Menu Plan Monday--Menu Planning

You will hear me say over and over again how important I think it is to plan your meals ahead of time (as opposed to panicking at 5:00 and running to the store or the drive thru). When you plan properly, you can go shopping once (whether it be for a week, two weeks, or longer) and know that you have everything you need to make all your meals without having to visit a store again. But, what exactly do you plan? Some people get very detailed, planning all three meals, plus snacks and desserts, for their menu plan period. For me, I have found that planning dinners for each specific day, and 7 breakfasts and lunches that can be placed on any day, is sufficient. My philosophy is that the busier you are, the more you need to plan. If you are running like crazy, even coming up with a simple breakfast at the last minute can be a challenge, and therefore should be planned and prepped ahead of time. But if your days are pretty calm, you can just make sure that you have all the ingredients you need to make your typical breakfast and lunch foods, then you shouldn't have to plan what you will have each day. I do, however, plan each day's dinner meal according to the calendar (discussed here). Dinner is a little more crucial for a couple reasons. 1) it tends to be the largest, most complex meal of the day and 2) my hubby is home for dinner and I want to make sure I am prepared with a good meal when he walks in the door. I do also take a look at the calendar and see if there are any daytime meals that I am going to want to think about ahead of time, like for example, if my husband will be home for lunch, or if we are going to be leaving early in the morning and I need a quick and easy breakfast. I also make a pot of soup every Monday, so I plan that ahead of time to make sure I have all the ingredients. I think you get the idea.

This menu plan period I did get more detailed than I usually do, because I had a bunch of recipes I wanted to try out.

Menu Plan 3/28-4/4

Monday:
breakfast~breakfast cookies
lunch~chili
dinner~apricot chicken, sweet potatoes, carrots, beer bread
dessert~cinnamon roll cookies

Tuesday:
breakfast~oatmeal
lunch~leftovers
dinner~salmon, rice, biscuits, salad
dessert~chocolate cake

Wednesday:
breakfast~biscuits n gravy
lunch~picnic of sandwiches, cheese and crackers, and fruit
dinner~baked ziti
dessert~crockpot apple crisp

Thursday:
breakfast~smoothies
lunch~mini corn dog muffins
dinner~chicken burritos, salad with Cafe Rio dressing
dessert~strawberry shortcake

Friday:
breakfast~cinnamon bun scones
lunch~asian salad
dinner~blt pizza
dessert~oatmeal cookies

Saturday:
breakfast~chocolate chip cream cheese coffee cake
lunch~tuna salad
dinner~spaghetti salad, salad, french baguette
dessert~brownies

Sunday--EASTER
breakfast~hot cross buns
appetizers~sausage balls, deviled eggs, smokin mozzarella balls
dinner~ham, cheesy potatoes, green bean bake, rolls, ambrosia salad
dessert~coconut cream pie, lemon meringue pie


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Caramel Corn

This is one of our favorite treats. It is time consuming, but easy to prepare. And when stored in a tin or a well sealed bag, you will be able to snack on it for weeks! It also makes a great gift!

Caramel Corn

1 c. unpopped popcorn kernels
2 tbsp oil
3/4 c. brown sugar
6 tbsp butter
3 tbsp corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pop corn in an air popper (or use the old fashioned stovetop method). Place in a large bowl or pot. In a small saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar. Add corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to boil. Stop stirring and allow the mixture to heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Immediately pour over the popcorn. Stir well to coat all the pieces. Work quickly so the mixture doesn't harden. Pour the popcorn onto a large baking sheet, preferably one with large rimmed edges. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins, stirring well after 10. Allow to cool completely, then break into pieces.

*recipe source: allrecipes.com


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Raspberry Cream French Toast

French toast is my absolute favorite food of all time. So, when I saw this variation, I HAD to try it, and it did not disappoint!

Raspberry Cream French Toast

Soften a block of cream cheese in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. Stir in a couple spoonfuls of raspberry jam. Spread some of the raspberry cream mixture between two pieces of bread. Dip in egg mix and prepare as you would regular French toast. Serve with some powdered sugar and pure maple syrup.

*recipe source: Kimmie Claypool


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Pizza Crust

We make pizza every Friday. We make lots of different varieties, but usually use the same crust to start with. It's frugal, it's easy, and it's tasty.

Pizza Crust

1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 c. plus 2 tbsp warm water
3 to 3 1/4 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in flour. Knead on a lightly floured board. Place in greased bowl, turn to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. Makes 2 large circles or 1 large rectangle. (I find the easiest way to shape the dough is to first grease a cookie sheet. Spread the dough as much as you can by hand first--try not to smoosh the dough when removing it from the bowl. When you have a basic circle or rectangle shape, place dough on pan and continue spreading out to the proper size)

Once topped, bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

*I usually double this to make 2 large rectangles

*recipe source: Betty Crocker 1961 cookbook


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Fry Bread

I like to serve bread with dinner as much as possible, since it is an easy, healthy way to help make sure everyone is full. This is one of the simplest breads to make, and I LOVE that it takes only a few basic ingredients.

Fry Bread

3 c. flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. water

Combine the dry ingredient and add the water. Mix and knead until smooth. Break off egg sized pieces and flatten into a circle with floured hands. Fry in a skillet with a small amount of oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
For variations, you can add garlic powder, italian seasoning, or other choices.


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Coconut Cream Pie

We are not much for pie, but we all love cream pies, and coconut is my fave!

Coconut Cream Pie

Roll out one pie crust and place in 9" pie pan. Flute the edges, and prick the crust with a fork. Line with aluminum foil and place a small amount of dried beans or rice (or pie crust weights) on top of the foil. Bake for 8-10 mins at 475 degrees. Allow to cool while preparing filling.

Filling:
2/3 c. sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
3 c. milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. moist shredded coconut

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 min. Remove from heat. Gradually stir at least half of hot mixture into egg yolks. Then blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil 1 min more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Blend in butter and vanilla. Stir in coconut. Pour immediately into baked pie shell. Chill for at least 1 hr. Garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut.
*to toast coconut, spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet and cook at 350 for just a few mins. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.

*recipe source: Betty Crocker 1961 Cookbook


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Chicken Soup

I LOVE soup. Winter, spring, summer, and fall, I will eat soup. I make a big pot up every Monday, and that way I always know I have something good for lunch all week, even if the kids are having pb&j.

This is the most basic, simplest soup around, but so yummy, and so versatile. Today, since I have leftover stuffing, I am adding that in to the finished product. YUMMO! :)

Sorry, I don't have an exact recipe (you will notice that is quite a pattern for me!)

To make the broth:
After you have cooked a chicken (see super simple instructions for cooking a chicken here), take every bit of meat off the bones. Place the bare carcass in a large pot. Cover with water. Drop in a couple whole garlic cloves, a whole carrot, a stalk of celery, a few whole peppercorns, and some salt. Heat to boiling. Once boiling, turn heat down to low and simmer, for a few hours, until the water is turned into a flavorful broth. Drain the liquid into a separate pot.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic over med heat. Add 2 finely chopped carrots, 2 finely chopped stalks of celery (including leaves), and about a cup of corn. Sprinkle some thyme, salt, and pepper over the top. Stir and heat for a few mins. (You are not cooking them, just giving the flavors a chance to blend together nicely.) Add the veggies to the pot of broth. Add some pieces of cooked chicken to the broth as well. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook for at least an hour. (The longer you cook it, the more tender the veggies will be. )
*additional tip: if you find that your soup doesn't have enough chicken flavor, just add some chicken bouillon powder before serving.
When ready to serve, you can add noodles, dumplings, stuffing, or just serve as is with some warm bread.


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