Menu Plans and Packing Food for a Road Trip

Menu plan for last week and how it all turned out.

Black Bean Quesadillas  - check!

(use beet greens, cheddar, monterey jack and tortillas)

Quiche  - check!

 Make pie crusts.  Use ham, broccoli, mushrooms, cheese)

Salad ( Use romaine, carrots, celery, red cabbage)

Pork Roast- check!

Sweet Potatoes (from storage)

Sweet and Sour Cabbage ( use red cabbage)

Apple Pie  ( use apples)

It was a short plan this week, because I left on Thursday for a weekend in Charleston.  It was nice to have a break from cooking and I ate some amazing meals while I was there.   I was especially proud of myself for packing lots of food to eat on my way down and the first night before I arrived.  I made a salad with lettuce and other veggies in the drawer and left one for Mark to eat that night.  I took cheese and crackers, celery and peanut butter, apples and an orange, nuts, granola and of course some chocolate.  I heated up my thermos and some chili that was in the refrigerator before I left Thursday morning.   After a long day of driving and spending time at the temple, I went through the Wendy's drive thru and picked up a baked potato.  Back in the hotel room, I poured that hot chili over it, and it sure hit the spot.  What a yummy dinner for less than $2!  Maybe you think ahead and plan road food like this, but I usually don't, so it made me happy.  I avoided the fast food trap, used food from home so it wouldn't go to waste while I was gone and ate healthier than I would have had I eaten in restaurants.  I was saving up my calories for Charleston.  We ate our breakfasts in our room (yogurt, granola and fruit) and snacked our way through lunch so we could really enjoy our dinners.  Blog post coming soon about my favorite restaurant meal!

Now I'm back at home and the refrigerator is pretty empty.  I have a few things to work with, but it's going to be a big shopping day at the market.  

What's in the Refrigerator?

Leftovers: mashed sweet potato

sweet and sour cabbage

pork roast

In the vegetable drawer: carrots, celery,

 fresh ginger, half an onion

Fresh fruit: apples, lemon

Cheeses: monterey jack, parmesan

Dairy:sour cream, eggs, 

ricotta cheese, yogurt

ww tortillas

little bit of chicken broth

Menu Plan for February 1 - 7

* linked recipes

Sirloin steak (freezer) 

leftover sweet and sour cabbage

garlic mashed potatoes

*balsamic glazed brussel sprouts

Pork Fried Rice with Veggies

(use carrots, celery, ginger and leftover pork)

Broccoli

*Greek Spaghetti (use lemon in fridge)

sautéed kale with lemon juice (use chicken broth)

Split Pea Soup (ham hock in freezer)

Cornbread ( in freezer)

Chicken Parmesan with 

Spaghetti Squash (squash in storage)

oven roasted veggies ( sweet potatoes in storage)

Chicken Burrito Bowls (make in crockpot)

(cook pot of black beans early in week)

*Asian Lettuce Wraps

(ground chicken in freezer)

Lunch Ideas:

spicy black eye pea salad 

(peas in freezer)

tuscan bean soup

(parmesan cheese)

make artisan bread

salad jars

(greek, asian, chickpea, spinach)

Shrimp and Grits in Charleston

*Take the Time Goal #33- Make menus each week.  Eliminate food waste.