Menu Plan Monday #38 - Feb. 6

Wow time for another menu plan! Did everyone survive the Super Bowl parties and all that food? We had people here, and as always I had too much food. Partly because 3 people weren't able to make it. I know, how can 3 people make a difference? Well the ones that were here did eat a bit, but the others would have taken some home with them. So, now I have leftovers for a bento lunch!

And on to the menu plan. The first few days of this week are shaping up to be busy, no idea what the rest of the week will bring so I better get a plan together. Life is so much simpler this way.

Monday: Delicious sounding Smoky Manhattan Style Clam Chowder - and a review to follow later in the week (fingers crossed!). Tonight we plan to get back into a regular yoga class so I'm going to put this together this afternoon and let it cook itself in the crockpot. Yoga runs a little late, we get out at 8:00 so by using the crockpot I don't have to slave over the stove when we get back, I actually eat what I've planned to eat, and we can eat before 9pm.

Tuesday: We'll be in Anchorage for an appointment, so Dinner Out!

Wednesday: Meatloaf Muffins - making a double batch so lots to freeze

Thursday: Salmon!

Friday: TBD

Saturday: leftovers or something from the freezer

Sunday: homemade pizza


On my list of things "to try" this week:

Grits Cake from a friend in SC. It's not a savory thing, it's actually a sweet cake with a gooey top that has grits in it! I'll post the recipe and pics once I've sampled it.

Vegan Fudge from Chocolate Covered Katie. I've wanted to try this for at least a month now, just haven't taken the time to do it.

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Menu Plan Monday #35

Trying to plan this week's dinner menu around my first ever pantry challenge with myself. I'd like to eat from the pantry and freezer as much as possible (with the exception of Wed.). Breakfasts and lunches are whatever we have on hand.


Monday: Sweet & Sticky Sesame Chicken from Hungry Girl and egg drop soup from the pantry. New to me recipe. Haven't tried before but her's usually work out pretty well and I just happen to have everything except the scallions on hand.

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Flank Steak taco salad with black bean & corn salad (recipes to follow whenever I remember!) :) I ♥ the slow cooker for those days when I'm not going to be home to make dinner. Again, everything on hand except a jar of salsa for the black bean salad.

Wednesday: Lasagna for a crowd based on Easy Lasagna II from Allrecipes, rosemary parm bread knots, green salad, and angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream - it's my mom's birthday and we're having her over along with my niece and her 1 mo. old baby & bf, my nephew and his wife & 3 kids, my other niece and her bf, and the 2 of us. Yep a crowd.

Thursday: Salmon Thursday! Found a recipe I want to try (review to come) Potato Crusted Salmon!

Friday: we almost always eat out on Friday

Saturday: I like to use Saturday to pull something quick from the freezer that we've had leftover from another dinner.

Sunday:  Veggie Pizza from the freezer

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01/23/2012 Recap of last week:
Dave really liked the sesame chicken. I thought it was okay. I'll probably make it again.

The flank steak in the crockpot was really good. I put down a base of sliced onions, the flank steak, and then topped it with part of a can diced tomatoes. When I got home I pulled it all out with a slotted spoon and shredded the meat. We had it as shredded beef taco salad. I totally forgot to make the black bean & corn salad.

The lasagna turned out great. Those bread knots . . . mmmm. . . drool.

Didn't use the salmon recipe I had in mind. Modified another recipe that's been awaiting my review/post. Fingers crossed that happens soon.

Friday we did eat out. Saturday we had frozen pizza. Sunday. . . oh yeah, we had my niece and her b/f over for dinner. Made halibut breaded in the parm crusted chicken recipe, and those blueberry bars that everyone loves.

Menu Plan Monday #32

Off to another week of menu planning to retain my sanity. Luckily this week will be less busy, but next week - look out! Crazy is coming! (and clearly the crazy came a little early since I didn't get around to actually posting this until Saturday!)

I have already found a couple of recipes I want to make next week and am planning what to do with the fresh ripe contents of my CSA box. I won't receive it until next Friday, but really that works perfectly with my schedule because I'll have the weekend to try out my new recipes!

Monday: Autumn Risotto with Chicken & Cranberries (replace chicken w/TVP for Meatless Monday). Going to try to lighten this recipe  for WW. As written it is 11 ppv per cup! Yay! With revisions I have it down to 8ppv!

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken drumsticks & veggies

Wednesday: picking up a friend at the airport - dinner in Anchorage.

Thursday: Salmon Thursday

Friday: probably out.

Saturday: Gone All Day Dinner - Fix It & Forget It Lightly cookbook

Sunday: Potato Soup


Coming in my CSA box is a batch or 2 of tomatillos! I also made sure to add in a bunch of cilantro. As you know I've become addicted to canning recently and if this tomatillo salsa recipe works it will be canned! I also came across this one for Tomatillo, Black Bean, Avocado, Cilantro & Lime salsa, but I don't think you can can (ha ha the can-can!) avocado, so I would just stir in the avocado when it's ready to serve.

It already feels like fall in Alaska. The leaves are starting to change, the crab apples are almost ripe, and we've turned the heat back on in the house. I'm ready to start making some comforting fall food, and I found several cans of pumpkin in the pantry. This recipe doesn't use much of the pumpkin, Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal Pecan Cookies, but I can also make Gina's Pumpkin Butter recipe and . . . can some pumpkin butter! I'm going to have to get more canning jars very soon! Wouldn't it be fun to give out jars of pumpkin butter for Thanksgiving?!

I don't think I'll make this one this week, but here is a Marshmallow Molten Lava cake for you to drool over. Sounds decadent and evil! 

Menu Plan Monday #14

This week is light on the menu planning front. Of course Thursday is already planned and I'll be gone all day Friday and Saturday with annual shopping excursions. Friday my girlfriends and I do the Black Friday sales, though not too early, and then Saturday I go with my mom and niece to do some Christmas shopping and look at decorated Christmas trees & stuff. I usually make snacks to take along for both days.

Monday: Leftovers - was supposed to have a quilt class but it was canceled due to the weather.

Tuesday: Chicken something. Have some chicken thawed, just not sure what I'm doing with it.

Wednesday: Crockpot Mongolian Beef

Thursday: Thanksgiving

Friday: Dave can have meatloaf muffins from the freezer

Saturday: TBD

Sunday: Thanksgiving #2 with my nephew and his family

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