Menu Plan Monday - Christmas is Coming!

Recently I've been planning my meals in blocks and that has really simplified life. This week, of course has a couple of special meals that must be planned to the nth degree so there you are!  Here are my Christmas menus - with wines so I can remember what they were next time -- and my plans for other days.

Italian Christmas Eve

Polenta  Parmesan
Ratatouille (I know, it's French!)
Broccoli (steamed) w/ shaved parm and almonds
Baked cod
A nice Chilean Chardonnay  - Copa del Rey 2009

Later, by the fire:
Peppermint ice-cream (Blue Bell of course) and Christmas cookies
Prosecco

Traditional English Christmas

A Tempranillo, Casajus Bebera del Duero 2009
Prime Rib (cooked in our Big Easy)
Mashed Potatoes
Yorkshire Pudding
Horseradish Sauce (really just sour cream and horseradish)
Candied long Carrots
Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Balsamic Vinegar &  Pancetta
and toward the end of the meal, St Michelle Select Harvest Riesling (2012)
Tennessee Stack Cake

If you've never had Tennessee Stack Cake - you must have it now. Run, do not walk to your kitchen. This year, I'll be using apple-butter Alli made last year. Oh yum.

We will also be eating:

Black Beans and Rice over Spinach

Crock-pot Chicken Tikka Masala with Jasmine Rice
Turkey Sausage and Peppers with Polenta
Florentine Omelettes with Ratatouille (since I have it on hand!)

I linked up with OrgJunkie for this Menu Plan Monday.

Menu Plan Monday! Woot, woot!

I'm joining Org Junkie in her Menu Plan Monday link-up. Our Texas weather is still saying, "summer", but Mama is lighting the oven anyway, ready for fall food!

Monday Lunch Bento boxes: Ginger pork medallions (this recipe sans the asparagus), cooked carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach knobs with sesame sauce, white rice. (The ginger-teriyaki sauce for the pork is amazing).

Monday Dinner: Mamaw's Hamburger Pie, with green salad

Tuesday Lunch: Snack Plate (cheese cubes, crackers, ham roll ups, raw veggies, strawberries)
Tuesday Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala, "fat" couscous, Cucumber Raita

Wednesday Lunch: Leftovers!
Wednesday Dinner: (Irish Night) Homemade Sausage, Colcannon, Homemade Applesauce (all three simple recipes found here)

Thursday Lunch: Sandwiches, fruit, grape tomatoes, baby carrots
Thursday Dinner: Regular spaghetti with meat sauce, salad

Friday Lunch: School lunch day
Friday Dinner: Shrimp Salad, Cornbread Muffins

Saturday Dinner: Calorie-Wise Cheese Enchiladas, shredded lettuce, non-fat refried beans

Sunday Dinner:  Marie's Spaghetti Pie, green beans, fresh fruit. (Okay, this is not a low-cal or heart-healthy dish so plan your week with this amazing meal in mind. This dish is worth it!)

Have a wonderful week.

Cook Ahead Day and Back to School Menu Planning

Yesterday we had evening church planned, so I was able to rise early and get to the grocery store before the rest of the city. I came home with a stack of "cook ahead" ingredients to get a head start on the week. Sorry about the pics -- still no flash drive for my camera so iPod it is!

I started out making this beautiful breakfast I found on Pinterest.  It was very pretty and had eggs instead of butter (like most pull-apart). We used a cup of cooked sausage leftover from Pepper's breakfast burrito cook-ahead project a couple of days ago.  We enjoyed it with a fruit salad.

This would not be "everyday" food for us, as we're not that into canned biscuits, but it would be great company food because it sure is fast and easy.  I wonder if it would work just as well with my homemade biscuit recipe?

My next project was to poach chicken breasts, which I cooled and diced.  I put 2 into 3-oz packs for Pepper and I for quick lunches and froze the rest in 1.5# packages for a quick addition to dinners.

I prepped some celery for the week -- sticks for the kids and dice for recipes. I sauted and froze some of the dice. Today I will separate the grapes and grape tomatoes into snack size bags for fast access.

We made Cherry No-Bake Granola bars.  My basic recipe originated here, but of course, I've Tischler-ized it. My version is on Spark Recipes. If you've never made your own granola bars, do try them. These are so fast - they take minutes  - and you can customize them to your taste. If you use my recipe, make sure you like the taste of roasted sesame before you add it, because it's a prevalent flavor. We eat it a lot on our Japanese foods so we all are used to it but I would think some kids, especially, might not care for the strong flavor. You can leave it out with no ill effect. (36 bars per pan, 5 WW Points +)

We will have our favorite bento on Tuesday, Turkey, Carrot and Egg Soboro.  I cooked all the parts except the egg part so tomorrow's assembly will be super quick.

Our last bit of fun for the morning was putting together our favorite fruit snacks made of (get this) actual dried fruit.  This version is strawberries, papaya, kiwi, pineapple and tart cherries. As we were making it, the Blitz said, "This isn't really fruit snack, it's "Fruit-tastic."  We all decided that was a perfect name for our favorite fruit snacks and we'll be calling it that hence forth.

I am trying to keep adding to our prepared foods so that each week's lunches and snacks are easier .

Here's the plan for the week:
Monday:
Lunch: Pizza, grape tomatoes, cuties
Dinner: Chicken Yakisoba, cucumbers

Tuesday:
Lunch: Turkey, Carrot, Egg and Green Bean Soboro bento

Dinnner: Asian Salad

Wednesday:
Lunch: Boiled egg, "Kids sushi" sandwiches, apple
Dinner:  Root hog! (Everyone eats from the larder or leftovers)

Thursday:
Lunch: (Kids eat school lunch today)
Dinnner: Black beans and Rice on bed of baby spincah

Friday:
Lunch: (Whatever I can dig up!)
Supper: Three cheese potato tacos, iceberg salad

Can't think ahead to the weekend. Have a great week!

PS - forgot to mention I'm joining Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday Link-up!

Eating Healthy! Menu Plan Monday

It's Monday!  Time to join Orgjunkie.com in her Menu Plan Monday link-up.

This week is focused on Mom and Dad eating yummy but lower calorie food whilst keeping the kiddos full. (For instance, all the egg dishes are "whites only" for the grown ups and a mix of whole and whites for the children.) Focus Two? Meals that are a "flash in the pan;" it's too blasted hot for long-cooking recipes. I'm spending more time drinking ice tea and a lot less standing over the stove!

If you stay in my home, you quickly realize I make a lot of new recipes. We have our "tried and true," of course, but I love new recipes. I picked up a book at Weight Watchers called What to Eat Now. Many of these meals are from that book although I have been able to find links elsewhere. And for your viewing pleasure, in getting a link for the book, I discovered a two-season BBC series by the same name. BBC and documentary?  Count me in!

Monday:
Florentine Omelette (4), fruit
Lemony Hummus and Goat Cheese pitas (5)
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry,(5) brown rice

Tuesday:
Quick Berry Blintzes (4)
Ham and Swiss Pannini with Red Pepper Mayo (6), Fire and Ice Cukes
Chicken and Rice Burritos (8), fat-free refried beans

Wednesday:
Greek Yogurt and Figs (6)
Chicken Tomato Quesadilla (8), Corn Salad, Salsa
Thai Style Beef Salad (4), edamame, bread for the kiddies

Thursday (usually "Pasta Day" but Polenta is a good foil for pasta:
Top of the Morning Smoothie (6)
Meditteranean Salmon Wraps (8), fresh fruit
Polenta with Sausage and Peppers (7)

Friday is "Sandwich Day":
Egg and Cheese Burrito Roll (6)
Easy Lobster Rolls (6). cole slaw
Three Cheese Potato Tacos (15 ()using pre-made taco shells), Frijoles de la Olla (3) Iceburg Salad, Fruit Salad

Saturday:
(Picnic breakfast) Yogurt, granola bars, slushy juice packs and trail mix
Snack Plate
Low Cal Filet Mignon, Sauteed Zucchini (5) and Brown Rice (Sirloin for the kiddos)

Sunday:
Eggs and lox scramble (6) (plus toast for the kiddies)

Weight Watcher's Reuben Sands (8), pickles, Strawberries
Pork Chops w/ Cherry Pan Sauce ( 7), pureed sweet potatoes, Broccoli Romanesco

Here is my prep list for the week, all of which I will complete on Sunday. I made a page of "Save" stickers to keep the family out of my ingredients! I have a special shelf in my freezer for the items I will use this week so it's easy to just grab them the night before. When I do my prep, I will clean and organize the produce drawer and make "grab and go" snack bags of gapes, tomatoes and baby carrots.

Make 32 crepes, cool.
Make red pepper mayo
Cook 6 chicken breast for quesadilla, shred, freeze
Chop 36 olives, store in brine in fridge (will use 1/3 of them for sausage & polenta dish)
Chop 6 stalks celery
Prep mayo-sauce for lobster rolls
Prep tomato mix for pitas
Pre-cook sirloin, slice, freeze
Slice round steak (1.5) pounds
Slice 4 bell peppers
Make "fire and ice" cukes (equal parts water and vinegar, several packets truvia)
Grab and go bags

What's cooking at your house?

Menu Plan Monday!

It's Monday, and I'm joining Orgjunkie.com in her Menu Plan Monday link-up. To start out, here's a link to my menu calendar. I don't post regularly on Menu Plan Monday, but you can always check my calendar.(Several recipes have links inside the description field to the original recipe).

Here are Pepper's beautiful Chicken Thighs, our Saturday dinner. They look fried but aren't and she has perfected this dish. We enjoyed them with spaetzle and green beans.

Her method is thus: Brown the thighs in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil and garlic until they are very brown. Then she covers a jelly roll pan with foil and tops it with a cooling rack.  Place the thighs, skin side up on the rack and pour about a cup of white wine over the thighs. Roast at 350 for 40-50 minutes until done, about 180 degrees. The wine helps steam the thighs and oh, my goodness, they are delicious.

Monday:
Breakfast Tacos and Fruit
Leftovers for lunch
Taco Cupcakess with salad

Tuesday:
Dr. Bircher's Museli
Egg salad on lettuce, crackers, refrigerator pickles (any kind)
Homemade Mac-n-Cheese, Zucchini and carrot "fries," some type of fruit



Wednesday:
Scrambled egg, bacon, strawberries
Mini cabbage rolls, OJ carrots, white rice, greenery, grape tomatoes
Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken, Brown Rice, Broccoli

Thursday:
Boiled eggs, toast, milk
Meat cubes, cheese cubes, pasta with pesto, grape tomatoes, olives, grapes
Too Easy Fettuccine Alfredo, green salad, cookies

Friday:
Cereal Day
California Roll in a Bowl
Three Cheese Potato Tacos using pre-made taco shells, Iceburg Salad, Fruit Salad

Saturday:
Yogurt and bananas
Sandwiches
Crockpot roast beef, potatoes, green veg

Sunday:
Pancakes or Waffles

Eat out for lunch
Leftover night

What's for dinner at your house?

Menu Plan Monday

It's Monday, and I'm joining Orgjunkie.com in her Menu Plan Monday link-up.  Enjoy!

Monday:
Scrambled eggs, raisin toast, milk
 "Snack Plate":  cheese, pretzels, broccoli florets (raw), grapes, strawberries

Pork loin (marinated in soy sauce, mustard, honey and splash of wine), noodles with bok choy, carrots and bell peppers and a "quick sauce" using pan drippings, peanut butter and a splash of soy sauce

Tuesday:
Dr. Bircher's Museli
Egg salad on lettuce, crackers, refrigerator pickles (any kind), homemade granola
Homemade Mac-n-Cheese, brussels sprouts, homemade applesauce

Wednesday:
Cereal and milk
Meat cubes, cheese cubes, pasta with pesto, grape tomatoes
(Family fends for itself tonight!)

Thursday:
Yogurt and banana
Lunch out
Too Easy Fettuccine Alfredo, green salad, cookies

Friday:
Bacon and egg cups, juice
School cookout
Potato Soup with cheese and egg dumplings, 3-bean salad

Saturday:
Scrambled eggs, re-fried beans, corn tortillas
Sandwiches
Leftovers

Sunday:
Sweet cereal, milk, grapes, bananas

King Ranch chicken, 3 bean salad, greens

Peg Bracken's Bean Salad 
from the I Hate to Cook Cookbook

INGREDIENTS

• 1 15-oz can green beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-oz can wax beans, rinsed and drained

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 
  
• METHOD

1 In a large bowl, mix the beans

2 In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the beans. Toss to coat.

3 Chill beans in the refrigerator for several hours, to allow the beans to soak up the flavor of the dressing..