What's For Dinner? Menu Plan for March 14-20

* Linked Recipes

Monday

 Minestrone (use leftover veggies)

Fresh Bread

Chocolate Cream Pie (It's PI Day!)

Tuesday

Visit Dad

Wednesday

Grilled Chicken

*Kale Salad

Thursday

(St. Patrick's Day)

Corned Beef

*Colcannon

Green Peas

Irish Soda Bread

Key Lime IceCream

Friday

*Crock Pot Orange Chicken

Brown Rice

Steamed Broccoli

Saturday

*Burrito Bowls

Sunday

Reuben Sandwiches (Use leftover corned beef)

Potato Salad

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

What's For Dinner? Menu Plan for March 7-13

Monday

( Missionaries for Dinner)

Pizza

Salad

Nutella Cheesecake

Tuesday

Oriental Chicken Salad

Grilled Chicken

Wednesday

Smoked Sausage with Sauerkraut

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Green Peas

Thursday

Marsala Chicken with Mushrooms

Steamed Broccoli

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Friday

Bean Burritos

Saturday

(Flat Rock Playhouse and Stake Conference)

Leftovers

Sunday

Oven Roasted Chicken

with Veggies 

Green Beans

Dinner Rolls

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

Soup of the Week- North Woods Bean Soup

Salad of the Week - Pasta Salad

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

In the Kitchen this Week - Valentines and Menu Planning

This Week in the Kitchen

It's clean out the refrigerator day, which also means I'm planning some menus and determining how I'm going to spend my time in the kitchen this week.  Before I do that though, I like to look back and hold myself accountable for how I used my resources last week.  My goal is zero food waste and even though I was a little nervous that I had over purchased in the produce department, it was a good week.  

It was Valentine's Day too, and that meant chocolate around here!

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

Penne with Creamy Pesto Sauce - Check!

(use leftover penne, pesto, cream and fresh mozzarella)

Grilled Chicken

Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette 

(use spinach, blue cheese, glazed pecans)

Chicken Parmesan (use leftover spaghetti)- Check!

Recipe for my favorite marinara sauce coming soon.
Sautéed Kale

 Mardi Gras meal - Check!

Jambalaya

Lemon Bars (These were so, so good!)

Veggie Cheese Soup - Check!

(use carrots, broccoli and potatoes, cheddar cheese)

Artisan Bread

Chicken Burrito Bowls - Check!

Shredded lettuce and toppings

Tortilla Chips

Making edible Valentines for friends.

(Chocolate Cherry Scones for Valentine's Breakfast)

Valentine's Day

Beef Stew with Veggies - Check!

(Not necessarily what I would consider a romantic meal, but it's Sunday and I can

cook it in the crockpot while we're at church.  We had those poached pears last night and 

man oh man, are they delicious!  We're having them again this week.)

Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce (use chocolate sauce)

Lunch Ideas

Jar Salads - greek, kale, and spinach

Veggie Stir Fry (use peppers, mushrooms, etc.)

Roasted Veggies with Brown Rice - check!

(use brussels sprouts, carrots, onions, butternut squash)

Other Kitchen Tasks 

Make marinara sauce- Check! Stashed some in freezer.

Artisan bread - Check!

Dinner Rolls -didn't need them.  We had plenty of other breads to eat.

Cook pot of black beans - canned beans to the rescue!

Now, what do I have in the Refrigerator?
Leftovers:  Beef Stew, hummus, 
vanilla syrup (from poached pears), kale salad

In the vegetable drawer: red cabbage, carrots,
celery, romaine lettuce, celery, green pepper, 
spinach and iceberg lettuce

In the fruit drawer:  2 apples, 1 orange, 1 grapefruit

Dairy products:  cottage cheese, ricotta, plain yogurt,
buttermilk, milk, coconut milk, feta cheese, cheddar,
mozzarella

Meats: bacon, ham hock

Miscellaneous:  vegetable stock, ww tortillas
NO FOOD WASTE THIS WEEK! 

What can I do with the food I have?  
Menu Plans for Feb. 15- 22
(* linked recipes)
Beef Stew and Kale Salad
(Leftovers)

Chicken Piccata
Sautéed Spinach (use spinach)
Spaghetti Squash with walnuts
(squash in storage)

Gnocchi
(use ricotta and parmesan cheese)
Salad (use romaine and other veggies)

*Butternut Squash Soup   (and here- two approaches to the same delicious soup)
(squash in storage, use bacon, veggie stock)
*Artisan Bread
Baked Apples (use apples and vanilla syrup)

Chicken Pot Pie
Salad

*Black Bean Burgers
Mexi Rice 
shredded lettuce, salsa and sour cream

Sabbath Meal
Oven BBQ Chicken
Melanie's mac and cheese
green beans
*dinner rolls
Chocolate Sheet Cake

Lunch Ideas
 greek salad
Tuscan bean soup
hummus wrap

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

Menu Plans for a Week with a Full Vegetable Drawer

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

Sirloin steak (freezer) - Check!

leftover sweet and sour cabbage

garlic mashed potatoes

*balsamic glazed brussel sprouts

Pork Fried Rice with Veggies- Check!

(use carrots, celery, ginger and leftover pork)

Broccoli

*Greek Spaghetti (use lemon in fridge)- Check!

sautéed kale with lemon juice (use chicken broth)

Split Pea Soup (ham hock in freezer)
Made 15 Bean Soup instead

Cornbread ( in freezer)

Chicken Parmesan with 

Spaghetti Squash (squash in storage)

oven roasted veggies ( sweet potatoes in storage)
Moved to this week's menu plan

Chicken Burrito Bowls (make in crockpot)

(cook pot of black beans early in week)
Moved to this week's menu plan

*Asian Lettuce Wraps- Check!

(ground chicken in freezer)

Lunch Ideas:

spicy black eye pea salad - Check!

(peas in freezer)

tuscan bean soup

(parmesan cheese)

make artisan bread

salad jars - Check!

(greek, asian, chickpea, spinach)

What's in the Refrigerator?

This leftover pork fried rice had to be thrown away.  It had been in the fridge a little too long.  I know it's not much, but still, I hated to throw it away.  If I had chickens, I would've fed it to them.  I never felt badly about giving my chickens leftovers that we did't eat, because they loved it and were going to turn around and give me an egg in return.  It seemed like a good arrangement, therefore I never considered it wasted food. 

Other Leftovers:

lettuce wrap filling, cooked penne and spaghetti noodles

(The lettuce wrap filling will be tomorrow's lunch.  I have a problem with pasta though. 

 I can never cook exactly the amount I need!  I cooked the penne to put in some

 salad jars that I made last week, and the spaghetti is leftover from our Greek Spaghetti night.)

In the vegetable drawer: carrots, celery,

 fresh ginger, red pepper strips, green pepper, 
mushrooms, snow peas, romaine lettuce
spinach (lots of spinach), iceberg lettuce, avocados
 cucumber, kale, red cabbage, brussels sprouts
(The drawer is still full after a week, so you can get an idea of how much fun
I had in the produce section when I shopped.  Fresh produce doesn't last long
though, so we're going to have to eat lots of salads and cooked veggies this week.)

Fresh fruit: apples, lemons, oranges

Cheeses: monterey jack, parmesan, feta
fresh mozzarella, cheddar, blue cheese

Dairy:sour cream, cottage cheese 

ricotta cheese, yogurt, 1/2 cup cream

ww tortillas

chicken broth
1/2 quart tomatoes
potato water (for making bread)
chocolate ganache
eggs

Menu Plan for Feb. 8-14

Penne with Creamy Pesto Sauce

(use leftover penne, pesto, cream and fresh mozzarella)

Grilled Chicken

Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette 

(use spinach, blue cheese, glazed pecans)

Chicken Parmesan (use leftover spaghetti)

Sautéed Kale

 Mardi Gras meal

Jambalaya

Lemon Bars

Veggie Cheese Soup

(use carrots, broccoli and potatoes, cheddar cheese)

Artisan Bread

Chicken Burrito Bowls

Shredded lettuce and toppings

Tortilla Chips

Valentine's Day

Beef Stew with Veggies

(Not necessarily what I would consider a romantic meal, but it's Sunday and I can

cook it in the crockpot while we're at church.  We had those poached pears last night and 

man oh man, are they delicious!  We're having them again this week.)

Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce (use chocolate sauce)

*

Lunch Ideas

Jar Salads - greek, kale, and spinach

Veggie Stir Fry (use peppers, mushrooms, etc.)

Roasted Veggies with Brown Rice 

(use brussels sprouts, carrots, onions, butternut squash)

Other Kitchen Tasks 

Make marinara sauce

Artisan bread

Dinner Rolls

Cook pot of black beans

*Take the Time Goal #33 Make menu plans.  Eliminate food waste.

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.

Soup Days

Menu Plan for Last Week
and how it all turned out. 

Roasted Garlic White Bean Lasagna Soup - Check!

(using the leftover lasagna noodles and ricotta)
****  I thought this soup recipe sounded unusual.  But I had those lasagna noodles,
and that ricotta, so I was willing to give it a try.  It turned out to be absolutely delicious!
 I used the recipe linked above, and cut my cooked lasagna noodles in small pieces,
instead of using the noodles called for in the recipe.  I think it was the roasted garlic
and fire roasted tomatoes that made it truly fantastic.  The ricotta went into the
bowl first and then I ladled the hot soup over it, resulting in melty, creamy cheese.
I'm thinking about making this again soon and instead of using lasagna noodles,
 I'm going to use tiny shell pasta.

Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms and Sage -Check!

Mashed Potatoes (leftovers)

Broccoli

Black Bean Quesadillas -Moved to this week's menu

(Use romaine lettuce, shredded cheddar)

Grilled Chicken Asian Salad - Check!

(Use some of the red cabbage with salad greens)

Vegetable Beef Soup  - Check!

(Use leftover roast beef and green beans )

Artisan Bread

I used the bit of pesto I had in the refrigerator and diced up some of my
dried tomatoes to add to this bread.  It was great!

This soup was especially flavorful, because I made my  own beef stock.
  I roasted the meaty bones and some vegetables

and then put it all into a huge pot, covered with water, and let it simmer for

 two days.  Really.  Two days. I then strained it and put it into jars.  

A couple of those jars went into the veggie beef soup.

Stuffed Shells

(Use marinara , parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta)

Salad and Bread
I made gnocchi instead!

I'll blog about this recipe soon.  It was fantastic topped with a fresh marinara .

Pork Roast - Moved to this week's menu plan.

Acorn Squash ( in storage)

Sweet and Sour Cabbage (use red cabbage!)

Possible Ricotta Recipes to Try

Blueberry Ricotta Scones

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta and Walnuts

Easy Ricotta Gnocchi

How did I do with food waste?
No food waste!

What Do I Have in the Fridge This Week?
broccoli
carrots
celery
romaine lettuce
beet greens (from freezer)
sandwich ham
mushrooms
red cabbage
some slightly shriveled apples
an orange
cheddar, ricotta, mozzarella and monterey jack cheeses
whole wheat tortillas


Menu Plan for Week of January 25
Black Bean Quesadillas
(use beet greens, cheddar, monterey jack and tortillas)

Quiche
 Make pie crusts.  Use ham, broccoli, mushrooms, cheese)
Salad ( Use romaine, carrots, celery, red cabbage)

Pork Roast
Sweet Potatoes (from storage)
Sweet and Sour Cabbage ( use red cabbage)
Apple Pie  ( use apples)


It's a short menu plan this week, because I'm leaving 
on Thursday, heading to Charleston for a girl's weekend with
my good friend, Lynette.  I'll be more than ready to get off
 this snowy mountain and soak up a little coastal sunshine and
 of course eat some wonderful seafood!  We have reservations
 at Husk, a restaurant I've been longing to visit and
 I'm looking forward to tasting for myself some of the food
 that's making Sean Brock a celebrity chef.  I'm leaving behind 
plenty of food in the freezer for my hubby, so he won't go
 hungry in my absence.  It's the least I can do...

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

 #17 Eat less meat. 

 #20- Make pasta once a month.

So Much Ricotta. What Was I Thinking?

The menu plan for last week worked out pretty well. 

Menus

Butternut Squash Soup - Check!

( use pancetta, onions, 3/4 apple and squash from storage)

Pork Chops with Cranberry Orange Sauce- Check!

( use leftover cranberry sauce, oranges and ginger)

Broccoli and Sweet and Sour Cabbage (red cabbage)
We had sautéed kale and sweet potatoes. The cabbage didn't happen.

*Meet Miss Margeaux Party*

Lasagna- Check! 

( use ricotta and cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, 

 Italian sausage, the rest of onions and pesto.  Make marinara sauce)

Salad and Bread

Jean Hyder's Apple Cake

( use apples)
Chocolate Sheet Cake - I decided against this.  Made chocolate chip cookies instead.

Chicken Piccata - Check!

Sautéed Kale  Steamed Broccoli

Sweet Potatoes (from storage)

Pizza -Check!

( mozzarella, canadian bacon, pineapple tidbits, artichoke hearts)

Salad

Sunday Roast - Check!

(roast from freezer, onions, carrots and celery)

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Green Beans (from storage)

How did I do with food waste?
I had to throw away the artichoke hearts.  By the end of 
the week, when I made pizza, they were too old and slimy.
I should have put them in the freezer.  I hated that, but overall,
 I guess losing one little container of food wasn't so bad.
  Trying again this week for zero waste!

What do I have in the refrigerator to work with?

roast beef

marinara sauce

mashed potatoes

green beans

cooked lasagna noodles
(am I the only one who always cooks too many noodles?)

lots of ricotta

fresh broccoli

red cabbage (it's still there)

celery and carrots

romaine lettuce

salami and sandwich ham

mozzarella and parmesan cheese

grated cheddar cheese

 a little bit of pesto

eggs

When I shopped last week for the lasagna party, I was at Sam's and picked up a large container of Ricotta.  I already had a small one at home!  I guess I thought that if I made two large pans of lasagna that I would need that much ricotta.  Not so!  Now, I have a lot of ricotta to use, and this is one item that I'm notorious for letting go to waste. It tends to get pushed to the back and resurfaces after it's too late.  My challenge this week is to see how many ways I can use that ricotta.  Zero waste!

Menu Plan for January 18-24 

Roasted Garlic White Bean Lasagna Soup

(using the leftover lasagna noodles and ricotta)

Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms and Sage

Mashed Potatoes (leftovers)

Broccoli

Black Bean Quesadillas

(Use romaine lettuce, shredded cheddar)

Grilled Chicken Asian Salad

(Use some of the red cabbage with salad greens)

Vegetable Beef Soup

(Use leftover roast beef and green beans )

Artisan Bread

Stuffed Shells

(Use marinara , parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta)

Salad and Bread

Pork Roast

Acorn Squash ( in storage)

Sweet and Sour Cabbage (use red cabbage!)

Possible Ricotta Recipes to Try

Blueberry Ricotta Scones

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta and Walnuts

Easy Ricotta Gnocchi

*Take the Time Goal #33- Plan weekly dinner menus. Eliminate food waste.

Five Reasons to Menu Plan

It's a little past four.  Do you know what your having for dinner tonight?  It's a good day when I can answer yes to that question. I posted back here,  that menu planning is one of the goals I've set for myself this year.  Because I've done this before, I already know the benefits I'll enjoy as a result.  Taking the time to plan menus helps me in the following ways:  

First- it eliminates the dreaded four o'clock, "what's for dinner" panic, when you're standing in front of the refrigerator waiting for inspiration to strike.  At four o'clock, I've already passed my best "thinking" time of the day.  If I don't already know what we're having for dinner (and have it partly prepared) at this point, it's so tempting to get "take out" or eat something that isn't good for me.

Second- we eat better when I plan.  Seeing your meals on paper first, makes it easier to notice a less than healthy pattern, like a pasta, pizza, rice, potatoes week.  Carbs are comforting, easy to prepare and taste fantastic.  I love them and they are my "go to" food group when I need to put together a quick meal.   My body doesn't love them as much as my taste buds do though, so I'm a lot better off if I space them out.  

Third- I stick more closely to my ideal food philosophies when I take a little time to think about what we're going to eat.  What foods are seasonal?  What do I have from the garden?  What's in my storage and my freezer?  Where did my food come from?   How was it grown?  Who can I bless with a gift from the kitchen this week?  

Fourth- I can better practice hospitality, by opening my home to others for a meal, when I know I'm going to have something good to share.  When I plan meals, we entertain more often.

Fifth- I waste less food.  This is a big one for me.  It makes me crazy to know that because I haven't been thinking ahead and using what I have wisely, I'm dumping food in the garbage.  We are blessed beyond belief in this country to have a plethora of food choices on any given day.  While we Americans throw away forty percent of our food each year, one in nine people in the world are suffering from chronic hunger.  I'm sure there are hungry people right here in my own town.  I feel guilty and ungrateful when I neglect to use what I have in my kitchen before it goes to waste, either because of poor planning or being simply too busy or tired.  

I  took everything out of the fridge today and cleaned it well (even those door shelves).  Sadly, I had food that needed to be thrown away.  Condiment bottles that were years old, moldy cheese,  leftover egg whites (from making egg nog) that I was going to do something with after Christmas, a little canned pumpkin, too old Almond Milk, and salad dressings.  Now I have clean shelves with edible food and I can see what needs to be eaten.  The question then becomes, "How should I use these items this week"?  

* a little spring mix
* one whole wheat tortilla
* two links of Italian sausage
* red cabbage
* some broccoli
* two heads of celery ( I must have forgotten I already had celery!)
* a little cranberry sauce
* a little yellow pepper
* a little pizza sauce

* two slices canadian bacon

* marinated artichoke hearts
* pesto
* some diced onions
* cottage and ricotta cheese
* 3/4 of an apple
* blue cheese, mozzarella, cheddar, asiago, cream cheese ( I usually   have a healthy cheese drawer!)
* fresh ginger
* 1/2 of an avocado
* some pineapple tidbits
* lots of apples and oranges

Here's what I've planned...

Menus

Butternut Squash Soup

( use pancetta, onions, 3/4 apple and squash from storage)

Pork Chops with Cranberry Orange Sauce

( use leftover cranberry sauce, oranges and ginger)

Broccoli and Sweet and Sour Cabbage (red cabbage)

*Meet Miss Margeaux Party*

Lasagna 

( use ricotta and cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, 

 Italian sausage, the rest of onions and pesto.  Make marinara sauce)

Salad and Bread

Jean Hyder's Apple Cake

( use apples)
Chocolate Sheet Cake

Chicken Piccata

Sautéed Kale

Sweet Potatoes (from storage)

Pizza

( mozzarella, canadian bacon, pineapple tidbits, artichoke hearts)

Salad

Sunday Roast

(roast from freezer, onions, carrots and celery)

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Green Beans (from storage)

Six dinner plans leaves room for leftovers or maybe a restaurant meal, who knows?  I'll have a scrambled egg burrito for breakfast to use up that tortilla and yellow pepper,  and avocado toast on another morning.  I  would be smart to snack on apples, oranges and celery (with peanut butter).  If I can stick to the plan, I should have little or no food waste this week.  The grocery list is pretty short too, which makes me happy.   I've already got that squash soup simmering away on the stove, so I'm off to a good start.

*Take the Time goal #33- Make weekly menus. Eliminate food waste.