Eat at Home 3!

[1st*toright]

My meal planning week starts on Saturday. I've been trying really hard to keep track of what odds and ends I have on hand and make sure that I use things up from the freezer. We've had some interesting meals as a a result - some have been really yummy, some just really odd, but the freezer and pantry aren't as crammed! Also trying to make sure I have something both easy and yummy on hand for Friday night dinners - at the end of the week I'm just not in the mood, and we have great takeout available 100 yards from our house...

Sa Pizza- buffalo chicken (using up leftover rotisserie chicken I stuck in the freezer last week)
Su Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus (a roast that has been in the freezer and asparagus from a meal I did't do this week, plus carrots and celery that need using up)
M Fish sandwiches w. coleslaw (again fish from the freezer, the end of this week's cabbage)
Tu Shepherd's Pie (will use leftover pot roast gravy and mashed potatoes in this.)
W Leftovers
Th Lamb burgers w. cucumber/tomato/feta salad (Burgers and naan from the freezer)
F Reuben Sandwiches (yummy and quick)

 

[TwoMisfits]

So, this past week, I only dropped the BBQ pork sandwiches and the homemade potato salad (made an Italian beef meatloaf with mozza and marinara, instead - that was popular)...so let's see, this week, I haven't shopped yet, but I want to clear out some freezer proteins and make that potato salad!

Sat - BBQ Pork Sandwiches (this is premade BBQ for easy Saturday), Homemade Potato Salad (same bacon/veg/mayo one), Homemade Coleslaw (gotta use up last of my cabbage)
Sun - Bacon Cheeseburgers, Leftover Potato Salad, Berry Salad
Mon - Crockpot something day! I'm gonna unbury my freezer - I think this will be Creamy Pork Chops over White Rice (using Campbell's recipe but with actual veg ingredients - fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms - have some William Sonoma ones to use up, fresh onions, fresh celery, sour cream, s&p, Worcestershire, etc), and Homemade Fried Apples
Tues - Homemade Honey Ginger Chicken Breast Strips, Egg and Veg Fried Rice, Extra Berry Salad
Wed - Creamy Pork and Roasted Broccoli Topped Roasted Potatoes, Double Berry Muffins, Fresh Pineapple slices
Thurs (Meatless Dinner #1) - Homemade Clam White Sauce over Pasta, Green Salad, Leftover Fruits
Fri (Meatless Dinner #2) - Frozen Cheese Pizzas, Fruit Smoothies

Shopping tomorrow, so no new meal plan yet, but I figured I'd post how I did...

The 1st part of the week was almost exact. The only thing I changed was to make only 1/2 the pork Monday (and having no leftovers) and then 1/2 the pork differently Tuesday (as enchiladas) - both very well-received (and I left the chicken in my freezer). And then my plans went out the window. My spouse told me Wed afternoon he made an awful batch of beer (tasted medicinal), so I flipped our Wed/Thurs/Fri plans, making Wed/Fri our meatless days (and having the pizza Wed), so that I could whip something up with beer Thursday. I did a freezer search for meat and found an 6 month old ground lamb package that I had gotten on sale and 1/2 off again...and then I found my husband's caramelized onion hummus that he'd left for 2 weeks after eating 1/2 and getting sick of it and I made an amazing "Chopped" inspired "stoup" of the lamb, hummus, fresh carrots/celery/onion/tomatoes/rosemary/thyme, a little bacon fat, 2 bottles of the beer (with a "spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down" - the way to save a medicinal-tasting beer), water to further dilute the beer, salt and pepper - I served it with a wedge salad (iceberg, tomatoes, blue cheese, and croutons) and some homemade beer bread (with more of the bad beer)...and it was WILDLY popular. I had NOTHING leftover...I used up 3 of his 10 bottles in one meal...and now I have 7 more to go, so I'll probably fit another beer-based meal this week after I shop.

Tonight 2 kids are getting a free pizza party, so I may actually go double pizza this week (since only my kids had it Wednesday - hubby and I had homemade Asian salads with almonds, fried wontons, sesame ginger dressing, and veg since the kids ate all the pizza). And tomorrow, we are planning our one meal out for the week for dinner (b/c boys want $5 KFC boxes and are behaving all week for this - go figure). So, I'll start new plans for Sun when I post...

 

[Sydney2977]

TwoMisfits- you could use some beer in a crock pot with a roast. A restaurant we used to go to made a spaghetti sauce with beer and it was so good- you could experiment with that.

 

[DnA2010]

I've been slacking about posting but we have done well with not eating out!

Thurs: beef tacos, black beans, veggies
Friday: dinner out the outlaws
Saturday:dinner at neighbours (should bring something?)
Sunday: roast chicken, veg
Monday:something crock pot- pulled pork maybe
Tuesday: chicken c'bleu, mash potatoes, veg
Wednesday: stirfry, rice
Thursday: steak, salad
Friday: homemade pizza, salad
Saturday: honey garlic soy ribs, rice, salad and veg
Sunday: roast, various sides

 

[TwoMisfits]

TwoMisfits- you could use some beer in a crock pot with a roast. A restaurant we used to go to made a spaghetti sauce with beer and it was so good- you could experiment with that.

Beef and beer is a go to I use...I also have a guinness stew that I don't use guinness in, but any beer I've got from my spouse...

I am toying with a guinness chocolate cake...but I'd have to adjust the recipes b/c his beer, being medicinal and lighter, is gonna need a little help to get that "chocolately" flavor you get from the darker brew...not sure I'm up for the effort, but then again, new things are the spice of life and I've never had a beer chocolate cake ever, and before yesterday, I'd never had a lamb/hummus/beer stoup...

Edit to add: The spaghetti sauce with beer - that's interesting - this beer has some herbal notes you'd find in that kinda sauce...and I've used red wine alot pretty successfully...maybe I'll give that one a try...

 

[TwoMisfits]

Okay, I have a plan - just need to pick up a veg or two...I have a lot of fruit on the menu (so many good deals)...
Sun - Beer/Veg/Tomato Sauce over All Beef Meatballs, Spaghetti, Strawberries/Blueberries
Mon (split dinner, so it needs to "hold" an hour) - Crockpot Beef and Beer Sandwiches with Onions/Mushrooms, Asian Salad Bag, Sliced Pears and Apples
Tues - Homemade Chicken Parmesan with Orzo, Green Grapes and Sliced Apples
Wed (split dinner - meatless night #1) - Frozen Pizza (kids)/Homemade Double Bean and Cheese Burritos (adults), Strawberries/Blueberries, and Southwest Salad
Thurs - Either leftover proteins or Beef Kielbasa, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Carrots, Double Banana Muffins
Fri (meatless night #2) - Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp over White Rice, TBD Veg to Buy, Leftover Fruits
Sat - TBD (but I'll put OUT for now - may do our one meal out at lunch instead - if we do, this will be a grocery $5 protein with salad bags and sliced fruit)...

I'm gonna give the chocolate beer cake a try...between that, lunch today, and the 2 upcoming dinner meals with beer, I should only have 3-4 bottles left for a final week of beer planning (getting my spouse back the bottles so he can bottle his next batch is a goal, since he likes to make beer every few weeks, and before he can make a new one, he has to bottle the old one...and I only let him have so many bottles littering my basement - whatever he can fit on his designated shelf)...

Edit to add: I got a free french bread at the store (yeah, Monopoly win), so for lunch today, I'm making a beer cheese fondue with it and some apples/pears/carrots so we can keep getting more bottles gone...

 

[westcoastfldisneygirl]

Monday: Chicken noodle soup and garlic bread
Tuesday: Frozen cheese pizza and a freezer veggie if we have one
Wednesday>>>Wednesday Vacation!! we will be in Ireland and Scotland!

 

[hmack]

last night we did take out pizza. It was snowing and i was tired. That's my lame excuse but I'm sticking too it.

Sunday - Crispy baked basil chicken c'blue, with roasted red potatoes, a get to be determined veg and homemade whole-wheat lemon raspberry muffins
Monday - lasagna (to be assembled Sunday), garlic bread
Tuesday - homemade beef ramen
Wednesday - slowcooker hawaiian chicken over rice, a simple fruit salad and a get to be determined bread
Thursday - steak/cheese/mushroom subs and probably chips
Friday will probably be just dh and I so maybe we'll go out to our local deli

last week I stuck to the plan even though I really didn't want to cook on Friday. This whole having a plan thing is good it keeps me disciplined and is a huge times-saver. Although I do still stray on weekends.

 

[queenofthehive]

Menu Plan - week of 4/1

Saturday- taco salads
Sunday - fish sandwiches, mashed cauliflower and corn on the cob
Monday - grilled chicken salad
Tuesday - spaghetti, zucchini
Wednesday- frittata with asparagus, peppers and diced potatoes
Thursday - meatloaf, sweet potatoes, beets
Friday - leftovers

 

[hmack]

last night we did take out pizza. It was snowing and i was tired. That's my lame excuse but I'm sticking too it.

Sunday - Crispy baked basil chicken c'blue, with roasted red potatoes, a get to be determined veg and homemade whole-wheat lemon raspberry muffins
Monday - lasagna (to be assembled Sunday), garlic bread
Tuesday - homemade beef ramen
Wednesday - slowcooker hawaiian chicken over rice, a simple fruit salad and a get to be determined bread
Thursday - steak/cheese/mushroom subs and probably chips
Friday will probably be just dh and I so maybe we'll go out to our local deli

last week I stuck to the plan even though I really didn't want to cook on Friday. This whole having a plan thing is good it keeps me disciplined and is a huge times-saver. Although I do still stray on weekends.

I tried a couple of new recipes tonight that went over well so I thought I'd share (and I ended up doing sauteed apples instead of a veg)

whole-wheat raspberry muffins: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/recipe-whole-wheat-lemon-raspberry-muffins/
Crispy basil chicken cordon blue: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/crispy-baked-basil-chicken-cordon-bleu/ (I did it without the fontina cheese)

 

[pigletto]

Another week, another menu. 6.5 weeks to go until vacation!

Saturday-Dinner at inlaws
Monday-Homemade pizza - chicken and sausage and peppers and cheese topping
Tuesday-Homemade potato soup and homemade bread for dh and ds. Spring vegetable and orzo soup for me
Wednesday- Spaghetti bolognese, spaghetti squash with bolognese sauce for me
Thursday-BBQ chicken breast, roasted brussel sprouts, roasted carrots/parsnip
Friday- BBQ chicken burgers, sweet potato fries, salad
Saturday-not sure. Maybe breakfast for dinner (smoothies, fruit, pancakes, eggs, turkey bacon)
Sunday- Pork Schnitzel, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, asparagus, roast carrots, homemade bread (having inlaws over for dinner)

 

[Deffenm]

Back from vacation and back to menu planning!

Saturday - Fettuccine Alfredo, garlic bread
Sunday - Steak, salad, baked potatoes, crescent rolls
Monday - Chicken and Rice, steamed broccoli
Tuesday - Boys are eating at in-laws as daughter has track meet. Her and I will eat potato soup.
Wednesday - Chicken Nuggets, Mac and Cheese, Tator Tots, Corn - HS track meet with oldest son
Thursday - Tacos, Fruit salad
Friday - Pizza

 

[stayhomemom77]

Got tired of treading water on this weight loss journey (been losing and gaining the same 3-5 lbs for SEVEN weeks now!!) so I joined WW online. Not sure my menus will change too much but perhaps little tweaks here and there. I made this plan up on Friday BEFORE I decided to join WW, so items *may* change as I find out the points values in time.

Anyway...

Mon-cheese tortellini alfredo and salad (Meatless Monday--DS will likely have a grilled cheese sandwich)
Tues-frozen thin crust pizzas, salad
Wed-hot dogs, baked beans, not sure of veg
Thurs-chicken burgers, Parmesan potato wedges, broccoli
Fri-chicken quesadillas, salad, tortilla chips
Sat-takeout pizza/fruit tray/veggie tray for the kids (DS's bday party), chicken souvlaki, roasted potatoes, grilled naan and greek salad for adult
Sun-ham and potatoes, leftover fruit and veg

 

[bravestmerida]

Sunday - couscous salad and brussel sprouts
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - omelettes or baked potatoes
Wednesday - chicken curry for us, chicken nuggets for the kid
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - omelettes or baked potatoes
Saturday - spinach and mushroom pizza

 

[charming23]

Sunday we had spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and salad
Monday was steaks with garlic mashed potatoes and carrots
Tonight we had apple cheddar meatloaf (made with ground turkey) and oven zucchini fries
Wednesday will be leftovers
Thursday will be beef stew with veggies
Friday will be chicken enchilada with salad
Saturday will be sloppy joes with fruit and chips

 

[jsmla]

Trying this again. DD and fiancé were in town Su-W for wedding planning so more eating out than usual

Sunday (BBQ at home)
Grilled Ribeye
Grilled Zucchini
Salad
Growler of Perfect 10 (Tin Roof Brewery, we had a Groupon )

Monday
Dinner out in NOLA (Mr B's Bistro-YUM!)

Tuesday
Takeout from our local Chinese

Wednesday
Burgers on the Grill
Lettuce, Tomato, Onion
Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

Thursday
Oven Roasted Chicken Breasts w/Garlic
Oven Roasted Carrots
Green Beans

Friday
BBQ Chicken Salad
-Chicken
-Salad
-Tomatoes
-Green Pepper
-Purple Onion
-Feta
-BBQ Ranch Dressing

 

[TwoMisfits]

Okay, I have a plan - just need to pick up a veg or two...I have a lot of fruit on the menu (so many good deals)...
Sun - Beer/Veg/Tomato Sauce over All Beef Meatballs, Spaghetti, Strawberries/Blueberries
Mon (split dinner, so it needs to "hold" an hour) - Crockpot Beef and Beer Sandwiches with Onions/Mushrooms, Asian Salad Bag, Sliced Pears and Apples
Tues - Homemade Chicken Parmesan with Orzo, Green Grapes and Sliced Apples
Wed (split dinner - meatless night #1) - Frozen Pizza (kids)/Homemade Double Bean and Cheese Burritos (adults), Strawberries/Blueberries, and Southwest Salad
Thurs - Either leftover proteins or Beef Kielbasa, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Carrots, Double Banana Muffins
Fri (meatless night #2) - Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp over White Rice, TBD Veg to Buy, Leftover Fruits
Sat - TBD (but I'll put OUT for now - may do our one meal out at lunch instead - if we do, this will be a grocery $5 protein with salad bags and sliced fruit)...

I'm gonna give the chocolate beer cake a try...between that, lunch today, and the 2 upcoming dinner meals with beer, I should only have 3-4 bottles left for a final week of beer planning (getting my spouse back the bottles so he can bottle his next batch is a goal, since he likes to make beer every few weeks, and before he can make a new one, he has to bottle the old one...and I only let him have so many bottles littering my basement - whatever he can fit on his designated shelf)...

Edit to add: I got a free french bread at the store (yeah, Monopoly win), so for lunch today, I'm making a beer cheese fondue with it and some apples/pears/carrots so we can keep getting more bottles gone...

I've done great with the week's plan, but have NO LEFTOVERS! And the kids ate all my baby carrots for snacks and my kielbasa for a lunch. So, I changed today's plan to a teriyaki pork tenderloin (from my freezer), same planned mashed potatoes, a diced spam and cabbage hawaiian side (1st time using spam - deciding to 1/2 the spam in the recipe and add some hoisin for sweetness - it's good right now and should be better as it gels - used up all my last cabbage), and the last pack of strawberries we have with the last bananas (for the people not eating the cabbage)...man, I dread seeing how much I'm gonna spend at the grocery tomorrow b/c I can SEE that my fridge and freezer and counter (where I store my apples, bananas, clementines) are bare!...I didn't make my planned midweek produce run, and I can tell...

Since I'm shopping 1st thing in the morning, I'll probably replan Friday and Saturday at the store...

 

[TwoMisfits]

This week's plan...
Fri - Date night for adults (Vegetarian Thalis from local Indian with Groupon - under $25 for 2 for dinner all included) / Frozen Pizza, Strawberries/Mango/Blueberry Salad for kids (kids choice on dinner - I asked if they were sick of this yet and they said never!)
Sat - General Tso's and Buffalo Boneless Wings (deli special today), Baked Fries, Iceberg Lettuce Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese and Tomato
Sun - Glazed Spiral-Sliced ham, Mac and Cheese, Raspberry/Blueberry/Strawberry Salad
Mon - Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwiches, Sauteed Spinach, More Berry Salad
Tues - Homemade Honey Mustard Chicken Strips, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Carrots, Triple Berry Muffins (all berries will be done by now)
Wed - Chicken Fajitas (will be heavy on bell peppers), Tostitos and Salsa, Sliced Apples
Thurs (Meatless Meal #1) - Feta and Spinach Stuffed Rigatoni (this is bagged) in Marinara Sauce, Caesar Salad
Friday (Meatless Meal #2) - I want to make shrimp, but I see another Frozen Pizza and Fruit in my future if my kids pick, so I'll have both in my freezer
Saturday - OUT - We have an Easter Egg Hunt and Vigil Mass, so we're planning to sneak in a cheap fast food meal between the events
Sunday - OUT for Easter - We have a Groupon for a Chinese Hot Pot/Shabu Shabu type place which is AYCTE...the kids love it but we never go b/c it's pricey, but they put out a Groupon (after not having one for over a year) and the Groupon will bring it under $90 for all 6 of us (with tax, the Groupon cost, and 20% tip included), so we want to splurge for the holiday - kids are so excited for this, so I think I'm making the right call (I usually do a spring risotto, so I'll plan that for a future April meal)...and I can't deny, having jumbo shrimp, beef tongue, lamb, and taro will make this a unique Easter (and one I don't have any work for

This is 2 family meals out and 1 date night meal out in 10 days - more than we've done since Christmas (since we've been once a week and a few weeks zero times), but it's the next holiday and we scored some great Groupon deals finally...so I'll enjoy it and then get back on the same track til summer vacation...

EDIT: Hubby wanted a ham and found a great deal on a spiral cut one last night (he and I stopped at the grocery to grab cat sand I couldn't carry earlier and ended up with extra)...so I'm putting that it for Sunday (and Monday leftovers) - saving the beer and making changes as above

Oh, and the Indian veg thalis and quiet adult time out was amazing - best $25 total I've spent (extra tip for amazing service) - Indian eggplant and Chana Masala were the vegetarian highlights (and I had the craziest "pickle" that I still couldn't identify what was in it - it seemed like a cross between an orange marmalade and a gingered spice mix with maybe Taro as the "fruit" in it)...it was soooo good! I will say limiting our eating out has made our trips out much more special!

 

[pigletto]

So a few changes to last weeks menu. We ate some things out of order, but stuck to the plan. DS13 was given an assignment to make a balanced meal for the family and report on it, so we changed the homemade pizza and salad to Saturday and he will make it all from scratch (with me watching and instructing )

So tonight- Breadmaker bread, Slowcooker baked potato soup, salad
Saturday-Homemade pizza with chicken, sausage and peppers. Side salad.
Sunday- Sunday- Pork Schnitzel, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, asparagus, roast carrots, homemade bread (having inlaws over for dinner)
Monday-Spaghetti Bolognese, Leftover spaghetti squash for me
Tuesday-Chicken burgers , sweet potatoes, carrots
Wednesday- Breakfast for dinner (peameal bacon, eggs, toast, frozen fruit smoothies)
Thursday- Tofu stir fry with rice (cauliflower rice for me)
Friday- Sausage , baked potato, whatever is leftover veggie wise
Sarurday- TBD , but likely a soup of some sort.

 

[jsmla]

Last Week's Meals.

Wednesday
Burgers on the grill/Sweet Potato Fries




Thursday
Pan Roasted Chicken Breast
Roasted Carrots
Green Beans Sautéed with Garlic




Friday
BBQ Chicken Salad