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Monday Menu Plan Dec 10

The holiday clock is ticking…what do you have left to do? Is your shopping done?  I did most of mine online this year and at our local shops during the post-Thanksgiving holiday so I feel like I’m in good shape. (Here is my post noting my favorite eco-friendly shopping sites.) The biggest project left are some of our homemade food gifts which will go out to lots of friends and family and also some teachers this year.

The coming week is filled with lots of evening events so no new recipes to test out. I am keeping it simple with some family favorites and trying to make some room in our freezer to store up some cookie dough.  We do need to bake some cookies and check it off our Christmas Bucket List.

Week 2 December Meal Plan

Sunday~ Baked Ziti (Lasagna style), Salad and Garlic Bread

Monday~ Salsa Chicken in the slow cooker, Salad. Recipe comes from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook

Tuesday~ C.O.R.N.

Wednesday~ Teriyaki Salmon, Snow Peas and Whole Wheat Couscous

Thursday~ Curry Chicken (from the freezer)

Friday~ Pizza night!

Saturday ~ Holiday party, bringing a dessert.

What holiday plans do you have this week?  Happy Hanukkah to some of you as well!

For more menu planning ideas, visit the Monday Meal Plan at Org Junkie every week!

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Monday Meal Plan Dec 3

Happy December everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend.  On Sunday I went to our local Holiday House Tour that showcased six houses that decked their halls, kitchens, mudrooms and more.  It always gets me in the holiday decorating mood. We have our tree up and I’m surrounded by boxes of Christmas goodies left to unwrapped.  The next few weeks are busy with holiday parties to attend so our meal plans have to be flexible.  We have a few freezer meals ready to go in case our weekly plan goes awry.

In addition to having some freezer meals prepped, we have a few fallbacks when we are not up for cooking.

-Eggs (Frittata with extra veggies in the fridge is a favorite)

-Sandwich night (Grilled cheese, Tuna melts, etc)

-Pasta and sauce with olives or capers. Simple yet comforting.

-Oatmeal with a little peanut butter mixed in, or walnuts and some berry jam.

-C.O.R.N.~ Clean Out Refrigerator Night

On deck this week…

Sunday~ Beef Chili

Monday~ Spaghetti and meatballs, broccoli

Tuesday~ Leftover Chili (off to a blogger’s holiday party at Middlesex Commons)

Wednesday~ Turkey Soup from the leftover turkey last week and homemade turkey stock

Thursday~ Eggs for dinner!

Friday~ Pizza night

What are your fallback dinners?

For more menu planning ideas, visit the Monday Meal Plan at Org Junkie ever week!

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Monday Meal Plan Nov 26

We just wrapped up our annual “second Thanksgiving.”  We don’t have the space to host my extended family, so we typically travel for Thanksgiving.  For the past few years, we always cook our own Thanksgiving on the following Sunday.  This allows us to blend my family food traditions with my husbands.  Our stuffing recipes is a blend of my Grammy’s recipe and my mother-in-laws additions of sausage and cranberry sauce.  It’s delicious and a favorite at the table. The highlight of this year’s second Thanksgiving~the made-from-scratch green bean casserole.  This traditional favorite made with some questionable ingredients made me switch to this amazing recipe from Williams and Sonoma. Easy to make and totally worth it.

Needless to say, we have a lot of turkey leftovers after cooking a 20 pound bird…

Monday~ Leftovers
Tuesday~ Turkey shepherd’s pie
Wednesday~ Cheesy Meatloaf  (got bumped from last week’s meal plan)
Thursday~ Chicken Pad Thai  (the kids LOVED the asian flavors in the soy-citrus ginger scallops last week so we are going to try adding in more asian inspired meals to mix it up)
Friday~ Pizza
Saturday~ Steak, Asparagus

What are you doing with your turkey leftovers?

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I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation!  Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday. 

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Monday Meal Plan Nov 19

It’s nearly turkey time!! I love Thanksgiving and all the delicious food that comes with it.  We are not hosting on Thursday, but instead will cook a leisurely “second” Thanksgiving on Sunday.  The leftovers are one of the best parts and we miss out when we don’t host.  I think I’ll get our turkey from Trader Joe’s which looks to have the best price on natural, antibiotic free turkeys.  We will make stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash and homemade gravy using our own chicken stock.  Maybe corn bread pudding too, which is a recipe I have come to love from my husband’s family.

What is on your Thanksgiving menu?

Easy Chicken Curry from weelicious.com

Here is what’s on tap for us the rest of the week…
Sunday~ Easy chicken curry with rice and salad on the side.
Monday~ Beef stew in the Ninja slow cooker. Egg noodles on the side.
Tuesday~ Soy-citrus scallops with soba noodles, sautéed snow peas.
Wednesday~ Sandwich night.
Thursday~ Thanksgiving! I’m in charge of making apple pie.
Friday~ Pizza night
Saturday~ Cheesy mini meatloaf, green beans.
Sunday~ 2nd Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!
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I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation!  Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday. 

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Monday Meal Plan Nov 12

Happy Veteran’s Day! I still can’t believe it’s nearly mid November and Thanksgiving is around the corner. Are you planning your menu yet? Do you make the same thing every year or try out some new recipes?

Here is what’s on deck for us this week…
Sunday~ Eggs for dinner. Mom’s night out at Sofra for a blogging event!
Monday~ Sausage, white bean and spinach soup.
Tuesday~ Field trip to Gloucester! Daddy is on his own with soup leftovers
Wednesday~ Time to cook our steaks from the last farmers market. I think we will cook it in the pan, unless it’s nice enough to grill. Asparagus on the side.
Thursday~ Whole Chicken and carrots. Might be a pressure cooker night since I have a Ford blogging event during the day. I can cook the chicken super fast late afternoon and it tastes like it has cooked all day.
Friday~ Pizza night using the leftover chicken.  Mom gets another night out to celebrate the Parent Talk Sale committee.
Saturday~ Kids hot dog night!

What are you making this week?

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I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation!  Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday. 

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Monday Menu Plan Nov 5

I hope this meal plan finds you well, despite the tough week for so many people dealing with storm damage. We are very lucky that our family and friends are safe, although some are still without power. This may be the year we finally buy a generator, just in case.

On the meal plan this week…

Sunday~ Beef Stew in the Ninja Cooking System (High 4 1/2 hours) I use a Martha Stewart recipe and adapt it for the slow cooker. (Don’t miss the secret of the pearl onion!) Egg noodles on the side.
Monday~Crispy Apricot Pork Chops.  Family favorite!  Garlicky green beans on the side.
Tuesday~Halibut Fish Sticks. Coat fish strips in milk, then panko. Pan fry on medium high heat about 3 mins per side or until fish is flaky. Sweet potato fries baked in the oven.
Wednesday~ Homemade Chicken Nuggets, Peas and some pasta shells.
Thursday~ Grilled Cheese and Slow Cooker Tomato Soup.
Friday~ Pizza night!

Hope everyone has a great week!

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I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation!  Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday. 

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Monday Meal Plan Oct 29

This little hurricane thing is throwing my meal planning off this week.  I don’t want to buy too much in case we do lose power, nor do I want to be cooped up without enough healthy meals on hand. The grocery stores were already crazy busy on Friday so I don’t think we should attempt them today. We have plenty of water and emergency supplies so I’m sure we will do just fine.

Today was the very last day of the Needham Farmers Market for the season. I am so happy with the success of the market in its first season and hopeful we can grow and move to town common next year. If you live locally, I would appreciate your support signing our petition to move to a larger location.

ic The Weather Channel

Sunday~ Pepperoni Pasta Bake and salad from the garden. Dinner was delicious!
Monday~ Chili in the slow cooker if the power doesn’t go out! Plus I bought Jalapeño Corn Bread from Big Sky Bakery at the farmers market to enjoy on the side.
Tuesday~ Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, Oven Baked Polenta and Peas.  Recipe is a favorite from the Everyday Foodcookbook which is one of my well-loved favorites.
Wednesday~ Happy Halloween! Mummy pizzas for the littles plus some leftovers.
Thursday~ Grilled Swordfish from the farmers market. Either salad on the side or will pick up a fresh veggie.
Friday~ Pizza with Trader Joe’s dough. Love everyone’s comments on the FB page about your pizza night. I may just make it from scratch soon and try this recipe from American’s Test Kitchen.

Stay safe in the storm! I’m hopeful I can still bake tomorrow and make some granola and muffins.

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I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation!  Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday. 

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Monday Meal Plan Oct 22

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I spent most of mine volunteering (with lots of friends) at the Parent Talk Sale. Super fun event and so wonderful to see clothes and toys go to a second (or third!) home.  Sunday we hosted post-church donuts and coffee with four generations of family members. Then I processed another batch of tomato sauce and bagged chopped chives to freeze for the winter.

This week’s meal plan is a little light as we want to clear out the fridge and our evening schedules are a bit up in the air.  One thing I’ve learned is that even if my husband is away for the night, I can’t do too many leftover or breakfast dinners. One night is fine, but we need to get back to a well-balanced dinner so everyone feels good and stays healthy.

Here is the plan for this week…
Sunday~ Steak Tips, Sautéed Snow Peas (from the garden!) and Whole Wheat Couscous. (Corn was processed and frozen instead. See, lots of improvisation this week!)
Monday~ Out to dinner with friends after dance class
Tuesday~ Whole Chicken in the Ninja. This was so well received we are doing it again. Peas and eggs noodles on the side.
Wednesday~ Using the leftover chicken for quesadillas. Mexican rice on the side.
Thursday~ Chick pea chili in the slow cooker.
Friday~ Pizza
Saturday~ Pumpkin Carving Party at friend’s house…will need to make dessert!

What are you making this week?  Do you make a weekly meal plan?

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I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation!  Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday. 

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Monday Meal Plan Oct 15

Happy Monday!  Hope everyone had a great weekend.  We spent some time with friends processing apples.  We made my homemade no-sugar applesauce recipe to start with about 15 apples. It made six pints that we then canned.  Then we started some apple butter in the slow cooker.  We processed it in the morning and it was delicious. The house smelled awesome. Today I made a second batch of applesauce, plus some dehydrated apple rings.  The kids love these for snacks and now we have a full stock of apple (and pineapple!) rings for the lunch box this week.

Cinnamon apple rings

On the menu this week:
Sunday~ Lemon Orange Rosemary Chicken in the Ninja Cooking System.  I didn’t have lemon so I swapped it out for orange. The chicken came out awesome. Madison asked for fourths!  I also roasted the last of our cherry tomatoes, along with some honey roasted carrots.
Monday~ L/O Chicken used in a pasta bake.  Steamed green beans on the side.
Tuesday~ Apricot Pork chops from the Everyday Food Cookbook. Note~ I use boneless pork chops so the time increases to about 20 minutes.  The recipe is also a great way to use up the heels of bread.  Maybe some squash on the side, plus polenta in the slow cooker.
Wednesday~ Orange Hoisin Chicken (slow cooker). Recipe from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker CookbookBrown rice and sautéed snow peas on the side.
Thursday~ Last night my sister and family are here from Hawaii. Cozy fall dinner of homemade chili and corn bread planned. Maybe a yummy apple dessert.
Friday~ Pizza!

Are you trying any new recipes this week?  Feel free to leave your menu plan in the comments below.

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I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation!  Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday. 

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Monday Meal Plan Oct 8

We spent the weekend celebrating birthdays, a baptism and enjoyed some beautiful fall weather.  Even when you are a stay at home mom, those long weekends are lovely.

Picked up a bushel of apples at the farmers market this weekend

I’m a little tired from all of our party planning this weekend and needed some menu planning reminders.  Last year my playgroup did an awesome recipe exchange.  I went back to my Recipe email folder to dig out some favorites for our week ahead.

Monday~ C.O.R.N
Tuesday~ Chicken Pierre (thanks Susan!) Green Beans and whole wheat couscous
Wednesday~ Slow Cooker Ribs, Local Corn on the Cob, Cornbread
Thursday~ Hamburgers and Homemade Mac n Cheese with butternut squash hiding inside. (Thanks Cathy!)  See recipe below.
Friday~ American Flatbread Pizza (freebie from Springboard Conference)
Saturday~ potluck dinner with friends, menu still tbd.  We are going to process a bushel of apples though…I see lots of applesauce in our future.

Easy Veggie Mac n Cheese (from Cathy M.)
1 cup uncooked macaroni (I do 1/2 cup whole wheat, 1/2 cup regular)
1 cup (or more) shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup milk (you could use skim but whole tastes much better)
pepper and paprika
1/2 cup cauliflower puree or butternut squash puree (optional, make in advance, I prefer cauliflower)
 
Preheat oven to 350
Drop macaroni in boiling water, boil 3 minutes
Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes then drain
Toss macaroni in a bowl with vegetable puree to evenly distribute puree
 
Layer in a large casserole dish coated with cooking spray:
1/3 macaroni mixture
1/3 cheese
sprinkle pepper and paprika
1/3, 1/3 again until done
 
Pour milk over layers and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown on top and milk absorbed so not too runny. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

What’s on deck for you this week?

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I love to hear your feedback and comments. Stop by and visit Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter for more conversation!  Or get posts delivered via Email or RSS Feed. For more meal planning ideas, stop by Meal Plan Monday. 

photo credit: roswellsgirl via photopin cc

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