menu planning monday 05.24.10

Monday: Cheeseburgers, chips and tossed salad

Tuesday: Beef & Cheese Quesadillas and pinto beans

Apprehension-Free Wednesday:Chicken Stir-fry, Egg rolls, Fried Rice, and Dessert.  So sad that this is the last Wednesday night church supper until August:(

Thursday: Mimi’s sticky chicken thighs with sautéed zucchini,  crispy fresh baby carrots and celery with peanut butter

Friday: Grilled steaks, baked potatoes, and chef salad

Saturday:  No cooking for me :) Church supper club at a friend’s home! 

For more menu planning ideas, check out OrgJunkie:)

menu planning monday 05.17.10

 
Monday: Quiche, tossed salad, and fresh strawberries with ricotta

Tuesday: Spaghetti, tossed salad, and 5-cheese garlic bread

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner served at church will be Beef Stroganoff, Noodles, Green Beans, Salad and Dessert.


Thursday: Shrimp sate with pineapple salsa and steamed broccoli


Friday: Seared lamb with balsamic sauce, whole-grain pilaf, and Caesar salad (could not find the lamb chops I wanted, so I picked up veal chops and use THIS recipe instead)

Saturday: Make desserts for Sunday’s Mission Auction: 1-2-3 Cookie Bars, Mom’s Strawberry Jello Salad

Check out all the other menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie :)

menu planning monday 05.10.10

Monday: Rosemary Pork chops with green beans and whole-grain pilaf.

Tuesday: Naan pizzas with Caesar salad

Apprehension-Free Wednesday:  Dinner served at church will be Chicken Pot Pie, Vegetable Medley, Salad and Dessert.

Thursday: Hamburgers, cole slaw and chips

Friday: Grilled steaks with steamed asparagus and baked potatoes

Check out all the other menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie :)

menu planning monday 03.08.10

Monday: Grilled Shrimp Skewers with saffron rice and Caesar salad

Tuesday: Mimi's Sticky Chicken Thighs with sauteed zucchini and wild mushroom agnolotti with tomato cream sauce. Dessert: Spice cakelettes

Wednesday: Dinner at church will be black bean enchilada casserole, mexican salad, refried beans and dessert

Thursday: Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken and snow pea saute.

Friday: Salmon Cakes with steamed asparagus and baked sweet potato

menu planning monday 01.18.10

Monday:  Chicken/Vegetable Stir-fry with jasmine rice

Tuesday:  Grilled Pork Chops, roasted red potatoes, and sauteed zucchini

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner served at church will be chicken tetrazzini, green beans, salad and dessert (pizza for the kids).

Thursday: Hamburgers with cole slaw and onion rings.

Friday: Panko-crusted fried white fish, saffron rice, and steamed asparagus

menu planning monday 01.04.10

Monday: Baked Potato Bar

Tuesday: Ham and Swiss Quiche

Wednesday: Pesto Tortellini and grilled bone-in pork chops

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner (grits, eggs, bacon, pancakes)

Friday: Sam's Beef Stew

menu planning monday, 12.07.09

Decided to start a little earlier this time:) Trying some new things and repeating some things already found to be tried and true. In the end, just planning makes life so much easier.

Friday, 12.04: Breakfast for dinner (grits, bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes)

Saturday, 12.05: Baked Potato Soup with Roast Beef & Red Pepper Flatbreads; Holiday Baking: Reindeer Corn Cookie Bark

Sunday, 12.06: Emeril's Sausage, Peppers, and Onions with toasted french demi baguettes; Holiday Baking: Cranberry Bliss Bars

Monday, 12.07: Sam's Beef Stew with cornbread muffins

Tuesday, 12.08: Pacific Rim Stir-Fry

Wednesday, 12.09: Dinner served at church will be baked chicken, sweet potato patties, green beans, salad and dessert (pizza for the kids).

Thursday, 12.10: Grilled cheese sandwiches with chicken noodle soup

Friday, 12.11: Panko-crusted cod filet sliders with fried zucchini

For more menu planning ideas, check out the links at OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 10.19.09

Monday: Smoked Turkey Breast with wild rice and steamed broccoli

Tuesday: Chicken-Vegetable stir fry

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Breakfast casserole, cheese grits, and fruit salad will be served at church prior to the Worship Service.

Thursday: WYFL Homecoming Pep Rally and hot dog dinner

Friday: Fish Tacos with pinto beans

Who knows what the weekend holds!

For more menu planning ideas, check out OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 09.28.09

Monday: Grilled Portobellos with Pasta and salad

Tuesday: Chili-Lime Shrimp with coconut rice

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be BBQ Pork, cole slaw, baked beans, bread, and dessert.

Thursday: Grilled hamburgers, pinto beans, and baked tortilla chips

Friday: Chef D's Birthday -- going out for sushi then back home for some Gigi's German Chocolate Pie!

menu planning monday 09.21.09

Monday: Pasta with Walnut Basil Pesto (358 calories) with oven-baked turkey meatballs (350 calories) and fresh butter lettuce salad with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds

Tuesday: Hearty Roast Beef Panini (270 calories) with Pumpkin Bisque (210 calories)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Chicken enchiladas, refried beans, rice, salad and dessert will be served at church prior to the worship service.

Thursday: Slow-cooker African Chicken Stew (439 calories) with Red Pepper-Scallion Corn Muffins (345 calories) (edited: decided to go with lemon, rosemary, and balsamic grilled chicken thighs instead with mashed and sweet potatoes and a salad on the side)

Friday: Scrapbooking retreat for the girls and Boys Night Out for the guys!

Don't forget to check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

menu planning monday 09.07.09

For those who read my last week's menu plan, I wanted to share that I lost 4 lbs. during my week of anti-bloat jumpstart menus. They were not totally appetizing (mostly due to the salt restriction), but I do feel much better. I will now be starting to include more menus higher in monounsaturated fatty acids (nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, and even dark chocolate!).

Monday: Labor Day Holiday - since we will be visiting at a friend's house, this will also be a holiday from my new eating plan.

Tuesday: Cheesy Pasta with Spinach with a side of fresh oranges

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner served at church will be poppyseed chicken casserole, green beans/peas, salad, bread and dessert.

Thursday: Sesame Chicken Stir-fry with grilled pinapple

Friday: California Burgers with steamed baby carrots

Please check out the other menu plans at OrgJunkie.

menu planning monday 08.31.09

I think I am going to try something new this week. A friend of mine shared a 4-day anti-bloat menu that helped her last week and I am going to try it out. I am just posting the dinner portion here, but there are specific things for all meals for 4 days -- my friend lost 4 lbs. by following this plan. Unfortunately, I do not think the rest of my family is ready for any 'anti-bloating'!, so I will be making some additional items to suit their needs.

Monday: Grilled tilapia, green beans, roasted red potatoes drizzled

Tuesday: Grilled chicken breast, sauteed fresh cremini mushrooms, brown rice

Wednesday: Grilled or baked turkey breast cutlet, green beans, roasted red potatoes

Thursday: Grilled chicken breast, sauteed yellow squash, brown rice

Friday: Tonight is the first local high school football and we bought season tickets. After all this 'anti-bloat' this week, I am not going to ruin it all by eating at the stadium. But, I do want something a little tastier than plain grilled poultry or fish. Tonight's celebratory 'end-of-anti-bloat-week" dinner will be: steak, baked potato and salad.

Saturday: Youngest son's birthday is being celebrated this weekend, so I am going to let him choose the meal for tonight:)

For more (non anti-bloat!) menu planning ideas, check out OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 08.17.09

We made it through the first week of school and lived to tell about it! I was able to follow my meal plan except for Thursday (a 10:00 am meeting lasted until after 4 pm!). I am grateful for an understanding family who appeared happy to have sandwiches that night:)

The boys did great with their lunch planning, but I think I will have them plan one week at a time instead of the night before.

Monday: Panko-crusted cod fillet sliders (need to use these rolls before they go bad) with freshly-picked hydroponic lettuce salad (with tomatoes and peppers from my garden)

Tuesday: Baked teriyaki chicken thighs with whole grain/wild rice medley and panko-fried zucchini strips. Mini blueberry dump cakes for Bible Reading Group dessert.

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: I am so happy that Wednesday night suppers have resumed at church. This week's meal will be roast beef, mashed potatoes, lima beans, salad, rolls and dessert. They are also trying a new feature: Domino's Pizza for the children (and any adult that signs up for that in the place of the regular dinner). I think my children will be pleased:)

Thursday: Homemade pizza (recipe posted soon!) with crudites

Friday: Scrapbooking Night for the girls and Boy's Night Out for the rest!

Saturday: Dinner club at our friends, the M's!

For more menu planning ideas, check out all the other links at OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 08.10.09

Monday: Panko-crusted fried catfish filets with mashed potatoes

Tuesday: Three-cheese tortellinis with tomato sauce (leftover from spaghetti luncheon on Sunday -- homemade by Chef D) and garlic bread

Apprehension-Free Wednesday (has returned!): Dinner served at church will be herbed-roasted chicken, vegetable casserole, blackeyed peas, salad, bread and dessert.

Thursday: Fish Tacos (I must use up all this tilapia in the freezer!) with pinto beans

Friday: Grilled beef patties with whole-grain and wild rice medley and steamed asparagus

Don't forget to check out all the other menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie!

menu planning: back-to-school lunchbox version

I am bound and determined to provide healthier lunches for my boys this year. Last year was not a good year for lunchboxes here -- yes, I even succumbed to buying those dreaded lunchables (hanging my head in shame).

I sat down with the boys this week and we came up with a plan! Other than healthier options, I wanted them to have more options -- it seems like we tend to get in a rut with what leaves in the lunchbox each morning. Also, the boys are going to start participating in packing their lunches. They are 7 and 11 and perfectly capable of a few more responsibilities. We developed lists of options for main entree/side/dessert/drink for lunch and snack/drink for snack time. Here are the boys lists:

Max

Entree: fluffernutter sandwich, ham sandwich with mayo, slice of cheese & crackers, pumpkinbread PB sandwich, and pasta with cheese/almonds

Side: apples with PB, pumpkinbread, corn bread muffin, oatmeal bar, yogurt, carrots, nuts

Dessert: brownies, cookie bars, poppyseed muffins, rice krispy treats, chocolate chip muffins, oatmeal squares dry cereal

Snack: pretzels, almonds, sunflower kernels, cheese crackers

Drinks: Sunny-D, Decaf Tea, Chocolate Milk

Desmond

Entree: fluffernutter sandwich, ham sandwich, pita pizza, tortilla/ham roll-ups, pasta, cereal with milk

Side: pumpkinbread, yogurt, carrots, peanuts, banana

Dessert: brownies, cookie bars, rice krispy treat, sugar cookies

Snack: cornbread muffins, sunflower kernels, dry cheerios, cheese crackers

Drinks: apple juice, Sunny-D, milk

I found 20.2 oz tinted stainless steel bottles for them at Whole Foods yesterday and finally found a lunchbox for Max today (camouflage, of course). I made a batch of the oatmeal bars tonight and will make some pumpkinbread tomorrow. I think we will be ready on Monday morning!

menu planning monday 08.03.09

I am very late in posting, but doing it anyway.

Monday: Hamburgers and fries

Tuesday: Bacon-Swiss Quiche (lemon bars for Bible Reading group dessert)

Wednesday: Pan-Roasted Chicken Cutlets with Maple-Mustard Dill Sauce over a wild rice medley

Thursday: Homemade pizzas

Friday: Fish Tacos with fresh salsa and a side of pinto beans (I had this scheduled for last Friday, but we ended up dining out)

Check out many more menu plans over at The Happy Housewife (filling in for Laura at OrgJunkie).

menu planning monday 07.27.09

I have not done a menu plan in several weeks and my budget has paid for it (no menu plan = more dining out!). Life is just more complicated during the summer months -- between the children being home and travelling.

But, school starts in two weeks and the vacations are over with, so I am trying to get back into the swing of menu planning.

Monday: Spaghetti, garlic bread and tossed salad

Tuesday: Salmon cakes with lemon dill sauce and steamed asparagus; 1-2-3 cookie bars for bible reading group dessert (these are so easy and very yummy!) -- we found that if you add a layer of marshmallow cream to the top, it tastes like s'mores!

Wednesday: Sauteed shrimp (using the sauteed crab claws recipe) with coconut rice and pickled cucumbers

Thursday: Poppyseed Chicken with rice and steamed broccoli (prepared by Lauren!)

Friday: Fish Tacos with a pot of pinto beans

Don't forget to check out all the other menu plans at OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 06.22.09

Since the children have been out of school and baseball season started, I have had the hardest time keeping up with my menu planning. I usually try to have it done by Sunday, but that just did not happen this week. But, baseball season is over and I can get that little part of my life back (at least, until football starts next month!). So, here goes!

Monday: Grilled portobellos and pineapples, with whole-grain pilaf and a tossed salad [guitar lessons now moved to Mondays, still at 6pm]

Tuesday: Sauteed Shrimp with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli sprinkled with parmesan

Wednesday: No more Wednesday night suppers at church for the rest of the summer, so this week we are having pizzas using Naan bread as the base. This is a delicious flatbread that you can purchase or make from scratch (you can find the recipe Chef D uses here).

Thursday: Spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread (prepared by Lauren, who is back home from college)

Friday: Scrapbooking Crop night - Lauren and I will bring brownies and fresh fruit. The guys will have their Boys Night Out:)

Saturday: This is our 22nd wedding anniversary so Chef D has decided to take me out to eat at this new restaurant in our area: SpringHouse on Lake Martin.

Don't forget to check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

menu planning monday 06.01.09

Check it out!! My daughter fixed me up with a cool new blog layout. What do you think about it??

Here's the scoop for this week's meals:

Monday: Sauteed shrimp with jasmine rice

Tuesday: Bacon-Swiss Quiche with tossed salad [guitar lessons at 6 pm; bible reading group at 7 pm]

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Pork roast, vegetables, salad and dessert will be served at church.

Thursday: Steak skewers with parmesan roasted asparagus ~or~ sauteed zucchini (if I get some fresh from Southern Dining Diva's garden) [ballgame at 7:15]

Friday: Meatball sandwiches then we are going to see Casting Crowns in concert!

Don't forget to check out the other menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 05.18.2009

This is the last week of school for my boys, so we have several end-of-the-school-year events to attend as well as more baseball practices and games.  Last week's menu planning definitely helped get throught the week with reduced stress and kept us from the inclination to eat fast-food or pick up burgers at the ball park concession stand. 

I am in the process of trying to use up some items that have been in the freezer and pantry for awhile.  This weeks usage: hamburger patties, frozen fries, frozen scallops, frozen steak, boxed linguini mix, yellow cake mix, and cheese biscuit mix.

Chef D and I had another successful week of weight loss:  he lost 4 lbs and I lost 2 lbs! 

Monday: Hamburgers and french fries [baseball practice 5-6:30 pm]

Tuesday: Bacon wrapped scallops with linguini alfredo;  blueberry mini-dump cakes for bible group dessert [guitar lessons at 6 pm; bible reading group at 7 pm]

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Ham, green bean casserole, potatoes with onions, salad and dessert will be served at church prior to the prayer service.

Thursday: Spaghetti with meatballs [baseball game at 6 pm]

Friday: Grilled steak with baked potato, tossed salad and cheese biscuits

Don't forget to check out all the other menu plans posted at OrgJunkie for lots of great ideas