Meal Plan Monday (Tuesday...)

Thank goodness for last week's freezer cooking!

A cold knocked me out this weekend, and though I definitely appreciated the hubby's efforts to take care of dinners, my stomach couldn't handle another fast food meal (ok - I could have dealt with a few more Shamrock shakes).

Freezer meal to the rescue!

Before the hubs could hop in the car and head to Chick-fil-A or McDonalds, I pulled a bag of stuffed shells from the freezer, threw them in a pan, turned on the oven, and went back to the couch to cuddle up with my blanket and cup of tea.

The cold has been kicked, but meals this week are still going to be a bit off. The hubs has work/work events, and the boy and I are heading to Wisconsin later this week to visit my family. So, a day late, here's a look at an abbreviated weekly menu.

Sunday's Meal - Frozen Pizza in front of the tv - watching college basketball :)

Monday - Stuffed Pasta Shells from the freezer

Tuesday - Chicken Enchiladas using rotisserie chicken and enchilada sauce from the freezer (leftover from chicken enchilada soup). I'll freeze half.

Wednesday - Spaghetti - It would normally drive me crazy to eat similar tasting meals so close together (pasta shells), but I want to make sauce to freeze so that Alex has something to eat while we're out of town.

Thursday - Hubs at a work event - the babe and I will fend for ourselves and throw some kind of dinner together. I'd really love to grill. It's supposed to be 80 degrees and sunny in Durham.

Friday - Hubs working - see above :)

Saturday - off to Wisconsin to see the fam!!!

Reader Response: What's for dinner at your house this week? Do you have a favorite dinner solution for those days when, for one reason or another, you're just not up for cooking?

Meal Plan Monday - A Freezer Cooking Experiment

As I was browsing Pinterest this weekend, I came across a fabulous food blog, What's Cookin' Chicago?. I spent the better part of Nolan's afternoon nap clicking through recipe after recipe. The blogger's ideas for freezer cooking really caught my eye. I've been interested in the concept for a while but have found recipes that just don't match my cooking style. What's Cookin' Chicago? changed that.

All of the recipes on What's Cookin' appear to feed four or more people. I only need to feed two adults and baby. I'm planning to make the dishes as directed in the recipes, not cutting them in half. I'll cook half  for dinner on a given night and freeze the other half for a future meal.

I know that this isn't exactly how many approach freezer cooking - spending a few hours on one day, cooking up a storm and freezing everything that's made - but it seems like a way to build a little stock pile of meals, while testing to see if freezer meals work for us.

After surveying the fridge and pantry, I picked out a few meals that would minimize the groceries I'll need to pick up. I've planned more meals than I'm likely to make in one week, but I like to have backup plans incase we don't go out for dinner on Friday or Saturday. Here's a look what's for dinner at our house this week. The freezer meals have been starred.

Meal Plan for the Week of March 4th

Sunday's Meal - Chicken Cacciatore - I threw this crock pot meal together during Nolan's morning nap. I knew I wasn't going to feel like cooking come dinner time, and crock pot cacciatore was a simple solution using ingredients that were already in the house.


*Smothered Pork Chops - This recipe uses bacon and mushrooms, which I happened to stock up on during sales at Harris Teeter and Aldi. You can pick up Oscar Mayer Bacon for $0.49 at Harris Teeter (until Tuesday evening) by linking a $3.00 e-vic coupon to your store card.


*Spinach Stuffed Shells - I bought a few bags of spinach at Aldi, where's it's on sale (at least in Durham) for $0.69/bag. I also have Italian blend cheese and the ingredients to make some sauce, but I'll need to pick up jumbo shells and ricotta. I plan to skip the Italian Sausage and make this a meatless meal.


* Balsamic Fig Chicken - This is a freezer recipe that heats in the slow cooker. I have the ingredients in the house, except for dried figs. Honestly, I'm not sure what a dried fig looks like or exactly where in the grocery store I'd find one. In the produce section with the nuts??


Spinach and Bacon Pasta - This seems like an easy way to use up the leftover spinach.


Fajitas - I have everything in the house to throw this meal together.


Tofu in some form - The recipe that's linked is more or less the way I often prepare tofu, but I might try something new and pair it with quinoa and greens as suggested. I'll be using tofu that I stocked up on during Harris Teeter Super Doubles.


*Moroccan Chicken - The picture of this meal was drool inducing...and it's made in the slow cooker. Even better. I'm thinking about pairing this with roasted cauliflower (on sale for $0.89 at Aldi).



Reader Response: What's for dinner at your house this week?

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Meal Plan Monday - Week of 2/26

This week's meal plan feels like a complete mess. I set out to grocery shop this morning. It was cold. It was raining, and Nolan has started a phase where he likes to scream about everything. Everything.

diaper changes = screaming
putting on clothes = screaming
car seat = screaming
high chair = screaming
taking a toy away = screaming
giving him the wrong toy = screaming
picking him up = screaming
putting him down = screaming

I was a wet, stressed mess while I did my shopping, trying to quiet my banshee baby, who also figured out how wiggle out of the cart restraints and stand up in the cart. I thought I had a meal plan, but I didn't seem to come home with what I actually set out to buy. So...with what I did manage to bring home, here's a rough plan, one that will probably involve a phone call to the hubs, requesting he bring home take out tonight.

Sunday's Meal - Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, and Bacon Quiche - I made a quick quiche out of leftover fridge remnants. Success. Check it out!

Black Bean Chili - I need something nice and warm to put me in a better mood on this gloomy day. I picked up some ground beef and have beans and canned tomatoes in the house. If I can resist the urge to order in tonight, this will be our Monday meal.

Tofu Tacos - To take a break from meat, I'll be making these vegetarian, using tofu, which you can buy for $0.69 at Harris Teeter, using this printable coupon.

Curried Tilapia with Mango - I didn't get around to making this last week. I'm still using the same bag of tilapia I picked up a few weeks ago at Aldi. I also have a mango in the house (taking FOREVER to ripen). If you're searching for mango, they'll be $0.49 a piece at Aldi, beginning Wednesday.

Honey Ginger Pan Grilled Pork Tenderloin - I've had a pork tenderloin in the freezer for quite some time. It seems like it's high time I did something with it. Pan grilling, rather than grilling or baking, intrigued me. Somehow, I actually remembered to pick up the ginger I'll need for this dish. I did not, however, remember to buy more honey. Looks like this meal will be moved later in the week.

Spicy Chicken with Peanut Sauce in the Crock Pot - I've had some chicken thighs in the freezer for a while, which I'll use in this dish. I'm looking forward to a make ahead meal. Hoping this is a stress reducer.


Reader Response: What's for dinner at your house this week?

Meal Plan Monday

Here's a look at what's on the menu at our house for the coming week. As usual, I deviated a bit from last week's plan, which means a few meals will be rolling over to this week. The menu seems a bit heavy on the Mexican/Southwest food, but with all of the meals offering very different flavors, I just don't care. :)

Weekly Meal Plan

Tofu Stir Fry - This was Sunday's meal. Simply used up veggies that were still in the fridge and marinated and pan fried tofu, which you can buy at Harris Teeter for $0.19/pack during Super Doubles using this printable coupon (click accept the pledge).

Curried Tilapia with Mango - The spices and fish are already in the house. I'll pick up either fresh or frozen mango, depending on price and selection. Mangos are on sale at Kroger for $1.00. They're usually $0.99 at Aldi.

Crock Pot Carnitas Tacos - During my second HT Super Doubles trip, I made a visit to the meat department, where I found a pork roast, nearing its sell by date and marked WAY down. Perfect for picking up and putting in the freezer. I'll thaw it in the fridge and use it later this week to make the carnitas. The recipe comes from Allrecipes and falls in my easy peasy category. Rub on a few spices, add a little broth, toss it in the crock pock, and forget about it.

Cajun Chicken Pasta - Another Allrecipes find. Instead of cutting up and cooking chicken breasts, I'll be buying a rotisserie chicken. I'll use half for this recipe and the rest fro the Tortilla Soup below. I have bell peppers in the freezer, an Aldi steal at $0.60/pepper, but I'll need to pick up cream.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (crock pot) - I found this recipe through Pinterest and have tried it once before. It calls for enchilada sauce, and last time I made my own. I think I'll do the same this time around, using this recipe (up the spices and use fresh garlic).

Falafel Pitas - Yup, this recipe is rolling over for the third week. Still haven't made it.

Easy Weekend/Substitute Meal Ideas (if we don't eat out) - pasta with sauce from freezer, crustless quiche (The Chew tells me that quiche can be made out of just about whatever's left in your fridge, as long as you use the same base recipe of 5 eggs and 1/2 cup milk)

Reader Response: What's for dinner at your house this week?

Meal Plan Monday

Below you'll find my meal plan for this week. I'll be shopping primarily for produce when I visit the grocery store today, as the fridge and freezer are still well stocked. I'm also gearing up for a little freebie stock piling at Harris Teeter during Super Doubles, which begins on Wednesday. I will post deal match ups before the sale begins.

My Weekly Menu

Chicken Fajitas and Black Beans (Sunday's meal)
I bought a rotisserie chicken at Harris Teeter on Saturday. They are regularly $6.99 at that store, but certain varieties had a $2.00 off sticker attached, which means I bought the chicken for $4.99. Actually, the chicken was FREE. I shopped with a $20 Harris Teeter credit, earned through filling a prescription.

We ate some of the bird for dinner on Saturday and used the leftovers for this meal. I already had the other ingredients in the house, including tortillas, peppers, onions, and avocado (all from Aldi). Don't forget, peppers are on sale at Aldi for a few more days - $1.89 for three!

Tofu Stir Fry with Brown Rice
Tofu is $2.19 at Harris Teeter. Using this $0.75/1 printable coupon, which will double to $1.50, you will pay just $0.79 for a package. OR...wait until Wednesday for HT Super Doubles, and you can use this $1.00 printable to buy a package for just $0.19!

Valentines Dinner - Mussels Mariniere with French Bread, Pasta, and Sauteed Brussels Sprouts 
Alex was really in the mood for mussels on Saturday. I've never made them before and thought I'd give it a go. The idea just came a little too late in the day. I visited the fish market at Harris Teeter, and it was mussel-less. I have plans to visit Capital Seafood Market in Durham and hope I'll find what I'm looking for. I'm also planning to swing by Dulce, a cafe/bakery in our neighborhood, to pick up a special dessert. :)

Falafel Wraps or Pitas
This recipe is rolling over from last week because I simply didn't get around to making it. As I've mentioned before, I found it on an i pad recipe app. No link. Sorry. Everything is already in stock for this meal, except for the pitas.

Asian Chicken Breasts, Veggies
I love this recipe from For the Love of Cooking because the marinade is soooo tasty and simple, and it can be easily adapted using whichever ingredients I happen to have on hand.

Panko Pork Chops topped with Bruschetta , Whole Grain Pasta

I found the pork chop part of this recipe on For the Love of Cooking. There isn't much to it - panko coated pork chops, baked in the oven. A picture on that site shows the chops paired with a side of tomatoes. This might have been simply for the sake of a prettier picture, not sure. Whatever the reason, it gave me the idea of trying out bruschetta, which I already have the ingredients for, as a topping. I don't have pork chops in the house, so they'll need to be added to my shopping list. I'll have to do some sale ad price comparing.

Other Fill-in Meal Ideas (in case I change my mind) :)  
Pasta with sauce from the freezer, leftovers, tilapia with quinoa

Reader Response: What's for dinner at your house this week?

Meal Plan Monday

It seems like we just can't settle into a normal dinner routine at our house. Between Alex's work schedule and vacation, everything has been thrown off, and this week is no exception.

With the hubs working nights...again (didn't that just happen???)...we'll be eating early dinners so we can have at least a little family togetherness before he heads out to the hospital. I'd really rather not spend my afternoons, the only awake time we'll be seeing Alex for the next week, cooking meals, so I'm planning a menu of quick and/or easy meals.

I started by surveying the cabinets and fridge, trying to build off of what we already have in house. It looks like we're well stocked, and my grocery shopping will be mostly for produce and perishables like milk and eggs. Yay, for easy shopping!

My Weekly Menu

Spaghetti with Homemade Meat Sauce
I made sauce last week and froze it in meal sized portions. Most of the ingredients I used were either free or inexpensive, bought during sales. Making your own sauce is a very cost effective alternative to buying jars (think about it - you will get 3-5 meals from one pot). I also prefer the taste, and I LOVE knowing exactly which ingredients went into it.

Each time I make sauce, I use my own in my head recipe. It's altered a bit each time, but here's a rough idea:
Saute 1/2-1 diced onion and crushed or minced garlic.
Add 1 pound ground beef, brown, and drain of fat.
Add:
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1-2 small cans tomato paste
Spices to taste:
basil
oregano
salt
cayenne pepper
garlic powder
sugar
1-2 bay leaves
Cover and simmer at least 45 minutes.

Tilapia with Black Beans and Veggies
Last week, I bought a 2 pound bag of tilapia at Aldi for less than $6.00. The bag contains twelve fillets, which means we'll get about three meals out of it - $2.00 per meal/$1.00 per serving - not a bad price in my opinion.

I picked this meal for this week because it will take just minutes to prepare. I'll pan fry the tilapia and saute the veggies. I envision whipping up some type of sauce that involves lime and cilantro. We'll see. If I'm feeling lazy, I'll just throw on some cajun seasoning and call it a day.


Teriyaki Chicken with Brown Rice and Broccoli
This is a meal found on Pinterest, that I always plan to make, and it just never happens. It's a crock pot dinner, which should be a perfect fit for the busy week. I like that this recipe uses ingredients that are usually in stock in our kitchen. I might adjust the recipe a bit to add a little spice in with the sweet. I'm also thinking that brown sugar might taste better than white.

I bought the broccoli at Aldi for $0.89/lb and the brown rice for $0.25 at Harris Teeter (Minute Rice Steamers). The chicken was also an inexpensive buy. I picked it up a few weeks ago when it was a Manager's Special at Kroger.

Ratatouille with a fresh baguette
I found this recipe on an i pad recipe app. I'm hoping to work a few vegetarian meals into our weekly routine, and I already have some of the veggies needed to make the dish, but I'll need to pick up eggplant and mushrooms. I know that mushrooms are on sale at Aldi for less than $1/pack until.

Falafel Wraps (in whole wheat tortillas) 
I found the falafel recipe on the same app mentioned above. I have everything in the house to make it (will be my first time trying to make falafel). I'm not sure which toppings I want to use - go the traditional route and make tzatziki sauce, or make due with what's in the house and just add toppings like cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocado.

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken
I'm making this one up as I go. The plan, as it sits in my mind right now, involves diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and assorted spices, cooked in the slow cooker with chicken breasts, then served with pasta. We'll see.


Reader Response: What's for dinner at your house this week? Share your meal ideas by leaving a comment, or provide a link to your meal plan.

Meal Plan Monday

It's looking like a strange dining week at our house. We're taking off on Saturday for a week of fun, sun, and family in Sanibel, Florida. I never like to buy too many groceries before leaving for a trip. Combine that with Alex working a few late shifts, and I think this week will be one of scraped together/fend for yourself meals.

Tonight, we ate left over Maggiano's take out from this weekend, which we bought using a gift card from a former student. I think it had been meant for a pre-baby date night. Oops.

As for the rest of the week, my meal plan looks a little something like this:

Teriyaki Chicken (from Pinterest)
Whatever I can pull together for myself while Alex is on call
Frozen Pizza (Friday night so we can pack and not cook)

BLAH!

I'm trying to think past this week of horrible eating, anticipating meals of fresh seafood and key lime pie!

Reader Response: 
Two questions for ya'll.
1) What's for dinner at your house this week?
2) One of my favorite things about traveling is eating out. No trip to the coast is complete for me without a crab cake sandwich and cup of some local seafood soup. Do you have a favorite culinary travel destination or a dish you can't miss when you travel to a certain area?

Meal Plan Monday

I'm a little late with this Meal Plan Monday post. I've already cooked and eaten Monday's meal (sans Alex, who unexpectedly had a late night at work), but here it is anyway, my meal plan for the coming week.

Our cabinets, fridge, and freezer were pretty well stocked, so I needed to buy very little during today's grocery shopping trip. The meals included in my plan will be made using ingredients from my small stock pile.

Meal Plan for the Week of January 9th

Cilantro Lime Slow Cooker Chicken - Chicken breasts, salsa, lime juice....easy peasy.

Black Bean Chili and Baked Potatoes- I always keep canned tomatoes and beans in my cabinets. So many easy meals can be made around them. I'll substitute ground beef for the ground turkey because that's what I have.

Ravioli with Pesto, Salads, and French Bread - Everything is in the house, and this will be a quick dinner for one of Alex's late nights. Put some olive oil and balsamic on the table for dipping, and the meal won't feel so thrown together.

Asian Chicken Breasts, Rice, and Veggies (we'll see what's left) - I love this recipe from "For the Love of Cooking" because on any given day, I have enough of the ingredients in the house that I can adapt the recipe and throw it together.

Reader Response: What's on the menu at your house this week??