Meal Planning: 11/21/19 - 11/29/19
I'm going to try something new. We'll see if it works, and you are interested. I get more questions about feeding my family than I do about anything else combined. Plus, I've learned that not everyone feels comfortable making menus, meal plans, and shopping lists. So, with that in mind, every Thursday, at least for a while, I will share our weekly menu and perhaps add why I chose a particular meal. Maybe by reading my thought processes for meal planning, you will pick up some tips. It will be Thursday since that is my weekly shopping day.
The trouble with this particular week is that next Thursday is Thanksgiving. Obviously, I won't be going to the store. This means I have one of two choices. I could make this week short and head back to the store early next week. Or, I could plan for a slightly longer week, meaning heading to the grocery store a week from Saturday, because going anywhere near any store of any kind on Black Friday does not sound like fun. I chose the second option this time, so it is a slightly longer menu. The other key was to find meals that were inexpensive and easy, since they surround a major eating holiday which involves a lot of time consuming cooking and baking.
Thursday (tonight)
Spaghetti al Limone
This is a fancy way of saying Lemon Spaghetti, which is actually very, very good. It is from The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook, and both the book and the recipe is one of my favorites.
Garlic bread
From the store, I don't make everything from scratch all the time.
Salad
Friday
Ginger pork with sweet peppers
This is a recipe I haven't tried yet that I pulled out of a magazine. I chose it because it seemed easy and I had some ground pork still in the freezer from when I bought a side of pork last year.
Jasmine rice (I buy 25 pounds of jasmine rice at a time, so it's always on hand)
Eggrolls (store bought)
Saturday
Potato Leek Soup
I found this recipe on the internet years ago. It's quick and easy and everyone likes it. The leeks mean it is not as inexpensive as it might be.
French bread
This I do make, using the technique from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Sunday
Pot Roast
This recipe came from America's Test Kitchen. I have a freezer full of roasts, so that makes it an inexpensive choice. Plus it's easy, since it cooks in the oven for hours. What I love about it is that the vegetables that cook with the roast get pureed with an immersion blender making a wonderful, easy gravy that goes over the noodles.
Egg Noodles
Salad
Monday
Chili
G. was really wanting chili and since I also have a freezer full of ground beef, it made in easy choice. I decided to try something different, so linked to the recipe I'm trying.
Cornbread
Cornbread is super easy to make from scratch, so that's what we do.
Tuesday
Apple Pancakes
It's breakfast for dinner on this night because it will be easy and I know I'll be spending the entire day making rolls. These are baked in the oven in 9x13 pans, so there's no standing over the stove.
Sausage links
Wednesday
Lentil Soup with Rosemary
This recipe came from the wife of a colleague of J.'s. It's simple to make and doesn't use the oven. Since pies will be being baked all day, the oven needs to be free. I don't have anything to go along with it. We'll either just have the soup or dig out something from the pantry or make some drop biscuits if we can stand to do any more baking.
Thursday - Thanksgiving
We'll be having:
Turkey
Stuffing
Gravy
Creamed onions
Brussels sprouts
Mashed potatoes
Cranberry orange relish
Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin pie
Cranberry pie
Pecan pie
Apple pie
My sister-in-laws will help with the food and everything except the cranberry sauce is made from scratch.
Friday
I have nothing planned, but I imagine there will be enough leftovers in the house that we will manage to feed ourselves.
Saturday
Cream of broccoli soup
TM has been wanting this, and it seems a good antidote to the Thanksgiving excess.
Biscuits
From scratch
I plan on going back to the store on Saturday, making the next week a short one in terms of meal planning to get back on my Thursday schedule.
The trouble with this particular week is that next Thursday is Thanksgiving. Obviously, I won't be going to the store. This means I have one of two choices. I could make this week short and head back to the store early next week. Or, I could plan for a slightly longer week, meaning heading to the grocery store a week from Saturday, because going anywhere near any store of any kind on Black Friday does not sound like fun. I chose the second option this time, so it is a slightly longer menu. The other key was to find meals that were inexpensive and easy, since they surround a major eating holiday which involves a lot of time consuming cooking and baking.
Thursday (tonight)
Spaghetti al Limone
This is a fancy way of saying Lemon Spaghetti, which is actually very, very good. It is from The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook, and both the book and the recipe is one of my favorites.
Garlic bread
From the store, I don't make everything from scratch all the time.
Salad
Friday
Ginger pork with sweet peppers
This is a recipe I haven't tried yet that I pulled out of a magazine. I chose it because it seemed easy and I had some ground pork still in the freezer from when I bought a side of pork last year.
Jasmine rice (I buy 25 pounds of jasmine rice at a time, so it's always on hand)
Eggrolls (store bought)
Saturday
Potato Leek Soup
I found this recipe on the internet years ago. It's quick and easy and everyone likes it. The leeks mean it is not as inexpensive as it might be.
French bread
This I do make, using the technique from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Sunday
Pot Roast
This recipe came from America's Test Kitchen. I have a freezer full of roasts, so that makes it an inexpensive choice. Plus it's easy, since it cooks in the oven for hours. What I love about it is that the vegetables that cook with the roast get pureed with an immersion blender making a wonderful, easy gravy that goes over the noodles.
Egg Noodles
Salad
Monday
Chili
G. was really wanting chili and since I also have a freezer full of ground beef, it made in easy choice. I decided to try something different, so linked to the recipe I'm trying.
Cornbread
Cornbread is super easy to make from scratch, so that's what we do.
Tuesday
Apple Pancakes
It's breakfast for dinner on this night because it will be easy and I know I'll be spending the entire day making rolls. These are baked in the oven in 9x13 pans, so there's no standing over the stove.
Sausage links
Wednesday
Lentil Soup with Rosemary
This recipe came from the wife of a colleague of J.'s. It's simple to make and doesn't use the oven. Since pies will be being baked all day, the oven needs to be free. I don't have anything to go along with it. We'll either just have the soup or dig out something from the pantry or make some drop biscuits if we can stand to do any more baking.
Thursday - Thanksgiving
We'll be having:
Turkey
Stuffing
Gravy
Creamed onions
Brussels sprouts
Mashed potatoes
Cranberry orange relish
Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin pie
Cranberry pie
Pecan pie
Apple pie
My sister-in-laws will help with the food and everything except the cranberry sauce is made from scratch.
Friday
I have nothing planned, but I imagine there will be enough leftovers in the house that we will manage to feed ourselves.
Saturday
Cream of broccoli soup
TM has been wanting this, and it seems a good antidote to the Thanksgiving excess.
Biscuits
From scratch
I plan on going back to the store on Saturday, making the next week a short one in terms of meal planning to get back on my Thursday schedule.
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