Saturday, August 27, 2011

Menu for week of August 29th




I stuck to last week's menu pretty well, with just a few changes here and there. I have been trying to eat up food in the pantry and freezer but have had to buy items here and there to round out our meals. Here is what I am planning to feed my family this week.

Monday:

B-Breakfast bars (I have an abundance of granola bars, Nutri-grain Bars, Special K bars, etc. that I have bought on sale and with a coupon. These are not that filling, but it is hard to pass up a good deal. Eat one of these with a banana and a cup of Joe and you feel pretty full.

L-Leftovers from the weekend (sometimes these foods are much tastier as leftovers)

D-Lasagna Roll-ups (using a partial box of lasagna noodles from the pantry and sausage bought on sale a few weeks ago). I also have the spaghetti sauce in the pantry and romaine lettuce in the fridge. I almost always have the makings for cheese biscuits as well.

Lasagna Roll Ups
-6 lasagna noodles
-1/2 lb. sausage
-chopped onions
-1 (15.soz) jar spaghetti sauce
-1 (8oz) pkg. shredded pizza blend cheese (I'll use bits of cheddar and mozzarella that I already have, and maybe some freshly grated parmesan)

-Cook lasagna noodles according to pkg. directions.
-Rinse and drain; set aside.
-In a skillet cook the sausage and onions.
-Drain.
-In a bowl mix 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce and sausage together.
-Spread 1/4 cup of the meat sauce onto each lasagna noodle.
-Top with 1 Tbls. cheese.
-Carefully roll up each noodle and place seam side down in an 8x8 baking dish.
-Spoon remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
-Bake @ 350 for 20-30 minutes........

I'll make an extra pan and throw that in the freezer for another meal on another week.

Tuesday:

B-Oatmeal and some sort of fruit (maybe blueberries from the freezer or fresh strawberries)

L-Leftovers more than likely or PB&J with Sliced Apple

D-Bean Burritos (I am going to try this recipe that I found online as it is much cheaper than the canned ones I buy at the store), Blanco Queso (using up the rest of my faux Velvetta cheese) and Tortilla Chips

Crock pot Refried Beans

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne power
1/2 tsp of chili powder (optional)
4 cups water

Soak beans overnight in plenty of water.*
Soften the beans by boiling for 10 minutes (or according to package directions) and drain.
Place the onion, boiled beans, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine.
Cook on High for 4 to 6 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
After cooking remove some water. Smash the beans with a potato masher. Add water back as necessary for desired consistency.
*To skip soaking process by increasing water to 9 cups and cook for an additional 2 to 4 hours on HIGH.
**For smaller batch use 2 cups beans and 3 cups water. You can also cut back a little on the spices.

We use about 1/4 of the batch on the day I make it. I put two jars in the freezer and leave one jar in the refrigerator for use throughout the week.

Wednesday:

B-Cereal (bought on sale and with coupon) and milk, maybe a banana too.

L-Leftovers or some soup from the freezer (I have some mystery containers in there-why didn't I label them???)

D-Chicken or Turkey Sloppy Joes, Oven Fries

Thursday:

B-One Eyed Sailors, Turkey Sausage Links and sliced Grainger Tomatoes.

L-Tortilla Stuffers (bought on sale with a coupon) and Tortillas

D-Cajun Chicken (crockpot), Noodles, Salad or Vegetable

Cajun Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts (boneless/skinless)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
cajun seasoning (to your taste ... a lot if you like it spicy)

Spread cream of chicken soup in the bottom of the crock pot. Place chicken over the top, sprinkle with cajun seasoning and cook.


Friday:

B-Cream of Wheat, Toast with Jam

L-Leftovers or Egg Salad Sammies and Carrots

D-Favorite Beans and Rice

Favorite Beans and Rice

Vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups cooked red beans (or 1 can)
2 cups black beans (or 1 can)
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp chili powder (use up to 1 tsp if using a mild chili powder)
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion to soften and add garlic, being careful not to let garlic burn. Add beans (drained) to skillet. Add tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin to skillet. Heat through, lower heat to simmer. Serve over hot rice. Sprinkle with shredded cheese if you wish.

Saturday:

B-Pancakes

L-Egg Salad Sammies and Carrots

D-Hamburger Helper meal (bought on sale with coupon, more than likely), (I make it with ground chicken or turkey instead of beef), green veggie or salad, rolls

Sunday:

B-Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

2 c. biscuit mix
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sour cream
1 egg
1 c. blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine biscuit mix, brown sugar, sour cream, egg and blueberries in a large bowl. Fill large muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 20-25 minutes.


L-Pam's Chicken Dish for the Crock Pot, Rice, Salad or Veggie, Rolls

Pam's Chicken Dish for the Crock Pot

4-6 chicken breasts, pounded out thin
4-6 pieces of ham
4-6 slices of Swiss or Mozzerella cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
¼ c. milk
Put ham and cheese on chicken. Roll up and secure with toothpick. Place chicken in crock pot so it looks like a triangle. Layer rest on top. Mix soup and milk. Pour over top of chicken. Cover and cook on low 4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over noodles with the sauce it makes.

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