Menu Planning ~ August 2012

Two things I got done this weekend after getting back from vacation.

1st thing:  I bought bulk amounts of chicken and pork.  I'm stocked up with hamburger currently so I didn't need anymore.

2nd thing:  I cleaned out my freezer and made an inventory of what was in the freezer.

3rd thing:  I made some ready to go into the oven/grill/skillet meals.

Since I did these things, meal planning was easy.  My meal plan has only the main dish.  I will determine the side dishes and veggies during the month depending on what I have in the house.

Week of July 30th

Mon. - Pot roast, potatoes, mixed veggies, raw broccoli, salad
Tues. - Pork fried rice, egg rolls, fortune cookies
Weds. - Breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes, sausage or bacon)
Thurs. - BBQ chicken legs, mac and cheese, corn
Fri. - Sloppy Joe biscuits, chips, broccoli
Sat. - Hamburger patties w/ homemade hamburger buns, homemade fries, raw veggies
Sun. - dinner w/ in-laws

Week of Aug. 6

Mon. - brown sugar ham
Tues. - taco bar (hamburger or chicken)
Weds. - buttermilk grilled chicken
Thurs. - apple cinnamon bratwurst
Fri.  - spaghetti
Sat. - ham and pineapple fried rice
Sun. - dinner at in-laws

Week of Aug. 13

Mon. - aloha pork, rice
Tues. - homemade pizza
Wed. - either Polish sausage or smoked sausage
Thurs. - homemade hamburger helper, veggies
Fri. - chicken ranch tenders
Sat. - Cinncinnati chili over spaghetti
Sun. - dinner at in-laws

Week of Aug. 20

Mon. - grilled cheese with tomato basil soup
Tues. - hamburgers with homemade French fries
Wed. - apricot pork chops
Thurs. - breakfast for dinner
Fri. - chicken marinated with raspberry viniagrette
Sat. - steak
Sun. - dinner at in-laws

Week of Aug. 27

Mon. - brown sugar ham
Tues. - sloppy joes
Wed. - bbq shredded chicken sandwiches
Thurs. - spaghetti
Fri. - pot roast, mashed potatoes
Sat. - dinner with family
Sun. - dinner at in laws

Last week, I cleaned out my corner appliance cabinet.  It's in this weird shape that makes it a good place to store appliances.  While cleaning it out, I pulled out my food processor and have been using it more faithfully.

Today I decided to make spaghetti for supper, a family favorite.  I made a sauce of fire roasted tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, onions, and sausage and then served it over whole wheat pasta.  Hubby gave it two thumbs up and then went back for seconds.  The Imaginative One doesn't like sauce so he didn't want to try it.

Chunky Vegetable - Sausage Pasta Sauce

Stars of the Recipe:

• 1/2 pound Italian Sausage


• 1 to 2 carrots, peeled and ends cut off


• 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes (I used garlic fire roasted tomatoes.)


• 1 zucchini, with ends cut off


• 1 small onion, peeled and ends cut off


• Italian seasoning, to taste


• 1/2 box of dried pasta (I used whole wheat thin spaghetti.)
  

Steps:

1. Brown the sausage and then drain it.


2. Meanwhile, shred the carrot(s).


3. Place the shredded carrots into a saucepan.


4. Place tomatoes, zucchini, and onion in the food processor and dice them up into small pieces.


5. Place the mixture in the sauce pan.


6. After the sausage is done browning, place it in the saucepan with the carrots and tomato mixture.  Season with Italian seasoning.  Mix together.


7. Warm the sauce in the saucepan. at med. heat until bubbling.  Then turn down to low.  (About 10 to 15 minutes)


8. Cook the pasta.


9. Serve the sauce with the pasta.

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to this wonderful blog called Plain Chicken. I found many recipes I want to try. Many of them look delicious.

One of the recipes was for 7-up biscuits. I'm always on a search for biscuit or roll recipes. We enjoy having bread with our dinner not daily but a few times during the week. Hubby and I loved them. Then I took some over to my mother-in-laws to share with her. Both my father-in-law and her gave their seal of approval.

I love the ease of the recipe and that it calls for only four ingredients! They remind me of Popeyes' biscuits.

7 up Biscuits

via Plain Chicken

Stars of the recipe:

• 2 c. Bisquick or baking mix


• 1/2 c. sour cream


• 1/2 c. 7 up


• 1/4 c. melted butter (half stick)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


2. Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-up. The dough is very soft and will get all on your hands.


3. Meanwhile put a 9 inch square pan into the oven to melt the butter.


4. Sprinkle biscuit mix on a board or table. (I use a cutting board.)


5. Pat the dough out and then cut the dough using a biscuit cutter or glass. (I used a small juice glass.)


6. Pull the pan out of the oven and put the cut biscuits in the pan.


7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

Menu Planning Monday ~ Week of July 9, 2012

This week is going to be a little different.  Two years ago, the Imaginative One wanted to attend as many Vacation Bible Schools as he could.  This year the Wee One wants to do the same thing.  We are limiting the number though because of other obligations.  They attended 2 a couple of weeks ago and are attending one this week.  It is in the evening which is great because they have swim lessons in the mornings.

Anyho, they are providing dinner for the kids on the four nights they are attending the Vacation Bible School.  This makes my menu planning interesting.  I'm only cooking 2 times during those four night and my hubby and I are going to eat the left overs on the other 2 days.  

Then on Saturday, we are spending time with family for a birthday party.  I don't know what we are going to do for supper on that night.  It's going to be probably eating out or something out of the freezer.  We may go out with my mother.  Hubby is probably going to be on his own.

Monday - chicken marinaded in raspberry dressing, roasted mult-colored potatoes, brown sugar carrots, either 7 up biscuits or weeknight rolls

Tuesday - left-overs from the night before

Wednesday - The Imaginative One's 9th birthday!!!  ~ Lasagna Biscuit Cups, peas, salad for me

Thursday - left-overs from the night before

Friday - Celebrating the Imaginative One's birthday with his special dinner (He gets to request his dinner.) - smoked sausage, fried potatoes in the oven, corn on the cob

Saturday - ??????

S'Mores Bars

The Imaginative One is very laid back.  Hakuna Matata could almost be his theme song.  He's been like that since he was in utero.  The boys are allowed to pick what they want to do for their birthday.  The Wee One had a list a mile long of things he wanted to do for his birthday.  He also had a list a mile long of what he wanted for presents.  Okay maybe not that long but he knew what he wanted.  The Imaginative One is the exact opposite.  He doesn't know what he want to do for his birthday and people are having a hard time figuring out what to get him for his birthday. 

Last month, I found a recipe for these S'Mores Bar and decided to try them out.  The Imaginative One loved them so much that he decided that he wanted these instead of a cake or cupcakes for his birthday.  Yeah!  He made a decision.

Since my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew were in town, we decided to celebrate his birthday four days early.  We ate a delicious brunch and then sang to him.  Everyone enjoyed these bars. 

S'Mores Bars

via Recipe Shoebox

Stars of the recipe:

Crust:

• 1/2 c. of butter, softened (1 stick of butter)


• 1/2 c. sugar


• 1 egg


• 1 tsp. vanilla


• 1 & 1/2 c. all purpose flour


• 1 c. ground up graham crackers (I use honey graham crackers.  Use a food processor to ground them up.)


• 1 tsp. baking powder


• 1/4 tsp. salt

Topping:

• 8 oz. container of marshmallow fluff


• 12 graham crackers broken up into pieces, do not ground them up


• 6 Hershey bars broken up into pieces or 1 c. milk chocolate chips.


• 2 - 3 c. mini marshmallows

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.


2. Cream together the butter and sugar until well mixed and yellow.


3. Add the eggs and vanilla.  Beat until incorporated.


4. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and ground up graham crackers.  Mix until incorporated.


5. Grease a 9 by 13 baking pan.  Press the dough into the pan evenly.


6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.


7. While the crust is baking, get the topping ingredients ready.


8. When you take the crust out of the oven, turn the oven up to 450 degrees.


9. After the crust is finished baking, spread the marshmallow fluff over the warm crust using a greased spoon or spatula.


10. Sprinkle the top with first the chocolate, then the graham crack pieces, and then the marshmallows.


11. Place back in the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until the marshmallows are melted and toasted.  DO NOT walk away from the oven.  (Mine took only 5 minutes.)


12. While it's still warm, cut it into pieces.


13. Enjoy!!!