weekly meal plan

I hope everyone’s enjoying the three day weekend!  We had a pretty quiet weekend, spending some quality family time together and catching up on some house projects.  We’ve been letting the kids relax and enjoy the last of their free time.  Now that school has started and activities start up again this week they are going to be super busy!  That means I will be the “chauffeur” after school, so definitely plan on seeing slow cooker and quick and easy meals on our menu now!  Monday means it’s time for another weekly meal plan!  Here’s a look at what was on our menu this past week.  If you are new to meal planning you can read about how I make our weekly meal plan.

Sunday:  We went to the Renaissance Faire for the day.  By the time we got home, we were starving and ordered Chinese take out!

Monday:  I made Summer Corn Risotto from Every Day with Rachael Ray.  We haven’t had fresh corn in awhile.  With the spinach and basil this was a tasty summer dish.

Tuesday:  I made Greek-style Garlic Shrimp and Orzo from Rachael Ray: 365 No Repeats.  I’ve made similar recipes to this one, but had never made this particular recipe.  This was super tasty.  I used the pint of cherry tomatoes that I got in our weekly CSA.

Wednesday: I made Mexican Breakfast Casserole from The Grant Life.  I had a huge loaf of bread so I ended up making two casserole dishes of this.  Honestly, I didn’t find anything in the dish to call it “Mexican” unless you count the sour cream and salsa that the casserole gets served with.   As I mentioned, I doubled the recipe and used 10 eggs, which I split accordingly into the two dishes.  I didn’t think that it was enough egg for the dish and would recommend using more than the 5 called for.

Thursday: This was the kid’s first day back at school.  I made one of their favorites, chicken parmesan and spaghetti.  I also sautéed some broccoli rabe, from our CSA, in garlic and oil.

Friday:  We had our usual Friday night homemade pizza.  This week I made pepperoni pizzas which made my son happy!  I use store bought dough which makes cooking even easier!

What is on your menu this week?

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  We spent a relaxing couple of days up in Rhode Island.  Beach time, lots of reading time and delicious food made this mom very happy!  The kids are staying with my parents for a couple of days so we are childless.  Unfortunately, my husband is at a two day overnight training in New Jersey.  So, I’m home alone for the next couple of days!  I’m going out to dinner tonight with a friend tonight.  I also plan on getting in some good reading time and catching up on all my Real Housewives episodes!  There will NOT be a lot of cooking going on this week!  Here’s a peek at our most recent weekly meal plan:

Saturday – We had our monthly supper club.  This month’s theme was Julia Child.  I made a Zucchini Tian from RecipeTin Eats and my husband made Julia’s famous Chocolate Almond cake.  We had another delicious dinner!

Sunday – We watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and shared a Pepperoni Roll, Buffalo Chicken Roll and Chicken Parm Wedge from our local pizzeria.

Monday – I made Spinach and Feta Chicken Burgers that I served with French fries and onion rings and marinated cucumbers.  I adapted this recipe from Belly Full a LOT by using ground chicken, frozen spinach, added red onion and additional spices.  These burgers were flavorful and even my daughter who doesn’t really like feta cheese enjoyed hers.

Tuesday – I made Breakfast Nachos.  No recipe involved here, just tortilla chips topped with cooked chorizo, scrambled eggs, chopped tomato, sliced olives, salsa and shredded cheddar.  I stuck the pan under the broiler until the cheese melted and then topped with sour cream.  Nachos in any variety are ALWAYS a hit!

Wednesday – I know it’s hot, but I made chili in the slow cooker.  It was easier to brown the meat and prepare the crockpot in the morning and not have to worry about cooking dinner later in the evening.  I adapted this recipe from allrecipes, since most of us in the family prefer beanless chili.  I only added one small jalapeno pepper and no cayenne pepper to make it kid-friendly.  I served the chili over rice with shredded cheddar and sour cream.

Thursday – I made Summer Squash and Chicken Chowder from Cooking Light, June 2016.  I cooked chicken thighs in the slow cooker instead of using a rotisserie chicken breast.  This soup was very flavorful and tasty!  I topped it with Greek yogurt as recommended.  I served the soup with biscuits (not home-made!).

Friday – We ate dinner at my parent’s house up in Rhode Island – BBQ chicken, potato salad, tomato and mozzarella salad and marinated cucumbers!

What is on your menu this week?

Happy first day of August!   Summer is flying by!  Our weekly CSA is keeping us loaded up with fresh veggies which I am trying very hard to use!  Here is what was on our menu plan this past week.

Saturday: We spent the day with friends at their lake and then had dinner at their house.

Sunday:  We hosted our monthly supper club.  This month’s theme was Turkish.   We made grilled chicken which we served over rice pilaf, eggs cooked in a pepper and onion dish as well as a grilled eggplant dish with spicy chickpeas and walnut sauce.

Monday: We had lots of leftovers from Supper Club so we had them for dinner.  They were just as good the second day, and I got a night off from cooking….score! 

Tuesday: I made Tortellini with Creamy Pesto Sauce using The Pioneer Woman’s recipe.  I was able to use the basil that I’ve been growing on the deck for the pesto sauce.  Yum!  I knew the kids wouldn’t like the pesto sauce, so I didn’t pour it over all the tortellini.  Instead the kids had butter and parmesan cheese on their tortellini.

Wednesday:  I made Roasted Veggie & Goat Cheese Wraps adapted from Vanilla Bean Café.  I used a variety of vegetables from our CSA which I roasted.  I put them on wheat flatbreads but didn’t actually like the flatbread very much.  I served the wraps with corn on the cob, mini tater tots and onion rings. 

Thursday:  I made Teriyaki Burgers with Grilled Pineapple and Onions from Recipe Runner.  I used ground beef instead of ground turkey.  I also didn’t make the avocado cream sauce and instead used guacamole.  This recipe involved a bit of effort, making the homemade teriyaki sauce, cooking the burgers, and then cooking the pineapple and onions.  However, they were super tasty!  I served these with sautéed Swiss Chard and Breaded Squash Sticks.

Friday:  We used the leftover teriyaki sauce to make a Teriyaki Pizza.  We used the leftover roasted vegetables and goat cheese to make another pizza.  Both were pretty good and a great way to use up leftovers!

What is on your menu this week?

What a busy but fun weekend we had!  Friday night we went to a local minor league baseball game.  As much as we enjoy going to a Mets or Yankee game, minor league baseball means, smaller stadiums, cheaper tickets, and closer to home.  We got to see our first fireworks show of the summer too!  Saturday we went to a polo match, which was a new and fun experience for us.  Sunday we celebrated our son’s 8th birthday with family.  We made lots of food and getting to spend time with family is always nice.  My in-laws took the kids back with them after the party and we are childless until Thursday.  But let’s move on now to what was on our weekly meal plan last week.

Saturday –   We went berry picking and to a museum up in the Fishkill/Beacon area.  After the museum we went to Stock Up in Beacon for dinner.  We shared two amazing sandwiches and a brisket dinner platter.  Everything was SO good!

Sunday – My husband made a teriyaki salmon and veggie stir fy, using up some of last week’s CSA veggies. He made some rice to go with it.  It was tasty and healthy!

Monday – I made a very adapted version of Rachael Ray’s Arroz con Pollo & Chorizo Burritos.  I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken, omitted the saffron in the rice, and used cheddar cheese instead of Manchego. Instead of keeping the rice and meat mixture separate, I added the rice right into the pan with the meat.  This tasted okay and everyone ate it, but it’s not a repeat.

Tuesday – I made Peaches and Green Salad from Cooking Light.  We used the fresh lettuce from our CSA.  Unfortunately, half the peaches I bought were mealy and had to be thrown out.  Some weeks I buy peaches and they are juicy and amazing.  Other times, even though they look and feel ripe, they are mushy!   I didn’t have green tomatoes so used regular red tomatoes.  This was a family affair prepping dinner, as my husband washed and chopped the lettuce while I chopped the veggies and my daughter made the salad dressing.  This was a tasty salad which I served with some Three Cheese Artisanal bread that I bought from the bakery section at Shoprite.

Wednesday – I made breaded chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes and a patty pan squash veggie side dish.   I will be sharing the patty pan squash recipe in a future CSA spotlight post.  This was a hot summer day, where I had chicken cutlets frying in a pan and the squash cooking in the oven.  I was a hot, sweaty mess!

Thursday –  We went to The Melting Pot in White Plains, a fondue restaurant, to celebrate my son’s 8th birthday.  This is the kids’ favorite restaurant and they have been choosing it for their birthday dinner celebration for years!

Friday – We went to a minor league baseball game and had stadium food like this Cracker Jack Burger, Pizza Fries and Fried Dough!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend celebrating the dad’s in their lives.  We had a great Father’s Day, in which we did some geocaching and had a picnic lunch at a local state park.  Then my husband’s family joined us for a BBQ dinner.  Meal planning has gotten interesting for me.  I picked up my first CSA haul last Tuesday (and weekly from now until October!).  So I have lots of fresh veggies to use.  This past week, most of it was of the leafy green variety.  I didn’t want to make the greens the same way, so it took a bit more time researching different and interesting ways to make use of the veggies.  Here’s a look at what was on our menu this past week:

Saturday: My husband and I attended the Westchester Wine & Food Festival.  We got to sample amazing dishes from local restaurants and sample some wine and liquor as well.

Sunday: We had our monthly supper club Sunday night.  The theme was Vietnamese and I made Bun Ga Nuong (Grilled Chicken and Vermicelli Salad) from Food.com.  I don’t get to eat Vietnamese food a lot and the meal was delicious.  Everything was light, summery and so good!

Monday: I made Tilapia Curry with Basil from Every Day with Rachael Ray.  I served it with some cucumbers marinated in rice vinegar and sugar and cooked rice vermicelli noodles sauteed in soy sauce and sesame oil.  I’m trying to eat more fish and tilapia is tasty and easy to cook.  This dish was flavorful with the red curry but probably not a dish that I’ll make again.

Tuesday: I made Pork Chops with Zesty Tomato Sauce & Swiss Chard from Every Day with Rachael Ray.  I am not a big pork chop maker or eater.   I’m always afraid of not cooking the pork enough and usually end up overcooking it, where it ends up dry.  The pork in this dish was okay in flavor.  We loved the swiss chard cooked in oil and garlic.  It was simple but really flavorful.

Wednesday:  I made Penne with Sausage and Escarole from the Cooking Channel, courtesy of Chef Emeril Lagasse.  I have made this dish before with broccoli rabe.  The escarole, which has a slight bitterness to it raw, tasted great in this recipe.  This was a winner with the family.

Thursday: I made Chicken and Bok Choy Stir Fry from Epicurious, which I served with rice.   My daughter helped get the marinade ready while I cut the chicken up.  I will admit that the chicken did not sit in the marinade for thirty minutes as recommended.  It probably marinated for a good twenty minutes though and unfortunately, didn’t have as much flavor as I would have liked.  I also used chicken breasts instead of the boneless thighs that the recipe called for.

Friday:  I usually make pizza on Fridays, but not this week.  Instead, I made One Pot Stovetop Creamy Kale Mac and Cheese from White On Rice Couple, which I served with a ham steak.  I should have cut the kale smaller, but otherwise, this was a great way to use the kale.   My son was happy to have the mac and cheese and I was happy he was eating the kale with no complaints!

Did everyone have a great weekend?  We did!  Our weekend included lots of great food!  My husband and I went to a local wine and food festival on Saturday and then had our monthly supper club on Sunday!  I can tell that summer is almost here in my motivation, or really lack of, in the kitchen.  The weather is beautiful and I’d rather not be in the kitchen slaving over dinner.  You will be seeing more Cooking Light and Every Day with Rachael Ray recipes on my weekly meal plan, as I’ve been going through all my magazine recipe tear outs.  Here’s a look at what was on our menu this week.

Saturday: We went to my son’s Cub Scout camp out and end of year award ceremony at Fahnestock State Park.  My daughter and I just had dinner and stayed for the award ceremony, while my husband and son camped overnight…..in the rain!

Sunday: My husband made burgers with blue cheese, sauteed mushrooms and frizzled onions, which we had with fries and onion rings.

Monday: I made Antipasti Chopped Salad from Everyday with Rachael Ray, July/August 2015.  I adapted it and added some olives, eliminated the radicchio.  I used a smoked provolone that I found at Shoprite and I thought that it added nice flavor to the salad.

Tuesday: I made Ham and Honeycrisp Quesadillas from Cooking Light, April 2014.  I love how versatile quesadillas can be.  I used Gala apples in place of the Honeycrisp ones.  My only problem with the dish is that the apples don’t stay in the quesadilla!  When you take a bite, the apple slice falls out.  I didn’t put the arugula in the kids’ since they aren’t biggest fans.  Overall, these were okay.

Wednesday: I made Paprika Shrimp and Farro from Everyday with Rachael Ray.  This was quick, easy and tasty!  I’ve only recently started liking farro and my son isn’t quite a fan.  I used up some of the arugula from the quesadillas in an arugula salad with peaches and goat cheese.

Thursday:  We went out to a local restaurant, Umami Cafe for their Thursday $5 appetizer special.  We had a tapas-style appetizer dinner that included Truffle Mac & Cheese, Duck Quesadillas, Pork Cubano Spring Rolls, Pot Stickers and more.

Friday:  I made Garlic Basil Chicken with Tomato Butter Sauce from Pinch of Yum over pasta.  I bought a large basil plant and have been in search of recipes that use fresh basil.  This recipe was delicious and fit that bill.

Happy Monday! We survived a very hot and then very rainy weekend!  There was some Harry Potter movie watching, a birthday party and a cub scout camp out over the past couple of days.  This past week was also filled with good food!  Here’s a look at what was on our menu this past week.

Saturday:  We were up in Rhode Island for the Memorial Day Weekend.  My parents grilled steak and ribs which we had with salad and roasted potatoes.

Sunday:  We got home from Rhode Island and were not in the mood to cook dinner or go out.  So we ordered sushi from a local place.  They had a new platter special that we took advantage of and everyone was happy!

Monday:  My husband grilled some sausage and we had sausage and pepper sandwiches with cole slaw and corn on the cob.  Simple but tasty.

Tuesday: I made Classic Mu Shu Pork from Every Day with Rachael Ray.  This was a tasty version of the Chinese take out version that I like.  Instead of napa cabbage, which my grocery store didn’t have, I used bagged cole slaw mix.  I sauteed some zucchini in garlic and olive oil and also made some rice.

Wednesday: I made Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Goat Cheese Skillet Chicken from Closet Cooking. The roasted red peppers, spinach and goat cheese made a tasty flavor combination for the chicken.  This dish was made in about a half hour.  To accompany it, I made Spaghetti Aglio E Olio (spaghetti with garlic and olive oil).

Thursday:  I made Mexicali Hashbrown Taco Casserole from The Midnight Baker.  I precooked the meat mixture and defrosted the hash browns in the afternoon.  We had a 5 PM piano lesson, so by the time we got home and cooked the casserole in the oven for 35 minutes, we weren’t eating until 6:45.  So, not a quick meal, but this was super tasty.  Everyone had seconds and there were no leftovers!

Friday:  We had our usual homemade pizza.

What was on your menu this week?

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  We all are getting over a cold that’s been passed around from one family member to another over the past couple of days, which isn’t fun.  But, we are lucky to have a four day week and then a four day Memorial Weekend.  Of course we have to get through a jam packed week of a 4th grade concert, last Cub Scout meeting, piano lessons and Girl Scouts.  We got this!  As summer is approaching and the kids’ activities are winding down I will have more time to cook.  I know that once the weather heats up a bit I won’t WANT to cook though.  So, I’m sure quick, easy, recipes  that don’t require turning the oven on or exerting too much effort will be on the menu soon!  Here’s a look at what was on our menu this past week:

Saturday:  We had a lazy dinner of Gorton’s Fried Shrimp and french fries.  As long as I’m not cooking on the weekends, I’m happy!

Sunday:  We ended up going out for Indian food for lunch.  I ate way more than I normally do.  Although we ate lunch around 1:30, I was still so full that we didn’t eat dinner that night!  My son made himself a jelly sandwich and had a yogurt, but the rest of us weren’t hungry!

Monday:  I made Thai-Style Ground Beef from Cooking Light, January 2006.  I thought that I had curry paste, but when I went to make this, discovered that I didn’t.  Luckily, my husband works near an Asian market and after a quick call to him, he picked some up for me on the way home from work.  So, dinner was a little later than we usually eat, but I was able to make what I had planned!  I didn’t add the leeks that the recipe called for and thought it came out flavorful enough without.  I served this over rice, which I cooked in the leftover coconut milk from the sauce.

Tuesday: I made Mixed Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette and Crisp Panko Chicken from Cooking Light, April 2006.  I originally made this recipe back in 2009 and noted in my cookbook that it was good.  Fast forward seven years and it was still as tasty.  My daughter helped by making the dressing while I prepped the chicken.  Since it’s baked, the chicken wasn’t as “crisp” as I would have liked.  But overall, this was a tasty meal. I love that my kids enjoy salads.  As I’m sure many more salad dinners will be made over the summer!

Wednesday:  I made Brown Sugar Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Honey Mustard from With Salt & Wit.  I made sandwiches instead of sliders and used hamburger buns.  I needed a sturdier bun, as the rolls got super soggy and made these sandwiches a bit messy to eat.  I liked the addition of the onion rings on the sandwich!  I didn’t make the honey mustard sauce, since I found the chicken saucy and flavorful enough and I also didn’t add the cabbage.  I served this with a Caesar salad.

Thursday:  My husband came home early from work to make dinner.  When we got home from piano lessons he was making Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes for us.  We had these with breakfast sausage.  He made big pancakes and even with the larger size we still had enough leftover for breakfast the next morning.

Friday:  We had our usual homemade pizza, but this week I made pepperoni pizza.  Homemade pizza is so easy, when I use the store-bought dough.

Mondays seem to come way too quickly!  We had a relaxing but fun weekend filled with the kids’ end of year tae kwon do demonstration, soccer, some geocaching, bike riding and a lunch out.  I also got some in some scrapbook and reading time!  Here’s a look at what was on our menu last week:

Saturday – We ordered Chinese take-out.  A low-key, no cooking, Saturday night!

Sunday – For Mother’s Day we spent the afternoon up at a cupcake festival.  My parents and brother came over for dinner later that day, where my husband grilled some burgers which he served with bacon, gorgonzola cheese, sauteed mushrooms and fried onion straws.  He served the burgers with corn-on-the-cob and both regular and sweet potato fries.

Monday – I made Citrus Glazed Chicken Thighs from Cooking Light, January 2006.  I adapted the recipe a little bit and cut up the thighs into bite-size pieces before marinating.  Instead of broiling the chicken, I sauteed it in a large pan on the stove.  The chicken didn’t get very glazed, but I cooked up the sauce and served it with the chicken over rice. The chicken is supposed to marinate for an hour, so it’s not a quick meal.  Taste wise, I thought this was okay, but probably won’t make it again.

Tuesday – Unfortunately, no picture was taken of tonight’s dinner.  I made Filet Mignon with Sweet Bourbon-Coffee Sauce from Cooking Light, March 2006.  Instead of filet mignon, I used thin, beef tenderloin steaks I found at Shoprite.  I served the beef with leftover corn-on-the-cob from Sunday and some mashed potatoes.  I thought the sauce was just okay and won’t be making it again.  

Wednesday – I made Chinese Chicken Salad from Yummy Health Easy.  While I normally hate making salads, my daughter helped me make this dinner.  She used the salad spinner to dry the romaine and then chop it while I cooked the chicken.  I had some sunflower seeds that I wanted to use up, so I put those in the salad instead of the slivered almonds and sesame seeds that the recipe called for.  I ended up adding some teriyaki and sesame oil to the homemade dressing as well.  Overall, this was a tasty enough salad.  I’ve seen other similar salads around the blogosphere that I may end up trying since we like the flavors.

Thursday – I made The Pioneer Woman’s Pasta all Vodka.  This was a pretty quick and easy dinner and really tasty.

Friday – My husband made breakfast calzones.  I didn’t have a particular recipe in mind when I put this on the weekly meal plan, so we stuck some cooked, shredded hash browns, scrambled eggs, crumbled, cooked bacon and some shredded cheese inside pizza dough.  We cooked the calzones on our pizza stone.  They were tasty and a kid pleaser, though the eggs got a little overcooked.

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend and a nice Mother’s Day.  We spent the day at a local cupcake festival and then had my family over for a barbecue to celebrate Mother’s Day, and my mom and my brother’s birthdays.  Here’s a look at what was on our menu this past week:

Saturday:  Last Saturday was our son’s First Communion.  We ordered an Italian Wedge and a wrap platter from a local deli and then we made a broccoli salad and Asian cole slaw and my mom made potato salad.  Of course we over ordered, but the minimum wedge order was 3 feet.  Even after sending both brothers home with some wedge, we still had wedge for days….literally!

Sunday: Guess what was for dinner tonight…..the choice was a wrap or wedge with leftover salads.

Monday: My husband and I had some more wedge for lunch.  At dinner, my daughter was relieved that wedge or a wrap was not a dinner choice!  I made breaded chicken cutlets, red mashed potatoes and frozen veggies.  A simple, but tasty meal.

Tuesday: I made One Pot Taco Spaghetti from Damn Delicious.  I didn’t realize until now how bad the photo I took was.  I apologize that this dish doesn’t look the best, but it was a kid-pleaser!  I liked that it was all cooked in one pot, so less clean up for me!  My daughter took leftovers for lunch and commented how much she liked this spaghetti.

Wednesday: My parents came over for dinner before my daughter’s spelling bee.  I made Asian-Style Meat Loaves from Cooking Light, March 2006  I served them with rice and sautéed zucchini.   I had made these meat loaves back in 2009 but forgot how tasty they were.  I used ground beef instead of the ground turkey/ground pork combination the original recipe called for.  Besides the meat loaves, this was an easy but tasty meal.

Thursday: I made Slow Cooker Lentils with Chicken Sausage, Spinach and Feta Cheese from The Perfect Pantry.  This was an easy to put together slow cooker meal.  I used chicken bouillon powder to make the broth, but next time I would use low sodium chicken broth.  Between the broth, the sausage and the feta, I found this dish to be a bit on the salty side.  It is also worth noting that the recipe states it makes four servings.  There was just enough for the four of us to get a decent bowl of this to eat, with none left for seconds.

Friday:  I had planned on making a breakfast pizza.  But after helping set up the book fair at the kids’ school and driving my daughter to her Girl Scout camping trip, I was barely in the mood to make regular pizza.  There was no way a breakfast pizza was happening.  Regular cheese pizza it was.  I am planning on making breakfast calzones this week instead.

What is on your menu this week?