Meal planning March 15 - April 2
Yes, you read that correctly, this menu is for three weeks. I have a pretty decently stocked pantry, and I've always said that if push came to shove I could probably feed everyone for several weeks if needed. Well, I'm feeling a little like Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel. You know, "He always said she could dig as much in a day as a hundred men could dig in a week, but he had never been quite sure this was true." Push is coming to shove, and we're going to see how my pantry manages.
I did do quite a bit of grocery shopping this weekend, mainly for perishables. I bought some canned goods that needed to be restocked, and no bread and very little meat. What I was mainly stocking up on were things such as pet food, outside animal feed, cleaning supplies that had dwindled, coffee, tea, and fruits and vegetables that had a hope of lasting for a while. I've frozen peppers and onions for late in the month, and tomorrow morning I'll blanch and freeze the other vegeatables I'm saving for later.
Even so, my cart at Aldi was pretty filled; probably more filled than I have ever had it. I really had wished that I owned a t-shirt saying something along the lines of "I'm not hoarding, I'm shopping for 14 people". I did get more than a few side eyes as I was in the check-out line. But, since I shop at this store every single week, the checkers know me. The checker I had today even stood up for me to one person who was commenting and pointed out that this was little more than my usual order. Bless her.
Is this all really necessary? I have absolutely no idea. I vacillate between feeling as though I'm making too much out of things and feeling as though I'm not preparing enough. It feels hard to find the sane, middle ground. I didn't even use a list for this three weeks of shopping. I know what I usually use, so bought what was available. Then, after I was home, I made the menu based on what I was able to buy. I think I could go for another week or two past this if necessary, though vegetables would be getting thin and meals would be repetitive. We'll be baking all our bread products, which we used to do before life felt too busy. It was an easy decision to do this since there was no bread to be bought.
So, here is what I've been able to plan.
Monday, 3/16
Fried rice
Baby bok choy
Tuesday 3/17
Reuben sandwiches
I bought the corned beef a few weeks ago. I make these in the crock pot. D. will be baking the rye bread to serve them on.
Alsatian potato salad
Wednesday 3/18
Beef and cabbage over egg noodles
Cabbages were on sale. I bought six. We'll be having them a lot.
Roasted asparagus
Thursday 3/19
Garlic broccoli penne
This is another family favorite.
French bread
Friday 3/20
Corned beef hash with eggs
If all else fails, we'll have eggs. I'm going to use most of the eggs at breakfast and lunch.
Salad
Saturday 3/21
Albondiga soup
A meatball soup recipe from a good friend of mine. It's one of my favorites.
Biscuits
Sunday 3/22
Roast chicken
Whole chickens were on sale for less than 90 cents/pound. I would stock up at that price regardless of world events.
Stuffing
From a box
Cooked carrots
Monday 3/23
Garlic-chili grain bowls with millet, cabbage, and rashishes
The garlic and chili are mixed with ground pork. Everyone really likes these.
Tuesday 3/24
Green chicken curry
This is a chicken and green bean curry that we really like
Fresh noodles
Dumplings
Wednesday 3/25
French onion soup
I make this in the crock pot. Plus, Swiss cheese was one of the two types still on the shelf.
French bread
Thursday 3/26
Lemon spaghetti
French bread
Salad
We'll see how the Romaine holds out. Salads will probably be veering to mostly cabbage at some point.
Friday 3/27
Meatloaf
I have beef
Mashed potatoes
Salad
Saturday 3/28
Chicken noodle soup
Using what is left from the roast chicken
Biscuits
Sunday 3/29
Ponzo steak salad
This is a yummy steak salad served over noodles that uses ponzo sauce. It's a citrus flavored soy sauce.
French bread
Monday 3/30
Chicago beef sandwiches
Roast cooked in the crock pot with some of the onions and peppers I froze today. We'll be making homemade buns.
Baked butternut squash
Tuesday 3/31
Sweet and sour chicken bowl
I'll probably use rice for the grain.
Sauteed lotus root
I went to H-mart last week, and like to grab lotus root when I see it. I'll be blanching and freezing it tomorrow.
Wednesday 4/1
Spaghetti with Italian sausage
The sauce is leftover from the last time I made it and frozen
French bread
Roasted asparagus
Some of the vegetables I'm blanching and freezing
Thursday 4/2
Garlicky white bean soup
I buy white beans 25 pounds at a time. They're always in the pantry.
Biscuits
Friday 4/3
Meatballs
Egg noodles
Sauteed green beans
Also from the blanched and frozen vegetables
Saturday 4/4
(celebrating K.'s birthday)
Pasta with onion, bacon, and goat cheese
It was nice K. had chosen his birthday dinner so far in advance, so I could stock up on the ingredients
French bread
Salad
Chocolate mayonnaise cake
Sunday 4/5
Lentil soup with rosemary
Lentils I also buy in bulk
French bread
I did do quite a bit of grocery shopping this weekend, mainly for perishables. I bought some canned goods that needed to be restocked, and no bread and very little meat. What I was mainly stocking up on were things such as pet food, outside animal feed, cleaning supplies that had dwindled, coffee, tea, and fruits and vegetables that had a hope of lasting for a while. I've frozen peppers and onions for late in the month, and tomorrow morning I'll blanch and freeze the other vegeatables I'm saving for later.
Even so, my cart at Aldi was pretty filled; probably more filled than I have ever had it. I really had wished that I owned a t-shirt saying something along the lines of "I'm not hoarding, I'm shopping for 14 people". I did get more than a few side eyes as I was in the check-out line. But, since I shop at this store every single week, the checkers know me. The checker I had today even stood up for me to one person who was commenting and pointed out that this was little more than my usual order. Bless her.
Is this all really necessary? I have absolutely no idea. I vacillate between feeling as though I'm making too much out of things and feeling as though I'm not preparing enough. It feels hard to find the sane, middle ground. I didn't even use a list for this three weeks of shopping. I know what I usually use, so bought what was available. Then, after I was home, I made the menu based on what I was able to buy. I think I could go for another week or two past this if necessary, though vegetables would be getting thin and meals would be repetitive. We'll be baking all our bread products, which we used to do before life felt too busy. It was an easy decision to do this since there was no bread to be bought.
So, here is what I've been able to plan.
Monday, 3/16
Fried rice
Baby bok choy
Tuesday 3/17
Reuben sandwiches
I bought the corned beef a few weeks ago. I make these in the crock pot. D. will be baking the rye bread to serve them on.
Alsatian potato salad
Wednesday 3/18
Beef and cabbage over egg noodles
Cabbages were on sale. I bought six. We'll be having them a lot.
Roasted asparagus
Thursday 3/19
Garlic broccoli penne
This is another family favorite.
French bread
Friday 3/20
Corned beef hash with eggs
If all else fails, we'll have eggs. I'm going to use most of the eggs at breakfast and lunch.
Salad
Saturday 3/21
Albondiga soup
A meatball soup recipe from a good friend of mine. It's one of my favorites.
Biscuits
Sunday 3/22
Roast chicken
Whole chickens were on sale for less than 90 cents/pound. I would stock up at that price regardless of world events.
Stuffing
From a box
Cooked carrots
Monday 3/23
Garlic-chili grain bowls with millet, cabbage, and rashishes
The garlic and chili are mixed with ground pork. Everyone really likes these.
Tuesday 3/24
Green chicken curry
This is a chicken and green bean curry that we really like
Fresh noodles
Dumplings
Wednesday 3/25
French onion soup
I make this in the crock pot. Plus, Swiss cheese was one of the two types still on the shelf.
French bread
Thursday 3/26
Lemon spaghetti
French bread
Salad
We'll see how the Romaine holds out. Salads will probably be veering to mostly cabbage at some point.
Friday 3/27
Meatloaf
I have beef
Mashed potatoes
Salad
Saturday 3/28
Chicken noodle soup
Using what is left from the roast chicken
Biscuits
Sunday 3/29
Ponzo steak salad
This is a yummy steak salad served over noodles that uses ponzo sauce. It's a citrus flavored soy sauce.
French bread
Monday 3/30
Chicago beef sandwiches
Roast cooked in the crock pot with some of the onions and peppers I froze today. We'll be making homemade buns.
Baked butternut squash
Tuesday 3/31
Sweet and sour chicken bowl
I'll probably use rice for the grain.
Sauteed lotus root
I went to H-mart last week, and like to grab lotus root when I see it. I'll be blanching and freezing it tomorrow.
Wednesday 4/1
Spaghetti with Italian sausage
The sauce is leftover from the last time I made it and frozen
French bread
Roasted asparagus
Some of the vegetables I'm blanching and freezing
Thursday 4/2
Garlicky white bean soup
I buy white beans 25 pounds at a time. They're always in the pantry.
Biscuits
Friday 4/3
Meatballs
Egg noodles
Sauteed green beans
Also from the blanched and frozen vegetables
Saturday 4/4
(celebrating K.'s birthday)
Pasta with onion, bacon, and goat cheese
It was nice K. had chosen his birthday dinner so far in advance, so I could stock up on the ingredients
French bread
Salad
Chocolate mayonnaise cake
Sunday 4/5
Lentil soup with rosemary
Lentils I also buy in bulk
French bread
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