had posted this two days ago....at any rate, with just a couple of weeks (or less!) left to go before the new baby arrives, I'm allowed a few faux pas along the way!

I'm still looking for one more OAMC meal idea that I can store in the freezer, as of now I have about 2-3 weeks worth of meals tucked away but I want to see if I can get a full month in there before things get too hectic. I know there will be days when I am fine to make a fresh meal, but it will be nice to have the backup!

Oh and to all my fellow bloggers who will be attending the BlogHer Conference this week, all I can say is I am not jealous. Really. Promise. :-) I hope everyone has a fabulous time! Can't wait to read all of the posts during and after the conference so I can live vicariously through you all :) And hopefully next year I won't be a bazillion weeks pregnant when it happens...

Here's what our table looks like this week, don't forget to check out the multitude of other menus over at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

monday - Grilled Cheese, fruit salad ($3.50 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Unbelievable Chicken & Pasta ($5.98 for 6-8 servings)

wednesday - Simple Italian Pasta Salad ($4.91 for 4-6 servings)

thursday - Mimi's Sticky Chicken, Breadsticks, veggies ($10.50 for 8 servings plus TONS of leftovers!)

friday - Black Beans & Rice ($2.16 for 4 servings)

saturday - Homemade Pizza ($2.95 for 6-8 servings)

sunday - Trip to Martha's Vineyard








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